Who will start at right back for Tottenham next season?

With three options on the right side of Tottenham’s defense, who, if any, is most likely to nail down the position as their own?

Serge Aurier

After the Home Office finally gave Serge Aurier the green light last summer, Mauricio Pochettino threatened to ‘head-butt’ the Ivorian should his behavior not improve. And although Serge still maintains a pristine record with the Metropolitan Police, his erratic behavior has followed him onto the field.

Serge’s turbulent journey in Lilywhite began against Borussia Dortmund, with the former PSG man marauding up and down the right flank, showcasing all the attributes one would look for in a contemporary full back. However, in his following appearance Serge was sent off for a silly lunge on Andy Carroll, helping spark a late West Ham revival.

Aurier’s red at the London Stadium was far from an isolated incident in a growing catalogue of potentially ruinous moments, culminating during Tottenham’s Champions League trip to Turin. After Spurs gallantly fought their way back into the game, Serge showed about as much composure as Jamie Carragher travelling down the motorway to gift Juventus a penalty on the stroke of halftime.

Notable moments since then have seen Aurier etch his name into the Premier League record books with three fowl throws in a single game; while grabbing a goal and an assist in the same game and another fowl throw in his following outing.

Kieran Trippier

A strong finish to the last campaign left many assuming Kieran Trippier would automatically fill the steam-filled boots of Kyle Walker. And although Trippier’s name has featured more often than not on the Spurs team sheet, it is not written in indelible ink.

Tripper has ably deputized for the most part, even shining in some of Spurs’ most testing fixtures such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Arsenal at home. But his vulnerabilities have also been exposed on occasion, namely in an Etihad roasting courtesy of Leroy Sané.

Trippier does possess invaluable qualities for a full back such as an impeccable delivery, but perhaps lacks the brute pace and strength that would break him away from the competition to make the position his own.

Kyle Walker-Peters

After World Cup gold in the summer and a Man of the Match award on the opening day of the season, Kyle Walker-Peters can be forgiven for thinking he was on course to replace his namesake. But the incoming Aurier and return of Trippier meant Walker-Peters’ game time has since been limited to cup competitions.

Walker-Peters has impressed in his limited opportunities. He has been a bundle of energy, whether playing on the left or on his preferred right-hand side of the defense. And if he continues to show such endeavor he will no doubt upgrade from just an ancillary squad member in the near future.

Verdict

Spurs fans miss the days of Walker blowing up and down the wing like a zephyr, and the player best suited to quenching that nostalgia is Aurier.

Although Serge has failed to live up to his own bombastic rhetoric since arriving from Parc de Princes, fleeting glimpses of quality leave reason for optimism.

Next: Who will start left back for Tottenham next season?

Poch has a stellar record of tutoring full backs and, whether it is through finally delivering on that head-butt or demoting him for rudimentary training with Spurs under 11s, he should manage to iron out some of the Ivorian’s first season flaws.