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Tottenham must complete bold move for Real Madrid star

By Rucker Haringey

MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 29: Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring Real's 1st during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad de Futbol at the Bernabeu on January 29, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - JANUARY 29: Mateo Kovacic of Real Madrid celebrates after scoring Real's 1st during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Real Sociedad de Futbol at the Bernabeu on January 29, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) /
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Mateo Kovacic would be an immense signing for Tottenham

Tottenham have gotten a lot of stick for their lack of purchases this summer, but Spurs are being presented with a massive opportunity now. If Real Madrid are really willing to part with Mateo Kovacic, Tottenham must do everything they can to bring him to North London.

The Daily Star reports that Tottenham have already opened talks with the Spanish giants about the Croatian midfielder. Kovacic earned regular playing time last season under Zinedine Zidane, but hasn’t secured a regular spot in the team’s starting XI. That’s why he’s willing to leave Madrid this summer.

Curiously, Real Madrid are only looking for a transfer fee of £22 million. That’s the good news from Spurs’ perspective. The bad news is that Los Blancos will almost certainly insist on a buyback clause in the deal. That sort of condition has been a non-starter for Daniel Levy in the past.

Kovacic is talented enough to make an exception. He’s precisely the sort of dynamic midfielder that could thrive under Mauricio Pochettino. Kovacic doesn’t have the offensive creativity of Dele Alli, but he is a better athlete than the precocious Englishman. Playing them both in the same midfield would be an absolute nightmare for Premier League opposition.

Zidane trusted Kovacic enough to play him in 27 La Liga matches last season. The talented Croatian repaid his manager’s trust with a respectable Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.12. Some fans might question his lack of scoring, but it’s hard to get much of the ball when you’re playing with the likes of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

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The player’s pace would make him a candidate to play all over the pitch for Pochettino. He could conceivably solve the club’s crisis on the wing as well. He certainly has the foot speed required to torment opposing defenders. Kovacic simply isn’t asked to take on opposing defenders in his current role.

Ultimately, this is the player that Tottenham should be willing to break the bank for. While I understand Levy’s hesitancy to include a buyback clause in any deal, it’s worth considering here. If the frugal chairman doesn’t want to give in to that Real Madrid demand, he could simply offer a higher transfer fee. I realize that would run contrary to everything we’ve seen in the past, but this isn’t the sort of player that comes along every summer.

Next: Tottenham and Liverpool have unsettled attacker

It’s hard to imagine a better summer addition to the Tottenham squad than Mateo Kovacic. This is an opportunity that Spurs cannot let pass them by.

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