Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been blessed over current years to witness some unbelievable abilities carrying their shirt – none extra so than attacking midfielder Dele.
The Englishman joined in a deal value a reported £5m from MK Dons again in 2015, arriving in North London as a baby-faced 19-year-old, with many supporters anticipating him to hyperlink up with the youth setup.
Nonetheless, he was catapulted into the senior ranks, turning into a key member of their Premier League squad, racking up a complete of 146 appearances in his first three years at White Hart Lane.
Dele ended up spending seven years with the Lilywhites, scoring 67 occasions and registering 55 assists – even successful the PFA’s Younger Participant of the 12 months award again to again.
While he’s confronted struggles off the sector since his departure three years in the past, the Spurs hierarchy have additionally struggled to interchange him – resulting in Thomas Frank finishing a big-money deal for one star this summer season.
How Xavi Simons compares to different PL CAMs in 2025/26
Throughout the summer season switch window, Spurs had been determined for a brand new attacking midfielder, particularly after James Maddison suffered an ACL harm towards Newcastle United in pre-season.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze had been simply two of the choices recognized by Frank, however the former signed a brand new deal at Nottingham Forest, while the latter joined North London rivals, Arsenal.
Because of this, the hierarchy accomplished a £52m switch for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, however such a deal has been a catastrophe for everybody concerned simply a few months on.
The Dutch worldwide has featured 14 occasions throughout all competitions thus far, however has failed to attain a single purpose, while additionally solely laying on two assists for his teammates.
His underlying stats additionally spotlight his lack of optimistic impression in England’s top-flight, with Simons solely creating a median of 1.01 possibilities per 90 – a dismal tally for an attacking midfielder.
Because of this, such a tally ranks him within the backside 25% of all different midfielders within the league, with right-back Pedro Porro creating extra possibilities in the identical time interval.
At simply 22, he has loads of time to rework his profession underneath Frank, however he will definitely want to take action shortly – particularly contemplating the type of one different participant in current months.
The Spurs star who might change into the subsequent Dele
The quantity ten place at Spurs has been one which no participant has actually nailed down since Dele’s departure, with Simons having an extended technique to go till he will get anyplace close to the degrees produced by the Englishman.
Nonetheless, some slack will definitely must be minimize for the Dutchman, with the teenager needing time to adapt to a complete new nation, tradition and elegance of soccer in North London.
His tally of 19 mixed objectives and assists within the Bundesliga showcases that there’s a proficient participant in there, however in the end, it’s going to take time earlier than he reaches his full potential.
The Lilywhites hierarchy could have been higher off ready for an additional youth expertise to emerge from their ranks and staking a declare for an everyday beginning position within the first-team setup.
Luca Williams-Barnett is little question a participant who’s on the lips of all of the supporters, with the 17-year-old already registering 12 mixed objectives and assists in simply eight video games for the U21 facet.
Nonetheless, the membership would possibly have already got their subsequent Dele within the type of attacking midfielder Tyrese Corridor, with the 20-year-old star already making big waves within the skilled recreation.
Like Williams-Barnett, he massively impressed at U21 degree final marketing campaign, subsequently securing a season-long mortgage to affix League Two facet Notts County for the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
Such a spell is his first style of senior soccer, however Corridor is taking to it like a duck to water, as seen by his phenomenal tally of six objectives in his first 16 appearances for the Magpies.
His newest effort towards Cheltenham City proved to be the winner for Martin Paterson’s males, main to educate Harry Brooks claiming he has the “precise profile Spurs lack” underneath Frank.
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Tyrese Corridor – stats at Notts County (25/26) |
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|---|---|
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Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
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Video games performed |
16 |
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Objectives & assists |
7 |
|
Cross completion price |
78% |
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Possibilities created |
1.9 |
|
Profitable dribbles |
53% |
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Pictures heading in the right direction |
1.1 |
|
Tackles gained |
2.8 |
|
Duels gained |
6.1 |
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Stats through FotMob |
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Corridor has already caught the attention at Meadow Lane for his excellent dribbling capacity, which has seen him full 53% of his take-on makes an attempt, subsequently resulting in 1.9 possibilities created per 90.
The comparability to Dele could also be an enormous one, nevertheless it’s actually one that might come to fruition if Corridor does handle to remain on his present trajectory on mortgage with the Magpies.
Dele made his identify for his time at MK Dons within the EFL, with the Spurs teenager additionally doing the very same factor a decade later – so don’t be stunned if Corridor is a participant taking North London by storm within the close to future.