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Tottenham Hotspur's 21 year old winger and attacking midfielder Wilson Odobert started 10 Premier League games last season, mostly on the left wing, and while he had a couple of assists and showed some nifty skills as a dribbler with the promise of creativity in the future, it was another overall mediocre season from the young player.
And with younger and younger players standing out in the Premier League and abroad these days, including new summer signing Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United in the defensive midfield and even last season's loan sensation Luka Vuskovic in the Bundesliga, Odobert is not going to have as much grace as some may think.
Odobert actually played better on the right wing last season than the left wing before his ACL tear cut his season short. After Mohammed Kudus's injury and with Brennan Johnson sold to Crystal Palace while Dejan Kulusevski was still nowhere near a return, Odobert slotted in on the right. And in hindsight, it is not at all surprising that the young Frenchman was superior on that flank than on the left, because he is a better creator than a scorer, which means cutting inside and shooting like Mathys Tel was never going to be his forte.
Wilson Odobert is not in the best place
A delicate and intelligent player, Wilson Odobert now finds himself at a bit of a crossroads. Not only is Kudus back and fired up to play under Roberto De Zerbi, but Kulusevski is also training again and potentially going to return in the first half of the 2026/27 Premier League season, which would then make Odobert third choice on the right wing.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are lining up transfer targets on the wings for De Zerbi. They need two new wingers, including a sure fire starter on the left across from Mohammed Kudus, and that means even less playing time for Odobert, who, again, is not as good of a fit on the left as Tel. And Tel's minutes will already have to be curtailed, if, say, both Cody Gakpo and Savinho join.
The Savinho case also hurts Odobert in another way, beacuse the left footer can be a star on either wing and is about the same age as Odobert. So coming off an ACL tear with stars returning from injury and marquee transfer targets on Roberto De Zerbi's mind, Odobert is suddenly in a position where his very future at Spurs could become tenuous in 2026/27.
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This article was originally published on hotspurhq.com as Wilson Odobert is suddenly under fire at Tottenham.
