Should Tottenham Swoop For Chelsea Transfer Target?

You may have heard that Chelsea are going to buy the FC Dallas and United States Mr. Play Every Position man named Brek Shea. There was another rumor that Manchester United wants Shea, another that Bayern Munich is in on him and supposedly Borussia Dortmund is too. So here's the real question. Should Tottenham Hotspur make a move for Shea?

First of all, let's get one thing clear. None of the rumors about his supposed move to Chelsea or United or Bayern or BvB or anywhere is is from a particularly reliable source. They've been floated around mostly in English papers like the Star. The Star! His moving to a top club in the Premier League or Bundesliga seems like a bit of a stretch right now and considering that no one particularly credible, it's tough to say with a straight face that he is a Chelsea target.

Let's assume for a second that Shea really is in demand though. Chelsea really do want him, among other clubs, or maybe just Chelsea. Maybe just United. Whatever. Point is that he is in demand so should Spurs get involved?

It's not hard to see why teams would be interested in Shea. Yes, he plays in MLS, but he is arguably the best player in the league. He's about as versatile as they come, having been tried out at both center back and left back, while also playing at striker occasionally, as a central attacking midfielder and making his regular home on the left wing. Enough positions for you?

At 6'4'' size is not an issue for Shea. He's tough to knock off the ball and is a real threat on set pieces. He combines that with good pace and he crosses well so he's not one of those wingers who takes every opportunity to cut in and run at goal. He can huge the touchline and get a ball into the box too.

Most impressive about Shea is that he's turned into a quality player at just 21 years old. He was offered a contract by Bolton at 17 so it's not as if he's an unknown commodity. He played for the U.S. at the youth level and is now looking like a sure-fire starter at the senior level. So maybe he's just in MLS and being a star in MLS isn't the most impressive of feats, but he's done a little more than that.

Should Tottenham swoop in for Shea? How about no. He's not going to be cheap. That's not to say he'll cost anything like the Spurs transfer record of £15 million (For David Bentley, by the way. Never forget that.), but he's not going to be £3 million either. Considering that Spurs have Gareth Bale out on the left, there isn't a starting spot for Shea and he would have a battle to bear out Steven Pienaar (if he's ever healthy) or Niko Kranjcar for the back up role. 

Shea just doesn't make much sense for Spurs. There is no need at the position and he's not a sure-fire future star. Oh, and I don't believe for a second that Chelsea want him either. Pass.