Alderweireld no, Suarez maybe

Everyone seems to have gone overboard about Toby Alderweireld and there have been conflicting stories going round.



There are some things people can reveal and some things people can't reveal, not everything is for public consumption. In such instances if something that shouldn't get out does get out, then a second line is spun that contradicts the first. This may well be the case with Alderweireld.

Stories abound of Levy flying to Madrid to sign the Belgian centre-back but as I pointed out the other day, my reading of what I hear is that Alderweireld has already changed his mind and is going to Southampton, which Spurs will know. That still seems to be the case as he is talking with them.

Mauricio Pochettino badly wants a defensive midfield player, Nabil Bentaleb can not play every game, Etienne Capoue is to be sold and Benjamin Stambouli will remain as the third. We have tried signing several players and for one reason or another they have not joined, there are more attractive opportunities in less competitive leagues.

That all brings us to 28-year-old (29 in February) Mario Suarez and many are saying, who's he, or he's average we don't want him, when in all probability they have never seen him play. Mr. Average, who reportedly interests Real Madrid and Inter Milan, has won a La Liga title in 2013/14 with Atlético Madrid, the same year they were runners-up in the UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid, a Gareth Bale goal giving Real the significant lead.

If a player who gets to a Champions Lague Final isn't good enough for us, who is? Now he didn't actually play in the final, he was on the bench but did play in both legs of the semi-final against Chelsea and the two last 16 round games against AC Milan. He missed 4 games in the tournament through injury, not inability.

Atlético Madrid play a high energy pressing game, sound familiar? They have done so rather effectively and Suarez may be an ideal fit, more so than the designer label name players some only recognise.