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Conte wanted Spurs to sign star now worth £62m but got Richarlison instead

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Tottenham Hotspur are a club that have been blessed with a number of seriously talented players over the years.

The likes of Luka Modrić and Gareth Bale wowed fans in the early 2010s, Harry Kane broke through just a few years later, and Son Heung-min is now captaining the side and can still look incredibly dangerous at times.

However, the Lilywhites have also had their fair share of less successful signings over the years, and while there is still time to turn it around, Richarlison looks like he might be the club's latest big-money flop.

What makes it worse is that just a few months before they signed the Brazilian, Antonio Conte was pushing the club to secure the services of a player who's been on fire this season.

Richarlison's Spurs career

In June 2022, Tottenham spent a whopping £60m on Everton forward Richarlison, who had looked like a sensational talent for the Toffees over the last few years.

In all, the Brazilian attacker scored 53 goals and provided 13 assists in 152 appearances for the Merseysiders before moving down south, but unfortunately for the Lilywhites, his form did not follow him.

The 27-year-old's first campaign in the capital saw him score just three goals and provide four assists in 25 appearances. While he did improve last year, racking up 12 goals and four assists in 31 games, it would be fair to say he has flattered to deceive so far.

However, while there is still time for him to improve, it does look like Postecoglou and Co have given up on him ever becoming the club's starting number nine, as they splashed £65m on Dominic Solanke in the summer.

So, it's hard to deny that when his fee and impact are taken into account, Richarlison's move to Tottenham has been a failure, one made worse by the fact that a player the club tried to sign first is now tearing it up for a rival.

Spurs' failed pursuit of Luis Diaz

Yes, in the January transfer window, about six months before they signed Richarlison, Spurs were gunning to secure the services of Colombian international Luis Diaz.

According to an article from the Guardian at the time, Conte wanted to strengthen his team, and the then Porto star was one of the club's key targets, so much so, in fact, that they made a £37.6m offer, which the club rejected.

Unfortunately for the North Londoners, this forced Liverpool into action, and just a few days later, they signed the tricky winger for an initial fee of £37.5m with £12.5m in further add-ons.

Since then, the 27-year-old dynamo has been through an awful lot on and off the pitch, and while there were some questions over his ability at points last season, he has started this year like a house on fire.

So far, the Barrancas-born star has scored five goals and provided one assist in just six games.

Unsurprisingly, such incredible form has seen his valuation soar as well, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at around €75m, which is about £62m.

Ultimately, while all clubs miss out on transfer targets, Diaz would have been sensational under Postecoglou, and while Richarlison could eventually prove to be worth his £60m fee, it feels like that ship has well and truly sailed now.

£70m wasted: Ange must axe Spurs dud who earns more than Porro & Bentancur

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It's been all change at Tottenham Hotspur over the last year and a bit, with club legend Harry Kane moving to Germany and the somewhat unknown Ange Postecoglou being handed the reigns in the same summer.

Since then, the North Londoners have become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country and have welcomed in a swathe of exciting young talents while finally getting rid of several players who just weren't good enough.

However, despite the significant changes to the squad over the summer, there are still a few players that Daniel Levy and Ange need to move on as soon as possible, including one who earns more than Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Porro and Bentancur's salaries at Spurs

The Lilywhites signed Porro from Portuguese giants Sporting CP on an initial loan in January 2023 with an obligation to buy for around £39m in the summer, and in the season and a half since, he has more than justified that fee.

So far, the incredible Spaniard has made 59 appearances for the North Londoners, primarily at right-back, in which he has racked up a seriously impressive haul of eight goals and ten assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.27 games.

This sensational attacking ability has unsurprisingly made the 25-year-old one of Postecoglou's most important players, and while it's a lot of money, he's undoubtedly justifying his £85k-per-week wage.

Likewise, Bentancur, who joined Spurs for around £21.5m, including add-ons in January 2022, is another player who is arguably justifying his £75k-per-week wage.

Since moving to N17, the "technically immense" Uruguay international, as dubbed by broadcaster Adam Smith, has made 74 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists. While he has had injury problems, Tottenham are a far better team when he's in the lineup.

Overall, both Porro and Bentancur have proven to be worth their initial transfer fee and wage packet, which unfortunately cannot be said about one of their teammates.

Richarlison's salary at Spurs

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his form in the last two years, the Spurs player who simply isn't justifying his wage or transfer fee is Richarlison.

The Brazilian forward joined the North Londoners from Everton in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of around £60m, and while that was a significant fee at the time, his form for the Toffees suggested that he might really be worth that much.

For example, in his time with the Merseysiders, the 48-capped international scored 53 goals and provided 13 assists in 152 appearances, but as Tottenham fans will attest, he has not shown that sort of form over the last two seasons.

In fact, in his first campaign with the club, the 27-year-old scored just three goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances, while last season, he did slightly better and ended the year with 12 goals and four assists in 31 games.

Unfortunately, after making substitute appearances in the first two games of the season, the Nova Venécia-born star has since been sidelined with an unknown injury, and it looks like he'll remain out for quite some time.

So, with everything that has happened over the last two years, it would be hard to argue that the former Everton ace has been worth the £60m the club paid for him, let alone his £90k-per-week wages, which have since amounted to around £10.4m.

Ultimately, while Richalison is a talented player who has done well for Brazil, he has not done anywhere near enough at Spurs, so while it may be harsh, Ange and Levy should look to move him on in January, or failing that, next summer.

Defoe loved him: £26m Spurs signing became the biggest "flop of the season"

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Tottenham Hotspur might not necessarily have the silverware to show it, but they have been blessed with some incredible players over the years.

The likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min helped to define the Premier League during the Mauricio Pochettino era.

Gareth Bale was arguably the best player in the world during the 2012/13 season, and even some of the less celebrated stars like Jermain Defoe remain English footballing icons.

However, while the North Londoners have had plenty of incredible talents over the years, they have also endured a fair few flops as well, with perhaps no group of disappointments more iconic than the 'magnificent seven' signed after Bale's departure, which included one player who seriously failed to deliver on his promise.

The 'magnificent seven'

Okay, let's start with the only signing who was an unmitigated success with Spurs: Christian Eriksen.

He joined the club from Ajax for £11.5m and would go on to make 305 appearances for the club, in which he'd score 69 goals, provide 88 assists, and reach the Champions League final in 2019.

The other player who could be argued to be a success in North London was Erik Lamela, who joined the club from AS Roma for about £25.7m and would go on to make 257 appearances for the club, in which he racked up 44 assists and 37 goals, including a Puskas winner in the North London Derby that is every bit as spectacular as you'd expect it to be.

Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, every other player signed with the Bale money proved to be flops of varying degrees.

The likes of Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, and Paulinho all eventually left the club having made little to no impact.

However, one final player in that group joined with a lot of expectations on his shoulders that the others did not, and so his failure in North London received far more attention from fans and pundits alike, and understandably so.

Roberto Soldado's Spurs career

Yes, the player in question is, of course, Roberto Soldado, which is a name that might still send shivers down the spines of Spurs fans to this very day.

The North Londoners paid Valencia a hefty fee of £26m to secure the Spaniard's signature in August 2013, and considering he had just scored 30 goals and provided five assists in 46 games the season before, it's easy to understand why.

Moreover, as he was coming to the club in such incredible form, it made sense why Defoe described him as a player who could take the Lilywhites to the "next level" that summer, but unfortunately for all involved, that did not even come remotely close to happening.

"I can see why Spurs fans would be excited about Soldado coming because I am excited myself about the prospect of playing with him. He is a fantastic striker – sharp around the box and hungry to score goals." - Defoe on Soldado.

Instead, the man who couldn't stop scoring just the season before suddenly looked like an entirely average striker at best, and as journalist Sam Tighe said, "the flop of the season" at worst.

Now, in his defence, he did end his first season with 11 goals and five assists in 36 games, which looks alright. Still, in his 28 Premier League games, he only scored six goals and provided five assists, which is undeniably disappointing for a player expected to challenge for the Golden Boot.

Moreover, in his second season in England, the Valencia-born marksman could only muster a meagre return of five goals and six assists in 40 appearances, after which he was sold to Villarreal for just £7m that summer.

Over the following eight seasons, the 12-capped international would play for the Yellow Submarines, Fenerbahçe, Granada and Levante, but he would never reach the same incredible heights he did at Valencia before finally retiring last summer.

Ultimately, Soldado was an undeniably talented striker - you only have to look at his record for Valencia to see that - but for whatever reason, he was an unequivocal flop at White Hart Lane and couldn't quite live up to Defoe's lofty expectations.

Ange must axe Spurs dud who earns way more than Van de Ven & Johnson

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Tottenham Hotspur have endured a mixed start to their campaign so far this year, although based on their performances last season, that shouldn't be all that surprising.

Ange Postecoglou's side were only able to pick up one win from their opening four games, but a late comeback against Coventry City in the League Cup last week might have been the spark they needed as, despite going behind early on against Brentford on Saturday, the Lilywhites came away deserved 3-1 winners.

However, while things might be getting better, there are still several players in the squad who clearly aren't good enough, including one who makes more than Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven.

Johnson and Van de Ven's salaries at Spurs

Tottenham paid Nottingham Forest about £47.5m for the services of Johnson last summer, and while it took him a little while to get to grips with life in N17, he eventually ended the season with a respectable haul of five goals and ten assists in just 34 appearances.

This year has been more of the same for the Welshman, as while he has struggled at points and dealt with his fair share of criticism in the process, he has found the back of the net on two occasions in just six games.

Although he's not in scintillating form, the 23-year-old has the backing of his manager and can clearly impact games going forward, so it would probably be fair to say he's worth the £70k-per-week he is earning.

Likewise, Van de Ven has proven that he is undoubtedly worth the £50k-per-week he is on, as, despite hamstring problems causing him to miss several games last season, his incredible speed makes him a crucial cog in Postecoglou's system.

The Dutchman set a new sprint speed record of 37.38km/h last season, and while he's more than just his speed, it's this unique skill for a centre-back that allows the manager to play such a high defensive line, safe in the knowledge that the former Wolfsburg ace will be there to clean up any mistakes.

Overall, while both players fill very different roles in the Spurs' team, both are deserving of their current wages, which is unfortunately not something that can be said for one of their teammates.

Fraser Forster's salary at Spurs

So, the player in question is not a first-team regular but is, in fact, backup goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

The Englishman joined the club on a free transfer in June 2022, and since then, he has featured about as regularly as you'd expect a second-choice keeper to, making 22 appearances across all competitions in the two years since.

However, as demonstrated in the game against Coventry last week, the former Southampton ace is clearly not up to the level required to fill in for Guglielmo Vicario.

He gave away the ball early on when trying to play out from the back, looked generally uncomfortable throughout the game and received a warranted 3/10 rating from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.

Moreover, aside from Stefan Ortega at Manchester City, the Englishman is the highest paid backup keeper among the 'big six', as the Lilywhites are paying the 36-year-old a considerable salary of £75k-per-week, which seems outrageous from the outside.

Ultimately, while Forster may be good enough for a lower-level Premier League side, he is no longer good enough for Tottenham, and Postecoglou should look to move him on and replace him as soon as possible.

Tottenham showing interest in "elegant" star who plays "like Chris Waddle"

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Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Dominic Solanke opened his goalscoring account for the club with a strike against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. The England international rebounded James Maddison's miss to tap the ball into an empty net, after failing to score in his first three appearances for Spurs.

Daniel Levy agreed a club-record fee of up to £65m to sign the former Chelsea and Liverpool prospect from fellow top-flight side Bournemouth in the summer transfer window.

Spurs could now turn to another player from lower down in the Premier League table, as they are reportedly eyeing up a Southampton starlet to further boost the attacking depth at the manager's disposal.

Latest Tottenham transfer news

According to HITC, Tottenham are showing an interest in Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. The report claims that Spurs were one of a number of Premier League sides to send scouts to watch the winger in action against Ipswich Town on Saturday, as they watched him open the scoring for Russell Martin's side.

Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Brighton, West Ham, and Manchester United were also keeping tabs on the 18-year-old whiz, which shows that he is attracting plenty of interest already this season.

The outlet does not, however, reveal how much Southampton would demand for his services, should any of those teams come in with a formal approach for him in January. It now remains to be seen whether or not Spurs are prepared to act upon their interest by swooping to secure his signature ahead of the second half of the season.

Why Tyler Dibling would be an exciting signing

During TalkSPORT's commentary of Manchester United's 3-0 win over the Saints earlier this month, Sam Matterface claimed the teenager has a "classic" winger style and "looks a little bit like Chris Waddle back in the day with his shirt untucked".

If Dibling goes on to be anywhere near as good as Waddle, who scored 41 goals in 165 games for Spurs and earned 62 caps for England, then the Southampton starlet will have done well.

The teenage ace won a penalty in that defeat to the Red Devils, beating Diogo Dalot and forcing the defender into a foul, but it was subsequently missed by Cameron Archer.

Dibling has only started two league matches for the Saints but has already scored his first goal in the division, created five chances and completed nine dribbles. The England U19 international, who was described as an "elegant" talent by scout Jacek Kulig, earned his chance in the first-team after a return of eight goals and six assists in 27 games for Southampton B and already looks ready to contribute at the top end of the pitch at Premier League level.

Spurs closely tracking £25m new transfer target likened to Gareth Bale

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Tottenham Hotspur secured their second win of the Premier League season on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Brentford, having gone behind inside the opening minute. Summer signing Dominic Solanke scored his first goal for the club, tapping in from close range after rebounding James Maddison's miss, and Ange Postecoglou will be hoping for plenty more moments like that from the English centre-forward.

He is the first summer signing to score for Spurs in the Premier League this season and bolstering the manager's attacking options looks set to be on the agenda for January.

In fact, Daniel Levy has already started to identify targets to pursue in the next transfer window, to potentially boost the attacking ranks ahead of the second half of the season, with Richarlison's injury issues made worse by new signing Wilson Odobert also picking up a problem last week.

Latest Tottenham transfer news

According to CaughtOffside, Spurs are one of a number of clubs interested in a swoop to sign Galatasaray winger Baris Yilmaz after the turn of the year. The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest are also keen on the Turkey international. This shows that the Lilywhites will face competition for his services if they decide to make a move for him in 2025.

It states that the Super Lig champions are willing to allow the forward - who can also play up front - to move on for a fee of around €30m (£25m) and that there could be movement on his situation in the 'not too distant' future. CaughtOffside adds that Spurs have been closely following Yilmaz's progress with the Turkish giants, but does not reveal whether or not Levy is prepared to make an official offer for his services in January.

Yilmaz has already earned comparisons to Gareth Bale

Speaking to GS Gazette, as quoted by the Daily Express, Kayserispor manager Ilker Puren compared the 24-year-old star to former Tottenham star Gareth Bale. Puren stated that they are similar in terms of their strength and speed with the ball at their feet, as they can "sprint three or four meters after eliminating the opponent with the ball".

Bale graced the flanks for Spurs for a number of years, scoring 71 goals and providing 53 assists in 237 games across two spells, as a scorer and a creator of goals. Yilmaz, like the retired Welsh superstar, is a right winger who can provide his team with goals and assists at an impressive rate, based on his form since the start of last season.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old ace has enjoyed a terrific start to the current campaign, with four goals and three 'big chances' created for his teammates in six appearances. This comes after the Turkish wizard produced six goals and created ten 'big chances' in 28 starts in the Super Lig during the 2023/24 campaign for Galatasaray.

If Levy wants to bolster Postecoglou's options in the wide areas ahead of the second half of the season, Yilmaz could be an exciting option to pursue, with his record in Turkey and the comparisons to Bale.

Levy wanted Spurs to sign amazing star for £450k, now he's worth £152m

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Brennan Johnson has had quite the week. Following the north London derby the Tottenham winger was forced to delete his Instagram page.

The Welshman was a target of vile abuse across social media after his display against the Gunners but it's a testament to his character as to how he's bounced back over the last two games.

Johnson scored the winning goal against Coventry City in the EFL Cup and then scored once again when Brentford visited Spurs on a Saturday afternoon.

The former Nottingham Forest star went from the boo boy to the saviour. It now really does feel like his Tottenham career is off the ground.

Johnson's career could hardly be considered a failure up to this point but Spurs have signed some notable duds throughout the years in the forward positions.

Remember Roberto Soldado? Of course, you do. Remember Clinton N'Jie? Yikes, Daniel Levy hasn't always got things right, has he?

Johnson can count his lucky stars that he wasn't quite as bad as a certain Vincent Janssen was for the Lilywhites.

Vincent Janssen's time at Spurs

In the summer of 2016, the London club raided the Netherlands to bring AZ Alkmaar striker Vincent Janssen to White Hart Lane in an £18.6m deal.

Upon his arrival in the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino was seemingly delighted to be adding to his strike force which included rising star Harry Kane, suggesting the Dutchman "ticked all of the boxes that we needed."

Well, if those boxes included the words 'failed signing' then he certainly did tick that.

The forward's time on English shores was sadly unsuccessful as the now 30-year-old scored just six goals across 42 outings before departing for Monterrey in Mexico.

Now playing for Royal Antwerp in Belgium, Janssen has rediscovered himself, finding the net on 17 occasions during the 2023/24 season.

It could have been oh-so different for the Netherlands international. It could have been incredibly different for Spurs too who missed out on a certain Kylian Mbappe the same year Janssen signed.

When Spurs missed out on Kylian Mbappe

We're casting your minds back to the winter of 2015/16 with this famed tale. It was a cold December evening when Daniel Levy was impressed with what he saw of a teen Mbappe.

He appeared as a second-half substitute for Monaco against Pochettino's side in the Europa League where a 16-year-old Mbappe swiftly picked up an assist. After that, scouts were reportedly sent to watch the player in action but sadly a move did never materialise.

Real Madrid - his current club - were already interested but the Frenchman was smart and stuck around in France to undergo the next stage of his development.

Mbappe would eventually go on to sign for PSG but not before he penned his first professional contract with the principality, thus removing the possibility of acquiring the wonderkid on a £450,000 compensation deal.

We all know what happened next. The forward is a World Cup winner, in contention for the Ballon d'Or and the scorer of many a goal.

At PSG, the 25-year-old sensation scored 256 goals in 308 games and has already found the net six times in eight games for Madrid.

He's a remarkable talent, one now valued at an almighty price tag of £152m and just ever so slightly better than the aforementioned Janssen.

We jest, of course, but this is a classic story of what might have been for all parties here. Mbappe was only in his formative years but the talent was clearly there and Spurs - had they performed an impressive sales pitch - could have been the owners of one of the finest talents in world football.

They did, at least, have Kane at their disposal so it's not all bad. Just imagine the two of them playing together in the same team.

£110k-p/w Spurs star is becoming their best player over Son

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This has been a topsy-turvy start to the new campaign for Tottenham who have won just twice to open up the Premier League season.

An opening weekend draw to Leicester was followed up with a comfortable win over Everton but since then it has not been plain sailing.

Ange Postecoglou has faced criticism and understandably so following two straight defeats to Newcastle and Arsenal. The display against Coventry City in the League Cup was far from ideal either, leaving it late against Championship opposition to secure their path to the next round.

So, when Bryan Mbeumo scored within the first minute on Saturday, frustrations began to boil over.

It would have been easy for this Spurs side to crumble but they showed great mental fortitude to fight back and see off Brentford 3-1 courtesy of goals from James Maddison, comeback man Brennan Johnson and a first strike for Dominic Solanke.

Spurs’ attacking performance

This has been quite the week for Johnson. The Welshman hasn’t been at his best this term but the waves of criticism the winger received for his display against Arsenal a week ago wasn’t acceptable.

How he has fought back. Johnson scored the winner a few days ago against Coventry and found the net once more against Thomas Frank’s side on Saturday. A chorus of chants rung around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in support of him. Quite right.

It was also pleasing for Solanke to get off the mark. Since his £65m move from Bournemouth, the striker has struggled with injury but is fit and firing now in Spurs colours. This will likely be the first of many goals during his time in north London.

It was Maddison who truly stole the show though, with his performance duly handed a 10/10 match rating by Football.London’s Alasdair Gold who suggested it was 'his best performance in a Spurs shirt'.

Not only did the attacking midfielder score but he also supplied three key passes and won a whopping ten duels. It’s not a bad afternoon’s work at all, is it?

So where was star man Son Heung-min in all of this? Well, the skipper failed to score but he did provide two assists as he flew under the radar.

He will continue to be their focal point this season but there’s a man down at N17 who’s now becoming just as important; Dejan Kulusevski.

Kulusevski’s performance in numbers this season

The Swede has played in a multitude of positions this season and after a struggle from several Tottenham wide players in the opening weeks of the season it was rather baffling that he continued to operate more centrally.

Well, such a decision has clearly been proven right as far as Postecoglou is concerned. Johnson is thriving now down Kulusevski’s favoured right-hand side and the former Juventus man is now shining in a deeper role.

It was from central midfield that the Sweden international looked so at ease on Saturday, supplying three key passes and producing three shots at the Brentford goal.

It wasn’t the most jaw-dropping of displays but he is without a doubt the best creator in this Tottenham side this season, producing 2.76 key passes per 90 according to FBRef. For context, that’s a higher rate than Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (2.63) and higher than Maddison (2.57).

For shot-creating actions per 90 (6.98) he ranks fourth in this season’s Premier League and for goal-creating actions, he is the division’s tenth-best player.

Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.

If we’re comparing the £110k-per-week star further afield, then Kulusevski is performing better than some global superstars for shot-creating actions, performing more than Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal (6.11) and Vinicius Jr (5.99). To summarise, the wide man is pretty damn good.

Those numbers are all the more intriguing when you consider that the 24-year-old has still only recorded one goal involvement this term in league action, assisting a strike in the rout over Everton.

It is surely only a matter of time before those base numbers improve. He was excellent against the Bees and with a player like Solanke ahead of him, those key passes are only more likely to turn into goals.

It is usually so often about Son down at Tottenham but Maddison and Kulusevski have now shown it doesn’t necessarily need to be. Perhaps brighter days do in fact lie ahead under Ange.

Ange's 8/10 Spurs star was just as unplayable as Maddison vs Brentford

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Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League after a disappointing defeat in last Sunday’s North London Derby. They secured all three points by beating Brentford 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, despite going 1-0 down thanks to a first-minute Bryan Mbeumo goal.

It was not long before the Lilywhites were back on level terms, however, and it was a moment to rejoice for Dominic Solnake. He got his first goal in a Spurs shirt to draw his side level just seven minutes after Thomas Frank’s side took the lead.

Just 20 minutes after Solanke’s first goal for the club, Ange Postecolgou’s side went into the lead. Welsh winger Brennan Johnson scored his second goal in a week after he got a late winner against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup. James Maddison sealed the win in the 85th minute, with the second and third goals being assisted by captain Son Heung-min.

There were certainly some standout performers from the Lilywhites, not least Maddison, who was impressive aside from his goal.

Maddison’s stats vs. Brentford

England international Maddison was one of the stars of the show for Postecolglou’s side at on Saturday afternoon. As well as his late goal, the 27-year-old pulled the strings in midfield and was also superb out of possession.

His goal was certainly well taken; the Englishman latched onto a pass from his captain, Son, and ran through one-on-one with Mark Flekken, cutely dinking the ball over Brentford’s number one to seal the points for his side.

His stats on Sofascore demonstrate perfectly how well he played. The former Leicester City man had 81 touches of the ball and an 88% pass accuracy.

He created three chances, and won an incredible ten of his 18 ground duels, showing it is not just his ability with the ball that makes him a crucial player for Spurs.

Football London journalist Alasdair Gold was also clearly impressed with Maddison’s efforts. He gave the attacking midfielder a 10/10 rating, claiming it was 'arguably his best performance in a Spurs shirt', before explaining how he proved to be a nuisance for the Bees, given he was 'constantly twisting, turning and creating'.

There is no doubt that Maddison was very impressive, and he was not alone. There was perhaps another player who was just as good against Brentford, Spurs’ number seven Son.

Son’s stats vs. Brentford

The Spurs captain has been in superb form this season and added two assists to the two goals he previously had. The 32-year-old proved to be his side’s difference maker, with his assists providing the goals from which they won the game.

Indeed, his assists were both smart passes. The pass for Johnson’s goal which gave Spurs the lead, he found the Welsh winger in space, who proceeded to drive at the Brentford defence and fire low and hard across the goalkeeper. The pass for Maddison was a smart ball through the legs of Ethan Pinnock; the Spurs number 10 did the rest.

The attacker was given an 8/10 by Gold for his performance against the Bees. He was praised by the Football London journalist, who explained he was 'always a threat' at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The stats from Son’s performance also suggest he was impressive. The South Korean had 46 touches, and a pass accuracy of 86%. Impressively, the Spurs skipper made a staggering seven key passes and provided two big chances, to go along with his pair of assists.

It was a superb showing from Son and his teammates, who will be hoping to carry this momentum into the upcoming Europa League fixtures and the Premier League, as they look to push for a top-four spot.

Ange set to unleash £15k-a-week Tottenham teen who's impressed Spurs staff

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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is poised to hand one Spurs teenager first-team minutes over the next 10 days, coming after the youngster has seriously impressed coaching and backroom staff at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham escape Coventry with dramatic 2-1 victory

It was very nearly one of Postecoglou's most embarrassing nights in the Lilywhites dugout on Wednesday evening, with Championship side Coventry City minutes away from causing a real upset in the EFL Cup.

Postecoglou, speaking after their North London Derby defeat to Arsenal last weekend, appeared to promise supporters that he will deliver silverware this season - when the tactician remarked that he "always" wins trophies in his second season in charge.

"I'll correct myself - I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year," said Postecoglou on his record as a manager.

"Nothing's changed. I've said it now. I don't say things unless I believe them."

That pledge was in real danger of looking silly earlier this week, when Coventry star Brandon Thomas-Asante gave the home side a shock lead just past the hour mark to give Spurs a serious scare.

It was an uninspiring performance from Postecoglou's side overall, but their heart and character was on full display in the dying minutes. Right-back Djed Spence fired in an 88th minute equaliser before Brennan Johnson, who has been subject to online abuse recently, scored the winner to send Tottenham into the EFL Cup fourth round.

The smash-and-grab nature of their victory at Coventry could even spark a revival, following what has been a tepid start to the new campaign for Spurs. It also gives hope to fringe players of the squad who are eager to fight their way into Postecoglou's plans.

Spence was on the verge of joining Genoa in the summer, but the Englishman helped Tottenham to claw their way back against Coventry and could be set for more roles this term - which is quite the comeback from where he was this time last year.

Ange poised to play Tottenham youngster Lucas Bergvall

According to GiveMeSport, young teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall could be set for more game time over the next 10 days, starting with their clash against London rivals Brentford this afternoon.

The Swede, signed from Djurgarden earlier this year for around £8.5 million, was given his full debut against Coventry - starting the encounter and seemingly doing enough to impress Postecoglou.

GMS write that Postecoglou is poised to play Bergvall in Tottenham's next few games, and it is believed that the 18-year-old has been impressing backroom staff behind-the-scenes at N17.

The £15,000-per-week Bergvall looks to be a highly promising talent, with pundit Marca Palma even likening him to Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong following some good outings for Sweden at international level this year.

“Then there is the 2006 Lucas Bergvall, Swedish central attacking midfielder, 187cm, of Tottenham,” said Palma to TUTTOmercatoWEB (via Sport Witness).

“For many the most gifted 2006 in the European panorama, in Sweden he arrived in the first team at 16 years old. Great ability to play the ball, high level vision of the game, elegance on the pitch, gifted with excellent technique and enormous versatility.

“In July 2024 he was bought by Tottenham who paid 10 million for him and immediately included him in the first team. Senior national team he entered in both matches played by Sweden demonstrating great mastery on the pitch. Reminiscent of Frankie De Jong but more offensive.”