The World Cup may have just ended, but the pre-season front is full steam ahead as Tottenham Hotspur prepare for their new Premier League campaign against MK Dons.
In that Wednesday afternoon encounter, the Lilywhites beat the League One side 1-0 thanks to a superb early volley from £85m signing Matheus Fernandes.
Marcos Senesi is still set to enjoy a long break and there was no sign of Andy Robertson or Jan Paul van Hecke, but the narrow win gave Spurs supporters their first chance to see Fernandes and Sandro Tonali together.
The goalscorer has undoubtedly grabbed the headlines over the opening 45 matches, but there was at least reason to be positive about the club’s record-setting performance.
What Spurs learned from Tonali’s preseason debut
£185 million has been spent on the pair in the Premier League, but it’s safe to say that the most eye-catching performance in midfield has been the performance of teenage sensation Luca Williams-Barnett in the second half.
The academy star put in a fine performance after the break, running the show in an almost Moussa Dembele style as he bids for further involvement next season.
But just half a game of football is not enough to get excited about, and it’s not enough to fully evaluate a player, especially now when fitness is the main priority.
Indeed, Tonali’s first appearance in a Tottenham shirt was not a spectacular one, but the sight of the former Newcastle United man tidying up in the center of the park was a sign of why ENIC went to such great lengths to sign him.
Overall, the Italian boasted a passing accuracy of 96%, lost the ball just three times in 70 touches, and also recorded a passing rate of 93% inside the opposition half.
Tonali vs MK Dons | |
|---|---|
status | record |
minutes | 45 |
touch | 70 |
Pass accuracy | 96% |
key pass | 0 |
shot | 0 |
dribble | 0 |
ball lost | 3 |
carry | 15 |
tackle | 0/0 |
won a duel | 0/1 |
Tonali didn’t have the all-action style that was common at St James’s Park, as he never won a tackle or a duel, but he piled up 15 carries, trying to get the play going in the right places.
There’s still a lot to come, but while there’s plenty to be encouraged about, there’s also the added complication of whether a third midfielder will arrive.
Why Spurs could sign a third midfielder to match rivals Tonali
The sight of two number 10s, Williams Barnett and Jamie Donley, lined up in midfield two in the second half showed that the center of the park may still be an area to address before the window goes out.
Of course, Rodrygo Bentancur, Papu Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are all on World Cup duty, but Sarr’s future is in doubt in north London, while Bergvall is a prime target for Nottingham Forest.
With Joao Parinha returning to Bayern Munich and Yves Bissouma leaving on a free transfer, the signing of a third midfielder cannot be definitely ruled out this summer.
Indeed, as reported by Jeremy Cross of the Daily Mirror, Spurs are one of the clubs “keen” to sign Bournemouth star Alex Scott, with the 22-year-old known to have been a Tottenham fan since boyhood.
Newcastle and Everton are also on the list, but Arsenal are currently in pole position, with Manchester United ‘in talks’ with his agent.
It is thought the Guernsey-born playmaker could sell for at least £40 million, although preliminary reports suggest the asking price could be more than double that.
Either way, ENIC’s inclusion in the squad is an encouraging sign, with the Scot a truly balletic and entertaining midfield talent who would look great in a T-shirt in Roberto De Zerbi’s style.
There is a grace to his game that the aforementioned Tonali lacks, and the England youth international is able to dictate the tempo of a game from his deep No. 8 position.
For example, last season in the Premier League, Scott scored and assisted four goals, created four “big chances”, averaged 0.8 key passes per game, and averaged a solid 0.8 successful dribbles per game.
For comparison, Tonali created six “big chances” and completed an average of 0.9 key passes per game, but he only scored and assisted two goals and completed an average of 0.5 dribbles. Scott also outperformed his Newcastle counterpart in terms of passing accuracy (85% vs. 84%).
Even when not in possession of the ball, the Bournemouth man was much better, winning a total of five duels per game, averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions, recovering the ball 5.3 times, and dribbling through just 0.6 times per game.
As for Tonali, it’s been a tough season for the Magpies, but his numbers haven’t been all that impressive, averaging 3.1 total duels, 1.9 tackles and interceptions, only 4.2 ball recoveries and 0.7 successful dribbles per game.
Scott is also an excellent ball carrier, ranking within the top 15% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for both progressive carries and carries into the final third.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball moves toward the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from the starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Tonali, on the other hand, ranks in the top 31% and top 43% of the same two metrics, respectively.
Of course, Spurs’ £100m investment in Tonali suggests he is likely to become a go-to player in midfield going forward, but Tottenham supporters shouldn’t bet on the Scot forcing his way into the side if a deal is finalized.
