Matias Vecino would be the perfect replacement for Mousa Dembele
Tottenham have enjoyed a decent start to the Premier League season and the Lilywhites sit 4th in the standings with 27 points from 12 games, 3 points ahead of north London rivals Arsenal.
Mauricio Pochettino did not sign new players in the summer and as a result, Spurs became the first club since 2003 to not sign a single player in the transfer window.
Quite clearly, that decision has come back to haunt the club very early in the season. The likes of Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Jan Vertonghen, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Danny Rose have all been in and out of the team due to injuries.
The manager has had a tough time contending with the long list of injuries this season and the absence of some of the key players has proved to be a deciding factor in the big games.
Spurs were forced to field Victor Wanyama against Barcelona in the Champions League which ultimately led to disastrous consequences. On the other hand, the Lilywhites seemed to have no replacement for the likes of Eriksen and Alli, both of whom were sidelined with injuries.
As things stand, Spurs need to improve their squad depth significantly to mount a serious challenge for the title. And central midfield is the area that necessitates immediate attention.
Mousa Dembele is set for an exit next summer and Eric Dier is struggling with injuries. That leaves the manager with young Harry Winks as the solitary option in defensive midfield as highly-rated academy starlet Oliver Skipp is too young for a starting role in the Premier League.
To put things into perspective, Inter Milan’s Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino might be an ideal option for Spurs to bolster their midfield options on January.
The 27-year-old has been in good form in the Serie A this season and also starred for Uruguay in central midfield alongside Lucas Torreira at the World Cup in Russia. But Spurs will best remember him for the injury-time winner that he scored against them on matchday one of the Champions League.
Standing at 6ft. 2 inches, Vecino is a physically imposing central midfielder who is also blessed with good aerial ability. He can play as a defensive midfielder and also in a slightly advanced role as a box-to-box midfielder.
The Uruguayan has the ability to cover ground quickly and tends to break up the play with good standing tackles and interceptions.
Blessed with a decent technique, Vecino is also comfortable in possession and likes to move the ball around in the midfield, often switching the play with diagonals and cross-field passes. The 27-year-old has averaged 38.7 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 82.8 in the Serie A. In other words, his ball distribution skills can a huge asset to Spurs.
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That said, Spurs should definitely table a bid to land the Uruguayan World Cup star in January as he has all the attributes to be an ideal replacement for the ageing Mousa Dembele.
