The Ben Davies decision is a microcosm of the problem at Tottenham | OneFootball

As Tottenham stare down the barrel of their worst Premier League season in ages and contemplate the future of manager Ange Postecoglou, they are evidently having a difficult time making the same cutthroat decisions with their squad where you would think that a harsh dose of reality would be coming.

Normally, contract renewals are a celebratory time for fans of a club, but in the case of journeyman defender Ben Davies - well, at least he should be a journeyman at this stage - that isn't the case. Spurs fans are befuddled by the latest report from The Athletic's Jay Harris, who writes that Davies is set to return for the 2025/26 season, with Spurs ready to exercise a one-year player option on the defender.

Davies would otherwise have an expiring contract, allowing him to leave this summer for free. And it's honestly a bit surprising to see that Tottenham wouldn't just allow him to relieve his wages and walk to another team this summer, as the 31-year-old only made about 10 Premier League starts in the 2024/25 season.

Tottenham should be looking towards the future

Although Davies isn't a terrible player and is a decent, versatile backup, Tottenham could easily sign someone better and younger with the upside to develop into something at the club. Davies hasn't been a starting-caliber Premier League player in about eight years, and at 31, he offers no future value and will decline even more sharply in the coming seasons.

Tottenham need to keep building towards the future, and spending a squad spot and wages on Davies is a puzzling step in the wrong direction. Spurs fans have long lamented a lack of forward thinking from the organization, which often seems more intent on standing pat and taking an ostensibly safe route that, in truth, isn't any safer in helping the team secure a more stable standing as a top-four contender

With Spurs so far out of top four contention this season that it is truly an embarrassment, you'd think that the club would be more selective with the players it chooses to keep around, knowing that each subpar player that remains in the squad is one less spot that can be offered to someone with more future potential. The Davies decision isn't a drastically idiotic one, but it is a frustrating choice that falls in line with a long list of similar choices from a club that can never seem to match the ambition of its fans.