Tottenham can land dream Ange Postecoglou defender by signing Atalanta ace Giorgio Scalvini
If there is one thing that Ange Postecoglou has proven during his time at Tottenham so far, it is that he deserves the trust and backing of the club’s board.
During his short time in north London, the Australian has already got Spurs playing some of the finest football that they have produced in many years – certainly since before the days of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
What is most impressive is that he has Tottenham playing this football with a squad made up largely of players who weren’t Postecoglou’s signings.
In the 4-1 win against Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday 10 December, just two of the 11 players that started the match were brought to the club by Postecoglou.
With this in mind, it is quite incredible to imagine what the former Celtic manager could produce at Hotspur Way after he has a few transfer windows under his belt, and for him to continue this wonderful progress, the club must go out and sign players that suit his progressive style of play.
This means defenders who are capable on the ball, quick and confident playing in the middle and final thirds of the pitch. One player who ticks all these boxes is 20-year-old Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini, who has been linked with a move to the club.
As reported in the Sunday Mirror’s print edition (10 December, page 68), Scalvini is a player of interest for the north London outfit.
It goes without saying that a central defender should be a priority for Tottenham during January, with Ben Davies and Eric Dier both just not at the level required to thrive in Postecoglou’s set-up in the long term.
This leaves the club with just Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as their only senior central defenders. Scalvini could therefore be the answer to the club’s lack of depth, and someone who could slot in seamlessly to Postecoglou’s team.
As per fbref, the numbers suggest that Scalvini is strong both in possession as well as defensively. When it comes to keeping Serie A attackers out, the Atalanta man ranks in the top one per cent of his positional peers in Italy this season for the number of interceptions he has made (2.58 per 90), the top four per cent for the number of passes he has blocked (1.25 per 90) and the top seven per cent in regard to the number of blocks he has made (2.09 per 90).
He is also in the top ten per cent for the number of tackles he has both attempted (2.49 per 90) and won (1.50 per 90), but it is his ability on the ball which would really please Postecoglou.
Most impressively, he ranks in the top two per cent of Serie A defenders so far this season for his number of successful take-ons (0.58 per 90), demonstrating his confidence on the ball.
Postecoglou’s defenders will often find themselves further up the pitch as the manager opts to operate with a high line. Scalvini’s position in the top ten per cent of defenders in Italy’s top flight this season for the number of touches he has made in the attacking penalty area (1.33 per 90), as well as his place in the top four per cent for the number of carries he has made into the penalty area (0.17 per 90) suggest he is certainly a player comfortable playing in this way.
At the age of just 20, he is already a regular for Atalanta and has seven senior appearances for the Itallian national team under his belt, and could continue his development as a promising ball-playing centre-back under the guidance of Postecoglou at Tottenham.
In other Tottenham news, one of the club’s women’s stars will want to forget her shocking performance after the team was routed on Sunday 10 December.