Joao Moutinho: Why Andre Villas-Boas Should Fight to Sign Him in January

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Joao Moutinho, can you please stop playing with Tottenham's heart.

Not only are you the one who got away this summer, but you're dropping hints of your affection through the sports news media, according to The Daily Mail?

Less than cool, bro.

Spurs' newest manager Andre Villas-Boas has made no bones about the fact that he wants the Portuguese midfielder. Bad. Moutinho is as valuable an asset as there is in world football, able to play any midfield position with relative ease.

His preferred position is central midfield—an area of great concern for Villas-Boas and his Tottenham side what with Scott Parker's injury and rehabilitation—which is why I think Spurs need to fight as hard as they can to sign him in January.

Why?

Join me as I present to you just how Moutinho's presence would have helped in all four of Tottenham's matches to start the season.

Sigurdsson Needed Replacing at Newcastle United

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It was the penalty kick heard 'round North London, and it started Tottenham off on the worst possible footing this season.

The most disappointing thing of all is that if Moutinho had been available for the match, he would have likely been looked at as a substitute for fellow attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, preventing Rafael van der Vaart from entering the game and combining with Aaron Lennon for the late penalty that gave Newcastle United the go-ahead goal.

Had Moutinho—and not van der Vaart—come in for Sigurdsson in the 70th minute, Spurs would've earned the draw and perhaps been less anxious going into their next match against West Bromwich Albion.

Defense Needed Reinforcing Against WBA

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The chances were there for Tottenham to give West Bromwich Albion the stalemate.

Spurs controlled the ball for the majority of the match, they shot twice as many attempts as the Baggies and had a 1-0 lead as late as the 90th minute.

Moutinho would've probably been another late substitution in this match as well, spending his time reinforcing the defense and holding on for Andre Villas-Boas' first victory at White Hart Lane.

Instead, he wasn't in the penalty box when a late corner was taken by WBA and James Morrison was able to get a shot off undisturbed, much to the frustration of 'keeper Brad Friedel.

Attacking Midfield Needed Restoring Against Norwich City

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If there's one word to describe Tottenham's attack against Norwich City, it is "impotent."

Spurs made several runs against the visiting Canaries, but only one—a remarkable second-half goal from newly signed Mousa Dembele—made it between the posts.

To be honest, Tottenham should've won the day 3-1. But they didn't seal the deal and Villas-Boas' side allowed Norwich City to stay in it. Robert Snodgrass took full advantage, slotting home a close-range strike that Friedel could do little about.

Moutinho wouldn't have stopped Norwich City getting on the board, but he would have provided extra support at attacking midfield for the full 90 minutes, doing enough to get at least two of those close chances into the back of the net.

Spurs' Conceded Goal Needed Recovering at Reading

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The only—and I mean only—blemish on Tottenham's otherwise spotless day against Reading was that late goal conceded in the 90th minute.

It was merely consolation for a Reading side that was absolutely dominated otherwise, but it could have been prevented one of two ways.

First, Kyle Walker could have not fallen asleep at the wheel for another four minutes.

Or...

Joao Moutinho could've shifted to a holding midfielder position late in the match and had the speed to provide cover in the middle of the box.

Instead, Brad Friedel was denied his first clean sheet of the season, and was prevented from taking a huge lead on newlysigned Hugo Lloris as the starter between the posts.