{"id":243484,"date":"2026-05-15T05:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T05:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/his-value-has-risen-40m-at-spurs-tottenham-have-struck-gold-on-their-own-rice\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T05:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T05:15:12","slug":"his-value-has-risen-40m-at-spurs-tottenham-have-struck-gold-on-their-own-rice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/his-value-has-risen-40m-at-spurs-tottenham-have-struck-gold-on-their-own-rice\/","title":{"rendered":"His value has risen \u00a340m at Spurs: Tottenham have struck gold on their own Rice"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> could be travelling up north to Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium for a Championship clash next season, or they could be resurgent under Roberto De Zerbi<\/a> as Premier League<\/a> competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s been a tough year for the Lilywhites, who have escaped from the relegation zone, but only by two points, and with two matches left to play.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

West Ham United have hit a snag in the road of late, but one win could change all in this gripping and terrible battle, hanging on a knife-edge at the final stretch.<\/p>\n

Understandably, Spurs won’t fancy a trip to Lincolnshire for a second tier league match next season, but they will need to maintain their new levels over the final few weeks, with the midfield recharged and the key to driving Tottenham to safety.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Why Spurs’ midfield is recharged under De Zerbi<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Tottenham still lack creativity and fluency in attack, but they have restored their grit and togetherness in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Lowest xG Totals in the Premier League (25\/26)<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Team<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Goals Scored<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

xG<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Nott’m Forest<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

45<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

45.03<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Tottenham<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

46<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

43.24<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Sunderland<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

37<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

39.52<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Burnley<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

37<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

35.46<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Wolves<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

34.10<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Much of this owes to the return of Rodrigo Bentancur, who was scapegoated during the first months of Frank’s reign, such as it was, and then largely forgotten after injuring himself in January. However, his return to fitness has opened up much-needed passing patterns in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n

This, in turn, has allowed Conor Gallagher to open up and showcase the all-action, physical quality that was expected in north London when he arrived from Atletico Madrid for \u00a335m in January.<\/p>\n

With the engine room now set, the likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr have fallen to the fringes. The former will leave at the end of his contract this summer, while Sarr’s future is uncertain.<\/p>\n

The same can’t be said for Tottenham’s very own Declan Rice, though; even as he struggles for minutes in De Zerbi’s system.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n De Zerbi has hit gold on Spurs’ “young Rice”<\/strong>
\n <\/h2>\n

Tottenham need to stay in the Premier League, else they could lose potential superstars such as Archie Gray<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Archie-Gray-Spurs\"\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Gray, 20, has been hurled into the deep end at Tottenham, featuring prominently – and in any number of positions – since joining from Leeds United for around \u00a330m as an 18-year-old.<\/p>\n

Naturally a centre-midfielder, he has been ferried across the park over the past two years. This lends to his dynamism and athleticism and wide range of technical attributes, yet it has also stifled him in his progress.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Archie Gray’s Tottenham Career by Position<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

\n

Position<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Apps<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

\n

Goals + Assists<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Centre-back<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0 + 0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Defensive midfield<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

18<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 + 0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Central midfield<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0 + 1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Right-back<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

11<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1 + 0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Left-back<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0 + 1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Right midfield<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0 + 1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

De Zerbi has picked up on this, determining that Gray needs to nail down a position to call his own. In that, he echoes Arsenal’s Rice, who was originally a centre-back when at West Ham United and has since been shaped into a world-class midfielder, playing a series of variations of the role for Mikel Arteta’s title challengers.<\/p>\n

Gray is not there yet, but he’s still so young, and he has already been described as “a young Declan Rice<\/a>” by The Athletic’s Duncan Alexander, his versatility and natural tenacity and skill setting him apart from so many other up-and-comers in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Gray is naturally progressive and has a shrewd eye for a pass. He has completed 33.3% of his crosses in the top flight this season, also getting stuck in and defending resolutely. By playing invariably from midfield, his confidence and coherence in De Zerbi’s system will only develop.<\/p>\n

The fact that clubs such as Liverpool have started sniffing around for this young talent only underscores the point. In fact, Liverpool were quoted at \u00a370m<\/a> when making a discreet enquiry in March, marking Gray as having a \u00a340m value increase already, and that in spite of Spurs’ wider problems.<\/p>\n

De Zerbi sees him as the future of Tottenham, and while he is not starting every week for the Italian tactician, he may yet grow into an elite England international, partnering Rice for his nation but challenging him for the top spot in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

\n


\n \"kolo-muani-spurs<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
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\t\t
\n\t\t\tWorse than Kolo Muani: Spurs flop is their biggest waste of money since Ndombele
\n\t\t<\/a>
\n\t<\/h5>\n

Tottenham need to rewrite the script in the summer transfer market. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tottenham Hotspur could be travelling up north to Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium for a Championship clash next season, or they could be resurgent under Roberto De Zerbi as Premier League competitors. It’s been a tough year for the Lilywhites, who have escaped from the relegation zone, but only by two points, and with two matches […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":243485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6808],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-243484","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}