Why signing Sami Khedira would not be a good move for Tottenham
According to Calciomercato (h/t Football.London), Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with 33-year-old Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira. Tottenham would face competition from West Ham United for his signature if they were to make a move.
The German international has strongly indicated his admiration for Jose Mourinho and his willingness to work with the Spurs manager in the future. Khedira is out of contract next summer and has expressed his ‘dream’ to play in the Premier League. (h/t Football.London)
Khedira will not suit the Tottenham formation
One glance at Khedira’s heatmap shows how the central midfielder does not cover a lot of ground. That, when compared to the heatmaps of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Winks, looks even more underwhelming. The two Spurs midfielders are found all over the pitch while Khedira plays a more docile role on the right side of central midfield.
Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 requires a deep-lying playmaker and a holding midfielder in the double pivot that sits behind a box-to-box midfielder like Tanguy Ndombele. As we saw above, Sami Khedira’s playing style would fit somewhere in between that of an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder, a position that may not be of use to Mourinho.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner has also severely lacked game time in recent months. Having not appeared in a single match for Juventus this season, Khedira’s match fitness and sharpness are up for debate. In fact, the 33-year-old started only 9 league games last season, and 10 the season before that.
Tottenham should look inside, not outside
Tottenham Hotspur possess an array of players in the middle of the pitch. The London club deploy the likes of Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Harry Winks, Giovani Lo Celso, Dele Alli, and the on-loan Gedson Fernandes to play in their three-man midfield.
Signing Khedira would just be overloading an already expanded squad. Tottenham have the solution to all their midfield problems already. Instead of gambling on an unbecoming midfielder who turns 34 this April, Mourinho can give more game time to Dele Alli and Harry Winks.
Oliver Skipp, a defensive midfielder loaned to Norwich from Spurs, also continues to impress. Incorporating young players into an already strong Spurs squad should be Mourinho’s gameplan going forward. Moreover, all of Spurs’ midfielders are in their mid-20s and don’t look like declining physically anytime soon.
Verdict
While Sami Khedira has gained experience playing for teams such as Germany, Juventus and Mourinho’s Real Madrid, he is on the wane. The midfielder turns 34 next year, and even a free transfer for him in the summer would still make a dent in Mourinho’s wage bill.
It would be wise of Spurs to avoid pre-contract talks with Khedira in January. The club should look inside their stacked squad if they need any solutions in midfield.
