Spurs Opinion: Soualiho Meite would be a good signing for the Lilywhites
According to claims from Italian source Gazzetta dello Sport, Spurs are interested in signing French midfielder Soualiho Meite from Serie A club Torino after an impressive debut campaign in the Italian top flight.
The same report claims that West Ham are also keen on securing the services of the 25-year-old, who has played a key role for Torino in central midfield.
Torino don’t want to sell him in the summer following his impressive run of form in his first season at the club and have quoted a daunting price of €25-30 million to part ways with their prized asset.
A youth product of French club Auxerre, Meite played for his boyhood club, Lille, Bordeaux and Monaco in Ligue 1 but his career never really took off due to lack of playing opportunities.
However, he has impressed since his move to Torino last summer, accumulating 2 goals and 2 assists from 26 appearances in the Serie A.
Standing at 6ft. 2 inches with a burly frame, Soualiho Meite is essentially a central midfielder who excels with his passing and ability to shield the backline.
A strong and powerful presence in the middle of the park, Meite is a hardworking and tenacious footballer who likes to stamp his authority with his physicality.
Blessed with a good range of passing and adept at retaining possession, Meite uses his sinewy frame to shield the ball from the opposition and also has the presence of mind to build up attacks with intelligent passes.
With his high work-rate and ability to break up the play with crucial tackles and interceptions, the Frenchman is capable of playing as a pivot in the centre of the park. To add to that, he often uses his pace and power to carry the ball forward with intent, playing in crucial role during transition from defence to attack.
To put things into perspective, Tottenham can look at Meite as an ideal replacement for Mousa Dembele, who departed in January. Much like the Belgian, Meita is also a strong and tenacious midfielder who contributes a lot with his tireless running and quality on the ball.
Mauricio Pochettino is likely to dip into the transfer market in the summer to bring in reinforcements, having failed to sign a single new player for two transfer windows.
While a back up centre-forward continues to be a priority, signing a replacement for Dembele in the summer is equally crucial if Spurs are to avoid a potential burn out of options in central midfield next season.
The young duo of Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp has done fairly good job at the base of Pochettino’s midfield but the manager doesn’t have too many other options to call upon should either of the two be sidelined with an injury.
Victor Wanyama is certainly a good option to have in the ranks but the Kenyan hasn’t played much due to injuries, and even when he has been fit, Pochettino has just turned a blind eye to his presence.
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Spurs need more depth and quality in their ranks to challenge for silverware next term and Soualiho Meite, though not a household name in Europe, might prove to be a useful signing for the Lilywhites.
