Why Tottenham should avoid a move for Lucas de Vega
According to claims from Spanish outlet AS, as cited by the Mirror, Tottenham have been linked with a cut-price swoop for Barcelona youngster Lucas de Vega.
The Lilywhites have put an offer of £2m on the table to tempt the Catalan giants into selling the 20-year-old midfielder, who still has two years remaining on his current deal at Camp Nou. (AS h/t Mirror)
However, that bid is expected to be knocked back, with Barcelona indicating that they want £3.6m up front and a further £3.6m in add-ons for their academy starlet, thus taking the total asking price to just over £7million. (AS h/t Mirror)
Profile
Born in Fortaleza, Brazil, Lucas de Vega rose through the youth ranks of Barcelona and impressed for the club’s U-18 and U-19 sides, featuring in the 2018-19 UEFA Youth League.
The 20-year-old was promoted to Barcelona’s B team last summer but he never made an appearance for the reserve side. Instead, the former Brazil U-17 international joined Spanish second-tier outfit, Cartagena, on loan. He finished the 2019-20 campaign with 1 goal in 20 appearances.
Tottenham can do better than Lucas de Vega
Tottenham have already wrapped up some fruitful business in the summer market with deals for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, and Matt Doherty. Those new signings should put them in good stead for the upcoming campaign, with the Lilywhites set to compete in more fixtures due to the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
It’s true that Tottenham need to add more depth in certain areas of their squad. Jan Vertonghen’s departure has created a massive void at the back while a specialist back-up for Harry Kane should also be on Jose Mourinho’s agenda.
However, one area where Tottenham already have enough depth is their midfield, especially after the arrival of Hojbjerg. Hence, the club’s links with Lucas de Vega comes as a big surprise.
Agreed, Tottenham can look to add a few talented youngsters to their squad with a view to building a strong platform for the future. But Barcelona’s financial demands over de Vega sound quite outrageous, considering that the midfielder is yet to make a appearance for their first-team or even the reserves.
The Brazilian’s inability to break into the first-team fold at Camp Nou, especially at the age of 20, is bound to raise doubts over his credentials at the senior level. Tottenham need to be wary of that and avoid paying over the odds for a player who remains completely unproven at the highest level.
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Verdict
Suffice to say, Tottenham need to be cautious with their expenditure this summer after missing out on Champions League qualification. Thus, A significant outlay on Lucas de Vega can be a big gamble as there are no guarantees that the Brazilian would make the grade at the North London club.
The Lilywhites already have young midfielders like Harvey White, Oliver Skipp and Alfie Devine trying to coming through the youth ranks and vying for a spot in the senior team. With that in mind, Tottenham would be smart to keep their eyes off the Barcelona reject.
