Tottenham’s summer signing Mohammed Kudus has edged past the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal in a standout attacking metric across Europe’s top five leagues.
Signing a right winger was top of Thomas Frank’s list when he arrived at Tottenham this summer, and Spurs moved quickly to bring in Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for a reported £55 million. Many wondered if the fee was a bit steep, but it already appears to be money well spent.
Kudus has started every game under Frank this season and played the full 90 minutes in all but two, with both occasions seeing him taken off late while Tottenham were already comfortably ahead.
In just seven matches, he has produced three assists and has been Tottenham’s highest-rated player of the season to date.
His influence was clear in Spurs’ most recent outing at the AMEX, when they came from 2 goals behind to draw 2-2 vs Brighton. Kudus assisted both goals, although the second officially went down as an own goal.
Even so, it shows how central he has become to Frank’s plans and how quickly he has established himself as the side’s main outlet on the pitch.
Mohammed Kudus leads Europe’s best in take-ons
So far this season, Kudus has completed 19 successful dribbles in just five league games, the most in Europe’s top five leagues.
That puts him above Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, who has 18 in the same number of appearances, and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who sits third with 17 but from two games fewer.
It mainly comes from the fact that the Ghanaian has tried 39 dribbles already, far more than either Mbappe or Yamal.
Naturally, that also explains why he ranks fifth for most duels lost, but that comes with the territory of being the player who is constantly trying to make something happen. The trade-off has been worth it, with Kudus providing Spurs with a consistent outlet and a player who looks dangerous whenever he’s on the ball.
Brennan Johnson comparison shows the upgrade
For Tottenham fans, the difference between this season and last is quite stark. Brennan Johnson was the starting right winger for most of last season, but he never really seemed willing to attempt a duel, and on the rare occasions when he did, few will remember seeing him come out on top.
The Welshman managed just 17 successful dribbles across the entire campaign, two fewer than Kudus has produced in only five games this season.
That said, Johnson did find his scoring touch, finishing last season as Spurs’ top scorer. Moreover, he already has two goals from three starts this campaign despite not winning a single duel.
However, with Kudus completely transforming Tottenham’s right flank alongside Pedro Porro and consistently creating chances where none seem to exist, it is difficult to imagine anyone dislodging him any time soon.