Tottenham are about to embark on a large-scale rebuild and there are six players fundamental to the project’s long-term success.
The club probably won’t come out publicly and admit a rebuild is on tap, but we all know what is required to once again rub shoulders with the Premier League’s elite.
It will take time and it won’t be easy. Hiring the right manager is an immeasurably important first step in the arduous battle ahead.
So too are the fundamentals, the irreplaceable building blocks. These six players are integral to a successful rebuild. And it will benefit the fat cats greatly to focus their attention on keeping them happy, ensuring they stay in north London for the foreseeable future.
1. Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min’s commitment to the long-term prosperity of Tottenham is arguably the most crucial variable in the club’s recovery. He bleeds Tottenham and has the ability to change the complexion of a game in the flash of an eye. He was one of Tottenham’s highlights in a tumultuous season and has shown tangible and intangible improvement with each successive season.
He leads by example and leaves it all on the pitch. Yes, he was enveloped by a lengthy goalless patch earlier in the season, but his work rate and desire to win is as unerring as his predatory instinct. Always inscribed as one of the first 11 on the team sheet, Son’s goals are necessary to drive Spurs forward. He’s also an incredible role model for current players and those bound for north London.
Sign this man to a new contract now, before it’s too late.
2. Pierre Hojberg
The dogged Dane is as important as anyone to “the project.” The Danish ironman didn’t miss a Premier League match, featuring in all 38 encounters. While astoundingly fit, he showed clear signs of fatigue in the final few matches, committing unnecessary and uncharacteristic mistakes. At least the last few weeks proved he is human after all.
Hojberg arrived at Spurs from Southampton for £15 million and has already doubled his market value. Physically robust, he always exerts a full-blooded effort. I shudder to think how many more goals Spurs’ rearguard would have conceded had it not been for Hojberg’s undervalued effort in front of them.
He’s a stalwart, a machine in the centre of the park. But he’s also adept with the ball at his feet, resembling a modern-era Roy Keane. He’s just 25 years old and oozes leadership potential, making him one of the favourites to succeed Hugo Lloris — if Harry Kane leaves — as club captain.
There’s a few things Jose Mourinho should be proud of from his time in north London, including landing the tenacious viking’s services.
3. Giovanni Lo Celso
The diminutive Argentine is an asset to Spurs’ future growth. Versatile, energetic, skilled and committed, Lo Celso is as the most well-rounded Tottenham midfielder. He can proficiently play in the No. 10 role or, preferably, falls back and partners Hojberg in a deeper role.
Lo Celso isn’t afraid to get dragged into the physicality required to exceed his job requirements. He loves a good slide tackle and has an abundance of talent on the ball. He hasn’t really found his goalscoring boots but is adept at making incisive passes. At just 25 years old, Lo Celso needs to play an integral part of the club’s rebuild.
4. Joe Rodon
Joe Rodon is just about set to make an impactful splash at Tottenham Hotspur. Jose Mourinho advocated on behalf of Rodon, even inserting him into the lineup intermittently. Jose threw Rodon into the deep end a few times, but at least the Portuguese gaffer game him a whirl.
An almost prerequisite of a maturing centre back, Rodon’s performances varied wildly over the course of the season. Usually steady and playing with a maturity well beyond his 23 years, he enjoyed a breakout performance against Chelsea, where his admirable effort was instrumental in keeping a clean sheet against the Blues.
Rodon came back down to reality against Liverpool, a match that saw the Welshman commit a costly error that led directly to a Reds’ goal.
Rodon didn’t get a wink of playing time under Ryan Mason’s stewardship. But make no mistake, Rodon is a fundamental piece of Spurs’ rebuild, especially if the club decides to part ways with Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier. Rodon is the man to carry the torch once Toby Alderweireld is forced to hang up his boots.
5. Steven Bergwijn
The Dutchman arrived on the scene in dream fashion, scoring a goal in his debut against Manchester City. Last season went well for the Dutchman, contrasting starkly this campaign’s disappointment.
Another Mourinho favourite, Bergwijn’s place in the first team was almost guaranteed in the first half of the season. Nagging physical ailments hampered his progress, though, keeping Bergwijn from retaining his place.
Bergwijn sprained his ankle soon after joining Spurs last year, which will make Tottenham’s top brass wonder if recurring injuries will one day derail his career. His inability to stay fit was also compounded by a palpable lack of offensive contribution. Bergwijn, before bagging a wonder goal against Aston Villa recently, went 41 matches without scoring. That’s not good enough for an attacking player.
However, he is blessed with an abundance of offensive talent. Crafty, tenacious and fleet of foot, Bergwijn simply needs a run of games and an injection of confidence for the goalscoring floodgates to open.
The 23-year-old is committed to Tottenham and, as Jose demonstrated repeatedly, has no issue tracking back and putting in a grafter’s shift.
6. Dele Alli
Just a few months ago Dele Alli was an outsider whose career at Tottenham Hotspur had run its course. Completely ostracized by Mourinho, Dele endured a depressingly epic fall from grace.
Like a duel from a wild western shootout, Dele outlasted Mourinho and is still standing. Provided a golden opportunity for redemption by Mason a chance for redemption, Dele has shown signs of a return to prominence. This is a player who, in the early stages of his career, was outperforming and on pace to surpass England’s most lauded midfielders, including David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Once again provided a license to create, Dele has shown glimpses of his former self in recent weeks. And he has a lot left to give.
The next manager would do well to make Dele a central figure in his rebuild, so the Englishman can finally live up to his unparalleled potential.