Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly keen on moving his focus to signing an attacking mifielder, with the deal for striker Vincent Janssen very close to a conclusion.

The Janssen saga goes on

After weeks of hardball negotiation between Spurs and Janssen's club, AZ Alkmaar, it appears the Premier League club are prepared to meet the £17 million fee, which the Eredevise side were suggested to hold out for by 'moneyball' brainchild Billy Beane who was reportedly involved in the Dutch outfit rejecting the two Spurs bids so far, the most recent at £15 million.

Spurs boss Pochettino would like the deal for 22-year-old Dutch international Janssen wrapped up as soon as possible so he can move onto his next target, an attacking midfielder. Pochettino and his scouts have drawn up numerous suitors in this position and it appears Newcastle United's Georginio Wijnaldum is on that list.

Wijnaldum in North London?

Despite being part of a relegated side with Newcastle, Wijnaldum certainly made an impact in his first season in England after completing a £14.5 million deal from PSV Eindhoven this time last year. The Dutch international was Newcastle's top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals and also notched five assists during the campaign.

After starting the summer off with the capture of a defensive midfielder, Victor Wanyama from Southampton, it appears clear that Pochettino would like more depth in attacking positions and more of a goal threat from players who are not called Harry Kane.

A deal done for Janssen could certainly bring more goals to the team as, like Kane, the Dutchman finished top scorer in his league with 27 goals in 34 games in Holland's top flight. Adding to that, Wijnaldum could also be a real threat eithier starting or off the bench after getting into double figures for a struggling team last season.

Wijnaldum scoring against Liverpool last season (photo; Getty Images)
Wijnaldum scoring against Liverpool last season (photo; Getty Images)

Wijnaldum on his future

Wijnaldum has recently spoken about his future, indicating a desire to stay in the Premier League, stating; "I want to play at as high a level as possible, in the Premier League, with a beatiful club - but not everything goes the way you want."

With players already signed or close to being in midfield and attacking positons, it appears Spurs are prepared to let certain players in the mentioned positions move on this summer in order to balance out their squad. These players include Ryan Mason, who has been strongly linked with newly promoted Hull City as well as AFC Bournemouth.

Tottenham are apparently willing to listen to offers for more forward thinking players, such as Nacer Chadli and Heung-Min Son, even though the latter has only been at White Hart Lane for one season. 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Jamie Joslyn
20 year old sports journalism at Sunderland University, huge Sunderland fan