Opinion: Looking at what will happen with the rest of ENIC’s £150m investment

In late May, Tottenham Hotspur announced that majority shareholders ENIC invested £150 million into the club to further invest on and off the pitch.

This was their first investment into the club since 2004 (Athletic) with the expectation that most of it will be spent on improving the squad (Football London). Therefore, where will the money be spent? 

So far, Spurs have signed Yves Bissouma for a reported £25m plus £10m in potential add-ons (SkySports), whilst also signing Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on free transfers. Later, the trio were joined by Everton forward Richarlison in a deal worth up to £60m (SkySports).  

These transfers used a sizeable portion of ENIC’s investment, with the transfers totalling around £75m and another potential £20m in add-ons.

This is the first time Spurs have signed this many players in June since 2008. Therefore, it shows a clear change under the leadership of Antonio Conte.  

However, with around £60m left within the investment and the expectation that players will be sold too, Spurs must continue to invest to be able to compete for trophies. 

Firstly, Spurs will need to improve on their right-wing-back options for the coming season. Djed Spence is still expected to join the club despite a delay (Lyall Thomas). On the other hand, Spurs could look at potential alternatives, including Johnathan Clauss and Wilfried Singo (Sky Sports Transfer centre 24/06/22 at 10:38).

However, all these options will not cost obscene fees. Therefore, Spurs could consider a move for Achraf Hakimi. Earlier this year, it was reported that the Moroccan is not enjoying life in Paris. Daniel Riolo said on RMC’s After Foot show that Hakimi is unhappy as some players will not talk to him.

The wing-back worked with Conte at Inter Milan, therefore a move should not be out of the question this summer. 

However, with Hakimi’s contract running out in 2026 (transfermarkt), a move has to go down as unlikely and costly. Sure, any potential transfer would cost well over £50m, making Daniel Levy unlikely to push the button. 

Due to the signing of Richarlison, it is unlikely that Spurs will sign another striker. However, the possibility of signing another playmaker is not out of the window.

The likes of James Maddison or Youri Tielemans seem possible, especially if Leicester are interested in signing Harry Winks (90min).

As Youri Tielemans only has 1 year remaining on his contract (transfermarkt), a fee would not break the bank. This would leave greater funds for a vital position in defence at N17.  

Moreover, Tottenham’s most important position for improvement is left centre back. Despite Ben Davies having a standout year, depth is key, especially during a congested and prolonged season. At first, Alessandro Bastoni was the main target, but he is keen to stay at Inter (Football Italia). 

Therefore, focus should turn to the likes of Pau Torres, Benoit Badiashile and Marc Guehi. All of these would cost over £30million, so the investment from ENIC could be used in this area.

Depending on the potential outgoings of Sanchez and Rodon, Spurs could also sign a central centre-back, including the likes of Bremer, to compete with Eric Dier. 

However, with the arrival of Clement Lenglet seeming more likely (Marca), Spurs will only sign one more centre-back alongside the Frenchman, making it vital that they make the correct decision. 

In general, it has been a successful start to the window for Spurs. But the coming weeks are crucial in determining the outcome of Spurs’ season.

With Conte wanting his signings before the pre-season tour in Korea (Evening Standard), Levy must now act quickly to please the Italian. 

The investment from ENIC is expected to be used to improve the squad, so Spurs fans should feel confident that another marquee signing will occur in the coming weeks. It’s exciting times at Spurs currently and the investment from ENIC has made it even better! 

Related Topics