Antonio Conte praised Tottenham’s Joe Rodon following Spurs’ 5-1 victory in the Premier League on Sunday.
The north London outfit were in impressive form as they dismantled Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Goals from Ben Davies, Matt Doherty, Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn made Fabian Schar’s opener for the visitors irrelevant, and the three points moved Spurs into the top four, albeit having played two games more than fifth-placed Arsenal.
Should Tottenham keep Rodon?
Yes
No
Rodon only made the bench for the Toon game, but Conte lauded the Wales international during his post-match press conference. When discussing the improvement he has seen in his squad, he said (via football.london): “Don’t forget Joe Rodon improved a lot from November until now. Every single player improving a lot.”
What could this mean for Rodon’s future? Here’s what we think…
Future looking more secure for Rodon
Since moving to Tottenham in 2020, Rodon has struggled to make much of an impact. Although he did make 12 Premier League appearances last term, he has featured just eight times in all competitions this time around, with half of those runouts coming during Spurs’ ill-fated Europa Conference League campaign.
Just last week, reporter Alasdair Gold revealed Rodon will likely leave the club this summer, though that could well be just on a temporary basis. Meanwhile, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson claimed recently that Antonio Conte has made his mind up on the defender and that he will allow the Welshman to leave this summer.
However, Conte appears to be making his thoughts on the 24-year-old known ahead of the next transfer window. These latest comments come after the Spurs boss lauded the central defender’s showing during Wales’ 2-1 win over Austria during the latest international break.
The Italian boss has a track record of using the press to make his feelings clear to his employers, and this may be his way of indicating his desire to keep Rodon at the club.
It is not as though Spurs have centre-halves in abundance, either. Conte often likes to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, yet he has just five natural centre-backs at his disposal. As such, left-back Davies has often been deployed there, and while Rodon may not be a regular first-team starter, he is needed to provide cover when required.
TIF Verdict…
It seems premature to be discussing the potential exit of Rodon. 22 outings are not enough to make a true judgement on the player. He is one of the first names on the teamsheet at international level and his displays have helped Wales move within touching distance of World Cup qualification for the first time since 1958.
A market value of just £7.2m may suggest Daniel Levy and co would unlikely make much profit, if any at all, on the £11m they parted with less than 18 months ago if they do decide to move Rodon on. A loan, therefore, may be best for all involved.