The rumour mill is churning out its usual Brazilian confections this window, but this particular story from north London carries a whiff of genuine in...
The rumour mill is churning out its usual Brazilian confections this window, but this particular story from north London carries a whiff of genuine intent. Tottenham Hotspur, according to sources privy to GoalZaza, are running the rule over Coritiba's Lucas Ronier. The 21 year old winger has posted a tidy return of 17 goals and 9 assists from out wide, and now finds himself on a shortlist that includes several continental heavyweights.The question for Ange Postecoglou is not whether Ronier has the raw attributes. He clearly does. The kid brings pace, a low centre of gravity, and that delicious unpredictability which makes Brazilian wide men so maddening to defend against. He can ghost past a fullback on the outside or cut inside to bend one towards the far post. For a Spurs side that has occasionally looked too predictable in the final third, especially when forced to unpick a low block, Ronier would be a jolt of chaos. He is the sort of player who creates something from nothing.But Tottenham have been burned before by the South American talent factory. The step up from Coritiba to the Premier League is a chasm, not a gap. There is a world of difference between bamboozling defenders in the Brazilian Serie B and doing the same against Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier. You need more than flair. You need tactical flexibility, you need the discipline to track back, and you need the physicality to withstand a full blooded tackle on a wet Wednesday night in Burnley.Is Ronier ready for that Possibly not yet. At 20 years old, he is still developing, still learning the art of intelligent movement and when to release the ball rather than attempting one trick too many. That is where the club's recruitment team earns its corn. If they see a player who can be moulded, loaned out to a European league for adaptation, and then bedded in gradually, then this move makes perfect sense.Spurs desperately need more quality in wide positions. Dejan Kulusevski is excellent but carries a heavy load. Brennan Johnson is still inconsistent. Manor Solomon cannot stay fit. Ronier would not be the finished article, but he could be the spark. The kind of signing that gets the fans off their seats and makes the opposition fullback groan. If Postecoglou trusts the process, and if the price is right, then Tottenham should absolutely get this one over the line. The risk is there, sure. But the reward could be a genuine match winner.
