Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that young defender Juan Foyth could make his first Premier League start in the final day of the season against Leicester City today.
The Argentine centre-half moved to Spurs last summer and has shown all the hallmarks of an impressive player in the cameos he has made at the club.
With Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld all ahead of him, Foyth has been a fringe player and appeared in Tottenham’s cup games this season.
However, Pochettino has stated that the South American could well get the nod to start against Leicester.
“There are many temptations to give the possibilities to many players to play that don’t play consistently during the season but at the same time it is in our hands to finish third,” Football London quote the Tottenham boss as saying.
“I think Juan Foyth deserves to play and he is doing fantastically and I will repeat that so maybe, I am thinking, maybe it is is not crazy to see a player like him or Kyle Walker-Peters in the starting XI.”
Foyth is certainly deserving of a place in the Tottenham side and an opportunity to play in the Premier League, with the rising star a player to watch next season.
However, should the youngster get a start today and Toby Alderweireld still be a substitute, it could be the final nail in his Spurs coffin.
The Belgian star has been frozen out by Pochettino as the defender’s Tottenham contract runs down and there is a lot of speculation that he will be sold this summer.
Spurs fans are desperate for Alderweireld to stay and as such fielding Foyth alongside him, rather than instead of him, would be a wise move.
The Belgium international is desperate for football ahead of the World Cup and would surely have a bad taste in the mouth if he isn’t given the chance to play against Leicester, but Foyth is.
While we all trust Pochettino, his team selection in Tottenham’s final game of the campaign could well have an impact on next season.