With their Uruguayan midfielder having suffered a fresh setback, a new midfielder is imperative.
Tottenham Hotspur was enduring a solid if unspectacular season under Antonio Conte, trundling along, seemingly set to battle until the end for a Champions League spot.
However, entering their final three Premier League games of the campaign, it seems like the Lilywhites will comfortably miss out on Europe’s elite competition next term, and are without a permanent manager in the dugout.
Whilst their collapse cannot be blamed on one sole moment, the injury to Rodrigo Bentancur did seem to mark the beginning of the end for their polarising Italian coach.
Losing 4-1 to Leicester City whilst their star midfielder was later forced to undergo ACL surgery, in the weeks following they would be knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan, the FA Cup by Championship Sheffield United, and drop vital points against Southampton.
It was the latter that culminated in that infamous post-match rant that saw the 53-year-old sacked and the season seemingly abandoned.
Whoever is selected as their next head coach is therefore set to be without the 25-year-old midfielder for the foreseeable future, with The Athletic slapping a devastating return date of around November earlier this week.
With something of a crisis in central midfield, Daniel Levy must ease these woes and offer an extra incentive for their new leader by purchasing a new maestro ahead of time.
Although Liverpool might well be the frontrunner, Alexis Mac Allister remains up for grabs and in Spurs’ sights.
Should Spurs sign Alexis Mac Allister?
Having initially moved to Brighton and Hove Albion as a number ten, the World Cup winner has since proved his ability to star in deeper roles, dictating the play from wherever he is needed.
His acquisition, which would cost around £60m, could make up for Bentancur’s absence until Christmas, with which he could then be deployed further forward upon that proposed November return.
This campaign has proven his unparalleled ability to excel all across the engine room, as the 24-year-old has maintained a 7.24 rating upheld by his nine goals, 1.2 key passes, and 2.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
Having been branded “magic” by journalist Federico Gullo, the £50k-per-week superstar has proven this on numerous occasions in what has comfortably been his standout year in the Premier League.
However, it was his role in Argentina’s success over the winter period that has truly captured worldwide attention, with reporter Roy Nemer lauding him as: “An unsung hero of that Argentina midfield.
To compare his efforts with pre-injury Bentancur, who also maintained a 7.21 rating alongside five goals and 2.5 tackles per game, the two do share striking similarities, their physical divergence aside.
Should Levy swoop for Mac Allister this summer, it could for once provide some forethought from a Lilywhites outfit that has been profligate in the market in recent years; to plan not just for the current absence of a star man, but for a future in which a number ten might be needed too.
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