Tottenham Hotspur have been ravaged by accidents all through your entire squad this season, which has actually hampered their progress within the Premier League. Extremely, they sit 14th within the high flight, and though they’ve made good progress within the Carabao Cup, this season has merely not lived as much as expectations.
In direction of the beginning of the season, Ange Postecoglou claimed he has a report at every membership he has managed that sees him “all the time win issues in my second yr”. Nicely, that concept can be really put to the take a look at this season, with the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League nonetheless all winnable.
The Lilywhites may want reinforcements to assist with their trophy-winning quest and have been linked with one attacker who might add loads of firepower.
Spurs goal new attacker
The participant in query right here is Barcelona and Spain winger Ansu Fati. The La Masia graduate has additionally had horrible luck with accidents, and a contemporary begin away from the Nou Camp may very well be on the playing cards this winter.
In response to a report from The Guardian, Spurs are one of many sides considering signing the winger, given the actual fact they’re “in want of attacking reinforcement” within the January switch window, with Postecoglou lining up a swoop for the Barcelona outcast.
Nonetheless, they don’t seem to be alone within the race to signal Fati, who earns £226k-per-week in response to Capology. The Guardian additionally suggests London rivals West Ham United are considering including him to the squad beneath new boss Graham Potter. There may be at present no readability on if it’s a mortgage deal or a everlasting transfer.
Why Fati could be a superb signing
It has as soon as once more been a very disappointing season for Fati. As soon as one of many greatest stars to return out of the esteemed La Masia academy, he was handed Lionel Messi’s quantity 10 shirt when the legendary attacker left Barca in 2021.
This season, accidents have struck the winger once more. He has missed 11 video games, a complete of 84 days, with a muscle subject and a foot harm. Thus, the 22-year-old has solely managed eight appearances throughout all competitions and has not scored a purpose.
His Barca report general curtailed considerably over time, because the accidents hit. He has performed 120 occasions, scoring 29 objectives and grabbing 9 assists. That features a purpose and two assists towards Actual Sociedad in 2022/23.
Over time, he had 13 separate accidents for the La Liga giants, and one for Brighton and Hive Albion throughout his mortgage spell, the place he scored 4 occasions and assisted as soon as in 27 appearances for the South Coast facet.
But, Spurs nonetheless need to signal the winger, absolutely due to the plain expertise there. His debut season in 2019/20 was a primary instance of what he can do, a marketing campaign the place he scored seven occasions and grabbed an help, changing into a breakthrough star.
That season, Fati was corresponding to Spurs legend Gareth Bale, who was taking part in for Actual Madrid in 2019/20. The Welshman scored two objectives and grabbed two assists in 16 La Liga video games.
For the Lilywhites, Bale was sensational. Over two spells in North London, he scored 71 occasions and grabbed 53 assists. One in every of his finest objectives got here towards Inter within the Champions League, the place he carried the ball from inside his personal half and fired residence. That day, he additionally bought his first Spurs hat-trick.
The similarities between Fati and Bale in 2019/20 are there to see from a statistical viewpoint, as per FBref. For instance, they each had an Anticipated Targets tally of 0.33xG per 90 minutes, and the Spaniard averaged barely extra key passes every recreation, with 1.58 in comparison with 0.99. The Welshman’s 2.89 progressive passes per recreation barely trumped Fati’s 2.54.
Fati & Bale 2019/20 La Liga stats in contrast | ||
|---|---|---|
Stat (per 90) | Fati | Bale |
Anticipated objectives | 0.33xG | 0.33xG |
Key passes | 1.58 | 0.99 |
Progressive passes | 2.89 | 2.54 |
Shot-creating actions | 3.42 | 2.98 |
Progressive carries | 6.75 | 3.97 |
Stats from FBref | ||
If Spurs can get Fati again to a superb degree of health, they may have a “phenom” on their palms, as soccer statistician Statman Dave as soon as described him, who can progress the ball up the pitch and make issues occur within the closing third in the same solution to how Bale did in his profession.
Postecoglou can be hoping the 22-year-old can regain these ranges on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as they give the impression of being to win a trophy for the primary time since 2008, when Bale was simply breaking via.
