DONE DEAL IMMINENT – Daniel Levy has made a bold decision to finally ditch Bissouma by signing £45m ‘powerhouse’, personal terms already agreed now waiting for club’s decision [Full story link in comment]
Tottenham Hotspur lost against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening to consign Ange Postecoglou to a third successive Premier League defeat for the second time this season.
Following the loss against Mauricio Pochettino’s eighth-place side, who have completed the double over Spurs, Postecoglou mused that “if you’re really going to build for success, you need to go through tough times”.
That’s all well and good, mate, but there’s ample evidence that certain members of the squad are not fit for long-term purpose in this side, which has shown glimpses of success this season but has been pulled back by injuries and an evaporation of the early-season optimism and conviction.
Moves must be made by chairman Daniel Levy, steely signings must be welcomed down at N17.
Spurs eyeing Premier League midfielder
According to Caught Offside, Tottenham have joined London rivals Arsenal in the race for Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, corroborating revelations from The Telegraph earlier in the week that the Belgium international had been added to the Lilywhites’ shortlist.
It’s understood that Everton will assent to Onana’s sale this summer if their £45m valuation is met, stirring up a swarm of interest in his signature, with Newcastle United and La Liga champions Barcelona also registering an interest.
Onana is contracted to Goodison Park until 2027 but the Toffees are searching for funds and the 22-year-old is one of the most profitable assets on the books.
Why Spurs should sign Amadou Onana
Tottenham’s interest in Onana and hopes of securing his services hinge on the prospective sale of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, as per the report. The Dane, who contracted until the end of next season, is likely to be sold and has attracted a wealth of suitors overseas, with Serie A sides AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli all keeping an eye on the £20m-rated holding midfielder.
However, Onana, who has been described as a “one-man army” in the centre of the park by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could also topple Yves Bissouma as the starting star at the base of Postecoglou’s midfield.
Signing for Everton from French club Lille for £33m in August 2022, Onana arrived with a weight of expectation after establishing himself as one of the most exciting rising stars in Ligue 1, and while Everton have struggled against relegation this season and last, his monstrous presence has added the requisite mettle and mojo.
A tough player, Onana ranks among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles and the top 5% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, showcasing that solid defensive base and tenacity in winning the ball back, be it on the ground or in the air.
He’s also earned 12 caps for Belgium, making his debut during the summer of 2022, and has led journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango to pronounce him as a “midfield powerhouse”.
Tottenham have some solid building blocks in place but there is far too much still to improve and Onana would go a long way toward making the requisite upgrade in the engine room to both charge Postecoglou’s high-octane system and add the strength to ensure that the defence is finally revived to it’s past fortitude.
Bissouma, aforementioned, is the first-choice holding midfielder at Tottenham but he has increasingly come under fire for his poor performances, last crafting a sustained run of good form before jetting off to the African Cup of Nations with Mali in January – and even then, he was serving a suspension for making a reckless lunging challenge against Nottingham Forest in December.
Postecoglou has been reluctant to place Bissouma on the bench this season but this is more due to the lack of reliable options at his disposal, with Hojbjerg lacking in mobility and Oliver Skipp lacking in the quality to cement a top spot in the first-team – the latter duo criticised by Perry Groves last season as they “don’t do anything”.
When analysing and comparing the respective sets of metrics tabled above, there are several notable points of importance. One: Onana, who is nearly five years younger than Bissouma, already displays a complete skill set that will likely surpass the Malian’s. Two: The Blues star is crisper in challenges and more energetic and active in closing down opponents and recovering possession Three: He is a far cooler head, with Bissouma’s disciplinary record precluding his chances of finding fluency.
Might it be that Tottenham’s No. 6 might have simply hit a brilliant, but unsustainable, purple patch during the early phase of the campaign, now exposed for his frailties, foibles that have devolved into something more pressing: an internal obstacle inhibiting the Lilywhites squad from taking that next step in the Premier League and securing a spot among Europe’s elite once more.
https://x.com/mitch_fretton/status/1779119360700813628
Bissouma has the inborn technical quality, he’s imbued with a sense of swagger that, when shining, performs masterfully well. But he’s inconsistent, irregular in his influence and command in the centre of the park.
Reports on the matter of Spurs’ interest in Onana believe that selling Hojbjerg could be the best way to free up space for the Goodison Park phenom’s arrival.
But if Tottenham truly seek prominence and prosperity of a kind beyond anything that the devoted supporters have been treated to over the past several decades, then bold, purposeful ventures must be made, statements of intent that signal toward the divisional heavyweights that here is an outfit soaring to the top.
Lest we forget that Postecoglou’s project has not yet finished its first year, there’s plenty more to come but only if the impressive recruitment is continued under Levy and built upon to narrow the canyon between Tottenham and the top.
