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Considering a new manager was appointed and they lost their most important player, Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur have had an excellent start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
The Lilywhites currently sit in fifth place after 16 matches, picking up 30 points and nine wins. The latest of those came last weekend against Newcastle, as they swept the Magpies aside with a 4-1 victory.
Each of Ange Postecoglou’s signings since he was appointed as Spurs’ manager have been a hit, yet the Australian is keen to add another attacker to his squad.
According to the Mirror, Postecoglou has his eye on a handful of players this winter, ranging from centre backs to strikers. A name that features on that list is Brentford star Ivan Toney.
Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in the forward, who is open to leaving the Bees, but his club is hopeful of keeping hold of him until the summer.
The 27-year-old has a market value of £30m according to Transfermarkt, but Brentford are reportedly only willing to accept £100m this winter.
Toney proved to be one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League last season, scoring 20 goals in 33 starts for a mid-table club, and you can just imagine the impact he would have in a side with creativity in abundance like Spurs.
Despite Heung-min Son performing brilliantly as a makeshift centre forward – scoring ten league goals this season – Spurs must sign a replacement for Kane, who left for Bayern Munich in the summer, and there isn’t a better striker available than Toney, who has been described as “like Harry Kane” by England star Declan Rice.
Although Toney doesn’t get near Kane’s playmaking and passing ability from a statistical perspective, it is important to take the team they played for into context. But based on the statistics below, it is clear that the number 17 is a true number nine and this is how he compares to Kane.
|
Toney vs Kane 2022/23 Premier League stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Toney |
Kane |
|
Goals |
0.61 |
0.79 |
|
xG |
0.57 |
0.57 |
|
Shots total |
2.65 |
3.28 |
|
Shot creating actions from fouls drawn |
0.43 |
0.32 |
|
Passes into final third |
1.65 |
2.64 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Postecoglou currently doesn’t have the facilities to field an instinctive finisher who has played solely as a striker throughout their career, and signing Toney could elevate Spurs to the next level.
Son, Pedro Porro, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski are all creative monsters, boasting at least six big chances created each this season, and when you combine that with Toney’s movement and box presence, you would fancy Spurs to cause havoc in attack against any team in Europe.
However, it is important to note that Toney would bring much more than just goals to the table, as he would also provide physicality to the attack and make the Lilywhites much more dangerous from set pieces. His work rate off the ball is also excellent, and he would slot right into the high-pressing, relentless Spurs side.
Unfortunately for the new boss, Kane would have been the final piece to the puzzle this season, but Toney definitely has the potential to get close to the ex-captain's output. Even though Maddison has hit the ground running, the Brentford man could just become the best signing of the Ange era so far.
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Mauricio Pochettino has plenty of options when it comes to his next move after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season.
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Newcastle United are preparing a big-money offer for an "excellent" attacking player currently on the books of a European giant, according to a new transfer rumour.
The start of the January transfer window isn't far away now, and Eddie Howe could be desperate to make some new signings to add to his injury-hit squad.
Newcastle have been so unfortunate in the fitness department this season, having to make do without many important players at different times, while Sandro Tonali's 10-month suspension has also been a big blow that has only added to the woes.
The Magpies have certainly been linked with plenty of players in recent times, with individuals in various areas of the pitch potentially being targeted next month.
In defence, the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie have been backed to join Newcastle, with the pair currently shining for Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.
Kalvin Phillips continues to look like the Magpies' primary midfield target in January, as he aims to bring an end to a disappointing spell at Manchester City, while VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy is seen as someone who could boost Howe's attacking options moving forward.
According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are also readying a big offer for Juventus youngster Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at Frosinone.
The update states that the Magpies are "ready to put €25m (£21.6m) on the table" and make a move for the 20-year-old, with a recent report suggesting Newcastle are the frontrunners to snap him up.
Juventus are willing to wait until the end of the season to part ways with Soule, however, due to him currently enjoying his loan spell.
He could be a strong signing by Newcastle if they strike a deal in one of the upcoming transfer windows, though, with Frosinone manager Eusebio Di Francesco hailing him last month, saying:
"In certain aspects, he resembles Berardi, but he must learn to shoot on goal more often. He doesn’t lack qualities and has excellent dribbling, but in the game, he needs to be more lucid when making his choices. My thought is that his talent should not be limited; with time and experience, he will improve in many aspects."
This season, Soule has scored goals six in 14 Serie A appearances, which is a good return for a side who are currently sitting 13th in the table, and he is a player who should only get better the more he matures in the coming years.
Whether Newcastle can strike a deal in January looks debatable given the player's loan situation, but even if they decide to wait until the summer, it is a move they should certainly consider.
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Soule also has a combined tally of 10 caps for Argentina at youth level – seven for the Under-20s and three for the Under-16s – further showing what an exciting young prospect he is.
Manchester United are expected to move Mason Greenwood on this summer, but he could still re-join their squad before any transfer deal is done.
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While Chelsea fans might have gone into this season hoping for a more fruitful campaign under new boss Mauricio Pochettino, any such hopes would have surely been quashed by the last five months of performances.
Despite spending big in the summer to back the Argentine, the Blues currently find themselves in tenth place and miles off Champions League qualification as the Premier League pauses for a short winter break.
That said, the club's lengthy injury list hasn't helped things, and while Christopher Nkunku and others have made their return to the first team – albeit to get injured again – Wesley Fofana might not get that chance.
The latest player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, Jean-Clair Todibo, could take advantage of the youngster's poor injury record and displace him in Pochettino's XI.
According to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Chelsea are among a number of clubs interested in signing OGC Nice's highly-rated defender, Todibo.
The reporter for RMCsport revealed that Manchester United and AC Milan are the two of the other interested parties, but that the French side hope to keep him this winter, while Fabrizio Romano reported that Tottenham Hotspur were also interested in the Frenchman in December.
Alongside the competition, one of the biggest barriers to this deal being completed is the price tag that the Ligue 1 side have placed on the 24-year-old's head, which, according to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, is around €60m, or about £52m.
While it would require Todd Boehly and co to once again dip into their seemingly endless supply of money, it might be worth it to ensure that the club have a brilliant centre-back at their disposal given Fofana's injury record.
Now, a move like this could be seen as unfair on a talented young player like Fofana. After all, he hasn't even had much of a chance to prove himself in a Chelsea shirt, but therein lies what is probably the primary motivator for the club to sign someone like Todibo: availability.
The former Leicester City star has already missed 52 games – and counting – for club and country since moving to west London, and while the severity of the injuries has dramatically increased since his transfer, he was still suffering from knee problems in the Midlands and back in France.
Across his senior career, he has missed 155 games, suffered six knee injuries, a hamstring strain, a broken fibula, and is currently out with a cruciate ligament tear. In contrast, Todibo has missed just 40 games in his career, and while that still could be better, it's an awful lot better than Fofana.
With that said, how do the pair compare when looking at their underlying numbers?
Well, when taking the 17 games Fofana played last season and the 14 Todibo has played this season, it's quite hard to argue the Chelsea man's case, as despite emerging victorious in some metrics, he comes out second best in most of the others.
For example, the Nice "Rolls Royce", as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, makes more blocks and clearances per 90, recovers more balls and produces more progressive passes.
|
Jean-Clair Todibo vs Wesley Fofana |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Todibo |
Fofana |
|
Progressive Carries |
0.74 |
2.12 |
|
Progressive Passes |
4.85 |
3.25 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
90.6% |
88.5% |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
1.47 |
0.99 |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.29 |
0.13 |
|
Tackles Won |
1.03 |
1.32 |
|
Blocks |
1.47 |
1.19 |
|
Clearances |
3.53 |
2.52 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
8.09 |
5.10 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 2022/23 & 2023/24 Domestic Season |
||
Ultimately, the slight edge that the "solid as a rock" Todibo has, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is multiplied by the simple fact that he isn't going to be spending significant portions of his career with the medical staff.
It might be harsh on Fofana, but it would be smart business from the Blues if they go through with this deal.
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Rangers are believed to have made contact with an "excellent" player over a move to Ibrox in the January transfer window, according to a fresh update.
It looks as though the Gers will look to sign a new left-back this month, with a number of different players linked with coming in and filling the potential void left by Ridvan Yilmaz, should he leave the club.
Hellas Verona defender Josh Doig is one individual who has emerged as an option for Philippe Clement, as he possibly looks to return to the Scottish Premiership, while Liverpool youngster Owen Beck is also seen as an option to come in and provide more quality down the left flank.
Over the weekend, Bristol City's Cameron Pring is another name who has been thrown into the hat, providing competition for the players mentioned above, while Benfica's David Jurasek has also been backed to possibly trade the Portuguese giants for Rangers.
Much may depend on what happens regarding Yilmaz, of course – various links have suggested that he could depart this month – but a significant update has now emerged regarding one of the left-back targets.
According to A Bola [via Ibrox News], Rangers have now been in contact with Benfica over left-back Jurasek and a move to the club this month.
The 23-year-old looks set to be available, assuming Manchester United youngster Alvaro Fernandez heads to Benfica, and he "must now go on loan", according to the report. Ligue 1 pair Marseille and Lens have both also been seen as possible suitors for Jurasek, with the former also thought to be interested in rivalling Rangers for the signing of Doig.
|
David Jurasek's Primeira Liga stats this season |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
6 |
|
Starts |
2 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.5 |
|
Clearances per game |
1.5 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.2 |
|
Pass completion rate |
80.4% |
The Benfica man appears to stand out as a good option for the Gers in January, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig heaping praise on his overall game, saying:
"Attacking full-back, fast, powerful & athletic, inexhaustible energy, vertical player who’s always looking to push forward at every opportunity. Superb crossing skills, tenacious & committed in duels, high work rate, determination & winning mentality 22 years of age. Excellent left-back we will see in a top league rather sooner than later."
Jurasek is still only 23 years of age, so Rangers would be snapping up someone who could improve a lot in the coming years, and the fact that he is a five-time capped Czech Republic international shows that he has been deemed good enough to get a chance on the biggest stage.
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This season, the left-back has made three appearances in the Champions League, not to mention registering one assist for his country in Euro 2024 qualifying, so he could bring so much quality to Clement's team in the Scottish Premiership title battle.
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