To use yet another overused analogy, Tottenham Hotspur are actually having a Premier League season of two halves this year
Ange Postecoglou started well in the hot seat, going unbeaten in his first ten games, but then injuries struck and for the rest of the campaign the Lilywhites struggled to find real consistency
However, with Europa League qualification secured, the season must be considered a success and overall the players signed last summer were good additions
However, with the new transfer window, the club seem ready to strengthen their squad and a player invited to move to N17 could become a great partner for Cristian Romero
Tottenham Hotspur Transfer News According to a recent report from Sky Sports News, Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs interested in signing Everton’s star defender Jarrad Branthwaite
The report names Manchester City and Manchester United as the two remaining interested parties and reveals the Toffees value the England player at between £60m and £70m and will be forced to sell one of their stars to comply
comply with PSR regulations this summer
This would be an expensive deal to make, but with the Lilywhites having conceded 61 goals this season, that could be the money they will have to spend
Branthwaite could be a great partner for Romero Now if Levy and Co decide to go big and spend the money to get their man then he’s unlikely to go to North London to sit on the bench
However, with Romero being one of the club’s two vice-captains and a fan favourite, Branthwaite could be pitted against Micky van de Ven to partner the Argentine in his position
defender
This doesn’t necessarily mean the Dutchman will have to sit on the bench as he has proven himself to be far more capable at left-back – at least in the minds of the team’s coach Dutch national Ronald Koeman
He can move between full-back and centre-back to prevent a player like Destiny Udogie from playing too many games at too young an age and risking his fitness
However, in the event this deal happens, we should probably compare the two before we start thinking about other positions the speedy defender could play
Perhaps the best way to do this is to use their underlying numbers, and in this area the Toffees’ “physical football monster”, as data analyst Ben Mattinson describes it, have more advantage
For example, although he creates fewer progressive passes and has lower passing accuracy, his defensive stats are much better
He makes more tackles, clearances, clearances and interceptions, while winning more aerial duels and creating even more scoring threats per 90 minutes
Additionally, being left-footed would help him play very well alongside the Argentine right-hander, and although he has been injured in the past, his 29-match absence since the start The 2020/21 season is not
not as good
as bad as the Dutchman missing 40 matches in the same period
Ultimately, Van de Ven is a quality player and will likely be part of the Lilywhites squad going forward, but if the club land Branthwaite this summer, he could well become a contender
Romero’s ideal partner at the tournament
the heart of the team
defense
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