Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League season has been a mixed bag this year; after beginning the season with an extremely outstanding ten-game winning streak, they now face the possibility of suffering their fifth straight loss
Nevertheless, it would be accurate to state that the Lilywhites have experienced more advantages than disadvantages this season given the departure of Harry Kane, the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as manager, and the possibility of still making it to the Europa League.
For instance, because of his outstanding performances, Destiny Udogie, one of the team’s breakout stars this season, has had his price soar and is currently valued significantly more than Oleksandr Zinchenko, the defender for Arsenal.
The career of Destiny Udogie
In the 2020–21 season, Udogie started his senior career with Italian team Hellas Verona. The next season, he joined Udinese on loan, and in July 2022, the move became permanent.
But a month later, talent scout Jacek Kulig branded the teenage left-back a “masterclass signing” for Fabio Paratici and company when Spurs acquired him for about £21 million. Kulig then allowed the player to remain one more season with the Serie A team to further his development.
During his last season with Le Zebrette, the gifted kid participated in 34 games, mostly as a left-sided midfielder but also making one appearance on the left side of defense, scoring three goals and dishing out four assists.
Fans weren’t quite sure what to expect when he arrived in England, but they quickly realized that the Lilywhites had a special player on their hands.
The young Italian and fellow full-back Pedro Porro were praised as “excellent” and “outstanding” in December by former professional and well-known analyst Micah Richards for their remarkable offensive output and defensive support.
The 21-year-old could still win an award at the conclusion of the season, but he will regrettably miss the end of the campaign due to a hamstring injury.
All things considered, the young player’s first year in England has been outstanding, so it’s not unexpected that his value has skyrocketed, with journalist Dean Jones calling him “one of Paratici’s finer pieces of work”.
The value of Destiny Udogie in 2024
Tottenham open the scoring – again…
Destiny Udogie scores his first Premier League goal to give Spurs the lead for the sixth consecutive game.#THFC | #NUFC | #TOTNEW
🎥 @SkySportsPL pic.twitter.com/eRMW914CKs
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 10, 2023
Udogie is currently valued at €80 million, or £68 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory, making him the joint-most valuable player in the entire Tottenham team and the joint-fifth most valuable player in the Premier League.
Although it may seem like a lot of money for a player who just finished his first season in the division, the high asking price is probably due to a number of factors, including his age, the length of his contract (which runs through June 2030), and his exceptional potential.
All of this adds up to make him four times more valuable than Zinchenko, the left-back for Arsenal, who is valued by CIES at €20 million, or roughly £17 million, or £51 million less than the Lilywhites star.
Though the Ukrainian international was regarded as a key member of the Gunners squad that nearly won the league only the previous season, he is now well behind players like Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior in the standings, having started just three of the previous 12 games and just 56% of this season’s Premier League games.
In addition, the former Manchester City player has a dismal injury history and has missed 28 games in his two seasons in north London. Still, this doesn’t appear to be an issue for Tottenham’s star left-back.
In the end, both Udogie and Zinchenko are competent left-backs and players of Premier League caliber; nevertheless, the Ukrainian has had a difficult year, while the Italian is unquestionably improving, so it’s safe to say the club pulled off a brilliant move when they signed him two years ago.
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