Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed an eventful winter transfer window last month. But, even though the Lilywhites did secure the services of Steven Bergwijn and Gedson Fernandes, the decision to offload Danny Rose was a daring one. Especially if we consider their woes in the left-back department, the departure of the England international could potentially create problems for Jose Mourinho.
So, in this article, we will be assessing Mourinho’s remaining left-back options and whether or not he can cope without the presence of Rose during the remainder of the campaign.
Ben Davies: The primary option
Ben Davies has become a forgotten figure at Tottenham Hotspur, to an extent, after suffering an injury. Indeed, the Welshman has been out since October with an ankle injury that has already kept him on the sidelines for almost three months.
Fortunately for Mourinho, however, Davies is nearing his return to full fitness. In fact, he has returned to training, as confirmed by the club earlier this month. That means the Tottenham man should be ready to get back in action within this month.
Davies is guaranteed to be considered as the primary left-back option for Spurs. But, having played very little football this season, it remains to be seen whether or not he will manage to keep up with the speed of the game.
The curious case of Vertonghen & Ryan Sessegnon
Ryan Sessegnon has had a confusing start to his Tottenham Hotspur career. The youngster initially joined the club in the summer from Fulham. But, his progress in north London has been marred by injuries when it comes to his place in the first-team.
Sessegnon has been utilised as a left wing-back for a few times by Mourinho this season. But, it is fair to point out that the youngster is much more effective in an attacking role.
Meanwhile, the future of Jan Vertonghen at Tottenham remains in doubt. The ageing defender has failed to dethrone Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld in the starting lineup for the most of this campaign. As a result, Mourinho has utilised him as a left-back, at times. In fairness, however, neither of these two defenders are viable options in the left-back department.
Japhet Tanganga: The young gun
In our opinion, the rapid emergence of Japhet Tanganga had a part to play in the decision of offloading Rose in the January transfer window.
A product of the Spurs youth academy, the 20-year-old has made quite an impression this year with his performances against Southampton, Liverpool as well as Manchester City. Against Man City, he featured as a left-back, where his commitment and no-nonsense style of defending prevented the attackers from breaching the Spurs backline.
While Tanganga may not be as effective going forward as Rose, he certainly has the discipline to fortify a Tottenham defence that has largely underperformed this season. With that in mind, it would perhaps be ideal for Mourinho to consider him as an alternative to Davies at left-back during the remainder of the campaign.
