OyVeh Maria sent us the following:
Poch has some new toys! So has Danny Boy delivered for the Club?
So, after what started potentially as a frustrating Transfer Window we now know who Poch’s new toys will be, but, can they make a difference and give us something that we didn’t have before? Can our new additions improve a team that has been described as “impossible to improve”?
Serge Aurier; £23m.
Straight Right Back replacement for Kyle Walker who also has Champions League experience. 3 years younger, with 14 more international caps and two league titles under his belt. Will he now be Poch’s first choice RB? Aurier played in a 3-5-2 for Toulosue as a right-sided centre back in a three-man defence, as well as a wing-back at times.
Aurier's biggest strengths, however, lie at the other end of the pitch. The 24-year-old is an attacking full-back who loves to create chances and get on the end of things. He had a total of six goals and six assists in his final season at Toulouse showing his strengths in the final third with his Bale like runs up their right flank. Aurier creates on average 1.1 chances per game, while Walker and Trippier both average 1.2. Walker was known for his threat down the right flank, Aurier’s dribble completion of 62.5% beats that of Walker (55%) but falls short of Trippier’s 66.6%. Aurier does come out on top with regards to pass completion.
Last season in Ligue 1 he completed 89% of his passes in comparison to the 79.8% and 76.3% of Walker and Trippier, respectively. He averages 1.5 interceptions per game beating Walker’s 1.2 and Trippier’s 0.6, while his tackle success rate ranks in between the pair of them. Aurier completed 75% of his attempted tackles in Ligue 1, better than Trippier (73.7%) but worse than Walker (81.5%). Mauricio Pochettino will be encouraged by the new boy’s ability in the air, with Aurier winning 67.5% of his aerial duels, closely followed by Walker’s 66.6% success rate and Trippier’s lowly 37.5%.
One draw-back for us will be that, depending on how far the Ivory Coast go in the competition in the African Cup of Nations we will be without Aurier from 12th January to the 4th February. This means he could miss the games against Everton, Southampton and, more crucially, Man U on the 31st January and possibly Liverpool on the 3rd February. He has a reputation though but he promises to be professional on and off the pitch. There is no doubt he possesses outstanding speed, strength and stamina, and he is also a diligent defender. In the 2015/16 campaign, he averaged more tackles (4) and more interceptions (3.4) per game than any other PSG player. The stats show he has registered similar numbers ever since his days at Lens.
Davinson Sanchez. £42m.
The Colombian only joined Ajax last summer in a €5million deal from Atletico Nacional after reportedly turning down a move to Barcelona in favour of first-team football. Sanchez went on to score six goals in 44 appearances in all competitions last season, helping Ajax reach the Europa League.
Davy Klaassen described his former team-mate as “a beast”, adding: “I understand why he has been linked with top clubs. He has the stature, the power.” He has played twice for Colombia and as a centre-back already he has had success having won the Copa Libertadores with Atletico Nacional, while he was named Ajax’s 2017 Player of the Year. Described as a raw, powerful central defender, who has long been tipped for stardom he has caught the eye of a number of Europe’s top clubs including an offer to join Barca with his performances during Ajax’s run to the Europa League final last season. Now, depending on your point of view, Sanchez is here to strengthen the back line of Verts and Alders or he is here because we are going to lose Toby at some point maybe as early as the January Window.
Potentially he is one of three at the back with Verts and Toby with Poch alternating Dier and Wanyama at DM in front of them. However, he has only played one season in European Football. Mourinho said Sanchez had no ball skills. Mourinho claims he isolated him in the Europa League Final because of his weakness when in possession. Mourinho is quoted as saying: “We let them go out to play, but blocking the right centre, De Ligt, and letting the ball go to the left to Sánchez, who had more difficulties.” Will he warrant a £42m Price tag? He’s attendance at Ajax was stella but after May next year he has to go on to the Copa America in June!
Juan Foyth:
Obviously Poch has connections with Juan Sebastian at Estudiantes, who played with Poch for Argentina. Poch has had his eye on the youngster for some time. It is quoted that: “Foyth’s signing is one with the future in mind for Tottenham and he will unlikely make an immediate impact on the Spurs first team”. Little is known of the Argentine youngster outside of his home country, but, Poch thinks Foyth is worth adding to the Spurs team so we fans will certainly back him. It is not a big-name addition, however, in the future, it could work out to be a very good piece of business for Tottenham, especially at just £9.6million.” Foyth is rated one of the most talented young defenders in world football and Spurs' move for him was ahead of clubs like PSG who also wanted him. He is a ball player which is an interesting contrast to Verts and Toby who tend to be play the three-quarter ball where as Foyth may be used to play the ball out and link the back three to the midfield.
Paulo Gazzinaga.
Well we all know that Vorm is starting to look at the exit door with one year left on his contract and Lloris can’t play every game so Poch has called on a Goalie who he knows well and, on a 5 Year Contract as well, which suggest he is part of Poch’s future plans.
Fernando Llorente. £12.1m.
He has pedigree, experience and knows where the net is, a kind of older, less mobile and less prolific Harry Kane. Proven in the Premier League, he would be brilliant back-up for Kane after showing last season he can score goals, 15 in the Premier League alone and that was for a struggling side. Aged 32, he is not exactly the future but he could do an excellent job for a season or two.
Tall, technically sound, excellent in the air and with a penalty box instinct that Kane will approve of. Llorente has a distinguished record in Spain and England. He could be a brilliant acquisition as he is undoubtedly a considerable threat in the air which we don’t really have and, if Aurier can get a half decent cross in, we have a different threat to add to our game, and, we nicked him from under the noses of the Chleski, pay-back time for Willian! Spare a thought for Vincent Janssen does this make him our number 3 striker?
All in all a good window, what do you think?
