Sunderland signed centre-back Kevin Danso on loan from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day, and he is poised to be a stellar signing according to one Spurs expert.
Sunderland signing Kevin Danso will "give everything" for the red-and-white shirt this season in his loan spell at the Stadium of Light, according to one Tottenham Hotspur expert.
Sunderland signed Danso on a season-long loan from Spurs on deadline day in a £2.5m deal after having an opening loan offer rejected days prior, with the move set to be made permanent for £22.5m next summer if Regis Le Bris' side stay in the Premier League this season.
27-year-old central defender Danso adds experience and strength in depth to Sunderland's defensive ranks, and arrives with great pedigree from Spurs having played a part in their Europa League triumph during his first season for the London outfit.
Unfortunately for Danso, the Austrian international has fallen down the centre-back pecking order at Spurs following the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi and the summer signings of Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Tosin Adarabioyo on deadline day, which facilitated his move to Sunderland.
The centre-back has made just one appearance for Spurs this season before joining Sunderland, in Tottenham's 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Championship side Charlton Athletic, in which he scored his side's third with a brilliantly brave header.
Danso is in line to make his Sunderland debut this weekend as Le Bris' side travel to Brentford, and following his deadline day move to the Stadium of Light, SunderlandRoundtable spoke to Spurs expert Jason McGovern of Last Word on Spurs to get the low-down on the Black Cats' new number four.
Kevin Danso in action against Lionel Messi at the World Cup (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters) Spurs Expert Issues Sunderland Fans Kevin Danso Insight
Danso arrives at Sunderland as a Europa League winner, with 53 appearances for Spurs after arriving from Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens permanently last year after his initial loan spell for £20.9m.
From a Sunderland perspective, Danso has a similar profile to bruiser Dan Ballard, in terms of being a physically dominant and aggressive box defender, who can be limited in progression of possession at times.
Spurs expert McGovern explained: "Kevin is a very popular squad member amongst the fans, remembered mostly for being part of our Europa League-winning team, when he came off the bench to see out that win against Man Utd to secure that much-needed trophy.
"There are plenty of fans who would prefer us to keep him, but the fact remains he’s our 4th choice at CB, or 2nd choice right-sided, and he doesn’t fit the technical profile Roberto De Zerbi wants.
"His strengths are physical; he was probably our most dominant centre-back in the air.
"He’s probably the best actual defender; he blocks, relishes the physical battle, quick enough but certainly not high-paced, he reacts rather than reads situations, never hides in the difficult moments, gives everything to the shirt, but he never looked comfortable with the ball at his feet, or against the more technical, skilful strikers."
Potential Concerns For Kevin Danso At Sunderland
On the potential worries for Sunderland regarding Danso, McGovern outlined that he may be exposed against high-level opponents with extreme technical quality, but it will be a matter of ability and not mentality that dictates his displays.
He noted: "He made 1 high-profile error in his time, coming in the 97th minute at home to Brighton last season that saw us finish 2-2, when he got caught in possession, ironically by Van Hecke.
"If a goal is on him, it’s because of striker skill rather than him leaving a player unmarked or making a stupid error, etc.; it will be his ability rather than a mental error that costs him."
However, with Sunderland boasting one of the best defences in the Premier League season, their low block and rigid structure should mitigate some of these frailties that Danso yields.
Kevin Danso receives treatment after scoring for Spurs vs Charlton (Action Images via Reuters)Kevin Danso Will Be 'Very Popular' At Sunderland
Overall, McGovern explained that Danso is poised to be an extremely popular addition to the Stadium of Light outfit given his character on and off the field.
He concluded: "He’ll be a very popular squad member; he’ll fully buy into the club, and wherever he goes, he remains incredibly humble and makes a point of giving back to local communities and projects.
"Price-wise, It’s similar to what we paid, but the fact that we hijacked him joining Wolves, he’s played at 17th & 17th place Spurs, and gone to Sunderland is a true reflection of him."
Danso, who featured in all four of Austria's outings at the World Cup this summer, is poised to be a positive addition for Sunderland's playstyle as a result of his combative and fearless defensive nature.
Signing a resolute, Premier League-proven and Europa League-winning central defender in Danso is a stellar bit of business from Sunderland, and now only time will tell how his debut season at the Stadium of Light will pan out.
