Henderson, Ramsey and Tottenham Hotspur in latest transfer gossip?

Tottenham Hotspur signs two players and suddenly they are a destination for everyone, with two long-time rivals linked to the club in Jordan Henderson and Aaron Ramsey.

In two rumors one can classify as unlikely and a bit strange, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and former Arsenal captain Aaron Ramsey are both being linked with Tottenham. With Ramsey seemingly on the way out of Juventus and Henderson having some contract negotiation issues, these could all be targeted rumors or possibly something more.

Midfield rivals linked with Tottenham

With Jordan Henderson, it is the Liverpool Echo reporting from talksport that Henderson has sent Tottenham a transfer message. Now what kind of message was sent and how, that is unclear but the rumor is now out there.

Henderson does have a skill set that would fit in well with Spurs allowing Pierre Højbjerg more freedom to push forward. He would also provide a great example for Oliver Skipp in the midfield who would be his eventual replacement. From a leadership and ability perspective on a short-term deal, Henderson would indeed be a great fit.

Henderson using Tottenham to Posture?

That short-term deal part is the problem and why this rumor just does not hold water. If Henderson is struggling to get his contract extended at Liverpool, why would Spurs do it? Henderson already has two years left, taking him to 33 on his current deal. Is Tottenham really going to pay nearly $20 million and then sign a 31-year-old to a five-year deal? That seems very, very unlikely.

What seems more likely is a rumor was started by Henderson’s people to put some pressure on Liverpool – who would never sell Henderson to a direct rival – to add a year or two to his deal.

Aaron Ramsey is going somewhere, why not Tottenham?

Aaron Ramsey is a different story than Henderson, although, like Henderson, he still has two years remaining on his contract with Juventus. However, unlike Liverpool who is not shopping Henderson, Juventus are actively shopping Ramsey.

Similar to Tottenham, Juventus has new football leadership and they are looking to offload some players and freshen the dressing room after their worst finish in nearly a decade. According to the Mirror, one of the players Juventus is looking to offload is Ramsey who has been deemed excess to requirements.

In truth, Ramsey has struggled for playing time the last two seasons at Turin and of course has been dealing with injuries. Despite all this and the fact that Ramsey grew up with bitter rival Arsenal, there are some reasons to think this move could happen for Spurs.

Juventus have new footballing leadership because Fabio Paratici left Turin and is now the Football Director at Tottenham. Paratici is the man who brought Ramsey to Italy, to begin with, so he clearly thinks highly of him as a player. With that context in mind, it is conceivable that Paratici would look to sign Ramsey again and hope that with limited minutes he could stay healthy and contribute.

Like Henderson, Ramsey would fill a need for Tottenham

Just as Henderson would fill a need for a deep midfield partner, Ramsey would provide cover in the middle of the park on the attacking side. Despite several players who seem to fit the center-attacking-midfield position at N17, no one has really nailed down the role in the last several seasons. Ultimately, Harry Kane was both the center-forward and the center-attack-midfielder for much of last season.

Ramsey cannot play 50 games but he likely would be good for 30-35 giving Spurs a creative option who like Dele has good timing and as Eriksen did has an eye for the pass. Now do I think Spurs are going to sign Ramsey, no I do not, although it is more likely than that they sign Henderson.

Unlike Henderson, which is really out of the realm of possibility, with the connection with Paratici, the need for a creative force, and being away from Arsenal for two seasons, Ramsey is possible. Just not likely, particularly given that the Welshman has historically been against the idea according to football.London.com.

More likely is Tottenham continues to look for younger players that they can grow with or sell on. And frankly, if they are more players like Bryan Gil, I’m all for the youth movement.