TTLB Opinion: What makes Daniel Levy excited about Tottenham target Morten Frendrup

But before we get into how he is the ideal player to complement the current system in place, let’s get into the traits that the 24-year-old possesses:

Morten Frendrup is good with his recoveries as well as elite in his pressing, especially in the press system that the North Londoners have deployed at Tottenham. And he is a versatile profile; he can play across the midfield and the wide defensive zones (so in DM, CM, RB, and LWB roles), making him a valuable asset for in-game tactical switches.

The Genoa midfielder is also calm when he is on the receiving side of the pressure, which should help Spurs with their first and second phase build-ups (this could also help Ange set up more aggressively with his bait and get out of the press sequences).

Moreover, he has that positional discipline to hold zones even when he has inverting full-backs, which ensures that the midfield holds that tactical shape with fluid sequences.

That being said, he is not a creator, and you cannot really expect him to contribute directly or indirectly with the ball (if I am to compare, he is very similar to what Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was at his peak, but he is younger, faster, and has a broader positional coverage).

How can he fit at Tottenham?

Frendrup can be slotted in a self-pivot role in a 4-3-3. Alternatively, in this lineup you can also push him as a right-side #8 with a defensive mindset. He can also act in a third ‘controller’ role in a 2-3-5 build-up phase where he can cover Porro’s or Udogie’s forward runs.

He is more of a stabiliser player and will adapt to defensive structures without it needing to change the shape of the deployed system.

Why is Levy interested?

To start with, he is still very young and beaming with potential, and then he can get cover for multiple positions in one signing, which shows some efforts towards optimising the resources. He does fit in Levy’s way of signing players, a smart signing who is not a headliner but brings a lot to the roster.

The business chairman at N17 knows that a squad built on function and flexibility allows their marquee players to shine, and Frendrup is the kind of player that wins you games when others are tired or disorganised.

Author Opinion

He is one of the few players who possesses the capacity to bring depth and tactical elegance to the squad. Bringing him will have immediate effects on the squad with his press resistance and discipline when deployed in a structured role.