Should Tottenham Hotspur hunt the Real Madrid man instead of the Everton ace?
Tottenham Hotspur have, according to The Mirror, cooled their interest in Ross Barkley. Is it time for Mauricio Pochettino to go after Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic instead?
It was reported by Diario Gol this month that Tottenham remain interested in the 23-year-old Croatian, whom they see as a “perfect replacement” for Dele Alli if the English star were to leave the North London club one day.
The Spanish outlet goes on to claim that Kovacic, a two-time Champions League winner with los Blancos, is worth around £26.4 million but if Spurs want him then they should act now.
He is slowly but surely becoming a prominent player for Real and the Croatia international, who started over twice as many Liga matches for the Spanish giants last term as he did in his first season, might well have a much bigger price-tag this time next year if he continues to improve at the Bernabeu.
Spurs need not wait until Alli is sold to snap up the former Inter Milan star, with the prospect of Pochettino’s continued 3-4-2-1 system allowing for two number 10s.
Barkley alongside Alli is a nice idea, but the 23-year-old has four full Premier League seasons under his belt and there is a sense that he is stagnant a little bit, while there is also a question over his consistency.
Of course, Kovacic has no Premier League experience, but he is a fine talent who, in the near future, might well be regarded as a better, more complete player than the Everton playmaker.
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