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With the Premier League’s transfer window now open, the upcoming weeks should be busy ones for Tottenham Hotspur.
Jose Mourinho’s side finished sixth in the table, handing them a Europa League spot for 2020-21. They have been linked with a number of players, including Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
However, COVID-19 means that finances at Tottenham this summer may be tight. That means that for new players to join the team, some current ones will probably have to leave.
With that in mind, here are 5 players who may leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
#1 Danny Rose
Left-back Danny Rose is almost certain to depart Tottenham this summer, even if his destination hasn’t been determined yet. The England international has been with Spurs since 2007 and has made over 200 appearances for the club. But he largely fell out of favour upon the arrival of Jose Mourinho in November 2019.
Rose joined Newcastle in a loan move in January, and since moving there, has made 11 appearances. His form hasn’t reached the heights it did during his peak at Tottenham. But he’s clearly still good enough to play a role for a Premier League side.
Could Tottenham welcome him back into the fold? It’s highly unlikely. Reports have persisted that he fell out with Mourinho before moving to Newcastle, with Rose himself claiming the Portuguese didn’t give him a fair chance.
And with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2021, if Tottenham want to receive a fee for him, they’ll need to move him on this summer.
So where could he go? There’s a chance that he moves to Newcastle on a permanent deal. But current reports suggest another destination. He’s now been linked with a move to his boyhood side Leeds – newly promoted into the Premier League.
Either way, it seems he’s very likely to leave Tottenham this summer.
#2 Juan Foyth
Coming into the 2019-20 campaign, Tottenham fans were shocked when first-choice right-back Kieran Trippier was sold to Atletico Madrid. The move left them with just two options in the position – Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters.
However, reports suggested that then-manager Mauricio Pochettino was prepared to use Juan Foyth, usually a centre-back, in the spot instead.
A year down the line, that hasn’t come to pass at all. Foyth started the campaign with an injury that left him sidelined. And when he did return to full fitness, Pochettino had been fired and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
The 22-year old Argentine was given a chance by the Portuguese boss, and he initially seemed to impress in a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich. But Foyth struggled in his next game, a disappointing 2-2 draw with Norwich, and he hasn’t played for Tottenham since.
While Tottenham likely need extra bodies for their Europa League campaign next season, it seems quite clear that Foyth won’t be among them. It just doesn’t seem that Mourinho trusts him, and the Argentine himself has admitted that he needs playing time soon.
Like Rose, a move to newly-promoted Leeds has been mooted for Foyth this summer. And even if that doesn’t come off, it seems like the £15m-rated defender’s time at Tottenham will likely be coming to an end.
#3 Erik Lamela
While rumours persist over the future of Tanguy Ndombele, reports today suggest that Tottenham have no intention of selling the Frenchman this summer. That begs the question, will any of Mourinho’s other midfielders be forced out of North London this summer?
It’s definitely a possibility, and if that’s the case, the fall-guy could well be Erik Lamela. The Argentine has been with Tottenham since 2013 and upon his signing, he became the club’s record purchase. However, injuries have plagued him since his arrival, and he’s made just 154 Premier League appearances since.
Lamela’s 2019-20 campaign was solid. He made 34 appearances for Tottenham, scoring four goals and registering three assists. But he’s never been a regular starter.
And more to the point, his countryman Giovani Lo Celso seems to have Tottenham’s #10 spot sewn up. On the other hand, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn are all ahead of him in the queue for a spot as one of the side’s wingers.
Mourinho might like Lamela’s combative nature – and that might be enough to convince the Portuguese to keep him at the club. But if Spurs need to sell an attacking midfielder in order to raise more funds, it seems that the 28-year old might be the most logical choice.
#4 Kyle Walker-Peters
The fact that Kyle Walker-Peters was allowed to join Southampton on loan in January – leaving Tottenham with just one recognised right-back – should tell you a lot about his future at the club.
Despite performing well for Spurs at the beginning of the season, and also for the Saints since moving there, it seems that Jose Mourinho simply doesn’t trust him enough.
It’s definitely a strange situation. Walker-Peters is a home-grown player who broke through from Tottenham’s academy. He’s never really performed badly for Spurs. He’s averaged a 7.0 rating from WhoScored.com across his 12 appearances for the club in three seasons. And it’s not like Serge Aurier has been outstanding this season either.
The likelihood is that Mourinho simply feels he hasn’t got enough experience to make an impact on his side at the top level. Is this really the case? Only time will tell.
Regardless, it appears that the 23-year old will be departing North London this summer. Rated at around £15m, most reports have suggested that he could become a makeweight in a deal for Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
That could make sense, as Walker-Peters has already settled in at St. Mary’s and would likely become their first-choice right-back. With current reports suggesting that talks are already underway, this could become a done deal very soon.
#5 Serge Aurier
Given that Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth are both likely to depart Tottenham this summer, it seems insane that the club would consider selling Serge Aurier too. To do so would leave Mourinho’s team without a recognised right-back altogether.
But given that Tottenham have been linked with move for Norwich’s Max Aarons and Atalanta’s Timothy Castagne, perhaps the idea isn’t so far-fetched after all.
After all, Aurier has not been the most consistent performer for Spurs in the 2019-20 campaign. While he’s shown flashes of brilliance, such as his goal against Olympiacos, too often the Ivorian international has looked like a liability.
He gave away penalties against both Liverpool and Manchester City and was red-carded against Southampton too. And while his decision to play following the recent death of his brother was commendable, too many questions still hang over his defensive ability.
The 27-year old joined Tottenham in 2017, and while it’s unlikely that Spurs would receive the £23m they paid for him, reports suggest that Monaco could be interested in a move. If Tottenham can seal the deals for Aarons and Castagne, then it’d definitely be a good idea to cash in on Aurier now.
