Will Hughes can complete Jose Mourinho’s midfield overhaul at Tottenham
Jose Mourinho wants to build a rock-solid midfield at Tottenham. Adding Will Hughes this summer could help the Portuguese gaffer do just that.
Will Hughes will never become the superstar he was tipped to develop into during his younger days at Derby. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful cog in Jose Mourinho’s midfield. On the contrary, signing the 25-year-old Englishman could be the perfect finish to Tottenham’s summer makeover in the middle of the pitch.
According to The Mirror, Spurs are weighing up a potential £13 million bid to keep Hughes in the Premier League for another season. Watford’s relegation to the Championship means it’s very likely they’ll be forced to part with the versatile midfielder on a cut-rate deal sometime in the next few weeks.
Tottenham already began to transform their midfield by prying Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg away from Southampton earlier in the summer. He gives Mourinho a steady presence he can rely on to shield the back four and shuttle the ball forward against all levels of opposition next season. Spurs still lack a true defensive midfielder that is willing to put his body on the line to stop attackers from charging towards Hugo Lloris’ goal.
That happens to be just the role Hughes played for the Hornets last season. He was tipped to become a dominant attacking midfielder during his youth, but he’s found a home further back in the formation as his career has progressed. Hughes isn’t the biggest midfielder in the Premier League, but he’s more than willing to commit himself to the sorts of 50/50 challenges required to thrive in England’s top flight.
It’s worth noting that Mourinho’s current tactics don’t require his midfielders to be attacking superstars. Slowly but surely, the veteran manager is working to give his attacking players more and more freedom at Tottenham. In short, the midfield’s job is now to give the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Heung-Min Son the freedom and service required to score the lion’s share of the club’s goals.
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Signing Hughes isn’t going to suddenly transform Tottenham into title contenders, but it can be a significant step in the right direction for a side that’s lacked steel in their midfield over the past 12 months. That’s why inking Hughes would be such a shrewd purchase for Spurs.