Spurs paying Trippier same as Walker was on; sign he's now first choice?

Kieran Trippier’s new Tottenham contract sees him earn the same as Kyle Walker did – is that a sign he will be first choice in 2017/18?

Kieran Tripper has signed a new five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur and according to the Daily Mail, the right-back now earns £70,000-a-week.

That now means Trippier is on the same salary as Kyle Walker was before his move to Manchester City – as outlined by the Independent in May.

Tottenham's Kieran Trippier in action with Chelsea's Marcos Alonso Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier in action with Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso

Is this a signal that manager Mauricio Pochettino views the former Burnley man as the ideal successor to Walker, despite the fact Spurs have been linked with a number of alternatives in recent times?

Of all the names being linked with the North London side, Ricardo Pereira seems to be the one that comes up the most often and the man that Pochettino would most like to see at the club for the 2017/18 campaign.

The Independent has reported that the Argentine is a big fan of Pereira and that the Porto defender has a £22m release clause.

The Portugal international impressed while on loan at Nice last season, but if he does moves to Tottenham he may well have to make do with being backup to Trippier – something the Englishman had been doing with Walker until recently.

Ricardo Pereira celebrates scoring for Nice