Tottenham can give fringe players last chance to impress

It’s just about summertime, which means that Mauricio Pochettino is set for another cull of Tottenham’s roster.

Though it appeared last summer that Tottenham sold or loaned out the last of the players not meeting Pochettino’s standards, this season has managed to produce a few more.

Some came into the 2016/17 campaign safe in the knowledge that they had a role to play, even if it was off the bench. Others were new to the squad and could not have imagined that things would have gone so poorly in their first season.

Among the players who fell the furthest down Pochettino’s pecking order, Kevin Wimmer has to be the most notable. The Austrian centre-back came to the club as a bit of an unknown, but made an impression quickly when Jan Vertonghen went down injured in January 2016.

Any illusions he had about being Tottenham’s third choice centre-back after Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld quickly evaporated in the opening months of the season. Pochettino, unconvinced in Wimmer’s training following an injury picked up over the summer, appeared to push Wimmer away.

Eric Dier would become the third choice centre-back once again now that Victor Wanyama installed himself in midfield. Wimmer, if he was lucky, would only get starts for cup matches alongside promising Academy product Cameron Carter-Vickers.

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Tom Carroll, too, found himself outside the warmth of Pochettino’s regard and ultimately got sold to Swansea in January, where he’s played a not-insignificant role in assuring their safety.

The most intriguing Spurs players possibly on the chopping block, however, are the ones who only just arrived.

Vincent Janssen came in as backup — and possible competition — for Harry Kane, but with only one goal scored in open play in the Premier League it’s safe to say he’s underwhelmed. While no concrete rumors have surfaced about any departure, Spurs do continue to be linked with other strikers.

The most drawn out of last summer’s transfer deals was for Marseille winger Georges-Kévin Nkoudou. The Frenchman impressed in his one season at the legendary Ligue 1 club, but thus far has been unable to find his footing at Spurs. That he wasn’t included in many cup games suggests that Pochettino might have quickly concluded Nkoudou was outside his plans.

By far the biggest dud from last summer was the man Spurs signed for the record sum of £30 million in the last possible hour of the summer transfer window.

Moussa Sissoko was never especially good at Newcastle, only showing some class in flashes. Unfortunately for Spurs, Sissoko was unable to sustain his most recent burst of quality over last summers Euros. He started a handful of matches but never seemed to be operating in the same gear as the rest of his teammates.

Unlike Nkoudou, Pochettino did try to get something out of Sissoko. He made seven starts and 16 appearances off the bench, recording no goals and just two assists over the course of those chances.

That’s profoundly underwhelming stuff, and should by all rights leave Sissoko at the very top of the list of players to see the exit this summer.

And this list isn’t even really complete. The ultimate fate of loaned out players remains uncertain. Nabil Bentaleb looks to have sealed a deal with Schalke for a permanent move, while Federico Fazio has impressed enough with Roma to likely earn the same. Clinton Njie, however, will likely return from an unsuccessful stint with Marseille just as unsure about his future as when he left.

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Decisions appear far from finalized however, even if the candidates are clear. Tottenham’s visit to Leicester City on Thursday would be a good time for Pochettino get one last impression on these fringe players before lowering the ax. Who gets minutes and how well they play will provide us more insight into what the summer holds.