Why Tottenham wants kudus: attacking versatility, taking and penetrating dribbles

When you shape a team, the diversity of profiles is vital.

Different characteristics offer various solutions according to the principles of the team and the opponent during the day.

Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach, Thomas Frank, will adapt to the team at his disposal. This is why the empowerment of the team with missing profiles is a step in the right direction, because it gives the Danish head coach more tools.

Since the start of the summer transfer window, Spurs have been interested in signing a winger and on July 8, they have concluded a transfer agreement with West Ham for Mohammed Kudus Worth in the region of 55 million pounds Sterling ($ 75 million).

Going for Kudus, 24, is an interesting choice because it offers flexibility and fills a profile gap in the Tottenham team. The shortage of dribblers in Frank’s team limits their attack solutions, in particular with the absence of a left foot.

Kudus is perfectly suited to the required profile, while being able to play in any position through the front line. All of the attacker’s skills are not limited to his dribbling, because his ball transport capacity offers a threat to the transition and its movement within the penalty area places it in dangerous goal positions.

In terms of Premier League dribblers, it is impossible to ignore the individual prowess of Kudus. “This is one of my greatest attributes,” he said Athletics Last year. “I play with so much risks and try to create things in the game from nothing.”

Last season, he attempted the second most 90 -minute (7.2) in the Premier League, and had the two two highest taken per game per game (3.2) among the players with at least 75 attempts.

One of the remarkable aspects of the Kudus dribble is its ability to pass in front of adversaries in large areas as well as weaving them in narrow spaces, as shown by this example of the 1-1 draw against Everton in March.

Kudus is comfortable in any direction, which makes him unpredictable and allows him to play in several positions of attack. His understanding of how to use his body as a shield between the opponent and the ball is another aspect that makes him difficult to move.

“My weak center of gravity also helps. I work a lot on the lower body, so it is really difficult for me to get off the ball or be easily pushed,” Kudus said in an interview with the Premier League last year.

The lower center of gravity of the attacker allows him to twist and turn faster, which is the key to his success in individual situations.

In this example, against Tottenham in May, Kudus Dribble inside the field and puts his body between Wilson Odobert and the ball, before quickly changing direction to exceed Yves Bissouma and accelerate Archie Gray to create a crossing angle.

Kudus is a multiple dribbler, which helps him to keep the ball away from the opponents while waiting for the right time to change direction or accelerate in space to find a passage of passage.

In this example, from the 3-1 victory against the city of Luton in May 2024, Kudus was in a situation for two to two, but he managed to dribble Gabriel Osho and Alfie Doughty to help George Earthy.

Here, the West Ham striker initially dribbles inside and his multiple approach to Malfouet Osho.

The touch of the left foot of Kudus (slide 1) moves the defender Luton inside the field, and he quickly launches the ball in the other direction while OSHO tries to balance, before accelerating in space to play the reduction with his right foot.

The Kudus dribble style is translated well in one side of higher possession which faces deeper blocks because it is capable of dribbling in restricted spaces using its intelligently body, taking several touches to change its direction and accelerate on short distances to create passage or shooting angles.

The last part is completed by its ability to pull or pass with its lower foot, which makes him a threat regardless of his position or his direction of Dribble.

In larger spaces and transitional situations, Kudus is a threat out of the ball due to its pace and its ball transport capacity. “When I see space with the ball at my feet, I don’t care what’s in front of me. I have to go,” he said Athletics Last year.

Despite the underlying attack numbers without attractive Kudus – which are partly influenced by the style of West Ham – its off -ball movement in and around the penalty box is intelligent and it is an area of ​​its game which can be exploited in a better way.

In this example, against Brentford in November 2023, Kudus made darts inside the penalty surface and attacks the space behind Vitaly Janelt to offer Benrahma a crossing option towards the rear post.

The Ghanaian manages only to hit the post with his thigh, but Jarrod Bowen follows the ball and scores on the rebound.

In another example, against Brighton & Hove Albion in April, Aaron Wan-Bissaka finds Bowen’s race behind the defense, while Mats Wieffer keeps an eye on Kudus on the left side.

Kudus is initially inside to offer Bowen a pass option…

… But then changes its direction and attacks the rear post to surprise Wieffer.

However, Bowen plays the pass according to the previous movement of Kudus, and the Ghanaian again modifies his direction to beat Wieffer who fell to defend the rear post.

Kudus’s intelligent turning off allows him to reach the ball first …

… And he crazy it in the lower corner.

It is possible to develop Kudus attack production in terms of objectives and aid, which, in theory, should increase in a more attacker style.

His profile has the ability to be a threat of scorer and creative because, more often than not, it is the final action that makes him lack.

Kudus’s ability in situations in one counter one means that insulating him against a defender is an attack option, but his dribbling is also beneficial in restricted spaces against deeper blocks.

Meanwhile, it is effective on the transition and has the potential to be a threat of goalscorer inside the sanction.

Kudus is mainly a dribbler, but it offers more than that. His profile is that that Tottenham does not have in abundance and he will offer Frank more attack solutions against different types of opponents.