One of the things I love about the summer transfer window is that, despite tons and tons (and tons) of information dribbling out about various players over a period of days and weeks, sometimes you just get something coming completely out of thin air.
Like this one — according to multiple reports in France, Spurs are on the brink of signing 18-year old Senegal midfielder Pape Matar Sarr from Metz. RMC Sport (via GFFN) is reporting that negotiations are underway for a deal worth “more than €10m” (Metz want €20m for him), and that he’d likely spend the season back at Metz on loan.
Don’t know this kid? That’s okay, neither do I, really. Sarr didn’t make his first team debut for Metz until last November, but since then he became pretty well established in the side, amassing over 1500 minutes of action last season, and contributing 3 goals from central midfield. It looks as though he played mostly at the six, but also some at the eight position.
But look at those progressive carries per 90! And the shots! And the interceptions! Sure, it’s Ligue 1, but remember that this kid amassed these kinds of stats over a not-insignificant number of minutes in a top-five league at age 17!
One thing we know about most football clubs outside of the Premier League is that they’re all hurting for money. It’s a buyer’s market, and continental clubs are basically having a fire sale on some of their most promising young talent just to raise funds. That means that the possibility exists for some SERIOUSLY good deals on players like Sarr. I saw something somewhere that Manchester City and United were both also looking at this kid. Sounds like Spurs may have gotten to him first.
Is he first team ready? I dunno. He’s 18. Seems unlikely, at least initially — he’s got the whiff of “prospect” all over him and there are very few sure things when you’re discussing 18 year old midfield prospects. However, spending a year on loan back at Metz seems like a safe bet.
This is absolutely the kind of player that Spurs should be targeting as they look to develop for the future, and I have zero issues with hoovering up young, cheap talent from the French league. Sure, maybe Sarr ends up closer to Clinton N’Jie and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou than to Ngolo Kante, but maybe he doesn’t! It’s worth the risk and at worst we can probably flip him for a profit back to France in a couple of seasons.
Here’s where I insert the usual caveats that it’s not a done deal yet, etc. But yo — this kid looks GOOD and I’m all the heck in. Looks like Fabio Paratici has been doing a deep dive on Wyscout, and I’m here for it.