Tottenham Hotspur will have a finalised and settled squad by the time they kick off at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday night and that means that Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy still have a few days left to get business done.
Spurs have picked up four points from their first two matches of the top-flight season. They were held to a 1-1 by Leicester City and thumped Everton 4-0.
Heung-min Son scored twice, with goals from Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero, in the hammering of the Toffees on Saturday, in what was a performance that will, hopefully, be built on in the weeks and months to come.
Despite scoring five goals in their first two Premier League games, there is still room for improvement in the attacking third for the Lilywhites – particularly in the wide areas.
Tottenham could still make further additions to their squad in that area of the pitch and could land an upgrade on one of their lesser performers.
One player whose performances on the pitch in the last 12 months or so have left a bit to be desired is former Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson.
Brennan Johnson’s struggles with Spurs
Tottenham swooped to sign the Wales international from the Tricky Trees for a reported fee of £47.5m in the summer of 2023, after he had produced eight goals and three assists in 38 Premier League games in the 2022/23 campaign.
Johnson did not endure a terrible first year in London with the Lilywhites but it is fair to say that he has had his share of struggles on the pitch, particularly with his end product in the final third from a right-wing position.
The 23-year-old attacker’s finishing was certainly questionable as he did not make the most of the opportunities that were created for him in the Premier League.
In 35 appearances in the top-flight for Spurs, Johnson only found the back of the net five times. He missed a staggering 17 ‘big chances’ and racked up 10.61 xG, which means that the forward underperformed his expected tally by almost six goals.
Meanwhile, the former Forest star racked up an eye-catching return of ten assists in those 35 outings, despite only creating 4.5 xA worth of chances for his teammates.
As you can see in the table above, Johnson has also endured a difficult start to the current campaign, with zero goals, assists, or ‘big chances’ created in two matches.
The Welshman has started both games and did not contribute directly to any of the five goals scored, whilst he also failed with both of his attempted dribbles and made just one key pass.
This means that the speedster has produced five goals and missed 18 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League since the start of last season, and Postecoglou could unearth an upgrade on him by dipping into the market to secure one of the club’s reported targets.
Tottenham’s interest in Turkish wizard
Earlier this summer, Turkish outlet Haber3 reported that Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of English teams interested in signing Baris Yilmaz from Galatasaray.
The outlet claimed that Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion are also keen on the young forward to bolster their respective squads.
It was revealed that the Super Lig giants would demand a fee within the region of €30m (£25m) to part ways with the Turkey international before the end of the window.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs will make a move for him, particularly after the signing of Odobert from Burnley, Yilmaz has the potential to be an excellent addition to the squad as a possible upgrade on Johnson out wide.
Why Spurs should sign Baris Yilmaz
The Lilywhites should make a late swoop to sign the 24-year-old attacker, who can play on the right or the left flank, because he could offer more than the Welshman in the final third.
Yilmaz, who was once lauded as a “very special” player by Gaziantep manager Selcuk Inan, has started the current campaign with one goal and five chances created in two Super Lig games.
He has completed 2.5 dribbles per game and created one ‘big chance’ to go along with that. This shows that the forward is a direct player who wants to take defenders on and create chances for his teammates at the top end of the pitch.
The right-footed sensation also showed plenty of promise in the 2023/24 campaign for the Turkish side, with 12 direct goal contributions in 37 appearances.
He produced six goals and six assists for his team from a wide position, which shows that the young whiz offers quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
As you can see in the table above, the underlying numbers suggest that Yilmaz’s return was more impressive than Johnson’s, despite being involved in three fewer goals.
The Galatasaray star created more high-quality chances, as shown by his xA, for his side than the Spurs man did, yet registered four fewer assists due to his teammates not being as clinical as Tottenham’s.
He also outperformed his xG by almost two goals and this suggests that Yilmaz’s goal return would be significantly higher if he was provided with the quality of chances that Johnson had in the Premier League, which is why Postecoglou could unearth an upgrade on his current winger by signing the £25m star.
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In conclusion, Tottenham Hotspur’s potential interest in Baris Yilmaz could provide the solution to their attacking woes. With Brennan Johnson struggling to find his form and deliver consistent performances, Yilmaz’s track record of goal contributions and creativity could offer a significant upgrade in the wide areas for Spurs. If the Lilywhites decide to make a move for the Turkish wizard before the transfer window closes, it could add a new dimension to their attacking play and provide valuable competition for places in the squad. Only time will tell if Tottenham will pursue Yilmaz and if he can make a positive impact on the team’s performance in the Premier League.
