What Do We Know About Davinson Sanchez?
Source: Davinson Sanchez Fans via Facebook
Drop everything. Tottenham Hotspur just bought Sanchez. Not the wantaway Arsenal attacker Alexis – who needs him when you have the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in your ranks? No, this is Davinson Sanchez, a stalwart defender from Colombia. So what do we know about this young starlet so far?
Well, the first thing we can say is that Spurs have smashed their record transfer fee on bringing the £38 million man into their ranks. Prior to Sanchez’s arrival, fellow South American Erik Lamela and Frenchman Moussa Sissoko shared that accolade – both were signed for £30 million in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Neither have looked worth that valuation, though, so we need to hope that the new boy can outshine his predecessors. Judging on past performances and potential, he could do just that.
A few Spurs fans may be scratching their heads at this signing. Tottenham had the tightest defence in the league last season by some margin, with only 26 goals conceded across the 38 games. But there’s certainly no harm in strengthening even further, as teams will find it psychologically difficult to break through. Sanchez is not only a player for the future, he can also provide great depth to the squad and help Spurs towards a better run in the Champions League this time out.
Currently, football news and tips sites have Spurs as outsiders to win the European competition, at around 40/1. If Mauricio Pochettino can get his team clicking in the same way as last season though, they have the potential to make a mockery of those odds. The fans should also be buoyed by the fact that some massive clubs were going to go in for Sanchez. The 21-year-old former Ajax man actually snubbed Barcelona and Real Madrid to come to Wembley, where he believes he can become as formidable a defender as Sergio Ramos.
The stats are promising. Sanchez made 32 appearances in the Eredivisie last term, where he amassed an average of 5.2 clearances per game, 1.5 tackles, and 1.9 interceptions. Toby Alderweireld, generally considered one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, averaged 5.4 clearances, 1.4 tackles, and 0.9 interceptions. There is not much to split the two in terms of defending, which is encouraging, and Sanchez actually bettered the Belgian in terms of distribution. The Colombian’s pass success percentage was 88.9%, while the Lilywhites man’s was 83.2%. Granted, Alderweireld was playing in a much tougher division, but the signs are there that Sanchez could turn out to be a gem.
The additional good news is that Pochettino may not be done in the transfer market. Just as everyone was resigned to the fact that Spurs were being shrewd and were going to work with what they had, it seems that a late splurge could be on the cards. Other reports are coming in that Pochettino may be about to bring in the Paris Saint-Germain right-back Serge Aurier and Lazio striker Keita Balde Diao before the window slams shut. Turns out that Chelsea defeat at Wembley may not have been the end of Spurs’ season after all.
