Tottenham Hotspur are keeping their longest-tenured player around for another season. Spurs announced on social media that they have exercised a clause in central defender Ben Davies’ contract that will extend his stay at Spurs through the end of the upcoming Premier League season.
So let me say this first: I like Ben Davies. He’s never been a star at Tottenham, but he’s always been a steady, solid presence — rarely a starter, but always a reliable team option when you needed him. He’s also Association Trained for UEFA competitions, which will help Spurs’ numbers in the Champions League next season, something that’s a real issue right now. He’s also by all accounts just a fantastic guy and excellent teammate, and he’s turned those skills into a decade at the club. He’s also Sonny’s best friend at the club right now.
For that reason I can understand why Spurs would want to keep him around — he’s a “glue guy” and veteran, the kind of player you want in the changing room. There’s also now a real possibility that he could retire at Tottenham Hotspur and eventually move into coaching, which would be neat.
But holy smokes y’all, the real problem is that he’s just not very good at football anymore. He was thrust into a starting role for a few months which revealed his very real weaknesses and lack of pace, especially against fast attackers. So this makes me wonder what his extension means for the Tottenham back line. I hope it doesn’t mean that Spurs aren’t still targeting another quality central defender, because they absolutely need one to effectively back up Micky van de Ven. Much as I love the guy, Ben Davies ain’t it. I’m also concerned that Davies’ extension might block someone like Ash Phillips or Luka Vuskovic from getting a chance in the first team, though at this point it’s more likely both of them are (again) sent out on loan.
If Spurs need to carry him as a numbers game until some of their youngsters hit club-trained/homegrown status next season, then fine. But whatever the case, while I love seeing his smiling face around training videos I truly hope we don’t see too much of him on the actual pitch next season.