Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Whilst a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovich would be optimistic for any club, a move from Tottenham Hotspur would be beyond optimistic – it would be fantasy. And so it has proved, with the Swedish striker allegedly opting for a move to Manchester United instead, as reported by The Guardian. Whilst the capture of Ibrahimovich would have sent shockwaves throughout Europe, he simply is not a player this current squad need.
Manchester United can offer him Mourinho, wages several times higher, and a history of being a ‘big’ team. It appears, on the surface, to be a perfect fit, especially given Ibrahimovich’s age. There’s no doubting his ability, but his longevity will be called into question, especially in a league much more physical than Ligue 1.
Thus, he is even more unattractive to Spurs – who, whilst short of Champions League experience, simply don’t need a character like him at the club. It would take a foolish manager to make Harry Kane play second fiddle to Zlatan – which no doubt he would be forced to do – and the possible disruption to the dressing room could be immensely destructive.
The current Spurs squad is full of promising youngsters who do not need the brash, egotistical Swedish striker disrupting their progress. Finally, can anyone really see Zlatan participating in a high press system?
Comparatively, Manchester United – on top of the wages and Jose Mourinho, who has already worked with Ibrahimovich – would welcome him with open arms. A squad could realistically be built around Zlatan, who would provide a focal point for attacks that has been missing since the decline of Wayne Rooney.
Youngster Marcus Rashford may be quick, but he lacks a physical presence, as well as European experience – holes which the Swedish striker ably fills. Zlatan could really benefit the likes of Rashford and Anthony Martial, both in day to day training sessions and in matches, while his sizeable ego would perhaps compensate temporarily for the loss of footballing identity that United have experienced since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. The deal for Zlatan might not be ideal for United, but it is a deal that they, not Spurs, need.
Elsewhere within the Spurs transfer rumours is the news that midfielder and academy graduate Alex Pritchard looks set to leave the club, with the Evening Standard reporting he is a target for Middlesborough and Swansea.
A move to a club that plays in a way that suits his technical strengths, like Swansea, therefore looks a sensible one, while he may also rejoin his manager at Brentford Mark Warburton at Scottish club Rangers, who took two Spurs loanees in the 2015/16 season in Dominic Ball and Nathan Oduwa.
Finally, the departure of Southampton boss Ronald Koeman to Everton may provide the spark that sees Shane Long join Spurs, according to The Sun. The versatile Irish striker would provide adept support for Harry Kane, as well as being able to play anywhere in the three midfielders behind the striker.
His pace and strength would certainly provide Spurs with another dimension going forwards, and add much-needed depth to the attack, but lacks Champions League experience and is possibly not of the quality that Spurs – who have been linked with Alexandre Lacazette and Michy Batshuayi, both of whom are younger – should be going after.
Should Long be available to buy, someone like Lacazette must be prioritised over him.
Featured image: All rights reserved by vang_thusinhngheo_latoi
Receive weekly football news and updates to your mailbox