Jeremy Toljan scouting report: The Tottenham target who could replace Kyle Walker

Germany U21 defender Jeremy Toljan is on a list of potential replacements for Kyle Walker that has been drawn up by Tottenham this summer, as revealed by Standard Sport.

The England international’s £50million transfer to Manchester City has left Spurs light in his position, with Kieran Trippier the only specialist in the first-team squad.

Trippier offers a different skill-set to Walker, as a more traditional defensive option, and Spurs are seemingly looking to find a player who can match Walker’s explosive power and pace.

Toljan, who could be available for as little as £3.1m, is an intriguing option who could have the raw skills to be a viable long-term option in that right-back slot.

The 22-year joined Hoffenheim in 2011, having come through the ranks at Stuttgart, and began featuring for the first team in the 2013/14 season, either on the left- or right-hand side of defence.

An injury largely ruled him out of the following campaign, but it was the 28-year old manager Julien Nagelsmann’s appointment in February 2016 which saw Toljan truly establish himself as a regular starter.

Nagelsmann’s appointment led to a stunning turnaround in fortunes for Hoffenheim, who won seven of their remaining 14 matches to close a seven-point deficit and avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.

Toljan, playing mainly at left-back, had featured in six of these pivotal wins in a period that really kick-started his career and signified a new and exciting era for Hoffenheim.

Last season saw further improvement from Hoffenheim, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga, and Toljan again played a key role.

Nagelsmann used a back-three formation for the most part of the season, which meant that the young defender was often used as more of a wing-back to again prove his versatility by being deployed on either flank.

In this way, he would stylistically be a like-for-like replacement for Walker although Tottenham would need to nurture his progression carefully in order to get him to that level.

As he showed playing in a back four for Germany Under-21s this summer, he is more than capable at playing as the marauding full-back looking to overlap the winger and get to the byline to put crosses into the box.

Germany won the Uefa U21 European Championships this summer in Poland, and Toljan played a starring role in the semi-final win over England.

He assisted Davie Selke for his goal in that game, and his form throughout the competition earned him a spot in the Team of the Tournament.

His attacking mindset would suit the way Mauricio Pochettino likes to set-up against weaker teams, with the full-backs pushing high in possession and either Eric Dier or Victor Wanyama dropping deeper in front of the centre-backs.

Walker and Rose over-lapping has been a staple of Spurs’ style in recent seasons. Trippier provides a steadier option, looking to cross from deep rather than take his man on, so the pursuit of an athlete like Toljan seems sensible.

Trippier did not complete a single take-on in the Premier League last season and whilst Toljan’s 0.41 per 90 minutes may not be close to Walker’s 1.16, that number will only rise when playing for a possession-hungry team like Spurs.

​Toljan did, however, average 2.12 interceptions per 90, which dwarfs Walker’s 1.2 and Tripper’s 0.77, as he looked to use his athleticism and awareness to send Hoffenheim forward on the counter.

Buying the German youngster would not be signing a ready-made replacement for Walker but, as we have seen in the window, full-backs who have the athleticism to cover a whole flank come at a premium.

Pochettino is building a reputation as one of the best coaches in Europe at developing young players, and Toljan looks to have the raw materials to be moulded into top drawer attacking full-back.

With only 54 Bundesliga appearances behind him, and a questionable injury record, this buy would come with risk but given the inflated market for right-backs in European football - and the small fee - it could prove to be another smart piece of business from Tottenham.