The summer of 2016 has proved to be a lively one for Tottenham Hotspur.
The North Londoners agreed deals with Southampton and AZ Alkmaar for the services of Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen respectively and signed Moussa Sissoko from Newcastle United for an eye-watering fee of £30 million on deadline day. There were some notable departures too, the likes of Ryan Mason and Nacer Chadli making permanent switches to Hull City and West Bromwich Albion respectively and Nabil Bentaleb leaving for Schalke 04 on a season-long loan. There was one prolonged deal that turned into a mini-saga for them, though.
Back in July, Tottenham reached an agreement with Olympique de Marseille for the transfer of France U21 winger, Kevin N’Koudou. Due to a change of presidency in the city though, the deal could only be completed on the final day, a period used by Tottenham rather amusingly on confirming the capture officially. N’Koudou began training with Tottenham once the deal was completed in principle though and cost them £9.9 million, thereby leading to a massive profit for Marseille who recruited him for £1 million from French counterparts Nantes. The deal was sweetened with Tottenham sending Cameroonian international Clinton N’Jie the other way on loan for the season.
Predominantly a left-winger, N’Koudou has been acclaimed for his ability to switch to either foot while approaching a defender. In doing so, he makes it hard for his opponent to read his next move, the result of which is a successful dribble, occasionally. The youngster scored 10 goals for Marseille last season and was a like-for-like replacement for Dimitri Payet, who moved to West Ham United last season. N’Koudou was instrumental in Marseille’s endeavours, despite the French giants enduring a bitterly disappointing domestic campaign. His service to now Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi was well lauded and it can be inferred that the 9 times Ligue 1 champions will miss the duo.
Nacer Chadli’s move to West Bromwich Albion meant Tottenham were in need of an out-and-out winger to help foster Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy and style of play. With Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli usually making up the attacking quartet led by Harry Kane, it has been observed that all three players are accustomed to drifting inside and narrowing width for Tottenham. While this gives Danny Rose and Kyle Walker the license to burst forward, the lack of a defence-minded winger often results in the possibility of a counter-attack. The ramifications in that regard could be severe and that is an issue Pochettino was expected to address.
For all his endearing qualities going forward, N’Koudou has been guilty of giving up possession in crucial areas and hasn’t entirely acclimatized to the defensive side of the game. This is common among raw, talented wingers and will be integrated with time. What makes his presence in the squad an asset for Pochettino, though, is his ability to adapt to a dynamic, high-pressing, aggressive style of football. He ticks all the boxes in that regard and with a sufficient amount of time, he might become a fan favourite at White Hart Lane.
The arrival of Moussa Sissoko adds a decent option for Pochettino in midfield and with N’Koudou in place, Tottenham might reignite the spark that rendered them title contenders for a brief, fleeting moment last season. From the looks of it, Pochettino’s ideology is passing it’s formative stages now.
