The defence has been a massive talking point at Tottenham this season. No one has been signed to bolster the backline yet, but with Kieran Trippier sold, Danny Rose left out of the initial tour squad to look for a move away and Juan Foyth transitioning to become one of the club’s right-backs, there has been plenty of change.
Centre-back is where we are going to having a deeper look, though, and the fans have been very impressed with one particular youngster over the course of pre-season. In the club’s four games so far against Juventus, Manchester, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Japhet Tanganga has been absolutely sublime.
If Foyth truly is to be used as a right-back next season it leaves the Lilywhites with just three senior options at the heart of their defence in the form of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez. Although, if Pochettino wants to play a three-at-the-back system he’ll need more than the bare minimum of three options considering the need for rotation.
Any sort of injury could leave the Lilywhites in a real tough spot, and for that reason, Tanganga should be promoted and used as a 4th choice defender at the club this season. We’re not suggesting the 20-year-old should be starting week in week out in the Premier League, but he deserves his chance.
Even if the 2019/20 season brings just Carabao and FA Cup matches for the young defender, his pre-season displays have earned it. Across the club’s four games Tanganga played plenty of minutes and tested himself against some of the world’s best.
His four appearances saw him rack up 205 minutes, with Spurs conceding just three times with him on the pitch despite featuring against the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Eden Hazard and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now, all we need to see is consistency in a league season from the youngster, which could come if he’s given his chance by Poch over the course of the campaign.