The Lilywhites may well be regretting their investment in a once-promising talent…
For all the work that Ange Postecoglou has done in transforming the style of play at Tottenham Hotspur this season, the former Celtic boss also deserves credit for his astute moves in the transfer market, having enjoyed far more hits than misses in that department to date.
In fact, it is hard to think of any new arrivals who have not hit the ground running at N17, with Guglielmo Vicario proving a “revelation” in the sticks – according to pundit Jamie Carragher – while Micky van de Ven has proven himself to be a real “Rolls-Royce” at centre-back, as per Dutch journalist Suleyman Ozturk.
James Maddison has dazzled following his £40m move from Leicester City – providing ten goals and assists thus far – while Brennan Johnson is beginning to catch fire with two goals from his last three Premier League outings.
With even Timo Werner – who has two assists from his first four league appearances for the club – getting off to a promising start in Lilywhite, it would appear that Postecoglou has the Midas touch at present when it comes to recruitment.
The same could not always be said during Mauricio Pochettino’s fondly remembered stint in charge, however, with one of the Argentine’s last signings having particularly underwhelmed in recent years in north London.
Pochettino splashed out on teen talent
Just a matter of months prior to his shock sacking in November 2019, the current Chelsea boss oversaw the capture of promising teenager, Ryan Sessegnon from London rivals Fulham, with the youngster joining for a sizeable fee of around £25m.
That costly capture looked to be an astute move at the time, with the versatile gem – who can feature in a variety of roles down the left flank – having particularly impressed in the Championship in 2017/18, contributing 24 goals and assists to help fire the Cottagers to promotion.
A further haul of eight goal involvements the following season in the top-flight was enough for Spurs to make their move, with the young speedster looking set to have “a massive future” in the game, according to then-teammate Matt Targett, amid comparisons to a certain Gareth Bale.
Despite memorably scoring away to Bayern Munich during his first Champions League start in December 2019, Sessegnon’s time at the club has never reached such heights again, with injury and a lack of game time having been central to his downfall.
That stark decline for the 23-year-old can be particularly seen in his plummeting transfer value, with it hard to see Daniel Levy and co being able to recoup anywhere close to that £25m figure if the wing-back is to depart in the near future.
Ryan Sessegnon’s market value
With just a year left to run on his existing deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Englishman appears to be coming to the climax of a frustrating spell with the Lilywhites, having even been tipped for a loan move away from the club last month.
Despite reported shock interest from rivals Manchester United, the 5 foot 10 dynamo ultimately stayed put in Postecoglou’s ranks, having only recently made his first appearance of the season against Burnley in the FA Cup, following a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
If the club are to push for a permanent exit for the player over the summer, amid his expiring contract, the suggestion is that they will have to sell him on the cheap, with CIES Football Observatory valuing the once-promising talent at just €5m (£4m).
While time is still on his side to revive his career, be it at Spurs or elsewhere, it is not as if Sessegnon has particularly impressed when he has been fit and available for the club, even being described as “a Championship player” by club insider John Wenham, as he “can’t beat a man, has no pace, has no strength and cannot deliver a cross”.
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With only three goals and four assists to his name in 57 appearances in just under five years at Tottenham, the £55k-per-week man has certainly not proven value for money, with a fresh start in new surroundings arguably the best solution for all parties.
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