Tottenham Hotspur made a pretty bold move in the summer when they decided to part ways with Ange Postecoglou, who won the Europa League trophy at the end of last season.
The Lilywhites ended their longest trophy drought in 20 years, but it wasn’t enough to keep their Australian head coach in his post in north London.
They opted to replace Postecoglou in the dugout with Thomas Frank, who had been brought in from fellow Premier League side Brentford, and he made an excellent start to his time at the club.
The Danish tactician led his team to a 3-0 win away at Everton in the top flight on Sunday, which moves Spurs into third place in the Premier League table after nine games.
A brace from Micky van de Ven and a late header from Papu Matar Sarr ensured Merseyside’s Lilywhites secured all three points, but it wasn’t a perfect performance.
For example, the Spurs head coach may not have been completely satisfied with the performance of his starting No. 9, as Randall Kolo Muani struggled.
Why Spurs need more from Randall Kolo Muani
The Lilywhites need to get more out of their signing for Paris Saint-Germain this summer, as the latter’s performance against Everton was a little worrying.
Defensively, this was his first start in the Premier League and only his second appearance in the league for Spurs. However, the striker struggled both on and off the ball, as he lost seven of his eight encounters and missed four of his 15 total touches, according to Sofascore.
Kolo Muani was unable to get past the impressive Guglielmo Vicario as the hosts pressed for a goal, with James Tarkowski and Michael Keane unable to get past him easily, and at times needed to be provided more outlet in the No. 9 position to relieve the team’s pressure.
It remains to be seen whether Spurs will make a big improvement from the French international from his time in North London. His form over two seasons at PSG left a lot to be desired.
Radal Colon (Revis 1) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 26 | 10 |
xG | 6.09 | 4.67 |
the goal | 6 | 2 |
missed a big opportunity | 3 | 7 |
conversion rate | 27% | 13% |
assist | 5 | 1 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, Kolo Muani underperformed in xG, scoring just eight goals in 36 Ligue 1 appearances for the French giants.
However, according to Sofascore, he was loaned to Juventus in the second half of last season and scored eight goals in 16 games in Serie A, as well as two goals in three games at the Club World Cup.
Spurs have high hopes for the striker and hope he can replicate the form he showed at Juventus, while the club are reportedly eyeing a striker who would be an immediate upgrade above him.
Spurs held talks to sign new striker
According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs interested in signing Porto centre-forward Sam Agehowa in the January transfer window.
According to the newspaper, Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are all interested in the Spain international as they look to strengthen their squads.
He added that Porto have a €100m (about £87m) release clause in the shooter’s contract with the club and will not allow him to leave for less than that.
CaughtOffside added that Spurs are in internal negotiations for the second half of the season with the possibility of a short-term loan with the option to make him permanent next summer, but his £87m valuation is currently a stumbling block.
It remains to be seen whether Tottenham will test Sam’s services with a formal offer when the January transfer window opens.
Why Spurs should sign Sam in January
Spurs should rush to sign the Porto centre-forward ahead of the second half of the season, as Kolo Muani could be an immediate addition.
As mentioned above, the France international’s contrasting performances at Juventus and PSG suggest there is no guarantee that he will improve his performances in the months leading up to the January games to become a star in the flanks.
This could mean that the Lilywhites could realize come January that they need a consistent and prolific striker who can score the goals they need to win a silver medal or qualify for the Champions League.
According to Sofascore, Sam has scored five goals in seven league games this season, so his form at Porto suggests he could arrive in north London to step into full swing as Frank’s definitive scorer.
According to Sofascore, the Spanish marksman has scored 25 goals in 41 appearances for Porto in all competitions during the 2024-25 season, including six goals in nine Europa League games.
24/25 season | Sam (Portuguese League) | Kolo Muani (Ligue 1 + Serie A) |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 30 | 26 |
xG | July 14th | 9.37 |
the goal | 19 | 10 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 5 | 4 |
assist | 3 | 2 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, the former Atlético Madrid youngster outperformed Kolo Muani at league level last season, scoring nine goals and assisting one more in just four appearances.
Described as an “absolute force” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sam has scored eight goals in all competitions so far this term, according to Sofascore, while Micky van de Ven is Tottenham’s top scorer with five goals, according to Transfermarkt.
This suggests he will be an immediate addition to Kolo Muani, as Spurs’ centre-back is their top scorer heading into November, while also solving Spurs’ glaring problems.
Sam’s return with 33 goals for Porto since the start of last season shows he can be a prolific and consistent performer at the top end of Frank’s pitch, but it remains to be seen which side of Kolo Muani will settle in north London.
Spurs should therefore be looking to finalize a deal for the Spanish centre-forward when the January transfer window opens, whether on an initial loan or on a permanent basis.