Spurs submit bid to sign "ball-carrying machine"

Under the management of Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur have become, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining teams to watch in European football.

The Australian’s philosophy and methods ensure that, whether at home or away, there will be a bucketload of goals when Spurs play.

However, to get the absolute most out of this style of football, the team needs a ground-covering monster in the middle of the park, someone ready to crunch into tackles and then progress the ball rapidly up the pitch, someone like Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo.

Fortunately, while they can’t go out and sign the Ecuadorian, the club have recently been linked to another exciting defensive midfielder who’s been compared to him.

Tottenham chase midfield monster

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in signing Palmeiras star Richard Rios this month.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners have already seen an offer rejected by the Brazilian outfit but are still keen to bring him to N17, while the likes of Nottingham Forest and Everton are also pushing to land the Colombian international.

The report has revealed that the 24-year-old midfielder has a €100m release clause in his current contract, but it’s far more likely that a lower offer will eventually be accepted.

It could end up being a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line this month, but considering Rios’ ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he’s been compared to the brilliant Caicedo.

How Rios compares to Caicedo

So, Spurs fans might not like him all that much – he is a Chelsea star, after all – but Rios being a primarily defensive midfielder and being compared to Caicedo is a tremendously encouraging sign, but where has this comparison come from?

Well, it primarily stems from FBref, which compared players in similar positions at last year’s Copa América, then created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, concluded that the Ecuadorian was the most similar midfielder to the Colombian at the tournament.

We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, progressive passes received, non-penalty expected goals, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area, blocks, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Rios & Caicedo
Statistics per 90	Rios	Caicedo
Progressive Passes Received	3.00	3.00
Non-Penalty Expected Goals	0.06	0.04
Passing Accuracy	80.1%	80.0%
Passes into the Penalty Area	0.80	0.75
Blocks	2.00	2.25
Aerial Duels Won	0.40	0.50
All Stats via FBref for the 2024 Copa América

However, it’s not just a comparison to the Blues’ midfield general that makes the Vegachí-born star such an appealing prospect, as his general underlying numbers from the last 365 days have also been brilliant.

For example, FBref has placed the “ball-carrying machine,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, in the top 2% of midfielders in the next best 14 competitions for tackles in the final third, the top 7% for dribblers challenged and take-ons attempted, the top 8% for total shots, top 10% for passes blocked, the top 11% for goals plus assists and more, all per 90.

On top of that, Mattinson also describes the dynamic ace as a “press-resistant” monster with an “engine which allows him to get up and down the pitch all game,” which makes him sound like the perfect addition to Postecoglou’s all-action side.

Ultimately, there are risks to signing a player from outside of Europe, but Rios looks like the real deal, and with comparisons to a star like Caicedo, Spurs should make sure they sign him before someone else gets there first.