Tottenham Hotspur have started their transfer business early this year by bringing in Victor Wanyama for a reported fee of £11m. The Southampton midfielder had only 12 months left in his contract.

The transfer seems logical for both sides – the Saints recoup the money they dropped on him two years ago after a mixed 2015-’16 season, whereas Spurs gain a strong option off the bench and a player that has thrived under Pochettino before.

Wanyama is a player that is often deployed as a defensive counterpart to a more attacking midfielder in a double-pivot. His biggest strength is… well, his strength. He is an absolute colossus at his best, rarely letting any type of wily dribbler get past him. He is the defensive opposite of Dembele – if the Belgian can glide through anyone when he’s in-form, the Kenyan represents a wall of defensive stability.

One does wonder, though – a constant starter for a team that had a quiet yet solid season in the Premier League, surely the price should be higher in this hyper-inflated market? Or at least some other clubs would be interested?

Wanyama simply had a lackluster season at Southampton. There’s no two ways about it.

He was certainly unsettled by reported interested showed by North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal. He went as far as to say that he wanted to leave Southampton and wouldn’t even consider a new contract. Wanyama made it known to his club that his intention was to leave, one full year before it actually happened. It’s not a stretch to say that his mind was elsewhere throughout his last season at St. Mary’s. Of course this is hardly an excuse for his tepid performances – if anything it’s quite damning, as his behavior can hardly be qualified as professional. Putting other options aside and focusing only on the next game is a bit of a touchy subject for Spurs fans, as the memory of Luka Modric’s bitter goodbye is all too fresh regardless of the time that has passed.

With that being said, Spurs should not be too worried about Wanyama’s head not being in the right place. He has heaped praise upon Pochettino numerous times. He had this to say when Four Four Two’s Sulaiman Foralin asked about his thoughts on Pochettino, then manager of Southampton:

We have a good relationship because I trusted the manager when he brought me here. He really helped me to settle in. He is a good coach; he’s not only a good manager but also a great man outside of football. He helps his players whenever he can. As a footballer, I just appreciate what he has done for me and everyone else at the club.

He continued to praise Pochettino’s management: “He’s very professional. He has a great philosophy of how to play football, and you can see that in how the team plays. It’s good working under him.”

Wanyama and Pochettino were on the same wavelength during their time on the south coast, and it’s apparent that both are excited to attempt the connection where the stakes are a bit higher.

It’s definitely likely that Wanyama will slot into the North London side nicely. But if he is to do so, he definitely needs to check his temper. Hunger for the ball is one thing, and it’s a necessary attribute for any player trying to make a name for themselves in a Pochettino team. But one major gripe that Saints fans had last season was the amount of stupid fouls Wanyama committed. This led to 3 red cards, all three of which were, frankly, ridiculously unnecessary – they were committed in the opposition’s half, where the oppositions build-up was hardly dangerous.

Considering that Tottenham committed the most fouls in the opposition’s half last season, it’s encouraging to know that dogging the opposition seems hardwired into Wanyama. But Pochettino will have to refine his aggression, as he must do with Dele Alli. It’s well-known that Pochettino likes his players to have bite and doesn’t mind when a player leaves the proverbial foot in every once in a while. But Wanyama simply cannot be so reckless at Tottenham. Alli’s recklessness hurt us in the end, missing crucial games at the tail-end of the season due to throwing out a punch against a West Brom defender. Pochettino will have his work cut out for him in trying to walk that thin line.

If the Kenyan can keep his temper in check and his head screwed on tight, he might even push Eric Dier for a starting spot. Even though he was hardly consistent this past season, he racked up similar numbers to Dier.

Even though Wanyama played 7 games less than Dier, one can see how they are both players made in a similar mold. One can only read so much into stats, but this seems very much like a Pochettino signing – much like the fullbacks (Walker and Trippier, Rose and Davies) our two defensive midfielders seem so similar that they may be able to seamlessly be swapped in and out for every game. The more we learn about Pochettino, the more we see that for defensive signings, he tends to look for more of the same rather than a player who can offer something different. Considering that Tottenham had the best defensive record for the majority of last season, I’m not complaining.

Any Pochettino signing has to be dynamic – they’re expected to contribute on both ends of the pitch. This is one of the major reasons someone like Sandro could not be expected to succeed in Pochettino’s system. The defensive midfielder must contribute not only in regaining possession, but in the resulting build-up as well. In this aspect Wanyama has similar stats to Dier as well: one goal to Dier’s three, thirty shots on goal to Dier’s thirty one, and fifteen chances created to Dier’s eighteen.

Put another way: Wanyama has similar numbers to Dier even though the former has been hailed as inconsistent, whereas the latter has been the backbone of the new-look Tottenham. Considering Poch’s and Yama’s history, it’s easy to see why Pochettino would snap him up at a bargain price.

Victor Wanyama is not without his faults – namely, his fiery passion goes unchecked sometimes to the detriment of the team, and he lets thoughts of greener pastures affect his performances. But working with Pochettino, a manager he has expressed so much respect for in the past, might get him in the right mindset. Should he slot into the side as easily as his performances and stats suggest, he could be a great signing that might threaten to replace Eric Dier should his form dip.