Spurs Striker Targets Series - 4

In the fourth of a series of posts we take a look at some of the targets Tottenham have been recently evaluation as we seek a replacement to add goals to our front line. Any purchases depend upon player sales and being able to clear a non-home grown player slot in the squad, as we have no places available at the moment.

We are watching another Argentine striker, Ezequiel Ponce. He plies his trade for top Argentinian side and former club of Mauricio Pochettino, Newell's Old Boys. We were trying to sign him in the summer and he remains very much one we are interested in. He has a muscular physique and has been referred to as a tank as well as a wonderkid, given that he is only 17-years-old.


There are third party ownership issues and his price is rising all the time, it is believed they wanted £5 million for him in the summer after he had just broken into the first team plus a 50% sell on clause. West Ham were linked with him, Manchester United apparently offered £6 million and turned down while Roma have tried to sign him since 2013.

Club		Apps
	Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys	22	4	2

I wrote in the summer that we needed to be sourcing some young South American talent, particularly strikers, that were cheap and could potentially go on to be world class. Currently Italy, Spain and Portugal are their major European destinations as they all allow third part contracts as well, the Premier League doesn't. That does make negotiating a deal for a player cheaply difficult as third party owners are then missing out on a potential windfall later.

Gabriel Batistuta, Américo Gallego, Jorge Valdano, Gabriel Heinze, Roberto Sensini, Mauricio Pocchettino and Maxi Rodríguez all played at World Cups having come through the youth system at a club renown for producing young talent.

Ezeqiuel “El Tanque” Ponce is a goal machine at youth level and is expected to follow in their footsteps.  He is regarded as one of the most promising and exciting footballers to emerge from Argentinian in the last few years. He became the youngest player ever to play for Newells's Old Boys when promoted to the first team when only 16 and the youngest ever to score in the league when netting against Racing Club.

Many regard him as the best young player in South America, not just Argentina and it's expected he will become a superstar. He has the ability, thanks to his physique, to hold the ball and play like an old school English centre-foward. He is very brave and likes to be on the ball as much as he can suggesting the Premier League would suit him.

Ponce is big, strong and technical. His ambitious and never seems nervous. He has great tactical awareness and off the ball movement for one so young and inexperienced. He´s shown ability to hold up the play and play one-twos within the Newell's style, which is possession based football.

He is not by any means the finished article but has all the attributes to become special. Ponce is just the type of player we need to be taking a chance in buying and loaning back to continue his development.

Previous Articles
Spurs to bid for a right back
The key to Spurs success
Fixed v Growth - All parents should read this - Stanford University research & Tottenham players
Video Highlights - Forward runners make the difference for Spurs
A Sugar Daddy owner

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