Teamwork makes the dream work

Spurs should rue shedding Kudus improve who’s “higher than Saka”

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Does Tottenham‘s summer time enterprise go away them ready to problem in direction of the very prime of the Premier League?

Spurs’ two main summer time additions got here in attacking positions, recruiting Mohammed Kudus from fierce rivals West Ham for £55m, in addition to bringing in Xavi Simons for £51.8m from RB Leipzig.

On the pitch, after swatting apart the aforementioned Hammers 3-0 on Saturday night, Thomas Frank‘s staff have now gained three out of 4 within the Premier League.

Subsequent up, Spurs will begin their Champions League marketing campaign with Villarreal the guests to North London, set to function in UEFA’s top-tier competitors for the primary time in three years.

Nonetheless, would Frank’s staff be much more imposing and imperious had Spurs not allowed a 16-year-old academy child to depart a couple of years in the past. Because it occurs, he is probably not higher than the aforementioned Kudus.

Mohammed Kudus’ begin to life at Spurs

Kudus was definitely the central determine of Saturday’s conflict with West Ham, not precisely receiving a heat welcome again to the London Stadium, having change into the primary participant to make the controversial swap since Scott Parker in 2011.

Mohammed Kudus in action for Tottenham

The Ghanaian is but to attain in 5 appearances for Tottenham, however did register two assists in the course of the opening day victory over Burnley.

So, let’s assess his statistics from the beginning of this season.

Kudus om 2025/26

Statistics

Kudus

Spurs rank

Minutes

427

seventh

Assists

2

1st

Photographs

7

2nd

Key passes

9

1st

Shot-creating actions

16

1st

Objective-creating actions

3

2nd

Tried take-ons

29

1st

Profitable take-ons

12

1st

Large probabilities created

1

1st

Touches

168

eighth

Common SofaScore ranking

7.43

2nd

Statistics courtesy of FBref and SofaScore

Because the desk paperwork, Kudus has definitely been one among Spurs’ most harmful gamers this season, ranked first for assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, dribbles and massive probabilities created.

Thus, there is no such thing as a doubting his high quality, however did a good higher winger transfer on this switch window for a really comparable quantity, one which Tottenham had on their books, however let go?

kudus-spurs

Former Spurs winger starring elsewhere

Born in Barnet, Noni Madueke truly spent 4 years in Tottenham’s academy, making one look for the membership within the U18 Premier League, earlier than leaving in 2018 as a result of an absence of first-team alternatives, making the daring determination to affix PSV Eindhoven as a 16-year-old.

Madueke-England-U21

Nicely, over within the Netherlands, he scored 20 targets in 80 first-team appearances for the Eredivisie giants, together with a brace throughout a 4-0 Johan Cruijff Schaal victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, incomes a £28.5m transfer again to London in January 2023, becoming a member of Chelsea.

After netting 20 occasions for the Blues, Chelsea’s continued relentless spending below Todd Boehly’s possession noticed Madueke deemed surplus to necessities this summer time, thereby making the shock transfer to Arsenal, the Gunners paying £52m for his signature.

This, largely as a result of charge concerned, raised a couple of eyebrows, however the 23-year-old has definitely impressed since swapping West London for North.

Final Tuesday, Madueke scored his first-ever England purpose, on the right track as Thomas Tuchel’s staff annihilated Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade.

Then, the winger’s efficiency throughout Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday earned even higher plaudits.

Talking throughout TNT Sports activities’ protection, former Spurs striker Peter Crouch labelled him “unplayable”, whereas ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker has gone as far as asserting “I truly assume he’s higher than Bukayo Saka”, a daring declare certainly.

In equity, within the Premier League final season, Madueke ranked fifth for touches within the opposition field, fourth when it comes to photographs per 90 and third for each progressive carries in addition to carries into the attacking penalty space, so nobody ought to truly be shocked by the extent of his high quality.

Madueke-Arsenal-1

However, he has seemingly gone to a different degree since becoming a member of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, which has absolutely bought to sting for Spurs supporters.

Thus, in fact, Tottenham are happy to have Kudus of their ranks, however maybe Frank’s facet can be even higher if Madueke was the person working on the correct flank, which he may properly have been, had he not departed for Eindhoven seven years in the past.