Would Victor Wanyama be an upgrade on Tottenham’s current midfield?

Victor Wanyama has been linked with a move from Southampton to Tottenham for the past two years and this summer Spurs are reportedly closer than ever.

The Kenyan midfielder was fantastic for the Saints last season in his role just in front of the defence and he is keen to re-join former manager Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

However, much of the first choice midfield at Spurs were in fantastic form in their unlikely title challenge, and it is questionable whether Wanyama would be a sensible investment as the Southampton board are sure to demand a sizeable fee.

Here we compare Spurs’ current midfield to 24-year-old Wanyama.

Strength

There’s no doubt that Wanyama provides a physical presence in the centre of midfield and a willingness to defend. He would give Spurs a midfielder who is able to break up play and launch counter-attacks but is this something they don’t already have?

Embed from Getty Images

Eric Dier in his new defensive midfield position provides an ability to tackle and find a quick pass.

Another player who was vital for Tottenham last season was Mousa Dembele. The Belgians’ importance was underlined towards the end of the season as Spurs surrendered second place to North London rivals, Arsenal.

Dembele received a six-game suspension in their game against Chelsea and their season collapsed from then on, as the unthinkable happened when they slipped below Arsenal.

Wanyama is a talented defensive midfielder who Pochettino knows is capable of providing more steel to the Spurs team.

Discipline

In Spurs’ game against Chelsea, Eden Hazard scored the goal that gave the title to Leicester City. The story of the night was both the title win for the Foxes but also the battle on the pitch. Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele and Dele Alli were all diving into rash challenges as they watched their title dreams slip away.

Embed from Getty Images

Spurs’ midfield lost their heads in that game, perhaps largely to the youthful core in the squad.

If it is a cool head in midfield that Pochettino is seeking then Wanyama certainly isn’t the right choice.

The former Celtic man picked up three red cards last season due a series of rash challenges, which saw him suspended for five matches as punishment.

Despite being just 22 years old, Dier shows a level of maturity in his defending and marking duties.

Wanyama is unlikely to come in and replace fan-favourite, Dier but perhaps could be paired with him in front of the Spurs defence.

Experience

With Champions League football coming to White Hart Lane next season, Pochettino will want some experience amongst his young squad.

Embed from Getty Images

The likes or Dier, Alli and Kane who were so important for Spurs last season, have never played amongst Europe’s elite and despite being 24, Wanyama has more experience of the competition than most in the current Spurs squad.

Celtic’s Champions League campaigns were usually short-lived but they still faced teams such as Barcelona, with Wanyama producing some mighty performances in Glasgow, which resulted in Premier League clubs taking
notice.

Pochettino may see the Kenyan as a useful player to have for the tournament, as they are likely to need to set up more defensively than they do in the Premier League.

More Cover For Injuries

Spurs were reasonably unaffected by injuries last season but their squad begins to look quite thin if a few players did pick up knocks.

Embed from Getty Images

Players such as Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb do not possess the ability to perform at the highest level. Wanyama going to Spurs would allow Dembele to be able to push up into a more attacking role, should the attacking trio of Erik Lamela, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen pick up knocks.

It is fair to say that the biggest positive that signing Wanyama would bring is his experience in the Champions League.

The attacking, full- throttle style of the Premier League is a dangerous one to adopt in the Champions League.

Teams such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona have the ability to pick teams off but starting Wanyama with Dier would give the Spurs defence some much-needed extra cover.

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved by Ian Johnson