Sergio Reguilon: Solving Tottenham’s Troubled Left-Back Position

Within the modern game, the left-back position is often one that troubles managers. Just look at Manchester City. Over the years, Pep Guardiola has used several players in that spot, including Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Moreover, few can be as lucky as Liverpool and stumble across arguably the world’s best left-back for less than £10 million.

However, even the Reds experimented with Alberto Moreno and Jose Enrique before putting their faith in the Scotsman. Tottenham will be hoping that Sergio Reguilon can, like Robertson has for Liverpool, end their long-standing issues at full-back. Thus far, the signs have been positive, as the Spaniard has adapted well to life in London. But, will he be the player to occupy that position over the coming years?

Past Failures to Nail Down the Position

In spells, Tottenham supporters will likely have fond memories of each of their left-backs in the 21st century, although it speaks volumes that few occupied the position for the long term. However, there was one exception to that pattern in Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Having joined Spurs in 2006 for around £3.5 million, the Arras-born defender went on to play 155 Premier League matches for the club between 2006 and 2013.

Injury problems to Assou-Ekotto coincided with Gareth Bale’s rise to stardom, although his career trajectory saw him move further up the field as the years progressed. As such, it opened the door for Danny Rose to break into the first team. After returning from a successful loan spell at Sunderland during the 2012-13 season, the Englishman became a regular in Spurs line-up in the following campaigns. However, he failed to play more than 30 games in any season between 2013 and 2020.

The Spaniard Looks to Fit the Bill

In recent years, Ben Davies has done admirably at left-back since joining from Swansea City back in July 2014. However, perhaps he didn’t offer enough offensively in Jose Mourinho’s system, as he registered no goals or assists across the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Premier League seasons. As such, the Portuguese coach reportedly made a personal call to convince Reguilon to join Spurs, and he later moved to North London for around £25 million.

Thus far, the full-back has been a revelation at Tottenham. In his first 13 top-flight matches, he provided three assists. Additionally, he helped Spurs keep four consecutive clean sheets against West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. In many ways, this shows how, unlike those before him, the 24-year-old perfectly balances both his offensive and defensive responsibilities.

As such, Tottenham have become a more well-rounded side following his summer arrival, and, at the time of writing, they’re in with a chance of winning their first Premier League title. As of January 19th, Spurs are 20/1 in the Premier League betting to win the league. As Liverpool have shown in the past, full-backs are now pivotal to domestic success. Crucially, Spurs seem to have learned from that and may reap the rewards in May.

A Favourable Age

At 24 years of age, Reguilon can undoubtedly be Spurs’ starting left-back for much of the next decade. Moreover, thus far in his career, he’s only missed seven games through injury, meaning that he’s not prone to lengthy spells on the sidelines. Ultimately, there’s nothing to stop the Spaniard being successful in North London, especially if he applies himself under a proven manager like Mourinho.

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