Who To Pick From Tottenham

Drafting from Tottenham

Tottenham's top five reads Italian, Egyptian, Portuguese, Dutch, Ghanaian, and it is worth taking in that order: Sandro Tonali at 88 in front of the back four, Omar Marmoush at 87 leading the line, Mateus Fernandes at 85 beside Tonali, Xavi Simons at 84 in the hole and Mohammed Kudus at 84 on the right, with Jan Paul van Hecke at 84 in the back line level with the last two. That is a spine rather than a collection of flair players, and it is why a squad rated 84 overall sits sixth rather than tenth.

14 of the 30 are elite, just behind Manchester United's 15 and Manchester City's 15 and a fair way behind Arsenal's 18, and the spread is 6, so the floor is not frightening. What is frightening sits on the left. Tottenham's weakest outfield group is left wing, where the best of two is Wilson Odobert at 76; only the three goalkeepers sit lower. Draw it and the second name, Mykhailo Mudryk at 73, does nothing to soften the blow. The right side is comfortable at 83 across three, which makes the imbalance stranger and, for a drafter, a specific risk you can plan around rather than a general softness you cannot.

Which is why the legend to want here is Son Heung-min at 95, a left winger. Harry Kane at 97 is the bigger number and Gareth Bale at 95 the more romantic spin, but neither repairs the one hole this squad actually has, and Tonali already gives you the base of midfield that a Kane pick would leave untouched. Son turns a 76 into a 95 at the exact position where Tottenham cannot cover for themselves.

8 Englishmen, three Dutchmen and two apiece from Brazil, France, Italy and Sweden make up the bulk of the rest. If you are drafting toward one nation, England is the only realistic through-line, and even then Tonali, Marmoush, Fernandes and Xavi Simons are the men you would be leaving on the bench to do it.