Spurs sold "phenomenal" star for £6.7m, now he's outscoring Solanke & Delap
da brwin： It would be fair to say that prior to last night, this had been Tottenham Hotspur’s worst season for a generation.
da pinup bet： However, now that Ange Posteocoglou’s side have secured a place in the Europa League final, there is a chance to make history.
One of the stars of both legs was Dominic Solanke, who scored a crucial penalty in the first game and then slotted home the opener last night.
The Englishman has come in for some criticism since joining the club, but with his goal tally starting to rise, it feels like he’s justifying his club-record fee.
Yet, even still, Daniel Levy and Co may regret selling a former academy gem who’s outscoring him and another of the club’s transfer targets.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Spurs' striker search
With the domestic season going the way it has this year, Spurs have understandably been linked with a number of exciting strikers in recent weeks, from LOSC Lille’s Jonathan David to Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Tim Kleindienst.
However, one of the more exciting and just as realistic targets the North Londoners have been linked with has been Liam Delap.
According to reports from earlier this week, the club have been considering a move for the Ipswich Town star, who has a release clause worth £30m in his contract now that the Tractor Boys have been relegated.
While that certainly isn’t cheap, it would probably represent good value in the current market, as the Lilywhites would be getting a young, Premier League-proven striker who’s homegrown and has arguably been one of the Suffolk sides’ best players.
For example, even though he’s been playing for the third-worst team in the competition, the Winchester-born marksman has managed to rack up a decent tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, of which 34 have come in the Premier League.
Yet, as with Solanke, the former Manchester City prospect is being outscored by a forward sold by Levy and Co.
The former Spurs gem sold by Levy
So, while the player in question joined a club abroad, he’s actually faced Tottenham three times this season, coming out on the losing side each and every time.
We are, of course, talking about Troy Parrott, who is a product of Hotspur Way and even has four Spurs appearances to his name, but he currently plays his trade in the Netherlands for AZ Alkmaar.
The Irish international joined the Dutch outfit last summer for a fee of around £6.7m after a stellar 23/24 campaign on loan with Excelsior Rotterdam, in which he scored 17 goals and provided five assists in just 32 games.
This season has been just as successful for the “phenomenal” forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, aside from the games against the Lilywhites, that is.
For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 3411 minutes, the 23-year-old dynamo has scored 20 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 136.44 minutes.
Parrott vs Solanke vs Delap
Players
Parrott
Solanke
Delap
Appearances
45
42
37
Minutes
3411′
3221′
2569′
Goals
20
15
12
Assists
5
8
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.55
0.54
0.37
Minutes per Goal Involvement
136.44
140.04
183.5
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For comparison’s sake, Solanke has managed to score 15 goals and provide eight assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3221 minutes this term, which comes out to a slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 1.82 games, or every 140.04 minutes.
Now, to be clear, we are not suggesting that the Dublin-born poacher would outscore the former Bournemouth star in the Premier League, but it does raise a question about how he might have fared as Postecoglou’s second-choice striker, as Richarlison’s hardly done much when he’s played.
Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and selling Parrott to AZ was probably the right thing to do for his career, but we can’t help wondering how he would have fared in North London this season.
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