It’s crazy to think what a shock relegation threat would do to the team. Tottenham Hotspur have wasted no time in preparing for their summer campaign, having already brought in the likes of Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka, with more names to come.
Other names likely include Mateus Fernandes. The Lilywhites have won the race to sign the West Ham United midfielder, agreeing a deal worth £85 million, a club record deal.
It’s a statement signing, but it doesn’t mean it’s over for the Spurs. It is also reported that they have started making offers to sign Napoli’s Antonio Vergara this summer.
Football Fancast Verdict | |
|---|---|
reliability | The latest information comes from Italian journalist Fabio Cannabo, a local reporter in Naples. Although his name is not as famous as Fabrizio Romano, the fact that he is a local journalist suggests that he should primarily know everything about Naples. A move for Vergara would also make sense, as Tottenham remain linked with Sandro Tonali and are thought to want another midfielder to follow Fernandes. |
finances | Naples is not making things easy for people in north London. They reportedly rejected an offer worth 25 million euros (approximately 2.2 billion yen) for Vergara, despite initially giving him the green light to leave. He currently earns just £258,000 a year in Italy. |
insight | Vergara is an attacking midfielder who spent much of last season plagued by injuries. At his best, the 23-year-old is a skilled creator, starting eight Serie A games last season and contributing four goals. He’s definitely a guy with potential. |
impact | While Fernandes provides the perfect link-up between Roberto de Zerbi’s defense and the forward line, Vergara will bring an extra spark of creativity ahead of the £85m man. And the balance between solidity and elegant midfield will be key. |
Spurs aren’t afraid to spend big this summer and Vergara is a player to keep an eye on as they set their sights on bringing in another midfield star.
Napoli accept Tottenham’s offer for Vergara
As reported by local Italian journalist Fabio Cannabo and translated by Sport Witness, Napoli have rejected Tottenham’s offer of £22m to sign Vergara this summer.
The Serie A giants have made a major change in direction from their initial stance when they gave the green light to sign the attacking midfielder. They are currently in the process of extending Vergara’s contract and Tottenham may have to make him an offer they cannot refuse.
Cannavo claimed the 23-year-old’s new contract would see a significant increase in salary from €300,000 (approximately £258,000) to €2 million (approximately £1.72 million) a year on paper. It’s worth pointing out that at that salary he would still be one of the Spurs’ lowest earners.
Why Tottenham should abandon Vergara’s transfer
Midfield is clearly a priority for Spurs this summer and the arrival of Fernandes is just the beginning. But now that they’ve agreed to a contract with a top target, there’s no reason to rush to sign someone like Vergara.
The Napoli man is full of potential, but Spurs need to keep an eye on his injury history. Vergara missed nine Serie A games last season due to injury and was not good enough to come off the bench in the other 17 games. If the Lilywhites were feeling really ambitious, they’d look elsewhere.
Vergara’s injury history | injury | Games missed |
|---|---|---|
25/26 | Partial tear of the plantar fascia | 7 |
25/26 | muscle fatigue | 2 |
24/25 | knee injury | 1 |
24/25 | muscle problems | 1 |
23/24 | cruciate ligament rupture | 30 |
21/22 | hip joint problems | 6 |
This is an extensive record for a young player, and it would be best for Tottenham to accept Napoli’s position and look elsewhere for an additional midfielder.
