Adrian Clarke looks at players who emerged in the Premier League last season and are set to shine in 2020/21.
Tariq Lamptey (BHA)
Lamptey showed plenty of potential in seven Premier League starts for Brighton & Hove Albion in his breakthrough 2019/20 campaign.
Solid defensively but also prepared to link play in advanced areas, Lamptey has added a different dimension to the Seagulls since signing from Chelsea in January.
The 19-year-old is able to play either as full-back or wing-back and this versatility makes him a huge asset to Graham Potter and his style of football.
Brighton running stats 2019/20
| Top speed km/hr | Sprints/90 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat Ryan | 37.1 | Aaron Connolly | 17.8 |
| Ezequiel Schelotto | 36.0 | Tariq Lamptey | 17.4 |
| Tariq Lamptey | 35.9 | Ezequiel Schelotto | 16.9 |
| Aaron Connolly | 35.0 | Martin Montoya | 13.2 |
| Solly March | 34.8 | Alireza Jahanbakhsh | 12.3 |
Lamptey takes full advantage of his low centre of gravity and his standout trait is his speed.
He is especially quick in five to 10-yard bursts and this makes him excellent at winning possession and accelerating beyond opponents.
No other Brighton player made more interceptions per 90 minutes than Lamptey’s 2.44 across 2019/20.
Only two Premier League defenders bettered that total, with Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar and AFC Bournemouth's Diego Rico making 2.59 and 3.08 respectively.
Change of position
Lamptey is strong but is only 5ft 4in tall, meaning he is vulnerable in the air, and this weakness may be targeted in the upcoming season.
While his speed helps him cover for Brighton’s centre-backs on the ground, aerial deliveries towards the far post could be a problem for him.
With Potter unafraid to use a back three, Lamptey’s best position could turn out to be wing-back.
He has the athleticism and is certainly dynamic enough with the ball at his feet.
On several occasions last campaign, he turned defence into attack with a number of surging runs.
This also makes him a target for opposition players and he finished last season as the Premier League’s most-fouled defender per 90 minutes.
Premier League defenders 2019/20
| Most dribbles attempted/90 | Most fouls won/90 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruben Vinagre | 6.83 | Tariq Lamptey | 2.61 |
| Arthur Masuaku | 4.44 | Kyle Walker-Peters | 2.47 |
| Joao Cancelo | 4.41 | Danny Rose | 2.05 |
| Tariq Lamptey | 4.06 | James Justin | 1.78 |
| Ricardo Pereira | 4.00 | Adam Smith | 1.75 |
In a short space of time, Lamptey has proven he has the talent and temperament to shine for Brighton.
Under the tutelage of Potter, I expect his game to develop even further during the next couple of seasons and he is most definitely a player to look out for in 2020/21.
Also in this series
Part 1: Martinez makes case to be Arsenal's first choice
Part 3: Soucek head and shoulders above midfield rivals
Part 4: Jones gives Liverpool midfield another dimension
Part 5: Podence can cement Wolves starting spot