Matthew Chadder

Thu 31 August 2023 7:10, UK

Just a matter of days remain in the summer transfer window and Ange Postecoglou will likely feel that there is still plenty of business that needs to be done at Tottenham before the deadline.

There are a number of players still on the books at Hotspur Way who need moving on as it is clear that they have no future in the first-team set-up under Spurs’ new Australian head coach.

And while there are plenty of outgoings that still need taking care of, that doesn’t mean incomings should stop, with gaps still remaining in the squad. Some defensive reinforcements as well as additions to the forward line should still be a priority in what little time remains.

Postecoglou has introduced a whole new way of playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as he looks to transform the club’s defensive style they had become used to under Antonio Conte, for a much more attacking one.

So far in the Premier League, it has been a success, with the club unbeaten in their opening three league games. However, when the side was rotated for a Carabao Cup clash with Fulham, the understudies who came in to replace the first-team stars were unable to perform to the same level, and consequently, they crashed out of the cup.

This is a clear example that as a whole the squad is still not ready to cope with Postecoglou’s demands and even his starting wingers, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski, have been largely ineffective so far, managing just one goal contribution between them during the opening few games of the season.

As a result, Tottenham remain interested in bringing a winger in before Friday 1 September, with Sky Sports News reporting online in their rolling transfer blog (30 August, 11:49 am) that they are in the race for PSV Eindhoven forward Johan Bakayoko.

Stats suggest that he could be the perfect addition for Postecoglou, with the 58-year-old a fan of a wide player who can take on his opponent, progress the ball forward and contribute with shots and goals. These are things Bakayoko excels at, as per fbref.

During the previous Eredivisie campaign, the 20-year-old was in the top ten per cent of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for the number of shots on target he registered (1.25 per 90) and scored at a rate of 0.33 goals per match.

He was also in the top 15 per cent of his positional peers in the division in regard to the number of assists he provided (0.33 per 90) and the number of passes he made into the penalty area (2.29 per 90). He always looked to deliver from wide areas, ranking in the top 13 per cent for the number of crosses he made (0.72 per 90).

Impressively, he was in the top three per cent for the number of passes he attempted (27.07 per 90) and completed (24.19 per 90) over a short distance. Yet what will please Postecoglou most, is the numbers he posted when in possession.

The Belgian winger was in the top nine per cent for the number of touches he made in the attacking third (35.92 per 90), the top ten per cent for the number of touches he made in the opposition penalty area (5.97 per 90) and the top four per cent for the number of carries he made into the opposition penalty area (3.02 per 90).

In addition to this, he was in the top five per cent when it came to the number of successful take-ons he made (2.95 per 90) and the top seven per cent in regard to his successful take-on percentage (59.2 per cent per 90), a quality which, as mentioned above, is vital to succeeding as a winger in Postecoglou’s system.

He would also often look to get the ball forward, as he ranked in the top four per cent for his progressive carrying distance (169.71 yards per 90) and the top two per cent for the number of progressive passes he received (15.73 per 90).

It is clear that Bakayoko could slide perfectly into the Tottenham team and at the age of just 20, he has plenty of room to grow and develop into an even more dangerous player. This is certainly a signing that would get bums off their seats if Daniel Levy gets it across the line.

In other Tottenham news, one defender must be sold after a dismal showing against Fulham in the Carabao Cup.