Juan Foyth signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur before going out on loan to Villarreal last October.
The defender has 23 appearances in all competitions and has operated in the heart of the back four, as a right-back and even as a defensive midfielder this season.
Foyth joined Spurs from Estudiantes in 2017 and prior to his arrival in north London, Paris Saint-Germain wanted to sign him. This was revealed by Villarreal manager Unai Emery.
“I knew Juan Foyth, I called him to sign for PSG, but he had already signed with Tottenham,” AS quoted Emery as saying.
“He was a player that we knew well and knew that his versatility would give us a lot. That versatility and his quality is what we acquire. That’s why we signed him, and now he has given us what we expected.”
“His performance has been very good, he has fulfilled all the options at a high, very high level. His versatility was what we wanted, in addition to playing as a centre-back.”
When quizzed whether he would prefer to retain the Argentina international at the club beyond his loan spell, the former Arsenal manager said: “If I would keep him? The truth is that it is something that we must wait for, but if it were up to me, yes, I would keep him with us.”
According to AS, the Yellow Submarine believe the Spurs owned man has ‘more room for growth and an outstanding future’. Therefore, both Emery and the club are keen on extending his stay beyond his loan spell.
The South American arrived in Spain on loan with a ‘non-mandatory’ purchase option of €15m.
For now, the figure ‘does not seem to be easy’ for Emery’s side and the chances of signing him would improve depending on where they will finish this season.
In addition to this, it also depends on whether or not the La Liga side will be capable of convincing Spurs to reduce the player’s asking price for the summer.
Villarreal can manage to complete Foyth’s permanent transfer if they can make a financial gain by selling a few players from the current squad.
To sum it up, Emery and his employer have a desire to retain Foyth, but as of now, a potential summer transfer depends on various factors.
