Tottenham ready to step up efforts to sign Monaco’s Thomas Lemar – what would he add?

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Tottenham are set to step up their bid to sign Thomas Lemar from Monaco, according to The Sun. The report, picked up from the more reliable L’Equipe, states that Spurs have been in talks with the midfielder’s representatives and have made it clear that they are prepared to use a large part of their budget to sign the player. He first came onto the club’s radar during their Champions League matches against the Ligue 1 champions and he has since gone from strength-to-strength for Les Monegasques.

What would he add to the Tottenham squad?

The one major criticism that has been directed at Tottenham in recent years has been their poor recruitment. Last summer, they spent around £49 million on Vincent Janssen and Moussa Sissoko, with neither managing to make an impact in the first team. There has been a lot to admire about the North London club, but their recruitment has not been one of them. That said, this report is encouraging as Lemar is one of the most exciting players in Europe and has already shown he can do it at the highest level with Monaco.

He played a huge role as Monaco surprised the world this season to beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title. The Frenchman contributed nine goals and ten assists, which is a good return for an attacking midfielder. During the league season, he averaged 2.07 key passes, 2.41 chances created and 2 shots per ninety minutes, highlighting the influence that he had in the final third. Mauricio Pochettino demands a lot from his player out of possession and Lemar’s average of 2.28 ball recoveries per ninety minutes suggests that he can fit into the system at Spurs.

Lemar has been one of the lesser celebrated players in the Monaco side, with Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho taking the headlines. However, the Frenchman is hugely talented and impresses an intelligent range of passing. He lacks the rapid speed that some wingers possess, but his movement and ability to pick a pass more than make up for that. The 21-year-old could fit into the 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-2-1 formations that have been used by Tottenham this season. Lemar often looks to cut inside into central areas, which would allow Danny Rose to advance beyond him down the left flank. He has a profile to suit Tottenham and would be a good signing if they manage to bring him to North London.