OPINION
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino should do his utmost to bring Sevilla defensive midfielder Steven N’Zonzi to the club in the summer transfer window.
Spurs tried to strengthen their options in midfield last signing with the arrival of Moussa Sissoko last summer but he turned out to be one of the worst signings of the season.
N’Zonzi is a much better candidate than Sissoko in the middle of the park as he could actually provide genuine competition for places and encourage players such as Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier to further improve on their own game.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a fantastic second season with the Andalusian side as he helped them to finish in the top four for the first time in two years.
Manager Jorge Sampaoli had a reputation in Spain for constantly changing his tactics and personnel on a weekly basis but N’Zonzi remained a fixture in the heart of the Sevilla midfield, making a total of 46 appearances in all competitions.
The midfielder would not need much time to adjust to the Premier League as he has already enjoyed spells playing for Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City in the past.
The Frenchman never really fulfilled his potential in England but he has been surrounded by better players in La Liga and he has proven himself to be one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe.
N’Zonzi could also provide a winning mentality to Spurs as he played a crucial role in helping Sevilla to a third consecutive Europa League triumph with a 3-1 over Liverpool last year.
The Frenchman would be a huge asset to Spurs especially in the big Champions League occasions as he has plenty of experience playing against the very best in Spain.
Pochettino would need to convince chairman Daniel Levy to splash the cash for the midfielder as his current contract with Sevilla runs out in 2020.
The La Liga side signed him for a fee just over £6million but with amount of money available in Premier League at this current time, Sevilla are likely to set a high asking price.
Sevilla are renowned for being a selling club in Spain as they have seen the likes of Dani Alves, Aleix Vidal, Fernando Llorente, Kevin Gameiro depart from Andalusia in recent years and the trend is set to continue.
Sampaoli has left Sevilla to manage the Argentina national team leaving Sevilla to look for their third different manager in three seasons and this type of instability could convince the French midfielder to move away from La Liga this summer.
With Pochettino at the helm, Spurs have become serious title contenders and a move to North London might be N’Zonzi’s last chance of secure a league title as Real Madrid and Barcelona still remain the dominant forces in Spain.