Tottenham could revive interest in Russian striker Artem Dzyuba
Tottenham could revive their interest in Russian striker Artem Dzyuba, who is ‘a classic Mourinho target man’, in the summer transfer window. This claim comes from Football.london’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold.
The 31-year-old Russian, who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg, claimed earlier this year that Tottenham had shown an interest in signing him during the January transfer window, following the injury to our ace striker Harry Kane (h/t Football.london).
“When Harry Kane got injured, people contacted me about a move to Spurs. But Zenit refused the offer. I had conversations but the move never materialised.”
Dzyuba though, will be out of contract at the end of the season. And Alasdair Gold reckons there is a possibility that Tottenham might look to make a move for the striker, given that he fits the profile of “a classic Mourinho target man.” (h/t Football.london)
Dzyuba has never played for a club outside Russia. The 31-year-old spent a major part of his career at Spartak Moscow, before moving to Zenit in 2015 on a free transfer, where he has been a fairly consistent performer.
In the 2019/20 campaign, Dzyuba has scored 15 goals and assisted 12 more in just 28 appearances across all competitions, indicating the kind of value he brings to the side with his overall contribution.
This is something that is likely to appeal to Jose Mourinho, who prefers to set his teams up with a target man. Given our struggles following injuries to Harry Kane, it is imperative that a backup is brought in and Dzyuba might be the man to fill those shoes.
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The 31-year-old is similar in profile to Fernando Llorente, who the club allowed to leave last summer without bringing in a replacement. Having someone like him as a backup would not only allow Jose to rotate as and when needed, but also provide him with a Plan B.
What’s more is that Dzyuba will be a free agent in the summer and we will not have to pay a penny to sign him. That should please Daniel Levy. He may not be a top name, but the 31-year-old has plenty of experience at the top level and is a proven goalscorer for the Russian national team as well, with 24 strikes in 42 matches.
