Three Tottenham transfer targets Mourinho must sign in January
Tottenham Hotspur recently sacked Mauricio Pochettino after five long years and appointed the controversial yet widely successful Jose Mourinho as a replacement just hours later.
Their decision to sack Pochettino has sparked a lot of debates lately but with the Portuguese tactician already at the helm, it remains to be seen as to how the north Londoners fare in the days to come. Having managed their London rivals Chelsea and Manchester United in the past, Mourinho’s reputation certainly precedes him in the Premier League.
However, the Special One is also a Champions League-winning manager, who has made his presence felt across Europe with Real Madrid and Porto, to name a few.
Thus, this is certainly one of Tottenham’s most high-profile managerial appointments and the upcoming January window will be pivotal for Mourinho and Spurs. With that in mind, here are 3 players the new boss must consider signing.
Ricardo Pereira – Leicester City
Pereira was linked with a move to join Tottenham in the past, as per football.london, but he ended up joining Leicester City instead. While he has been off to a flying start for the Foxes, Mourinho would be wise to make a renewed attempt to sign him.
Kieran Trippier’s departure in the summer laid bare Tottenham’s lack of depth at right-back. Their problems in that position have only been compounded due to Serge Aurier’s inconsistency in recent times. And to that end, signing Pereira, who has quickly established himself as one of the most formidable right-backs in the Premier League, would be brilliant.
Bruno Fernandes – Sporting Lisbon
According to Daily Mail, Mourinho wants Tottenham to sign Fernandes, who is a long-time target of his former club Manchester United.
The creative ace has a flair for not only setting up goalscoring opportunities but also for scoring goals. And Tottenham have certainly lacked a player like him for the longest time. With Christian Eriksen’s contract set to expire next summer, the club must sign Fernandes at the earliest to sharpen their attack.
Nathan Ake – Bournemouth
Back in June, a report by Football Insider (h/t Daily Star) had claimed that Tottenham were interested in signing Ake as a replacement for Jan Vertonghen. However, no deal materialized and the centre-back stayed put at the Vitality Stadium.
With the mid-season trading period nearly upon us, Tottenham defenders Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld will run out of their contracts next summer. And to avoid a situation where they are devoid of any reliable options in that department, Mourinho must renew the club’s pursuit of Ake, who has developed into a well-rounded centre-back with the Cherries.
