Finding their Reguilón on the right, other back options for Tottenham

Tottenham, Tanganga, Lamptey, and conclusions

Tottenham has some choices to make at right-back moving forward including with two players not mentioned thus far in Japhet Tanganga and Tariq Lamptey. I mention both of these men as they are seemingly relevant in this conversation but then again are not.

Tanganga’s future likely not at right-back for Tottenham

As fans know Tanganga has had a hard time staying healthy for Tottenham and managed only 921 minutes on 13 total appearances this season. Every player on this list had more than nearly three times as many appearances and more than twice as many minutes. That experience, even outside the Premier League is valuable.

Tanganga has not gone on loan the last several seasons – like some of these other options – because he is a jack of all trades defensively. His ability to play multiple positions makes him an excellent substitute but not having one position hurts his ability to start.

This is not to discount Tanganga but to think we are not bringing in someone else to bolster that position if Aurier leaves seems foolhardy. For those wondering Japhet is currently valued at  $8.8 million (£6.2 million) according to transfermrkt.com.

What about Tariq Lamptey?

Tariq Lamptey is one other name that people might throw out there as he is young (only 20), is English, and has Premier League experience. Well those last two factors,  English with a little experience have really changed the perceived value of Lamptey, which is now at $19.80 Million (£13.9 million).

Lamptey started the season very well for Brighton and had a big goal against Tottenham. However, after that bright start scoring once and assisting 3 times – in Brighton’s first 2 matches – Lamptey got injured. Tariq came out against Fulham in December and then never played again the rest of the season.

Undersized but overly fast, a hamstring injury at his young age is a worrisome sign. Add in he is contracted at Brighton until 2025 and suddenly that nearly $20 million value really skyrockets. The bottom line is Lamptey still has a lot of question marks for the cost thus Tottenham should look elsewhere.

So what will Tottenham do?

Until Tottenham officially has a manager and until Serge Aurier officially leaves, Tottenham is likely to do nothing at the right-back position. However, knowing that Aurier is likely to leave and knowing eventually someone has to coach this group, Steve Hitchen and company better be looking at replacements now.

If we had to pick one of these five – see here for comparison on fbref.com – we like Anthony Caci. Caci is affordable, versatile, and only has a year left on his contract. His ability to contribute equally on both ends of the pitch makes him a good target for his age and cost.

What do you all think, should Tottenham go young with their backs or look for something more experienced? Who do you have on your transfer radar?