If Tottenham Hotspur appoint Xabi Alonso as their next manager, Destiny Udogie could emerge as an unlikely hero under him.
The £15 million (Sky Sports) man, signed by Spurs last summer before being instantly sent back on loan to Udinese has been making waves in Serie A.
Destiny Udogie could become a hit under Tottenham manager target Xabi Alonso
However, the 20-year-old has not been much of a topic of conversation in N17 due to his parent club’s endless list of headaches this season.
With a report on Thursday claiming that Xabi Alonso is in line to open talks with Tottenham over becoming their manager, if the move does end up happening, Destiny Udogie should have a big smile on his face.
A key reason behind this is the Spaniard’s tactical system and how crucial wing-backs have been to its success at Bayer Leverkusen.
In possession, Leverkusen line up in a 3-4-3 setup, with Jeremie Frimpong and Piero Hincapie as his wing-backs.
For starters, Destiny Udogie could be guaranteed a place upon his return to Tottenham if Xabi Alonso becomes their manager.
With the Italian known to be an incredible ball-carrier, blessed with bags of pace and helping his side to stretch the opposition, he would be given the freedom to express himself in the same vein as Frimpong has under Alonso.
As part of the Real Madrid legend’s system, it is evident to see that while Jeremie Frimpong has been handed the license to wreak havoc in advanced areas, Piero Hincapie plays a withdrawn role to provide defensive protection.
Keeping that in mind, Tottenham manager target Xabi Alonso would likely fall in love with Destiny Udogie and use him exactly like the former but on the left flank.
The question on several Spurs fans’ minds would be that this could be a risk as the quality of their centre-backs could hinder the youngster.
Well, Alonso’s off-the-ball shape that shifts between either a 5-4-1 or a 5-2-3 structure could curb this understandable concern.
Considering Destiny Udogie has a tendency to fall asleep when marking opponents or perhaps overcommitting in 1v1 situations at times, Xabi Alonso could implement a solid off-the-ball structure if he takes the Tottenham manager job.
This aspect was certainly not particularly on show during Antonio Conte’s first full season in charge at the club.
With Alonso’s wing-backs known to lead their press by pinning back the opposition full-backs as well, Udogie is likely to take centrestage in a host of ways if he impresses the highly-rated coach next season.
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