Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is yet to make an impact for Tottenham.
While much has been made of Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen’s slow start in North London, he is not the only summer addition who is struggling.
Janssen has at least struck three goals from the penalty spot. Fellow summer addition Georges-Kevin N’Koudou is yet to make any sort of telling impact.
Tottenham’s Georges-Kevin Nkoudou in action with Liverpool’s Trent Arnold
Here are three questions about the winger’s slow progress…
Do Tottenham need to be concerned he is another Clinton Njie?
N’Koudou was signed as a replacement for Clinton Njie, who was shipped off to Marseille on loan as part of the same deal. Njie was another young winger signed from Ligue 1 who Tottenham had bright hopes for, but head coach Mauricio Pochettino did not feel the same way.
Tottenham’s Clinton Njie during training
Njie barely played when he was fit, and he was pushed out the door this summer to make way for N’Koudou.
The new winger has shown glimpses of promise, but that has been it, failing to seize his chance in the EFL Cup against Liverpool.
The Reds spent a bigger fee to sign Sadio Mane, a proven player at Premier League level, and they have received instant payback. Tottenham need N’Koudou to show they simply haven’t repeated an error they made a year earlier.
Is Levy’s haggling responsible?
One possible reason for N’Koudou’s slow start is his lack of pre-season. Tottenham clinched a deal for him in mid to late July, only for the winger to spend a month holed up in a London hotel while negotiations were concluded.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy
French outlet Le Phoceen reported at the time that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was responsible for the deal dragging, by wanting to insert clauses into the deal and lower the price.
While they eventually got their man, it took until transfer deadline day to conclude, by which time N’Koudou had missed the chance to go on tour with Spurs, take part in pre-season, and their opening Premier League matches.
He has been left playing a bit part role, with Spurs unwilling to give him the full 90 minutes he needs to develop his sharpness.
Will it be a different story after the international break?
With a fortnight’s break upon us, N’Koudou has a chance to turn a page at Tottenham, heading into a key phase of the season.
While many of his teammates are on international break this week, N’Koudou has no such responsibilities, and can spend the break working hard at Spurs with the coaching staff and on his fitness.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino gestures as Georges-Kevin Nkoudou prepares to be substituted on
Tottenham go straight into a run of big matches when he returns, facing West Ham, Monaco and Chelsea, and if N’Koudou can be a difference maker in just one of those games, it will change everything for him, including giving his confidence a significant boost.
It is too early to really be concerned, but there does need to be some improvement in terms of production, from the team and individually, and now he needs to kick on.
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