All the hype surrounding the return of Gareth Bale to Tottenham Hotspur should not overshadow the signing of 23-year-old full-back Sergio Reguilon. However, according to Alasdair Gold of Football.London, Spurs were not planning on signing a left-back.
The Spaniard had been a long-term target in North London and Spurs were always interested to make a move. However, they were only willing to pursue a deal if he became available at an affordable price. And that he did. Reguilon became available at less than £28 million, which immediately triggered Spurs to step up their interest.
Tottenham Have Found a Gem in the Unintended Signing of Sergio Reguilon
Real Madrid’s Inserted Buy-Back Clause for Sergio Reguilon Explained
The 23-year-old had an excellent season on-loan at Sevilla and quickly established himself as one of the world’s best left-backs. During his season with the southern Spanish side, he helped the team win the Europa League. Sevilla also managed to secure fourth place in the league, with Reguilon as their starting left-back. On a more personal level, Reguilon was also voted as the best left-back in the league.
The Spaniard’s temporary spell at Sevilla was still not enough to convince Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman believes he has two world-class left-backs ahead of Reguilon and playing time is not an option. However, Los Blancos are fully aware of the talent he possesses, which explains why Real were adamant on implementing a buy-back clause.
Despite Madrid having the option to buy-back, the clause states that he can only leave Spurs in the summer of 2021 or 2022. Additionally, Reguilon himself will need to agree to a move back to his previous employers.
The Stats are in his Favour
Ryan Sessegnon could possibly secure a loan-deal to continue his development and Danny Rose is on the verge of a move away. So, it is likely that Reguilon will be battling for a place in the starting line-up with Ben Davies. The Welshman has been defensively solid for Spurs for a number of years, but lacks that forward-thinking and creative spark, that is often associated with modern-day full-backs.
Reguilon proved to be an attacking threat last year for Sevilla. He successfully completed an average of 1.47 successful dribbles per game, which is nearly three times as many as ben Davies (0.5). The Spaniard also played an integral role in creating goal-scoring opportunities. Reguilon averaged 1.94 key passes that led to shot attempts last season, whilst his newfound competing left-back Ben Davies only managed an average of 0.94.
Defensively speaking, Reguilon has also shown that he is more than capable to handle the rigours of the Premier League. In terms of tackles per 90 minutes, the 23-year-old also narrowly edges it. Reguilon made 2.04 tackles per game in the 2019/20 campaign, compared to Ben Davies’ 1.89.
However, if there is one quality that has Ben Davies has consistently shown, it is his aerial prowess. The Welshman won an average of 2.64 headers per 90 minutes last year, compared to Reguilon’s 1.51.
The addition of Reguilon will add an extra dimension to Spurs when attacking, but will not hinder their defensive shape. The Spaniard has displayed that he is more than capable of handling both responsibilities and will be extremely welcome in North London.
Will Reguilon’s Signing Accelerate a Loan Move for Ryan Sessegnon
Jose Mourinho believes Sessegnon has the ability to become a world-class left-back but is in need of more top-flight experience. The decision has been made to send him out of loan, which has sparked a number of Premier League and European clubs to register their interest.
For Spurs, they will be looking for the perfect suitor that can offer plenty of playing-time, whilst ensuring the club plays a similar style to Tottenham themselves.
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