Tottenham Hotspur Emerge As Potential Suitors For Serie A Star: How Does He Fit In At Spurs? | OneFootball

According to Corriere Dello Sport, as cited by Lazio News 24, Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs interested in the services of Manuel Lazzari. The Lazio wingback apparently has no future at the club and could be on the verge of leaving Rome in the upcoming January transfer window. It has put Spurs on red alert, although the Premier League giants are facing stiff competition from Bologna.

Who Is Manuel Lazzari?

A product of the Vicenza youth academy, Manuel Lazzari is a wide midfielder by trade but primarily fares as a wingback. He is quite versatile, as he can cover the entire right flank, often using his creativity and crossing prowess to create chances out wide.

The 28-year-old initially made his professional breakthrough at SPAL. He notably played a key role behind his club’s promotion-winning 2016/17 campaign, bagging seven assists in 39 Serie B matches.

Lazzari continued his performances in the Serie A, including the nine assists in the 2018/19 campaign that earned him a €15 million move to Lazio in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately, the investment has proven to be a futile one for the Italian giants. Although the wingback has featured in almost 100 competitive matches for Lazio, he has struggled to fulfil his potential. It has led to him falling behind Elseid Hysaj and Adam Marusic in the pecking order, with the Italian mustering only 684 minutes of league action this term.

ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 15: Manuel Lazzari of SS Lazio looks on during the SS Lazio training session at Formello sport centre on September 15, 2021 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

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How Does He Fit Into Tottenham Hotspur?

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Manuel Lazzari is quite an intriguing one given the fact that the club has no shortage of options in the wingback department, especially after bringing in Emerson Royal in the summer transfer window.

However, it appears head coach Antonio Conte is preparing to filter out his team in January, with Matt Doherty, in particular, likely to be offloaded. The Irishman has not been able to live up to the expectations, falling behind Emerson and Japhet Tanganga in the pecking order.

Doherty’s potential departure from Tottenham should pave the way for Conte to bring in Lazzari. With almost 150 Serie A matches to his name, the 28-year-old offers considerable experience at the highest level of football, and the ability to create chances from wider areas could be useful given Spurs’ style of play.

Perhaps more importantly, Lazzari can offer a great deal of depth to Conte due to his versatility. The Italian can indeed compete with Emerson for the right wing-back slot, while also providing backup for Lucas Moura in a more offensive position. His ability to play on the opposite flank should open up even more tactical possibilities for Tottenham, thus making him a sensible investment for the Lilywhites.