Since the departure of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier must have thought his chance had come to establish himself as the first choice right back with the London club. With plenty of defenders in the squad who possess great talent and have the ability to play right back, it was a real honour that the former Burnley man was chosen to replace the departing England international. However, Spurs went and splashed the cash on PSG right-back Serge Aurier. So what does Trippier do now?
The 27-year-old from Bury started against Chelsea, Burnley, Everton and Swansea but only managed 13 minutes against West Ham in the nervy 3-2 win for Tottenham. He is an excellent player who has the incredible concentration for the game and a player who can produce a superb cross; which is vital in the 3-5-2 formation that Mauricio Pochettino plays.
But the arrival of Aurier has cast Trippier back to the bench (or even left back) when he must have been thinking it was time for him to step up and compete with the first team on a regular basis. The question is, was there any need to sign a £23 million replacement for Walker when they had someone to replace him in their ranks already?
There is no doubting the credentials of the quality Ivorian international, but he does arrive with a history of upsetting teammates and staff alike. For example, he insulted Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Laurent Blanc during his time at PSG and he was subsequently suspended for the club.
With Aurier undoubtedly the first choice right back now as he started against West Ham, Trippier must be thinking he needs more game time to further his career. He is well regarded by the Tottenham staff, but it is evident he will always be seen as number two at the club.
With a move away from Spurs on the cards, where would he move to? You would not expect him to get into a top six side with the likes of Antonio Valencia, Hector Bellerin, Nathaniel Clyne, Victor Moses and Kyle Walker all likely to be a 1st choice fullback over him. That means a move to Everton, Southampton, West Brom or even Bournemouth would be the type of club he could join. He could even take the plunge and move abroad, but this is highly unlikely among many English players.
The former Manchester City academy product does look like he will have one more chance to impress his manager as his replacement was sent off for a 2nd bookable offence against West Ham. He will have to grab the opportunity with both hands to solidify a place in the starting XI, but even if he does produce a magnificent performance, it might not be enough to be the number one right back.
With just one England cap to his name, he will obviously want to add to this honour, but he will not do this if he is sat on the bench.
