Jose Mourinho will be pleased to have secured the signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg early in the transfer window.
The start of the Premier League on September 12 against Everton shows just how swift pre-season preparation will need to be for his side. On top of that, the Spurs boss will probably want to secure a couple more signings.
One area in which he will need to make tough decisions is at centre-back. Mourinho had bucked the trend towards the end of last season with several different combinations used.
Toby Alderweireld, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Davinson Sánchez all stand as viable options for Spurs to use in the upcoming season.
By taking a look at their 2019/20 statistics as respective combinations in the Premier League, football.london runs the rule on who the best pair could be for Mourinho to pick come September.
Alderweireld/Dier
While the pair have been at the club longer than Tanganga and Sánchez, Dier’s switch from defensive midfield means they have only played a limited number of minutes together at the back.
Just three appearances as a defensive partnership is little to go but Mourinho’s use of Dier towards the end of last season suggests we could see more of this.
Appearances: 3
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded: 2
Points per game: 1.66
Alderweireld/Sanchez
This is the most established combination at the back and Mourinho might look to use it more often next season having largely settled on it since football resumed.
As mentioned previously, Dier’s introduction at the back after Project Restart could indicate Mourinho may have other plans.
It is perhaps important to remember that Alderweireld and Sanchez started alongside each other in the 2-0 win over Manchester City pre-lockdown.
Appearances: 24
Clean sheets: 3
Goals conceded: 28
Points per game: 1.5
Dier/Sanchez
Dier and Sanchez played together several times post-lockdown but only managed to keep one clean sheet in the process.
A damning 3-1 loss to Sheffield United looked to have ended any hopes of Europa League football until a revival during the run-in.
If they are to become the go-to combination for Mourinho, they will need to do better than conceding three goals in two of the six games they played next to each other last season.
Appearances: 6
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded: 9
Points per game: 1
Tanganga with Dier and Sanchez
Despite being credited with versatility at the back, Mourinho only used Tanganga as a central defender in a back three last season.
That came alongside Dier and Sanchez in a 3-2 defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to lockdown.
While Tanganga hasn’t played alongside Alderweireld either, he could be a viable option if any of the other three defensive options are injured next season.
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded: 3
Points per game: 0
Verdict
There’s reason to suggest that Mourinho will revert to a back four more often than not next season. If he is to do that, we are unlikely to see Tanganga be used in a central position on the basis that Mourinho has been reluctant to use him there so far.
Despite Dier being used at the back towards the end of last season, the combination of Alderweireld and Sanchez appears more reliable. Both defenders have experience in a back four and provide different qualities from a technical perspective. That said, Dier’s development post-lockdown suggests he will be used more often to rotate the workload between the three of them.
