In order to secure the services of Juan Foyth in 2017, Mauricio Pochettino had to fend off interest from the club he formerly represented on the pitch, Paris Saint Germain. He cost the north London club £8m having impressed after one season in the Estudiantes first team where he made seven appearances in the Argentinian Primera Division as the side finished third and qualified for the Copa Libertadores.
Foyth had also put in some impressive displays at international youth level featuring for Argentina U20’s in the 2017 U20 World Cup against England, who would go on to win. It appeared fellow Argentine centre-back Pochettino was in the perfect position to guide the young South American to Premier League success and early on Foyth showed promise.
He is incredibly gifted in the air, having won five aerial duels on his first Champions League appearance and is an imposing figure at the heart of a defence. In his debut Premier League campaign, the defender recorded an exceptional average of 2.6 tackles per match, along with four clearances each game, as per WhoScored. Those eye-catching displays led to a call up for the senior national team, and he has featured for Argentina ten times since making his debut in 2018.
But this term Foyth has mysteriously failed to kick on from where he left off before, making just one start, nine fewer than last season. Part of the reason he has been pushed to the side is Davinson Sanchez. The Columbian was a record signing when he arrived at Tottenham in the same summer and has gone on to progress at a much faster rate. Pochettino’s departure will also not have helped as Foyth has been given just three appearances under Jose Mourinho, with the final straw coming when he committed an error leading to a goal in the 2-2 draw against Norwich City.
The Canaries blunder is one of two errors made by Foyth which have allowed the opposition to score in his 16 Premier League appearances; additionally, Tottenham have kept just three clean sheets while he has been part of the defence. This season, in particular, he has been noticeably inferior to his teammates and no player to have started a Premier League match has a lower average rating than his 6.05.
It appears that Sanchez’s progress, along with Toby Alderweireld committing to stay at Tottenham by signing a new contract have helped to block Foyth’s path to the starting eleven. Furthermore, the loss of compatriot Pochettino and Mourinho’s lack of patience have left the once-promising defender stuck on the side-lines.
