In a MLS record transfer fee for Homegrown players, Tottenham have signed Seattle Sounders F.C. and USMNT hot prospect DeAndre Yedlin for a reported 2.7 Million dollar fee. He will be loaned back to the Sounders for the remaining of the MLS season, but will join his new club in January, as reported by Goal.com, which has confirmed the signing of Yedlin.
While Tottenham already have a first choice Right-Back in Kyle Walker and a backup in Kyle Naughton, “The Spurs”, are looking to reinforce anyway in that position. However, reports are surfacing that Naughton could be on his way out, and perhaps that is the reason for the signing of DeAndre Yedlin.
So just who is DeAndre Yedlin, and what does he have to offer?
Many Europeans were made aware of his presence during the recent World Cup in Brazil, where his heroics made him appear to be a much more seasoned player than he really is. He went toe-to-toe with the very best and often times came out on top, especially against Eden Hazard in the USA vs. Belgium Round of 16 match.
While the U.S. lost in that match, Yedlin garnered plaudits for his ability to surge forward into the attack from his Right-Back position using his blazing speed to dangerous effect. As mentioned before, he kept the normally intimidating Eden Hazard quiet, with plenty of high-light reel tackles, strength to muscle him off the ball, and excellent positional play forcing Hazard to lay off a back pass. It was made all the more impressive considering just three years ago, he was a youth product within the Seattle Sounders F.C. academy.
However, it remains to be seen whether Yedlin can keep that level of quality consistent over the course of a grueling Premier League season. He is only 21 years old after all, and still has many aspects of his game that need refining. He is suspect to committing too far into the attack, leaving gaps open for the opposition to exploit. Yedlin will need to be vocal and communicate well with his Tottenham teammates if he is to surge forward as he no doubt will. His defensive game needs time to be improved and he will definitely not be starting for Tottenham right away.
That said, in the future, he will still have a lot to offer to The Spurs. His game is modeled after Dani Alves of Barcelona, which is by no means a bad thing. Technical Right-Backs can be difficult to find, especially with the speed that Yedlin offers. Tottenham have nothing to lose and everything to gain with this signing and he will only be getting better, especially with the higher quality training found in the Premier League compared to methods in the MLS.
Why would Tottenham have nothing to lose with this signing, you might ask? Well, he was bought for a fairly cheap price, even if something somehow went wrong, it wouldn’t hurt the bank much if so. On top of that, when he does finally get to play, the speed Yedlin possesses is enough to shut down most attackers by default, which is a valuable asset, especially in a league as fast as the Premier League.
All in all, while Seattle Sounders supporters will be missing a valuable piece of their club, Tottenham supporters don’t really have much to lose and everything to gain with this signing. As I said, he’s only 21 years old, with a whole career ahead of him and much more to give. Be on the lookout for this one, folks.
The new season begins on Saturday, August 16. Tottenham will be facing West Ham to kick off a new chapter in Premier League history.
