A list of five players who should make an exit from Spurs either in January or next summer.
What a funny summer it’s been for Spurs. Selling your most prized asset is usually a grave cause for concern, but instead, they’ve splashed out on a whole new team (of midfielders) in a bid to truly establish their title credentials.
However, despite the heavy layout on new talent, they’ve neglected certain areas that dramatically needed improving. These areas will no doubt get the coverage and attention that they deserve, and when they do certain members of the first team will need to be jettisoned in order to make way for the fresh blood.
1. Emmanuel Adebayor
It’s hard to pinpoint where it went wrong for Adebayor. When he joined on loan during the 2011/12 season he was in electric form, banging in 18 goals and creating 12 assists over the course of 37 games. That prompted Harry Redknapp to splash out a relatively meagre £5m for his signature on a long term basis and everyone believed that they had someone on their hands that would perform like that regularly.
However, last season saw him yield just eight goals in almost as many games, and only two assists. What had happened? Usually one for being outspoken and individualistic, had he rubbed someone up the wrong way and now he was paying for it? We hadn’t heard anything, but something wasn’t right.
Andre Villas-Boas had his hands tied this summer and couldn’t afford to let him go. Spurs were having trouble bringing another striker on board, so the only sensible thing to do was to hang on to him, if only to cover their own backsides. There will undoubtedly be a club out there willing to take a chance on his in January, thus freeing up space in the squad as well as a considerable chunk of the wage bill.
2. Lewis Holtby
Spurs fans must have been rubbing their eyes in disbelief when they read that Holtby, one of the most promising talents in the Bundesliga had joined for the knock down fee of just €1.75m.
However, the German international has been linked with a move away from the club just nine months after joining following the arrivals of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela over the summer.
The 22-year-old has yet to start a league game for the north London outfit as he appears to have fallen down the pecking order behind the new boys that arrived in recent weeks.
There’s a real danger that he could end up on the same path as Marko Marin, who was so similarly regarded before he left Werder Bremen for Chelsea last summer. A move away to a club more willing to accommodate him would ensure that doesn’t happen.
3. Heurelho Gomes
Gomes must be wondering where his downfall came from. One moment he’s the club’s first choice, and now he finds himself behind France’s preferred custodian and a man fast approaching middle age that can still outperform him.
A short loan spell to Hoffenheim last season proved fruitless as the club narrowly avoided relegation, and he was once again displaced by former German international Tim Wisse.
At 32, he’s how entering his prime as a goalkeeper, and though he had displayed all the characteristics of a headless chicken at times, he is still a goalkeeper capable of making some world class saves.
There was talk of a move back to PSV over the summer, but hand surgery over the summer meant that any switch was sure to be delayed. Expect him to move on in January.
4. Kyle Naughton
To put it simply; he’s probably not good enough. Close your eyes and imagine a teamsheet full of players at a club in the top six, can you see Naughton’s name on it?
That may be slightly harsh to say, but realistically he’s never really going to make that full back position his own, especially with Danny Rose and Kyle Walker breathing down his neck.
At 24 he would ideally be the first choice by now, and his continuous loans to clubs such as Middlesbrough, Leicester and Norwich haven’t helped his cause, and when he has featured for Spurs he’s still looked very much like the Championship player that he’s been so far throughout his career.
However, Spurs must secure a new full back before they let Naughton depart as he is still the only viable back up to messieurs Rose and Walker.
5. Gylfi Sigurdsson
The Icelandic international is not a bad player, not by a long shot, but he offers very little in the way that others can.
As a number 10, a player needs to have something more in his locker than the ability to shoot on sight, now, that’s a great trait to have, but he lacks in area’s that the club’s other new signings more than make up for.
He doesn’t possess the vision and creativity of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen, or the pace of Nacer Chadli, Aaron Lennon or Andros Townsend. The midfield area is already crowded out at Spurs and one will most likely have to move, either for the good of the club or the player, or both. Probably both.
Sigurdsson has done enough to prove that he is more than capable of performing at the highest level, and he would be able to provide a much more malleable service to a club that allow him a regular run of games. He would most likely command a healthy transfer fee too, which would be pumped straight back into other areas of the side that need addressing.