Worth it? Amadou Diawara will cost Tottenham Hotspur £52.4 million

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Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with the Guinea midfielder Amadou Diawara in recent weeks. Last month TuttoMercatoWeb reported that Tottenham had already been in touch with Napoli regarding a move for the player this summer.

Now it is being reported by Sport Mediaset that the deal is still on the table for the player, who represents a long-term investment in the middle of the park. However, the fee involved is eye-watering from Tottenham’s perspective. The Napoli midfield dynamo has a release clause of 60 million euros, which converts to around £52.4 million.

Were Tottenham to pay that fee for the Guinea star it would smash their current transfer record. Spurs paid Ajax £42 million for Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez in the summer, according to the BBC. Bringing in Diawara for £10 million more would represent a massive investment from Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

However, Diawara would be an excellent recruit for Spurs. The centre of midfield is one area where Tottenham could improve. Mousa Dembele has rightly been heralded this season for his performances. Meanwhile, Victor Wanyama remains a reliable option in the middle of the park. But, with Dembele approaching his 30th birthday and Wanyama in mixed form Tottenham know that bringing in a fresh face to the midfield could be key to any future success.

Diawara is exactly the sort of player Mauricio Pochettino will want to work with. The midfielder is young, energetic and adaptable – the perfect combination of attributes for Spurs.

The price-tag is, on paper, eye-watering. However, Tottenham must be aware that a central midfield improvement is needed if they are to challenge for the Premier League title. It was an area of weakness during the Champions League defeat v Juventus and Diawara is surely seen as a key component to improving chances of silverware.

£52.4 million seems a lot of money. But if it can bring Tottenham title success, it would be a small fee to pay.