Spurs are brewing a ridiculous 16-year-old who could replace Son

The final 5 years at Tottenham Hotspur have been characterised by one factor: change.

The North Londoners have fired three everlasting managers since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, and with how issues have gone this season, Ange Postecoglou could possibly be the following.

On prime of that, the workforce has undergone an enormous overhaul, with all-time prime goalscorer and England captain Harry Kane bought to Bayern Munich in 2023.

Actually, one of many final remaining stars from Pochettino’s workforce is Son Heung-min, and even then, it appears like only a matter of time earlier than he’s moved on as properly, so it is a good factor Hotspur Method may simply be about to provide the proper alternative.

Son’s current kind

So, it is essential to first recognise that, with a complete haul of 173 targets and 93 assists in 450 video games for the North Londoners, Son is each a legend of the membership and, arguably, the Premier League as properly.

Nevertheless, he’ll be 33 years previous initially of subsequent season, and whereas he is nonetheless a helpful participant, he isn’t as devastatingly efficient as he as soon as was, which is hardly shocking, as based on analysis from The Athletic, wingers hit their peak at 26 and change into considerably much less efficient in 1-on-1 conditions after they hit 30.

It sounds harsh, however when this season in comparison with the marketing campaign wherein he turned 30, the 21/22 season, it is clear that he is taken a step again.

For instance, in that marketing campaign, he scored 24 targets and supplied eight assists in 45 video games, totalling 3526 minutes, which comes out to a median of a purpose involvement each 1.40 video games, or each 110.18 minutes.

In distinction, he has scored 11 targets and supplied 12 assists in 42 appearances, totalling 2981 minutes this 12 months, which works out to a median of a purpose involvement each 1.82 video games, or each 129.60 minutes.

On prime of that, based on FBref, he has fallen from the highest 1% of attacking midfielders within the Premier League for non-penalty targets within the 21/22 season to only the highest 32% this season.

Briefly, Son stays a participant who might undoubtedly contribute for the following couple of years, however he’s somebody who will have to be changed, and fortuitously, Hotspur Method could also be within the strategy of brewing the proper participant.

Spurs’ future Son alternative

So, whereas a lot of you could be considering of Mikey Moore, and understandably so, we’re speaking about an academy gem who’s but to even make a first-team look: Lucá Williams-Barnett.

Now, for many who are conscious of the famous person within the making, you could be confused about how an attacking midfielder could possibly be the reply to Son’s eventual departure, however therein lies one of many 17-year-old’s large strengths: his versatility.

Throughout his time at Hotspur Method, the tremendously thrilling prospect has performed in a lot of positions, together with central and attacking midfield, left midfield, centre-forward and, after all, on each wings, main academy professional John Wenham to explain him as a “cheat-code.”

Nevertheless, it isn’t simply his positional versatility that ought to excite followers and see him included in first-team video games subsequent season, however his sensational output.

For instance, in 17 appearances this season, totalling 1375 minutes, the teenage phenomenon, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as somebody “to control”, has already amassed a frankly absurd haul of 18 targets and 9 assists.

Extremely, which means the Luton-born dynamo is averaging 1.58 purpose involvements each sport, or one each 50.92 minutes.

In the end, it is too quickly to count on Williams-Barnett to come back into the primary workforce and replicate his sensational youth kind instantly, however within the coming years, as Son is more and more phased out of the workforce, we don’t doubt that {the teenager} will get his likelihood and show his price.