Tottenham Hotspurs are perhaps the unluckiest club in the world. Despite being the best team in England over the last two years, they lost out on the title to a miraculous Leicester City and then the resurgent Chelsea.
Each time, they fell short by the smallest of margins – who knows, a signing here or a signing there might have changed the complexion of their history.
After losing to Leicester, they signed players like Vincent Janssen and Moussa Sissoko – which rendered the whole chance of making use of the transfer window obsolete given that the two aforementioned players had a season to forget in their first game at White Hart Lane.
Now, Spurs are provided with another chance. Sadly, however, the other teams – the two from Manchester especially are out in full force in the window, already signing some world class players. Plus, they also have a year worth of experience with their respective managers.
Keeping all this in mind, here are five signings Spurs should try to make in order to challenge for the title next season.
#1 Matthias Ginter
Tottenham Hotspurs have the best defence in the Premier League. The duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have formed a near-unbreakable partnership at the heart of the defence. However, their back-ups are perhaps not as solid as them.
While Eric Dier might be a very good player, he plays better in a 3-man defence, which means that Spurs still don’t have a proper backup for their main men. This window, the North London outfit have been linked with a couple of defenders including Ginter.
The German has been making waves in the Bundesliga since his teens, but truly burst out this season under Thomas Tuchel. One of the mainstays in Dortmund’s backline, the 23-year-old isn’t yet a finished product and has a long way to go before becoming reaching his world class potential.
And under the tutelage of the meticulous Mauricio Pochettino, and with the guidance of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, he might just be the man Spurs need to take the load off the Belgian duo.
#2 Andre Silva
It seems as though Portugal are going through somewhat of a boost in terms of talents appearing from the youth ranks. First, it was Renato Sanches, who starred in Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph before making an ill-advised move to Bayern and stalling his career in the process.
And right now, they have found a couple of Silvas in Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva. With the Confederations Cup ahead, it feels like Portugal have finally found the perfect partner in crime for Cristiano Ronaldo in the mould of the 21-year-old striker. The Porto man is a talented young player who had a breakthrough season this term as he finished with 21 goals in all competitions.
Given that Spurs have really struggled whenever Harry Kane was unavailable to play, and Vincent Janssen not turning up with the goods, it is only logical for Pochettino to look for an adequate replacement.
And Andre Silva could be that man.
#3 Renato Sanches
There are some people in the world that suffer from cherophobia, which means aversion from happiness. These people fear that too much happiness is just a smokescreen for the sorrow that life will eventually bring them.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Renato Sanches becomes one of those after a tumultuous last 12 months. From winning the Euro as an 18-year-old to becoming an unwanted fringe player at Bayern Munich, his fall has been as mighty as his rise.
However, the talent is still there – it is just a matter of cooking it up. Given that the Bavarians are stacked in midfield, it will be very hard for the teenager to make a name in Germany. And this is why he should consider moving.
With the departure of Luka Modric to Real Madrid five years ago, Spurs haven’t yet truly replaced their master passer. To be fair, though, nobody really can replace the Croat. However, if there is anybody who comes close to replacing the creative flair from deep midfield, it is Sanches.
#4 Thomas Lemar
When you watch him play, it feels as though you are witnessing a more talented version of Mousa Dembele. The same left-footed elegance that caresses the ball while dribbling it out of tight control, the same burst of pace while moving forward.
However, there is one slight difference: Lemar is more creative and cuts defences better with his passes. In other words, his final product is better than that of the Belgian who currently is a mainstay in the Spurs midfield.
And despite the shortcomings of the former Fulham man, he is a key member of Pochettino’s system and Spurs actually struggle without his tenacious presence the middle.
The signing of Moussa Sissoko was carried out with the intention of replacing the Belgian in case of an injury. However, the Frenchman has been terrible in his first season and a signing is needed to fill up the void.
And Thomas Lemar ticks all the boxes. Indeed, if he is replacing Dembele in the line-up, Spurs fans won’t even feel the difference. And there is also a great chance that the Londoners will be a better team because of it.
#5 Achraf Hakimi
Now, now… who? Yes, Achraf Hakim – an 18-year-old right-back who is destined to be the next Dani Carvajal. To be honest, though, Achraf is better than Carvajal was when he was 18. And now look where Carvajal is, constantly rated as the best right-back in the world and has three Champions League winners medal to his name in five years of competitive football.
Hakimi is a Real Madrid Castilla player who is set to leave the club in order to gain first-team experience. Alaves seems like the most likely destination as of now, but Spurs can chip in and steal him away. It is almost certain that Hakimi will play for Real’s first team someday, but given that Carvajal still has at least 6-7 years left in him, Spurs could enjoy Hakimi’s services for quite a few years.
Now there is a question of suiting the Premier League because after all, he is only 18. With Kyle Walker set to leave Spurs, it is only logical to replace him with another blazing attacking right-back, and Hakimi is just that.
