Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up an interesting summer transfer swoop…
What’s the word?
According to the Sunday Mirror (28/03, page 75), Spurs are interested in signing 17-year-old Vejle wonderkid Wahid Faghir and have entered the race to secure him alongside Leicester City, who have had a seven-figure bid rejected.
It is also claimed that the 6 foot 1 striker is keen on moving abroad next season and dreams of one day playing for La Liga giants Real Madrid.
Despite only being 17, Faghir has represented Denmark at every age group up to, and including, the U21s, where he has become the youngest-ever player to feature for them in a European U21 Championship, so he’s clearly already making a name for himself.
Should Spurs sign Faghir?
Yes, one for the future!
No way, don’t need him!
Mourinho’s new Zlatan?
What makes Spurs’ interest all that more interesting is Jose Mourinho.
Faghir has widely been regarded as “the next Zlatan” Ibrahimovic, as explained by The Athletic just last week. He has bagged five goals in just 20 starts for the mid-table Danish outfit this season, and has proven to be comfortable on the ball like his Scandinavian counterpart.
Whilst he’s not as tall as the 6 foot 5 Swede, he does ‘operate well in tight areas’ and has a dribble volume rating of 84 out of 99, which shows he’s not afraid to travel with the ball despite playing at a senior level at his age.
It’s no wonder the ‘Special One’ appears keen on landing such an impressive talent, considering he managed Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan and then Manchester United, where he won the Europa League.
UEFA named Faghir in their top 50 to watch in 2021, where they went onto describe him as ‘physically well-developed and finishes with power and quality.’
Similarly, Vejle talent manager Steen Tychosen echoed the link to Ibrahimovic, he told the club’s official website: “Wahid has many strengths and then he has a huge belief in his own abilities. There is a bit of “Zlatan” about him, because he performs with an indomitable self-confidence for training and fighting.”
Again, further characteristics that make him fit for such a huge tag at just 17.
Reports in Denmark (via the Leicester Mercury) claim he could be available for just €3m (£2.5m), which would be a pretty cheap investment with high potential, especially when you consider that Spurs splashed £25m on Ryan Sessegnon and £10m on Jack Clarke, neither of whom have broke into the senior set-up yet.
In addition to those claims, Danish journalist Nis Peder Kolby believes Faghir is an “amazing player.”
Whilst this move would certainly be one that has the future in mind, Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy should pay up to land the 17-year-old prodigy. If he’s truly anything like Ibrahimovic, then there won’t be a better manager than Mourinho to unearth that potential.
£2.5m is a mere snip in this day and age.
AND in other news, Teenage Spurs prodigy could become their next Michael Carrick…