European football expert Andy Brassell will not be surprised if we see a Portuguese World Cup star end up at Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Spurs are set to make major changes to their squad following two 17th-place finishes as they look to hand Roberto De Zerbi the tools he needs to get the club back up the Premier League table.
The Lilywhites have already made four new signings, and more players are expected to arrive through the door at Hotspur Way over the coming days.
It does appear as if Joao Palhinha may not return to Spurs next season, with Sporting Lisbon pushing to re-sign the 30-year-old.
Samu Costa tipped to be Joao Palhinha’s replacement at Tottenham
Andy Brassell believes that Spurs should be looking at Samu Costa, who came on as a substitute for Portugal in their 0-0 draw against Colombia on Saturday.
The defensive midfielder scored seven times and provided seven assists for Mallorca last term, but could not stop them from going down. His performances saw him pip Palhinha to a place in the Portugal squad for the World Cup.
Brassell believes that the 25-year-old is a natural fit in the Premier League and suggested that he could be the player to take Palhinha’s place in the Tottenham squad as well.
The journalist told talkSPORT about Costa: “At 25 years old, he’s someone who’s a bit of a dark horse coming into this tournament. Not a household name in a Portuguese squad that’s absolutely full of them, but he’s someone who’s really earned his place in this squad. He’s someone who can pitch in with goals, who can tackle, shield the defence, and does it really, really well.”
“His ability to embrace those physical aspects of the game, I think, is something that clearly recommends him as a potential Premier League player. I think we have to underline Spurs as a possibility, because of course, it’s not a given that Joao Palhinha will end up back at Spurs.
“Roberto De Zerbi said he would love to keep him, but of course Bayern are still asking for a fee up towards the £30million mark. And there’s the fact that for family reasons Palhinha would like to go back to Sporting as well, although financially, whether that’s possible, we’ll wait and see in the coming weeks and maybe even months. So if that wasn’t possible, I think Samu would be a lovely fit for the sort of football that Roberto De Zerbi wants to play.
“He’s quick, engaged, and this is a guy who is on his way up and is only going to get better over the next couple of seasons. So, a lot of possibilities for Samu Costa as he gets ready to leave Mallorca. And whether he gets the chance to prove how good he is at this World Cup or not, I think he’ll be proving how good he is for a Premier League team next season.”
Spurs are pursuing Premier League-proven stars
Tottenham’s transfer strategy has evidently changed, with the club prioritising Premier League-proven players who can hit the ground running.
That is also the case with their midfield targets, with Spurs looking to complete ambitious deals for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Additionally, reports indicate that Tottenham are also continuing to keep a close eye on the situation of Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.
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