According to reports from ESPN yesterday afternoon, manager Mauricio Pochettino has dismissed reports linking Tottenham Hotspur with a bid for Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.
The Mexico international boasts 59 goals in 154 appearances for the Red Devils despite predominantly featuring from the subs bench, helping fire them to two Premier League titles and the 2011 Champions League final since arriving at Old Trafford from Guadalajara in summer 2010.
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But the 27 year-old was sent out on loan to Real Madrid last season – where he netted past Atletico to take the Bernabeu outfit through to the Champions League semi-finals – and now returns to Manchester with just a year left on his contract.
That’s lead Mirror Football to claim Spurs are hoping to sign Chicarito as a back-up option to Harry Kane, with flopped strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado linked with moves to Aston Villa and Villarreal respectively.
But United boss Louis van Gaal has insinuated Hernandez will be given a role in the first team squad for next season, whilst his White Hart Lane counterpart has dismissed rumours of an imminent Spurs bid.
“About Javier Hernandez, those are rumours and nothing more,” said Pochettino after Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to MLS All-Stars on Wednesday evening. “There is nothing concrete. He is a Manchester United player and logically a lot of names are getting suggested for Tottenham and Javier is just one more.”
Interestingly, the Lilywhites face the Red Devils in the opening match of the 2015/16 Premier League season – a 12.45 kick-off on Saturday August 8th.
To be honest I think both Man Utd and Tottenham could do a lot worse than Hernandez as a backup striker, I’m not entirely sure why nobody’s particularly keen on him, he’s fantastic at getting goals off the bench.
Surely the Premier League’s best at it – apart from maybe Dzeko and Walcott – based on his previous form. Looks like United will keep him (at least until his contract runs out) which I think is a pretty smart move.