It was a great season at White Hart Lane as Mauricio Pochettino managed to mount a title challenge that only faded away at the fag end of the campaign. However, there are plenty of positives to take from the run that ended with a place in the Champions League next season. The manager will surely add some players to his squad to help him in the next season but with just 2 weeks left for the new season to kick-off, he must make sure that he does not have players who do not deserve to be in the squad.
One such story that came out today was Tottenham Hotspur’s forgotten forward Federico Fazio. The 29-year old Argentine centre-back moved to London 2 years ago but has not been able to cement a place in Pochettino’s side since. He was shipped out to Spanish outfit Sevilla on a loan in February this year but made just 4 appearances before joining the Spurs squad ahead of the next season. But according to the reports, the manager has asked the 29-year old to look for suitable clubs as he does not see him play a role in his squad next season. This has seen Italian outfit Roma linked with the defender on a cheap deal this summer. Is this the right call from Pochettino? Should they let the experienced defender leave this summer?
Spurs were one of the best teams in terms of defensive numbers. They had a settled centre-back pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen with Ben Davis acting as an able back-up when needed. Kevin Wimmer acted as the other option and an understudy but was hardly ever needed consistently. The manager has got a settled squad that does not need too many changes. A few additions that would strengthen the general set-up of the squad should be enough to let him compete for a top-4 spot at least next season.
So Pochettino is quite justified in asking Fazio to leave this summer. The 29-year old is a strong centre-back who loves to dominate his box in the air and on the ground. He has a great eye for the game and makes interceptions at crucial times but his consistency or the lack of it has seen him fall out of favor at most clubs he played. He is a good suit to the Premier League but is not a player Pochettino sees as his centre-back so it is better for both parties to look at alternatives.
Pochettino will surely look for another young defender who can act as the understudy while a move to Italy, a completely new place, where he can have a fresh start may be the right option for Fazio next season. Do you think the Spurs should keep hold of Federico Fazio this summer?
