Spurs teeter above the relegation zone in the Premier League and Gareth Bale has called for the club to be braver in the transfer window.
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Tottenham Hotspur legend Gareth Bale has urged the club to unshackle their spending habits in a bid to end seasons of inconsistency in North London.
Last term, Ange Postecoglou led Spurs to Europa League glory but faced huge criticism for the team’s performance in the Premier League. This season, things have gone from bad to worse with the club now preparing for a relegation battle.
Igor Tudor was brought in to save what was a sinking ship under Thomas Frank, but has lost his first three matches in charge against Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace. Spurs now sit 16th in the league, just one point above the drop zone.
Speaking on The Overlap recently, Bale was asked why he thinks Spurs have fallen so far away from the top six and behind rivals such as Arsenal and Manchester United. The Welshman pointed to the club’s spending strategy.
Gareth Bale urges Spurs to take ‘gamble’ in transfer window
He said: “You probably look at the wage bill, and it’s lower [than rivals]. There’s a reason for that. You can attract good players but now, you can buy a £50 million player and it’s not what it used to be. You have to be spending £100 million now just to get a good player. Maybe it’s just the money and not attracting the bigger players who can do a job here and now.
“They also always seem to buy young and hope they will grow into something big, it has worked in the past for example with me and a few other players. They are an established club now, they have the stadium, the training ground, the fan base. They need to be buying bigger players.”
Tottenham did back Frank in the January window with £53 million spent on Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, having splurged on Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Kevin Danso last summer.
Simons was the most expensive arrival from the group, costing £52 million, but Bale wants to see the club spend even bigger. He added: “It’s that bit of a gamble you maybe need to take and from a business point they aren’t willing. I don’t know how they are doing financially but for me that’s the biggest issue, they don’t sign a proven player. I know Manchester United haven’t been doing great but at least they are trying to sign the player that’s the finished article or close to.”
In other news, Tottenham lining up manager Arne Slot says is 'one of the best'.