It would be fair to say that this season has been very disappointing Tottenham Hotspur yet.
Angie Postecoglou The team started their campaign hoping to improve on their fifth-place finish in the league Premier League Last year, but as things stand, they dropped to 11th place.
North Londoners have arrived League Cup The semi-finals and still has a chance to win the championship European LeagueBut for that to happen, they will need to seriously improve their performance.
Now, the club has been hit by an injury crisis in defence, but despite this, the likes of Pedro Porro and Udoji's fate They have looked much worse than they did this time last year, so reports linking the club with a potential promotion at the end should excite fans.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to For a recent report from Caught OffsideTottenham are one of several teams keen on signing Club Brugge's exciting full-back Maxime De Cuyper.
The report revealed that in addition to the Lilywhites, London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in the Belgian defender.
Unfortunately, the story also claims that the Gunners are currently leading the race, but given the abundance of full-backs, there is no reason why Spurs can't get ahead of them by offering more game time.
The report did not reveal how much the 24-year-old could cost the parties involved, but Due to its price of 12 million euros – £10 million – At Transfermarkt, we'd be surprised if the price was that expensive.
There is undoubtedly an element of risk in signing a player from outside the top five leagues, but based on his ability and potential, De Cuyper is a gamble worth taking, especially as he could be an ideal upgrade for Udogie.
How does De Cuyper compare to Udogie
So, one of the best attributes of De Cuyper is that he is versatile enough To play on both sides of the defence He can also play high up the pitch in a wide midfield or even on the wing.
However, his most played position, in a way, is left-back, meaning a move to Tottenham next year would see him go up against Udoji for a starting position, but how do they compare?
Well, from a production perspective, which is increasingly important in the modern game, the Club Brugge player is at the top.
For example, in his 24 appearances this season, the 'beast' full-back appeared, e.g It was named after video scout Elijah MichelsAnd it was recorded One goal and four assistswhich equates to a reasonably impressive average of goal shares every 4.8 games.
In return, the Italian star presented the Lilywhites Just one assist in his 21 games This season, it is undoubtedly weak.
What about their basic numbers then? Is the comparison one-sided when we take a look under the hood?
Indeed, he is what is called an “exceptional” Belgian. By U23 scout Antonio Mangoemerges victorious in the majority of relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, key passes, passes and crosses into the box, blocked shots and more, all per 90.
De Cuyper vs Udoji |
||
---|---|---|
Statistics per 90 |
De Cuyper |
Udoji |
Unexpected penalty G+As |
0.48 |
0.10 |
Progressive passes |
1.43 |
2.48 |
Holds progressivism |
8.45 |
5.93 |
Screenshots |
1.12 |
0.35 |
Shots on target |
0.25 |
0.07 |
Passing accuracy |
78.5% |
87.1% |
Key passes |
2.98 |
0.83 |
It passes to the last third |
6.58 |
4.14 |
Passes to the penalty area |
2.61 |
0.34 |
Cross into the penalty area |
1.18 |
0.07 |
Live passes |
60.6 |
44.9 |
Snapshot creation procedures |
5.85 |
1.73 |
Goal creation procedures |
0.81 |
0.21 |
Tackles won |
1.30 |
1.93 |
Blocked shots |
0.19 |
0.14 |
Approvals |
2.61 |
1.72 |
Mistakes that lead to a shot |
0.06 |
0.07 |
Successful acquisitions |
0.93 |
0.69 |
Retrieve the ball |
3.54 |
5.03 |
He won aerial duels |
0.62 |
0.76 |
All statistics via FBref for the 24/25 league season |
Now, while the extent of the Brugge star's superiority over Udoji is enormous, we must take into account the fact that he is playing in a weaker league.
However, even with that in mind, his underlying numbers are simply sensational, and the idea of him playing in Postecoglou's impressive attacking system should interest Lilywhites fans.
So, while there is some risk in this potential deal, Spurs must do everything they can to sign De Kuiper in 2025 before someone else outbids him.