Report reveals how Joe Rodon got on in his Ligue 1 debut for Rennes

Spurs defender Joe Rodon made a good first impression on his debut for Ligue 1 side Rennes this week, despite being on the losing side in the first game of his season-long loan spell.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the Welsh centre-back had joined the French side on loan this month, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the deal includes an option to make the deal permanent for €20m (£16.7m).

Rodon joined Spurs from Swansea in 2020, but never quite got going during his time in North London. He made just 24 appearances for Spurs across all competitions in his two years at the club (Transfermarkt).

Despite Tottenham now playing with a back three under Antonio Conte, Rodon still didn’t appear to be in the Italian’s plans.

While the loan move to Rennes could be a chance for Rodon to develop before rejoining Spurs and pushing into the first team next year, the fact there is a purchase option for the French side suggests that Tottenham could allow the player to leave permanently.

In fact, Alasdair Gold recently reported that all parties involved in the deal expect Rodon to join Rennes on a permanent deal at the end of the season.

Regardless, after such an impressive debut, Rodon is standing himself in good stead for the season ahead. According to WhoScored, Rodon returned some very impressive stats in Rennes’ 1-0 defeat to Lorient.

Rodon recorded a 94% pass success rate, the highest of anyone in the Rennes side. This is even more impressive when you consider the Welshman had 97 touches, meaning his distribution was consistently solid throughout the game.

Defensively, Rodon also registered one interception, two clearances, and won three aerial challenges. The strong centre-back even came out of the game without a booking, which is always a bonus. He was given a 6.29 rating out of ten for his performance in the defeat.

Spurs Web Opinion

Joe Rodon’s ability has never been in doubt, and a debut like this just reinforces the idea that the young defender has a bright future ahead of him, wherever that may be. Who knows, if he carries on like this, maybe Conte will give him a chance after all. Either way, it’s brilliant to see a Spurs player performing to such a high standard while on loan, and long may it continue.

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