Somewhat disappointingly Spurs are yet to enter the transfer market this summer. There is an obvious need for some stability after the upheaval of 12 months ago, but with a new manager and several weaknesses in the squad, one or two signings would still be welcome. Daniel Levy has a tendency to leave deals till the last minute, trying to get the best financial result but this is often a false economy, destabilising the team during the early part of the season.
Before considering any new players, Tottenham must first try to hold on to the key members of our current squad. In this context, the signing of a new long term deal by ABP player of last season, Hugo Lloris, is a massive bonus – he is arguably the most important player we have. Eriksen, Walker and Vertonghen can probably be added to this list.
Many of the players who joined Spurs last year were bought for the long term, so this season they may almost have the same impact as new signings, particularly Erik Lamela. If he can stay injury free and settle into the Premier League, he should start showing why we invested so much money in him. Looking at the statistics from his final year at Roma, he has incredible potential.
Despite Tottenham’s problems last season, we have a reasonably strong squad. Nevertheless, there are some areas we could do with strengthening. In order of need, Spurs shopping list should include:
- Left back
- Central defender
- Striker
- Left winger / midfield player
It’s reassuring that the most tangible rumours involve the apparently imminent signing of Ben Davies from Swansea. It seems that, unlike last season, the club hierarchy has finally recognised the urgent need for a new left back.
I had rather optimistically hoped Spurs might sign Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodriguez but Davies looks a promising alternative. I can’t pretend to have studied his performances last year in detail but from what I have seen and read, he looks a good choice. He is young, comfortable on the ball and has a good balance of defensive and attacking qualities – crucial for a fullback.
Twitter has been full of statistical comparisons between him and Danny Rose, which tend to give the Swansea man the advantage. Defenders are notoriously hard to judge from their numbers but I’m sure if there was a statistic for how many times a fullback was caught hopelessly out of position, Davies would prove clearly the better player.
Let’s hope this transfer goes through and that Spurs address one or two of the other gaps in the squad, before the Premier League season starts next month.
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Where do Spurs need strengthening before the season starts? Is Ben Davies a good signing? Please let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
Ben Davies looked really solid yesterday at the pre-season game and a great upgrade for our left back position.
I missed the game but it’s great news he has finally officially joined. Sounds like Lamela looked good yesterday too.
I was lucky enought to watch them live in Toronto yesterday. Let’s just say the first-half time was great to watch. Lamela was making great runs in the box and Soldado was linking well with those around him. Very encouraging signs. The second half team was typical Spurs from last season – nervous at the back and quite disorganized despite the presence of Dawson.
Impressive that you have seen the Pochettino Spurs before even White Hart Lane has. Sound promising, will have to watch the highlights.