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da prosport bet： One of Tottenham’s reported transfer targets, Carlos Soler, was in north London on Thursday night to face Arsenal in the semi-final of the Europa League.
What’s the word?
According to a report published by ESPN in January earlier this year, Tottenham are plotting a £30 million summer bid for Valencia’s Carlos Soler.
The 22-year-old playmaker is reportedly high on Mauricio Pochettino’s watch list as the club aim to sign young players who are stacked with potential.
And, with Soler named in Valencia’s starting XI to face the Gunners on Thursday evening, it was a perfect opportunity for the Spurs hierarchy to take a closer look at their reported target.
A terrible audition
The Spanish visitors played with a slick verve that we have come to expect from La Liga clubs.
Soler rather epitomised the fluidity of the side, oscillating from right to left as the first half progressed, searching for pockets of space from which to prise Arsenal apart.
But his efforts were made in vain and, unless he was afforded ample time and space in nonthreatening positions, he was timid and ineffective in possession of the ball.
The Spain under-21 international was relatively neat and tidy, keeping possession with 84.9% of his passes, per Whoscored. However, like most of Valencia’s midfield players, he appeared to lack the intensity required to effectively press the opposition and recover possession, looking a soft touch every time there was a 50-50 to be won.
Signs of 30 million pounds worth of creativity were glaringly absent and it was no surprise to see him withdrawn in the 70th minute following an ineffectual display.
Daniel Levy and Pochettino are unlikely to be abandoning their pursuit based on one performance, but it did showcase a facet of Soler’s game which suggests his style is not tailor-made for the physicality of the Premier League.
Perhaps the only saving grace for Soler is that David Silva looked completely out of his depth when he first arrived at Manchester City.