Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season tour squad has been confirmed, and while there is plenty to be encouraged about, one key weakness stands out like a sore thumb – and it could come back to haunt the club before the new season is properly underway.
Just yesterday, Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season squad for the tour of Asia was revealed, as Spurs gear up to play Arsenal and Newcastle United in the Middle East before travelling to the Allianz Arena for a clash against Bayern Munich on August 7.
Thomas Frank’s squad has a good mix of guaranteed first-team players and youngsters as Tottenham continue their preparations for the 2025/26 season.
The likes of Heung-min Son, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dominic Solanke all made the trip to Asia, while five other youngsters were included to complete a well-rounded team.
However, while certain areas of this squad appear to have good enough depth, one significant position looks rather weak and should raise an alarm ahead of the new campaign.
Tottenham lack proper left-back depth in pre-season tour squad
Put simply, Tottenham are short in the full-back position, particularly at left-back, and the pre-season squad has highlighted this gaping hole.
At the moment, Spurs are set to travel to Asia with Ben Davies as the club’s recognised left-back following an injury to Destiny Udogie, which has seen him miss out on the tour of Asia.
For Tottenham, a club that finished 17th, to head into the season with 33-year-old Davies as a back-up option for Udogie is almost laughable and screams a lack of proper squad planning.
Of course, some could argue that Djed Spence could be shifted to the left, Archie Gray could cover at right-back, and if need be, Micky van de Ven could fill in as a left-back.
While these are creative solutions, there is still a significant gaping hole in the full-back position. First off, Tottenham are set to compete in four major competitions, including the UEFA Champions League.
The quality in the Champions League is levels above that of the Europa League, and Tottenham would not be handed the luxury of rotating their entire eleven like they did in the League phase of the Europa League.
Frank would have to go full strength in the League phase of the Champions League if he is to give his side a chance of pulling through.
That could see him field a back four of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and most likely Destiny Udogie. Should the Italian be injured, then Spence could fill in.
However, it gets tricky when there are extra injuries on the side, and then those filling in are not of the highest level, which would lead to a significant drop in quality.
Spurs need direct Destiny Udogie back-up in the transfer market
Udogie’s injury track record does not inspire confidence, as the Italian may not be a player who is going to be constantly available over a hectic schedule.
He will miss games, and should that happen, Tottenham cannot rely on Davies, who is not getting any younger, especially when they want to compete on all fronts.
There is a need for another full-back to join the ranks at Tottenham. An injury crisis could hit just like last season, and Spurs could find themselves in a sticky position.
Makeshift options are great and would be helpful. However, Tottenham’s first option when an injury strikes should not be to fall on a makeshift player.
There should be a direct replacement for Udogie, one who is of good enough quality to maintain the standards at left-back and would suit Frank’s tactical setup, which, as we have seen in the recent pre-season clashes, requires Udogie to almost hug the touchline and also cover in defence. Davies does not have the quality or athleticism to do that.
Antonee Robinson has been linked with Tottenham, and so has Denis Cirkin. If Tottenham are looking to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts, then they have to address this problem that has come up well before the season has even started. Failure to do so could come back to bite the Lilywhites.
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