According to a report from Diario Olé, Juan Foyth has left Tottenham after Villarreal activated their option to buy the defender.
Soon after the Spanish news outlet made the claim, Tottenham’s official Twitter account confirmed the news that Foyth had left.
What’s the story?
Well, the 23-year-old spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Villarreal.
Foyth made 32 appearances in all competitions under Unai Emery, helping The Yellow Submarine win the Europa League.
Clearly, the 12-cap Argentina international impressed Emery, as Villarreal have now activated their option to buy the South American.
Foyth will leave Spurs in a deal worth €15 million (£12.9 million).
It represents a slight profit on the £8 million handed to Estudiantes when Mauricio Pochettino signed the defender back in 2017.
Was it worth giving Villarreal an option to buy Foyth?
The Argentine is still just 23, and enjoyed an excellent season in Spain.
Some clubs would be licking their lips if a player of theirs performed such heroics out on loan, and wouldn’t be able to wait for his return.
However, it seems like Tottenham had no interest in bringing Foyth back, or they wouldn’t have included such a low option to buy in the deal.
It’s a real shame, as the La Plata-born defender looks like a gem, and could’ve done great things with Spurs in north London.
Pochettino himself even admitted Tottenham have a big prospect on their hands when speaking after Foyth scored his first goal for the club.
Speaking to BT Sport, Pochettino said: “It’s fantastic for Foyth. His performance today was fantastic. He played so well. He needs to learn and keep improving but he is a very good prospect for us.”
To develop Foyth for years, only to sell for a slim profit, just doesn’t seem like it was worth doing for Tottenham.
Next time, Tottenham should either increase the option to buy, or not include one at all and instead carve out a pathway for their players.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
