Why Tottenham should reignite interest in Arkadiusz Milik
According to claims from Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Football.London), Tottenham could make a renewed attempt to sign Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli when the transfer window reopens in January.
The 26-year-old was repeatedly linked with a move to North London throughout the summer but a deal failed to materialise after Napoli refused to budge on their £23m valuation of the striker.
Milik has less than 12 months remaining on his current contract with the Partenopei and with the Polish hitman not keen to discuss a new deal in Italy, the striker has been frozen out of the side by manager Gennaro Gattuso. It has been reported that Tottenham, as well as Premier League rivals Everton, remain keen to offer Milik a lifeline in January.
Profile
Arkadiusz Milik started his professional career with Gornik Zabrze in the Polish Ekstraklasa before being snapped up by Bayer Leverkusen January 2013. However, Milik failed to make a big impact at Leverkusen and scored only twice in 20 appearances while on loan at fellow Bundesliga outfit Augsburg.
The Pole joined Ajax in 2014, initially on loan, before completing a permanent move to the Dutch giants the following summer. Milik rebuilt his reputation during his two-year spell in the Netherlands, bagging an impressive 47 goals in 75 appearances for Ajax in all competitions.
Milik’s prolific form paved the way for a switch to Napoli in the summer of 2016 and the 26-year-old has since found the net 48 times in 122 appearances for the Serie A outfit. Those are impressive returns considering that he hasn’t always been a regular starter for the Partenopei.
A full international for Poland since 2012, Milik has scored 15 times in 52 appearances for his nation, featuring in UEFA Euro 2016 and at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Milik would be a good long-term investment for Spurs
Tottenham’s ended their long and hectic pursuit of a quality understudy to Harry Kane with the acquisition of Carlos Vinicius on loan from Benfica.
However, the Brazilian is only a temporary solution to the club’s long-standing issues in the centre-forward department.
The arrival of Gareth Bale and Vinicius on loan deals have temporarily eased Tottenham’s worries but they still need to look for a long-term solution. And the availability of a proven goalscorer like Arkadiusz Milik in January presents an excellent market opportunity for Tottenham to capitalise.
The Pole boasts of an excellent track record in the top-flights in Holland and Italy, while he has also impressed with his ability to deliver the goods against some of the continental heavyweights in the UEFA Champions League.
Read More
- Why Tottenham should reignite interest in Merih Demiral in January
- Why Carlos Vinicius is a really useful signing for Tottenham
Verdict
Arkadiusz Milik still has several years remaining in his prime at 26. With his contract at Napoli set to expire in 2021, Tottenham should push hard for a cut-price deal in January.
Jose Mourinho needs more than one quality player in each department to build a squad capable of ending the club’s long drought for silverware. And a potential deal for Milik would put the Lilywhites in good stead to achieve their objectives moving forward.
