Despite some notable performances, one can safely declare Davinson Sánchez‘ time at Tottenham lukewarm at best.
That said, the Colombian centre-back has been a rock for Galatasaray ever since his move to Istanbul last season, playing a key role in their record title-winning campaign last term.
On the back of his debut season in Karaköy, Sánchez has earned himself a bold claim from a former Süper Lig star.
Former Sivasspor manager Servet Çetin calls Davinson Sánchez better than Virgil van Dijk
In a recent appearance on Radyospor, as reported by Turkish outlet Ajansspor, former Turkish centre-back Servet Çetin called Davinson Sánchez a better defender than Virgil van Dijk.
“Sanchez is a better centre-back than [Van] Dijk. In England, centre-backs play locally, they do not disturb their positions. They don’t get into the ranks of the right-back or left-back.
“They always take a position in the centre. They usually play heavy. Because they are physically good, they intercept the ball in the centre. But they falter when they have to open up. Van Dijk had a very difficult time against Barış Alper Yılmaz in the Turkey – Netherlands national match.
“Sanchez, on the other hand, has a one-on-one game. He has pace, plays in a wider area and doesn’t miss men. He does a much more difficult job. He gets off the ball very well. Sanchez is a much better stopper than van Dijk.
“Maybe people will say come off it, but it doesn’t matter if it’s Liverpool. For example, Sami Hyypia came to Turkey and was not liked. So, Sanchez is better than van Dijk and many other centre-backs in the Premier League.”
Çetin on Sánchez, the quotes translated in English by Spurs Web.
Sánchez made 32 appearances for Galatasaray last season across all competitions after his €9.5m move from Tottenham.
The 28-year-old has in place a €5.33m-per-year contract, which is set to keep him at Rams Park until June 2027.
Sánchez definitely better at Galatasaray
Sánchez has definitely been better at Galatasaray than he was at Spurs, but one cannot discount the difference in quality between Süper Lig and Premier League football.
Another factor that needs to be taken into account is Van Dijk’s longevity; let’s see how Sánchez fares over the next few years.
Making comparisons like this one is easy, and it definitely gets the attention one aims for, even if the comparisons don’t mean much from a functional standpoint.
