Tottenham Hotspur need to be in the market to add at least one more winger to Thomas Frank’s squad before the January transfer window slams shut.
Wales international Brennan Johnson, who has scored 22 goals for the club since the start of last season (Sofascore), completed a £33.5m move to Crystal Palace this week.
Meanwhile, left wingers Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert have combined for one goal and zero assists in 14 starts in the Premier League for the Lilywhites, per WhoScored.
Spurs make enquiry about Bundesliga forward
Johnson’s exit and the lack of form from Frank’s other options show that the club need to be active in the market, and a new report suggests that they are.
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According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have identified RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande as a possible target to sign during the January transfer window.
The report, which mainly covers Palace’s deal for Johnson, claims that the Lilywhites have made an enquiry about a swoop for the Ivorian star, stating that they have ‘asked’ Leipzig about him.
It reveals that Spurs are exploring potential deals for several forwards as a reaction to Johnson’s move away from North London, and Diomande is one of the players they are considering a deal for.
This report does not explain how much it would take to secure his services in January, but The Guardian recently claimed that Leipzig want a fee in the region of £87m to consider parting ways with the teenage star, who is currently at the African Cup of Nations.
Why Yan Diomande could be the next Heung-min Son
Spurs should push to bring Diomande to North London this month because the 19-year-old star has the potential to be their next Heung-min Son on the wing.
Son, of course, also arrived at the club from the Bundesliga, signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and he went on to score 127 goals in 333 Premier League appearances, per the league’s official website, in a ten-year stint with the Lilywhites.
A key feature of the South Korean icon’s game, as shown in the post above, was his ability to score goals with both feet, as he was dangerous in front of goal on the left or the right side
Diomande, albeit he is still very early on in his career, is already showing that he has the potential to provide a similar level of threat off both feet as a goalscoring winger with his versatile scoring for Leganes and Leipzig in LaLiga and the Bundesliga.
Stats
Yan Diomande’s club career
Appearances
26
xG
4.88
Goals
9
Right-footed goals
4
Left-footed goals
5
Stats via Sofascore
The 19-year-old star is a naturally right-footed player, but, as shown in the table above, he has scored more left-footed goals than right-footed in his club career to date.
Diomande has scored 56% of his goals with his left foot and 44% of his goals with his right foot, which gives him a split across both feet that is as impressive as Son’s was during his aforementioned Premier League career.
Son’s electric pace, which allowed him to get in behind defences regularly, was also a key feature of his time at Spurs, and the Leipzig star has been described as a “crazy speedster” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, which suggests that he also has pace to burn.
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Diomande’s speed is on display in some of the clips posted by the Bundesliga in November, as he is able to burst past his market to make things happen in an instant in the final third.
The 19-year-old star’s aforementioned career return of nine goals from 4.88 xG also suggests that he is on his way to establishing himself as a lethal and reliable goalscorer, who does not need many chances to find the back of the net.
That also makes him similar to former Spurs star Son, who scored 127 goals from just 93.08 xG in his Premier League career with the club, per the league’s official website.
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Therefore, Tottenham must press ahead with a deal to sign Diomande after selling Johnson to Palace, because he appears to have all the attributes to become their next version of Son.