Tottenham, Spurs, Conte, Premier League, Pape Matar Sarr
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Sarr has a long-term future at the club, according to John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Sarr at Spurs
Sarr signed for Tottenham all the way back in August 2021 for £14.6m (via Sky Sports) from Metz when Nuno Espirito Santo was at the helm.
However, he never featured under the Portuguese boss, who was soon booted out the Spurs exit door to be replaced by Antonio Conte, all whilst the Senegalese was back on loan with the French side.
Upon his return to north London at the beginning of the current campaign, Sarr found himself on the cusp of the squad until he made his bow in the Premier League against Aston Villa on New Year’s Day.
He has since featured in the subsequent four games, even starting the north London Derby and making himself a firm part of Conte’s plans.
The Latest: Wenham’s praise
The 20-year-old lasted 76 minutes against Arsenal in a game that Spurs were largely second-best with him left chasing shadows around the middle of the park with Mikel Arteta deploying an extra midfielder.
Despite the disappointing result, Wenham told Football Insider how impressed he was with Sarr, who he feels can play a big role at the club.
Wenham said: “He was one of our better players, which is funny because he had only really played against Portsmouth before the Arsenal game.
“But he was handed this golden chance by Conte, because you would think Bissouma or Skipp would have been in there.
“You have to think Conte might prefer Sarr, but then, if that’s the case, why haven’t we seen more of him? Just on Sarr, though, I think there is a player there.
“He is so young and that game will have been a big experience for him, he will have learned so much. It looks like he is sticking around for the second half of the season as well so hopefully he can continue to develop.”
The Verdict: Key second half of the season
Sarr was shown incredible faith by his boss in the derby, but his inclusion and performance did not please everyone, with Jamie O’Hara singling out the 20-year-old after the defeat.
Still with doubters to prove wrong, Sarr will have ample opportunity to do exactly that with his place in the Spurs side potentially his to lose.
Oliver Skipp and Yves Bissouma have suffered from poor campaigns, with the pair’s average rating the second-lowest and fifth-lowest in the whole squad respectively (via WhoScored).
He’s certainly left an impact, with Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir describing him as “really good” following Sunday’s derby.
We think Sarr could be given more chances by Conte over the next few weeks and months, with the youngster becoming a key part of his plans of late.
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