With around £125 million of European prize money in the coffers, an exciting new manager at the helm, and Daniel Levy demanding nothing less than glory in England and the Champions League, Spurs supporters have plenty of reasons to expect the club to target world-class players during the current transfer window. Johan Lange kicked off the summer by signing Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso to permanent dealsâboth of whom have Champions League experienceâwhich left fans anticipating news about Eberechi Eze or another high-profile signing. Instead, they got Kota Takai.Â
Talented as the 20-year-old Japanese international may be, Thomas Frank now has nine central defenders to squeeze into perhaps four Champions League roster spots. While itâs unlikely Takai will be registered for that tournament, Lange has produced Spursâ version squid game at central defense. The news is not only mystifying given the decision to re-sign Ben Davies, it must be disheartening for summer arrivals Luka VuÅ¡koviÄ, Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington. July training sessions could turn into a blood bath.
The summer transfer window is in full swing, meaning Spurs fans once again find themselves suspended in the bardo of silence, speculation and bewilderment.
But thatâs not entirely true. A document existsâbyzantine and arcane though it may beâthat could provide clues to Spursâ future transfer plans: Part IV, Article 31 of UEFA's Player Registration Rules.
Alasdair Gold outlined some of the dilemmas facing Tottenham due to UEFA rules in an in-depth article for football.london, which has tempered expectations and prompted measured conjecture about how Spurs can target summer signings that will adhere to the parameters of UEFA's bylaws.
The UEFA Registration Framework
The relevant facts are as follows: Teams competing in UEFA tournaments are allowed to register 25 players on List A, with 17 places allocated to "non-locally trained players." The remaining eight places on List A are reserved for four "locally trained players" who have been registered with the club for three years between the ages or 15 and 21, and four "association-trained playersâ who have been registered with a club in the same association for three years between the ages or 15 and 21. If teams are unable to fill all of those spots on List A, squad numbers will be reduced accordingly.
List B is reserved for players "born on or after 1 January 2004 and [have], since [their] 15th birthday, been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years." The latter portion of the clause disqualifies Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Luka VuÅ¡koviÄ, Yang Min-hyeuk and Kota Takai. Meaning if Spurs want to register any of them, they will take up a coveted spot on List A.
To project Spurs' ongoing recruitment strategy, we've broken down Spurs' current squad into groups of players likely to be registered for Champions League and those who may find themselves surplus to requirements due to UEFA regulations.
Squad Breakdown
Non-locally Trained Players (17 spots)
Registered (14): Son Heung-min, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky
Notable exemptions: Richarlison, Alejo Véliz, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Yves Bissouma, Radu DrÄguÈin, Luka VuÅ¡koviÄ, Kota Takai
If Bissouma, Solomon, Gil, Véliz, and Richarlison are sold, transfer to another club, or simply not registered, Spurs would be left with three open spots to fill on their UCL squad list. The math changes if Cristian Romero were to leave for Atlético Madrid, Son Heung-min accepts a super yacht full of Saudi riyal, or players get injured during pre-season.
Association Trained Players (4 spots)
Registered (5): Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, Djed Spence, Archie Gray
Notable exemptions (1): Ben Davies
Spurs can only register four "association trained players,â so one of the five players listed above would move to the "non-locally trained player" list. That would leave Spurs with only two spots to fill with new signings.
Locally Trained Players (4 spots)
Registered (1): Brandon Austin
Spurs' dearth of "locally trained players" could be seen as an indictment of the clubâs vision and understanding of UEFA rules. But that's not totally fair given that FA and UEFA rules incentivize clubs to sell "homegrown" players in order to maximize profits and comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). In a season or two, Spurs will have no problem maxing out their "locally trained player" requirements with players like Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore. Until then, Brandon Austin is the only current player who satisfies all criteria.
Potential Solutions
Spurs can increase their Champions League squad numbers by bringing a "locally trained player" like Kyle Walker-Peters or Sunderland's Dennis Cirkin back to the club. But given the logjam at every position other than backup defender, there is nor rationale for Spurs to re-sign academy graduates like Romaine Mundle, Troy Parrott, Harry Winks, Oliver Skipp or Japhet Tanganga. Harry Kane is the only one that makes sense, and he ain't sauntering back through the door in lederhosen this summer.
Transfer Strategy
Thomas Frank could roll the dice with a small squad and play Archie Gray as a backup defender, or opt for depth and one of Kyle Walker-Peters or Dennis Cirkin. Either way, I canât see Spurs investing in a non-locally trained player. A more realistic projection would see Spurs sign two or three players who could compete for starting roles.
Plausible Targets
Defensive Midfielder: Adding another central midfielder depends on Thomas Frankâs opinion of Yves Bissouma. With only has one year left on his contract, it would be no surprise to see him land in Turkey. If that comes to pass, Spurs could look to bring in a potential starter like Ãderson, Morten Hjulmand, Lamine Camara or Angelo Stiller.
Attacking Midfielder: If Levy were to splash the cash on a marquee signing like Eberechi Eze or Xavi Simons, Tottenham fans would erupt in spontaneous ecstasy and turn the High Road into the Ibiza Strip. Frank already has two attacking options in James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, so nothing less than a bona fide star makes sense.
Versatile Forward: With Manchester United increasing their bid for Bryan Mbeumo and Bournemouth demanding an egregious £70 million to let Antoine Semenyo leave, Spurs could replace Richarlison with Jonathan David or Evann Guessand, a tall, versatile forward who could be deployed on the right wing, partner with Solanke, or play as a lone striker.
Dream Scenario
An ideal transfer window would see Spurs sign free agent Kyle Walker-Peters along with Ãderson (£52m), Eberechi Eze (£68m) and Evann Guessand (£30m) for a total outlay of £150 million. But unless someone unexpectedly departs or a starter suffers an injury during pre-season, Thomas Frank would still need to leave an important player off his 23-man Champions League squad list.Â
The harsh truth is that Spurs are unlikely to sign four more players this summer. And the smart money is on three.