Davinson Sanchez looks like he has been playing for Tottenham for over a decade. He has pace, power, grace, and the ability to play out from the back. All key qualities that are needed to be one of the top centre backs in the Premier League.
His £40million price tag raised some eyebrows in the summer, Pochettino’s Tottenham side last season in the Premier League had the strongest defence, so why was there a need to invest so heavily at centre back with the likes of Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dier, and at the time Wimmer already at the club? There’s an old saying in football, goals win games, but clean sheets win titles.
The stats speak for themselves since Sanchez’s arrival in North London. He has a pass success rate of 93% in the Premier League and Spurs have conceded just 7 times in 12 games when the Colombian has been present, and this includes the 1-1 draw to Burnley in which he came on for the final 10 minutes.
Ajax last season was much of the same for Sanchez, but he was also prolific in front of goal in the league, netting 6 times in 32 games, a tidy return for a centre back. He has yet to score in a Spurs shirt, but that is surely just a matter of time, especially with dead ball specialists like Eriksen and Trippier in the side.
Versatility under Pochettino is a must have if you want to be successful. Players in his teams must have the ability to play at least 2 positions, and to be able to adapt to numerous formations during a game. Sanchez for much of the season has been in the middle of the 3 centre backs, effectively as the sweeper with Alderweireld on the right, and Vertonghen on the left. However, in certain games such as Huddersfield, and Real Madrid, he has found himself playing on the right side of the 3, and has looked equally as comfortable. Adaptability for Pochettino is key, and Sanchez has it in abundance.
The only question mark over him is consistency, can he play at this level for the entirety of the season? If he can, the £40million Spurs paid for him in the summer will be one of the bargains of recent years.
COYS
JL