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Tottenham Hotspur: Robinson drops claim on Mourinho’s Tanganga call
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been talking about manager Jose Mourinho’s decision not to allow Japhet Tanganga to join Premier League rivals Southampton during last month’s transfer window.
The 21-year-old reportedly attracted interest from the Saints, as well as Scottish Premiership side Celtic, however, the Portuguese manager is said to have ‘blocked’ Tanganga’s exit.
What has Robinson said about Mourinho’s call?
Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson has shared his thoughts on why the Spurs boss made this decision, despite Tanganga having made just seven appearances for Tottenham in all competitions this term, none of which have come in the Premier League.
Robinson stated that he “can see why” Mourinho opted to keep the Englishman at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, declaring:
“I understand why Mourinho wants to keep him because sometimes he wants to play a three and sometimes he wants to play a four. The personnel at the back has been rotated a lot. Mourinho has not had a settled back four so to have Tanganga as an option at centre-half and full-back is useful.”
Transfer Tavern take
Indeed, as Robinson indicated, Tanganga, who the pundit also referred to as a “really exciting prospect,” has been utilised as a centre-back and a full-back by Mourinho this term.
So, perhaps it would be understandable if the fact that Mourinho views the 21-year-old as someone who can offer cover in more than just one area played a significant role in his decision, and the defender’s versatility is something that the two-time UEFA Champions League winner values highly.
With Mourinho denying the player the chance to potentially enjoy more game time elsewhere for the rest of this season, it will be interesting to see if Tanganga is used more often in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign or if he remains a fringe player for the Lilywhites, despite the manager making the call to block his January loan departure.
Was Mourinho right to block Tanganga's loan departure?
NO
YES
In other news, Davinson Sanchez has been addressing Spurs’ problems.
