{"id":7288,"date":"2017-09-10T06:08:44","date_gmt":"2017-09-10T10:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=7288"},"modified":"2017-09-10T12:41:57","modified_gmt":"2017-09-10T16:41:57","slug":"is-giuseppe-rossi-the-short-term-answer-to-tottenhams-lack-of-depth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2017\/09\/10\/is-giuseppe-rossi-the-short-term-answer-to-tottenhams-lack-of-depth\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Giuseppe Rossi the Short-Term Answer to Tottenham’s Lack of Depth?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following Tottenham<\/a>‘s failed pursuit of Ross Barkley and Andre Gomes over the summer, and\u00a0the continued confusion over Erik Lamela’s return date,\u00a0Mauricio Pochettino’s side\u00a0appear to be short of attacking options for the new season. 30-year-old former\u00a0Italian international\u00a0Giuseppe\u00a0Rossi could be the solution to this problem.<\/p>\n

Is Giuseppe Rossi the Short-Term Answer to Tottenham’s Lack of Depth?<\/h1>\n

Any deal for the Italian free agent\u00a0will likely be concluded in early October. He has only arrived in London recently and is\u00a0reportedly talking to several clubs in England and abroad.<\/p>\n

Rossi: a Short-Term fix?<\/h2>\n

Any deal for Rossi will likely be a 2-3 month long contract\u00a0that will help him to\u00a0be\u00a0fit and ready for the upcoming MLS season. Any move he makes would likely be an attempt to have numerous MLS teams interested in him. If he joins, it will likely be up until the January transfer window when the club hopes to complete a deal for Ross Barkley or another midfielder.<\/p>\n

He would likely provide\u00a0cover as an attacking midfielder, but\u00a0given the fact he has played the majority of his career as a forward, it can be\u00a0expected that\u00a0he will be able to fill in there if and when required to do so.<\/p>\n

Change in Policy<\/h3>\n

The signing of\u00a0Rossi would provide further evidence of Spurs and Pochettino no longer adhering to their strict 25 years old and under\u00a0transfer policy. This\u00a0policy has shown signs\u00a0of valuing\u00a0potential sell-on value over guaranteed success. In the past, many have cited a lack of experience\u00a0as one of\u00a0the reasons behind the squad’s “bottling” reputation.<\/p>\n

The potential transfer of Rossi, coupled with the deal for 32-year-old Fernando Llorente which was completed over the summer, seems to suggest Pochettino is addressing the problem and this change in stance will be welcomed by a lot of Tottenham supporters.<\/p>\n

Play it Safe or one Last Crack at Glory?<\/h2>\n

As well as Spurs, it has also been claimed that London rivals West Ham United are interested in acquiring the Italian. Despite their rivalry, however, there is a massive gulf in quality on the pitch, and Rossi will take this into account when choosing his last shot at the big time; guaranteed games or a chance to fulfil his potential?<\/p>\n

At West Ham, he would likely earn as well as feature more. Also, he will likely\u00a0have the option of adding more months onto the deal if he wants. At\u00a0Tottenham, it is likely that he\u00a0will not\u00a0be viewed as anything more than a back-up option, unless someone picks up injured. In that case, he would have an opportunity to prove himself at a much stronger club. If he\u00a0were to take it, there is a possibility that\u00a0he would\u00a0be fortunate enough to receive a long-term deal at the club.<\/p>\n

The American Dream<\/h2>\n

The very best scenario for Rossi would be that\u00a0gets a better contract at Tottenham\u00a0and goes from one last MLS paycheck to playing Champions League football for one of England’s elite.<\/p>\n

Having grown up in New Jersey, it is likely he grew up with tales of the American Dream and will welcome the challenge of trying to revive his career at\u00a0Spurs. This may sway his decision in Tottenham’s favour.<\/p>\n

Win-win situation<\/h2>\n

Should Giuseppe Rossi come to Tottenham, the worst case scenario is that he doesn’t play but trains for three months with England’s best. Then he’s ready for the start of the MLS season.<\/p>\n

From a Spurs perspective, the best-case scenario\u00a0is that\u00a0he scores a few\u00a0goals and allows them the opportunity to rest key\u00a0players in cup games and against the less prestigious Premier League sides. The worst-case\u00a0scenario is that\u00a0the injury problems that have blighted his entire career continue and Tottenham have\u00a0a former Italian international around the training pitch to give tips and advice to\u00a0a youthful Tottenham squad.<\/p>\n

Rossi could very well prove himself to be\u00a0the short term answer to Tottenham’s lack of depth. He is a risk-free investment with\u00a0no\u00a0financial loss except for a few months’ wages.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>