Kieran Trippier has completed a move to Atletico Madrid on a 3-year contract.
The World Cup hero scored a magnificent free-kick against Croatia in the semi-finals in Russia but had largely disappointed with his performances throughout the entirety of the last campaign.
His individual errors and a lack of defensive awareness caused damage to the north London club on numerous occasions last term.
Meanwhile, other options at the club in Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters haven’t won the trust of Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino just yet.
Let’s look at three viable options Spurs chairman Daniel Levy can look to target to solidify the fullback spot after this development.
Ricardo Pereira
Leicester City full-back Ricardo Pereira was once on the transfer wishlist of Tottenham Hotspur back in 2017 and also in 2018 but the negotiations broke down.
Apparently, Pereira’s parent club at the time, FC Porto played hardball with Levy and the north London club went for Serge Aurier instead.
The Portuguese international signed with the Foxes a year later and is currently one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.
The 25-year-old is a versatile fullback who can play as a right-winger or can fit in the wing-back role as he did with Nice back in the day.
The Argentine manager would love to have someone of Pereira’s flexibility to call upon as he tinkers with his formations on a regular basis.
However, the Portuguese will surely cost the London side a price well north of £22m, a fee which could have initially brought him to Spurs two years back.
Youcef Atal
Nice fullback Youcef Atal is another versatile player on the list. The Algerian international can play on either flank and can also shift into midfield in case the situation arises.
The 23-year-old has impressed everyone in his debut season with the Ligue 1 side.
Atal is a competent dribbler and seems to be an upgrade in that department at least over Trippier but doesn’t have much experience in the top 5 leagues and could find it hard to feature right away for a club like Tottenham Hotspur.
This could be a tricky one for Pochettino and co, but he is certainly worth considering.
Nelson Semedo
The Barcelona fullback is one of the best options in the transfer market, and with the Catalan club looking to generate money, he could be up for grabs this summer.
The Portuguese international was on the radar of Atletico Madrid, but the relationship between the two Spanish giants has deteriorated after the Antoine Griezmann saga.
The Lilywhites have a chance to act as the monkey between the two cats and turn the situation in their favour. The 25-year-old is an excellent dribbler of the ball and is defensively solid with an eye for goal.
His concentration, ability to hold onto the ball and tremendous pace make him an exciting option, however, Semedo will have to significantly work on his crossing with Pochettino known to urge his fullbacks to join the attack and ping crosses into the box.
samedo for me