I know it happened a few days ago, but Redknapp announcing that he was interested in brining Juan Mata to Tottenham didn’t exactly instil me with confidence of our signings this summer.
Granted, Mata is a superb player, as evidenced in Spain’s European U-21 Championship win, and any team would be lucky to be laboured with a player with such exceptional quality.
But is he exactly what we need? Spurs have been crying out for a new striker for almost a year now with Crouch, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko and Keane all failing to find the net on a regular basis.
And with Mata scoring 8, laying on a further 12, for Valencia last season, he will add another dimension to our, already exceptional, creative force while chipping in with a goal or two.
Yet, this is the problem. Creatively, Spurs are fine as Lennon, Bale, Modric, Huddlestone and Van der Vaart all look to put the ball where it matters; to the 18-yard box.
It’s up to the strikers to be getting on the end of said deliveries but none of them appear able to cut it for a team that are looking to push back into the top four.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say no to Mata coming to White Hart Lane, I would welcome the move in fact. But he is a winger, or a midfielder than can be utilised on the ‘Van der Vaart role’, not the striker we need.
Unless, of course, Spurs are currently locked in talks with Manchester City about a swap deal with Adebayor and Lennon, then it would be nice to see Bale and Mata on either wings supporting Adebayor as the lone striker.
As far as I’m concerned, a striker who can play up front on his own is a priority. Be it Adebayor, Llorente or Forlan, any player that can put the ball in the back of the net would be most welcome down at White Hart Lane.
Maybe the Adebayor/Lennon swap will happen and Spurs, somehow, bring in Mata, then, for me, that would be just brilliant.
