During a Q&A with Tottenham fans last night, Alasdair Gold discussed the rumours (SportBild, via Sport Witness) of Emil Forsberg being linked with Jose Mourinho’s side.
The Football.london correspondent admitted that he thought any move for the Swede would be an odd one unless the London side were getting the player for a great price.
Gold doesn’t think Forsberg fits the profile of a typical Spurs signing. But why?
Here’s what he had to say:
“Unless it’s simply that the price is a great one, signing a player who will be 29 soon into the season in a role you’ve got seven players able to play in seems an odd link.
“It could be that his agent is shopping him around as he’s not happy at Leipzig right now and when the name Mourinho is put to you in a question it’s a nice link to chat about.
“Certainly one to keep an eye on, but he doesn’t really fit the profile of a Spurs signing with his age.
“While he’s a player who has done well in frequently coming off the bench for a very good high-flying Leipzig side, I’m not sure he’s the superstar Spurs would break that mould for unless like I said the price was a bargain-basement one.”
TIF Tactics – Why isn’t Forsberg a typical Spurs signing?
Forsberg is currently plying his trade with RB Leipzig. Leipzig are currently second in the Bundesliga, just one point behind Bayern Munich.
Of RB Leipzig’s 23 Bundesliga matches, Forsberg has only started 10, making six appearances from the bench. In those 16 appearances, he has scored five goals and assisted two.
Across his Bundesliga and Champions League performances this season, the winger has achieved an average rating of 7.02 from WhoScored.
It appears from these statistics that Forsberg is a decent player for the German side. However, it is also clear that he isn’t an out-and-out starter. His numbers indicate that he is more of a squad rotation player.
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In his Q&A, Gold also highlights that Tottenham are not short of wide and attacking-midfield players. It is not as if the side are desperate for depth in this area.
The winger also has a contract with Leipzig that expires in the summer of 2022. If Tottenham are truly interested in acquiring his services, they will almost certainly be required to meet a fee close to his £25.2 million Transfermarkt valuation.
After looking at the statistics, we agree with Gold. Any move for the Swede would be a confusing one. But perhaps Mourinho has plans for the player that we aren’t aware of? We will likely have to wait until the summer to find out.