Tottenham Hotspur are not done with their business in the window but have completed some deals on all fronts. So how have Spurs done so far?
While the transfer window is not nearly complete, Tottenham Hotspur have made a couple signings, sold a couple players and sent some players out on loan.
So how are Spurs doing thus far in the window and what is left for the team to secure the needed resources for Jose Mourinho and company to compete on all fronts?
Tottenham transfers in
Thus far, Tottenham Hotspur have two confirmed senior team signings in the transfer window.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined on a permanent transfer from Southampton, for a fee reportedly about $18.26 million or 15.30 million euros. Some four years later that is only $3 million US more than Spurs paid for Victor Wanyama and is less than $1 million more than was paid for Giovanni Lo Celso’s loan fee ($17.60 million), I would say it was some good business. Note Lo Celso was officially purchased in January, so he is not included here, but you can find more on GLC here.
More important than the shrewd bargain struct by Daniel Levy is the void in the Tottenham Hotspur squad that Hojbjerg fills as true defensive midfielder. Since Mousa Dembele left and Victor Wanyama could not stay healthy, Spurs have had to make do with various other attacking and outside midfielders playing in mostly a double pivot defense formation.
With the Danish international now sitting in front of the back line, whoever is partnered in the center of the park will have more freedom to roam, particularly into attack. Further, playing a double pivot at the base of the midfield will no longer be a requirement, rather a tactical decision.
Beside Hojbjerg, Spurs have added Joe Hart to serve as one of the back-up keepers. This should help if cover is required this season as it was last season. Additionally, Hart should be able to push Paulo Gazzaniga for the second spot in the squad, making for a healthier position overall. If you do not like the Hart signing because of his performance the last two years, there are more reasons to like it.
First, as a player counting toward the homegrown total – which Michel Vorm did not – it opens a space for an additional foreign player, both in European competition and domestically. Second, Hart is a proven winner and has the trophy cabinet to prove it.
That experience and voice can only help in the clubhouse. Finally, third and maybe most important, having three senior team keepers forces the team hopefully loan out Alfie Whiteman for some much needed first-team experience at hopefully the Championship level. For more on Joe Hart’s signing, check here for an article from my colleague Freddie Boston.
Spurs transfers out
Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm both ‘retired’ from Spurs, although Vertonghen barely made a glass of lemonade before he signed a new deal with Portuguese giant Benfica. However, only one first-team Tottenham player has been sold thus far this summer, Kyle Walker-Peters.
Walker-Peters was an academy product who had some nice outings but never seemed to have the trust of Jose Mourinho or Mauricio Pochettino before him. Having been on loan the second half of the season at Southampton, KWP did enough to earn a nearly $15 million fee. Not bad for a guy who was apparently never going to be more than a fringe squad player at Spurs.
While other first-team players may yet be sold, if all the rumors are to be believed, however to date only Luke Amos – another academy product – has created any kind of financial return. The terms of Amos’ signing by Queens Park Rangers were undisclosed, but after 35 appearances last season for QPR and apparently no room for the utility back, it was good for all parties. Amos was not going to pass Japhet Tanganga on the depth chart and at 23 years of age, another loan just would not do. Good luck Luke, nice work Academy.
Tottenham loan moves
Maybe most important for the development of Tottenham Hotspur, Oliver Skipp has been loaned out to Norwich and Troy Parrott has been loaned to Millwall. Norwich is looking to bounce back to the Premier League having just been relegated and Millwall was a top-half Championship side last season, looking for someone to push them into playoff contention. A loan for both players was something I was recently arguing for in this blog.
At only 18 years of age, the opportunity for first-team football at the Championship level is exactly what Parrott needs. Skipp is only a year older at 19 and may have a huge role to play for Norwich depending on what happens to some of their players over the rest of the window. Both players should benefit from both the new experience and most importantly the opportunity to play some regular minutes.
Timothy Eyoma has also been loaned out to Lincoln City in League One. At 21 years of age and, like Amos, below Tanganga in the youth defender pecking order, Eyoma has a similar opportunity as Amos to show what he can do to earn a shot with the team or a permanent transfer from the club. Either way, this is the opportunity Eyoma needs.
Results and what’s next for Tottenham
Considering defensive midfield has been a big concern for Tottenham for two seasons and the limitations having three foreign-born keepers presented in fielding a squad of 25 in European competition, the early returns are good for Spurs.
However, more is still needed. Cover and frankly competition for Harry Kane needs to be found and before the season begins. Additionally, depth at both back positions is still lacking and needs to be addressed, particularly if Danny Rose and Serge Aurier are not both part of the 2020-21 Spurs squad.
From a loan, Alfie Whiteman needs a move like Skipp and Parrott to get some real action. Additionally, a decision needs to be made on Cameron Carter-Vickers who has continued to go out on loan or else he will end up leaving in a year on a free transfer like Josh Onomah last year.
Notably, Onomah finally might have gotten his chance last season with the injuries but such is life. Finally, expect Jack Clarke to again go out on loan, as the youth player signed last summer continues to look for opportunities for meaningful minutes and experience. Given the market often provides more misses than hits, what do you think is next for Spurs this transfer window?