Summer Transfer Window 2017

With the current season reaching its conclusion, White Hart Lane closing its gates for good and no major international tournament, attention will then turn to the transfer window. As always the transfer window will be another crucial period to not only keep pace with the top boys but also finding a way of potentially getting one up on them so we are able to finish as high as possible and challenge for honours once again on our year without a true “home”.

To assess the current squad and what’s potentially needed, you must start with the goalkeepers and work forward. So, here we go: in the goalkeeping department we look as strong as any other team in the league and with the potential of either Chelsea or Utd looking for a new 1^st team keeper after a raid by Real Madrid, this is one of the areas of the squad I don’t see much if any movement. Captain Hugo I personally expect to stay, unless something silly comes along, as well as his trusted deputy Michel Vorm. The biggest question mark is whether Pau Lopez will have his loan deal turned permanent. Realistically I believe it will but I’m not so sure whether it’s the right thing. I believe it’s now time to bring in a better number 2 as to continue pushing Hugo while looking to the future as its of my own opinion that Vorm is in his final season or 2 of his career. People like Jordan Pickford, Kasper Schmeichel and Timo Horn immediately come to mind as preferences.

Right Back, similar to the goalkeepers I don’t see much if any movement on this front. The only reason a new right back would come to the club would be if Trippier decides it’s time to go in search of first team football. Off the top of my mind no one springs to mind as to who could do the same job Trippier has done for the squad and improving Walkers game. If he did leave, it’s of my opinion that Walker-Peters isn’t there yet to be challenging for a first team place or even replacing Walker if he was injured or suspended.

Centre Back, well this is one area that needs strengthening more in depth rather than first team as its nailed on that Toby and Jan are first names on the team sheet with Dier nailed for the 3^rd Centre half spot in a 3 at the back. With Wimmer and Carter-Vickers, a player I have extremely high hopes for, as backups there’s still room I believe for another Centre back to be brought into the club. A Michael Keane, Harry Maguire or, in a dream scenario, Virgil Van Dike would fit like a glove and make our defence even more secure.

Left Back, this could be one of the areas of the squad this summer that could be intriguing on the transfer front. Personally I think at worst case we could end up with 2 new left backs entering the club. One to replace Davies and a youngster with future high potential. Ben Chilwell, at Leicester or Charlie Taylor at Leeds would be 2 interesting additions to the squad. But, the pessimist in me has major concerns that Danny Rose could personally leave the club this summer if something silly was offered or a potential swap deal with Man Utd involving Luke Shaw becoming a lilywhite, a deal I personally would snap Utd’s hand off, could happen. There’s just something in these rumours which makes me think someone will at least try and poach him from us so watch this space.

Defensive Midfield is an interesting one, personally anyway. Due to the emergence of Harry Winks this season, the signing of the season Victor Wanyama, the genius that is Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier, this area on the pitch seems to be an area which doesn’t need major changes and I agree. The only way this position can be improved is by better strength in depth or someone from this area to chip in with a few more goals or a bit more creativity a Youri Tielemans (a 19yr old from Anderlecht), Ross Barkley or a James Ward-Prowse, personally or this maybe controversial and crazy to think but moving Moussa Sissoko into the middle. I can hear the yawns, the jaws to the ground and the cursing now at screens at even mentioning his name for some (a lot) of fans but hear me out. Moussa Sissoko, yes, he lacks consistency and is probably one of the most frustrating players in the league, never mind the club but hold on a second this is a guy with pace, power, creative and has an eye for a goal when he is on form. Which got me thinking “hang on this sounds like someone in the squad we have already”, then I remembered a lot of these were the same problems people had with Mousa Dembele until a few seasons ago.

Right Wing, one of the problematic areas of the squad on the face of it. As this season, has shown so far with Erik Lamela missing that side of the pitch at times misses the creativity and flair that the left-hand side has, with the wizard Christian Eriksen, which Moussa Sissoko has failed to provide us with. Even the like of Son when he’s played on the right has failed to live up to expectations. This to me must be second on a list of priorities this summer on the shopping list. Some names id love the board to consider for this would be: Wilfred Zaha (especially if Palace go down), Mahrez (especially if Leicester went down), Bruma (a 22-year-old from Galatasaray), Patrick Herrmann (a 26yr old German at Borussia Monchengladbach) and Domenico Berardi (a 22yr old Italian at Sassuolo.)

Creative Midfielder is one of those positions depending on who is going to play here and who your back up is. It’s obvious that this position is either going to be Dele Ali or Christian Eriksen’s spot in the team. The issue is do you play Christian here with Dele dropping deeper or continue with Christian at Left Midfield. With pushing Dele deeper allows you to carry on Joshua Onomah’s development and first team duties without too much pressure. However, keeping Christian on the left and making Dele the CAM personally means we need to buy a suitable back up for him as Onomah is not ready to replace him if he is suspended or injured for a long period. Potentially an experienced head who is happy to play second fiddle to one of the world’s potential best players who can guide and teach Dele as Wesley Sneijder perhaps or do you sign someone of similar quality to Dele who’s a bit older but will push him to main his level and make him better, something Poch did by bringing Trippier and Davies in to compete with Rose and Walker, a player in the mould of the ever like Isco, who has that star quality, hunger and something which is a massive factor, a winning mentality.

Left Midfield is like the Creative Midfield position, this all depends on where the Poch will play Christian. If its Left Midfield then with Son and NKoudou, and potentially signing a youngster (more specifically Ryan Sessegnon) then this position is perfect and shouldn’t be messed with. The issue is if Christian is picked as a CAM, then the left could do with a new face to start as Son’s consistency for me personally needs to improve and Nkoudou is still adjusting to life in England and English football. All the players mentioned in right midfield paragraph and even Isco can all fill in, in this position so reading between the lines myself from the list of players I have thought of we need at least two of these.

Striker. WE. MUST. BUY. ANOTHER STRIKER. AND. RECRUIT. PROPERLY. AND. PAY. WHAT. IS. NEEDED. The backup striking position has become ridiculous and is starting to become the main issue transfer window, after transfer window. It’s becoming the new “we need a new left mid” which went of forever until a certain Gareth Bale turned up. A new striker MUST to be the number one target and potentially even the first face in the door. But, the outstanding debate and thought process as to who, even in the corridors of WHL, became a little more clouded when Saido Berahino moved to Stoke in January. The new striker must fall under one of three categories for me: World Star, a player with a pedigree of scoring goals in one of the major leagues in the world and will push Harry Kane someone like a Mauro Icardi at Inter, Alexander Lacazette at Lyon or Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid. An experienced proven goal scorer someone like a Mario Gomez at Wolfsburg, Stefan Kiebling at Bayern Leverkusen or Kevin Gameiro at Sevilla. Or a premiership proven striker someone like a return for Jermain Defo, Andre Grey at Burnley, Javier Hernandez at Leverkusen or Fernando Llorente at Swansea. I also believe that Shayron Harrison is not ready or the first team and needs to be loaned out at a championship team to prove his worth, so a new young striker needs to be recruited more as a 3^rd choice striker. Using Son is a striker is fine but not as one of your main 2/3 as he has mainly impressed me most the time by coming on as a sub and impacting the game, but mainly from wide positions, and again his consistency in front of goal needs to improve to add another threatening dimension to his game. I also believe that Vincent Janssen could be kept but only as 3^rd choice or even sent out on loan to a Burnley or a new promoted club (a Newcastle potentially) so he can get consistent game time but also use to English football even more and its pressures week in week out.

This article is written by nothing more than my own thoughts, opinions and beliefs on just the general first team and some suggestions on who should come in. So, in the end I believe the club needs to invest in at least 3 major players to come in and approve the attacking end of the squad with potentially 3/4 squad players coming in to add depth to the team. Any others would be totally dependent on the bigger players leaving the club and personally I only see regrettably Hugo Lloris and Danny Rose.