Forget Takefusa Kubo: Tottenham should sign one of these two gems instead, stat deep-dive speaks volumes
Takefusa Kubo is being chased by Tottenham as Thomas Frank looks to bolster out wide in January.
Sources told Football Insider that Tottenham could bring in Kubo for £52million in January as they look to strengthen in attack.
It is not the first time the winger has been chased by Premier League sides, with Everton previously interested in Kubo last summer.
Kubo would be intrigued by the prospect of playing for Tottenham domestically and in the Champions League, especially given Real Sociedad’s lack of European football and dismal form.
Yet, Spurs are maybe ignoring other lucrative options as Football Insider highlights other wingers Frank should also be considering, using data from the 2024-25 season in all competitions from FBRef.
Tottenham to take risk on Colombian prodigy Yaser Asprilla instead of experience of Kubo
Whilst the Japan international boasts a more reputable history playing at the top level, the Lilywhites could look away from the Basque Country to Catalunya in Girona for a hidden gem.
Yaser Asprilla is a Colombian talent with a very high ceiling and has experience of playing in England when he joined Watford back in January 2022.
A quietly productive 2023-24 campaign with six goals and seven assists with the Hornets then saw him snapped up by Girona who are gradually embedding him into their side.
Based on last season, the 21-year-old runs Kubo close for goals and assists, netting 0.16 goals per-90 and 0.05 goals per-90 compared to the Japanese’s 0.18 and 0.10, despite only starting 17 matches.
Moreover, the Colombian’s 2.24 shots per-90 surpasses the Real Sociedad man’s 1.87, highlighting his potential that would need to be refined to turn him into a threatening goalscorer.
Intriguingly, Asprilla is a more forward-thinking right-winger with 5.03 progressive passes per-90 compared to Kubo’s 4.40, reflecting his desire to push his side into the final third.
Indeed the 24-year-old may have more experience than the number 10, but gunning for Asprilla could be a bold but astute move for a Colombian prodigy set for stardom.
Tottenham to revisit Como for Jesus Rodriguez
Over the summer, Tottenham were heavily interested in Como’s Nico Paz and could return back to Italy for another one of their shining young stars.
Jesus Rodriguez was snapped up by Cesc Fabregas during the summer from Real Betis after showing lots of promise for the Spanish outfit.
The 19-year-old featured 32 times for los Verdiblancos and even participated in their excellent Conference League run that was bitterly stopped by Chelsea in the final.
Compared to Kubo, Rodriguez is showing early signs of exciting potential that should be seized upon by the Lilywhites.
The number 17 completed 75.7 per cent of his passes last season, beating the Japanese’s 72.6 per cent.
| Selected stats 2024-25 all competitions | Takefusa Kubo | Yaser Asprilla | Jesus Rodriguez |
| Appearances (starts) | 52 (40) | 33 (17) | 32 (22) |
| Goals (per-90) | 7 (0.18) | 3 (0.16) | 3 (0.16) |
| Assists (per-90) | 4 (0.10) | 1 (0.05) | 1 (0.05) |
| Pass completion rate (%) | 72.6% | 71.9% | 75.7% |
| Shots per-90 | 1.87 | 2.24 | 1.93 |
| Recoveries per-90 | 4.52 | 4.15 | 4.79 |
Moreover, appealing to Frank’s desire for his attackers to work hard off the ball, the Spaniard won 1.09 tackles per-90 which surpassed Kubo’s 0.98.
He also edged the ex-Real Madrid man for recoveries with 4.79 per-90, reflecting his superb work rate to win back possession.
Similar to Asprilla, the Como winger has potential in abundance and, by jumping early on him, Spurs could have a world-beater on their hands.