Was Mauricio Pochettino watching Carles Alena this weekend?

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As reported by Sky Sports this weekend Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino was spotted taking in a Barcelona B game on Friday night. The Argentine, who often returns to Barcelona during the international break, was taking in the fixture between Barcelona and Cornella.

The report hypothesised that Tottenham’s boss might have been looking at Barca youngster Riqui Puig, who has been linked with the club before.

However, he would have surely been impressed by the display of another Barcelona midfielder.  Carlos Alena started the season in the Barcelona first-team but has dropped down to play with the second-string at times this season.

The 20-year-old is one of the biggest hopes in the Barcelona youth team and Pochettino must have been happy to see he was in action.

He has been given the mantle as the ‘next Andres Iniesta’ and with his passing range, dribbling proficiency and football brain it is easy to see why.

Deceptively strong, difficult to dispossess and excellent at winning the ball back, the left-footed talent is similar in style to Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele.

Pochettino would have undoubtedly seen the similarities between the pair. Now whilst Alena is ready to be patient at Barcelona, Tottenham could surely attempt to lure him away with the promise of regular first-team football. He currently has a €75 million (£66.5 million) release clause in his deal with Barca, but Spurs could certainly negotiate a lesser fee with the Catalan club.

Of the players on show in front of Pochettino this week, Alena is undoubtedly the one Spurs fans should want at the club.