Why Eberechi Eze is the perfect fit For Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur - Opinion

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has been heavily linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent days, as the two clubs continue to come closer to an agreement. But would Eze be a good fit for the new Thomas Frank era at Spurs?

According to recent reports, Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur look set to agree to a move that would bring Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze to North London, with Frank finding his new creative midfielder after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury during the pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in South Korea.

Where Eze fits in Thomas Frank’s tactical Tottenham setup

Looking at Tottenham’s setup from their 3-0 victory over Burnley at the weekend, there are multiple potential areas that Eberechi Eze could fit into Thomas Frank’s tactical setup, with a particular focus on how the former Brentford manager lines up in possession.

During the opening minutes of Spurs’ opening weekend game, Frank set up his side to push high up the pitch when in possession, lining up in an almost 4-2-4-like structure.

However, the player to focus on in this scenario is Lucas Bergvall, looking at the sequences that led to both of Richarlison’s goals during Saturday’s games, Frank instructed the Swedish midfielder to push high up the pitch and into the box, acting as something akin to a second striker.

Eze, similar to Bergvall on Saturday, during his time at Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner, also operated in this Second Striker role, crashing into the box of the shoulder of Jean Phillipe Mateta, which allowed him to score and set up multiple goals.

While Bergvall undoubtedly had a phenomenal game against Scott Parker’s side, looking at his impact on the box, it appeared to be minimal, having only had a single touch in the opposition’s penalty area, suggesting that Eze could be more effective in this role with his experience at Palace.

Why Eberechi Eze would not fit as a deep midfielder at Tottenham

Another option for Eze, potentially, could be to operate in a more traditional midfield role, slotting in for either Pape Sarr or Archie Gray; however, looking at how Frank set his team up, both at the weekend and against PSG, the Palace star would not be a suitable fit for this role.

Following the heartbreaking UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the Tottenham Hotspur manager also shared a quote that gives some insight into his style of play, claiming that high pressing is one of the vital aspects of his game.

“High pressure is a non-negotiable. We went man for man in some aspects.” The Spurs manager shared the following about his side’s defeat to PSG (BBC). This idea was made abundantly clear during Tottenham’s game at the weekend, as Spurs turned the ball over high up the pitch, leading to the opener.

In comparison to both Sarr and Gray, Eze offers significantly less when it comes to pressing the ball and turning it over high up the pitch, ranking below the 50th percentile for both Interceptions and Tackles Won; however, there is one other statistic that could suggest something.

Looking at it statistically, the Spurs target ranks in the upper 90th percentile when it comes to Loose Balls recovered. What this means is that Eberechi Eze is always the first player on the ball when it is turned over, which means that he would be the perfect player to partner up with Sarr in Tottenham’s pressing midfield.

Why Eze is the perfect partner for Mohammed Kudus

Finally, the last position that Eze could fit into Thomas Frank’s system is if he were to come into the side to replace Brennan Johnson, playing alongside Tottenham’s other Summer Signing in Mohammed Kudus, on the flanks, and there are many reasons to believe that this could be the ideal fit for him.

Analysing Tottenham’s attacking patterns from Saturday, Spurs’ attacks were built on pushing their fullbacks high up the pitch, allowing the likes of Kudus to get into one vs one situations where they naturally thrive, which led to both of Richarlison’s goals.

Statistically, similar to Kudus, when it comes to taking on his man, Eze is almost impossible to take down. Pairing him up with the Ghanaian superstar and having two players who are more than capable of taking on their man could potentially be a dangerous partnership, and the similarities don’t stop there, according to Frank.

“I think preferably, he’s probably Right Wing and 10, he can play both positions, but I like flexible players,” Frank explained in a press conference following the Spurs’ victory, and while he is describing the first signing of the Summer, that description also perfectly encapsulates who Eze is as a player.

Throughout his career, the Palace superstar has operated across almost every position possible, as a Number. 10, a Number. 8, as a left-winger and even as a Striker

While they are not the same type of player, bringing Eze to North London would be similar to having a second Kudus at the club, and therefore, it would not come as a surprise if the Tottenham manager decides it is fit to line them up in the same position.

While it can’t be accurately predicted until he dons the shirt, if the transfer were to happen, signing Eberechi Eze would not only significantly improve Tottenham’s attack but also offer a new dimension that may make them one of the most exciting attacks in the entire Premier League.