Tottenham Hotspur reportedly wanted to sign Kevin Gameiro on loan in January, but now he has swapped Atletico Madrid for La Liga rivals Valencia.
Tottenham Hotspur have been criticised by fans, neutrals and pundits all up and down the country for failing to reinforce their squad with a single new signing over the summer.
Versatile midfielder Eric Dier made an interesting argument when he pointed out that numerous Premier League clubs are paying big money for footballers ‘(no) better than the players they’ve already got’, as reported by the Standard.
But it is hard to agree when it comes to Kevin Gameiro.
The Sun reported back in January that Spurs were keen to sign the striker on loan from Atletico Madrid. They failed to do so and, seven months later, he has departed the Wanda Metropolitano on a permanent basis.
Gameiro has joined Valencia for a fee of just £14 million, as reported by Goal. And, for that price, Tottenham should have been all over a goal-scorer who would have given them something very different.
Mauricio Pochettino has spent years looking for a back-up to Harry Kane, with Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente flopping badly. He still has not got one with the over-reliance on the England captain as relevant as ever.
Gameiro, however, looked like the perfect man for the job. He is a reliable goal-scorer, netting 38 times in 49 La Liga starts for Sevilla prior to his 2016 move to Atletico, and is a different kind of forward; a Jamie Vardy type who thrives on running in behind.
He would be a much better fit for a creative Spurs side than the static Janssen or Llorente and has thrived in an impact substitute role over the years to. For £14 million, Tottenham have missed a brilliant bargain, no matter what Dier might think.
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