According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have revived their interest in Ipswich Town sensation Andre Dozzell. The 19-year-old recently made his comeback following a 13-month absence from the game due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The English U19 international was being tracked by a number of top-flight clubs but talks over a potential move to the Premier League were silenced by the long-term injury. However, his return should be enough to evoke interest among the scouts.
As the north London rivals go head-to-head in their efforts to land the youngster, let us get a deeper insight into one of the most promising prospects in the Championship – Ipswich wonder kid Andre Dozzell.
Son of former Spurs star Jason Dozzell, Andre started training with the Ipswich Town academy as a kid. He caught the eye with some impressive performances in Ipswich’s youth system and received the club’s Academy Player of the Year Award in 2016.
Following his impressive performances for the development team, Dozzell made his senior debut for Ipswich at the age of 16 and matched his father’s record of scoring on his senior debut.
He made a total of 9 appearances across all competitions in the 2016/17 season but his progress was halted as he ruptured his cruciate ligament in the opening game of the 2017/18 season.
Dozzell has played for England at every youth level and has captained the U17 side. He was also a member of the squad for the UEFA U19 European Championship in 2017, despite being below the age group.
Primarily a central midfielder by trade, Dozzell is capable of playing in an advanced role as a central attacking midfielder. A quick, agile and sharp player, Dozzell has the ability to make brisk turns in the midfield to buy himself some extra time and space.
However, he is mostly renowned for his wonderful range of passing which allows him to switch the play effectively and find his teammates up front with long incisive passes. He is more than capable of playing an attacking role as he often makes short and quick one-twos near the box and uses his incredible vision to unleash a killer pass.
Furthermore, he is great with his movement off the ball, making him a difficult player to mark.
Dozzell has already made a name for himself in the Championship and he will get better with more exposure. Now that he is back from his injury, he must work towards regaining his rhythm. That said, the manager must ease him back into action as his progress could be plagued by a recurrence of the injury.
With the kind of promise he has shown for Ipswich and England, it will not be a matter of surprise if we see him in a top-flight club soon. Be it Tottenham or Arsenal, Dozzell could work wonders in both sides of north London.