Tottenham Hotspur have not had the best Premier League season from a defensive point of view this term.
Specifically, with 23 league games played, the Lilywhites have conceded 35 goals, leaving only five clubs in the division that have let more in.
Their previous domestic outing saw just how shaky Antonio Conte’s side can be at the back as they lost 4-1 to Leicester City.
One player that featured in this game that didn’t cover himself in glory is Japhet Tanganga, who in addition to being dribbled past on two occasions, was also described by the Evening Standard in their player ratings article as being “often rash and was lucky Leicester had a goal ruled out for a fractional offside after lunging in on [Kelechi] Iheanacho.”
This season has seen the 23-year-old, who has been criticised for his “poor” performances in the past by journalist Jamie Weir, make just five appearances for Spurs across all competitions, which shows how far down the pecking order he is, which presumably wouldn’t have improved after the Leicester game.
Should the Lilywhites look to get rid of the fringe defender in the next summer transfer window, one player that they have been linked with recently that we feel would be a better fit for them at the back to replace Tanganga is Marc Guehi.
Having played more minutes in the league than any other outfield player at Crystal Palace, this has given the Englishman the chance to consistently show how much of an impressive defender he is.
Is Japhet Tanganga good enough to play for Spurs?
Yes
No
For example, with 21 appearances under his belt, the centre-back has made more blocks (31) than any other Palace player, as well as having the second-highest total of clearances (78), interceptions (24) and tackles in the defensive third of the pitch (28) at the south London club.
Described as an “incredible” player by journalist Alex Howell, we feel Guehi certainly has the pedigree to be a solid signing for Spurs and have a better chance of strengthening their defence than the relatively inexperienced Tanganga.