Should Tottenham Hotspur have made a move for former Real Madrid star Pepe, who has now joined Besiktas?
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the market for a new defender. According to The Mirror, Tottenham are ready to sell Kevin Wimmer in the summer transfer window and want to replace him with an English defender.
Swansea City’s Alfie Mawson and Ben Gibson of Middlesbrough are reportedly on the radar of Tottenham, who will be aiming to win the Premier League title next season.
Both Mawson and Gibson are good defenders, but Spurs would be better served with someone who has a lot of experience and would be a guaranteed hit.
Pepe could have been that defender. The 34-year-old was one of the world’s best centre-backs in his prime, and the former Real Madrid star still retains his quality.
True, the defender has had problems with his knee, but the Portugal international would have brought a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to Tottenham.
The 34-year-old has won virtually everything he could have won in his career so far. Pepe clinched the Portuguese Primeira Liga title with FC Porto twice, and La Liga and the Champions League thrice each each with Madrid.
The defender was also part of the Portugal national football team that won the 2016 European Championship in France last summer.
Pepe could not have been at Madrid for 10 years without being a superb defender, and Tottenham have missed a trick by not making a move for the defender in the summer transfer window. After all, the North London outfit were interested in him in January, according to Okdiario.com.
The defender could have challenged Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld for a place in the starting lineup next season, and his deep knowledge of the Champions League would have been hugely helpful for Spurs.
The Portuguese centre-back has joined Besiktas on a free transfer; Spurs’ loss is the Turkish club’s gain.
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