With Franco Baldini likely to stay as Director of Football irrespective of what happens with the manager’s job, Spurs are being linked with just about every free Italian player on the market. With concerns remaining over Younes Kaboul, central defence is one area that the club needs to address and that has led to rumours over Parma’s experienced Gabriel Paletta.
Born in Argentina but capped by Italy this week, 28 year old Paletta was on Liverpool’s books for a season but even Reds’ fans would have to possess an exceptionally good memory to recall his contribution. Having been signed from Banfield in 2006, the defender made eight appearances, most of which came outside of the Premier League.
In 2007 it was back to Argentina with Boca Juniors before a move to Parma in 2010 where he has finally settled as a first choice. Paletta has a contract until 2017 but the report claims that Spurs will go in with a summer bid.
Doubts over Kaboul are real but how much truth is in this story? Paletta is a better player than the one that appeared at Anfield but will be slot into the White Hart Lane defence and who will he replace?
So that’s Younes covered, now to replace Hugo and Jan when they go and to bring in additional cover for the middle and a decent left back…round and round…
Silly mistake selling Caulker, and for less than what we paid for Chiriches too. Caulker will get stronger and could have become another Daws (or even King) for us. I like Chiriches, and he’s a fluid player who’ll do a job, but he will never become a dominant centre back. The Kaboul saga has been a tragic situation, as the man could have been a real giant in our defense over the past 2 or 3 years. Why are we so unlucky with potentially ‘great’ central defenders such as King and Kaboul? OK, so accepting that we now have only Verts (a potential Danny Blanchflower if he stays loyal) Daws and Chiriches (particularly with Daws starting to slide a bit) we need another centre back ..and a left back (again silly letting BAE go out on loan). All this, however, has disguised the fact that what’s really been missing this season is another ‘playmaker’ to take the pressure off Eriksen and the team generally. Oh, and one more good forward to push Ade and Soldado to their limits. For defensive and central midfield we have the greatest options in the PL, so no more of them please!
4 defensive new singing this season M.RICHRADS / CONTRAO / boeteng / CACERES
4 defensive new singing this season M.RICHRADS / CONTRAO / boeteng / CACERES to replace BAE / KABOUL / VERTOGHEN / NAUGHTON