Spurs could land a hidden gem in 22-year-old who plays like N’Golo Kante – TBR View

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As the dust settles at Tottenham Hotspur in wake of Jose Mourinho’s sacking and their League Cup final defeat, there will no doubt be a lot for Daniel Levy to ponder.

One of the things Spurs need to look at is potential new recruits, given so many players have flattered to deceive this season.

One player currently being linked with Tottenham is Celtic’s Ismaila Soro, a player who is very highly rated amongst fans but has seldom been utilised by the coaches.

Soro, a £2.7million signing from Israeli side Bnei Yehuda in January last year, barely figured at Parkhead for much of Neil Lennon’s tenure.

The talented 22-year-old briefly broke into first-team contention earlier this year, which coincided with an upturn in form for the Hoops.

However, he’s since returned to the fringes in wake of Lennon’s departure, being limited to a handful of substitute appearances under John Kennedy.

Soro is unfortunate to have often been overlooked in favour of Scott Brown, a club legend who has struggled to perform for much of the campaign.

“It is his speed and athleticism in the defensive midfield role that makes those qualities in Brown’s game appear more conspicuous by their absence than they perhaps are,” wrote Glasgow Times senior sports writer Graeme McGarry.

Meanwhile, his former coach at Bnei Yehuda, Ori Guttmann, previously told the Scottish Sun: “His tackling and dribbling skills were incredible. He looked like he had good potential.

“Now he reminds me of N’Golo Kante at Chelsea. Kante maybe doesn’t look like he’s strong, but he is. He wins most duels and tackles. Soro does the same and wins the battles too.”

Soro is contracted to Celtic until 2024 so their hand would be strong in negotiations, and given Brown will leave at the end of the season, he’ll leave a gap that the Ivorian could fill.

But much depends on who the next coach at Parkhead will be, whether Soro decides he’d like to play in the Premier League, and whether Celtic will decide to cash in.

And if they do, Spurs could be landing a hidden gem, much like Kante was when he joined Leicester from Caen in 2015.