Tottenham’s pursuit of Gylfi Sigurdsson is quite complicated
There’s no question that Tottenham would benefit from having Gylfi Sigurdsson back in the squad. The real question is whether or not it would be the right move for the Icelandic midfielder.
Reports from England claim that Mauricio Pochettino is contemplating a summer swoop for the former Spurs star. The club have previously been heavily linked with Everton star Ross Barkley, but his £50 million price tag has greatly diminished Tottenham’s interest. In sharp contrast, Sigurdsson’s price tag of just £25 million seems like an excellent bargain.
The talented midfielder would be a brilliant fit for Tottenham’s squad. Spurs have struggled to break down stubborn defenses at times this season. Having another creative presence like Sigurdsson in the squad could help to unlock those stingy defenses.
It’s a mistake for Spurs fans to think of Sigurdsson as the player who left the club when Pochettino first arrived. His game has grown and matured since then. He was hugely responsible for keeping Swansea in the Premier League this season. Without his nine goals and 13 assists it’s very likely the Swans would be playing Championship football next season.
While it’s obvious Tottenham would like to have Sigurdsson back, I do wonder whether or not it’s the right move for the player. He left North London in search of a larger role for a Premier League club. Sigurdsson got that at Swansea. Moving back to Tottenham might relegate him to a super substitute role once again.
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In fairness, it’s possible that he could break into Pochettino’s starting XI. If you don’t have Son Heung-Min pencilled in as a starter next year, Sigurdsson could easily round out the club’s attack alongside Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. His skills would be somewhat duplicative of the Dane’s talents, but it’s not as if a squad can ever have too much clever passing.
Still, his lack of pace and dynamic athleticism does prevent him from being the perfect fit with Pochettino’s current attacking corps. In an ideal world, the club could add a player with blistering pace to join the starting XI. That’s why the club have expressed interest in the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Douglas Costa already.
Ultimately, it comes down to Sigurdsson’s belief in his own abilities. If he’s confident his game has developed to the point that Pochettino can’t afford to keep him out of the lineup, then a return to Spurs makes a lot of sense. If he still harbors doubts about his role with Tottenham, he might be better off making a move to a club like Everton this summer instead.
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Gylfi Sigurdsson returning to Tottenham this summer would be great from the Spurs perspective, but it might be different for the player himself.