Why Tottenham should reignite their interest in Jeremie Boga
Back in March, a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t The Sun) had mentioned Tottenham among the potential suitors for Sassuolo playmaker Jeremie Boga. Chelsea had also been credited with an interest in re-signing their former academy graduate but a dramatic return to English football failed to materialise for the Ivorian in the summer window.
Profile
Jeremie Boga completed his development in Chelsea’s academy and won several laurels for the Blues at the youth level, including two FA Youth Cups and the UEFA Youth League. He spent time on loan at Stade Rennes in France and Granada in Spain before making his first-team debut for Chelsea against Burnley.
That proved to be his only competitive appearance for the Blues and Boga was loaned out to Birmingham City in the Championship for the 2017-18 season. He completed a permanent move to Italian outfit Sassuolo in the following summer and has since evolved into a quality attacker in the Serie A.
The 23-year-old managed only 3 goals and 1 assist in 25 league appearances for Sassuolo in the 2018-19 campaign but showed significant improvement last term. Boga bagged 11 goals and 2 assists to guide his club to an impressive 8th-place finish in the Serie A.
Boga would add more variety to the Tottenham attack
Tottenham are currently well-stocked in the creative and goalscoring department following the acquisition of Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius on loan deals. However, Dele Alli’s future in North London seems to be in serious jeopardy after falling out with Jose Mourinho.
The England international has started only once in the Premier League for the Lilywhites so far this term. That represents a significant fall in grace for someone who had very much been a key player for the club over the past three seasons. He has also failed to make the cut for several matchday squads in the ongoing campaign, which certainly doesn’t strike the right chords.
Hence, Tottenham will surely need to make a decision on Alli’s future sooner than later if he continues to be out of favour under Mourinho. He’s too good a player to be wasted away on the bench. Cashing in on him could be the ideal solution for all parties involved.
Regardless of what the future holds for Alli, Tottenham can certainly do with another attacking midfielder in their ranks. Giovanni Lo Celso has failed to make a positive impression in English football while Erik Lamela’s influence has also waned over the years due to recurrent injuries.
To put things into perspective, Tottenham making a renewed attempt to sign Jeremie Boga in January would make a lot of sense in footballing terms. The 23-year-old has come a long way since his struggles at Chelsea to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Serie A.
Boga has managed decent returns of 14 goals and 5 assists in 65 outings for Sassuolo, with some of those strikes coming against the division’s elite clubs like AS Roma and Juventus. Besides his obvious talent and potential, the Ivorian’s versatility to operate in No.10 and wide attacking roles would also hand a significant boost to Tottenham’s attack.
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Verdict
Jeremie Boga has already started to deliver on his potential in Italy and looks destined to reach greater heights in the years to come. The 23-year-old looks more than capable of adding that X-Factor to Mourinho’s creative cavalry and still has his best years ahead of him.
He has some unfinished business in English football and Tottenham shouldn’t hesitate to offer him a return to the capital in January.
