Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with genuinely world-class talents over the years.
The North Londoners might not quite have the trophies to show for it, but the likes of Mousa Dembélé, Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and even Dele Alli all made names for themselves in N17 and became stars of the Premier League.
However, before that crop of players almost led the Lilywhites to domestic and continental glory, the club had another, arguably more talented star on their books: Gareth Bale.
The Welsh icon may have found glory while playing for Real Madrid, but he was just as unplayable during his time with Spurs, and while the club might not find another player exactly like him anytime soon, recent reports have touted a youngster with unmistakable similarities for a move this month.
Tottenham target Serie A ace
According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in signing Lecce star Patrick Dogu this month.
In fact, the report has revealed that ‘influential figures behind the scenes’ at Spurs have been trying to work out how they can jump ahead of rivals Manchester United to secure the Dane’s services.
The good news is that Lecce have already agreed to sell the full-back this month should an appropriate offer come in, but the bad news is that the Serie A side value the Danish international at £34m.
It could prove to be a challenging transfer to get over the line, but given Dorgu’s impressive form and sky-high potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as there are shades of Bale about him.
How Dorgu compares to Bale
Okay, the first thing to say is that even if Dorgu ends up being a roaring success at Spurs, which seems possible, he’ll still be some way off reaching the sensational heights that Bale did in his final season before joining Real Madrid in 12/13, when he produced 36 goal involvements in 44 games.
However, just because it’s unlikely that the Dane will be able to reach quite the same world-class levels as the Welshman doesn’t mean that there aren’t a number of evident similarities between the pair, because there are.
The first is the simple fact that, like the former Galactico, the Lecce gem will be joining the North Londoners – should a deal be struck – as an incredibly exciting and attack-minded left-back with the ability to play further up the pitch.
Dorgu’s positional versatility (with Lecce) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Position |
Appearances |
Goals |
Assists |
Left-Back |
23 |
1 |
1 |
Right-Wing |
11 |
3 |
0 |
Left-Midfield |
9 |
1 |
0 |
Left-Winger |
5 |
0 |
0 |
Right-Back |
3 |
0 |
0 |
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
For example, in his 56 games for the Serie A side, the “super high potential” Dane, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has made 23 appearances at left-back, 11 at right-wing, nine in left-midfield, five at left-wing and three at right-back, while the remaining five appearances were likely short cameos and therefore not attributed to a set position.
It’s not just this ability to play in attack and defence that makes the 20-year-old similar to the Cardiff-born icon; it’s also how he plays.
For example, according to Mattinson, the Copenhagen-born gem is an incredibly “dynamic” full-back who “loves to carry the ball up the field” and does so with such ease, in part thanks to the fact that his “dribbling is top drawer.”
However, while the offensive side of his game is what makes him most similar to the former Madrid star, he is no slouch when it comes to defensive duties, with Mattinson describing him as a “1v1 specialist” and someone who can “dominate his opponent physically.”
Finally, the 6 foot 2 prospect shares the former Spurs star’s incredible stamina, with Lecce sporting director Pantaleo Corvino describing him as having “an engine unmatched by anyone else.”
Overall, there are several apparent similarities between Dorgu and Bale, and these similarities are also what would make the youngster an ideal player for Posetcoglou, as he’d be able to play in multiple roles, he has explosive pace and, combined with his stamina, that could make him a nightmare for opponents in the Australian’s high-octane system.
Ultimately, it might require Daniel Levy and Co to invest more than they’d like to in a young player, but this looks like a transfer they must make.
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