January Window Could be Opportunity for Spurs

Generally speaking, the Premier League’s January transfer window is a sucker’s market. It is a space that allows for desperate clubs to make desperate moves, mostly in folly. It is when Fernando Torres commanded a transfer fee of £50 million and when Andy Carroll was thought to be worth £35 million – both in the same window. Clubs in need overpay – sometimes dramatically – for talent that could not possibly ever live up to the price paid for them.

There are some notable exceptions, of course. Luis Suárez arrived at Liverpool from Ajax in January of 2011 and went on to become arguably the best striker in England. The Reds paid an exorbitant amount for the Uruguayan and were lucky to have it paid back many times over, though that is exceedingly rare with January transfers.

Spurs have surprisingly been wise enough over the last few seasons to not spend too much on players in January, even during the wheeler-dealer era of Harry Redknapp. There weren’t sparred some duds, though. Louis Saha, Ryan Nelsen, Louis Saha, Zeki Fryers and Lewis Holtby are among the more short-lived and least impressive Spurs players in recent memory, and they all arrived at the club in a January transfer.

The most recent example of Spurs being active in January offers a little bit of hope for the window as a whole however. The deal that brought Dele Alli to Spurs was completed last January. The 19-year-old wunderkind midfielder was immediately loaned back to MK Dons for the remainder of the season, only arriving at White Hart Lane this summer. He’s gone on to be one of the surprise hits of the Premier League season so far, even earning a regular spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI.

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The recruitment of Alli in January was the result of a mix of delicate planning and opportunism. Alli had long been a target of Spurs’ new Head of Recruitment Paul Mitchell, and it’s safe to assume that he was not alone in that sentiment. His talent was made especially clear in MK Don’s Capital One Cup victory over Manchester United early last season, and there was no keeping Alli a secret for very long after that. By arranging a deal with MK Dons in January, particularly a deal that did not deprive the League One club of their star player for the rest of the season, Spurs got the jump on those that might compete for Alli’s signature in the summer.

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Spurs might be able to replicate that success this January by targeting players that might not be of immediate value to the club, but could be bought relatively cheaply and in such a way to benefit both clubs involved in the transaction. Recent rumors linking the club with Fulham’s young striker Moussa Dembélé bear all the hallmarks of just such a deal. Dembélé might not be the player that Spurs need this January – as Alex Balano expertly pointed out in his piece on Sunday – but he could be worth a punt, especially in the months leading up to the expiration of his contract with Fulham. Spurs get a promising young striker in the summer, and Fulham get to keep one of their most productive players for the last few months of his contract.

January offers the chance for Spurs to get a jump on clubs who still view the mid-season transfer window as only an option of last resort. Such possible moves are the result of Spurs’ increasingly long-term vision for the club. Transfers are no longer matters of immediate need. Rather, they are chances to invest in the players’ future. Alli, and to lesser extent Dembélé, are promising young players that, with some nurturing within Spurs’ excellent development system, could become real assets.