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Tottenham Hotspur‘s recruitment in recent years has left something to be desired, and although this is a squad of heroes who conquered the Europa League before the summer, domestic form has been cemented at a lower-than-expected level for a while now, and that needs to change.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, with £55m summer recruit Mohammed Jerusalem among the most exciting players in Thomas Frank‘s Lilywhites outfit.
The Ghanaian winger hasn’t been perfect, but he’s certainly underlined his credentials as a difference-maker under Frank’s wing, with his five assists in the Premier League this season a joint-divisional best.
That statistic juxtaposes with Tottenham’s creative struggles this season, and it adds substance to the emerging rumors that Tottenham plan to sign an even more exciting winger to help elevate Frank’s project down N17.
Spurs leading race for new winger
Tottenham are expected to be busy over the coming transfer windows, with improvements needed across a range of areas. However, there’s no denying Frank’s frontline has been blunter than expected, and that must be a priority.
Kudus has been a terrific addition, but wingers like Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons are flattering to deceive. Perhaps this is why ENIC Group is aiming for the stars.
Indeed, according to Spanish sourcesTottenham are leading the race for the Real Madrid star Rodrygoand that’s despite growing interest from the Premier League’s heavyweights.
Rodrygo, 24, is also attracting interest from Liverpool, and although Real are open to selling the Brazilian talent, they would expect to bank something in the ballpark of £70m.
Why Rodrygo would succeed at Spurs
Rodrygo is currently embroiled in a crisis of confidence. He has gone 30 La Liga matches without a goal, and has been pushed out to the fringes of Xabi Alonso’s squad.
But let’s not forget that this is a truly special player, praised for his “world-class” quality former Los Blancos teammate Luka Modricand the depth of his technical quality goes far beyond that of Kudus, who is devastating on the ball but lacks clarity and output.
Rodrygo vs Kudus (past 12 months) | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90) | ||
Goals scored | 0.32 | 0.14 |
Assists | 0.24 | 0.23 |
Shots taken | 2.94 | 1.89 |
Shot-creating actions | 4.65 | 3.41 |
Touches (to pen) | 6.64 | 3.78 |
Pass completion (%) | 85.4 | 78.8 |
Progressive passes | 4.37 | 2.59 |
Progressive carries | 6.00 | 3.44 |
Successful take-ons | 2.38 | 3.05 |
Ball recoveries | 3.77 | 5.44 |
Date via FBref | ||
Although Kudus has enjoyed a fine start to his career in north London, he doesn’t match Rodrygo’s breadth of skill. The Madrid man is one of the best forwards in the world, after all, and his recent drop-off does not negate that fact.
Crisper on the ball, more progressive with his passing and more active in dribbling forward himself, Rodrygo might not have Kudus’ same snappy speed, but that’s not to say that he isn’t a dynamic physical force in his own right.
Moreover, he has so often been shunted out onto the right flank in Madrid over the past several years, lower down the pecking order than the likes of Vincius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. The right-footed Rodrygo is at his best, his most prolific, when playing off the left.
Now, he has been reduced to a truly bit-part role, only afforded three league starts under Alonso’s management this term.
It feels like Rodrygo’s departure from the Santiago Bernabeu is a matter of when, not if, and while there are a multitude of high-profile suitors looking to excavate him from the hole he has fallen into, Tottenham have put in the hard yards for some time now, and Frank’s project would promise him a leading role.
Then it would be up to Rodrygo to prove that he is the real deal. On the basis of the evidence already, he is at that, and this would see him take on a more influential role than someone like Kudus down N17.
