As Tottenham Hotspur ended their long managerial search after 70 days, supporters are now expecting to see a summer of changes in the squad.
Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy decided to appoint former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espírito Santo as the new Head Coach at Spurs.
The Portuguese manager spent four years at the West Midlands club, taking them from a Championship side to Europa League in three years, but parted ways at the end of last season after a difficult campaign in the Premier League, finishing 13th.
His appointment has understandably underwhelmed some supporters, especially when the club was linked to names such as Antonino Conte and Mauricio Pochettino, but his arrival could see Spurs approach his former club for a few of their standout players.
Here’s three players Spurs should look to sign from Wolves this summer:
Pedro Neto
After the departure of Diogo Jota to Liverpool last summer, Pedro Neto had to take the role of that creative and entertaining winger in the Wolverhampton Wanderers side, and boy did he succeed.
The Portuguese winger was involved in 11 goals (five goals and six assists) in the Premier League last season (Transfermarkt) – more than any other players in the Wolves squad despite missing the final eight games of the season.
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Neto, 21, is a player that can create a moment of magic out of nowhere, something that was missed from Spurs attackers for the majority of last season, excluding Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.
The winger boasts quick acceleration and flair to beat his defenders, completing 2.1 dribbles per 90 minutes, according to WhoScored.
By comparison, Lucas Moura only completed 1.1 dribbles per game – the joint-highest in the Spurs squad – and Steven Bergwijn with a disappointing one per game.
However, due to age and his importance to the Wolves side, the West Midlands club is bound to ask an excessive amount to part ways with the Portuguese man, plus having to fend off interest from fellow top-four rivals Liverpool. Making a deal for Neto this summer seem practically impossible.
Adama Traore
With Neto likely to be out of Spurs price range this summer, Adama Traore could be a cheaper alternative for the North London club this summer.
The Spanish forward is only available for £20m according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law who told the London is Blue podcast, with Leeds United looking to sign Traore this summer.
The past season wasn’t great for the 25-year-old, scoring just twice and contributing two assists (Transfermarkt), and may well put supporters off signing Traore, but that price could also be seen as an upgrade to the current options.
His presence in the final third is a cause for concern, lacking that end product, but Traore causes fear when running at defence as his pace and strength makes it all but impossible to stop the winger, so no surprise to see Traore have completed 4.1 dribbles per game, according to WhoScored.
The majority of Spurs supporters might feel underwhelmed with Traore walking through the door, but at the £20m reported price tag it would be a deal worth risking on.
Ruben Neves
Neves was one of Espírito Santo’s first signings at Wolves when he joined the club in 2017, as the club signed the midfielder in a £15.8 million deal – a club and league record fee, and became the backbone of the team that rose from Championship to Europa League in three years.
The 24-year-old is regarded as a defensive midfielder but prefers to have possession and control the tempo of the play, having the ability to hit pinpoint passes that opened up defences.
People might claim that we have Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp capable in that position, but Neves provides composure and the ability to dictate games. Also, let’s not forget that wand of a right-foot that has seen Neves score some absolute beauties over the past couple of seasons.
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