Ryan Sessegnon is set to join first team training at Tottenham, but the talented English starlet faces a tough road to get into Spurs’ starting XI.
Tottenham have big plans for Ryan Sessegnon in the future, but his present at the club is cloudy at best. The simple truth is that he’ll struggle to gain a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s first team this season.
The good news for Sessegnon is that he’s finally ready to join first team training at Tottenham. According to Football London, he should join his teammates when they return from international break. That’s clearly a step forward for the former Fulham star.
What’s not clear is how he’ll be able to force his way onto the pitch for Spurs. Much of that progression depends on exactly where Spurs intend to play him. Sessegnon logged most of his minutes for Fulham last year as a winger but most scouts believe he has the ability to become a star at left back.
Assuming Spurs elect to start him out at the fullback position, he’s going to face intense competition to find his way into the Match Day 18. Veteran Danny Rose has started each of Tottenham’s four Premier League matches on the campaign. Pochettino prefers to rotate his fullbacks, but Ben Davies‘ return from injury should see him become Rose’s partner in that endeavor. Absent an injury to one of those established regulars, it’s difficult to see how Sessegnon can beat one of them out to earn meaningful playing time.
The alternate plan would be for him to move forward and compete with Pochettino’s selection of attacking midfielders. It’s equally difficult to see him moving ahead of a player like Lucas Moura or Erik Lamela to find his way onto the Spurs bench. Injuries could, of course, change things quickly, but if everyone stays healthy it will be very difficult for Sessegnon to find game time at Tottenham this season.
The most likely scenario will be for him to cut his teeth at Spurs in various Cup games this year before working hard to supplant a veteran (most likely Rose) before next season begins. That’s not a bad outcome by any means, but it may represent a slight disappointment for a young player who’s been tipped for stardom for the majority of his career.
In the end, Sessegnon and Spurs fans need to stay patient. He has the talent to become an excellent starter for Tottenham for many years. It just isn’t likely to happen for him this season.