Juan Foyth can fill the void of Tottenham Hotspur’s right-back berth; the young Argentinian has the technical and physical capabilities of fulfilling the role. This article will take a look at any alternatives, but ultimately, Foyth has an opportunity to cement himself into the first team alongside Kyle Walker-Peters.
Juan Foyth Can Become Tottenham Hotspur’s Right-Back
Kyle Walker-Peters
One player whose eyes would have lit up after Kieran Trippier‘s departure would have been Kyle Walker-Peters. After all, Walker-Peters is now the only out and out senior right-back left in the squad. Previously, with Kyle Walker’s departure to Manchester City in 2017, there was a similar situation. However, even then, Pochettino did not seem to favour the player. A man of the match performance against Newcastle on the opening day of the season wasn’t enough.
He deserves another chance in the role but he needs support. This is because whilst he can put in a solid shift, he is yet to play a full season as a senior player. It would be ludicrous to spend £60m on a midfielder and not invest in better full-back depth. Thus, this would take the pressure off of the young player and allow his development to continue.
Eric Dier
When Eric Dier first arrived at the club, he was fielded as a defender. Although, his fantastic Premier League debut against West Ham meant that whilst playing centre-back, he roamed forward to beat Adrián. Herein he thus displayed his ability to play all over the park. He spent some time at right-back, and then eventually he broke through and impressed as a deep-lying midfield player. Since then, this has more or less been his preferred position for club and country. But, he has recently struggled to secure a first-team place and is more often than not sitting and waiting in the wings as a utility player.
With Tanguy Ndombele‘s arrival, Dier may be pushed further back in the midfield pecking order. Thus, he may have greater value deployed as a right-back. Since arriving at the club, Dier seems to have lost some of his pace and can often look too slow in midfield. Out wide, he could get exposed by the quicker wingers. Otherwise, his tackling and overall defensive game is solid. Offensively, Dier was an effective crosser when previously playing at right-back.
Transfer?
Spurs could get away with saving a bit of money once again. After all, they do have players as this article outlines, that can play in multiple positions. And indeed, players like Foyth can adapt and begin to specialise in these positions. Most of the time this can be positive and a player can really make that position their own. However, if a player like Dier, for example, is constantly swapping positions to cover, it can only be detrimental to the team as a whole.
Thus, it may be worth investing in another out and out right-back. There are some previous targets that Spurs might go for again. For example, Ricardo Pereira who has just completed a full season at Leicester City.
Otherwise, there is still the option of Dani Alves. Unfortunately, he is rumoured to be considering a £200,000 a week offer from Arsenal, according to The Metro. He has a wealth of experience and could fill a gap for a season. But, with wage demands so high, he is an unlikely target.
Juan Foyth
Finally, the prime candidate for Tottenham’s right-back is Juan Foyth. He has not shown his best yet in Spurs colours, making only ten starts in the Premier League last year. In those matches he had some mixed performances, which all point to who he is as a defender.
Foyth is of good Argentinian footballing stock in that he wishes to play expressive, expansive football. Thus, he is not interested in hoofing the ball clear. Instead, he is happy to operate with the utmost equanimity when in possession at the back. Sometimes this has resulted in a few costly slip-ups. But, these are learning experiences that will only develop Foyth’s game. The key attributes are that he is confident and capable on the ball under pressure.
As a further marker of his potential, Foyth is already involved in Argentina’s international set-up. Most recently he featured in their 5-1 demolition of Nicaragua. He also played in the Copa America.
At 21 years of age, Foyth has the potential to adapt to the right-back spot and provide Spurs with long-lasting service.
Verdict
Spurs could well buy in another right-back in what has been a much more promising transfer window. However, Pochettino is known for transforming and developing players and could help Foyth to take up the full-back berth. Kyle Walker-Peters deserves another chance at the role, but squads must be deeper to compete across all competitions. Dier can cover the role if needed, but this is ideally a position that needs a specialised and committed player. Foyth has the physicality and the coolness to become Tottenham Hotspur’s right-back.
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