Juan Foyth was an unused substitute as Tottenham beat Newcastle 1-0 on Saturday. The Spurs defender hasn’t featured in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino since Boxing Day 2018 and now finds himself behind Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez in the pecking order.
When Vertonghen and Sanchez were injured earlier in the season, Foyth was called upon by Pochettino and made five consecutive league appearances. The 21-year-old was on the winning team on four occasions, but he would lose his place when Sanchez came back.
Vertonghen’s return weeks later further hampered Foyth’s chances of featuring again in the league, and he may now be spending the rest of the season on the bench. Foyth has appeared in only one top-flight outing in the last two months and may not be happy to waste away on the bench every week. The odd EFL Cup and FA Cup outing won’t appease him.
Given his form during his run in the Tottenham first-team led to him making his debut for the Argentina national team, Foyth clearly has the potential to be a top defender. He just needs more game time than Pochettino is willing to offer which could see him consider his options over the summer.
Leeds were linked with the centre-back before the January transfer window shut, but a temporary switch away might look appealing if Foyth can’t be given assurances about playing time next season.
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