Clement Lenglet became Tottenham's fifth new addition last week, signing from Barcelona on a season-long loan. Unfortunately, the French international was one of a number of players who didn't make the trip to South Korea, with his new squad on their pre-season tour.
Lenglet wasn't able to get a visa in time, so instead will be working hard at Hotspur Way. The 27-year-old will wait for Antonio Conte and his new team to arrive back to N17, where he will then have to settle into his new life, ahead of playing in the Premier League.
The defender will be mostly competing with Ben Davies, for his spot in Conte's starting XI and will have to work hard to replace the Welsh international, who had a solid last season. Ahead of Lenglet linking up with his new team, football.london has spoken to sports journalist who covers Barcelona, Alex Truica, to find out what Spurs will be getting from their new man.
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What can Tottenham fans expect from Lenglet?
He's good at playing out from the back, building up play with strong passes - that's arguably his biggest strength.
What does the defender still need to work on?
He tends to be sloppy, sometimes almost careless in direct duels. His alertness in this kind of situation, especially when he pushes high up the pitch (Barcelona traditionally play a very high backline), is really something he can work on. When he loses the duels in these situations he's not mobile or fast enough to recover.
There have been some questions raised over how the French international will do at Spurs, do you think fans should have any concerns?
I am really not sure he will win a place in the starting XI. Cristian Romero is twice the (traditional) defender Lenglet is, while for example [Davinson] Sanchez is more mobile and has more pace.
With Ben Davies as his main competitor, I'd say the chances are decent for Lenglet to get regular playing time. I would assume both players can benefit from this situation, pushing themselves in the fight for the spot as left centre-back, while Antonio Conte will be able to rotate a bit here.
But since it's only a loan and Spurs didn't sign Lenglet and pay a big transfer fee, the risk is very low anyway, even if it turns out that Lenglet didn't quite meet the requirements by Conte.
What is Lenglet like as a player in the dressing room?
He's calm, friendly, relaxed, he never really made a fuss about not playing even when he lost his starting XI spot. So even if he doesn't start regularly, I don't think there will be any trouble with him.
He hasn't played in the Premier League before. How easy do you think it will be for him to settle in at Spurs?
That's another big question - the Premier League is more about strength, speed, power, quick transitions and athleticism than the football played in La Liga. I wouldn't be surprised if Lenglet struggles with all this, because as I've mentioned before, he tends to be sloppy in direct duels and/or foot races.
Do you think his absence from Tottenham's trip to South Korea will have an impact on him settling in and why?
Surely, it's always better for a new signing to join his new team and teammates as early as possible. Not only to get to know his team and teammates, but of course also his new coach and learn his methods. Conte demands a lot, so I've heard, so I would say that's quite the disadvantage for Lenglet.
How do you think he will cope with Conte's demands?
That remains to be seen. He will need some time to adapt since he misses the trip to South Korea, so I wouldn't expect Lenglet to hit the ground running at Spurs.
Some comments which perhaps confirm some fans' worries, but Conte has already given a positive verdict on his newest arrival. "Another player that in the last two years, he played, he didn't play with Barcelona," he said on Monday.
"He didn't play with the right continuity but for sure he can give us a lot of experience and personality. He's good quality and then also I think with the three defenders he can give us more than to play with four at the back."
As Truica mentions, there is still a lot of room for improvement for the 27-year-old. However he is going to be working with a world-class manager in Conte and the Italian clearly believes in his ability.
Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur both weren't always regular starters at Juventus, yet made the move to the capital and had an immediate impact. Everyone will be hoping Lenglet can do the same and he will have to prepare himself for a hard battle at Tottenham.
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