Wednesday 29 May 2013

Tottenham are already planning for next season. And David Villa seems to be the man at the top of Andre Vilas-Boas’ wishlist.
The Spanish star has just one year left on his contract at Barcelona, with the 31-year-old striker looking for a fresh challenge after a frustrating last few seasons at Barcelona.
A bad leg break and loss of form have hampered Villa’s appearances since the 2011-12 season, but he would be a steal at $15-18 million, as is rumored to be the price tag around his neck.
But do Spurs really need a striker? Oh yes.
For most of last season Gareth Bale was their one and only option for goals. He managed 21 in the league from a deep-lying position on the wing or in midfield.
Think how well Spurs could’ve done if they had a 15-20 goal striker to add to Bale’s dominance? That is scary. Only Everton from the EPL’s top seven scored less than Spurs’ 66 goals last season.
AVB knows he’s not too far away from building a side that can compete with the top two. Spurs just need an extra spark up front if they’re going to get to that next level.
Can Villa provide that? Perhaps. He is a quality finisher, has won just about every trophy in the land and a change of scenery and new challenge could be the making of him. Here is a little visual reminder of what the former Valencia star can do. Enjoy.
If you look at Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor this season, Tottenham’s two main strikers, they scored 16 league goals between them. If you are challenging for a top four spot, you should be expecting 16 goals from each of your main strikers.
That proved to be the difference for Spurs as they narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification to North London rivals Arsenal on the final day of the season.
Sorry for the painful reminder, Spurs fans.
So Villa could be the answer. If not, AVB knows he needs to strengthen going forward. But with Clint Dempsey injured for vast swathes of the 2012-13 season, maybe he can provide the answer to boost Tottenham’s goalscoring prowess?
Just throwing that out there. Regardless, it would be great to see Villa suit up in the EPL.