Why Tottenham should avoid the temptation of signing Daniel Sturridge on a free transfer
Tottenham Hotspur are facing the prospect of missing out on European football altogether next season. And, that could restrict the transfer budget made available for Jose Mourinho to build a squad in his image. (h/t Express)
To that end, a report from Express opines that the Lilywhites should look to dip their toes into the free agent market and sign former Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge. The Englishman is currently unattached after his contract with Turkish club Trabzonspor was terminated earlier this month.
Sturridge, a product of the Manchester City youth setup, joined Chelsea in 2009, but wasn’t quite able to nail down a place in the first-team at Stamford Bridge. After 96 appearances in which he scored 24 goals, the 30-year-old signed for Liverpool in January 2013.
After spending over five years with the Reds, Sturridge departed Anfield on a permanent transfer last summer, signing for Trabzonspor. But the Englishman now finds himself at crossroads after he was handed a ban from all football until June after breaching the FA’s gambling regulations.
Tottenham have a shortage of options in the centre-forward department. The club allowed to leave Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen last summer without bringing in a proper replacement. And that has come to haunt the North London outfit.
Harry Kane was left as the only out-and-out striker in the ranks and the England international has been out injured since January. To make matters worse, Son Heung-min and January signing Steven Bergwijn also picked up serious injuries, leaving Tottenham to bare bones in the attacking department.
Tottenham should avoid a repeat of this situation next season by bringing in a potent backup option to Kane & co. However, Sturridge cannot be the solution to their problems.
True, Sturridge has plenty of experience in the Premier League. He flourished at Liverpool, forming a formidable partnership with Luis Suarez. The Englishman took the Reds ever so close to their first-ever Premier League title in 2013/14, finishing behind Suarez in the goal-scoring charts, with 21 goals.
But things have gone pretty much downhill from thereon for Sturridge, with injuries hampering his growth. And gradually, he was phased out of the Liverpool team by Jurgen Klopp. The striker left the Reds on loan in January 2018, joining West Bromwich Albion. But he failed to make an impact there as well.
Since the 2013/14 season, Sturridge has reached double-figures for goals just once. And given his history of injury issues and the most recent gambling violations, he would not be a reliable option for Jose Mourinho to fall back upon at Tottenham.
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Verdict
Sturridge might appear to be an enticing option for Tottenham given his free-agent status and past experience in the Premier League. (h/t Express)
However, his career graph has been on a downward curve since that successful 2013/14 season with Liverpool. And hence, Tottenham should resist the temptation of signing the 30-year-old and look for better alternatives.
