Brennan Johnson 2.0: Spurs want to sign dream £30m Werner upgrade

It hasn’t been entirely plain sailing, but it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur are enjoying a relatively successful season so far.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have seemingly rediscovered their form in the Premier League following their 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa, and are currently undefeated in the League Cup and Europa League.

Moreover, the North Londoners are still playing the same attractive attacking football that won them so many plaudits last year.

With that said, there is always room for improvement, and based on recent reports, they could be set to land an incredibly talented winger who could be an ideal Timo Werner upgrade in a move reminiscent of their one for Brennan Johnson last summer.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from former scout Mick Brown via Football Insider, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Brown claims that, alongside the Lilywhites, several top sides are keeping an eye on the former Chelsea ace, and while a move in January seems unlikely, one in the summer is not.

The good news for the North Londoners is that it might not cost them an arm and a leg to land the Englishman’s services, as reports from the summer revealed that the Tricky Trees value the 23-year-old at around £30m.

It might not be the big name signing fans will be after, but given the potential fee, his raw ability and the similarities to the Johnson deal last year, signing Hudson-Odoi in 2025 feels like a brilliant idea, especially as he’d be an ideal upgrade over Werner.

How Hudson-Odoi compares to Werner

So, if Spurs do opt to go in for Hudson-Odoi next year, he’ll either be in direct competition with Werner for a place in the starting lineup or be tasked with replacing him should the club not activate their option to buy the German, so how do their pair stack up against one another?

From a pure output perspective, it’s the former Chelsea ace who comes out on top, as since the start of last season, he has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 45 appearances for the Tricky Trees, equating to a goal involvement every 3.75 games.

In contrast, the Stuttgart-born winger has scored five goals and provided five assists in 40 appearances across the same period – including his 14 games with RB Leipzig – equating to a worse average of a goal involvement every four games.

Moreover, the 57-capped international also comes out on the losing side when we compare their underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, Forest’s “sensational” left-winger, as dubbed by scout Antonio Mango, comes out on top in several relevant metrics, including goals per shot and shot on target, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the final third, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Moreover, while he comes out second best in a few attacking statistics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive passes and shots, he comes out ahead for a couple of defensive ones, like tackles and ball recoveries per 90, which would make him a particularly useful winger for the ultra-attack-minded Postecoglou.

Ultimately, Werner hasn’t really asserted himself in the Spurs squad, and whether he’s moved on or signed in the summer, Hudson-Odoi would be the perfect upgrade. Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co should look to repeat the deal that saw them land Johnson last year and sign the talented Englishman in 2025.

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