under management Angie Postkoglu, tottenham hotspur There is no doubt that they have become one of the most entertaining teams in European football.

The Australian’s philosophy and approach ensured Spurs scored plenty of goals, both at home and away.

However, to get the most out of this style of football, teams need a ground-covering monster in the middle of the pitch, someone ready to tackle and then advance the ball up the pitch quickly, like Chelsea’s players Moises Caicedo.

Fortunately, while they have been unable to sign the Ecuadorian, the club have recently been linked with another exciting defensive midfielder to whom he has been compared.

Tottenham chase midfield monster

according to a Recent report “Caught Offside”Tottenham Hotspur are one of several teams interested in signing Palmeiras star Richard Rios this month.

Indeed, the report reveals that the north Londoners have seen offers rejected by the Brazilian side but are still keen to bring him to the N17, with the likes of Nottingham Forest and Everton also pushing for the Colombia international.

The report revealed that the 24-year-old midfielder currently has a €100 million release clause in his contract, but is more likely to accept a lower offer in the end.

It could be an expensive and complicated move to complete this month, but given Rios’ ability it’s worth pursuing, especially when he is compared to the talented Caicedo.

How does Rios compare to Caicedo

So, Tottenham fans may not like him too much – he is a Chelsea star after all – but Rios is a primarily defensive midfielder and the comparison to Caicedo is a very encouraging sign, but Where does this comparison come from?

Well, it Mainly derived from FBrefcompared players in similar positions at last year’s Copa America and then listed the ten most comparable players for each player, concluding in this case that the Ecuadorian is the most similar to the Colombian in this tournament midfielder.

We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the two rank closely, including but not limited to progressive passes received, non-penalty expected goals, passing accuracy, passes to Zones, blocks, aerial duels won and more, all 90.

However, it’s not just comparisons with the Blues midfield general that make the Begazi-born star so attractive, as his underlying numbers over the past 365 days have also been outstanding.

For example, FBref places “ball dribbler”, Voiced by analyst Ben MattinsonOver the next 14 games, the top 2% of midfielders ranked in the top 7% for offensive zone tackles, the top 7% for dribbling challenges and reception attempts, the top 8% for total shots on goal, and the top 7% for dribbling challenges and reception attempts. Ranked in the top 10% in pass blocking, and in the top 11% in goals and assists (all based on 90 points).

Among other things, Martinson describes Dynamic Ace as “Pressure resistant” monsters vs. “The engine that allows him to move up and down the court the entire game,” which makes him sound like the perfect addition to Postkoglu’s all-around lineup.

Ultimately, signing players outside of Europe is risky, but Rios looks like the real deal and compared to a star like Caicedo, Spurs should make sure to sign him before someone else signs him first.

Relevant

Real Madrid want him: Spurs repeat Bale’s mistake with ‘next £100m’ ace

Spurs are unable to sell this incredible talent this month.