In the hubbub surrounding Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham Hotspur the signing of Sergio Reguilon went under the radar.
#BaleisBack quickly swamped the Twitter trending lists while #HolaReguilon went largely unnoticed. But after just one game it looks like Spurs’ other signing from Real Madrid could be the better deal.
His debut against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night showed just how good a signing he could turn out to be.
Dream debut
Reguilon’s start to his Tottenham career was actually more of a nightmare. His sloppiness in possession and overzealousness to win it back helped Timo Werner to score his first Chelsea goal.
But as the game matured so did the Spaniard. He had Spurs’ best two chances before Erik Lamela’s equaliser thanks to his aggressive offensive play.
At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, he was able to silence Callum Hudson-Odoi, who had looked dangerous in the first half. The performance led many Spurs fans to name him man of the match.
Spurs back to their best
When Spurs were challenging for league titles under Mauricio Pochettino, one of their key strengths was at full-back.
Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Kieran Tripper and Ben Davies all interchanged to offer attacking impetus down the flanks, which dovetailed perfectly with Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s central threat.
Of that quartet only Davies survives – Rose not being given a squad number this season suggests he’s firmly out of Jose Mourinho’s plans. Reguilon already feels like a step back in the right direction.
How does Reguilon compare?
In a division blessed with elite-level right-backs, options on the opposite flank don’t match up in the Premier League.
You need only look at Spurs’ opponents last night for proof. Ben Chilwell looked steady if unspectacular on his own debut before making way for Emerson two-thirds of the way through the match.
Chilwell cost Chelsea £50m while Reguilon was only £27m. Reguilon is already looking like he could be one of the league’s best bargain buys.
- Meet Ethan Pocic’s wife Heather as Jeffree Star tweet continues to puzzle
- Michael McKean aka ‘Lenny’ of Laverne & Shirley pays tribute to Cindy Williams
- Is the Sean Payton movie on Netflix? Where to stream Home Team
- Who is Henry Anderson’s wife Saryn? Jeffree Star tweet sends fans Googling
- Who is OussiFooty? Age, real name and nationality of TikTok footballer