According to Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur have agreed on a deal for Ryan Sessegnon. The agreed deal seems to be for £25m and Josh Onomah making a move to Fulham. BBC Sport’s David Ornstein has also tweeted that the club could pay as much as £30 million including performance-based bonuses.
Sessegnon’s rise to prominence
Sessegnon is regarded as one of England’s most talented young players at the moment. The youngster has been a part of the Fulham first team since 2016, which is quite astonishing. He notably made 25 appearances in his professional debut campaign, and he never had to look back since then.
Sessegnon’s performance was critical during the club’s promotion to the top-flight in 2018. He scored 15 goals and provided six assists in 46 matches in the Championship. He didn’t necessarily enjoy a productive campaign in the top-flight last season, as Fulham were ultimately relegated.
But, the 19-year-old was one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dire season for the Cotaggers. He was involved in eight goals in 35 matches.
What can he bring to the table?
Sessegnon is a left-sided midfielder by trade. However, he is one of the most versatile young players in Europe as he can feature anywhere across the left flank, including the left-back slot. Also, the 19-year-old can feature on the opposite side, though primarily in the attack.
Aside from versatility, the youngster has electric pace and tenacity that helps him provide a genuine threat on the counter. He is also good at taking on defenders, as you would expect from any young attacker.
Where does Sessegnon fit in at Spurs?
Sessegnon’s versatility means Mauricio Pochettino can utilise him in several ways in the upcoming season. Firstly, he can compete with Ben Davies and Danny Rose in the left-back slot. He may have the upper hand if Pochettino employs a three at the back formation as his attacking qualities will be more effective in a wing-back system.
Alternatively, the England youth international can be used as a backup for the wide attacking trifecta of Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela. Son has featured in a central role, of late, while Lamela has struggled with injury problems. That means Moura could be the only real competitor for Sessegnon in his bid to start on the wings for Tottenham.
A statistical comparison between Sessegnon and Rose
As far as statistics are concerned, both Rose and Sessegnon have attained a similar pass completion rate of 73%. But, the Spurs fullback is a more composed passer of the ball. The 29-year-old also outshines the youngster in terms of chance creation, having averaged one key pass per game last season compared to Sessegnon’s 0.9. He has even completed more dribbles (1.3 per game) than the Fulham star (1 per game). But, the differences are negligible.
Besides, it’s fair to point out that Spurs enjoyed a lot more of possession as opposed to Fulham last season. Therefore, it’s only natural that Rose has better numbers when it comes to the attacking side of the game.
Overall, Sessegnon is a smart piece of investment for Spurs. The attacker has time on his side and has a lot of room to improve. And given Pochettino’s proficiency in nurturing young talents, it won’t be surprising to see the 19-year old become an asset for the club in the near future.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
