It is not easy to say no to Barcelona when they come calling. The Spanish giants have a lure when it comes to signing players, which very few other European clubs have and more often than not, players would love to join the Catalan club and jump at the prospect when the opportunity comes knocking.

However, as per the words of Tijjani Reijnder’s father, that is exactly what he did, after talking to Deco. The Dutchman’s father has claimed that the Spanish club were looking at a replacement for Sergio Busquets but he told his son that he was not that profile and that he shouldn’t consider a move to the Spanish club.

This important career decision means that the €30m-rated Dutchman is now a mainstay at AC Milan and arguably the first name on the team sheet. He has established himself as one of the best midfield conductors in Europe and as per Caught Offside, he finds himself in the radar of Premier League clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The missing piece in Ange’s puzzle?

One of the stark observations of Tottenham Hotspur so far this season is that Ange Postecoglou is yet to identify the perfect way to balance out his midfield. So far this season, he has chosen to operate with two defensive-minded midfielders and one #10 or two #10s and one holding midfielder.

Neither system has worked well for the Aussie tactician so far, due to the profile of players available. If Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison play together in midfield, there isn’t enough defensive cover. If two of Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur play together, there isn’t enough chance creation.

What the Tottenham midfield lacks currently is a natural defensive midfield conductor. The Lilywhites need a player who can control the pace and tempo of a game – someone who understands when to speed up a phase of play and when to slow it down and someone who can create from deep.

AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders perfectly fits the bill. He is the kind of midfielder that the Tottenham squad is crying out for. Pairing him with one of Bissouma, Sarr or Bentancur and one of Maddison or Kulusevski as a trio could transform the balance of Spurs’ midfield.

The stats tell you a story!

Reijnders has played nine games for Milan so far this season, in the Serie A, of which eight have come as a starter. He averages 71 minutes per game and has scored one goal, but that is not the stat we are looking at.

The 26-year-old averages one key pass per game and boasts of a passing accuracy of 92% in a team that isn’t gifted with a lot of technical players. He averages 46.9 touches per game, which is among the higher echelons for AC Milan and is a number that would increase if he played for a better team.

Reijnders also averages 1.9 long balls per game at an impressive accuracy of 81%. He is not the flashiest passer going around but that is not what you expect from a conductor. Instead, Reijnders is an expert at dictating the pace at which a game should flow.

The Dutch midfielder puts up some impressive numbers in the defending aspect too. He averages 0.8 interceptions, 0.1 tackles, 0.2 possession won in the final third, 2.9 balls recovered and 0.6 clearances per game. He is also dribbled past less than once per game.

Reijnders uses his fairly decent dribbling ability to get out of difficult situations in midfield and averages 1.1 per game with an accuracy of 56%. He also wins 1.4 ground duels per game. All these numbers point to a well-rounded midfielder who can conduct but also defend adeptly.

[Stats: SofaScore]

Snap him up, Tottenham

Don’t think twice, Daniel Levy! Snap him up before it’s too late. Reijnders has all the abilities to be a top-class conductor for a possession heavy side. Tottenham love to have the ball and are one of the sides with the highest possession in the Premier League (2nd behind Manchester City).

Tottenham are a few pieces away from forming the perfect jigsaw. Ange has done an incredible job and disappointing for the odd loss here and there, the team has been playing some nice football.

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Going forward, getting someone like Reijnders would be perfect for Tottenham. Let’s wait and see how the transfer saga plays out in the upcoming transfer window(s).