Spurs eying up out of favor Barcelona attacker

Tottenham Hotspur may not know who their next manager will be but that hasn't stopped the Express and a variety of other sources from claiming that Spurs are interested in signing Barcelona youngster Cristian Tello. In news that will not come as a surprise to loyal Cartilage Free Captain readers, Liverpool have also been linked to the 22 year-old winger.

The rumor makes some sense from Tello's perspective. Tello is thought to be despondent over a lack of playing time, having started only two La Liga matches in addition to nineteen (!) substitute appearances. Television cameras caught him complaining that manager Tata Martino was "disrespectful" when he introduced Tello for Pedro in the 92nd minute of Barcelona's draw with Getafe at the weekend, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

For their part, Spurs could use a shiny new left winger, having had trouble finding the perfect fit at that position. Even so, a new left back and two centerbacks are probably needed more urgently, and it's hard to see Baldini and Levy making this signing a top priority.

If the mooted £8 million pound fee is correct, Tello could still be worth a punt. Tello has played 1584 minutes over the last two seasons (or just under 18 full 90s), scored 8 goals and made six assists. That amounts to a scoring contribution of 0.8 non-penalty goals plus assists per 90 minutes, which would rank in the top-15 among all La Liga players this season. Not too shabby.

What say you, commentariat? Would Cristian Tello make a good signing?