After a few weeks of relative silence, Tottenham Hotspur made their first splash of the transfer window this week.
Ange Postecoglou looks set to land highly-rated Archie Gray from Leeds United in a £30m deal to become the club's first permanent signing of the window.
However, there is no rest for the bad guys, and based on the latest reports, the latest player to be tipped for a move to the club plays in the position that Gray excelled in last season and could be the perfect match for Pedro Porro.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Italy, Tottenham are one of the few clubs interested in Fiorentina right-back Michael Kayode, and have already seen a bid rejected.
The report claims that Aston Villa have also made an unsuccessful bid for the 19-year-old talent.
The good news for the Lilywhites is that the Serie A side will listen to offers in the region of €25m, which translates to £21m.
It won't be a cheap move to get over the line, but given his age and the way he talks, it's a move worth pursuing, especially as he could challenge Porro for a place in the team.
Why Kayode would be a good opponent for Porro
Now, at just 19 years of age and with one full season of top-flight football under his belt, it would be incredibly unfair to expect Kayode to come into the Spurs team and immediately sack Porro after a fantastic season in which he returned 11 goals and assisted 37 games.
However, he could provide a challenge and, after that, be Postecoglou's backup in the right-back position ahead of Emerson Royal – if he doesn't go, that is.
In addition, respected data analyst Ben Mattinson described the youngster as a defender who was “absolutely defensive” last year, suggesting that he could be the perfect complement to Porro's attacking nature and slow expression when the club needs to defend a lead.
Mattinson continues to expand on what makes the Italian a “1v1 & duel monster,” explaining that he “uses attackers to slow down the threat and force a decision,” which is an amazing skill for a player of his age.
That being said, how do his basic numbers stack up against the Lilywhites' two right-back options?
|
Kayode vs Porro vs Royal |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
The math is 90 |
Kayode |
Porro |
Royal |
|
Expected Goals Non-Penalty + Assist |
0.09 |
0.30 |
0.05 |
|
It helps |
0.06 |
0.19 |
0.00 |
|
Continuous passes |
3.38 |
5.66 |
4.42 |
|
Progressive Caries |
1.85 |
1.66 |
1.63 |
|
Continuous passes received |
4.22 |
4.61 |
2.71 |
|
Exceeding Accuracy |
81.4% |
76.2% |
90.3% |
|
Jump into the Punishment area |
0.73 |
0.29 |
0.10 |
|
It goes to the Punishment area |
1.09 |
1.40 |
0.54 |
|
Actions to Create a Gun |
1.71 |
3.12 |
1.63 |
|
Fighting |
2.15 |
2.65 |
2.79 |
|
Ideas |
0.84 |
1.02 |
1.32 |
|
Mistakes That Lead to Firing |
0.07 |
0.09 |
0.08 |
|
Successful Takeovers |
0.84 |
0.76 |
0.78 |
|
Dispossessed |
0.33 |
0.44 |
0.93 |
|
All Stats by FBref for 23/24 |
|||
Well, the clear winner is unsurprisingly the former Sporting CP ace, but in a positive sign, the Fiorentina star comes out on top in several metrics, including continuous carries, crosses into the penalty area, and successful takes. He also lost a little space and made a few mistakes that led to shots, all 90.
Furthermore, if you look at his numbers compared to Royal's, he comes out ahead in many statistics, suggesting that he could, at the very least, be better than the Brazilian.
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The impressive striker has been a part of his team that has seen success.
Ultimately, signing young players from other leagues will always be a gamble, but with the way he is being talked about and his impressive numbers, Kayode looks like he could be the right signing to come in and really push Porro in the coming years.
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