Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are stepping up their pursuit of Antonin Barak as Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte eye another Serie A star, as reported by Tuttomercatoweb.
Between them, all the midfielders currently contracted to the London giants have scored a combined three league goals in 2021/22.
You don’t need a tactical expert, then, to tell you what Barak would bring to the table should the colossal Czech international arrive from Hellas Verona in the summer transfer window.
Barak has ten Serie A goals this term, including a ‘wonderful’ hat-trick against Sassuolo. There is not a single midfielder in Italy’s top flight who has found the net more frequently than a 6ft 3ins giant who’s perfectly-timed runs into the penalty area have become his calling card at the Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Would Barak give Tottenham a different dimension?
According to TMW, Tottenham are ‘pressing strongly’ for Barak now. If the former Udinese man can emulate the impact of Paratici’s other Serie A imports – Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero – he would be worth every penny of that £25 million price-tag.
Barak has also been linked with West Ham United and Newcastle. He admitted recently, however, that he would prefer to join a club playing Champions League football.
The ball is in Spurs’ court, then, with a top-four place within their grasp.
“You could see straight away that he had everything to become a top player. He is a Premier League player; physically and technically,” former Udinese director Manuel Gerolin explains.
“He’s the right age to make the leap. And he can improve even more by going to a big league and playing with other champions.”
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Barak did admit, in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport in 2017, that he is a dyed-in-the-wool Arsenal supporter.
It’s unlikely that will bother Spurs supporters too much, however, if Barak hits double figures from his favoured central midfield role in the Premier League next term.
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