Pape Matar Sarr will be hoping to feature prominently under Thomas Frank next season.
Sarr etched his name into Tottenham folklore with the all-important assist to Brennan Johnson’s winning goal in the Europa League final last season.
The central midfielder was already a key figure at Spurs, making more appearances for Ange Postecoglou (90) than any other player during the Australian’s tenure.
The Senegal international will hope to command the same faith from Thomas Frank, who will have key decisions to make about the 22-year-old.
Frank faces dilemma over Sarr’s position
There are seemingly very few characters more popular at Spurs than Sarr, who dedicated his summer to helping others in Senegal.
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His character and positivity will endear him to Frank, but the Dane will need to figure out how to best utilise the midfielder’s unique skill set.
Despite his relative youth, Sarr is an assured footballer, as evidenced by his performance in Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Reading (19 July).
Sarr recorded an 88 per cent pass accuracy against the Royals, and lost possession 5 times, fewer than any other midfielder or forward in the starting line-up [Sofascore].
However, he hardly contributed going forward, failing to complete a cross or make a key pass, while only 33 per cent of his long balls reached their intended target.
Arguably, the youngster’s best quality is his seemingly inexhaustible engine and ability to drive with the ball, but those attributes rarely translate into direct goal-scoring contributions.
Defensively, the former Metz player’s statistics were equally underwhelming, contributing just one tackle and interception, and winning just one duel.
Frank has a dilemma regarding Sarr, as the midfielder lacks the physicality and defensive acumen necessary to play in a holding midfield role.
At the same time, he does not possess the same level of creativity and output as players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski further up the pitch.
This leaves his Danish coach with the task of coaching Sarr and finding the right system and position to elevate his qualities.
Frank focused on improving Spurs defensively
Frank’s primary focus so far during pre-season has been on fitness and defending, with the players being put through numerous defensive drills in training.
Tottenham’s Achilles Heel last season was conceding chances, especially in transition, which led to Spurs finishing the campaign with a negative goal difference in the Premier League.
The Lilywhites are still in the market for a designated number six, and with Cristian Romero looking more likely to stay in N17, Frank is hoping to create a much more solid and settled back line for next season.