Tottenham Hotspur haven’t had a summer season to recollect since Ange Postecoglou lifted the Europa League after beating Manchester United on the finish of final season.
The Lilywhites have solely introduced in two new senior gamers to bolster the squad, on high of Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel signing completely, as Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus have each been snapped up, from Bayern Munich and West Ham United respectively.
Thomas Frank has, subsequently, not had many reinforcements come by means of the door to bolster a squad that completed one place above the relegation zone within the Premier League within the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
On high of the shortage of recruits coming in, the brand new head coach has additionally misplaced James Maddison for almost all of subsequent season after he suffered an ACL harm.
The England worldwide shouldn’t be the one participant who’s at the moment out injured, although, as Dejan Kulusevski is set to overlook the primary month of the brand new season after present process patella surgical procedure.
Why Kulusevski’s harm is a blow for Spurs
While the Sweden worldwide won’t be out for wherever close to so long as Maddison can be, the left-footed star’s absence for the subsequent 4 weeks or so will nonetheless be a blow for Frank.
The previous Juventus winger is a high quality operator on the wing and within the quantity ten place, which signifies that Spurs have misplaced a flexible, in addition to a high quality, choice within the quick time period.
Kulusevski made 43 appearances within the Premier League and the Europa League mixed final season, and showcased his skill on the ball in each competitions.
The 25-year-old magician has the standard to carve open opposition defences to create high-quality alternatives for his teammates frequently, significantly within the Premier League.
Dejan Kulusevski (24/25) |
Premier League |
Europa League |
---|---|---|
Appearances |
32 |
11 |
xG |
4.23 |
0.87 |
Targets |
7 |
1 |
Huge probabilities created |
9 |
2 |
Key passes per recreation |
2.1 |
1.1 |
Assists |
4 |
3 |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Kulusevski created simply over two probabilities per recreation on common for the workforce within the top-flight, however was solely rewarded with 4 assists.
In the meantime, no different Spurs participant created greater than 1.7 probabilities per recreation on common within the Premier League final season, which speaks to how essential the Swedish star was as a inventive pressure on the high finish of the pitch.
That’s the reason shedding him to an harm is a blow for Frank heading into the opening month of the season, and likewise why the membership have to be available in the market for extra attacking gamers.
Spurs place Ligue 1 star on their radar
Tottenham Hotspur followers needs to be happy to learn that the membership are reportedly wanting to herald a participant who may very well be a Kulusevski clone this summer season.
In line with journalist Sebastien Vidal, Spurs have positioned Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche on their radar as they appear to bolster their squad earlier than the top of the switch window.
The reporter claims that the Europa League champions wish to add extra creativity to the group within the coming weeks due to the harm to Maddison, which is able to see him miss most of subsequent season.
Vidal provides that Akliouche is considered as a flexible and high quality attacking choice and that the membership are monitoring his scenario, however they haven’t submitted an official provide for his providers as of but.
It has beforehand been reported that Arsenal are additionally within the 23-year-old expertise, who’s valued at round £60m by Monaco, which reveals that there may very well be some competitors for his providers.
Why Spurs ought to signal Akliouche
The Lilywhites ought to formalise their curiosity with an official bid for the French whiz as a result of he might are available in as a Kulusevski clone to ease the blow of shedding him to harm, and to compete with the previous Juventus man when he’s match.
Just like the Swedish maestro, Akliouche is a flexible attacking participant who can play centrally as a quantity ten or out extensive on the appropriate, drifting infield onto his favoured left foot.
As partially evidenced by his unimaginable overhead kick within the clip above, the £60m-rated star additionally brings excellent technical high quality on the high finish of the pitch, very like Kulusevski does.
Akliouche, whose technical abilities have been hailed as “majestic” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 5 objectives and created a whopping 15 ‘huge probabilities’ in 27 begins in Ligue 1 for Monaco final season, which signifies that he created six extra ‘huge probabilities’ than the Spurs man did within the Premier League.
24/25 Ligue 1 |
Maghnes Akliouche |
Percentile rank vs wingers |
---|---|---|
Targets |
5 |
Prime 30% |
Possibilities created |
49 |
Prime 10% |
xA |
7.85 |
Prime 5% |
Cross accuracy |
84.9% |
Prime 20% |
Profitable dribbles |
50 |
Prime 9% |
Assists |
10 |
Prime 5% |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, the Spurs goal was one of the inventive gamers within the French top-flight final season, as he ranked extremely amongst his positional friends in a bunch of inventive metrics.
These statistics counsel that Tottenham could be signing a participant who can unlock opposition defences frequently to create high-quality probabilities for the likes of Dominic Solanke, Kudus, Richarlison, and Tel to stay behind the online.
Akliouche seems to have the potential to fill the inventive hole left by the accidents to Maddison and Kuluveski, while being a clone of the latter for Frank to name upon all through the season.
When each are match, Akliouche and Kulusevski might combat for a similar place and push one another to enhance in coaching, creating actual competitions for locations inside the squad to make sure that there isn’t any complacency within the XI.
It’s now all the way down to Spurs to behave upon their curiosity by swooping in with a proposal to signal the French expertise earlier than the top of the summer season switch window.