There was joy, despair and frustration among Tottenham’s big group of loan players this week as the season begins to reach its business end.
Spurs have a large contingent of players out on loan at clubs across the Premier League and Football League as well as in Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. Another youngster joined them on a short-term loan this week to take the total of loan players up to 14.
Here’s how all of Tottenham’s loan players got on over the past week:
Djed Spence (Genoa)
It was a big week for Djed Spence as he helped Genoa bag a clean sheet at Juventus with a 90 minute display at right wing-back, his first start for the Serie A club in more than a month and a half.
He did not let them down with a strong performance which earned him a score of 7.16 from Whoscored’s data-based rankings. Spence managed three tackles, two interceptions, two clearances, won one aerial challenge and blocked one shot to dent Juventus’ hopes of scoring in their own backyard.
The 23-year-old’s passing was also excellent with a 92.3% success rate which included three of his four long balls reaching their intended target and he also played one key pass.
Italian media roundly praised Spence’s performance with the theme being that he covered plenty of the pitch in supporting his team-mates and closing gaps and that he used his physical power to contain Juventus star Federico Chiesa.
Spence will now be looking to push on and make himself a permanent fixture of the Genoa starting line-up for the remainder of the season.
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Alejo Veliz (Sevilla)
Alejo Veliz did not even make the matchday squad as Sevilla lost 2-1 at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday, having been an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw at bottom side Almeria the previous weekend.
Media outlet ABC Sevilla reported that Sevilla boss Quique Sanchez Flores “doesn’t care” about his two new young loan players – Veliz and Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri.
When asked about Veliz this week, Flores would only say: “He needs to change the rhythm of feeling to have more opportunities.”
It was a loan move that promised plenty for the 20-year-old Argentine, handed the number 10 shirt and praised by his new manager soon after joining but he has played just 23 minutes across three matches for the struggling La Liga outfit.
Tanguy Ndombele (Galatasaray)
Tanguy Ndombele’s season at Galatasaray continues to fritter away and he was an unused substitute in the 4-3 win at at Kasimpasa on Sunday.
The Frenchman could well add another title to his CV with Galatasaray two points clear of Fenerbahce at the top of the Super Lig table but as he did when he won Serie A with Napoli last season, Ndombele will have only played a bit-part role.
The 27-year-old played just 792 minutes across 30 Serie A games last term for Napoli as they clinched the title and he has just 449 minutes for Galatasaray across 18 Super Lig matches this time around.
Once worth more than £60m when he signed for Spurs in the summer of 2019, Tottenham are going to struggle to get much if anything at all this summer for Ndombele, who has a year left on his contract.
Joe Rodon (Leeds United)
One man who has only increased in value this season is Joe Rodon, who has been integral to Leeds United’s climb to the top of the Championship.
The 26-year-old Wales international kept his third straight clean sheet in Sunday’s 2-0 win for Daniel Farke’s men at Elland Road against Millwall.
Leeds Live handed the centre-back a seven in their player ratings with the review: “Certainly played his own part in the mix-up with Meslier, but dealt with it. Strong all afternoon and really not a lot asked of him by a blunt Millwall attack.”
Rodon has been in the centre of a defence that has conceded only 28 goals in 38 Championship matches with only three conceded in the past 13.
Japhet Tanganga (Millwall)
Japhet Tanganga was up against Rodon on Sunday and played the full 90 minutes as a rejuvenated Millwall fell to their first defeat in a month.
The 24-year-old, who has been a near ever-present since moving to south east London, has got plenty of game time since moving to the Championship club and had scored twice in recent games but he could not stop Leeds from getting through and leaping to the top of the table.
After a first half to the season with no game time at all at Augsburg, Tanganga has played 10 games for Millwall with 932 minutes to his name and has started nearly every match.
Ivan Perisic (Hajduk Split)
Ivan Perisic was among the substitutes again and once more unused for Hajduk Split as they lost 2-1 at home against Lokomotiva. The 35-year-old, who is on loan until the end of his Spurs contract this summer and has agreed a deal to then play for the Croatian team next season, was not expected back from his cruciate ligament injury until April at the earliest with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou saying before he left that the experienced winger would not be fit in time to play for the north London side this season.
However, the Croatian has been on the bench for the past three matches, albeit unused in the encounters. Perisic has been called up for the Croatian national football team for the international friendly tournament – the W Cup – which will be held in the United Arab Emirates next week.
Troy Parrott (Excelsior Rotterdam)
Troy Parrott’s quad injury has proved to be more problematic than first thought as he missed out on Excelsior Rotterdam’s 1-1 draw at home against RKC Waalwijk.
The 22-year-old’s injury is serious enough that he has also been withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for their matches against Belgium and Switzerland.
Sergio Reguilon (Brentford)
Sergio Reguilon returned from a hamstring injury for Brentford only to have a nightmare just nine minutes into their match at Burnley.
The 27-year-old Spaniard bundled over Vitinho in the Brentford box and although it was initially missed by the officials on the pitch, VAR intervened and as it was a professional foul for the awkward shove and trip as the Burnley man was about to shoot, Reguilon was sent off.
It now means the left-back will miss the match against his former loan side Manchester United after the international break through suspension.
Eric Dier (Bayern Munich)
Eric Dier drew plenty of praise for his performance as Bayern came from behind to beat Darmstadt in the Bundesliga.
He earned a WhoScored rating of 7.25, with a 93.8% pass success rate from his 97 passes in the 5-2 victory. He also executed eight accurate long balls, won six aerial duels and made one last-man tackle to seal a solid display.
The 30-year-old centre-back has now triggered the option to officially become a Bayern Munich player next season when his loan deal from Tottenham ends this summer. He has now played 10 matches for Bayern, starting eight of them, and he will return to north London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Alfie Devine and Ashley Phillips (Plymouth Argyle)
Ashley Phillips started and Alfie Devine got around half an hour to his name as struggling Plymouth were beaten 1-0 at home by Preston on Saturday.
In Plymouth Live’s player ratings from the match, Phillips got a six with the review: “While Argyle’s attacking play was poor for the most part, defensively they were solid enough and limited Preston to just four shots on target, although another attempt from Layton Stewart hit a post late on. Eighteen-year-old Phillips again showed his maturity, winning most of his challenges and being composed enough to bring the ball out of defence at times.”
Devine also got a six with the words: “Did add some much-needed attacking threat for Argyle after his introduction as a 61st minute substitute for defender Julio Pleguezuelo.”
Matthew Craig (Doncaster Rovers)
Matthew Craig did not appear for the second half of Saturday’s 2-0 win against Crewe last week and the 20-year-old Scotland U21 international was ruled out of their 2-1 win at Swindon Town on Saturday due to the injury that led to that withdrawal.
Doncaster boss Grant McCann said ahead of the game that the young midfielder should be back in training early this week and thanks to a postponed match at Colchester last week missed only one match and should be in the squad again to face Forest Green.
Josh Keeley (Barnet)
Josh Keeley, 20, suffered defeat on Saturday as Barnet lost 1-0 at Woking in the National League.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international will take on Eastleigh on Tuesday night with Barnet in second place, one point ahead of Bromley, but sitting 24 points behind runaway leaders Chesterfield.
Sam Archer (Barton Rovers)
Tottenham’s U18s goalkeeper Sam Archer has been sent on a short-term work experience loan to get first team exposure with Barton Rovers in Southern League Central Division One.
The 17-year-old enjoyed a debut victory as Rovers overcame Thame United away on Saturday. He earned a yellow card and conceded from a penalty seven minutes before half-time but bounced back to ensure nothing else got past him as his new side came from behind to win 3-1.
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