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Tottenham are targeting a £21m upgrade on Son, with the player being described as “extremely fast and very dangerous.”
Tottenham Hotspur boosted their chances of reaching the League Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool last night, but the season has been challenging overall for the club.
Ange Postecoglou’s team has been plagued by injuries, which have played a significant role in their decline in the Premier League standings over recent months.
Beyond the injury issues, the team has also been highly inconsistent on the field, with several key players, including Son Heung-min, failing to perform at their usual level.
Although Son has managed to score seven goals, he’s only played 69% of available minutes in the league. Given this, reports linking Tottenham to a potential upgrade in attack are not surprising.
Tottenham Targets Promising Forward
A recent report from Caught Offside states that Tottenham is one of several clubs interested in signing Donyell Malen, the Borussia Dortmund forward. Aston Villa is also keen on the Dutch player, and although they are said to have agreed on personal terms with him, they are still far from meeting Dortmund’s asking price. This leaves room for Spurs to potentially swoop in.
The exact asking price isn’t mentioned, but another report earlier this week indicated that Dortmund values Malen at approximately £21m. While securing a deal ahead of Villa could be challenging, the reasonable price and Malen’s talent make this a transfer Tottenham should seriously pursue, particularly as he could serve as an upgrade on Son.
Malen vs. Son
It’s important to acknowledge that, given Son’s remarkable talent, fans should not expect Malen to immediately replicate the same heights Son reached in his prime. Such expectations would be unrealistic.
While Son still contributes with goals and assists, he has struggled to maintain the same influence on games as he once did due to age and wear. This is where Malen could step in and provide an instant improvement for Postecoglou’s side, based on his impressive underlying numbers since last season.
As described by former Dortmund player Mario Götze, Malen is “extremely fast and very dangerous.” According to data from FBref, the Dutchman excels in several key areas. He scores more non-penalty goals, takes more shots (including shots on target), completes more crosses and carries into the penalty area, and performs better in take-ons—all per 90 minutes.
Additionally, Malen outperforms Son defensively, with more blocks, clearances, fewer errors leading to shots, more ball recoveries, and a higher number of aerial duels won, all per 90 minutes.
With these advantages in both offensive and defensive metrics, Tottenham should act quickly to secure Malen before Villa can seal the deal.
