Tottenham Hotspur missed a trick not moving fast for the teenage winger.
Back in the summer, Tottenham Hotspur waited until the final throes of the transfer window to finally seal a deal for Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.
The early evidence is that he possesses innate talent and flashes of brilliance, but that he is far from the finished product and could take a long time to fulfil his potential.
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Wingers are known for their erratic performances, but N’Koudou’s starts against Liverpool and Wycombe Wanderers have highlighted a player whose game needs more than just tinkering.
In contrast, back in May Borussia Dortmund moved quickly to sign Ousmane Dembele from Rennes, a player who was outshining N’Koudou in Ligue 1 despite being three years his junior.
The 18-year-old was a Tottenham signing through and through; a player with a bright future whose value will only increase and who could blossom just as the likes of Dele Alli and Eric Dier have at White Hart Lane.
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Dortmund’s early move ensured they would not be left disappointed, but time and again the German club appear to move quicker than their rivals to bring in the bets young talent in Europe, and that is something Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy must learn from.
While N’Koudou has struggled in North London, Dembele has hit the ground running in Germany, scoring four goals and providing seven assists in the Bundesliga and scoring one and setting up five in just six Champions League appearances.
Five goals and 12 assists in all competitions is superb for a player who is still only 19, and his ability to play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder means he would have solved a whole host of problems at Spurs over the course of a campaign.
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