Tottenham Hotspur do not kick off their 2024/25 Premier League campaign until they travel to the King Power stadium to take on Leicester City on Monday night.
Ange Postecoglou and his team have been able to watch the opening weekend of the division unfold before they take to the field in the last match of the gameweek.
The Australian head coach will surely be eyeing up a minimum target of securing a top four position in the league this term, having missed out on Champions League football last season.
Daniel Levy has dipped into the transfer market to strengthen the squad during the summer transfer window, in an attempt to improve the manager's options across the park.
Archie Gray has been brought in from Leeds United, Dominic Solanke was snapped up from Bournemouth, and Wilson Odobert is the latest recruit from Burnley – with all three joining on a permanent basis.
There are still just under two weeks left to go before the end of the summer transfer window and this means that there could be further additions before the deadline passes.
Tottenham are still reportedly in the market to make further additions to the group, with a defender seemingly on the agenda for the Lilywhites.
Spurs preparing bid for Brazilian ace
According to reports in Brazil, Levy is readying a Spurs bid to sign right-back Vanderson from AS Monaco before the end of the month.
The reporter claims that the Premier League side are prepared to offer €32m (£27m) as an initial fee for the Brazilian defender, along with add-ons and bonuses to take it beyond that.
This shows that the Lilywhites are serious about a swoop for the former Gremio whiz, as they are willing to pay a significant sum of money to add him to their squad.
Andrade does not reveal whether or not that will be enough to tempt the Ligue 1 outfit into cashing in on the full-back, but adds that the two clubs are in ongoing talks over a potential deal for the 23-year-old star.
It had previously been reported that Spurs are looking at Vanderson as a replacement for Emerson Royal, who recently completed a permanent move to AC Milan.
Emerson's exit from the club has left Pedro Porro as Postecoglou's only senior option at right-back, which is why a move for the Monaco defender does make a lot of sense this month.
If Tottenham can get a deal for Vanderson over the line before the end of the window then he could be a dream addition to play behind Odobert, who has just signed from Burnley.
What Wilson Odobert could bring to Spurs
Firstly, it is worth remembering that the French talent is only 19 and it would be unfair to expect great things from him in his first season at the club.
He only has 29 games of Premier League experience under his belt for Burnley and will need time to continue to adjust to the league and to first-team football.
However, despite his age and inexperience, Odobert is an exciting player who could still produce moments of quality in a Spurs shirt when given an opportunity to perform this season.
Appearances
29
xG
2.81
Goals
3
Big chances created
7
Key passes per game
1.1
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, the teenage whiz did well with the chances that fell his way as he scored three goals from just 2.81 xG for the relegated side.
Meanwhile, his teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing as they could only find the back of the net two times from his seven 'big chances' created.
Odobert ranked within the top 31% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.14) and the top 29% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.21), which shows that he was an above-average creator in the Premier League.
The 19-year-old sensation also started the current campaign in fantastic form with a goal and a 'big chance' created against Luton Town in the Championship before his move to Spurs was completed.
Tottenham could now land a perfect right-back to play behind the winger, who can play on the left or the right flank, by landing Vanderson this month.
Why Vanderson would be perfect for Odobert
To understand why the Brazilian would be an ideal partner for the Frenchmen, it is first worth noting that the former Burnley man is not the strongest out of possession.
Odobert lost 55% of his duels in the Premier League last season and ranked within the bottom 18% or lower of his positional peers for clearances, aerial battles won, tackles, and interceptions per 90 respectively.
This suggests that Spurs would, before the winger develops and improves that side of his game, need a defensively strong full-back behind him to make up for the youngster's lack of defensive awareness.
Vanderson's form in Ligue 1 for Monaco last season suggests that he would be the perfect player to support Odobert down the flank, due to his ability to compete in and win duels.
The Brazilian defender did not provide a huge attacking threat, with three goals and one assist, in his 20 Ligue 1 outings last term, but did showcase his defensive quality with a whopping 4.8 tackles and interceptions combined per match.
Tackles
3.29
Top 3%
Interceptions
1.92
Top 5%
Blocks
1.59
Top 18%
Dribblers tackled
1.76
Top 6%
Passes blocked
1.48
Top 5%
As you can see in the table above, Vanderson was one of the best full-backs in the French top-flight in a host of defensive statistics in the 2023/24 campaign.
The 23-year-old ace, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has "breathtaking energy", also started the current Ligue 1 season in sensational form on Saturday.
He assisted one goal, created two 'big chances', made six tackles and interceptions combined, and won 57% of his duels against Saint-Etienne – showing off his ability in and out of possession.
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Overall, Vanderson appears to be the perfect target to come in and play at full-back with a winger who is not defensively aware, as he can make up for that with his sensational defensive play.
