da realsbet： Tottenham Hotspur failed to find Antonio Conte a new right wing-back in January but there could be a ready-made solution already at the club.
da jogodeouro： And it’s not Emerson Royal or Matt Doherty…
January disaster
According to The Times, the Italian head coach was keen to bolster the right flank with a new option as he does not believe that the Brazilian, who was signed from Barcelona in the summer, fits the profile he needs in the final third.
Similarly, the Ireland international was made available for a transfer but evidently, no departure materialised.
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers powerhouse Adama Traore emerged as a key target, but it’s thought that the Spaniard rejected the opportunity as he had doubts over playing a wing-back role, before he rejoined Barcelona instead.
Tariq Lamptey of Brighton and Hove Albion was also considered but that was seen as too expensive to even bother pursuing.
Academy solution?
With lingering doubts over his only two senior options at right wing-back, Conte could do little wrong in promoting Marcel Lavinier from the academy as the 21-year-old continues to make his mark.
The youngster was part of Spurs’ 25-man squad for the UEFA Europa Conference League and unlike the aforementioned first-team duo, he offers rapid acceleration and pace that’ll undoubtedly cause trouble in the final third and will only help in tracking back.
‘Lavinier loves to get forward and is very direct – often looking up and aiming to ping balls into the area, but he’s an equally competent defender,’ claim the Daily Mail.
‘His confidence is boosted by how comfortable he is on the ball – he’s a decent finisher for a defender and has considerable technique, making him a great option as an attacking full-back.’
Lavinier left Chelsea for Hotspur Way and it was surprising that the Champions of Europe didn’t stand in his way, having contributed three goals and eight assists across the U18 and U21 squads, per Transfermarkt.
He has also already tasted 16 minutes of first-team action, having been handed a debut by Jose Mourinho last season, so he wouldn’t be overawed by the prospect of battling Emerson and Doherty for that starting XI spot.
Under the right coaching, Lavinier could really blossom into the attacking wing-back that Conte is so desperate for at Spurs. There will not be a better manager to make this happen, so the Italian should turn to the young U21 speed demon in the coming weeks.
AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops intriguing claim about Spurs’ summer plans…