Bigger talent than Huijsen: Spurs' "crazy" teen is a "monster of a CB"
da supremo： A week is a long time in football, and Tottenham Hotspur are currently a testament to that.
da betano casino： While the Lilywhites’ domestic campaign has been an utter disaster this year, the fans probably don’t care at the moment, and following their impressive win on Thursday night, they are now in the Europa League final.
However, while the players and supporters can dream and look forward to that game, the board need to continue their preparations for what has to be a massive summer of transfer business.
It seems they are doing just that, as once again, reports have come out linking them to Bournemouth’s star defender Dean Huijsen for £50m, though thanks to an incredible youngster on their books, they may not need to sign the Spaniard at all.
Why Spurs want Huijsen
So, before we get to the player Tottenham could promote instead of splashing the cash on Huijsen, it’s worth taking a moment and looking at why they reportedly want to sign the Bournemouth star in the first place.
One of the most significant reasons will be the seriously impressive speed at which he’s adapted to and come to thrive in English football.
For example, despite only turning 20 in April and this being his first campaign in the country, the Amsterdam-born monster has made 33 first-team appearances for the Cherries, in which he’s scored three goals and provided one assist.
On top of that, the former Juventus gem has also made two appearances for the senior Spanish side and played a significant role in them making it to the Nations League final.
Last but most certainly not least, the highly-sought-after defender also boasts some genuinely impressive underlying numbers, with FBref placing him in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty expected goals plus assists and interceptions, the top 4% for clearances, the top 5% for sho-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Huijsen’s FBref Scout Report
Statistic
Per 90
Percentile
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.15
Top 3%
Interceptions
1.97
Top 3%
Clearances
7.05
Top 4%
Non-Penalty Goals
0.12
Top 5%
Shot-Creating Actions
1.61
Top 5%
Progressive Carries
1.45
Top 8%
Total Shots
0.73
Top 16%
Progressive Passes
4.67
Top 17%
All Stats via FBref
In short, Huijsen is an exceptionally promising young centre-back, but Spurs might be better off not signing him this summer, as they look to already have a bigger talent on the books, albeit out on loan.
Spurs' bigger talent than Huijsen
While some out there might think we are talking about the promising Ashley Phillips, who just spent the season on loan with Stoke City, they’d be mistaken.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Instead, you’ve got to go just a little further out to Belgium, where Luka Vušković is spending the season on loan with KVC Westerlo alongside fellow Spurs loanee Alfie Devine.
So, why do we think the incredibly exciting young Croatian might be a bigger talent than Huijsen? Well, we’ll break it down into two areas: his defensive abilities and offensive abilities.
Starting with the former then, and despite only turning 18 in February, the 6 foot 6 “monster of a CB,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has been incredibly effective at the back for his side this season.
According to FOTmob, he sits in the top 7.8% of centre-backs in the league for aerial duels won, ball recoveries and blocks and the top 22.2% for overall duels won – which is undeniably outstanding for someone so young.
Then, when it comes to his attacking prowess, he’s in a league of his own.
For example, the “crazy” talent, as dubbed by Mattinson, has managed to score seven goals and provide three assists in 34 games this season, which for a centre-back is incredible, and works out to a goal involvement every 3.4 games.
Vušković’s 24/25
Player
Vušković
Appearances
34
Goals
7
Assists
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.29
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Ultimately, while it’s impossible to be certain until he plays in England, it does appear that Spurs have already signed a bigger talent than Huijsen in Vušković.
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