Tottenham Hotspur target Joao Cancelo makes worst possible impression in Milan derby

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Spurs signed Serge Aurier from PSG to replace Kyle Walker – after failing to entice Joao Cancelo away from La Liga giants Valencia.

Tottenham Hotspur had a tough task on their hands this summer choosing the replacement for the influential Kyle Walker after his £50 million move to Manchester City, as reported by The Guardian.

So far, however, the performances of Serge Aurier have been mixed at best. The former PSG full-back looks a real threat in attack but defensive errors and that naïve red card in the 3-2 win against West Ham last month have fans questioning whether or not he is up to the standard of the England international.

Though at least Spurs can take some solace in knowing that a player they missed out on before landing the divisive Aurier isn’t faring too much better.

According to Football Espana, Tottenham made a bid of around £19.5 million for Valencia’s roving right-back Joao Cancelo midway through the August transfer window, a matter of days before the Portuguese intentional eventually rocked up on loan at Inter Milan.

Thanks to injuries, Cancelo made only his second Serie A appearance during Sunday’s breathless Derby della Madonnina clash with AC Milan – and he didn’t exactly make the most positive impression.

Just eight minutes after replacing the influential Antonio Candreva late in the second half, Cancelo failed to track Giacomo Bonaventura as the Italian playmaker fumbled home at the far post with a helping hand from the frame of the goal and the knee of unfortunate Inter ‘keeper Samir Handanovic to make the scoreline 2-2.

It was the sort of basic mistake you simply cannot make at such a crucial time in a potentially season-defining game.

Fortunately for Cancelo, Mauro Icardi’s last-gasp, hat-trick sealing penalty ensured a dramatic Inter victory and spared the full-back huge criticism.

While Aurier has been questioned by fans and pundits alike, Cancelo did little in his 17 minutes on the pitch on Sunday to suggest he would have been an improvement.