An overview of what Spurs need to do in the transfer window.
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.
Areas of weakness:
Strikers – There are only a few club’s with top six aspirations who can count on a midfielder as their top scorer, and in an ideal world Gareth Bale would have been fighting it out for the club’s golden boot award with one of the forwards in front of him. Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor are the club’s only two out-and-out strikers at the moment, and where Defoe has been injured, Adebayor has been painfully out of form. Some could argue that Clint Dempsey is a striker, but he’s always been used more just behind the front pair or out on the wing, but likewise, he will be disappointed with his modest contribution in front of goal this term too. It’s an area that will need immediate attention before the summer kicks off if they are to have any hope of keeping up with the rest of the Champions League chasers.
Left back…in the changing rooms – Last season saw the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Kyle Naughton and Benoit Assou-Ekotto all used in a revolving door situation at left back. Even Gareth Bale made a cameo appearance in his old role. Assou-Ekotto began the season as the first choice, but hasn’t looked himself since returning from injury and as the season wore on he was overlooked when it came to more important fixtures, clearly signalling that AVB no longer regards him so highly. Vertonghen is much more suited to playing in the centre of defence. He often lacks the instincts required to play a defensive roles out wide – excellent going forward, but unsure working the defensive areas. The jury is still out on Naughton, who is very similar to his friend on the other side of the defence, Kyle Walker. He is not as talented as Walker, but at such a young age has room to improve.
Strength in depth on the wing – When your best player, and best attacking threat is so central to the way your side functions it just makes sense to back the position(s) up with a player or two who are capable of making the loss seem like less of a blow. However, where Spurs are blessed with an abundance of talent in central areas they lack tremendously in wide areas. Should Gareth Bale or Aaron Lennon pick up an injury or suspension, there are very few players who would be able to fill in, at all, never mind capably.
Strengths:
Gareth Bale – The term ‘one man team’ gets thrown around a lot, and though it would perhaps be unfair to label Spurs as a one man team, there were times when they weren’t far off. The Welshman has been getting better and better over the recent seasons and last year capped a new peak of how good a season one player can have without winning any team honours. The big ambition this summer is to hold on to him, as both Real Madrid and Manchester United have been credited with a heavy interest. Slowly making his way further forward in the line up, the 23-year-old is a handful in a number of positions and you wouldn’t put it past him to be a decent goalkeeper either.
Goalkeepers – The one area where they are not left wanting is between the sticks. With the current French number one and the ex-USA first choice custodian (who would probably still be so had he not retired from international football) fighting it out to guard the net then you really know you have it made. At various points throughout the season, all five of the other Champions League chasing sides have had problems or doubts with their goalkeepers, even Manchester United. Spurs’ only problem was which one of their two choices was the better one, something which caused a stir of debate over the course of the year. Add Heurelho Gomes into the mix and there’s a solid trio of players there all more than capable of keeping the ball out of the net.
Centre midfield – Spurs probably have the greatest choice in this position than anyone else in the league. Eight players are all competing for two to three places in the side means that there is a wealth of selection on the table for Villas-Boas to contend with. However, that does also mean there will be a lot of restless players, frustrated by their lack of action, but when you’re competing on four fronts, with a gruelling Europa League campaign on the horizon then competition and rotational choices are most welcome.
Who they should sell:
Heurelho Gomes – As soon as Brad Friedel signed the writing was on the wall for the Brazilian international who had fallen from grace since his impressive start to life at White Heart Lane. Lauded as a coup when he joined from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven back in 2008. However, he spent the second half of last season on loan with Bundesliga side Hoffenhiem where he took over from the experienced Tim Wisse but couldn’t help the side finish above the bottom three. Now with Hugo Lloris and the evergreen Brad Friedel in front of him it doesn’t seem as though he will get much game time at all and a move back to his former stomping grounds in the Eredivisie has been mooted.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto – The Cameroonian international was once so highly regarded at the club, taking over from Bale in the left back slot once the Welsh ace began to move himself forward. There has always been a suspicion of him, though, ever since he admitted that he predominantly played football for the money. However, up until recently his commitment and desire were never in doubt as a string of fine performances made him one of the most underrated left backs in the Premier League. Sometimes capable of some highly eccentric behaviour he sometimes leaves fans with their hearts in their mouths with antics such as attempting step-overs in his own penalty area. AVB doesn’t seem to trust in him anymore, preferring to use a natural centre back in his position instead or the young Danny Rose.
Scott Parker – Under Harry Redknapp, and alongside Luka Modric, Parker had rejuvenated himself into one of the finest late bloomers in the country and had been expected to enjoy a long Indian summer into the twilight of his career. However, an ankle operation after Euro 2012 left the midfielder a shadow of his former self and under Villas-Boas has not been able to perform the box-to-box role envisaged for him. Redknapp is thought to be willing to take him off their hands this summer, and with him turning 33 in October and the increased competition for places at the club, now may very well be a good time to sell.
Tom Huddlestone – Huddlestone has been the epitome of a player perennially on the verge of a move away from White Heart Lane. He’s highly rated, yet can never seen to get a steady run of games and as an England international the time may be right for him to finally take that leap and head somewhere that will be able to give him what he needs. He has now been given permission to speak with the Black Cats ahead of a £5 million move and will make a refreshing change from Paolo Di Canio’s recent surge of signing little known players from abroad. Spurs are keen to cash in on the 26-year-old in order to raise funds for future transfers and had even offered him to Aston Villa in a part exchange deal to bring Christian Benteke to the club, but Villa rejected the approach. Blessed with a wide range of passing and a thunderous shot – he would be an asset to any side, unfortunately for him, and to a lesser extent Spurs too, they are able to attract a calibre of player that you could say is a rung or two higher on the chart than the former Forest man.