Kion Etete is proving himself to be a centre-forward of Premier League potential with the former Tottenham Hotspur starlet in impressive form at Cardiff City.
It may feel as if Kion Etete has been around forever. But, following a couple loan spells elsewhere in the Football League, it’s easy to forget that the Derby-born number nine will only turn 22 in November.
And, as he grows in maturity and confidence at Cardiff City, a player sold by Tottenham Hotspur for just £500,000 a year ago is starting to belatedly make a name for himself as a striker of serious promise in South Wales.
“Big Kion Etete scoring a really nice goal and playing really well in the number nine role,” EFL expert Ali Maxwell says on the excellent Not the Top 20 podcast.
“It feels like everyone (at Cardiff) is stepping up, and that’s really exciting.”
Former Tottenham striker Kion Etete in top form
If Cardiff are emerging as one of the Championship’s surprise packages, then Etete is becoming the posterboy of the Umut Bulut era. With five goals to his name, the former Spurs starlet has more in just 11 games this season than he managed in 30 across 2022/23.
There is, however, far more to his game than simply sticking the ball in the proverbial onion bag, Maxwell drawing comparisons with two former lower-league frontmen now leading the line at the highest level.
Premier League potential
“Etete is showing why you spend money on him, even at a very young age,” Maxwell adds. “Even if, as has been the case, it has taken him a while to start and lead the line for a Championship club, which is a difficult thing to do.
“He’s still only 21 but he is the profile of striker that all Premier League clubs want. You look at strikers like (Aston Villa’s Ollie) Watkins, like (Everton’s Dominic) Calvert-Lewin, it’s not just about their goalscoring. It’s about their profile.
“In particular, are they tall enough and strong enough to disrupt defenders? Are they quick enough to spin in behind and stretch defences, and be really dangerous on the counter attack?
“I think Etete is developing the confidence and the all-round game to make the most of the potential he clearly has.”
Etete’s five goals have come in just five starts across all competitions.
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