Watching Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 defeat to their bitter rivals in the Premier League on Sunday made it clear where Thomas Frank’s priorities need to be moving forward.
Whilst you could look at that loss and suggest that they need to improve defensively, which would be a fair comment after they conceded four goals, it is in possession where they really need to improve.
xG
11.0
17th
Non-penalty xG
11.0
16th
Progressive passes
413
12th
Shots
110
19th
Shots on target
40
15th
Average shot distance
15.6 yards
17th
As you can see in the table above, Spurs are one of the worst teams in the Premier League at progressing play with passes, creating shooting opportunities, and creating high-quality chances.
The Lilywhites ended the match against Arsenal with three shots on goal and 0.07 xG, per Sofascore, with their goal coming from Richarlison’s stunning long-range lob over David Raya.
Tottenham’s struggles at the top end of the pitch explain why the club are reportedly considering a move to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghana international has a £65m release clause that can be activated at the start of the January transfer window, and Spurs are one of the teams vying for his signature.
How Antoine Semenyo could solve Tottenham's attacking problems
Whilst a lot of Tottenham’s problems could come down to coaching issues, with how players are asked to play, the team selections, and the patterns that are or are not coached in training, having a top talent in the final third can make up for some coaching problems.
Semenyo is the kind of forward who can create things for himself with his incredible speed, power, ball control, and ability in front of goal when he gets near the opposition’s box.
The former Bristol City striker’s goal against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season is the perfect example of the kind of quality that he could bring to North London in the second half of the campaign.
With Tottenham’s lack of progressive passing and high-quality chances this season, having a player who has runs and goals like that in his locker would be invaluable for Frank.
That strike against Liverpool was also not a flash in the pan for the versatile attacker, who can play out wide or through the middle, because he has been in impressive form in the Premier League this term.
xG
4.58
Top 1%
Goals
6
Top 1%
Shots
23
Top 10%
Shots on target
14
Top 1%
Assists
3
Top 6%
Successful dribbles
21
Top 5%
Touches in the opposition’s box
45
Top 12%
As you can see in the table above, Semenyo has been one of the most productive wingers in the division for Bournemouth this season, with more goals than any other winger in the league.
These statistics, and the nature of his goal against Liverpool in particular, suggest that signing the Cherries star would go a long way to solving some of the attacking issues that Frank’s side have.
Therefore, Spurs should push hard to win the race for his services by activating his release clause at the start of the January transfer window and trying their hardest to convince him that a move to North London is the best next step in his career.
£65m, though, would make him the club’s joint-record signing alongside Dominic Solanke, who also came from Bournemouth, so it would take a big financial commitment from the Lilywhites.
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In order to make a move for the 25-year-old star viable, sporting director Fabio Paratici should look to ruthlessly sell some of the club’s current players to fund a transfer for Semenyo.
One of the sellable assets who should be cashed in on by Paratici to create funds for a swoop for the Cherries sensation in January is right-back Pedro Porro.
Why Spurs should sell Pedro Porro
Ahead of the summer transfer window, CaughtOffside reported that the Spain international was attracting interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
It was claimed that Spurs were not interested in selling the full-back at the time, which was in May, but that they would have changed their tune if an offer of around £57m came across their desk.
Whilst Porro ultimately remained in North London, that report in the summer shows that there are some top clubs across Europe who would be interested in him if he became available, although it remains to be seen if any of them would pay the £57m price tag.
The Spaniard attracted interest from those teams after a return of four goals and nine assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for Spurs in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but his form this season has left a lot to be desired.
Polish journalist Michał Okoński described his crosses into the box as a “disaster” earlier this month, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that he has lost possession 222 times and delivered one assist in 12 Premier League games, per Sofascore.
Appearances
33
12
Possession lost per game
17.5
18.5
Key passes per game
1.7
1.2
Big chances created
10
2
Assists
6
1
Pass accuracy
76%
73%
Cross accuracy
31%
17%
As you can see in the table above, the Spain international’s use of the ball has regressed since the end of the 2024/25 campaign. He is currently giving the ball away more frequently whilst creating less for his team.
Porro has been far too wasteful with the ball at his feet at right-back for Tottenham. That is evident in his regressing creative stats, but it is also evident in that he has made four errors leading to shots for the opposition in the Premier League, twice as many as he made in 33 matches last season.
As well as his struggles on the ball, the former Sporting star has gone from averaging 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game last season in the Premier League to averaging just 1.7 per match in the current campaign, per Sofascore.
These statistics show that Porro has regressed in and out of possession at right-back for the Lilywhites, which is why it could be the right time for Paratici to cash in on him in January, amid interest from City, Barcelona, and Bayern, to avoid his value dwindling if his form does not improve.
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Whilst it remains to be seen how much teams would be willing to pay for him, any fee in the region of the quoted £57m would go a long way to funding a deal for Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.