Levy sold "dreadful" Spurs flop for only £6m, now he's playing like Isak

The 2024/25 season has been a difficult one for Tottenham Hotspur, with injuries massively halting Ange Postecoglou’s progress as manager in North London.

His side currently sit 13th in the Premier League, with any hope of qualifying for European football for next season all but over with just ten games remaining.

However, despite the setbacks, the Lilywhites have registered 55 goals in their 28 outings, with only league leaders Liverpool scoring more to date – with the defensive issues preventing their progress.

Brennan Johnson and James Maddison sit joint top of the club’s league top-scorer charts with nine goals, showcasing how spread out goals have been among the first team squad.

Despite Dominic Solanke’s club-record move in the summer, the Englishman has struggled with injuries, subsequently preventing him from matching the levels produced by one other player in England.

Alexander Isak’s stats for Newcastle in 2024/25

Swedish international Alexander Isak has set England alight after his move to Newcastle United in the summer of 2022, scoring 57 times in his 99 appearances.

The 25-year-old has been strongly linked with Spurs’ North London rivals, Arsenal, after his form this campaign, which has seen him score 22 times across all competitions.

He’s been a constant nuisance to endless sides in the division, but none more so than Postecoglou’s men, scoring six times against them since his move – the most of any team in his professional career.

Despite the excellent goalscoring record of the Lilywhites, they’ve lacked that clinical goalscorer to lead the line amid Solanke’s fitness issues, with the supporters undoubtedly wishing they had a talent of Isak’s quality.

However, one player who left a couple of years ago has since thrived away from the club, being compared to the Swede as a result of his performances in the final third.

The former Spurs flop who’s playing just like Isak in 2024/25

Over the years, numerous players have arrived at Spurs with high potential to succeed but have ultimately failed to deliver, with Erik Lamela just one player to fall into that category.

The Argentine joined in a £30m deal after Gareth Bale’s departure, looking to fill the void, but failing to do so – scoring just 37 times in his eight years in North London.

Striker Vincent Janssen is another player who had high hopes of being a success, costing £17m from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar back in the summer of 2016.

However, his spell at the club would be a dismal one, scoring just six times during his debut campaign – before just one appearance in 2017/18, subsequently joining Fenerbahçe on loan in January – leading to John Laverty dubbing him as “dreadful”.

He would never recover from his poor form early on in England, with Daniel Levy offloading him, leaving in a £6m deal to join Mexican side Monterrey – aiming to get his once-promising career back on track.

Fast forward to 2025, the striker now plies his trade for Belgian side Royal Antwerp, scoring 50 times in his 127 appearances over the last three years, with FBref ranking him as a similar player to Isak based on their respective figures.

When comparing their stats from the ongoing season, he may have been outscored by the Swede, but he has matched him for shot-on-target accuracy – subsequently showcasing his clinical edge.

He’s also completed more take-ons and won more aerial duels, offering that all-around number nine play in which the club have missed in Solanke’s absence.

It’s safe to say that his time in North London was nothing short of a disaster, as he struggled to match the expectations placed on him after his big-money move to England.

However, it’s clear that he’s since found his form after leaving, showcasing to his former side what they’re missing out on after cutting their losses on him after just three years at the club.

Related

Spurs already have a perfect Danso upgrade in 18-year-old “freak talent”

The exceptional talent could demand a starting place at Spurs next season.