What a difference a Davies makes

A look at some linkees.

That most festive time of the year—the January transfer window—is almost upon us, and Spurs have been linked with several promising players. In a variation on a familiar theme, we have an XI that, when fit and available for selection, can beat anybody, but we are held back by our lack of depth.

But in a breaking development, we’re hearing noises that Daniel Levy might actually back Ange. We’ve been down this road before and I remain skeptical. But for now, let’s have a quick look at some of the big names with whom we’re being linked.

Jean-Clair Todibo, CB with Nice, turns 24 in December.

Ever since Mickey van de Ven limped off in that crazy match v. Chelsea—and well before that—we’ve been crying out for cover at LCB. Most of us were saying that as recently as this month. But after some impressive performances from Ben Davies while filling in by default at this position, the narrative has suddenly shifted to our needing cover for Romero more so. Personally, while I have lots of time for Not So Gentle Ben as a squad player, I’ve love four world class CBs, please and thank you.

Highlight videos are notoriously limited in their value for assessing a player. But with Rob Guest (aka “Guesty) reporting we’ve opened negotiations for Todibo, hey, let’s take a look at a highlight video and see what we can learn:

Verdict: I like ‘im. Appears to be a clever, cagey defender. Physically gifted and skillful. Likes to ping a pass. Seems a great fit for playing out of the back the Ange way. My only reservation is he looks like he might sometimes be a bit too clever with his step-up interceptions, which could more readily earn cards and penalties against the swifter and better attackers in the Premier League. That’d take a period of adjustment for Todibo, which is to be expected when jumping from Ligue 1 to the EPL. But hey, why not have two gifted, foul-prone CBs to back up each other when one or the other gets suspended?

Conor Gallagher, Chelsea midfielder and captain, turns 24 in February:

Have Chelsea truly overspent to the extent they’d ship out their new manager’s new captain? And what does that say about Poch’s future? (That’s their problem, innit?) Regardless, we keep seeing smoke here, so maybe it’s possible.

What would he bring to Ange’s midfield besides a hairdo? I’d project him to be a hybrid of sorts: a poor man’s Maddison’s and a poor man’s Sarr. I don’t see him ever having Madders’ touch. There’s something about Gallagher’s lanky gait that seems to limit his quickness of touch, which his lack of goal output might speak to. He does seem composed and industrious, though I don’t seem him operating with the kind of dynamism and horsepower that Sarr does. But I believe Gallagher would bring more to the table than Højbjerg does. And you know what? It tells me something that Poch trusts a 23-year-old so much that he named him captain. We could do worse than having a Conor Gallagher coming off the bench and rotating into the XI.

Verdict: Good for depth, high ceiling.

Kalvin Phillips, Man City defensive midfielder, 28.

Seriously, why did City buy him? Unlike some of our recent transfer business—with players hopping onto our carousel of managers at the wrong time—he came to play for an entrenched icon, yet he obviously doesn’t fit into Pep’s plans.

Phillips is a rugged force, a more athletic Scott Parker, perhaps. He’d be an upgrade on Skipp and Højbjerg. Yet his age would make him an eye-raising acquisition given our usual business model, and I doubt he has much more of a ceiling than we’ve already seen. That said, we’ve long lacked this kind of experience in the center of the pitch.

Verdict: Sure, why not?

…So under the category of Hey, It’s Not My Money, I’d have all three on my team. Todibo is unquestionably the highest priority. I find myself more intrigued by Gallagher’s youth and precociousness on the pitch, so I’d rate him over Phillips, but I wouldn’t turn my nose up at the latter.

And we obviously need another attacker…whether wing, a forward, a wing/forward hybrid, a transformative attacking Transformer…but for now I’ll leave that for another day.

Come on you Daniel! And come on you Spurs!