Ange Postecoglou has admitted that he has not made a decision on whether to exercise the option to sign Timo Werner permanently, insisting that he will make that assessment only at the end of the campaign.
Werner’s campaign appears to be over, with the German international picking up a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out of action for the remaining league games (ESPN).
Tottenham have a £15m option to buy the 28-year-old permanently but they will have to make the decision early in the transfer window, with the option only valid until June 15 (TEAMtalk).
The question of whether Spurs should activate it has divided the fan base, with some seeing it as a good price to pay for a valuable squad player while others are of the opinion that the club should look to sign forwards of a higher calibre.
Spurs will make Timo Werner decision this summer
While Postecoglou acknowledged that Werner has had a positive impact, he revealed that the decision on whether to sign him will be made depending on how he fits into the club’s overall transfer strategy.
When asked why Tottenham will make a decision on the forward’s future, the Australian told Football.London: “Post-season and the only reason for that is that it’s not about the here and now, it’s about the overall strategy. I’m talking about where I want us to be in the next six months to be in a better place than today.
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“Timo we signed until the end of the season on loan and he’s part of that strategy to see what we need to do in the summer and can we do it. Are there going to be other gaps and where does Timo fit in with that strategy? So we have a plan in place, and that was irrespective.
“I think he’s been very good for us. He came in at a really important time in January when Sonny was away, then Richy got an injury. We were short in wide areas. Him coming in was very helpful for us and I think he’s made an impact but in my mind to make those definitive decisions, I still need some clarity about what we’ve got here first.”
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Reading between the lines, it sounds like Tottenham’s decision on Werner will depend on how much of the transfer budget is allocated to the wide-forward role in comparison with the midfield and number nine role.
If Tottenham are to spend more than £100m cumulatively on a number nine and a number six, then they might perhaps settle for Werner as cover for the left-wing birth.
However, if they decide to go for cheaper alternatives for one of the aforementioned positions, they might pass up on Werner and instead look to spend big on a wide player like Nico Williams or Raphina.
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