‘Thomas Frank to sign his own Madueke as Son Heung-min’s Tottenham exit beckons’
Tottenham could look to copy Arsenal’s transfer plans as Son Heung-min jets out to Asia with the rest of Thomas Frank’s squad.
From a financial standpoint, which is where Daniel Levy always finds himself concerned, it makes total sense not to decide on the 33-year-old’s future until their pre-season tour is finished.
According to The Telegraph (24 July), Spurs would miss out on as much as 75 per cent of their fee for playing in Seoul without their star player, who is fielding interest from MLS side, LAFC.
Mick Brown told Football Insider that Tottenham are prepared to accept offers for Son once the team returns to England, and if that is the case, plans need to be put in place to sign a replacement.
Son Heung-min could end Tottenham legacy
While Tottenham fans were highly critical of Son’s performances last term, the South Korean still bagged 22 goal contributions across all competitions, even lifting the Europa League title in Bilbao.
New manager, Frank, will have wanted to avoid coming under fire from supporters at the beginning of his tenure, but having recently named direct rivals Arsenal as “one of the best teams in the world”, he has not gotten off to the best start.
Losing one of his most dangerous attackers, especially without a replacement, would make his job even harder, which is why Mick Brown told Football Insider that Tottenham are set to step up their interest in Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
Some supporters may raise their eyebrows at any potential deal, with the Argentine a member of Ruben Amorim’s “bomb squad” at Old Trafford, but there is no doubt over his natural ability on the left flank.
And another player who faced a similar expulsion from their squad is Noni Madueke, who was left out of Chelsea’s Club World Cup final win over PSG, sealing his £48.5million move to Arsenal [BBC Sport].
Why Alejandro Garnacho can be Tottenham’s own Noni Madueke
It is not just the transfer fees which bear a resemblance, with The Mirror reporting (22 July) that Garnacho’s price tag has been slashed from £70m to £40m after falling out with the manager.
The duo notched similar records in the Premier League last season, as Madueke only bettered the United winger’s six goals and two assists by one more of each in just four more starts.
In addition to that, Garnacho’s shooting accuracy was just three per cent lower than the former Chelsea star’s, with the former even boasting a better pass completion rate by 119 passes [FBref].
The United outcast’s 3.4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes are only narrowly below Madueke’s 3.5 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, suggesting the duo create similar chances in the final third.
Garnacho is also more defensively-minded, which would suit Frank’s playing style, recording more tackles, blocks, and interceptions throughout the pitch.
The new Tottenham manager is clearly a fan of Mikel Arteta‘s ideas, and with the Spaniard bringing Madueke to the Emirates Stadium, Frank may be able to follow in his footsteps by sealing Garnacho’s signature this summer.