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Tottenham’s Pursuit of Axel Witsel Reflects Title Aspirations

By Rucker Haringey

Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel (6) celebrates following the game against USA during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated USA 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 1, 2014; Salvador, BRAZIL; Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel (6) celebrates following the game against USA during the round of sixteen match in the 2014 World Cup at Arena Fonte Nova. Belgium defeated USA 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tottenham is reportedly chasing Zenit’s Axel Witsel as its marquee January transfer target. If true, this sends a clear signal that Tottenham has championship aspirations.

While Tottenham fans would be quite satisfied with a top four finish this season, some fans and pundits are quietly whispering about Spurs as a dark horse title contender. If they are truly after world-class players such as Zenit’s Axel Witsel, then Tottenham’s leadership believes they have a title chase in them as well.

For his part, Mauricio Pochettino has publicly played down any talk of bringing the Premier League trophy to White Hart Lane. He’s gone on record as saying that his Spurs side needs to focus on the season one game at a time and would need “more” to mount a title challenge both in terms of quality and player effort/dedication. I’d say Daniel Levy and the rest of Tottenham’s owner consortium heard the manager loud and clear.

Tottenham has enough quality Premier League players to be a top four club. They don’t need to add quantity to push past the fourth position. If they have aspirations higher than just qualifying for Champions League, they need to add true quality.

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The striker position is the only spot where Tottenham really has a hole in their roster. Aside from adding cover for Harry Kane, the only other way Tottenham can improve in January is to add players who have a chance to be difference makers.

Witsel is just that sort of player. While he hasn’t been great for Zenit this season, his talent and quality are undeniable. Bringing in a player with the talent as the Belgian International won’t be designed to supplement the Spurs existing midfield setup.

Bringing a player of this quality in means Tottenham is looking to bring star quality to its first 11. That’s what a club does when it’s looking to push on for heights that haven’t been seen for quite some time.

There can be considerable argument over whether or not Witsel is the right player for Tottenham to bring in or even if the reports of Spurs interest are reliable. What can’t be argued, is that this is the type of player Spurs fans should be looking for their club to pursue. This type of transfer bid shows considerable ambition and a real attitude that Daniel Levy and Co are willing to spend to back Pochettino.

Furthermore, it illustrates a belief around the club that this could be a special year for North London’s original club. Special not just in the sense that Spurs can quality for Champions League for the first time since Harry Redknapp’s tenure, but in the sense that they could push even higher in the table. It’s one of the most open Premier League title races in years and Spurs are rightly asking the question: why not us?

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