Giovani dos Santos, a 21-year-old Mexican from Brazilian footballing stock, will be known to many football fans owing to the fact that he has bounced between four different clubs since 2007.
The pacey, attack-minded midfielder come striker enjoyed brief stints with Barcelona before finally making his first appearance as a sub in 2007 when he came on for Thierry Henry. However, he failed to break into the first team and in June 2008 he signed for Spurs.
Despite showing early promise in pre-season games, the Mexican again failed to crack into the first squad and failed to make any starts. He was eventually loaned out to Ipswich for a season where he scored a hat full of goals before moving, again on loan, to Galatasaray.
His loan spell in Turkey finished up at the end of the 2009/10 Season and with Spurs still dithering, dos Santos is up for grabs.
Dos Santos’ father was a professional footballer from Brazil – not that you would needed to have been told that if you saw him in any of his games in the World Cup so far.
With an ability to go past players and a wicked strike of a ball with both feet, dos Santos has been one of the stand-out performers of the World Cup to date. In his latest game, against France on Thursday, he proved key to Mexico’s victory and was a constant threat on the break.
Potential suitors – Sunderland, Wolves
With pace, versatility, an eye for goal and a spectacular haircut, dos Santos will appeal to a number of clubs. He could slot in just behind Sunderland’s big strikers or add some goals to Wolves when Doyle inevitably heads off for pastures new. Of course, Spurs may well decide to put some faith in the youngster and actually give him a start.
While dos Santos could have been snapped up for practically nothing in the months prior to the World Cup, his performances to date at the tournament along with those yet to come, mean his price is being jacked up by the day. Stay or go, the big winner from dos Santos’s surge in form, will be Spurs.
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