Savinho signing to ‘revive Ange Postecoglou experiment’ under Thomas Frank
Savinho joining Tottenham could unlock a previous Ange Postecoglou trial of a key player again under new manager Thomas Frank.
Sources have told Football Insider that Tottenham are in advanced talks to agree a deal for Savinho from Man City.
This comes after Spurs submitted a £43million offer for the Brazilian, despite the winger only playing one season in Manchester.
The sudden move for the South American has raised eyebrows as the Lilywhites are unnecessarily maxing out on the right-hand side given they already have Brennan Johnson and new signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.
It is particularly alarming given the current injuries to the north London club’s go-to number 10s in James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, prompting the prospect of Frank reviving a short-lived Postecoglou experiment from last season.
Wilson Odobert to reclaim the central-attacking midfielder role in the absence of Maddison and Kulusevski
Towards the back end of last season, Wilson Odobert was tasked with a new role in the chaotic Postecoglou system.
In the wake of losing both of his star midfield magicians, the Australian turned to the Frenchman to assume the creative burden.
It was a decision not taken lightly, but a small set of data pointed to the former Burnley winger being able to play in the playmaker role.
During his time at Troyes, the 20-year-old played six matches in the number 10 position with varying success, also doing the same job once with the Clarets whilst also filling in as a centre-forward, according to Transfermarkt.
In preparation for the Europa League final, the previous Spurs boss opted to try out Odobert as the attacking midfielder against Aston Villa.
| Minutes played | 87 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.41 |
| Touches | 24 |
| Accurate passes | 12/14 (86%) |
| Key passes | 1 |
Ultimately, the match didn’t go to plan with Tottenham losing 2-0 in a pessimistic performance as they prioritised the European final.
Whilst Postecoglou went with a defensive three-man midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma in the victorious Europa League final, he bottled the chance to try the Frenchman out again in the role.
Yet, in a similar position before the start of the season, Frank may now reignite the experiment and play Odobert through the middle.
Odobert potential as number 10 overlooked as Savinho talks continue
The ex-Burnley speedster was not given a fair go as the principal creative outlet last season and he does have the experience, although limited, to play the role.
With Jack Grealish heading to Everton on loan, the Lilywhites are running out of options to play in Maddison and Kulusevski’s injury-enforced absences.
Kudus could also play off-the-striker, but he also has little experience playing in the role, despite his excellent trait of running in-behind to grab goals.
It would be intriguing to find out whether the Danish manager has had conversations with both Odobert and even Postecoglou over this experiment, which should be attempted one more time given the circumstances.
The Australian had mixed results during his time in north London, but he did find ways to get the best out of attacking talent and clearly was onto something with the France Under-21 international.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and just maybe the 20-year-old could be about to channel a new part to his game as he looks to develop in the upcoming campaign.