Player Tottenham are about to land should not take 'amazing' Pochettino signing's spot in Conte's XI - opinion

By Sam Preston

Clement Lenglet is about to sign for Tottenham but he should not replace Eric Dier in Antonio Conte’s starting XI.

It has been reported that Lenglet’s arrival at Tottenham on loan from Barcelona could well be announced on Tuesday next week.

Tottenham have been looking for a new central defender throughout the summer transfer window and they look close to landing one

But really, it should be the spot on the left hand side of Conte’s back three which should be up for grabs.

Lenglet should not replace Dier

That is not really a reflection on Ben Davies’ performances, as the Welshman has really upped his game since Conte came in.

But there is room to upgrade in that area of the pitch, and that is something Lenglet should be able to do.

A recent report by Football.London read: “Those who have watched him closely say Lenglet has excellent technique with an educated left foot.

“While he may lack some pace he has plenty of experience under his belt at the highest level. He can play both on the left of Conte’s back three as well as centrally if required.”

That assessment puts both Davies and Dier’s spots in the side up for grabs, but the Englishman has been the better of the duo under Conte.

Dier and Cristian Romero should be nailed on in the back three, and if Davies can bring his Wales form into the start of the season, he is more than capable of doing the job while Lenglet gets his feet under the table in England.

It should also be noted that Conte seems to be trying to move away from the idea of a fixed XI and more towards a squad all on the same level, which can be rotated.

That is what the top clubs in the country do, but for the first game of the season, Dier – who has been called ‘amazing‘ by Fabio Paratici, should be in the side at the heart of the back three.