Spurs: £25m flop was meant to be the next Bale, how he’s a “Championship player”

One former wonderkid has not had the desired impact since making the move to N17.

Life without Harry Kane has started brightly as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned, with new boss Ange Postecoglou already ensuring that the England skipper is something of a distant memory, following his move to Bayern Munich last month.

The Lilywhites have made a strong start to the campaign despite not actually acquiring a direct replacement for the 30-year-old goal machine, although there will likely come a time in the not-too-distant future when a successor to the club’s record scorer will have to be found.

Whether it is an emerging academy star – such as teen sensation, Will Lankshear – or a high-profile, big-money addition, at some stage sooner rather than later someone will have to live with the burden of attempting to emulate Kane’s heroics

To be constantly likened to or compared with such an elite figure is likely to be more of a curse than a blessing for any player, however, with one current Spurs dud having only recently fallen by the wayside despite prior comparisons to another legendary Tottenham icon – Gareth Bale.

Currently on the sidelines with yet another injury blow, it is fair to say that one-time wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon has not lived up to the hype at N17 to date, with those prior whispers that the heir to Bale had been found now looking rather foolish.
Why did Tottenham sign Ryan Sessegnon?

The once-promising wideman had caught the eye after bursting onto the scene for fellow London club, Fulham, making his first-team debut for the Cottagers at the tender age of just 16 as an indication of how highly-regarded he was at the time.

The Roehampton-born speedster – who, like Bale, can operate at left-back or in an advanced attacking berth – had captured the interest of the Premier League’s elite following his standout showings in the second tier, enjoying a particularly remarkable 2017/18 season.

Despite having still been a teenager at the time, Sessegnon proved integral in helping the Craven Cottage outfit to secure promotion, netting 15 times and providing six assists in 46 Championship appearances, prior to adding another three goal involvements in the playoffs.

It was at that time that the murmurings regarding the ‘next Bale’ began to surface, with then-teammate Matt Targett having made the comparison between the two wing wizards in February 2018:

“He’s going to have a great future in front of him,” said Targett, as reported by the Independent. “He’s a massive threat and to score over ten goals already in the Championship for any midfielder that’s good, but he’s 17. It’s a massive achievement and he’s got a massive future in front of him. He’s definitely right up there with the likes of Luke Shaw, Gareth Bale, you could even put.”

The end to that stellar season also earned the youngster lofty praise from manager Slavisa Jokanovic, with the one-time Watford boss describing the precocious talent as “a mix between Marcelo and Bale”.

Such hype was followed by a respectable first season in England’s top flight as Sessegnon contributed two goals and six assists in 35 league games, prior to those at Spurs having come calling…

How much did Tottenham pay for Ryan Sessegnon?
The buzz around the 5 foot 10 whiz had ensured that the Lilywhites weren’t alone in their interest, with rivals Manchester United believed to have made contact regarding a possible move for the wideman in the summer of 2019, while Serie A giants Juventus were also said to be keen at the time.

Despite that growing list of suitors, it was Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino who eventually won the race in that same window, forking out a reported fee of around £25m.

That appeared something of a bargain considering figures of closer to £50m had been suggested prior to that, with Sessegnon quickly raising the excitement levels after scoring on his first Champions League start away to Bayern Munich.

Such an introduction onto the European stage unsurprisingly had supporters dreaming that an heir to Bale had finally been found, with the Welshman memorably announcing himself to the wider world after scoring a hat-trick against Inter Milan back in 2010.

Described as a “massive asset” by pundit Noel Whelan amid that promising start to the 2019/20 campaign, Sessegnon had also talked up the likeness to the ex-Real Madrid star, having stated in January 2020:

“I think [the comparisons are] definitely a confident boost. [Bale] was one of the players that I looked up to when I was younger, especially when he was at Southampton bombing up on the wing.

“He has attributes that I want to add to my game. In terms of attacking intent, the mentality to get in behind on the left flank and dribble with the ball, I’m trying to add a little bit of that into my game.

“If I could ever become as great as he has become it would be a massive achievement. I’m so far off at the moment.”

Gareth Bale’s Tottenham Record (stats via Transfermarkt)

Manager

Games

Goals

Assists

Ryan Mason

7

6

Jose Mourinho

27

10

3

Andre Villas-Boas

44

26

14

Harry Redknapp

137

27

39

Juande Ramos

13

0

1

Martin Jol

9

3

1

Total

237

72

58

As the Englishman stated in that final line, he was still ‘so far off’ emulating the one-time Southampton gem, however, with that still looking like the case today…

What has gone wrong for Ryan Sessegnon at Tottenham?

There may be a sense of what might have been had Pochettino remained in charge to help guide the emerging sensation, although with Jose Mourinho appointed in late 2019, Sessegnon’s hopes of regular game time were inhibited, as he subsequently joined Bundesliga side Hoffenheim for the 2020/21 season.

Following his return from Germany it has largely been a tale of woe for the £55k-per-week asset, with injuries restricting him to just 15 and 17 league appearances across the last two seasons, respectively.



When the 23-year-old – who has scored just three times and chipped in with only four assists in 56 games in all competitions for the club – has featured he has also hardly set the world alight, with Spurs insider John Wenham brutally describing him as “a Championship player” earlier this year, while going on to add:

“We bought him as this kid with great potential and all of the attributes. I was so excited when we got him, he was exactly the signing I wanted the club to make.

“But you can have hindsight and you can be allowed to be wrong about things. I was absolutely wrong about Sessegnon.

“He has no pace. Ever since he had his hamstring injury he doesn’t take players on. What is the point of setting your team up to benefit from attacking wing-backs if you have a wing-back who can’t beat a man, has no pace, has no strength and cannot deliver a cross?”

It is then fair to say that the struggling dud – who is yet to feature this season due to injury – has come nowhere close to making the same impact as Bale, with the latter man having only been a year older when he sealed his £85m move to Madrid in 2013.

While it may be too soon to completely write off Sessegnon, he has certainly not built on his strong first impression, with it yet to be seen what his future will be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – if he has one at all that is.