Tottenham name two midfield targets as Andre Villas-Boas starts to shape squad - statistics

Tottenham have identify a midfield double to solidify the spine of the team in order to secure a Champions League place next season. The Mirror are reporting that Spurs are ready to go to war with Borussia Dortmund for 20-year-old Brazil international Bernard, and are also looking to strike a deal with Fulham for young winger Alex Kacaniklic.

The Sweden international has spent time at both Watford and Burnley before making 20 appearances in the Premier League for the Cottages and scored four goals. He created 13 chances for his colleagues and accumulated a shot accuracy of 61%. The deal to smuggle him across London is thought to be a straight cash deal although Fulham are said to want midfield powerhouse Tom Huddlestone as part of the exchange.

Bernard may be a little less known to fans of the White Hart Lane outfit. The 5ft4 attacking midfielder currently plies his trade in the Brazilian topflight with Atletico Mineiro but is heavily expected to make the switch into Europe this summer.

With Mario Gotze swapping Dortmund for Bundesliga rivals and treble winners Bayern Munich the Black and Yellows are in need of a replacement and it is thought that Jurgen Klopp has his beady eye on the wee player.

Will AVB get his men?

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Comments

[Rob]

Spurs have to make sure they do everything they can to NOT buy Alex Kacaniklic. He doesn't offer us anything special, and based on the history of Spurs transfers from Fulham, the player will be rubbish like Dempsey, or just mediocre like Dempsey. FYI Spurs fans, Tottenham have had greater success scoring/winning WITHOUT Dempsey in the team, then we have with him in the team. Could he pass backwards any more please....

Kacaniklic's goals have all come off the back of great vision and passes from his team mates. Nothing that he creates himself. He isn't special enough to join the mighty tottenham.

[KING]

Kacaniklic isn't bad, he is 21 and is very good player, who could become a TOP PLAYER. But we have 20 year old Alex Pritchard and he has to get a chance is the 1st Team, and also have Townsend who could play in that position. So don't need Left Winger (Bernard and Kacaniklic) right now.

Instead must splash all the cash to buy Marco Reus. He is similar player to Bale. Can you imagine what would Tottenham be like if we had 2 of Bale???

[aran]

first comment, another ignorant anti dempsey ranter. I have concluded the people who appreciate dempseys hard work & important goals are people who have actually played football, intelligent football fans. the people who hate dempsey seem to have no knowledge and just dislike dempsey for being dempsey. if you want to poke at tottenham players there is one man who deserves your critisism...adebayor. had he played with 1/4 of dempseys passion we would be in the CL next season. now piss off and go support chelski next year Rob.

[aran]

king, another one, do you realise fifa and pes are computer games? sign reus, lol, lets sign ronaldo, messi and while we're at it why not offer modric twice as much to come home? we are currently off loading gallas, bentley and 4 others just to pay for Bale's new contract, Levy will see Bale re-signing as his big signing this summer and rightly so. Our priorities are up front, we have Holtby (currently a kid great on a BMX but not yet ready for the Tour de France). Siggie, Bale & Dempsey have got by their first seasons and next year will improve. Sandro will be back, midfield is sorted. WE NEED TO REPLACE ADEBAYOR WITH ONE EXPERIENCED GOAL SCORER (VILLA) AND ONE RED HOT YOUNG LAD (BENTEKE). Now please, keep Reus to your computer games...its just not realistic

[aran]

i meant siggie, dempsey and Dembele (not Bale - cant get the welsh wonder out of me head)

[ShevYiddo]

Aran I agree with most of what you've said but I don't think we'll get either Benteke OR Villa.Although not having Champions League football might not deter some players it will Villa for sure and Benteke is already flirting with Arsenal and Villa want way too much for him anyway.I think we can still get Damiao although I'm getting sick of even saying his bloody name to be honest! I hear we're in for Mario Gomez but again he will want CL football.Bernard is a good player for the future,one of Brazil's up and comings but even after his ten minutes vs England he said that that appearance was hard and nothing like anything he'd done before in terms of game pace.First thing we need to do is secure Bale for next year and then adding a top striker will be easier.Then once people realise we'll be improving on last year we will be taken seriously by any other targets.Spurs and the lot down the road should try and take advantage of the fact that the 3 other biggest clubs will be working with new managers,although that's nothing new for the chavs.But at the same time I think Liverpoo will improve especially if they keep Suarez.I don't think we necessarily always just leave all our business to last minute coZ we have a choice either.I think we just have to wait and see who hasn't gone to the clubs above us alot of the time.Missing out on 4th is not just about the money.I just hope we don't end up dropping sh1t loads of points in our 1st few games like last year.If we'd won those first 3 games or even just two of them with one draw against Newcastle we would have finished 2nd!!! I am convinced that this is what cost us last season in the end like it does every season.So long as we sort our business out early we will be alright.But we probably won't :(

[Chris M]

Just reading through the comments above, thought I'd add my two pence worth.

1. Agree that Dempsey has a great work ethic, team player who has chipped in with some vital goals last season - shame Adebayor only turned up for the last month and left us at a crucial time of the year.

2. Odd results at beginning of the year did cost but again leaving the sale of VDV and Madric quite late on with Dembele, Sigi also arriving late hardly gives the manager time to get his players together and used to a way of playing.

3. In a good position January / February time, we needed a push or support from the board and the purchase of Lewis Holtby whilst welcome was not enough - out and out goal threat was what was required to take the pressure of Bale and a tiring Defoe.

4. What will DL do this pre-season - will he buy early? doubtful? will our scouting network unearth a Benteke in the making? doubtful. Will our rivals strengthen - absolutely!!

So if we are going to challenge for CL footie next season we need a proven left-back who can go past the half-way line, a right winger to give Lennon something to think about, a central defender to partner Vertonghen and a replacement for Madric (or Dembele must improve 100% on what was a very poor showing last term for me), plus that golden boy striker who has not been replaced since Berbatov was sold to Man Utd! Oh and the small matter of keeping Gareth boyo.

The question is does DL have the energy to carry on (he seems to be carrying everything on his shoulders) or will DL, ENIC and Jo Lewis have the bottle to and honesty to say 'you know we've done a great job (which they have) but this is as far as we can take the cllub it's time to sell to someone who wants to mount a serious challenge for the Prem title and regular CL footie year in year out' - finishing top 4 and 5 the last few years why hasn't the big leap been taken?

[Feenix]

I like Dempsey and seems a good squad player and also I agree that the forward that should leave is Adebayor. I think our main problems lay with Daniel Levy and his reluctance to just go that bit further for the sake of the team. In the last window apparently we were a couple of million short on getting Damiao but he refused to pay it and left us with two strikers that looked burnt out. I know Levy has to balance the books and he has done well for Spurs but since he took over the job of recruiting players I feel we have suffered. Yes he has found a couple of gems in Van Der Vaart and Lloris but his track record is not that good player wise, money wise yes as he is actually in profit over the past five windows by £23 million.

[gog]

If only we could sign Lukaku...it wont happen but he is seriously the type of player we need Benteke would also be great but Aston villa want to keep him and that's fair enough Villa would be a great addition(like Van der Vaart) but it wont happen... not sure the players we need are available really

[gog]

People keep banding this Leandro Damaio around but honestly how good is he at the moment? I know he was on fire three seasons ago but what is happening now, were you impressed last week when we played Brazil?

[truuuuuuuuuue]

he didn't play you muggins

[KEV]

SIIGN BERNARD,VILLA.BENTAKE AND BERBATOV

[MAT]

I THINK WE SHOULD GO ALL OUT FOR ROONEY,VILLA AND BERNARD PLUS A SHOCK SIGNING OF MAULODA