Tottenham are being heavily linked with a move for two Southampton regulars, but only one is worth a serious investment from Spurs.
Southampton were able to narrowly avoid relegation this season but they may not be so lucky this summer. Tottenham are being strongly linked with two members of the club’s starting XI. The Saints will be hard pressed to keep either player away from North London.
Reports from England claim Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing both Mario Lemina and Cedric Soares. Each star played a key role for the Saints last season. Tottenham should only be interested in one of the experienced duo.
Pochettino and company should limit their interest to the Gabonese midfielder. Lemina was arguably his club’s best player last year. After Virgil van Dijk left for Liverpool, he was left as the club’s highest rated player. The box-to-box midfielder posted a healthy Whoscored.com player rating average of 6.93 in his 25 Premier League appearances.
A closer look at his numbers paints a more encouraging picture for Tottenham fans. Lemina was at his best when he was deployed as a starting defensive midfielder. In those 13 starts his player rating jumped up significantly to a mark of 7.13.
That shows that Lemina has the talent to help make up for the likely departure of Mousa Dembele. He isn’t a terrific offensive talent but he does a great job of breaking up play in the middle of the pitch. He’s more athletic than Dembele, but admittedly he isn’t as strong on the ball. In sum, he’s an excellent fit for the sort of athletic player Pochettino likes to deploy in the double-pivot. Spurs would be wise to scoop him up.
Cedric Soares, in sharp contrast, is a player who Tottenham should stay away from. He started 32 Premier League matches for the Saints, but he had a very average year. A Whoscored.com player rating average of 6.57 is well below what’s required to play meaningful minutes at Tottenham. It’s unlikely he could break in front of Serge Aurier or Kieran Trippier in Pochettino’s pecking order.
Soares is cool on the ball, but he resembles Trippier with his inability to really run up and down the pitch. In a sense, he’s simply a lesser option of Spurs’ English fullback. Purchasing him would largely be a waste of precious transfer resources at Tottenham.
Next: Tottenham may keep Mousa Dembele
In the end, Tottenham should be careful when shopping at the bottom of the Premier League table. Mario Lemina would be an excellent investment for the club, while Cedric Soares would be a decidedly boring signing.