Tottenham Hotspur are confident of bringing an end to their summer-long pursuit of Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon next week, according to Football Insider.
The outlet claims that Mauricio Pochettino’s side are closing in on a £25million deal for the 19-year-old, although there have also been discussions over a double deal involving Sessegnon’s twin brother, right back Steven.
Fulham accept that they are going to lose Sessgenon, who has made up his mind on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Spurs are now supremely confident of getting a deal over the line.
Extensive talks over the structure of the payment for the player are said to have been held, and the north London outfit are now looking to finalise the transfer.
Who is he?
Sessegnon is a London native who has been with Fulham for over a decade, joining them alongside his brother in 2008. He was originally a striker but transitioned to a role on the left hand side of the pitch as he grew older, and he has cited Manchester United ace Luke Shaw and former Spurs superstar Gareth Bale as players he looked up to in his youth.
TiF Tactics – Does Sessegnon have the defensive chops to succeed at left back?
The big question for Tottenham in signing Sessegnon is where will he play? At Fulham we’ve seen him operate at left back, left wing and even as a second striker.
However, the competition for positions in midfield and attack is positively fierce in north London, so he may have to settle for a role on the left hand side of the defence. Indeed, with Sky Sports reporting that left back Danny Rose is nearing a Spurs exit, left back may be what Sessegnon is being brought in for.
When you look at the defensive statistics, it would appear that Sessegnon has a bit of work to do if he is to replace Rose and beat out Ben Davies for a starting spot at left back.
As per WhoScored.com, the Fulham star played more football than the two Tottenham defenders last season, but only led them in fewest fouls and fewest dribbles conceded per game.
Davies, as you can see, topped the most defensive categories. The Welsh international averaged the most tackles, clearances and blocks per game, while winning the most offsides, too.
Sessegnon even trailed Rose in tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game, suggesting that he may not have the defensive chops required to make a success of the left back position long-term at a club like Tottenham.
You wonder, then, whether the Englishman is destined for a Bale-type push further up the push as his career goes on.