After a dire return to Premier League action on Thursday night last week, Tottenham Hotspur fans finally had something to celebrate yesterday afternoon.
It wasn’t a vintage performance, and there was a moment when it looked like it could end in a draw, but Ange Postecoglou’s side managed to pick up three points at home against Southampton.
One of the stand-out performers for the home side was Brennan Johnson, who scored a brace and won the penalty that Mathys Tel put away in the game’s final moments.
The Welshman now has 16 goals across all competitions this season and is the club’s top goalscorer, so it’s good news that recent reports have touted a player who could be Tottenham’s next Johnson for a move to N17.
Tottenham’s transfer targets
With how poorly this season has gone and the number of injuries the team have had to contend with, this summer has to be a massive one for Spurs in terms of incomings, and based on the last few weeks of rumours, it certainly seems like it will be.
For example, according to reports from late last week, the club are looking to bring in some more defensive reinforcements in the shape of Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie, who could be available for £60m and would come with title-winning experience.
On top of that, Daniel Levy and Co appear intent on adding to the attack, with the £60m Eberechi Eze back on their list of top targets.
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The Crystal Palace star has scored six goals and provided 11 assists so far this season and would undoubtedly improve the attacking options at Postecoglou’s disposal next year, as would the most recent star touted for a move to N17: Antoine Semenyo.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Lilywhites are incredibly keen on signing the Bournemouth star this summer.
In fact, the report has revealed that Spurs ‘are in a fierce battle’ to secure the Ghanaian’s signature with Premier League rivals Manchester United.
On top of having to contend with the Red Devils, the North Londoners will also have to cough up a significant amount of money to get their man as the Cherries will only entertain selling at around €50m, which is about £43m.
It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line for Spurs, but given Semenyo’s immense ability, it is worth fighting for, especially if he can be their next Johnson.
Why Semenyo would be Johnson 2.0
So, while we are not saying they are the same player, there are some undeniable parallels between Johnson and Semenyo, especially if the latter moves to Spurs.
The first is that both would have moved to Spurs from other Premier League sides who are outside the traditional ‘big six’ but appear to be on positive trajectories, with Bournemouth looking good for a top-half finish.
The second similarity is that both players can be devastatingly effective from the wing.
|
Semenyo & Johnson |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Semenyo |
Johnson |
|
Appearances |
35 |
41 |
|
Goals |
9 |
16 |
|
Assists |
6 |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.42 |
0.48 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
For example, while he hasn’t got as many goal involvements as the Welshman, the “sensational” Ghanaian, as dubbed by journalist Thierry Nyann, has still managed to rack up nine goals and six assists in 35 appearances, totalling 3003 minutes.
That means the 25-year-old is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 200.2 minutes.
Finally, while the former Nottingham Forest star has settled into a right-wing role, both players are positionally versatile and have shown an ability to play all over the pitch in the past.
Ultimately, while it could be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Semenyo has more than proven himself in the Premier League this season.
Therefore, Spurs should do all they can to sign him in the summer.
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