Spurs boss Jose Mourinho handed Japhet Tanganga his Premier League debut in January and the young defender has not looked back since.
Japhet Tanganga will not be leaving Tottenham Hotspur on a free this summer with Football London pointing out that the Premier League giants have already triggered an extension clause in his contract.
It’s fair to say Jose Mourinho, despite his protestations, does not exactly have a brilliant track record when it comes to putting his faith in youth. So the fact that Tanganga has come from nowhere to become a key part of the Spurs team in the blinking of an eye speaks volumes about the ability and potential of a 21-year-old academy graduate.
Tanganga has started six of the last eight Premier League games since catching Mourinho’s eye with a mature, confident display against champions-in-waiting Liverpool three months ago.
The London-born defender played at centre-half that day, though his pace, power and purpose in attack has made him a usual option at right-back and left-back too.
And if Spurs fans were concerned that Tanganga could walk away from North London for absolutely nothing on July 1, they can now rest easy.
Football London claims that the 2019 Champions League finalists have already triggered a one-year extension, giving them time and space to negotiate what is likely to be a long-term deal.
“Japhet…is very solid and very concentrated and very difficult for him to make a mistake, even when playing against opposition in a position that is not his position,” Mourinho told FL back in February.
Athletic, commanding and reliable; three attributes that sum up Tanganga – and three attributes Mourinho demands in each and every one of his centre-halves.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
