Marseille Midfield Star Giannelli Imbula the Perfect Tottenham Transfer Target

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

The most glaring weakness in Tottenham's squad is clearly in midfield. 

Nabil Bentaleb is certain of his place, having performed excellently in his first full Premier League season. 

There is currently no first-team option for Mauricio Pochettino to deploy in a 'destroyer role.' 

Spurs' system relies on a dual-pivot that can contribute with and without the ball. That means a pure destroyer, in the 'Makelele role,' is not sufficient. 

For that reason, Etienne Capoue and Benjamin Stambouli have both failed to satisfy Pochettino's demands enough to secure the job. 

Spurs have now been linked with Marseille midfielder Giannelli Imbula by the Mirror, among other sources. 

This lengthy video from Prozone compares Imbula to Bentaleb and offers up some interesting insights. 

It shows that Imbula and Bentaleb are both effective at maintaining possession but Imbula contributes hugely to counter-attacks, driving the team forward on quick breaks. 

Given that Imbula plays for Marcelo Bielsa, while Bentaleb's manager is Pochettino, it is no surprise that both are adept in the pressing game. It is interesting to note that this data-driven presentation reflects that.

Imbula also stands out in his ability to open up the pitch and create space for his teammates. 

Both factors reflect his incredible athleticism and intelligence. Not only does Imbula run all day, but he usually picks the right areas to move into, as well. 

The numbers demonstrate that Imbula would make an excellent partner for Bentaleb in Spurs' midfield. 

Former France captain Patrick Vieira claims the role of a modern defensive midfielder is to "work hard and to help everyone else," and that "you are asked to do everything: score goals, make assists and defend." (H/T FourFourTwo) 

Vieira himself was the prototypical modern player in that role and no less a judge than former Arsenal chief scout Roland Cheubel sees a comparison. 

Cheubel suggests that Imbula is comparable to the former France and Gunners star and that he is not surprised by Spurs' apparent interest. 

He also says he rates Imbula above Spurs' other reported Marseille target, Florian Thauvin. 

He is the player whom Spurs require alongside the blossoming Bentaleb. 

Imbula also completed over 100 dribbles this past season, placing him among Europe's most prolific players in this area. He is highly effective at taking possession, bringing the ball forward and finding his more attack-minded teammates.

At Spurs, Imbula could take some of the pressure off Christian Eriksen in the build-up, allowing the Dane to sit further forward and focus his energy on creating scoring chances. 

Imbula can do what Ryan Mason has been asked to do in Spurs' current system but at a higher level. 

WhoScored's statistical analysis shows that Imbula is positionally aware and contributes heavily in defensive and attacking phases of possession. 

From every angle, Imbula is exactly the player to improve Spurs' midfield. 

€15 million is the rumoured fee that it will take to compel Marseille to sell their excellent young midfielder. That converts to a little less than £11 million; seemingly, a very fair fee for such a talented young player. 

He was a rumoured Chelsea target in October at £25 million.

His performances seemed to suffer in the second half of 2014/15, but Cheubel suggested that Bielsa's confidence in the youngster had seen him deployed out of position for the benefit of the team and that nobody at the club was critical of his displays. 

His suitors demonstrate just how highly the Belgian-born midfielder is rated.

Imbula's father was a guest of Carlo Ancelotti's in April, and the Italian managerial legend reportedly remarked upon how rare Imbula's skill set was. 

The Guardian suggests that Chelsea, both Madrid sides and Bayern Munich are also interested in the Marseille man. Champions League qualifiers Valencia are also reportedly keen to add Imbula to their already impressive midfield. 

Imbula was even touted as a potential successor to the legendary Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. (via BelfastLive)

The Mirror suggests that Spurs may have an advantage in any potential negotiations in Benjamin Stambouli. OM are admirers of the Frenchman, and he could serve as a makeweight in an eventual deal. 

Imbula is not yet a big name outside of Ligue 1, but he was instrumental in OM's surprise title charge and is sure to earn his first cap for Les Bleus before long. His remarkable physical capacity makes him a rare player, and his technical ability lifts him to an even more exclusive level. 

If Spurs can convince Marseille to part with their star midfielder, they surely must do so. Few players of such quality are ever available for so little.

Luka Modric was once a young star in one of Europe's smaller leagues. The world's biggest clubs were aware of his talents but failed to take a chance on the little Croatian. Spurs did so and benefited hugely.

Imbula is an opportunity to beat the elites to the punch once again.