Tottenham News Scout: Joachim Andersen could be the perfect Tottenham defender for Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham News is delighted to welcome Matthew Chadder as our exclusive columnist for our ‘Spurs Scout’ features. Each week, he’ll be providing his expertise on researching players to give insight on the biggest talking points at Spurs…
It is simply ridiculous that Tottenham have jetted off on their pre-season tour without a new centre-back.
Spurs’ players and staff are currently Down Under enjoying the Australian sunshine as they get set to take on West Ham in Perth. Three new signings boarded the flight yet none of those were a centre-back.
James Maddison is one of the club’s most exciting signings in years and Manor Solomon could prove to be clever business. while Guglielmo Vicario fixes the goalkeeping issue but their main priority area has still not been addressed.
Spurs conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season and it is painfully obvious that a new central defender is needed, yet the club are taking their time.
Multiple candidates have been linked with a move to Ange Postecoglou’s new-look Spurs side in recent weeks with Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven the two most frequently mentioned names.
And while the wait goes on, a new target has emerged. According to The Sun (15 July), Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen is now on the club’s radar with Postecoglou keen on the defender.
Here, Spurs Scout has had a look at the Palace man and identified whether he would be a good fit for Tottenham.
Superpower – Playing out from the back
Tottenham’s new Australian boss enjoys a possession-based style of football. which Andersen could slot well into.
One of his best attributes is his passing range and the defender is known for his ability to play out from the back, something that he displayed while at Fulham and now with Crystal Palace also, as the stats suggest.
Long gone are the days of Toby Alderweireld’s brilliant switches, however, Andersen is someone who could bring those back.
According to FBREF, the Danish defender was in the top 12 per cent compared to his positional peers last season when it came to his progressive passing distance, covering 450.03 yards per 90. His total passing distance also saw him place in the top 20 per cent of Premier League defenders, covering 1179.96 yards per 90.
His ability to play forward from the back is proven by the number of passes he would make over a short, medium and long distance. Andersen attempted just 12.65 passes over a short distance per 90, while he would attempt 32.58 over a medium distance and 17.28 over a long distance per 90.
For his passes attempted and completed over a long distance per 90 he was in the top one per cent compared to his positional peers, demonstrating that he is one of the best defenders in the league when it comes to getting the ball forward.
This is supported by the number of key passes (0.39 per 90) and passes into the final third (4.95 per 90) he would make and for both these stats, he was once again in the top 20 per cent of Premier League defenders.
A comparison between Andersen and two of Spurs’ current centre-back options, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, shows he is much more equipped to get the ball forward.
Weakness – Defensive frailties
While the former Fulham man is clearly a brilliant passer of the ball and one of the best in the league when it comes to playing it out from the back and getting possession forward, his defensive numbers leave little to be desired.
He made just 1.36 tackles per 90 last season and would only win 0.71 of those tackles per 90 which left him in the lower 50 per cent of Premier League central defenders in regard to this particular statistic.
He was also in the bottom 20 per cent for blocks (0.91 per 90), shots blocked (0.42 per 90) and interceptions (0.78 per 90).
Of the dribbles he would challenge (1.04 per 90) he would come away with the ball just 50 per cent of the time, which placed him in the 21st percentile of Premier League centre-backs.
Where would Andersen fit in at Tottenham?
While the defensive numbers do make for worrying reading, Andersen would still be a brilliant asset in Spurs’ defence under Postecoglou.
Under Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, the 27-year-old would have been expected to do much more defending and might have struggled, however, under the Australian, Andersen would mostly be expected to press high and play the ball forward.
If the former Celtic man can successfully implement his philosophy, Tottenham will be dominating the ball in the majority of their games and this would suit a ball-playing defender such as Andersen.
He could therefore slot comfortably into a back-four under Postecoglou, playing on the right or left-hand side, with the ability to play either.
How much would Andersen cost?
This is where a deal for the defender starts to appear slightly more difficult to complete.
The report in The Sun claims that Palace would be likely to demand around £50million for their star defender which is to be expected considering his wealth of Premier League and international experience.
With Tottenham’s record signing not being far off of the £60million mark, this means Daniel Levy would have to go close to smashing the club record in order to land the defender, with it not being clear whether or not he would be willing to do this.
Should Tottenham sign Andersen?
If Spurs were to go ahead and pay the fee required to bring in Andersen then it would be a good bit of business and the player is someone the club should definitely consider.
A priority for a defender under Postecoglou and in the modern game in general, is someone who can play out from the back, a demand that is becoming more common in the Premier League especially. This is something that not only can Andersen do, but he is one of the best at.
He is Premier League proven and therefore won’t come cheap, but Spurs need a new defender desperately and must be prepared to pay up, with the Crystal Palace man certainly someone worth paying up for.
In other Tottenham news, Paul Robinson believes a signing already confirmed by the club is exactly what is needed.