What exactly can Tottenham Hotspur do to take that next step?

Hope. Ambition. Excitement. These are all words that currently associate with the project Mauricio Pochettino is currently building in North London. All this hope and excitement however counts to nothing if Spurs do not win any trophies with this current squad! It is a squad many see to be Tottenham’s greatest in recent decades, one that is uniting the fans and the club more than ever with the addition of a state of the art stadium; now is the time for Tottenham Hotspur to be a force. So what can Spurs do to their squad this summer to ensure this happens?

Who to sell?

Kevin Wimmer

Unfortunately for Wimmer his second season has been nowhere near as positive as his first at the Lane. In his maiden, he had to step in for the injured Jan Vertonghen and impressed massively contributing to 5 clean sheets in 8 games. In contrast his second season, well, involves very dodgy performances and Wimmer ultimately being a liability. If any of Tottenham’s back three were to get injured, then Spurs will need someone more consistent and just better than Wimmer to step in. Kevin Wimmer is still a talented centre-back and he will have no trouble finding a top club if he were to be sold.  

Federico Fazio

A forgotten Spurs man spending the season just gone on loan at Roma. Defensive liability in his appearances for Spurs. Time to go permanently.

Georges-Kévin N’Koudou

The 22 year old French winger who joined Tottenham on deadline day last summer. Yet has only managed to play 83 minutes of Premier League football remaining behind Alli, Eriksen, Son, Lamela and Sissoko in the Spurs pecking order. In glimpses he has looked decent at Spurs with his electrifying pace yet is still not enough for him to warrant a Spurs shirt next season.

Clinton N’Jie

Another forgotten Spurs man who has just spent the season at Marseille. Not even impressing in his loan spell with the winger scoring just 4 goals. Time to go permanently.  

Moussa Sissoko

Does anything really need to be said about this one? Shambolic. Wasteful. Frustration. Panic-buy. Over-priced. These are all perfectly good words to sum up this season the French midfielder has had after joining for £30million. He then even has the nerve to come out publically and criticise beloved Pochettino which is just the icing on the cake for his disastrous season. There is no doubt, all Spurs fans will be jumping with joy when he leaves this summer!

Vincent Janssen

Tricky this one. We all know Janssen’s season has been atrocious scoring just 1 goal from open play and it would be fair to say that he just isn’t up to the standards however at times he contributed well to the team, his inexperience is just evident. It’s obvious that he isn’t ready to step in for Harry Kane when needed upon yet personally I still think it would be a little unfair to let him go permanently. Despite Pochettino not being the biggest admirer of players going out on loan (unless they are surplus to requirements), I feel Janssen would benefit hugely from going to another Premier League side on loan specifically a team who have a similar style of play to Spurs. This way he will be able to gain Premier League experience and do so with not as much pressure he would have if he was at Tottenham; he would then come back to North London for his third Premier League season this one being be the decider as to whether or not he has the quality to be a Spurs striker.

Who to buy?

Tottenham’s starting XI is constantly praised around the country yet there are two factors that are regularly highlighted in which they need to improve upon. They do not have that one player who can change things in an instant on a consistent basis nor do they have the strength in depth quite like their rivals. The areas Tottenham should be targeting this summer include centre-back, striker, one or two who can play behind Harry Kane and maybe a new left back. All of which, it would be ideal if they possessed Premier League experience. The future of Kyle Walker is also a factor to consider. So who exactly should be targeted this summer?  

Ben Gibson

First the centre-back area. Statistically Spurs had the league’s best defence last season however like mentioned before, the depth is an issue here. Middlesbrough centre-back Ben Gibson would be an ideal signing for Tottenham, he fits the philosophy perfectly and he’s great defensively also possessing the ability to play with his feet which is key for a Tottenham player. Surely he should be looking for a transfer away from Middlesbrough and he is more than capable of playing for Spurs, if he were to be bought then he could very easily compete with Eric Dier for that third centre-back slot. Another option could include Hull City’s Harry Maguire.  

Ryan Sessegnon

Fulham’s 17 year old left back is a name Pochettino should be keeping a close eye on. He has impressed hugely in the Sky Bet Championship and at such a young age as well. Not a necessity but is one for the future and unlike Ben Davies, Sessegnon has the ability to go forward on that left flank.

Riyad Mahrez  

This would be the perfect signing for Spurs. What a statement it would be if they were to go out and buy Mahrez. Tottenham need that one game changer and here he is. Perfect for Spurs, if he were to be bought then there would be such great depth in the slots behind Kane so unlike the previous season, Spurs could quite easily cope if someone like Alli was to get injured. Tottenham need more pace in their side which proves even more why Tottenham should do what they can to buy him. In addition, he has just came out and stated he wants out of Leicester City, so it is possible. Other options who Spurs should look at include Thomas Lemar or Naby Keita.

Joshua King

Once again another summer transfer window where Tottenham are still looking for that striker to complement Harry Kane. Bournemouth’s Joshua King is ideal. If King had to step in for Kane then it would offer Spurs a little different and unlike the season just gone, if Kane wasn’t to play then Tottenham would still be confident of scoring due to the fact King has just enjoyed a very solid season in the Premier League for The Cherries scoring 16 goals compared to Vincent Janssen’s 2.