Three Kyle Walker replacements for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to consider

Last week saw Manchester City invest another sizable sum in an English defender with the purchase of Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur.

A blow to Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs boss has no doubt already put together a contingency plan to replace Walker in the Spurs starting XI.

With that said, here are three options for Pochettino to consider in his hunt for a new right-back.

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Ricardo Pereira, Porto

The 23-year-old full-back is currently on the books of Portuguese giants Porto, but has spent the last two years on loan at French club OGC Nice where he has performed very well.

A versatile player that can play anywhere down the right side and even at left-back, Pereira is reportedly Pochettino’s preferred choice when it comes to finding a replacement for Walker.

That is of little surprise when you consider how quick and athletic Pereira is, with the Portuguese able to contribute at both ends of the field — a key requirement for a Pochettino full-back. Take for example Dele Alli’s goal away to Stoke last season, during which Walker starts the move on his own goal line and finishes it by providing the assist to Alli.

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Pereira has a release clause of £22million, but Porto’s financial difficulties could give Spurs an opportunity to negotiate that down slightly. The Portuguese giants have already attempted to balance the books by selling Ruben Neves to Wolves and Andre Silva to Milan for a combined £48million, but would not reject the chance to bring in more money.

Regardless of the cost, Pereira is a strong candidate to take over the right-back role at Spurs. His ability to seamlessly fit into Pochettino’s style is a major advantage, and while he may be expensive, he could turn out to be one of the club’s shrewdest acquisitions in a few years time.

“He’s got enormous potential,” Pereira’s former coach Rui Vitória said. “An excellent capacity to learn, strong belief in what he does and he reacts very well to challenges.”

Benjamin Henrichs, Bayer Leverkusen

Another young defender Pochettino should consider is Leverkusen’s Benjamin Henrichs. Much like Pereira he is able to play at right-back and left-back, as well as defensive midfield. Chances are Pochettino will have noticed the 20-year-old when his Leverkusen side met Spurs in the Champions League last season (Squawka claim Henrichs had a 75% success rate in his challenges against Spurs, which bested every one of his Leverkusen teammates).

Henrichs has been with Leverkusen since 2004, and signed a new contract as recently as May. However, there is a strong belief the German club could be tempted to cash in on the defender if they received a bid in excess of £17million.

Quick and good on the ball, the 20-year-old would not struggle with the physical demands of the Premier League. Granted, he will need to develop the mental aspect of his game along with his work in the final third, but these are both facets of his game in which Pochettino can provide assistance.

“He has worked hard to gain the necessary physique for this level, but of course you need technical class as well,” former Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt said. “That doesn’t just mean skills on the ball, but also tactical sense. In that regard, he has made a huge step up. He is outstanding defending in one-on-one situations — it’s incredibly hard to get past him. His development is extraordinary.”

Spurs are said to have scouted other German full-backs including, Jeremy Toljan and Mitchell Weiser, but it is Henrichs that has arguably the highest ceiling of the three.

Although he would take time to adapt to the team tactically, he could be worth considering if Pochettino feels like taking on a project to develop and someone to challenge Kieran Trippier.

Kieran Trippier, Tottenham Hotspur

Perhaps the most obvious suggestion of the three, it would represent a sizable show of faith if Pochettino promoted Trippier to the position of starting right-back, and considered Kyle Walker-Peters as his back-up.

Trippier, signed for just £3.5million from Burnley in 2015, has had be to patient when it comes to first team opportunities at Spurs. However, the fact he recently signed a new 5-year-deal at the club suggests he is a part of Pochettino’s long-term plans.

Stylistically, he is not identical to Walker. Tottenham’s full-backs are essentially auxiliary wingers, and although Trippier cannot match Walker’s speed, he does have the ability to contribute in the final third, with his crossing superior to Walker’s.

In fact, there’s a case to be made that Trippier is the more proficient in attack, with the former Manchester City youngster able to match Walker’s tally of 5 assists in 2,138 fewer minutes.

That, along with the fact he is well versed in Pochettino’s style and methods means he is a known quantity for both the club and manager. In particular, his performance against North London rivals Arsenal showed his potential to step up into a first team role, and it would be just reward for Pochettino to trust him moving into next season.

“I always believed I could get back into the Premier League and always believed I could get back into England… that is what I said before about belief,” Trippier told the Independent. “I believe I can play at this level. I wanted to go to Tottenham. I knew the England boys there. I always believe that I can do my best and I know where I can improve.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comments who you think should be starting right-back for Spurs next season.