When Tottenham Hotspur signed Wilson Odobert from Burnley in the summer 2024 transfer market, they did so believing that the young Frenchman could potentially develop into one of the top attacking players in the Premier League and boost the team with real goal contributions in terms of goals and assists, in addition to skillful dribbling.
Odobert didn't get much of a shake in his first season at the club, as expected, but he's already been getting significantly more runs of game time under new manager Thomas Frank, who has been more open to giving youth chances while experimenting with his lineups.
So far in the 2025/26 Premier League season, the 20-year-old has drawn two starts and seven total appearances, including a start this past weekend against Leeds United. Odobert had his momens against Leeds, but he was largely quiet, though he did show signs of improvement from the 2-2 draw with Brighton a couple of weeks prior.
Odobert's talent is easy to see, even when he's not really impacting the bottom line of the game very much. He makes neat touches, and he can occasionally blow by his defender. There are elements of positive positioning and ball progression, and his best moments come when he's linking up with teammates.
This isn't Wilson Odobert's best role
But the thing is, Odobert isn't really being put in the best position to succeed. He's a left winger, yes, but he's more of an attacking midfielder, and when he plays on the left side for Tottenham, it seems like Frank hasn't quite figured out how to best maximize Odobert's skill set.
See, as it currently stands with how Tottenham are playing, Odobert is isolated on the wings, and that's exactly why he's been so quiet. He gets blanked for stretches of the game because he's treading water out wide, unable to collect and interchange with players, instead waiting for the ball to come to him.
Odobert is more of a quick player than a fast player. He doesn't eat up large swathes of grass, but, rather, he kills you defensively with quick shifts across, tight dribbles, and little one-twos. The Frenchman is a neat and technical player, and he would actually work best as an inverted wide playmaker who tucks in, takes long shots, and passes and moves into the box.
If Frank can find a way to harness Odobert's best strengths in terms of his short passing game, dribbling ability, and quickness in tight spaces, then Spurs will have quite the player on their hands. Mathys Tel is a better true goal-scoring winger, but Odobert can certainly have a role to play, especially if he is used to play off a big, well-rounded striker like Dominic Solanke or Randal Kolo Muani when those two returns from injuries.