Tottenham Hotspur have not had a summer to remember since Ange Postecoglou lifted the Europa League after beating Manchester United at the end of last season.
The Lilywhites have only brought in two new senior players to bolster the squad, on top of Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel signing permanently, as Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus have both been snapped up, from Bayern Munich and West Ham United respectively.
Thomas Frank has, therefore, not had many reinforcements come through the door to bolster a squad that finished one place above the relegation zone in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.
On top of the lack of recruits coming in, the new head coach has also lost James Maddison for the majority of next season after he suffered an ACL injury.
The England international is not the only player who is currently out injured, though, as Dejan Kulusevski is set to miss the first month of the new season after undergoing patella surgery.
Why Kulusevski’s injury is a blow for Spurs
Whilst the Sweden international will not be out for anywhere near as long as Maddison will be, the left-footed star’s absence for the next four weeks or so will still be a blow for Frank.
The former Juventus winger is a quality operator on the wing and in the number ten position, which means that Spurs have lost a versatile, as well as a quality, option in the short term.
Kulusevski made 43 appearances in the Premier League and the Europa League combined last season, and showcased his ability on the ball in both competitions.
The 25-year-old magician has the quality to carve open opposition defences to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis, particularly in the Premier League.
|
Dejan Kulusevski (24/25) |
Premier League |
Europa League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
32 |
11 |
|
xG |
4.23 |
0.87 |
|
Goals |
7 |
1 |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.1 |
1.1 |
|
Assists |
4 |
3 |
As you can see in the table above, Kulusevski created just over two chances per game on average for the team in the top-flight, but was only rewarded with four assists.
Meanwhile, no other Spurs player created more than 1.7 chances per game on average in the Premier League last season, which speaks to how important the Swedish star was as a creative force at the top end of the pitch.
That is why losing him to an injury is a blow for Frank heading into the opening month of the season, and also why the club need to be in the market for more attacking players.
Spurs place Ligue 1 star on their radar
Tottenham Hotspur fans should be pleased to read that the club are reportedly looking to bring in a player who could be a Kulusevski clone this summer.
According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Spurs have placed Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche on their radar as they look to bolster their squad before the end of the transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Europa League champions want to add more creativity to the group in the coming weeks because of the injury to Maddison, which will see him miss most of next season.
Vidal adds that Akliouche is viewed as a versatile and quality attacking option and that the club are monitoring his situation, but they have not submitted an official offer for his services as of yet.
It has previously been reported that Arsenal are also interested in the 23-year-old talent, who is valued at around £60m by Monaco, which shows that there could be some competition for his services.
Why Spurs should sign Akliouche
The Lilywhites should formalise their interest with an official bid for the French whiz because he could come in as a Kulusevski clone to ease the blow of losing him to injury, and to compete with the former Juventus man when he is fit.
Like the Swedish maestro, Akliouche is a versatile attacking player who can play centrally as a number ten or out wide on the right, drifting infield onto his favoured left foot.
As partially evidenced by his incredible overhead kick in the clip above, the £60m-rated star also brings outstanding technical quality at the top end of the pitch, much like Kulusevski does.
Akliouche, whose technical skills were hailed as “majestic” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored five goals and created a whopping 15 ‘big chances’ in 27 starts in Ligue 1 for Monaco last season, which means that he created six more ‘big chances’ than the Spurs man did in the Premier League.
|
24/25 Ligue 1 |
Maghnes Akliouche |
Percentile rank vs wingers |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
5 |
Top 30% |
|
Chances created |
49 |
Top 10% |
|
xA |
7.85 |
Top 5% |
|
Pass accuracy |
84.9% |
Top 20% |
|
Successful dribbles |
50 |
Top 9% |
|
Assists |
10 |
Top 5% |
As you can see in the table above, the Spurs target was one of the most creative players in the French top-flight last season, as he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of creative metrics.
These statistics suggest that Tottenham would be signing a player who can unlock opposition defences on a regular basis to create high-quality chances for the likes of Dominic Solanke, Kudus, Richarlison, and Tel to stick in the back of the net.
Akliouche appears to have the potential to fill the creative gap left by the injuries to Maddison and Kuluveski, whilst being a clone of the latter for Frank to call upon throughout the season.
When both are fit, Akliouche and Kulusevski could fight for the same position and push each other to improve in training, creating real competitions for places within the squad to ensure that there is no complacency in the XI.
It is now down to Spurs to act upon their interest by swooping in with an offer to sign the French talent before the end of the summer transfer window.
