The Tottenham Hotspur entered this offseason with finding a talented striker at the top of their list of priorities and they may have found their man in the Monaco man Anthony Martial. Reports have Monaco asking for $25 million euros in exchange for the star 19-year-old striker with Tottenham intent on getting the deal done. They are fresh off a season where their youth movement up front paid off and Martial should only supercharge that growth. Martial would represent a significant upgrade up front for Tottenham, a team that scored just 58 goals last season even though they finished fifth in the EPL table.
So what should fantasy general managers expect with the Martial acquisition? Here are four major fantasy implications that would stem from the Martial signing.
A Lethal Striker Tandem
Harry Kane absolutely dominated for Tottenham despite the relatively mediocre play around him as he scored a team-leading 21 goals as a 21-year-old this past season. The fact that he produced the way that he did was impressive enough but it’s scary to think about what Kane could do with Martial helping stretch the field and take some of the pressure off of him up front. Martial is as a quality playmaker in addition to a capable scorer, and he could help push Kane’s single-season goal total even higher if the two start next to one another up front for Hotspur this season. Tottenham ranked fifth behind Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United with goals scored this past year, which isn’t bad, but they have work to do if they want to compete with the big boys. This is a big step.
Improved Production In The Middle
With Kane and Marital spearheading the Tottenham attack, the midfield is bound to benefit in terms of their overall fantasy production with another young tandem in particular ready to step up. Ryan Mason and Danny Rose combined for just eight assists this past year but with Kane and Martial spearheading their attack, there is no doubt that they will have the potential to put up better numbers next season. The Hostpur have a very talented young core and the midfielders will benefit from the addition of another very capable young striker. While many fantasy GM’s will reach for Martial and Kane, Mason and Rose are sleepers that could be somewhat overlooked.
Less Pressure On The Back End
There is a domino effect for any team that improves its attack up front as the improved scoring potential also takes some of the pressure off of the defenders taking care of business on the back line. Tottenham’s core defenders showed flashes of what they are capable of this season but with more time being spent at the attacking end of the pitch, there will be less pressure on the Hotspur defenders and potentially better overall fantasy numbers with fewer goals allowed. They allowed 53 goals last season, which was their main downfall. As mentioned, they finished fifth in the EPL table but only seven teams in the league allowed more goals than them. The ripple effect of adding Martial could help the defense.
Lloris Continues To Climb
Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris already ranked among the best fantasy goalkeepers in the Premier League and he has the potential to improve his overall production with the potential for more wins, fewer goals allowed and more clean sheets next season. Lloris ranked sixth in the Premier League with 107 saves this past season but he failed to place in the top 10 for clean sheets and he ranked fifth in the Premier League in wins with 17. Of course, we’ll have to keep an eye on whether Lloris is in fact the Tottenham goalkeeper next season as there are persistent rumors tying him to Manchester United, but if he’s there, he should have a better fantasy season with less pressure on him to make the big saves.
