Explained: How forgotten Tottenham man Pape Sarr could become a Julian Nagelsmann favourite

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If Julian Nagelsmann decides to take on the Tottenham Hotspur manager job, he could well and truly unleash Pape Matar Sarr.

Since the £14.6 million (Sky Sports) man left FC Metz to join Spurs, an underwhelming loan return to his former club followed by a season where he made just a single Premier League start has meant his career is yet to take off.

But in the event that Julian Nagelsmann joins Tottenham in the summer, Pape Matar Sarr could make a serious impact under him.

Pape Sarr could explode into life at Tottenham under Nagelsmann

In a video tweeted by Nagelsmanniac, the 35-year-old manager was heard saying that the defensive midfielder is the ‘most important player’ in his setup, emphasising the importance of playing like a quarterback does in American football in order to aid build-up play.

Julian Nagelsmann has showcased a tendency to be partial towards a deep-lying midfielder that can keep things ticking, which is exactly what Pape Sarr has done in limited minutes at Tottenham.

Antonio Conte himself described the Senegalese international as a ‘really good prospect’, while raving about his Champions League display against AC Milan in their 1-0 defeat in the first leg.

As Sarr showcased in Spurs’ 4-1 win against Crystal Palace in a cameo appearance that turned heads, he is adept at keeping things ticking in the middle of the park and calming things down.

Unlike Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojberg, who profile as more traditional destroyers, Pape Sarr is a controller, which Julian Nagelsmann will likely require in his setup at Tottenham.

A glimpse at the roles played by Marcel Sabitzer, Kevin Kampl and Joshua Kimmich during his stints at RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich are strong examples to justify this claim.

As Tottenham lack such a player in their ranks, Julian Nagelsmann would likely entrust Pape Sarr to fulfil this key responsibility.

Much like Pep Guardiola put his faith in players such as Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Fernandinho and Rodri to link defence to midfield and midfield to attack to run how the entire team operates going forward, the young prospect may be asked to do the same.