Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Article can originally be found on Ninety Minutes Online but as I cannot devote the time to write for them anymore the editor has decided to remove my name from the article, so I’m going to rehost it without a credit and a slight update.
Tottenham Hotspur are in an unenviable position this summer, as they look to keep hold of their star players as more of a priority than bringing new names to North London for the new Premier League campaign, which is now just five weeks away.
Thankfully though the club have seemingly managed to brush off transfer interest in the likes of Harry Kane and Eric Dier, and it looks as if they will going into next season with a first XI very much resembling the one that finished runners up to Premier League winners Chelsea.
But as we all know by now there has been one high profile departure for the club, that of course being the signing of Kyle Walker by Manchester City. Some will think of it as a hammer blow to our hopes of success while making a rival stronger
At the same time though, I don’t think it is necessarily cause for concern. If you look at the Spurs squad, if there was one position in which you could afford to sell a player without causing detriment to the starting lineup, it is at right-back.
With the former Burnley man signing a five-year deal a fortnight ago it is clear to see that he not only sees his future at the club but also he is very highly rated by the Tottenham hierarchy.
This was evident enough in the final few games of last season, as it was he and not Walker who was given the nod in terms of selection.
In addition to those impressive performances for the club, it meant that the 26-year-old also moved ahead in the international pecking order also as Gareth Southgate gave him his England debut in the 2-2 draw with Scotland at Hampden Park last month.
With this ever-growing stature for both Tottenham and England, it is apparent that Trippier is now ready to fill the void that would be created should the sale of his team-mate to Manchester City go ahead.
Trippier has been the ideal understudy for Spurs, but then again perhaps even that phrase does the player a disservice – he only made 12 top flight appearances in the campaign just gone but still managed to make the most assists for a defender, with five to his name.
This more shows that the player is ready to make the step up, if he has not done so already.
Therefore the replacement for Walker should be a player who is ready to be Trippier’s understudy and it is here that the club may well have struck gold again.
That is because they have a near namesake waiting in the ranks and ready to be promoted to the first-team squad on a full-time basis; recent England under 20 World Cup winner Kyle Walker-Peters.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has already gone on record and said that the youngster will be given more opportunities at the club after international success in South Korea.
The 20-year-old, who is under contract with Spurs until 2019, is very highly thought of by the academy coaches and the fact he is yet to make a first-team appearance is something that will surely be rectified sooner rather than later.
So, it does beg the question as to whether or not any money actually needs to be spent in this particular position this summer.
Ultimately losing a player of real class is never an ideal scenario but if you can get £50m for your troubles, while not needing to reinvest that figure, then there are certainly some positives to come out of it.
The conveyor belt of talent at Tottenham is producing some exceptional young players and it is now that they really could reap the rewards as another of their homegrown stars can save the club a hefty outlay should they have to deal with life after Walker.
So, although the sale of a player to what is perceived as a potential title rival is not news that will be widely welcomed by Tottenham fans, at the same time it does not mean there is cause for mass panic either.
