Tottenham Hotspur have been left in a difficult position in the transfer market and must now decide whether splashing the cash on secondary options is really worth it.
Much will be said in the coming days about the performance of Tottenham Hotspur in the transfer market. From failed signings to minimal revenue, the whole window has been a complete disaster up to this point.
Spurs now have a decision to make with just days remaining to sign players. Should they go for second or even third choice options and potentially overpay to get them, or just wait until January to revisit the possibility of getting a player or two who they actually want?
The answer to this question is a complex one because there are obvious needs in the Tottenham first-team squad. However, spending more money now could mean there is reluctance to empty the club’s pockets further down the line when a more favourable option becomes available.
Tottenham must sign a new left winger at all costs
Some needs are so great that it is worth paying the necessary price to fulfil them. This is especially true when considering Tottenham’s shortage on the left wing. Mathys Tel does not yet look up to the standard of first-team football and while Brennan Johnson is scoring for now, once the goals stop, his general play will begin to cause frustration.
Spurs do not want to be in a position where wingers who are naturally suited to the right wing keep having to shift to the left. Therefore, it is critical that a new signing is made. Of course, Manor Solomon is somehow still at the club, but even if he comes good, another option would be useful as Tottenham look to compete across four different competitions.
The decision to sell Heung-min Son ought to have been the right one and yet this is hard to believe, looking at the lack of left-wingers Thomas Frank has at his disposal.
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Then there is Mikey Moore, who could have been given the chance to get some minutes at Tottenham. Instead, he is at Rangers, where he was not even selected as they were thrashed 6-0 by Club Brugge in Champions League qualifying.
Tottenham have got themselves into this mess and now they need to get themselves out of it. If that means paying a premium fee on a panic buy left winger, then so be it. After all, leaving Frank with the team as it is now would be nothing short of a disgrace!
Spurs could survive without an attacking midfielder
After all the time wasted on attempting to agree moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, failing to bring in a new attacking midfielder would be a shambolic state of affairs.
However, there is a way to mitigate these circumstances. Pape Matar Sarr may not be an attacking midfielder in the traditional sense, but he has upped his game. Spurs could look to him as their more forward-thinking player in the middle until Dejan Kulusevski returns from injury. Once the Swede is back he can be played centrally, as there is already depth on the right flank.
Lucas Bergvall could always be tested in a more forward-thinking role. His lack of goal contributions since joining Tottenham might be a concern, but he is a great dribbler and could look to draw in defenders before releasing the ball to players in space.
Of course, none of these scenarios are ideal and if Spurs are able to pay a reasonable fee to sign a new midfielder – like Xavi Simons – by all means do. Some of the names being mentioned at the moment are actually quality players.
However, the last thing the club need is to bring in a bang average player who never plays once Kulusevski and James Maddison return and then ends up sticking around for years. Players such as Bryan Gil come to mind.
What other positions in the Tottenham first-team squad are lacking?
Spurs have their clearest needs in attack and on that note, it would have been useful to sign another striker. If Richarlison gets injured, which literally happens every season, Dominic Solanke and Dane Scarlett are the club’s only options up front. Tel could play as a centre-forward, but that just thins resources on the left wing even more.
At the other end of the pitch, Tottenham have failed to sign a new full-back. This will likely be mitigated by Ben Davies playing on the left when needed, while Archie Gray will play some matches on the right.
However, the Europa League winners should not be having to make compromises like this. Spurs had better hope for as few injuries as possible or there are going to be real challenges again this season.