Tottenham Hotspur have finally completed the transfer of Estudiantes defender Juan Foyth on a five-year deal for around £8million, with his compatriot Mauricio Pochettino seemingly key in convincing him to join Spurs ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.
Last year was an important one for the young defender. At Estudiantes, he was promoted from the Under-18 squad to the reserves and regularly trained with the first team, while at international level, he was part of the sparring side that faced off against Argentina’s Olympic team in training matches. It was a year of growth that set him up well for 2017.
Strong performances at the South American Under-20 Championship earlier this year attracted the attention of European clubs and his debut for Estudiantes arrived soon afterwards. Many would have been fazed by such an event, but it didn’t take him long to settle.
“My legs were shaking a bit but only in the first half,” he recalled in a recent interview. “By the second, I was comfortable.”
That quote exemplifies the confidence of a 19-year-old who plays with the conviction of a seasoned professional. Both in possession and in his defensive work, he is rarely flustered.
Foyth’s standout attribute is his use of the ball. He passes crisply out of defence and is content to invite a bit of pressure from opponents if doing so helps open up an angle for a forward pass. If there is space available in front of him, he is more than happy to carry the ball into it. This owes much to his history as an attacking midfielder; it was only at 16 that he was converted full-time into a central defender.
#WelcomeFoyth
Estudiantes goalkeeper Mariano Andujar always had a chuckle to himself when he saw Foyth embarking on one of his trademark forward bursts, but the reaction from opponents is rarely as favourable. Foyth recalls one incident from a youth match against Boca Juniors in which he nutmegged an opponent and then received “a good kicking” for his troubles.
Foyth considers the defensive side of his game to be less developed but that has rarely showed up to date. Indeed, Estudiantes kept five clean sheets in the seven league matches he was involved in last season. His style is to stay on his feet and impose himself physically, and while he is not the quickest over long distances and can be a little wooden on the half turn, he possesses a decent burst of acceleration to recover his position.
Add in a strong work ethic and desire to improve and it is easy to see why Spurs faced competition for his signature. With that said, they are clearly buying potential rather than the finished article. Foyth has started less than 10 matches at senior level and while he has performed with assurance, he is still very inexperienced. The football in England is very different from that in Argentina, especially for a central defender, and he will need time to adapt and develop his game before he is ready for regular first-team action.
In attributes and personality, Foyth looks a good fit. But it is simply too early to tell whether that will translate into a successful career in North London.
