Tottenham need to move Oliver Skipp ahead of Harry Winks

Tottenham seem to want Harry Winks to emerge as Tanguy Ndombele‘s partner in the midfield, but Oliver Skipp is showing more potential for Spurs. 

Tanguy Ndombele will almost certainly be one of Tottenham’s starters in the midfield once he grows fully accustomed to playing for Mauricio Pochettino. The real question Spurs need to answer in the preseason is who will become the Frenchman’s partner in the double-pivot.

Spurs won’t always deploy the 4-2-3-1 formation they featured against Real Madrid on Tuesday, but it’s a setup Pochettino will turn to quite often. Against Los Blancos, the Argentine gaffer elected to give Harry Winks the starting nod next to Ndombele.

That’s a very safe, understandable choice. Winks has proved his ability to elevate his play against elite opponents in the past. One of his best matches in a Spurs shirt came against Real Madrid in the Champions League two years ago. Despite his injury plagued 2018/19 campaign, Winks’ stock is very high with Tottenham officials.

That doesn’t mean the 23-year-old midfielder won’t be challenged to keep his spot in Pochettino’s starting XI. Moussa Sissoko will clearly get plenty of chances to play alongside his countryman. However, it’s Oliver Skipp that is proving he’s ready for more playing time during the club’s preseason.

Skipp is still only 18 years of age. His youth would keep him on the sidelines under many managers. Pochettino isn’t many managers though. He is never afraid to throw young players into the fire if they prove worthy of his trust.

Skipp’s second half performance against Real Madrid was a solid step forward for the young Englishman. Contrasting his second 45 minutes against what Winks gave Spurs in the opening half showed crucial differences between the two players. Winks has the bigger reputation, but Skipp is more capable of giving Tottenham what they need from their defensive midfielders.

Mainly, Skipp is a player who always looks to play the ball forward. Winks is more comfortable in possession, but his propensity to pass the ball sideways doesn’t do much to really power the Spurs attack forward. Skipp, on the other hand, is always anxious to push the ball forward to give his attacking midfielders space to operate.

Despite his youth, Skipp is also the more physical of the two players. Winks is more than happy to put his body into the fray, but he emerges with injuries far too often to make it a prudent decision for him. Skipp hasn’t shown any propensity to pick up the knocks that plagued Winks last season.

For the record, nothing in this piece is meant to disparage Winks or his role at the club. He certainly deserves to be an integral part of the midfield rotation moving forward. The point here is that Skipp deserves to be on even better footing with the club. It’s not a move that will happen over night, but don’t be surprised if he is regarded as the better prospect by the time next season ends.