Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has claimed that youngster Kyle Walker-Peters can fill the boots of Kieran Trippier next season.
The former Burnley man completed his Spurs exit this week as he joined Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid, and Bent feels Walker-Peters is the man to replace him moving forward.
“I think he’s done enough to warrant the opportunity to become their regular right-back,” he told Football Insider. “Whenever I’ve seen him, he’s always played well.
“If he’s not playing regularly, we’re never, ever going to see the best of Walker-Peters. Like Kieran Trippier when he was playing behind Kyle Walker – we never knew how good he was until Walker left. He definitely warrants a chance to become their first-choice right-back. I think for your number one next season, I’m more likely to go for Walker-Peters.”
TiF Tactics – Is Walker-Peters combative enough?
The Premier League is renowned around the world for its intensity and physical nature, and so with a young man like Walker-Peters you have to ask the question ‘is he combative enough?’
The statistics, it would seem, suggest the answer to that question is no, in comparison to Tottenham’s two most regular right backs last season, anyway. Tripper and Serge Aurier both played far more Premier League football than the 22-year-old last time out, and so the statistics are not entirely transparent, though.
However, a look at the stats does suggest that Walker-Peters isn’t as physical, isn’t as involved in the raw art of defending, as the two other men.
As per WhoScored.com, the split in major defensive statistical categories in the Premier League last term was pretty even between the trio. However, it’s clear that Walker-Peters does very much lag between the two senior parties in his average tackles and interceptions per game.
You suspect that that would increase with more game time, but you worry that he doesn’t have that little bit of spite which Trippier possesses. However, the fact that he gave away the fewest fouls and was dribbled past the least per game is encouraging in the extreme.
Terrace Talk
Happy that Trippier has now gone he’s past his peak. Was great in 2017/18 but poor this season. Reckon KWP will be a better player he’s got Trippier’s attacking ability and is better defensively #thfc #Trippier
— Luke (@englishluke22) July 17, 2019
Tbh this the one area I think we ok to leave
KWP looked Impressive when he played, he needs a decent run of games to improve though
If Aurier goes then yes we 100% need a new RB
Maybe look at Aaron’s next summer— Alex (@alexleyton2021) July 17, 2019
The two tweets listed above demonstrate that there are some Spurs supporters who agree with Bent that Walker-Peters is ready to make the step up to the first team.
As one said, Tripper was poor last season, so it’s not as if Walker-Peters would come into the team and likely be a huge drop off in quality. He’s a young man and he deserves the opportunity to show his worth moving forward.