“It’s because he’s so clever, and he’s very humble, and he’s very open to learn,” said Mauricio Pochettino. It was November 2017 and he’d been asked to explain why new signing Davinson Sanchez had started his Tottenham career so well after arriving just three months prior. Spurs’ new £36m defender was holding down his place in the team, looking calm and confident and, the manager continued, “The conditions are amazing [for him] to be one of the best centre-halves in the world.” Sanchez was 21 and in only his second season in Europe, but he had already shown all of the necessary qualities to make Pochettino’s bold prediction seem eminently sensible. At his best, the Colombian is a joy to watch. His acceleration is as smooth as it is rapid, his anticipation and positioning are redolent of a far more experienced head and he is firm and commanding in one-on-one situations. As well as hitting the ground running in north London, Sanchez had already won the Copa Libertadores with Atletico Nacional and played in a Europa League final with Ajax. Yet, two years later, it still feels as if he has not quite made that final step up. Last season, Spurs’ No.6 started just 23 times in the Premier League, down from 31 in his inaugural campaign. He did play in eight Champions League games – the same as in 2017-18, but towards the business end of the competition, with Pochettino switching to a back four for the biggest knock-out ties, Sanchez watched from the bench as Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld marshalled the defence.  Yet, if his performances at the Copa America are anything to go by, this could be the year that Sanchez cements his place in the Tottenham starting XI and, consequently, as one of the world’s finest defenders.