- 21 Apr 2024
How good has Tottenham prospect Oliver Skipp been at Norwich this season?
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
- 6 min read
Having lost talented youngsters such as Marcus Edwards, and Noni Madueke for free, and Kyle Walker-Peters for just over £10 million recently, Tottenham Hotspur will be wanting to keep hold of the next batch of prospects, and keeping Oliver Skipp will be one such priority.
A product of the Tottenham academy, Skipp has progressed through the ranks at impressive speed, making his first-team debut back in the 2018/19 season.
He made eight Premier League appearances that year, and in total has played 23 times in the senior side at just 20-years-old.
However, the signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg last summer added to competition from Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks, among others, and with first-team opportunities even more limited, Skipp headed to Norwich on loan for this season.
How good has Oliver Skipp been for Norwich?
Skipp has been an instrumental part of the Norwich side that currently sit 10 points clear at the top of the Championship table, as Daniel Farke’s side look set for an immediate return to the Premier League.
The English midfielder has started every single game in the league this season, missing just 95 minutes of action, with full-back Max Aarons, who has played every minute, the only player to have accumulated more time on the pitch than Skipp this campaign.
He was entrusted with a starting berth from the start, winning Norwich’s September Player of the Month award, and his progression and improvement has had both Norwich and Tottenham fans alike purring with joy.
Oliver Skipp 2020/21 Championship Statistics
| Category | Statistic |
| Games Played | 35 |
| Goals/Assists | 1/0 |
| Tackles P90 | 2.1 |
| Interceptions P90 | 1.2 |
| Duels Won P90 | 5.9 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87% |
| Final Third Passes P90 | 12.8 |
With the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki tasked with creating and scoring the goals, Skipp has been able to play the role of a deep-lying playmaker, first winning the ball back with clever anticipation and speed, and then distributing it quickly to the forwards; it’s a role that suits his qualities perfectly.
Far more comfortable on the ball than Kenny McLean, and with far more athleticism than Alexander Tettey, Skipp has seamlessly slotted into the best side in the Championship, suggesting that next year, he’s ready for more.
What could Oliver Skipp offer Tottenham next season?
Now, Skipp faces tough competition to get into Spurs’ midfield, but if Jose Mourinho uses his squad effectively, then he could well play an important role.
Dislodging Hojbjerg or Ndombele is near-on impossible given their importance to Tottenham, but Skipp could easily replace Winks as a rotation option for Mourinho.
Although Skipp is currently playing in an easier league, he is making more tackles and interceptions per 90 than Winks (3.3 to 2.6), winning more duels (5.9 to 3.0), and even has a better pass accuracy (87% to 86%).
Winks is now 25, and has never kicked on at Tottenham, so the club could do far worse than letting Winks go, and promoting Skipp into a rotation role.
Alternatively, if Mourinho doesn’t believe Skipp is ready for first-team action, another loan to Norwich, if they get promoted, could be an ideal scenario as Skipp could test himself in a far tougher competition.
