Tottenham Hotspur Opinion: Why Spurs should beat Arsenal to the signature of Lorenzo Pellegrini
According to Calciomercato, North London giants Arsenal andTottenham Hotspur have been handed a massive boost in their pursuit of Italian midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, with reports claiming that the 22-year-old’s agent is currently in London to hold talks with any potential suitors.
Calciomercato understands that Pellegrini is keen to play in the Champions League next season and he would not get a chance to do so if he stays at Roma, given that Giallorossi missed out on qualification to Europe’s elite club tournament after finishing a disappointing 6th in the Serie A this term.
Inter Milan are also believed to be keen on securing the midfielder’s services this summer, with the Calciomercato claiming that the 22-year-old’s release clause of €35million is payable in two instalments.
Roma, however, are prepared to fight tooth and nail in order to hold on to their prized asset and the Calciomercato suggests that the Giallorossi would be happy to increase his wages and make him the club’s vice-captain in a bid to keep the talented youngster at the Italian capital.
However, with both the North London giants short of options in central midfield, a move to the Premier League this summer doesn’t look beyond the realms of possibility for the 22-year-old. Pellegrini has been long tipped to make a move to the Premier League and that might as well materialize this time around.
Pellegrini was one of the standout performers for Roma in the Serie A this past season, as the 22-year-old capped off another fruitful campaign with 4 goals and 7 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions.
A youth product of Roma, Pellegrini rose through the youth ranks at the Stadio Olimpico before making his first-team debut for the Giallorossi back in the 2014-15 season.
The youngster was sold to fellow Serie A side Sassuolo in the summer of 2015, with Roma retaining a buy-back clause for the midfielder. Pellegrini reached great heights during his two-year stint at Sassuolo and carved out a reputation for himself as one of the brightest emerging prospects of Italian football, accumulating 11 goals and 8 assists in 54 appearances in all competitions.
Roma exercised their buy-back clause to bring Pellegrini back to the capital in the summer of 2017 and the 22-year-old’s stocks have continued to soar sky-high ever since.
Not only has he established himself as one of the key cogs in Roma’s midfield, but Pellegrini has also assumed an important role for Italy at the senior international level, earning 10 caps till date.
Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a slender yet well-built frame, Pellegrini is essentially a central midfielder by trade, although he has showcased the versatility and the tactical maturity to play in attacking, box-to-box and defensive roles in the middle of the park.
A physically strong yet sharp and agile midfielder noted for his wonderful technical abilities on the ball, flair, trickery, creativity and vision, the 22-year-old not only excels with his ability to break up the play and win possession back for his team but he also knows how to contribute to the attack with his vision and creativity.
Known for his good sense of positioning, high levels of footballing intelligence and ability to make powerful late runs into the box, Pellegrini is also adept at holding things together in the midfield with his uncompromised work-rate and impressive range of passing.
To add to that, he is also a recognised set-piece specialist and has earned plaudits for his distance-shooting prowess with both feet.
Pellegrini averaged 1. Tackles, 2.4 key passes, 1.8 shots, 1 dribble, 1.6 crosses and 1.4 long balls per game in the Serie A this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded abilities as a central midfielder.
To put things into perspective, Lorenzo Pellegrini has enjoyed a great start to his career in Italy and he would potentially be an excellent signing for both Spurs and Arsenal.
While Arsenal should look at him as a replacement for Aaron Ramsey, the 22-year-old could also add much-needed depth and quality to Spurs’ midfield. However, Spurs should look to try and win the race for the highly-rated central midfielder this summer in a bid to end their midfield crisis.
Mauricio Pochettino found himself short of cover in the central midfield numerous times over the course of this past season, with the likes of Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Harry Winks and Victor Wanyama spending considerable time on the sidelines due to injuries.
Moussa Sissoko was arguably one of the standout performers at the club last term but one can get the feeling that they need to freshen up things with new arrivals this summer, having failed to sign a single new player for two consecutive transfer windows.
Also, the uncertainty over the future of Christian Eriksen should further prompt the club to look at possible reinforcements in the market, and a versatile midfielder like Pellegrini could solve a lot of problems for the Lilywhites.
Spurs finished runners-up to Liverpool in the Champions League this term and it is a no-brainer that Pochettino needs more depth in his ranks to challenge for silverware in the years to come.
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Keeping that in mind, the acquisition of Lorenzo Pellegrini could prove to be an excellent long-term investment for the Lilywhites, given that he only 22 and one would expect him to develop into an international stalwart in the years to follow.
