Luka Deal Is Dead, Tottenham Picking Up An Unwanted Chelsea Midfielder Anyway?

If reports out of Israel are to be believed, Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing Yossi Benayoun. The midfielder is in Israel training with the national team right now in advance of their upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers, but he has been granted a leave to fly to London where he will undergo a medical and finalize personal terms with Spurs as he makes his move across the capital from Stamford Bridge to White Hart Lane.

Initially it looked like the only way Benayoun would be moving to the Lane is as part of the deal that would see Luka Modric go to Chelsea. The Modric deal looks dead now, but Benayoun is still going to find a home with Spurs apparently. He gives the team cover on the wing and more than his share of experience after years of Champions League football with Liverpool and an injury-shortened one season with Chelsea. Assuming he is fully healthy, which it appears he is, he gives Spurs another quality player on the outside with more variety to his game than the pure blinding pace of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon.

There is no indication of how much Spurs will have to pay Chelsea for Benayoun, but it's tough to find fault in this move. Adding a quality player is always a good thing, but it does not exactly fill a need. Niko Kranjcar already can't get time on the wing, where he plays best, and Steven Pienaar will supposedly be healthy at some point. It's not like Spurs need Benayoun desperately. At 31 years old he's not a player for the future either. A nice move, yes, but nothing that is going to put Spurs over the top or have the supporters jumping for joy.