The Lilywhites could be set to copy a huge success of the past by signing a “complete” star. Tottenham Hotspur may have started the season admirably, but there are still a few additions they could make to ensure a stunning debut campaign under Ange Postecoglou...
Who could Tottenham Hotspur sign this summer?
Saturday marked the club’s first competitive win under their new manager, having impressed in their opening-day clash with Brentford, and more recently dismantled a disorganised Manchester United side. However, for all the success earned thus far, there remain key areas that could see the system crumble if they are not sufficiently bolstered.
For example, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski have been relatively quiet during these matches, and yet hardly have ample competition to threaten their starting spots.
Perhaps the Australian boss could seek to change that before the window slams shut, swooping for Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.
Having been linked back in early August, perhaps now marks an opportune moment to swoop given what these first two fixtures have shown.
The £15m-rated wide man has just one year left on his £216k-per-week deal.
How good is Yannick Carrasco?
Since joining in 2015, leaving for China in 2018 and returning just one year later, the former AS Monaco star has been a mainstay for the Madrid club as they have earned an impressive degree of success given their competition is Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Belgian boasts one La Liga title and a Europa League, having amassed 264 appearances for the club and providing 92 goal contributions. A consistent threat down that left flank, even last season saw the 29-year-old speedster score ten and assist five across all competitions, remaining a reliable asset to have within Diego Simeone’s attacking line.
In fact, the Argentine coach even sought to praise his star winger back in 2016, predicting a bright future: “I’m very happy for Carrasco. He is a very complete player, with a bright future ahead of him. He is on the path to getting even better.”
To secure an outstanding Belgian from Atletico Madrid, bringing him to north London, it would be hard not to instantly draw comparisons with their 2015 acquisition of Toby Alderwerield.
Having starred on loan at Southampton, it was Spurs who actually attained him permanently, with his ball-playing skillset and defensive solidity providing a foundation for years of progression under Mauricio Pochettino.
This led to praise from Ledley King, who lauded his partnership with Jan Vertonghen: “They’re well rounded – both of them. They don’t have any obvious weaknesses. Sometimes you can get someone who is very good in the air, very physical but not so great with the smaller, nippy players. They can deal with all types of forwards.”
He featured 236 times for the Lilywhites, with the apex of his tenure there arguably coming in the 2015/16 season. Averaging a 7.28 rating that season, the third-highest among all defenders in the division, this was buoyed by his 13 clean sheets and four goal contributions alongside 1.7 interceptions and 7.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
The Belgian was unstoppable in his prime, and could offer a benchmark for Carrasco to hopefully surpass.
After all, when compared to midfielders across Europe, the £15m-rated trickster ranks in the top 5% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90, the top 1% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.
The foundation is in place for him to be an instant success on N17, with Alderwerield’s exceptional tenure the perfect path to emulate.
