Postecoglou could sign his answer to Caicedo with Spurs swoop for £32m-rated “warrior” – opinion
Ange Postecoglou may be about to obtain an upgrade on the most recent significant agreement signed by their competitors.
Although Tottenham Hotspur may be pressing for a different deal, there is one more player in which they can try to revive their interest in order to completely revamp their team.
This summer, who might Tottenham Hotspur sign?
Ange Postecoglou’s business this summer has been incisive and mainly astonishing. He strengthened his defense by signing Micky Van de Ven, filled Harry Kane’s creative gap with James Maddison, and added depth by bringing in more players like Manor Solomon and Alejo Veliz.
They appear to have changed their focus to Brennan Johnson, though, as they attempt to get one more significant acquisition before the window closes on Friday.
Despite this, given their long-standing and well-documented interest in Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, perhaps they might also look to swoop from another Midlands team.
His €36.8 million (£32 million) FootballTransfers valuation might persuade the Lilywhites to rekindle their interest with the ability to add important goals from midfield as well as another tough veteran to keep things moving.
How good is Douglas Luiz?
If Postecoglou were to sign the Brazilian enforcer, he would immediately be compared to the plethora of midfielders that several elite clubs have signed this summer.
Following expensive agreements for Dominik Szoboszlai and Mason Mount, Declan Rice’s £105 million move to Arsenal was expected to be the most significant of the group.
However, all of these were disproved when Chelsea released a British transfer record to buy Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion after the kid had an outstanding season.
While he does represent a wonderful acquisition, should Spurs sign Luiz before Friday night’s deadline, they may actually end up with their own answer to the Ecuadorian given the amount spent and the output they are expecting to receive.
The 25-year-old, after all, has significantly more experience competing at their level and brings a sharp forward thrust that the Ecuadorian international sorely lacks.
As a vital player in Unai Emery’s stunning comeback at Villa Park, the former Manchester City star contributed to 12 league goals last season, providing the best example of this form. Luiz’s excellent form was a crucial component in that run as he guided them from a relegation struggle to a European finish.
His 7.10 average rating, which made him Villa’s highest-rated player, was the result of this.
According to Sofascore, he also maintained 1.2 crucial passes, 1.1 interceptions, and two tackles per game, which all contributed to maintaining this statistic.
It comes as no surprise, then, that author Jack Grimse has previously praised him as a “warrior”.
Caicedo may have somewhat better defensive statistics, but these improvements are insignificant compared to the difference in their efforts moving forward.
Although the 21-year-old would maintain his own 7.08 average rating, with 1.2 critical passes and 2.7 tackles per game, having only one goal and one assist, his impact on games is not nearly as great as his rival, according to Sofascore.
Not to mention the fact that, considering his youth, he only has 47 Premier League outings to Luiz’s 143.
The latter would bring a more well-rounded skill level that would effect the entire team, offering an immediate upgrade for Spurs’ side.
While Caicedo will probably excel in the future under Mauricio Pochettino, the Villa player would represent the best coup as of this transfer window, especially given the significant price differential.