An overview of what Spurs need to do in the transfer window.
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Players they should sign:
Christian Benteke – Spurs thought they were in good hands last year once they’d finalised the deal to bring the Togolese hitman to White Heart Lane on a permanent deal. However, the goals dried up pretty quickly and now Andre Villas-Boas is bemoaning his side’s lack of firepower. Benteke joined Villa last summer as an unknown young striker who was tipped to make a minimal impact in the Premier League due to his inexperience, but little did the critics know was that Paul Lambert had found a player so suited to the rigours of English football that it would have been harder for him to fail. The Belgian has handed in a transfer request at the Midlands outfit and has reportedly stated that he wants to join Tottenham, despite earlier in the season claiming that he was an Arsenal fan growing up. Still only 22 and with a lot left to learn, he’d be more than a sound investment as he will likely only get better.
Leandro Damiao – Spurs have come close to losing out on the Brazilian attacker on several occasions already, with Napoli and French side Marseille both thought to have come close to agreeing a £17 million deal. However, he is still with Internacional where he bagged 24 goals in 43 appearances last term and is largely expected to make the Brazil squad for next year’s World Cup. A deal for the player was almost completed on the deadline day of the January transfer window, but a cavalier attitude with getting the paperwork signed and sent off caused the deal to fall short before the clock struck midnight. Damiao has become one of football’s hottest properties after breaking into the Internacional side in 2010. He has made 143 appearances for Colorado, scoring 82 goals. In his short career he’s already added a Copa Libertadores title to his name and was crowned as the top scorer during last year’s Olympic Games. He’d also provide company for fellow new Spurs recruit Paulinho, helping each other to settle into life in England.
Burak Yilmaz – Another striker, yes, but if it takes the burden off of Gareth Bale then all the better. Reports from Turkish newspaper Aksam suggests that the north London club are preparing a £17 million move after an impressive first season with the league champions saw him notch 32 goals in 39 games. Both Chelsea and Manchester United had been linked with the international striker, but his eight goals in the Champions League also caught the eye of the likes of Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid, though the latter have now snapped up former Spurs target David Villa. Galatasaray snapped the 27-year-old up from Trabzonspor for the minimal fee of just £5 million after his impressive goalscoring exploits for the club warranted a closer look. He managed 58 goals in 93 appearances during a three-year spell with the Karadeniz F?rt?nas? and now the time seems right for him to take the step up and test himself in one of Europe’s top leagues. The striker received glowing praise from his strike partner, Didier Drogba, who said: “For me it’s Burak Yilmaz’s season. [He’s scored] too many goals. Burak is the best.“
Alberto de la Bella – The 27-year-old was a key figure in Sociedad’s impressive and unexpected fourth placed finish and has identified de la Bella as the ideal man to add some much needed competition to the club’s full back slot and had placed a £3 million bid on the table which was promptly rejected by the Spanish side. However, that has not deterred Andre Villas Boas in his hopes of landing the player and he is expected to return imminently with an improved offer. De la Bella made 36 appearances last season, making him just two games short of being an ever present – and bagging three goals in the process. Spurs had also been watching is teammate Antoine Griezmann, but his high fee has turned the manager’s attentions to de la Bella after his solid performances earned him a place in the spotlight. He does, though, have a £25 million release clause installed in his contract and with Sociedad securing Champions League football they are under no pressure to sell and can hold out to see if Spurs cough up a bigger amount.