Noel Whelan has urged Tottenham to hang on to Harry Winks, insisting that the midfielder can offer the team a lot in the right system.
Winks has not quite delivered on the early promise he showed when he broke into the Tottenham team under Mauricio Pochettino, with the Spurs academy graduate’s career stalling over the last couple of years.
He struggled for minutes for the vast majority of last season, only getting a run of matches under his belt after Jose Mourinho’s sacking in April.
Previous reports had indicated that Tottenham were willing to cash in on Winks this summer and that the midfielder had expressed a desire to leave the club.
The Telegraph then revealed last week that Aston Villa could make a move for the 25-year-old this summer, with Dean Smith’s side viewing him as an option to bolster their central midfield ranks.
However, Whelan is insistent that despite Winks’ struggles last season, Tottenham should not entertain the thought of allowing the England international to go to Villa Park.
The former Coventry City striker told Football Insider: “We know the quality because not long ago he (Winks) was still in the England setup.
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“There was lots of speculation about him moving but why would you sell someone that was in the England squad to another Premier League rival? It’s ludicrous.
“He’s a very good player that gets on the ball, comfortable in tight situations and starts moves off.
“Yes, he’s not as creative as some but that’s why you’ve got the front three, to express themselves and do their job.
“There’s no doubt about it in my mind he can control games in that position. Exceptional young player, loads of talent.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I would not be surprised if Winks moves to a club like Villa or Leeds and thrives as, despite his defensive frailties, he can be a decent deep-lying playmaker for a possession-based side. However, that does not mean that it will be the wrong decision for us to cash in on him.
In fact, I do not really see him being a natural fit for Nuno’s system and so I would not be surprised if the new Spurs boss has already given the green light for the midfielder to be sold.
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