Tottenham should capitalize on Watford’s crisis
Tottenham should try to turn Quique Sanchez Flores’ exit from Watford into a shocking transfer success
Tottenham have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the managerial misfortunes at Watford. Spurs should move quickly to lodge bids for Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney while both stars are suffering from managerial uncertainty.
It’s a safe bet that both Deeney and Ighalo are reeling in the aftermath of Flores’ announcement, but we know for a fact that Ighalo has been “shocked” by the news of his manager’s departure. Both men were widely known to enjoy playing for Flores and might see the managerial change as a sufficient reason to entertain inquiries from other clubs this summer.
It just so happens that Spurs are in the market for a striker who can play second fiddle to their young talisman Harry Kane. Either Watford striker would be an excellent addition to Mauricio Pochettino’s side, although they’d contribute in very different ways.
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Ighalo could serve as a true second option to Kane. Sure, the two men could play together if Tottenham found themselves chasing a game and needed to play multiple forwards, but by and large the Nigerian would be a substitute or spot starter. Signing a striker who’s fresh off a season where he scored 15 goals in the Premier League would be quite a coup for Pochettino and company.
In addition, his style of play would seem to be a natural fit with the Spurs’ aggressive makeup. Ighalo’s style reminds fans of a bull in a china shop. I mean that entirely as a compliment. His physical, brutish style would be an excellent tip to the spear of the Spurs high press.
As intriguing as adding Ighalo would be, I’ve even more interested in his teammate Troy Deeney. Adding him to the Tottenham attack would give Spurs a truly different option to Harry Kane. Perhaps more importantly, I also think Deeney could fit in easily along with Kane.
I could easily envision Deeney and Kane starting matches together and actually alternating between the number nine and number ten positions. Imagine how much of a nightmare that would be for opposing defenders. They’d have to put up with constant movement from the pair for 90 minutes and wouldn’t even know which man was playing as the striker half the time. The combination of their talent and that confusion would be absolutely deadly.
Let’s not forget that Deeney has had a spectacular season for the Hornets. He’ll finish the campaign as the team’s highest rated player per Whoscored.com and chipped in seven goals and six assists on his own. Much of Ighalo’s production came because of Deeney’s hard work and creativity.
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In the end, Watford will be desperate to hold on to both men and for good reason. Together they form a terrific attack that did enough to keep the club well above the relegation battle this season. Tottenham would need to come with a strong bid to pry either attacker away, but the combination of more money and Champions League football might just be enough to turn their heads.