Tottenham Hotspur have signed Gedson Fernandes but what exactly would he bring to their team?
On the chalkboard
Spurs completed the signing of the Benfica midfielder on an initial 18-month loan that will include an option to sign him permanently earlier this week.
He is just 21 and, while he made nine appearances for the Portuguese club this season, can he have an impact on Jose Mourinho’s side?
Per WhoScored, he has played 352 minutes of first-team football and, in the Liga NOS, averages one tackle per game, 0.6 interceptions and 0.4 clearances, and is dribbled past on 0.3 occasions.
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Offensively, he averages just 0.1 key passes, 1 shots per game, 0.6 dribbles per game, and is fouled 0.3 times.
He also averages just 10.7 passes, with a success rate of 85.3%.
Fernandes is more active in the Champions League, averaging 2.5 tackles, 0.5 interceptions, 2 fouls, 2 shots per game, 0.5 dribbles and a pass success rate of 70% from 20 passes.
A bundle of potential
This is not a player who is ready to jump into the first-team immediately.
The 21-year-old can play in central midfield and on the right but his statistics point to a player who is between a rock and a hard place.
He does not look completely proficient when it comes to winning the ball back while he is not going to truly impact the game in the final third, either.
At this point, then, it seems like the youngster could well be an option in terms of squad depth, but supporters should temper their expectations.
This is not a man who is going to jump into the XI straight away and, if he does, he will need plenty of time to adjust.
Keeping him for 18 months makes sense, then, as he can grow under the management of Jose Mourinho, but he is not likely to be the solution to the midfield issues that Spurs currently have, particularly with Moussa Sissoko injured.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have completely savaged one man.
