Tottenham Hotspur have been ravaged by injuries throughout the entire squad this season, which has really hampered their progress in the Premier League. Incredibly, they sit 14th in the top flight, and although they have made good progress in the Carabao Cup, this season has simply not lived up to expectations.
Towards the start of the season, Ange Postecoglou claimed he has a record at each club he has managed that sees him “always win things in my second year”. Well, that theory will be truly put to the test this season, with the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League still all winnable.
The Lilywhites might need reinforcements to help with their trophy-winning quest and have been linked with one attacker who could add plenty of firepower.
Spurs target new attacker
The player in question here is Barcelona and Spain winger Ansu Fati. The La Masia graduate has also had terrible luck with injuries, and a fresh start away from the Nou Camp could be on the cards this winter.
According to a report from The Guardian, Spurs are one of the sides interested in signing the winger, given the fact they are “in need of attacking reinforcement” in the January transfer window, with Postecoglou lining up a swoop for the Barcelona outcast.
However, they are not alone in the race to sign Fati, who earns £226k-per-week according to Capology. The Guardian also suggests London rivals West Ham United are interested in adding him to the squad under new boss Graham Potter. There is currently no clarity on if it is a loan deal or a permanent move.
Why Fati would be a good signing
It has once again been a really disappointing season for Fati. Once one of the biggest stars to come out of the esteemed La Masia academy, he was handed Lionel Messi’s number 10 shirt when the legendary attacker left Barca in 2021.
This season, injuries have struck the winger again. He has missed 11 games, a total of 84 days, with a muscle issue and a foot injury. Thus, the 22-year-old has only managed eight appearances across all competitions and has not scored a goal.
His Barca record overall curtailed somewhat over time, as the injuries hit. He has played 120 times, scoring 29 goals and grabbing nine assists. That includes a goal and two assists against Real Sociedad in 2022/23.
Over time, he had 13 separate injuries for the La Liga giants, and one for Brighton and Hive Albion during his loan spell, where he scored four times and assisted once in 27 appearances for the South Coast side.
Yet, Spurs still want to sign the winger, surely because of the obvious talent there. His debut season in 2019/20 was a prime example of what he can do, a campaign where he scored seven times and grabbed an assist, becoming a breakthrough star.
That season, Fati was comparable to Spurs legend Gareth Bale, who was playing for Real Madrid in 2019/20. The Welshman scored two goals and grabbed two assists in 16 La Liga games.
For the Lilywhites, Bale was sensational. Over two spells in North London, he scored 71 times and grabbed 53 assists. One of his best goals came against Inter in the Champions League, where he carried the ball from inside his own half and fired home. That day, he also got his first Spurs hat-trick.
The similarities between Fati and Bale in 2019/20 are there to see from a statistical point of view, as per FBref. For example, they both had an Expected Goals tally of 0.33xG per 90 minutes, and the Spaniard averaged slightly more key passes each game, with 1.58 compared to 0.99. The Welshman’s 2.89 progressive passes per game slightly trumped Fati’s 2.54.
Stat (per 90)
Fati
Bale
Expected goals
0.33xG
0.33xG
Key passes
1.58
0.99
Progressive passes
2.89
2.54
Shot-creating actions
3.42
2.98
Progressive carries
6.75
3.97
If Spurs can get Fati back to a good level of fitness, they might have a “phenom” on their hands, as football statistician Statman Dave once described him, who can progress the ball up the pitch and make things happen in the final third in a similar way to how Bale did in his career.
Postecoglou will be hoping the 22-year-old can regain those levels at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as they look to win a trophy for the first time since 2008, when Bale was just breaking through.