Spurs chasing “quality” England star available for free

It’s been just over a year and a half since Ange Postecoglou took charge of Tottenham Hotspur, and to say a lot has happened in that period would be a massive understatement.

The Australian started like a house on fire and led the team to the top of the Premier League ten games into his tenure, but since then, the North Londoners’ league form has been abysmal, and, as things stand, they find themselves in 12th place.

However, there have been encouraging signs, from the scintillating style of football to their brazen confidence against the best teams in the country and, most importantly, that they currently lead Liverpool 1-0 heading into the second leg of their League Cup semi-final.

Spurs’ League Cup run
Round	Opponent	Result
Third Round	Coventry City (A)	2-1 (W)
Round of 16	Manchester City (H)	2-1 (W)
Quater-Final	Manchester United (H)	4-3 (W)
Semi-Final (1st Leg)	Liverpool (H)	1-0 (W)

So, while things haven’t been perfect, there have been enough signs to indicate that the Lilywhites are heading on the right track, although to keep that going into next season and surpass the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, Daniel Levy and Co will need to bring in the right players to help the manager.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the club to an England international who could be available for free in the summer and has won comparisons to the incredible Martin Odegaard.

Tottenham Hotspur chase England international

According to a recent report from transfer journalist Dean Jones on the Ranks FC podcast, Tottenham are interested in LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes.

Speaking on the podcast, Jones revealed that the North Londoners are “looking at” central and attacking midfielders this month and that the former Manchester United prospect is one of the players they are keen on.

The Englishman’s contract is set to expire in the summer and the transfers expert has claimed the club are trying to convince him to join for free.

However, he also revealed that there is a chance something could happen this month, as his contract situation would likely prevent the French outfit from demanding too much.

In all, while signing Gomes this month could be an option, it seems far more likely that he’d make a move for free in the summer, and given his incredible ability, that would be a sensational coup for Spurs, especially as he’s won comparisons to the equally sensational Odegaard.

How Gomes compares to Odegaard

Okay, before we get into a couple of the other reasons why Tottenham should go out and sign Gomes this year, let’s examine this comparison to Odegaard and where it has come from, as while the fans may dislike him, he’s a brilliant midfielder.

Well, it primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Norwegian is the fifth most similar midfielder to the Englishman over the last 365 days.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected non-penalty goals, assists, progressive passes received, crosses into the penalty area, tackles won and more, all per 90.

Gomes & Odegaard
Statistics per 90	Gomes	Odegaard
Expected Non-Penalty Goals	0.13	0.15
Progressive Passes Received	5.88	5.93
Assists	0.15	0.18
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.29	0.27
Tackles Won	0.59	0.53
Fouls Drawn	1.18	1.15
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

On top of the statistical similarities between the pair, they both also occupy similar roles in that they do contribute to their team’s attack but are not out-and-out playmakers, instead acting as hybrid eights who are involved in practically all phases of play.

With that said, while comparisons to one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders are certainly reason enough to sign someone, the former Manchester United ace can also bring his experience to the team.

For example, the “unbelievable” talent, as described by Statman Dave, has now performed brilliantly in the Portuguese and French top-flights and is now a regular in the England set-up, having won four senior caps since September, two of which came from starts.

Ultimately, Spurs are going to need to bring in more and more talent over the coming years to help Postecoglou achieve his lofty goals and signing Gomes for a small fee this month or for free in the summer seems like a total no-brainer.