Tottenham Hotspur have started the season incredibly well with two wins from two and a perfect five goals scored and none conceded.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men sit proudly atop the Premier League table, providing an attractive proposition to any new players interested in making White Hart Lane their home for the coming campaign.
The Spaniard’s need for a classy central defender has been well documented and with time running out in this transfer window, Pochettino and his staff need to work quickly.
Two names that keep being thrown into the hat are Sevilla’s Federico Fazio and Villarreal’s Mateo Musacchio. Both would sit comfortably in a Spurs back line but there is a marked difference in valuations between the two.
In the case of the latter, for all intents and purposes he would have been a Tottenham player a few weeks ago but for the “Yellow Submarine” doubling their proposed £17 million transfer fee. Thus the North Londoners turned their attentions elsewhere.
Fazio will cost less than half the amount of his compatriot with a £10 million fee being mooted at present. In today’s marketplace, that is a bargain that the Lilywhites can’t really afford to turn down.
Any fears that Fazio won’t be as adept as the more expensive Musachhio can be assuaged when we look at a comparison between the two.
Fazio’s 88 interceptions at a rate of 3.32 per 90, wasn’t too far behind Musacchio’s 3.42 per game for Villarreal.
The Sevilla stalwart won 115 headed duels during the 2013/14 campaign, averaging 4.34 aerial victories for every 90 minutes of play. Musacchio fell well behind with a paltry 1.96 aerial bettles won over the same period.
Where Musacchio has excelled has been in the tackling department, something that has been the bane of Tottenham’s recent revival. Despite making four defensive errors across the season, he was still way out in front of Fazio. In 27 appearances, he more than double Fazio’s successful tally of 28.
Yet, with the deal almost done to bring Fazio to Spurs, fans of the club should be ready to welcome him with open arms.
Mobile when called upon, he is adept in bringing the ball out from the back, in the truest traditions of the club. His skill set will ensure that the loss of Michael Dawson isn’t one for fans to stew over for too long.
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