MY ACCOUNT
Ryan Sessegnon cost Tottenham £25million when he joined from Fulham in 2019 — but has only recently started to make an impact in North London.
Hot property after scoring 16 times en route to promotion in 2018, Spurs made a hefty investment in Sessegnon after just 12 months in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old struggled for minutes under Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho before spending the 2020-21 season on loan at Hoffenheim.
Ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Wolves, we assess whether Sessegnon is now Tottenham’s first-choice left wing-back having started both top-flight fixtures so far this season.
Winging it
Sessegnon’s history as a left winger is evident in the approach he takes to playing at wing-back.
Defensively, he is a willing presser high up the pitch. But his primary objective remains clear — to get forward and make things happen.
His Premier League numbers since the start of last season bear this out.
He ranks 11th in the competition for big chances created per 90 (0.46) and 17th for open-play expected assists per 90 (0.22).
In the first two games of this campaign, Sessegnon has shown a renewed attacking focus, netting in Spurs’ 4-1 opening-day demolition of Southampton.
In possession, he is almost completely absent from Tottenham’s build-up play, attempting just 27.8 passes and taking only 53.23 touches per 90.
Sergio frozen out
The man Sessegnon has beaten out in the opening weeks of the season is Sergio Reguilon.
The former Real Madrid defender enjoyed a bright start to his Spurs career after arriving in September 2020.
He established himself as the first-choice left-back over the last two seasons but lost his place to Sessegnon at the end of the last campaign and has been unable to win his spot back.
With Ivan Perisic arriving this summer and Sessegnon preferred by Antonio Conte — for now, at least — Reguilon has been pushed down the pecking order.
Left behind for Tottenham’s pre-season trip to South Korea, the Spain international is attracting attention from his homeland with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona among those interested.
In fact, Conte has reportedly banished the 25-year-old from the training ground, along with Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks, in an attempt to offload him.
Perisic pick-up
Having won Serie A in 2020-21 under Conte as Inter’s first-choice left wing-back, Perisic is familiar with the Italian coach’s system and demands.
The Croatia international continued in that role for the Nerazzurri last season — even after Conte’s departure — and it was expected that he would be a regular starter at Spurs as he reunited with his former boss.
However, both of Perisic’s Premier League appearances thus far have been as a substitute and it remains to be seen if he will oust the younger Sessegnon.
The veteran’s creative numbers in Serie A last season are just as impressive as Sessegnon’s, providing 0.44 big chances and 0.25 open-play expected assists per 90 — proof that he possesses the attacking qualities that Conte prizes from his wing-backs.
Perisic sharing his wisdom
Even if Perisic is not starting, he is still proving a valuable addition to the team.
Sessegnon revealed that the veteran has been sharing his knowledge.
He said: “It’s [wing-back] probably one of the hardest positions in the team at the moment.
“The manager wants you to contribute going forward but obviously defensively as well, so you have to have that engine to go up and down.
“That’s one of my strong suits, but it can always be improved. I’m trying to get even fitter all the time.
“I had a different attitude [to Perisic arriving]. I never saw the [competition] situation like that. I saw it as a chance for me to improve and get help from him.
“Now he’s in the team and I know him a little bit, he’s helped me straight away in pre-season. He’s a good guy. He’s been helping me a lot. It’s just healthy competition.”
Expect rotation
Sessegnon tops Conte’s left wing-back list at present, retaining the spot he won at the back end of last season.
At 22, he has room to continue improving under the tutelage of his Italian manager.
However, do not expect Perisic to play second fiddle for the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Croatian is an experienced and combative campaigner — two qualities Conte holds in high regard.
A Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and World Cup runner-up in 2018, his experience and know-how will be invaluable as Spurs look to claim silverware for the first time since 2008.
