In Demand ‘Nightmare for Defenders’ Won’t be at Tottenham Hotspur Next Season

After joining on loan in the January transfer window, it appears that Arnaut Danjuma’s time with Tottenham Hotspur has come to an end. According to Fabrizio Romano, the North London club will not extend the forward’s stay beyond the summer: opting not to pay the buy-out clause to Spanish club Villarreal worth £27 million.

Spurs Will Not Extend the Services of Arnaut Danjuma

Tottenham will not trigger the £27m buy option clause for Danjuma, he’ll formally return to Villarreal but he’s expected to leave the club again. 🚨⚪️ #THFC

Danjuma has been approached by PL, Bundesliga and Ligue1 clubs over possible move. pic.twitter.com/OvpEZvpyyg

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2023

The Difference a Year Can Make

In 2022, the Dutchman scored 16 goals and provided four assists across all competitions. This includes six goals in 11 appearances during an impressive Champions League campaign. That impressive return rate helped his transfer value spike up to its peak at nearly £43 million,  even earning praise from Kevin Phillips who called him a ‘Nightmare for Defenders’.

Read More: Tottenham Fans Don’t Want Manager Target Ange Postecoglu

However, 2023 provided a very different narrative. Although he was injured for the first five games of the season, the attacker only played a full match for the Yellow Submarine twice in the Spanish club’s first 18 games. This prompted a loan move in hopes to recover his lost form.

Admitting Disappointment

Embed from Getty Images

The winger posted on his Instagram that he wouldn’t be telling the truth if he said he wasn’t ‘disappointed’ with the way his time spent with the Lilywhites played out. Scoring just one time in nine appearances in the Premier League, it makes sense that he isn’t satisfied with his production numbers. Despite this, he will likely be happy that his return to Spain comes with the promise of European competition: something his now former club failed to qualify for since 2010.

Failed Managers, Failed Season

When analyzing the 26-year-old’s time in England, one must look at the unsuccessful leadership that plagued the 8th-place team. Antonio Conte was sacked in March, which was followed by the appointment of inexperienced leaders Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason.

Read More: Kulusevski Appears to be Staying at Tottenham

Having only been with his new teammates for a matter of months, it’s reasonable that the coaching staff would select veterans in the squad over the new loanee. Perhaps if the right-footed player had started in more than one Premier League game and was able to show off his abilities for more than a few minutes in the latter stages of matches, the higher-ups would have been more convinced to make a permanent investment in his talents.