As per the official club website, Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama has agreed to sign with Tottenham Hotspur. The transfer fee will come to around £11 million pounds, securing his contract from Southampton. This contracts him until 2021.
Victor Wanyama Signs With Tottenham
Mauricio Pochettino is reuniting with one of his old Southampton players, for good reason. Wanyama is physically dominant, making him an ideal ball winner in midfield. He will add extra protection for the defence with his good tackling ability. After being sent off three times for Southampton however, his discipline has been brought into question as he missed eight games for Southampton in 2015-16. Ex-boss Ronald Koeman commented on this last season: ” I like aggressive players and physical players,” said Koeman. These red cards may not not be such a negative if it mirrors a coaches philosophy. Wanyama has fitted into Pochettino’s system before, and will undoubtedly fit in well again. Furthermore, he will be providing good cover or an alternative for Eric Dier. Spurs aren’t lacking quality at centre-back, but like Dier, Wanyama is able to be deployed as a makeshift centre-back if needed. This signing increases squad depth further and guards against injury.
Since 2007, he has made 42 appearances for the Kenyan national team, scoring four goals. Whilst he is not known as a prolific goal scorer for country or club, he wields a powerful shot. He made his debut at the age of 15, against Nigeria illustrating his physicality and maturity early on. By building on this, he has become a powerful midfielder who is composed on the ball under pressure.
This move will really benefit Spurs’ Champions League campaign next season, both in terms of quality and squad depth. Wanyama is a strong squad player, with proven ability of playing in the English Premier League. He also has Champions League experience from his time with Celtic.
Main Photo via Getty Images Sport.
