Matthew Chadder

Sun 16 July 2023 20:40, UK

Davinson Sanchez has endured a difficult few years with Tottenham but could still turn his fortunes around.

Sanchez arrived in North London during the summer of 2017 and was Spurs’ club-record signing at the time. Hopes were high for the arrival of the defender after his impressive form at Ajax had earned him his switch to the Premier League.

However, in recent seasons, it has not gone well for the centre-back and many fans would prefer to see the back of him this summer and a fresh face brought in. Despite this, Ange Postecoglou is set to give Sanchez another lifeline.

Football London has reported (16 July) that Sanchez will get another opportunity to show what he can do during the current pre-season tour. Although at first many fans might be disappointed by this news, it could be a blessing in disguise.

There is no denying that things have not gone well for the Colombian over the past three or four years, though fans are quick to forget how well he did when he first arrived at the club.

His first season in England was a positive one and although supporters would argue that was a while ago and it is time to move on, some key points could suggest he is still capable of rediscovering that form.

First and foremost he is still just 27 years of age, which seems incredible when considering how long ago he was signed by the club. Therefore he is still in the prime years of his career and by no means physically past his best.

But more importantly, there is about to be a massive culture shock at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sanchez undeniably played his best football under Mauricio Pochettino when Spurs were pressing high up the pitch. Under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, two defensive-minded managers who like to sit back, he has struggled.

And that culture shift and change in the style of football could go a long way to explaining why the defender’s form dipped drastically. Postecoglou is set to change that and bring back a more similar style of football to what Pochettino played.

Under the Australian therefore, Sanchez could return to his best and still be useful to Spurs’ squad, even if it is just as a backup to a new central defender brought into the club.

These ideas are also supported by the stats, which prove that Sanchez can still do a job in Postecoglou’s side.

As per FBREF, he was in the top six per cent of defenders across European football’s top five leagues over the past calendar year for the number of tackles he made (2.46 per 90). As well as this, he would tackle 1.43 dribblers per 90 which ranked him in the top four per cent in regard to this particular statistic.

Sanchez was also in the top ten per cent compared to his European positional peers for another number of important stats. He made 1.74 blocks per 90 which left him in the top seven per cent and blocked 1.13 shots per 90 which left him in the top eight per cent.

In terms of possession, the former Ajax man is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, which is something his new manager would appreciate. He had a lot of the ball over the past year, making 75.77 touches per 90, which positioned him in the top 16 per cent of European centre-backs.

He is also capable of striding forward, something Postecoglou demands of his centre-backs, as demonstrated by his 5.02 touches per 90 in the attacking third and his 1.23 touches in the opposition penalty area per 90, leaving him in the top fifteen per cent for both these statistics.

Therefore, under Postecoglou there is no reason to suggest why Sanchez couldn’t improve on his poor recent form and at least become a suitable squad player.

While the club have been criticised in recent years for failing to move on so-called ‘deadwood,’ unless a suitable offer was to arrive for Sanchez, there are plenty of other defensive players who should be moved on before him.

In other Tottenham news, two youth players have also been given a vote of confidence on Spurs’ pre-season tour.