Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a free transfer deal for Super Eagles-eligible defender Gabriel Osho this summer.
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is believed to be an admirer of the Nigerian and would want him in his setup next season as he seeks to rebuild the club.
Postecoglou's team started the 2023/24 season with great gusto, delighting Premier League enthusiasts with their exciting style of play and earning recognition as contenders for the title.
Unfortunately, they were unable to sustain their form, resulting in losses that greatly disappointed the fans.
The Lillywhites are currently fifth on the Premier League table, having amassed 60 points in 32 games.
They trail the joint league leaders, Arsenal and Liverpool, by 14 points. However, it's worth noting that both Arsenal and Liverpool have played one more game.
Postecoglou is currently scouring the transfer market for talents to bolster the depth of his squad ahead of the next football season. He views Osho as a key component of Tottenham's future as reported by express.co.uk
Defenders Van de Ven and Radu Dragusin were acquired in the last two transfer windows for a total expenditure close to £70 million.
However, out of the centre-back options, only the newcomers and Cristian Romero remain available for Postecoglou. Occasionally, Ben Davies has stepped in from the left-back position to cover.
Osho has made a strong impression during his first season in the Premier League, drawing attention from numerous top-tier teams, some of which are competing for Champions League qualification alongside Spurs.
Aston Villa and Fulham are also believed to be interested in the 25-year-old. Osho's contract with the Hatters runs out at the end of the season.
Osho, a key cog in the Luton setup
In the ongoing Premier League campaign, the 25-year-old has made 17 appearances and has scored two goals. The goals were against Arsenal and Newcastle United. He is a very important figure at the Kenilworth Road.
His absence from the pitch noticeably exposes vulnerabilities in the Luton defence, with the team often struggling to maintain solidity and organisation without him.
There's a palpable difference in the team's performance when Osho is not on the field, corroborating his importance as a defensive anchor and a stabilising force.
His absence at the beginning of the season could partly explain Luton's struggles in the league.
Without his defensive prowess and leadership, the team may have lacked the necessary cohesion and resilience to navigate through challenging fixtures effectively.
Although his return to the squad provided a much-needed boost, it unfortunately came too late to turn the tide, as Luton find themselves in a relegation battle.
The Hatters are currently in 18th place on the table with 33 points accumulated from 34 games. Retaining their Premiership status would require a miraculous effort of epic proportions.
Why the Super Eagles-eligible defender will be a blessing to Tottenham
Few things are as comforting to a manager as casting an eye on the bench and seeing a player blessed with enormous potential and ability, a one-size-fits-all utility player willing and able to adapt to the game in a just about any position without so much as a shrug.
With tactical flexibility in mind, players that can operate in a number of different positions are without any equivocation, a manager’s dream.
Injuries and suspensions also play their part, with teams always being found short in certain areas during the course of a season. There is a rarity of such players in the English elite division and Osho is one of the few around.
Primarily a centre-back, he is able to play as a right-back and also as a defensive midfielder when needed.
It seems seems impossible to say for sure which area of the pitch Osho performs best in. This is by no means a criticism, but rather testament to the exceptional performances by the Luton Town man this season.
His passing abilities and intelligence in reading the game so well has helped him become an accomplished footballer.
More often than not, being unsure of a player’s best position is a huge concern for a manager. Fortunately for Postecoglou, he can sleep easy at night knowing that he possesses a player who will perform effectively regardless of where he is deployed on the pitch.
The Spurs backilne has recently been hit by injuries to Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, the latter out for the remainder of the campaign.
If they manage to land Osho, he will be able to fill the void left by any defender in the Tottenham setup with effortless ease.
In all honesty, Osho's contributions both going forward and defensively this season have been so good, it’s largely irrelevant where he starts a game.
He is physically strong, pacey and extremely good in the air, but also possesses technical skills on the ground.
