Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici may have something of a transfer dilemma on their hands after the success of Joe Rodon in Wales' first game of the international break. The defender played 90 minutes in the middle of a back three in Wales' 2-1 victory over Austria on Thursday night.
Rodon has arguably been unlucky not to get more game time for Tottenham this season, making just eight appearances and only one of those being a Premier League feature. football.london reported just last month that some of the senior players in the squad were believed to have been pushing the claims of the defender.
However nothing has changed since and the Welshman has had to continue watching on the sidelines. In March last year, former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, gave his verdict on the 24-year-old. "He has to do nothing. He’s perfect, works very hard, young guy, wants to learn, very enthusiastic," Mourinho admitted. "He has just to wait for his opportunities and to get it."
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However, there are a number of questions raised about Rodon's time at Spurs: why has he not been a regular player under any Tottenham manager so far? How long does he wait for these opportunities? This will all be something he needs to think about ahead of the summer transfer window.
During the winter window there were rumours of a move for the Welshman, which may have been beneficial for both parties, but a move never became a reality. Conte has previously told football.london that Rodon is Eric Dier's understudy. Dier has been one of Spurs' most consistent defenders this season, improving even more since Conte's arrival. Despite a couple of injury problems with his thigh this year, the 28-year-old has been one of the first names on the teamsheet when he has been available.
This makes it even harder for Rodon to even get a look in for the Italian's starting line-up. The defensive line of Dier, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero have been solid in recent games and if they continue to improve, it could be hard to replace them. This is why Paratici and Conte will have to think very hard about the Welshman's future. The 24-year-old's only league feature this season was when Dier went off injured in the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The defender has shown some positive signs in the small number of appearances he has made. Although a run of games is likely to help any player gain some momentum and help their form, Rodon hasn't necessarily been a standout player in the minutes he has had on the pitch. He has proven that he is a versatile defender, having experience as a left-sided centre-back during his time at Swansea. Therefore if one of Conte's back three picked up an injury, he could fill in.
This helps with Tottenham's squad depth, which has been lacking this season, after the four first team departures during the January window. It also keeps a younger player with potential in the squad. Against Austria, Rodon made 17 clearances, blocked three shots and made two key tackles. This earned him praise from ex-Lilywhites player Jermaine Jenas, who took to Twitter to congratulate some of the key Wales players.
"Incredible performance by @FAWales tonight @GarethBale11 doing what he does but thought Joe Allen @Ben_Davies33 and Joe Rodon we’re different class congratulations looking forward to the final." The 24-year-old has also previously been praised by his national team boss, who did also give his verdict on Rodon's future in N17.
"Joe is an unbelievable talent and rightly so got a move to a big Premier League club in Tottenham," Robert Page said at the end of last year. "But now he understands he might have to move on and play games of football because we want our best players playing week in, week out."
This is likely to be the main concern for the defender. He is still young, performing well for his country but is only getting a taste for regular football when he does go on international duty.
Spurs boss Conte has previously praised the Welsh international, saying: "Joe we are talking about a really good guy," Conte said after Spurs' 2-0 defeat to Wolves. "We are talking about a person whose commitment is very high every day." However, this commitment hasn't been enough for him to get a nod in regular matches.
Valued at just £7.2million, according to Transfermarkt, it may not be so difficult to move Rodon away if that's the route Spurs want to take. The Welshman may have shown his potential and proven his ability for his country, but if he is not going to be used in a Conte system, it may be best for him to move on, for the sake of his own career.
