Udinese wing-back Destiny Udogie could be moving closer to a potential switch to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport.
The Lowdown: Udogiefpara has impressed
The 19-year-old has enjoyed somewhat of a breakthrough campaign this season, having become a regular feature at left wing-back for Udinese over the last campaign.
The £15.3m-rated man has also begun to make an impact on the international stage as well, making four appearances for the Italy U21 side, after his first call-up in September 2021.
The Latest: Spurs interested
Corriere dello Sport report that Spurs are interested in bringing Udogie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and that the left wing-back and his entourage will have a meeting with Udinese’s owner Gino Pozzo this week to discuss his future, with the same website suggesting that the Serie A side want €20m (£18m) for the youngster.
Sky Italia have also reported that Juventus have joined Spurs in taking an interest in the Italy U21 international.
The Verdict: A decent addition
The signing of Udogie would no doubt be an excellent long-term addition for Antonio Conte’s side, though it remains to be seen whether he would make an immediate impact in Spurs’ Premier League and UEFA Champions League squads next season.
Football talent scout, Jacek Kulig is a fan of the young Italian and has described the starlet as “the future.”
The 5 foot 11 swashbuckling wing-back made 37 appearances for Udinese last season, scoring five goals and providing three assists according to Transfermarkt, which is an extremely impressive amount of goals for a young wing-back.
In fact, he ranks in the top 3% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals scored per 90 minutes over the last season (0.18) according to FBref.
The same stats provider also shows that he ranks in the top 12% of full-backs for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 minutes (2.73) and he ranks in the top 19% for dribbles completed (1.20) suggesting he would have no problem adapting to the pace and rigours of the Premier League.
The Udinese man is also a competent defender as well, making a combined 125 tackles and interceptions in Serie A this season, as well as producing 56 blocks according to FBref, showing that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line to protect his goal.
An average SofaScore rating of 6.84 for his performances in Serie A suggest that the Italy U21 international has put in decent performances on a consistent basis for Udinese when called upon over the last season.
Udogie has the potential to be a world-class wing-back in the years to come, and whilst he may not be an immediate starter over Sergio Reguilón at Spurs, sporting director Fabio Paratici would be silly to not try and secure the signature of this hot prospect.
In other news, Deal agreed: Spurs close in on £25m brute who’s a “joy to watch” he’s better than PEH – opinion