Tottenham’s Mason Hopes to Impress Pochettino Next Year
With the transfer window set to open next month, Tottenham Hotspur will be in the market trying to strengthen their squad. One player in question, Ryan Mason, is hoping to have a good pre-season to impress Mauricio Pochettino in order to remain with his boyhood club.
There have been rumors linking Ryan Mason away from Tottenham this summer. One is joining Bournemouth for £6 million and the other is signing for Crystal Palace at £4 million. Either way, it appears that Mason’s time has come as a member of Spurs, though he doesn’t share those same sentiments.
Related Story: Ryan Mason Offers His Thoughts on Tottenham's Season
Opinions tend to differ on Ryan Mason staying or going, but a majority are fine with the 24-year-old central midfielder moving on as he isn’t the right quality that could help Tottenham take that next step forward.
Not as a starter mind you, but whenever he comes in as a substitute.
On another team, Mason could be a starter, or he could be seen as depth. So nothing really changes. At the very least though he is determined to show that he can make it on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad next season.
"“First and foremost I’ve got to get back into the Tottenham team,” Ryan Mason said (via Sky Sports).“I think it’ll probably be a clean slate in pre-season and everything is to play for with this manager.”“You train your way into the team and how you perform in pre-season determines the team for the first game of the season so hopefully I can make sure I’m part of that and cement my place.”"
With only 29 appearances in all competitions, which included eight Premier League starts and two goals — one being the match-winner against Sunderland back in September 13th — Ryan Mason has his work cut out for him to initially make it onto Pochettino’s provisional squad.
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Certainly putting on a good showing in Tottenham’s pre-season tour in Australia for their International Champions Cup will be a step in the right direction for Mason.
But standing in his way is Mousa Dembélé and Dele Alli who could be the likely option to cover for the Belgian international while he serves four more matches after being hit by a six-game ban for his eye poke incident with Diego Costa.
Should Ryan Mason not make a good impression on Mauricio Pochettino, it’s to be expected that the Argentine manager would likely ship the 24-year-old to potential suitors, Bournemouth or Crystal Palace, or any other club who’s in the market for a central midfielder who is coming off of an injury-laden season.
Pochettino and the rest of the team have had nothing but praise for how Mason has handled a difficult year in which he would be sidelined with two separate injuries. That kind of positive attitude will most likely keep him with the team, because he puts the club ahead of himself.
Though if there is a better player on the squad right now (Dembélé and Alli) or available in the transfer market, Ryan Mason’s time will most likely end.
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It wouldn’t make much of a difference whether Ryan Mason stays or goes except for getting some money back and clearing up a roster space that could be better served for someone else.
Which ultimately — getting money back and starting a better player — should easily trump someone who is loyal to his boyhood club even though he isn’t the first choice at central midfield.