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A notable issue for the north London outfit this season has been the lack of impact from the club’s summer signings, with Yves Bissouma having been hampered by injury, while Djed Spence is currently out on loan at Stade Rennais.
There has also been further frustration regarding the mixed fortunes of veteran wing-back, Ivan Perisic, with the Croatian international having been dubbed a “complete liability” in recent times by writer Andrew Gaffney.
While the 34-year-old does have five assists to his name in the Premier League this season, the defender’s attacking quality has been called into question at times, with Gaffney stating following the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month that the experienced asset had “contributed nothing” going forward.
Those woes have also led The Athletic editor James Maw to suggest that the former Inter Milan man could eventually prove to be a “massive waste of money” despite having arrived on a free transfer, with that telling of his struggles at N17 to date.
The 123-cap machine has continued to feature on the left flank, however, due to the lack of suitable alternatives, with former Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon currently ruled out through injury, while Ben Davies has typically slotted in on the left of a back three.
Despite the shortage of depth, Conte should take the ruthless decision to remove Persic from his starting berth moving forward, with teenage gem Romaine Mundle one potential candidate among the academy ranks who could take his place.
Who is Romaine Mundle?
The 19-year-old has recently come to wider attention among Spurs supporters after earning a place on the bench for Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest, with that inclusion having been a richly deserved “reward for his recent good form for the U21s“, as per football.london’s Alasdair Gold.
The London-born dynamo has enjoyed a real standout campaign thus far after racking up four goals and four assists in 28 games in all competitions to date, scoring three times and providing three assists from his 19 Premier League 2 outings.
As journalist George Sessions stated, Mundle has “impressed” so far this season and scored some “great goals” from his wide berth, having typically featured in a left-wing role in the academy set-up – notably producing a “brilliant display” against Marseille in the UEFA Youth League back in September, as per journalist Rob Guest.
While not typically deployed as a wing-back, the teen ace was utilised in that position in the mid-season friendly clash against Motherwell back in December, while he has also featured at right-back on occasion this term.
Unlike Perisic – whose final ball has come under the microscope – young Mundle has showcased that he can offer a far greater attacking threat, having averaged two key passes per game from his three EFL Trophy appearances earlier in the campaign, a superior record to what the Split-born dud has achieved in the top-flight (1.3).
That should ensure that handing a chance to the exciting talent – who is in line for a new contract at the club – could prove fruitful for Conte and co.