Tottenham Hotspur's Kyle Walker-Peters leaves the pitch after an injury Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 25-08-2019 . (Photo by Tess Derry/EMPICS/PA Images via Getty Images)
Tottenham are ready to give up on highly touted youngster
Kyle Walker-Peters was once billed as the next big thing at Tottenham. Now he’s on the verge of ending his Spurs career earlier than anyone expected.
It wasn’t so long ago that Tottenham officials expected Kyle Walker-Peters to develop into a Premier League star. Instead of locking down the right back spot at Spurs for years to come, the English starlet will now be forced to fight for his Premier League life on loan at another Premier League club.
Southampton officials are “confident” of sealing a loan agreement for Walker-Peters before Friday’s January transfer deadline. It’s hard to read Tottenham’s decision to send him out on loan as anything other than a last gasp effort to get his career back on track. Walker-Peters has been completely unable to establish himself in the club’s senior squad under either Mauricio Pochettino of Jose Mourinho.
There are no issues with the fleet-footed fullback when it comes to his attacking prowess. He’s a talented dribbler with the ball and has flashed an ability to ping dangerous crosses into the box when given meaningful time on the pitch. Southampton must be counting on him to provide some added width to their attack down the stretch of the 2019-20 campaign.
The issues with Walker-Peters occur on the defensive end of the pitch. To put it plainly, he appears to be too small to stop any quality attacker from making inroads against him on the wing. Spurs have been waiting for his body to develop, but it just hasn’t happened for him. His lack of size and strength certainly makes him a poor fit at right back under Mourinho.
With all that being said, Walker-Peters should at least get some match time under his belt on the South Coast. It’s impossible for him to grow and/or change anyone’s impression of him while sitting on the bench at Spurs. Look for him to put in some spirited performances immediately upon his arrival at Southampton.
Even if he does thrive with the Saints, it may be too late for him to get back in Mourinho’s good graces. Serge Aurier has played surprising well under the Portuguese gaffer, and Japhet Tanganga is another prospect who has caught Mourinho’s eye. The mountain for Walker-Peters to climb in North London is both lengthy and treacherous.
Nonetheless, this loan move does give the English starlet a glimmer of hope. At worst, he should be able to showcase his talents to another team who might be interested in acquiring him from Spurs in the future. That’s a step up from his lack of progress at Tottenham in recent years.
