Spurs to miss out on top transfer target courtesy of PSG’s riches
Published:Andre Villas Boas is to miss out on long-term target Joao Moutinho once more, as Paris Saint-Germain are set to push the boundaries of financial extravagance once again and drop a trove of cash at Porto’s door.
PSG are a massive 20/1 to win the Champions League despite having some of Europe’s top talents at their disposal and Moutinho would fit right in with that bunch.
His move to Spurs collapsed on transfer deadline day after a £22m fee was agreed with Porto, yet the astronomical wage demands of the Portuguese playmaker saw them call the deal off.
The mega-rich Paris club, on the other hand, would have no such issues coughing up the £150,000-a-week Moutinho would reportedly command.
His exploits for the Portuguese national team have often been overshadowed by media-darling Cristiano Ronaldo, yet his performances in central midfield have been key as to why his country have done so well in recent tournaments, despite the mediocre team they possess.
At club level, he’s created 42 goals in 355 appearances for Porto and Sporting Lisbon, but it’s his ability to dictate play in the middle of the park that makes him an invaluable asset, where he orchestrates almost all his sides’ attacking moves.
Spurs were expected to refresh their interest in January, yet their incapability to match PSG fiscally, means they will have to persist with Moussa Dembele’s contrasting approach to midfield creativity. Not that this is a bad thing, but AVB prefers a player in the Moutinho mould, hence his attempts to sign him, and Modric before that during his Chelsea tenure.
The Belgian has the ability to produce in this position, but his game is not so much about pulling strings and moving the ball around as it is driving into the opposition’s box.
At the Parc des Princes, Moutinho would slot in alongside Blaise Matuidi, tasked with getting the ball to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the team’s main creative force, in a similar role to where he prospers in a Portugal shirt.
This will result in more goals for Ibra and PSG edging closer to the European domination which their investors are targeting.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
