Hazard transfer to Tottenham makes sense … Yes, really!

An analysis of Borussia Monchengladbach winger Thorgan Hazard and whether Tottenham should look to acquire the Belgian this January.

Thorgan Hazard isn’t the first player that pops into one’s head upon hearing the family name, but with 12 goals and seven assists this season he is certainly stepping out of his brother’s shadow.

For anybody not familiar with the player: yes, he is the younger sibling of Chelsea’s talisman. And yes, they are blessed with enviable genes. Both parents were footballers in the Belgian league before later becoming physical education teachers, and little brother Kylian is also on Chelsea’s books.

With the January transfer window now in full swing, rumors are rife of Spurs’ interest in Hazard. According to Sportbild (via Onefootball), Mauricio Pochettino has identified the Belgian as a main target due to his ‘tactical versatility.’

Style of play

Hazard is similar to his elder brother in stature, style, technical ability, and remit occupied on the pitch. He can play on either wing, operate through the centre, and has even filled in as a striker for Gladbach.

It is easy to flirt with the hyperbole when watching the fleet-footed Belgian. He possesses a devastating armoury of skills and regularly creates something out of nothing.

Thorgan picks defenses apart with surgically precise passing and has registered 2.8 key passes per game in the Bundesliga this season. While, he has plenty in his repertoire to beat his man whether through brute pace or trickery

A natural winger, Hazard is also helping to keep alive the art of crossing and his constant running down the channels and quicksilver incisions leave defenses in a frenzy.

He is a master at dovetailing and harmonizing with his offensive counterparts at Gladbach and he would add dynamism to any attack line in world football.

It’s his improvement in front of goal, as alluded to by this season’s scoring feats, that make the 25-year-old an increasingly important member of his international side and a real hot property this January.

Should Tottenham sign him?

Spurs love a Belgian, and adding another to its ranks makes sense. Although Hazard failed to make it under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, I can think of two other players who followed a similar narrative and they didn’t fare too badly on their return to England.

While in the upper echelons of attacking midfielders, he hasn’t yet broken into the world-class bracket , meaning Tottenham wouldn’t have to fight off the elite quite so vehemently to capture his signature.

The Rheinische Post reported Gladbach to have a €40 million price tag on his head earlier this season. Of course, frugality is the current watchword for Spurs’ chairman with mounting stadium costs; but it seems a paltry sum to appease his highly coveted, signing starved manager.

With Heung-Min Son off to the Asia and Tottenham still fighting on four fronts, it is an opportune moment to add some more firepower. He has all the skills to cut it in a Pochettino team and would add cover in numerous attacking roles.

The thought of him outshining his brother across the city is just another reason the Tottenham faithful would love to see him in lily-white.