Scouting Tottenham Hotspur Transfer Target Rafa Silva

It is a new season, but Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino remains almost reassuringly reliable in his core principles.

Speaking in his first pre-match press conference of the Premier League campaign, he was asked by a French journalist about Tottenham's reported—here per Sky Sports' Rory O'Callaghan—interest in Marseille's Georges-Kevin N'Koudou. As always, the Argentinian politely refused to acknowledge any rumours linking the north Londoners with another club's player.

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Anyone also raising the possibility of Pochettino signing Braga attacking midfielder Rafa Silva will have been given short shrift too.

While talk of N'Koudou has dominated recent speculation, stories of Tottenham being interested in the Portugal international also emerged earlier this month.

The London Evening Standard's Goncalo Lopes and Jonathan Johnson reported Spurs had watched Silva last season and were considering making a bid. The Mirror's Darren Lewis also backed this up, writing the player would cost £10 million.

Earlier this year, Silva was linked by the Daily Star's Jonathan Green with Manchester United and Liverpool too, as well as Braga's Portuguese league rivals Benfica.

The calibre of the clubs the 23-year-old is being linked with is understandable.

Though Silva featured only once in Portugal's victorious Euro 2016, his exploits with Braga have already marked him out as one of his country's best young talents. The prospect of him challenging himself abroad is an exciting one.

Silva has become a prominent player for Braga since joining the club in 2013.

Last season, he made over 40 appearances for the first time and notably helped the club win the Portuguese Cup, beating Porto a year after scoring in a losing effort to Sporting Clube de Portugal. He excelled in the Europa League as well as domestically and also reached double figures in scoring for the first time, netting 11, per Soccerbase.

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Like he is in his game in general, Silva is certainly comfortable finishing from different angles.

When setting himself up, he gives off an unhurried impression, taking the requisite time to adjust for the kind of shot required. That calm extends to more urgent attacking moments like late runs into the box and split-second opportunities too.

Here he has a touch many centre-forwards will admire and wish was their own. He does not so much strike it as caress it with the minimum force necessary to beat the goalkeeper, finishing with a practical stylishness.

That latter description could apply to the other significant facets of Silva's game.

The good shooting touch extends to his passing game too. They are well-weighted and played with a composure and promptness that his team-mates welcome, whenever possible guided into a path that allows them to proceed without hesitation.

The simplicity of Silva's passing is allowed because of the most eye-catching aspect of his playmaking. His often exceptional creative running means the hard work has often been done before the vital moment of putting the ball in the back of the net.

The brilliant running is a double-edged sword in the respect it is prone to inviting late challenges from opponents a beat or two behind. When not hacked to the ground, though, it allows Silva to free himself via dizzying dribbling skills.

This is seen in close control utilised in narrower channels all over the pitch, shifting the ball away from a challenger's feet under more concentrated pressure (sometimes impressively following it up with having to quickly beat another man too). But it's also in larger arcs attempting to open space up, particularly in the final third.

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The latter not only befuddles defenders in Silva's immediate vicinity but also forces reactions from others located elsewhere. He can push the ball ahead a yard or two while changing direction, suddenly creating a different path to goal that opponents have to consider.

Although not lightning quick, Silva is rapid enough that neglecting him could see you swiftly punished.

Doing all this in the Primeira Liga and Europa League is a good enough starting point. How Silva will fare in a different country or something like the Champions League naturally would have to be answered.

Though not big, he has enough of a presence about him that with time he could learn to adapt to a more physical environment like the Premier League. Adjusting to the different playing rhythms of another country could be trickier at least to begin with (see Erik Lamela's difficulties here in his first year or so with Tottenham).

He played up against some potential Premier League opposition (and some team-mates) when he started Portugal's friendly with England in May.

Replaced by Jose Fonte after 38 minutes when defender Bruno Alves was sent off, up until then Silva had a mixed evening. He was unlucky not to get a penalty when Chris Smalling pulled him back as he threatened to break through, but elsewhere found his intentions were legally read.

So are Tottenham a good possible destination for Silva if he does leave Braga?

The north London club are definitely looking to add to the two summer signings they have already made this summer, central midfielder Victor Wanyama and striker Vincent Janssen. Although Pochettino stressed on Thursday, "It's very important to respect our process" in finding players suitable to Spurs.

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"But in the same way, I think it's very difficult to find this profile because I think we have a very good squad, very good players, and in the way that we work and our philosophy I think it's a very difficult market for us," the manager added. "But if we find the players that can improve us and can help us, for sure we are open to sign one or two players more."

Silva would not be out of place in Spurs' vibrant and fluid attack. Interchanging positions suits him fine and, as detailed, he has the ability to participate in and potentially enhance the quick-passing game the team aspires too.

Less certain is how he would do in the less glamorous processes that often facilitate all this. Consistently closing down out of possession and being willing to drop back and help defend is not something many creative types are happy to do.

The strong options Pochettino already has in attacking midfield, and the work he and his coaching staff have already done in making players like Christian Eriksen and Lamela suitable to his demands, may ultimately mean a move for Silva is a non-starter for Spurs.

Pochettino did not rule out using a front two of Harry Kane and Janssen this season, a tactic that would reduce the need for a player supporting behind. Even playing the 4-2-3-1 formation he has predominantly used, it is hard to see who would make way out of last season's first-choice men.

Dele Alli's influence at the heart of Tottenham's attack is only likely to grow, while Lamela's even more proactive pre-season work suggests a player looking to have an even bigger say in proceedings in 2016-17. Both already like plenty of the ball in areas Silva would hypothetically look to pick it up and run with too.

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Both also relish their tackling and pressing duties—some would argue too much given they suffered from disciplinary issues last season.

While Eriksen has delivered production-wise for Spurs since joining in 2013, he took longer learning to perform the uglier aspects of Pochettino's system. As of last April, though, the Dane's coach was pleased with his player's all-around progress.

"Now you know I think his quality is very technical, now he is more consistent when he is with ball in the game," Pochettino said before Spurs' draw with West Bromwich Albion. "But without the ball, now he has become more aggressive and works very hard for the team and I think now he is a more complete player."

With Pochettino showing faith in academy attackers like Josh Onomah and, further behind, Marcus Edwards too (they were among a contingent of youngsters on tour with Spurs this summer whose maturity he praised), a move for Silva would also stifle opportunities for at least one of these hopefuls.

Given the speculation over the Portuguese has gone quiet in the last week, perhaps it was ultimately little more than a fleeting hint of interest in the transfer grapevine. Silva will be worth someone's time and effort, but right now it would be a surprise if it was Tottenham's.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.