Holtby could come to Tottenham early

Christian Crowther assesses the potential impact on Tottenham's squad as reports suggest that Schalke's Lewis Holtby could arrive six months ahead of schedule...

 

Germany international Lewis Holtby agreed last week to join Spurs at the end of the season, though the 22-year-old was due to see out the remainder of his Schalke contract before joining up with Tottenham in the summer.

 

However, the transfer may take an unexpected twist after reports emerged that Schalke would be willing to hasten the move, for a fee of around £1.6 million.

 

Schalke's managing director Horst Heldt is quoted as saying: "If Tottenham ask for Holtby in the January window, we will talk to them about it. Nothing has happened yet, but, from our point of view, we are prepared to speak to them. It would have to be done quickly, because we would have to find a replacement for him."

 

Holtby, who has an English father and German mother, has already received some backlash from Schalke fans, leading to fears from the Bundesliga club that his presence could jeopardise their chances of securing a Champions League place - currently rated at around 2.0.

 

Hotby's signature is quite a coup for Andres Villas-Boas, who has taken the young Germany international from under the noses of a host of other top Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Everton, but most notably north London rivals Arsenal.

 

So, what sort of player are Spurs' fans getting and what implications could it have on a midfield which has already propelled Tottenham into third place in the Premier League?

 

Holtby caught the eye as a young central midfielder plying his trade in the German second division before being snapped up by Schalke, where he was subsequently loaned out to Mainz, helping them achieve a fifth-place finish in the German top-flight in 2010/11.

 

Since he turned professional, Holtby has represented Germany at U16 level through to U21, where he is currently the skipper, as well as earning himself three senior caps. He's highly regarded in Germany as a creative force and someone who can both assist and score goals from central positions.

 

At present, it's difficult to see the youngster walking straight into the central positions at Spurs currently occupied by Mousa Dembele and Sandro, though others such as Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker and Gylfi Sigurdsson may find themselves slipping down the pecking order.

 

Possibly the one element their enviable midfield has been missing since Luka Modric left for the Bernabeu is that creative flair in the centre, and in Holtby they look set to be getting exactly the sort of player who can unlock defences.

 

Tottenham's 2.14-rated chances of reaching the top four could well be set for an unexpected New Year boost.

 

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