Spurs lining up move for “world-class” £310k-p/w Kulusevski upgrade
Tottenham Hotspur will not play any football this weekend due to the FA Cup semi-finals, so will have a rest ahead of a crucial home clash against Arsenal in the Premier League in just over one week.
While Champions League qualification is hanging in the balance – Spurs lie three points off fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand, one month of Premier League action remaining – Ange Postecoglou will likely have held some form of internal discussion to map out an initial transfer strategy.
Having been one of the busiest clubs in the market since the Australian was selected to lead the revival, Tottenham have improved and the fresh faces have made their presence known, but the canyon that the division's top three sit at the other side may well be narrowed with the right moves in several months.
Daniel Levy is worth his salt and with the streamlined strategy suggestive of success, the club's latest top target might be the one to go for.
Spurs' search for a forward
According to Football Insider, Tottenham have registered a 'concrete' interest in Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry, with the recently-usurped Bundesliga champions open to selling the former Arsenal product.
Gnabry, aged 28, has long been a central figure in a team of trophy specialists but has been afflicted with injuries this season and might welcome the chance for a new chapter.
His contract isn't up until 2026 but there is a good chance that, if Tottenham can present an exciting package, the versatile forward would be willing to listen to an offer.
Serge Gnabry's season in numbers
Bayern signed Gnabry from divisional rivals Werder Bremen after activating his €8m (£7m) release clause, two years on from his departure from Arsenal, having made 18 appearances for the Gunners, scoring once and supplying two assists.
His move to Bayern has been a stunning success, winning every trophy on offer over six years of service and, in total, scoring 86 goals and supplying 52 assists across 235 fixtures.
Serge Gnabry: Bayern Munich Stats by Season
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
G/A rate
23/24
17
5
1
0.35
22/23
47
17
12
0.62
21/22
45
17
9
0.58
20/21
38
11
7
0.47
19/20
46
23
14
0.80
18/19
42
13
9
0.52
Stats via Transfermarkt
The £310k-per-week winger might have endured an injury-riddled campaign but he has still demonstrated respectable levels in the final third and boasts five goals and one assist from just eight starting appearances in all competitions.
Of course, his overall Bayern record highlights his prowess – only last year, the Germany international posted 17 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
In the Bundesliga last season, as per Sofascore, Gnabry clinched 19 goal contributions from just 22 starts, completing 82% of his passes, creating 11 big chances and averaging 1.1 key passes per game.
While he's been unfortunate on the injury front this season, Bayern are clearly in need of a reshuffle after losing out in the Bundesliga title race for the first time in a decade, and Gnabry could be one of the long-time servants shown the exit as the soon-to-return Julian Nagelsmann gets to work and competes against a new superpower in Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.
Having been hailed for his "world-class" quality by pundit Rio Ferdinand in the past, Tottenham would only be too happy to relieve Die Roten of his signature…
How Serge Gnabry could fit in at Spurs
Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are express options down the flanks and have found success this season through their speed and directness, while Dejan Kulusevski operates on the other end of the spectrum and focuses on technical quality and ball retention, albeit guilty of slowing proceedings down, thus benched for the past three league matches.
Principally playing from the right, Gnabry could prove to be a massive upgrade on Kulusevski, offering a far more reliable goal threat and offering a level of creativity that ensures he's not serving as a one-dimensional outlet.
Gnabry would offer the closest thing to a complete collection of these aforementioned Lilywhites, having been described as "lightning quick" and "tailor-made for big transition moments" with a "clinical finish with both feet" by former Werder Bremen boss Alexander Nouri.
While he's found a position of lesser importance in Bayern's first-team this season, Gnabry has retained his potency in front of goal and currently ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 12% for total shots and pass completion, the top 10% for tackles and the top 16% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
What does this tell us? Well, arriving at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gnabry would likely provide a steady goal threat – possibly the sharpest from any of the current wide options, barring Son – with Kulusevski, by contrast, ranking in just the bottom 42% for goals per 90, as well as the bottom 27% for shots, the top 35% for pass completion, the top 10% for tackles and the bottom 36% for blocks.
He's scoring at an incredible rate despite only ranking in the top 12% for shots taken, meaning that he is excellent at snatching his chances. Moreover, the German is crisp in possession and boasts some impressive defensive metrics; Bayern are not known for their defensive work but are still organised and strong in preventive sequences, and Gnabry seeks to contribute in this regard.
For Postecoglou, whose system is steeping hard-working movements, fluidity and sharp-edged attacking intent, this is a player who would only thrive, and presented with a proposal promising an influential role, he might just be tempted, especially if promised Kulusevski's place as the regular starter on the right.
While some might think that a return to the rigours of the Premier League could weaken Gnabry's constitution, he has hardly struggled to perform against English opposition, bagging against the Gunners in the Champions League this season and, as Spurs supporters will acutely recall, decimating Mauricio Pochettino's side and plundering four goals in a 7-2 demolition in north London back in 2019.
£20m Spurs man could be the latest to prove Ange wrong after Dier revival
Ange Postecoglou’s side could surely make good use of this talented defender’s skill set.
ByAngus Sinclair Apr 19, 2024
Gnabry is still only 28 and has honed his qualities over many illustrious years in Bavaria – just maybe, Tottenham might offer a package that convinces him to try his hand in England once again, taking Postecoglou's project to the next level.