Did Tottenham Hotspur give Juan Foyth a fair shake?

With news circling about Juan Foyth’s impending move to Sampdoria, the question of whether he was given a fair shake at Tottenham gains credence.

The Italian side is keen on bringing the young centre back to the Serie A. The 22-year-old was brought in by Mauricio Pochettino, and was highly touted by Tottenham’s former coaching staff. But Foyth has fallen quickly out of favour under new manager Jose Mourinho.

In fairness to Mourinho, Foyth, whenever given a chance to showcase his talent, hasn’t lived up to lofty expectations. His proneness to commit egregious errors has drained the gaffer’s trust in him. He isn’t the most physically robust centre back and needs to make up for his lack of strength with football intelligence and his skill on the ball.

Unfortunately the youngster isn’t adapting well to life in the Premier League. He has shown glimpses of brilliance – more so under Pochettino – but isn’t nearly consistent enough to vie for a place in Tottenham’s senior team.

Maybe being loaned out to Sampdoria will help with his development. He needs more playing time in a less physically demanding league to see if he can reach his full potential. I don’t think he was given enough chances at Tottenham to prove his worth, but life in England’s top flight is as unforgiving as it is ruthless. If you don’t make the most of your chances, the likelihood of having a long, fruitful career diminishes exponentially.

Hopefully Foyth goes out on loan, thrives and comes back a better, more mature professional. Because he currently isn’t cutting the mustard at Tottenham, and Mourinho won’t accept mediocrity.