Tottenham Hotspur had been considering a move for wide forwards along the summer window. And while the Lilywhites brought in Kudus and Xavi Simons in marquee deals, the latter is more of an inward investment, and this still leaves Frank desperate for quality players up on the channels.
This is where the North Londoners are considering a January move for Jens Petter Hauge. The Norwegian winger is said to have caught the eye of the Premiership heavyweights given his electric performance against Spurs in the Champions League.
And former Lilywhites scout Bryan King went on to suggest that Thomas Frank will “go for him” when the winter transfer window comes around. His current employers are said to be looking for somewhere between £20 million and £30 million for his signatures.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, he said:
“Frank will go for him (Hauge).
“I think he showed with the two goals that he scored that he is absolute quality.
“I think the money that Bodo/Glimt would be looking for would be anywhere between £20m and £30m, which would be massive money for a Norwegian club.
“That would break the record for the biggest transfer fee ever received in Norway.”
Let’s understand Jens Petter Hauge a bit…
Jens Petter Hauge is quite talented and has already had a run-in in the top five European leagues, given his early stints with AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt. But there has been this resurgence from him at Bodo/Glimt which has taken headlines around European heavyweights.
Hague has netted eight goals alongside his further tally of eight assists in all competitions in the ongoing season. And those numbers include two standout goals against Tottenham when the Lilywhites visited the Arctic Circle.
Hauge is primarily a left winger. But the 25-year-old has the capacity to feature on either flank. He is capable of cutting inside to shoot or holding width to deliver. And he has that flair when operating out wide, but then he has that work rate out of possession, which makes him a perfect fit to play in a pressing-first system (which Frank has deployed at N17).
How would Hauge fit in at Tottenham under Thomas Frank?
It’s still early days at Hotspur Way, but the Dane head coach has deployed a high-pressing system at N17. He has built a system where attaching sequences come through with vertical transitions. But then there is this variability upfront, given most of the players have the capacity to play in multiple roles.
If we are talking about pressing systems, the former Brentford manager likes to have his wingers pressing in a 4-3-3 shape. The basis here is to cut off passing lanes and push mistakes. And given that Hauge is known for his relentless energy and he has this defensive awareness, the 25-year-old would thrive in the Lilywhites’ pressing system.
So ideally he can take over the reins from Wilson Odobert, who has been showing how he is still raw. The former Burnley forward is yet to find his feet at N17, and ideally having Hague would mean he can fill the void that Odobert was expected to fill.
European heavyweights have been looking to push quick passing triangles. Generally this is between the wide forward, advanced midfielder, and overlapping full-back. So when it comes on to that left channel, that triangle often involves Destiny Udogie and Xavi Simons. Now if we put Hague with them, then the 25-year-old maestro would give you that close control and diagonal runs between the lines.
This complements both players perfectly. So suddenly you get more directness and width, especially when facing low blocks (something that the Lilywhites have struggled with this season).
Mapping Jens Petter Hauge in current roster
At the moment the big problem at Tottenham is attacking depth. Given that both Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have been serving on the sidelines for the long term. And Kolo Muani and Solanke are struggling with injury problems. Tottenham have heavily relied on the likes of Richarlison and Kudus to produce that needed output.
But bringing in Hauge out wide will not only bring that sense of competition but also give Tottenham those options to rotate to Thomas Frank. And he comes in with a lot of European experience under his belt, complemented by his goal contributions, which makes him ideally more than just a bench warmer.
TTLB Opinion
It does make tactical sense to sign Hague given that he will come for not more than a £20–30 million investment. This is not too hefty a fee in the current market, but it has a huge upside.
The North Londoners have been looking to bring in those young and hungry players and develop them through the corridors at N17. And Hague wouldn’t require overnight success to succeed at Tottenham, but he does have the capacity to become an integral part of the roster in the long campaign.
