Tottenham Hotspur are dangerously close to relegation, and, at this point, the prevailing belief among the fan base is that this team will go down and has played so poorly that they deserve to go down. They have shown no fight and no quality in the attack, and in his first game in charge, Roberto De Zerbi was unable to get immediate results in a 1-0 loss to Sunderland.
As Spurs regroup for their game next weekend against De Zerbi's former employers Brighton, here are five players the club are already thinking about sending packing this summer.
CB Micky van de Ven
Captain Cristian Romero is another one on the chopping block, but Tottenham Hotspur might actually try to fight to keep him, especially if this knee injury from a crazed Brian Brobbey doesn't end up being something serious.
But Micky van de Ven might be as good as gone. It's entirely unclear what has gone on with him these past few months, but Spurs fans are starting to wonder if he was never all that good to begin with and simply got exposed after relying on pure athleticism. Van de Ven is the most sellable asset Spurs have, and they will hope the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona are still interested.
CM Conor Gallagher
Selling Conor Gallagher is easier said than done, and even Atletico Madrid had a tough time finding a permanent buyer for the English midfielder. It took them more than a year to sell, and then Spurs were foolish enough to throw more money than they should have at him. He has been so poor that Spurs have no choice but to axe him. He has no future value and is nowhere near good enough to start.
DM Joao Palhinha
While Joao Palhinha is a great ball winner defensively, he's actually not a great defensive player overall because he leaves so much space and doesn't actually screen for the back line. Palhinha fits a mid table team well, and while Spurs are not even a mid table team at this point, they should have ambitions for more. Buying Palhinha permanently from Bayern Munich for 30 million euros does not sound like a wise investment.
ST Dominic Solanke
Tottenham Hotspur are never going to get the record 65 million pounds they spent on Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, but they may have to just cut their losses and find another striker. Richarlison is another striker on the chopping block, but Solanke has been even worse. He genuinely looks like he can't be bothered in this relegation fight, even though, unlike Randal Kolo Muani, he is a permanent member of the squad.
ST Randal Kolo Muani
There is no point in belaboring this sentment. Randal Kolo Muani plays like someone who does not want to play for Tottenham. Maybe it's tough for someone coming from PSG and Juventus to fit in at a relegation level club right now, but a big reason why Spurs are in this mess is because of the performances of the likes of Kolo Muani. He has damaged his reputation with his lack of quality and effort, and he's lucky Juventus still want him from PSG after this loan to North London is done.