Will Tottenham bring DeAndre Yedlin to White Hart Lane next season?
Tottenham will be faced with a number of crucial squad decisions this summer, but perhaps no decision will be as hotly debated as the future of right back DeAndre Yedlin. Should Spurs bring him to White Hart Lane or sell him to another Premier League club?
This decision really comes down to an evaluation of whether or not Kieran Trippier or Yedlin should be the preferred back-up at White Hart Lane for incumbent starter Kyle Walker. The English starting right back is far from perfect, but his wealth of athleticism gives him the clear edge over either of his potential usurpers.
Interestingly enough, Yedlin shares many of Walker’s strengths and weaknesses on the pitch. Both are world-class athletes who struggle to utilize skill or mental positioning to their benefit. They both can absolutely wow you with their athletic gifts but leave you shaking your head with their mental lapses and poor balls in the final third.
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Trippier, on the other hand, is a competent Premier League player because of his mental strength and his skills with the ball at his feet. His crossing ability in the final third is his best attribute as a player. If you could merge the skills over Trippier with the athleticism of either Walker or Yedlin you’d have the best full back in the world.
Unfortunately, medical technology hasn’t advanced far enough for us to combine players as of yet. That leaves Spurs with an interesting dilemma for the off-season. Mauricio Pochettino and company must decide whether or not they prefer a back-up who offers something completely different from their starter, or if they want to commit to playing a right-back with world-class athleticism, who struggles with the nuances of football for an entire season.
For most of the season, I believed that Pochettino preferred to have Trippier on the bench to use as a potential change of pace. In particular, Trippier was a terrific weapon against teams that might try to park the bus against Spurs. In those matches his excellent crossing ability could really help to unlock the opponent. Those opponents also weren’t as likely to take advantage of Trippier’s limited athleticism on the defensive end of the pitch.
However, late in the year, it became clear that Pochettino greatly prefers Walker in almost every instance. Trippier was entirely left out of the side during the closing weeks of the season where Spurs played their most important matches. His omission from the lineup down the stretch spoke volumes about Pochettino’s lack of faith in the former Burnley star.
While Trippier was being frozen out at White Hart Lane, Yedlin was gaining valuable playing time on loan at Sunderland. He is far from a finished product, but was a regular starter for Sam Allardyce in their crucial survival matches down the stretch. Evidently, he played well enough for Sunderland to have real interest in signing him on a permanent basis.
The solution to this question is actually pretty simple. Spurs shouldn’t be in any hurry to make a decision between Trippier and Yedlin. The club should bring both men into the team for Pochettino’s pre-season and let them battle it out for a spot on the squad. Yedlin should get every opportunity to knock Trippier out of the side due to his age and athletic potential.
If Yedlin beats Trippier out, then the club can comfortably move the crossing specialist on and allow Yedlin to serve as Walker’s understudy. If Trippier is able to fend Yedlin off in the end, then the club can decide whether or not to sell him outright or send him out on loan for another season.
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The battle between Yedlin and Trippier will be one of several interesting subplots at Tottenham in advance of next season. May the best man win.