Italian report links Spurs with AC Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana

Since people can’t quite figure me out, they don’t put me in any particular category of players. Someone made a compilation of me this summer. When he was done, he said: “You’re actually a really good player.” (Laughs.) You see? You have to sit down for ninety minutes and try to analyze, to understand, why I did this or attempted that. And at the end, you make your judgment. I like to take risks. Which no longer exists in today’s football, where everyone plays it safe. People will tell me: “Your pass completion rate isn’t at the level of the great midfielders.” OK, but I have one argument: I take more risks. I’ve missed. Does that mean that technically, I’m weaker than them? I don’t know.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

**Do you want creative football?**

But that’s exactly why I started playing football! I don’t like sitting in front of my TV saying: wow, he’s really good, and then when I’m on the pitch, not trying to do the same. I’m genuinely tired of hearing: “OK, he’s too good, he does this and that.” Then do it! We have the incredible privilege of being out there. Let’s try! I’m not saying you should attempt impossible things. But I don’t want to say: I’m not going to try because I’m afraid of failing. So there’s SOME evidence that Fofana is a much different player who has had his creativity and passing neutered somewhat by Max Allegri’s tactics. That makes me feel a little better about being linked to a 26-year-old French central midfielder who seemingly can’t pass. Now, we don’t really know WHY Spurs and Johan Lange are targeting him, and seeing as how I don’t fully trust to sign midfielders since he seemingly believe passing isn’t real, but if they’re looking at Fofana as a creative player akin to his Monaco days and not a destroyer a la Allegri, then this makes more sense. Now, Fofana’s actually been a pretty decent destroyer for Milan which would hypothetically make him a potential replacement for Joao Palhinha (if Spurs don’t buy him outright this summer) or Rodrigo Bentancur so I can’t rule out Spurs buying him for the entirely wrong reasons. And the thing he’s most known for — naturally — is winning duels in the center of the pitch, both as an 8 and as a 6. Naturally, none of this matters unless Spurs stay in the Premier League, but on the whole I’m a little more intrigued than I was when I first started researching. Youssof Fofana wouldn’t be the plus creative passer that we’ve been missing, but I think he’s a better all-around midfielder than he’s shown this season at Milan. He’s no Hayden Hackney, but hopefully that’s a different signing. For €25m (or less), he’s probably worth considering.