Tottenham News Scout: Tottenham target Perr Schuurs has potential to develop despite not yet being ready
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…
Tottenham are preparing to begin a completely new era under Ange Postecoglou but still require further defensive reinforcements if the Australian is to have any chance of success in north London.
Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies are all unsuited to play Postecoglou’s style of football. The 57-year-old wants players who are confident on the ball, can pass precisely under pressure and bring possession forward. These are not qualities many supporters will think of when they read the list of current Tottenham defenders.
Time and time again we have seen Spurs’ defenders make questionable decisions, both on and off the ball, and besides World Cup winner Cristian Romero and summer signing Micky van de Ven, there are very few viable centre-back options at the club.
Ashley Phillips from Blackburn, as well as van de Ven, are the only two defenders who have arrived at Hotspur Way this summer, and the Tottenham boss will be desperate for more, especially considering Phillips is just 18 and not someone who will be expected to start straight away.
Postecoglou himself has even suggested that more business need to be been done in the defensive department before the window closes.
“We’ve to see what happens with outgoings, but the potential is there to bring in one more centre back after van de Ven” the former Celtic manager said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano via Twitter (9 August).
And the Italian journalist’s same tweet suggests who that centre-back might be.
Perr Schuurs of Torino is a player who the club are currently considering with the 23-year-old himself keen on a move to England’s top flight.
Here, Spurs Scout has had a look at Schuurs and identified whether or not he would be the right fit for Spurs and more importantly Postecoglou’s style of play.
Superpower – Getting forward
When looking at desirable attributes for a centre-back, their ability to get forward wouldn’t be at the top of many people’s lists. But in the modern game, this is becoming increasingly important and something Postecoglou himself certainly appreciates as he looks for his sides to squeeze the opposition high up the pitch.
And if this is what he is looking for, then he might be wise to look no further than the pacey and physically impressive Schuurs.
As per fbref, the stats suggest that not only is he very confident bringing the ball forward, but he likes to do his defending high up the pitch as well. Compare to his positional peers in Italy last season, he was in the top 10 per cent for the number of tackles he made in the attacking third (0.19 per 90).
Carrying the ball forward is also something he clearly has no issue in doing. The 23-year-old was in the 74th percentile for the number of take-ons he attempted compared to centre-backs in Serie A (0.54 per 90) and the 83rd percentile in regard to the number of these take-ons that he completed (0.39 per 90).
What was most impressive, was the fact that he was in the top three per cent for the number of his successful take-ons that led to a shot attempt (0.12 per 90). The below image is an example of this.
Schuurs picks up the ball midway inside the opposition’s half and carries it forward with three players around him.
Despite the pressure from his opponents, he is able to successfully get past the three of them and eventually picks out a pass for his attacking teammate, who then gets his shot away from the edge of the box.
What is just as important is his ability to recover the ball, especially considering how much time he would spend further forward playing in Postecoglou’s high line. This is something that the former Ajax man is excellent at, ranking in the top 12 per cent of Italian league defenders for the number of ball recoveries he made last season (6.85 per 90).
Weakness – Lacklustre passing
As capable as the defender is on the ball when it comes to engaging higher up the pitch and bringing possession forward, his passing still leaves plenty to be desired.
Schuurs was in the bottom 50 per cent compared to his fellow centre-backs in Italy for a range of passing statistics.
He was in the 42nd percentile for the number of passes he completed (40.94 per 90), as well as the 37th percentile for the number of passes he attempted (46.47 per 90). While his overall pass completion rate positioned him in the 78th percentile (88.1 per cent per 90), his completion rates over a short and medium distance weren’t so impressive.
Across a short distance, he was in the 26th percentile for the number of passes he completed (12.38 per 90) and the 24th percentile for the number which he attempted (13.85 per 90). This left him in just the 36th percentile for his completion rate (89.4 per pent per 90).
It was slightly better over a medium distance. He was in the 63rd percentile for the number of passes he completed (24.07 per 90) and the 61st percentile for the number he attempted (25.96 per 90), demonstrating that he would make the majority of his passes each match over a medium distance, perhaps looking to go more direct in the build-up.
His pass completion rate was brilliant over a long distance, as he ranked in the top six per cent (76.1 per cent per 90) in regard to this particular statistic, although this will not necessarily impress Postecoglou.
He is keen on his defenders making short, precise passing in a possession-based system that focuses on build-up play rather than going long.
Where would Schuurs fit in at Tottenham?
Despite some of his numbers not making for the most promising reading, there is plenty of potential for him to be a success in the Premier League at Tottenham. He already has some attributes Postecoglou would appreciate and at the age of 23, there is plenty of time and room to develop.
Under the coaching of the ex-Australia boss, who would mould his way of playing into the style he wants, he could certainly be a promising rotational option. He is a right-footed defender who is impressive physically, standing at 6ft3, and could form a formidable partnership with Van de Ven when Romero isn’t available.
The Argentine often picks up an injury and it might be useful to have someone who can slot in and do a similar job, without the starting line-up seeing too much of a drop-off in quality.
How much would Schuurs cost?
According to the Italian news outlet Torro (27 July), the Netherlands Under-21 international would set Daniel Levy and Spurs back around £34million. Considering the state of the market and some of the eyewatering fees players are now going for, this represents real value for money.
With room to develop and plenty of experience already under his belt, having made 30 appearances in Serie A and 62 in the Eredivisie, as well as 11 in the Champions League, this is a fee that could later be looked back on as a bargain.
Should Tottenham sign Schuurs?
He is not at all the finished article and will need to make some improvements to certain areas of his game, but there is no reason to suggest he couldn’t make those improvements in north London.
Considering his impressive physical attributes, his pace and composure on the ball, there is certainly plenty of raw talent to work with and this is someone Tottenham should definitely be looking to bring in.
Supporters would need patience if he were to arrive, but if he, Van de Ven and Romero could all fulfil their true potential, the club’s defensive issues might be solved for years to come.
In other Tottenham News, John Wenham is excited to see “leader” Yves Bissouma in action this season.