Is Vicente the answer to Tottenham’s left side prayers? [Video]

The simple answer is yes, he can be, but with most things in football it’s not as simple as that. Vicente, who was once one of the best players in Spain, is still just 28 and should still be going through his prime but he finds himself on the bench at best for Valencia most of the time with the supremely talented Juan Mata first choice for the left wing in Unai Emery’s squad. What has a player like Vicente who was crucial in Valencia’s last title winning campaign done to warrant losing favour as first choice winger and would it affect his abilities if he were to make the move to the Premiership to join Spurs?

Vicente’s fall from grace at Valencia has come about for a few reasons; he has proven very injury prone since 2004 and spent a lot of time away from the pitch, in that time others, first David Silva and now Mata, have shone in the left wing role which has made things more difficult for Vicente to come back and reclaim his place. Then there’s the fact that once on returning from injury Vicente blasted the Valencia medical team for his recurring injuries, stating that he had lost all confidence in them. The comments did not go down well and Vicente was eventually fined over 1000 euros by his own club, his character now in question to those involved with Valencia. Vicente regained some favour and became a useful squad player for Valencia once more but he has never managed to reclaim the first choice spot on the left wing ahead of Mata and Valencia would thus be willing to let him go, reportedly as cheap as for 3 million pounds which could be an absolute steal.

Could be, because of his injury history. Chances are that for 3 million Vicente would be a massive bargain, when he is fit he contributes goals and assists aplenty and his full potential’s in him somewhere, he hasn’t lost his ability, just his way. Signing an injury prone player is always a gamble for a club, particularly if they will require high wages and Vicente’s demands are unlikely to be cheap, but they do often pay off and for 3 million a club could make a much worse gamble. Vicente may no longer be the best winger out there but at 28 he still has time to get back to his best and shine once more.

Tottenham would do very well to sign Vicente; a left winger should be one of the priorities for Harry Redknapp’s side with Luka Modric injured and then there’s the consideration that Modric isn’t a natural winger – Vicente’s signing would allow Modric to be moved inside to his preferred role. Niko Kranjcar’s summer arrival gave Spurs more options for the left flank but Redknapp seems somewhat unwilling to play the Croatian, opting instead at times for an ineffective 4-3-3 to suit Robbie Keane. Vicente would help balance a regular 4-4-2 and he isn’t the kind of winger that blindly sends cross after cross in which obviously would not be the most useful kind of assist for small strikers such as Keane or Jermain Defoe. Vicente also has a habit of chipping in with a lot of goals and it’s always useful to be getting goals from all over the pitch. His cutting inside and great pace could cause woe in plenty of Premiership defenders.

In terms of price and ability, Vicente could well be Tottenham’s best option for a new left winger. But that is completely dependant on his ability to stay fit and to get back to his best; if done then Spurs have a gem of a player. If not then he’ll be another flop from the continent. The modern game is somewhat lacking in great left wingers, a fact that’s resulted in lots of teams playing players there who are generally used to being somewhere else like up front or in the middle of the pitch. Whilst this can work out like Modric’s deployment there has, it would surely be more productive to have a natural winger out there and thus the hunt for the perfect winger is so difficult. Given the dearth of options and the price, Tottenham should take a punt on Vicente – yes it would be a gamble, but if it pays off and Vicente gets back to near his best then Spurs will have an absolute cracker of a player flying down their left flank.

You can see Vicente at his best here: