Spurs reportedly want to bring former Brighton and Hove Albion youngster Normann back to the Premier League – is he ready for Mauricio Pochettino’s team?
Martin Odegaard is not the only young Norway midfielder who is dominating the gossip columns right now.
According to Goal, Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a potential £20 million January deal for the little-known, until now at least, Mathias Normann.
The reigning Russian Premier League Player of the Month, Normann has certainly caught the eye since joining FC Rostov from Brighton and Hove Albion in January. The 23-year-old might have failed to make the grade at The Amex but he has gone from strength to strength since leaving the Seagulls.
Norway coach Lars Lagerback even likened Normann to a certain Lionel Messi, although mainly for his low centre of gravity rather than a propensity to notch 50-plus goals a season (VG).
But for all Normann’s qualities, he continues to struggle for game-time at international level. So far, he has played just 14 minutes of football for his country, earning his one and only cap during a Euro 2020 qualifier against Malta in September.
And despite being linked with a £20 million move to one of the Premier League’s bonafide giants, Normann failed to get off the bench during both of Norway’s games during the October international break.
He is still behind Markus Henriksen, Hull City’s Markus Henriksen (above), in the pecking order. The Tigers star, who started against Spain and Sweden in the last few days, has accumulated 50 caps in nine years with his leadership skills making him a key part of Lagerback’s squad.
But the fact that Normann can’t force Henriksen out of the team is not a great look for a player who could soon be tasked with revitalising an ailing Tottenham midfield.
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