Tottenham transfers: Would Spurs prefer Zaha over Sissoko?

Wilfried Zaha might struggle to displace Moussa Sissoko at Tottenham

Tottenham are being linked strongly with a return bid for Crystal Palace wide man Wilfried Zaha. Spurs moved for him in the summer, but Palace refused to sell. While the Englishman certainly has the talent to play for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, there’s a real question as to whether or not he’d start for Spurs.

For the record, even The Sun are acknowledging that a January move is unlikely. Tottenham historically haven’t been big spenders in the winter window for a variety of reasons. Daniel Levy generally doesn’t believe the window offers good fiscal value and Pochettino doesn’t like to try to embed new players into the squad in the middle of the year.

There’s also the small detail that Palace clearly don’t want to part with their star attacker. The Eagles have their own hopes and dreams for the season and Zaha plays a big part in their plans. To lose him to another London club at this juncture might cause their season to turn south in a hurry.

There’s still the question as to whether or not Spurs are going to need Zaha next summer. It’s entirely possible that the club’s other attacking midfield options will have sorted themselves out by then.

The way I see it, there are three players who could solve the club’s problems out wide. Erik Lamela, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and Moussa Sissoko could all earn sufficient trust from Pochettino before the summer.

Lamela is the easiest option to project. Once he returns from injury he should slide back into the starting XI. Pochettino clearly values his countryman’s work ethic as well as his eye for goals. He’s certainly been a big miss for Tottenham as of late.

N’Koudou might be the biggest long shot of the bunch. He’s started to become a factor off the Spurs bench, but he’s more potential than performance at this point. It may take him another season or two to really adjust to life in the Premier League. The young Frenchman would be best suited to remain a substitute for the foreseeable future.

The highest ceiling option at Pochettino’s disposal is Sissoko. On his day, he can be one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. Unfortunately, Spurs fans haven’t seen that sort of form very often during his limited time in North London.