Danny Rose has the left-back spot nailed down but doubts over Ben Davies could yet force Spurs’ hand.
When Tottenham Hotspur scouts were spotted gazing from the sidelines at FC Koln’s Rhein Energie Stadion in the final game before the Bundesliga winter break, it didn’t take long for Julian Brandt to dominate the gossip columns once again.
The fact that the fresh-faced Germany international tore Bayer Leverkusen’s Rhein rivals Koln apart in the 1-1 midweek draw certainly added weight to the speculation, per The Sun, but it’s not inconceivable that another man may have featured heavily in reports back to Mauricio Pochettino – especially after netting a well-taken first-half equaliser.
A modern left-back of the truest sense, 23-year-old Brazilian Wendell is cut from the same cloth as overlapping compatriots Felipe Luis and Marcelo. And, since forcing his way into the Leverkusen first team two seasons ago, he has secured his place as one of the first, though also one of the most unheralded, names on Roger Schmidt’s team-sheet.
Yet, suggesting Wendell is little more than a frustrated, wannabe winger does him a disservice. After all, he is hardly a regular goalscorer while his assist rate is relatively low in comparison to Spurs’ first choice left-back Danny Rose.
Despite Leverkusen’s Group Stage exit in the 2015/16 Champions League, no player in the competition averaged more tackles per game than Wendell (7), per WhoScored, with his defensive durability arguably overshadowing his attacking instincts.
With The Guardian claiming that Crystal Palace were interested in handing seldom-seen understudy Ben Davies a lifeline, and guaranteed Premier League football, a new left-back could be top of Pochettino’s shopping list. And Wendell would offer a sturdy alternative to the rattling darts of Rose on the flank.
Furthermore, his performance in that draw with Koln won’t have done his chances any harm at all.
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