EPL: Will Giovani Dos Santos Go To Liverpool or Find Another Home?

The arrival of Tottenham’s newest signing Steven Pienaar appears to have ended any hope Giovani dos Santos had of receiving more playing time. He is still under contract with Spurs but it seems as if Giovani will finally be leaving the London side.

Giovani dos Santos, a product of Barcelona’s famous youth academy, has become all but forgotten during his stay at White Hart Lane.

At 21-years-old, he is just beginning his career. He already has 34 caps for the Mexico national team and 6 goals, including a solid performance at last year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa which earned him a nomination for the young player of the tournament award.  At Tottenham, he hasn’t been given the opportunity to develop his skills and meet the expectations that he set during his years with Barcelona.

When Rafael van der Vaart was signed by Harry Redknapp it seemed clear that dos Santos was no longer in his plans. With a total of 3 league appearances this season Gio looks poised for an exit. When asked about dos Santos Redknapp responded, “If he could pass a nightclub as well as he can pass a ball, he would be all right.” The manager’s recent statements on dos Santos show the lack of confidence in the young player and fuel the transfer talks.

It is certain that Giovani has a bright future ahead. Despite his time spent on the bench rather than the pitch he is still gathering interest from several teams. Let’s take a look at his potential new clubs.  

Olympiacos FC

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ATHENS, GREECE - DECEMBER 09: Olympiakos fans during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Olympiakos and Arsenal at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on December 9, 2009 in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

This wouldn’t be the first time that Gio has been linked to Olympiacos. The Greek side has expressed interest in signing the Mexican international in the past.

Dos Santos came close to playing in Greece during last year’s winter transfer period, however both player and Tottenham favored a move to Turkish side Galatasaray.

Do to the price tag placed on him by Spurs, and the impact of Greece’s economic crisis, it is unlikely that we will see Gio move towards the Mediterranean nation. The likelihood of a purchase is minimal but the possibility of a loan still stands.

Mexico

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 27: Giovani Dos Santos of Mexico runs with the ball during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between Argentina and Mexico at Soccer City Stadium on June 27, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Even though Gio has expressed his desire to remain in Europe, there is a possibility that he will continue his career in Mexico. There are two teams who will be likely fits for Giovani.

Gio grew up in Monterrey, a city on the north end of Mexico. On a recent well publicized incident, Giovani’s dad, Zizinho met with representatives from Tigres, one of the city’s two professional football teams. Zizinho did not deny Tigres’ interest in dos Santos and expressed Giovani’s discontent with the lack of playing time he received at White Hart Lane.

It is well known that Gio grew up admiring Tigres but he has not expressed desire to play for them in the near future.

Another team that would be more than happy to sign dos Santos is Club América. América is one of Mexico’s wealthiest clubs, signing Gio wouldn’t present any financial hardships for the club and the marketing department would surely capitalize on Giovani’s popularity. Giovani’s father spent much of his career playing for América, perhaps his son will follow suit.

Real Zaragoza

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ZARAGOZA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 12: Head coach Javier Aguirre of Zaragoza reacts during the La Liga match between Real Zaragoza and Real Madrid at La Romareda stadium on December 12, 2010 in Zaragoza, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

A move back to La Liga seems like a very tempting option for the former Barcelona product. During his years at Camp Nou, Giovani displayed great potential which led to interest from many clubs and eventually landed him in Tottenham.

Zaragoza’s head coach is Giovani’s compatriot Javier Aguirre. Aguirre led dos Santos and the Mexican national team during last year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

It is no secret that Aguirre is highly interested in obtaining Gio’s services but it appears that Tottenham are not willing to part ways with dos Santos for the amount that Zaragoza has offered.

Genoa

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GENOA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 10: Fans of Genoa CFC thank former head coach Giampiero Gasperini during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and Bologna FC at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on November 10, 2010 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Massimo Cebrelli/Getty Images)

It seems like an endless tale, every transfer period is loitered with rumors linking Giovani dos Santos to a Serie A club.

Since his days with Barcelona, Giovani drew interest from top Italian sides such as AC Milan and Fiorentina.

This time around the rumors are more credible. During a recent interview, Genoa president Enrico Preziosi confirmed his club’s interest in signing dos Santos.   

Other Serie A clubs such as, Sampdoria, Lazio, Fiorentina and Udinese are also rumored to be linked with the Spurs outcast. 

Liverpool FC

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 29: The Liverpool and Wolves players applaud to honour the memory of ex Liverpool player Avi Cohen who died this week from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liver

Recent reports in the British press place Gio at Anfield.

Liverpool is in dire need of new talent. The squad is underachieving and plagued by injuries. Giovani would add another much needed dimension to the reds attack.

Before the sacking of Roy Hodgson, the signing of Giovani seemed imminent for this winter. The arrival of Kenny Dalglish has cooled the transfer talks but don’t rule out a loan. It seems more and more probable that Gio will be staying in the Premiership, and he just might find his way towards The Kop.