Tottenham Hotspur almost fell by the wayside last season, but Ange Postecoglou picked them up and propelled them forward in the dying embers.
Despite the London club’s woes in the Premier League, slumping to a 17th-place finish after a catastrophic failure in Postecoglou’s system, the Australian tactician still managed to walk where so many predecessors got lost before him, rallying his troops on the continental stage and winning the Europa League.
That triumph, ending a 17-year wait for a major trophy, also opened up a whole new world of possibilities down N17, for Spurs will now compete in next year’s Champions League.
It wasn’t enough to save Ange, as we all know, but Thomas Frank is a fantastic replacement in the dugout, and he’s looking to rewrite the coding within Tottenham’s attacking line.
The latest on Spurs' search for forwards
Tottenham have endured a somewhat frustrating start to the transfer window. Poaching Brentford’s boss led some to believe that the chances of signing Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo were heightened, but the goalscorer has since reportedly doubled down on his desire to sign for Manchester United.
Antoine Semenyo emerged as another top target, but Bournemouth’s £70m price tag put off suitors from every which way. He has since penned a new deal at the Vitality Stadium. A deal for Mohammed Kudus, at least, appears to be moving forward.
Kudus wants to join Spurs and has been the subject of a rejected £50m bid already. He’s a menacing winger, an elite talent, but the 24-year-old doesn’t quite address the need for a goalscoring wide forward.
Well, Mbeumo and Semenyo might be off the cards, but Tottenham could yet sign Evann Guessand from OGC Nice, with Football Insider reporting that Tottenham have entered the race for the versatile forward.
Guessand, 24, is also attracting attention from Brighton and Wolves in the Premier League, with Fenerbahce overseas also keen, but Daniel Levy believes his outfit is well placed to win the race.
Nice would be looking for a £25m to part with their star, and this is certainly within Tottenham’s means.
What Evann Guessand would bring to Spurs
Guessand’s versatility is his strength. Blessed with “electric” pace, as has been noted by journalist Antonio Mango, and a natural eye for goal, the Ivorian is perfect for Tottenham.
Centre-forward
68
14
9
Right winger
38
12
7
Left winger
13
3
4
Last season, he covered a lot of ground for his French side, playing across each of those offensive positions and to a great effect, posting 13 goals and ten assists across 42 fixtures in all competitions.
Creative and with a sharp eye for goal, Guessand certainly fits the bill. Frank’s efforts to sign Mbeumo and Semenyo have fallen through, and while a bid for Kudus is in the works, he’s indeed not the free-scoring type.
Guessand, however, would add a clinical shine to the Frank engine, hailed for his “crazy” ability by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
His quality speaks for itself, and he’s even been described by data-led site FBref as bearing a similar profile to Bournemouth’s Semenyo, who has been profiled so extensively by the Lilywhites.
Goals
0.40
0.31
Assists
0.25
0.14
Shots taken
2.23
3.51
Shot-creating actions
3.16
3.71
Pass completion
72.4%
73.4%
Progressive passes
2.67
3.06
Progressive carries
2.98
3.93
Successful take-ons
1.83
1.94
Ball recoveries
3.88
4.44
Touches (att pen)
4.99
5.37
Both players bear similarities, for sure. Semenyo might carry the ball forward a bit more frequently, but Guessand has still shown himself to be an effective, pacy dribbler.
Of course, the Premier League brings a higher level of competition, and no mistake. But even so, Guessand has the quality to provide a similar kind of presence for the Lilywhites, and he’s far cheaper at that.
Semenyo’s haul of 13 goals and seven assists for the Cherries last term highlights his growing prolificness, and his ability to maintain clinical levels in the Premier League, but he also won a whopping 6.1 duels per game, as per Sofascore, emphasising his tenacity and dynamic nature as he shifted from right wing to left.
Guessand could emulate this. Or, at least, provide Frank with the type of profile he so craves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Ivory Coast international recorded an average of 5.5 duels and 1.3 tackles per Ligue 1 match in 2024/25.
Given that Levy and Spurs’ data analysts have invested so much time into profiling a wide forward of Mbeumo or Semenyo’s nature, does it not make sense to forge ahead with a move for Guessand? If Football Insider are to be believed, the Londoners are now poised to complete the deal, should they wish to pursue it.
Look, there’s no denying that Semenyo is a real talent, but £70m? No chance. Premier League tax has been well and truly levied there.
When Guessand’s there, available and much cheaper besides, it’s surely a no-brainer for a manager such as Frank, who has proved time and time again at the Gtech Stadium his aptitude for shopping in the transfer market.
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