Wilmar Barrios would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham
According to Football London, Tottenham are keen on signing Colombian defensive midfielder Wilmar Barrios from Boca Juniors in January.
The 25-year-old moved to Boca Juniors from Colombian top division club Deportes Tolima back in 2016 and has a release clause of £16million in his current contract. However, his price is expected to rocket even higher when the transfer window opens in January as Real Madrid are already lining up a £20 million bid to land the Colombian. (h/t Daily Star)
Tottenham are safe in the top four of the Premier League standings. However, Mousa Dembele continues to struggle and picked up an injury in the club’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This is not the first time that the 31-year-old Dembele has been sidelined this term, having already suffered an ankle injury in the earlier stages of the season.
Victor Wanyama made just five appearances across all competitions this season before he too was sidelined due to a knee injury. To make matters worse, Eric Dier is also sidelined due to a thigh injury, leaving Pochettino with only Harry Winks as an option in central midfield. Spurs had to use Moussa Sissoko in a deeper role to cover for Dembele’s injury in the game against Wolves.
Suffice to say, Spurs need to strengthen their options in central midfield as it is quite evident that Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama are nearing the end of their time at North London.
And Colombian defensive midfielder Wilmar Barrios is definitely a good option for Pocettino to bolster his squad in the mid-season trading period.
Standing at 5ft 10 inches, Barrios is not the tallest man on the pitch but he is certainly capable of dominating the opposition with his physicality. He is good in the air for a player of his height, averaging 3.2 successful aerial duels per game.
To go with his physicality and aerial prowess, he is also a good reader of the game and excels with his tackling and interception skills. In fact, he has averaged 4.2 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per game this season.
The 25-year-old is adept at winning the ball in the midfield and would be a perfect option to complement Eric Dier, who is not as mobile and struggles to cope with pacy counter-attacks. Although Barrios is a bit rash and reckless at times, averaging 3.8 fouls per game, he is agile and does not hesitate to stick his foot out when needed.
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That said, Spurs should not hesitate to sign Wilmar Barrios from Boca Juniors in January. They need squad depth to challenge their rivals for the Premier League crown and the Colombian would be a fine addition to their squad.
