Spurs Transfers: 4 Wingers To Replace Gareth Bale

4. Ibrahim Afellay

Afellay

Kicking of the list is Barcelona's Dutch winger Ibrahim Afellay.

In terms of opportunities, Afellay has had few while he has been in the Catalan capital, with only 34 appearances (mostly as a sub) since debuting in January 2011 because of injury and losing out in the competition for places. Although, being ousted out by such personnel like Pedro, Alexis Sanchez is no mean feat, it seems as if the team is set and the 4-3-3 formation that the Catalan's like to play doesn't have any room to accommodate Afellay's talent. A loan spell to Schalke demonstrated his talent with 4 goals in his 15 appearances during his time there in the latter half of last season. This shows he has potential and it isn't too late to replicate his time at PSV where he managed 38 goals in his 7 season stint in the Dutch capital and this was recognised by winning the Johan Cruyff award for the best Dutch youngster in 2007.

This proves that he can contribute soundly to the team if he has regular game time and ,if Bale does leave, there is a berth on the wings for him to take over on a regular basis. Like Bale, he likes to cut in and can also play in the hole in behind the front two, so he has the potential of making a significant contribution towards Spurs' goals for count next season.

It will be interesting to know if new Barca boss Gerardo Martino sees the 27-year old as part of his vision for the team going forward.

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