It’s been a roller-coaster few days for the Tottenham Hotspur faithful.
On Friday afternoon, the club announced that they had sacked Ange Postecoglou, thanking him for ending their 17-year trophy drought but highlighting the team’s dire Premier League form as the reason he was let go.
Thomas Frank appeared to be the frontrunner to replace the Australian over the weekend, and then yesterday, Fabrizio Romano gave his move the ‘here we go’ treatment.
And now, reports have suggested the club could go out and sign the Danish manager, a Premier League attacker who has won comparisons to Bryan Mbeumo.
Tottenham transfer news
Given their horrific league form this season, it’s hardly been surprising to see Spurs linked with a host of talented attacking players, such as Eberechi Eze and even the man himself, Mbeumo.
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The former reportedly has a release clause worth an astounding £68m, although even at that price, the Crystal Palace ace would be more than worth it, as in 43 appearances this term, he managed to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists, all while helping the team win the FA Cup.
The Brentford star, on the other hand, has been linked with a £60m switch to North London, but with his preference clearly being Manchester United, it feels like Frank won’t be able to bring the Cameroon international with him this summer.
However, that might not be such a problem, as the Lilywhites have now been linked with another Premier League star who has won comparisons to the Bees star: Antoine Semenyo.
According to a recent report from talkSPORT, Spurs are incredibly interested in the Bournemouth star.
The good news is that the report claims Daniel Levy has already personally met with the player’s camp concerning a move but a problem could be the Cherries’ asking price.
Indeed, the 25-year-old could cost Spurs a club-record £70m, and while that is a lot of money, it’s a deal worth pursuing, especially as he’s so similar to Mbeumo.
How Semenyo compares to Mbeumo
Now, before we look at some of the other reasons Spurs could and should sign Semenyo this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Mbeumo and where it has come from.
In this instance, it stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Premier League this season and then created a list of the ten most comparable players.
By doing this, it has been concluded that the Brentford star is the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Bournemouth ace this year.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.44
0.42
Progressive Carries
3.93
3.43
Passes into the Final Third
1.38
1.66
Live Passes
29.5
30.7
Shot-Creating Actions
3.71
3.80
Interceptions
0.31
0.37
Carries into the Penalty Area
1.88
1.98
The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, passes into the final third, carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.
Now, while being compared to a player who scored for fun in the league this season is already a positive sign, the fact he’s so similar to the former Troyes gem is also a good sign for his potential game time at Tottenham next season, as Mbeumo was Frank’s second most used player during his time at Brentford.
With all that said, what are some of the other reasons the North Londoners should be splashing the cash on the Cherries star this summer?
Well, first and foremost, he is a dangerous outlet. In 42 appearances, totalling 3562 minutes this season, the often “unplayable” attacker, as dubbed by journalist Ed Aarons, scored 13 goals and provided seven assists, which works out to a goal involvement every 2.1 games, or every 178.1 minutes.
Finally, the 27-capped international would also provide Frank with plenty of tactical options, as he can play off the right just as easily as the left and has even played centrally at points as well.
Ultimately, while he won’t be cheap, Spurs should do all they can to sign Semenyo, as not only is he a superb attacker in his own right, but he also shares some of Mbeumo’s best traits.
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