It appears that Giovani Dos Santos may, after years of turmoil, finally have a real home at Tottenham Hotspur.
According to a story posted on the Caught Offside website on Saturday, new Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas, who took over as Tottenham boss at the beginning of July, desires to keep the Mexican international through the end of the current transfer window. Dos Santos has been linked with a potential move to Spain, and it has also been rumored that Liverpool were also interested in acquiring the 23-year old. Dos Santos did turn some heads last week, however, when he told reporters that he was "not getting desperate" regarding a possible departure from White Hart Lane.
Dos Santos is a very recognizable name for US Soccer fans, and not for what they would consider to be a good reason. He has become a mainstay in the Mexican National Team, scoring 14 goals in 59 appearances. Dos Santos had what some called a "breakout performance" against the United States in the 2011 Gold Cup Final, and he put the US away for good in that match with a chip that was arguably the goal of the tournament.
Dos Santos hasn't enjoyed the same success while at Spurs. He fell out of favor with former manager Harry Redknapp for reasons that remain a bit unclear. While some feel that Redknapp didn't see Dos Santos as being the as-advertised play-maker, others have suggested that the player's training habits annoyed his former boss. Regardless of the reason, his lack of playing time (17 league appearances since 2008) resulted in Dos Santos searching to leave Spurs last winter. While Redknapp wasn't keen on playing Dos Santos, he also wasn't thrilled at the thought of selling at a low price. Tottenham reportedly priced teams out of any potential deals last January. Since the end of the 2011-12 season, several rumors have claimed that a team such as Atletico Madrid would be willing to pay up to £8m for Dos Santos.
None of that may matter anymore, however, if Villas-Boas believes that he has a potential starter in his squad. Numerous reports, including the previously referenced Caught Offside post, have hinted that AVB is set on utilizing a more attack-oriented formation. Such a decision could, depending on what moves Tottenham make over the next month, turn a previous outcast into a member of the team's starting eleven, a starting eleven that has plenty of intrigue. Spurs acquired Gylfi Sigurdsson last week, they are working on bringing Emmanuel Adebayor back to the club on a full-time deal, and Luka Modric is currently packing his bags, possibly for Real Madrid.
The roller coaster ride that is the "silly season" continues for Tottenham supporters.
