Tottenham Hotspur are keen to bolster their offensive ranks with the signature of Inter Milan starlet Andrea Pinamonti.
Italian publication Calciomercato have stated that the north London club now lead the race ahead of Chelsea to sign the highly-rated youngster, who is also tracked by Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen.
Pinamonti’s scoring mojo has been widely hailed, having racked up 10 goals in 14 games for the side’s under-17 and 22 out of 36 matches for the under-19 (32 goals in 50 games). Definitely a level of composure that completely defies his tender age. No doubt with such sizzling form, he got a promotion to the senior team and made his debut for the Italian outfit in the Europa League already. Yet to feature in a league appearance but it’s only a matter of time to tick that box too. Even better, he could be opening his Premier League account soon.
Why are these two London clubs so keen on the 17-year-old?
Besides the impressive stats, Tottenham and Chelsea do need enforcements in the striking slot. Antonio Conte’s side have a battering ram of a forward by the name of Costa but his future is certainly under a cloud, after a recent bust-up with the club’s hierarchy over a jaw-dropping move to China in the summer. His deputy, Michy Batshuayi, has struggled to cement a positive impression at Stamford Bridge. With a number of academy graduates amping up playing minutes in loan spells, they could be in complete trouble if Costa picks up an injury or turns into a beast off the pitch again.
Tottenham somewhat sails on a similar boat too. They have a world-class finisher in Harry Kane but next in the pecking order, Vincent Janssen has looked absolutely abject since arriving from AZ Alkmaar in the previous window. Day by day, it’s pretty evident that he no longer is a trump card for manager Mauricio Pochettino. However, it was quite surprising when the former Southampton boss sanctioned a loan move for Shayon Harrison a few weeks ago as the youngster was tipped to replace the daunting Dutchman.
At 17, it’s close to impossible for Pinamonti to oust Jannsen right away but under a proper guidance, he would be one for the future. One would never deny that he will have to bide for time to feature for the first team if he joins Chelsea or Spurs, but the situation is pretty similar to this current club as Mauro Icardi and Gabriel Barbosa are standing on his way for regular minutes.
Personnel from the north London club are already in talks with the youngster’s agent, who’s also the representative for Andrea Ranocchia, an experienced defender who has been bandied with Tottenham recently.
With a number of clubs gyrating around the young star, it’s pretty interesting to see what valuation will be stamped over him. In the current market, future stars have been reaping up fees that are equal or more than seasoned veterans.
