How Anan Khalaili ranks against Tottenham's quickest stars as transfer lined up
Roberto De Zerbi's current squad is filled the brim with talent, just as much as it is with lightning-quick stars at Tottenham Hotspur.
Micky van de Ven is ranked first in the Premier League's all-time list of quickest players, narrowly beating Kyle Walker at 37.38km/h during Spurs' 3-2 win over Brentford back in 2024.
Obviously, that would take some beating, and while pace is not always an important factor for transfer chiefs and scouts, it certainly doesn't hurt the prospects of a big-money move.
It is understood that Tottenham could be facing a fierce battle for the signature of Union St Gilloise's Anan Khalaili, with Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Napoli all interested.
As well as his impressive displays in defence, his goalscoring heroics in the final third and his fiercelessness in the Champions League, the 21-year-old appears to glide across the pitch.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Khalaili can reach top speeds of 34.22km/h, and he may even have more energy to burn if given the opportunity.
How does Anan Khalaili compare to the current Tottenham squad?
Finding detailed reports of the speeds of players is not the easiest thing to find, but thanks to FotMob, Football Insider are able to get a general idea.
Everyone will remember Van de Ven's record-breaking speeds back, but not even the Dutchman could match that in the Lilywhites' Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid.
The Dutchman reached a top speed of 34.2km/h, which turned out to be the quickest of anyone on the field, closely followed by Djed Spence at 33.9km/h.
Even the likes of Mathys Tel (33.5km/h) and Destiny Udogie (33.3km/h) couldn't match Spurs' quickest, and it would appear that Khalaili would have beaten them all on the night.
During the 2025-26 Champions League campaign, however, he did only reach a top speed of 33.5km/h, which would put him on par with Tel in third place.
How did the Union St Gilloise talent fare in the Champions League?
This was just the youngster's second season in the Champions League, which can be a huge step for some players, but he just took it in his stride.
Across eight matches, in which he notched three goals, Khalaili ranked in the 94th percentile for tackles, the 84th percentile for interceptions and the 82nd percentile for recoveries [FotMob].
Despite often pushing forward, normally on the couter-attack, which should suit De Zerbi's tactics, he clearly isn't lacking in the defensive third.
His pace may possibly make up for any shortcomings in his game, but at 21 years of age, that shouldn't be a concern for the Premier League giants this summer.