It's been a Premier League season of mixed fortunes for Tottenham Hotspur this year, as despite starting the campaign with a genuinely impressive ten-game unbeaten streak, they are currently facing the prospect of a fifth defeat on the bounce.
However, with the sale of Harry Kane, a new manager in Ange Postecoglou, and still a real chance of qualifying for the Europa League, it would be fair to say that the Lilywhites have had more positives than negatives this year.
For example, one of the club's breakout stars this season, Destiny Udogie, has seen his valuation balloon due to his brilliant performances and is currently worth substantially more than Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Destiny Udogie's career
Udogie began his senior career with Italian outfit Hellas Verona in the 2020/21 season before joining Udinese on loan the following season, a move that was made permanent in July 2022.
However, just a month later, Spurs signed the young left-back for around £21m in what talent scout Jacek Kulig called a "masterclass signing" for Fabio Paratici and co, before letting him spend another campaign with the Serie A side to develop.
In his final campaign with Le Zebrette, the talented youngster scored three goals and provided four assists in 34 games, primarily playing as a left-sided midfielder but making one appearance on the left of the defence.
Upon his arrival in England, fans weren't entirely sure what to expect, but it didn't take long for them to realise that the Lilywhites had a special player on their hands.
In December, former professional and popular pundit Micah Richards described the young Italian and his fellow full-back Pedro Porro as "excellent" and "outstanding" for their impressive attacking output and ability to help out in defence.
Unfortunately, the 21-year-old is set to miss the end of the campaign through a hamstring injury, but he could still end the season with an award.
He has been nominated for the Premier League's Young Player of the Year award, and with two goals and three assists to his name from 30 appearances in his debut season, it would be hard to argue that he doesn't deserve the nomination.
Appearances
30
Goals
2
Assist
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.16
Overall, the youngster's first year in England has been brilliant, so it's not surprising that his valuation has soared, proving "one of Paratici's finer pieces of work" – in the words of journalist Dean Jones.
Destiny Udogie's valuation in 2024
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Udogie is now worth €80m – £68m – making him the joint-most valuable player in Tottenham's entire squad and the joint-fifth most valuable in the entire Premier League.
€80m (£68m)
Dejan Kulusevski
€80m (£68m)
Destiny Udogie
€60m (£51m)
Pedro Porro
€60m (£51m)
Cristian Romero
€60m (£51m)
Brennan Johnson
It might seem like a lot of money for a player who has just completed his first campaign in the division, but the hefty valuation likely stems from several things: his age, his contract, which is set to run until June 2030, and his status as a player with sky-high potential.
All this also combines to make him a whopping four times more valuable than Arsenal left-back Zinchenko, whom the CIES price at €20m, which is around £17m, or £51m less than the Lilywhites star.
Now, it was only last season that the Ukrainian international was considered an integral part of the Gunners team that almost won the league, but a season on, he is clearly behind the likes of Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the pecking order, starting just 56% of Premier League games this term and only three of the last 12 games.
Moreover, the former Manchester City ace has a poor track record with injuries and has missed 28 games in the two seasons he's been in north London, which, as things stand, doesn't seem to be a problem with Tottenham's star left-back.
Ultimately, both Udogie and Zinchenko are capable left-backs and Premier League quality players, but the Ukrainian has had a bad 12 months, whereas the Italian is clearly on the up and up, so it would be fair to say the club played a blinder when they signed him two years ago.
Spurs struck gold on "special" ace who's as valuable as Trossard & White
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ByJack Salveson HolmesMay 9, 2024
