He has been described as a “monster duel-winner”

Ange Postecoglou’s first season as Tottenham Hotspur manager has been a tale of two halves. Spurs were flying high in the Premier League after the first ten games, but they are again in fifth place and appear bound for the Europa League.

Spurs won eight of their first ten league games this season, drawing twice. According to Opta Joe, Postecoglou’s 26 points are the most any Premier League manager has earned in his first ten games in charge of the league.

Since then, the Lilywhites have dropped to fifth in the Premier League with 63 points. They are currently four points behind fourth-place Aston Villa and still have to face Manchester City on Tuesday evening.

Between gameweeks ten and 37, Spurs are ranked 11th in the form table. During that time, they would have 37 points and a -1 goal difference, having won 11 games, lost 11 and drawn 4.

Nonetheless, Postecoglou’s first season has been mainly successful. The former Celtic manager will undoubtedly be looking for new players to strengthen his team during the upcoming summer transfer window. In particular, the Lilywhites have been connected with a Premier League midfielder.

Spurs aim to sign Premier League midfielder.

Amadou Onana, an Everton and Belgium midfielder, has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. While there will be plenty of competition for the 22-year-old, Spurs have a good chance of signing him.

According to CaughtOffside, Spurs are interested in Onana for a sum of roughly £45 million, with Everton seeking a £12 million profit from the £33 million purchase they made when buying the Belgian from Lille in 2022.

Indeed, this is far higher than Onana’s current valuation, according to Football Observatory. The Belgian midfielder, valued at £26 million, is the Toffees’ joint-second most valuable player, behind James Garner and Dwight McNeil. Only Jarrad Branthwaite, valued at £43 million, is worth more.

According to the same source, Tottenham will compete for Onana’s signature with North London rivals Arsenal, fellow Europa League contenders Newcastle United, and Spanish side Barcelona. However, due to FFP constraints imposed on Barcelona this summer, “the advantage could remain” with the North London pair and the Magpies, according to Brus.

Why Amadou Onana could be a positive signing

There is little doubt that Onana has the potential to take Tottenham’s midfield to the next level. They’ve lacked someone with his profile, a powerful ball-winner in the middle of the park. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are quality players, but not destroyers like Onana.

Raj Chohal, a football expert on X, labelled Onana as a “monster duel-winner” a few months ago, and his stats from this season surely support that.

According to Fbref, Onana has an average of 3.96 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, 1.67 tackles won per 90 minutes, and 0.95 interceptions.

Interestingly, the figures are comparable to those of Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, who plays a role similar to the one Onana may fill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Rice has an average of 3.61 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, 1.42 tackle wins per 90 minutes, and 1.27 interceptions won per 90 minutes. Both players have similar profiles: they are midfield destroyers who can break up play and move the ball forward.

Furthermore, Onana is one of the Premier League’s greatest aerial duelists this season.

According to Fbref, the 22-year-old wins an average of 2.25 aerial duels per game, putting him in the top 5% of positionally similar players, and has a win rate of 73.5%, placing him in the top 3%.

He would undoubtedly be a great acquisition for the Lilywhites. His ability is clear, and he has been an important player for Everton this season, appearing 29 times in the Premier League. Signing Onana, and so beating competitors to his signature, would be a true show of purpose from Spurs, and would significantly boost their team ahead of next season.

Just image a Rice-like midfielder in Postecoglou’s engine room. It’s an enticing proposition.