The World Cup has only just come to an end, but it’s full steam ahead on the pre-season front, with Tottenham Hotspur getting their preparations for the new Premier League campaign underway against MK Dons.
That Wednesday afternoon match-up saw the Lilywhites run out 1-0 winners over the League One side, courtesy of an early, stunning volley from £85m signing, Mateus Fernandes.
While there was no sign of Andy Robertson or Jan Paul van Hecke, with Marcos Senesi still set to enjoy an extended break, that narrow victory did allow Spurs supporters a first chance to see Fernandes and Sandro Tonali in action together.
It was the goalscorer who undoubtedly grabbed the headlines in the opening 45, although there were at least reasons to be positive about the performance of the club’s record signing too.
What Spurs learned from Tonali’s pre-season debut
£185m has been spent on the Premier League pair, yet it wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that the most eye-catching midfield performance came in the form of teen sensation, Luca Williams-Barnett, in the second half.
The academy starlet was masterful after the break, running the show in almost Mousa Dembele style to stake his claim for increased involvement next season.
One half of football isn’t enough to be getting carried away with, though, nor should it be enough to completely judge a player on, particularly with fitness the main priority right now.
Indeed, while it wasn’t a spectacular first outing in a Tottenham shirt for Tonali, there were signs of why ENIC have forked out so heavily for his signature, as the ex-Newcastle United man kept it neat and tidy in the centre of the park.
In all, the Italian enjoyed a 96% pass accuracy, remarkably losing the ball just three times across his 70 touches, while also recording a 93% pass rate inside the opposition half.
|
Tonali vs MK Dons |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Record |
|
Minutes |
45 |
|
Touches |
70 |
|
Pass accuracy |
96% |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
Dribbles |
0 |
|
Ball lost |
3 |
|
Carries |
15 |
|
Tackles |
0/0 |
|
Duels won |
0/1 |
There wasn’t the all-action style that was often seen at St James’ Park, as Tonali failed to win a single tackle or duel, but he did rack up 15 carries, seeking to progress play wherever suitable.
Plenty to be encouraged by, albeit with plenty still to come, with there also the added complexity of whether a third midfielder arrives in the door.
Why Spurs could still sign a third midfielder to rival Tonali
The sight of two number tens, in the form of Williams-Barnett and Jamie Donley, lining up together in a midfield two in the second half showcased that the centre of the park could still be an area to address before the window is out.
Of course, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall have all been on World Cup duty, although Sarr’s future looks in doubt in north London, while Bergvall is a leading target for Nottingham Forest.
Having also seen Joao Palhinha return to Bayern Munich, with Yves Bissouma departing on a free transfer, a third midfielder surely can’t be ruled out this summer.
Indeed, as reported by the Daily Mirror’s Jeremy Cross, Spurs are among the clubs who are ‘keen’ on signing Bournemouth star, Alex Scott, with the 22-year-old known to be a boyhood Tottenham fan.
Both Newcastle and Everton are also in the mix, yet it is Arsenal and Manchester United are appear in pole position right now, with the pair ‘locked in talks’ with his agents.
The belief is that the Guernsey-born playmaker could fetch as little as £40m, albeit with prior reports indicating that the asking price could be more than double that.
Either way, ENIC being in the mix is an encouraging sign, with Scott just a delightful, balletic midfield talent, someone who looks like he’d suit Roberto De Zerbi‘s style to a T.
There’s an elegance to his game that the aforementioned Tonali simply just doesn’t have, the England youth international able to dictate the tempo of a game from his deep-lying number eight berth.
Last season in the Premier League, for instance, Scott scored and assisted four goals, created four ‘big chances’ and averaged 0.8 key passes per game, having also averaged a solid 0.8 successful dribbles per outing.
For comparison, Tonali did create six ‘big chances’ and average 0.9 key passes per game, although he scored and assisted only two goals, while averaging just 0.5 successful dribbles. In terms of pass accuracy rate, Scott also bettered his Newcastle counterpart in that regard too (85% vs 84%).
Even out of possession, the Bournemouth man was far superior, winning five total duels per game, while also averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions and 5.3 ball recoveries, having been dribbled past just 0.6 times per game.
As for Tonali, while it was a difficult season all round for the Magpies, his record was far less impressive, averaging just 3.1 total duels and 1.9 tackles and interceptions, having also recovered just 4.2 balls per game and been dribbled past 0.7 times.
Scott is also just a far more impressive ball carrier, ranking within the top 15% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for both progressive carries and carries into the final third.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
As for Tonali, meanwhile, he ranks in just the top 31% and the top 43% for those same two metrics, respectively.
Of course, Spurs’ £100m investment in Tonali would suggest that he will likely be the go-to man in midfield moving forward, but don’t bet against Scott forcing his way into the side if a deal can be wrapped up for the Tottenham supporter.
