Top 5 Priorities For Mauricio Pochettino This Summer As He Looks To Win The League With Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur are yet to make any inroads in the transfer market. The North London club have a very important summer ahead of them, as their business dealings in the coming two months can have a great impact on where they end up come the end of the season.
Having finished 2nd in the Premier League last season, Mauricio Pochettino will be keen on going a step further and get his hands on the title. A trophy win in the upcoming campaign will also be imperative in order to keep hold of all the star players for the future – the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen etc.
The only piece of business that Spurs have been able to do in the summer, is the contract extension of right-back Kieran Trippier. The 26-year old signed a new five-year deal with the club, following some impressive displays at the tail-end of the previous campaign. However, a lot more needs to be done, for Tottenham to go that extra mile in the coming season and get their hands on a piece of silverware.
And here are five things that will be on top of the priority list for Pochettino and Tottenham:
Sign A New Striker As Soon As Possible
A lot has been said and written about this, by a lot of people, pundits and fans alike and everyone seems to be in consensus with the thought that Tottenham need a new centre-forward.
Harry Kane has been impeccable for the Lilywhites and had another spectacular season last time around, but a lack of a proper backup for the Englishman is something that will be playing on Pochettino’s mind. They did bring in Vincent Janssen last summer, but the Dutchman has struggled to make an impact in his debut campaign.
There has been interest in Bournemouth’s Joshua King and bringing in him could turn out to be a masterstroke as the 25-year old has proven himself at this level and will offer cover in two positions.
Get Alderweireld’s Contract Extension Completed
Easily one of Tottenham’s best players in the past two years, Toby Alderweireld has become one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League.
So, when reports emerged that the club and the player weren’t able to agree on terms for a new contract it did make a bit of a wave. Since then, the player has gone on to rule out an exit from the club and there have been reports that Tottenham have changed their stance and are willing to make the Belgian as one of their highest paid players. While it isn’t much of a worry at the moment, it still needs to be resolved at the earliest.
Sissoko Needs To Be Sold
Moussa Sissoko has to be one of the major transfer blunders to have been committed by Tottenham Hotspur in recent history.
The France international arrived last summer for a club-record £30million on the deadline day, but has turned out to be a disastrous piece of business. Sissoko hasn’t been able to adapt to the philosophy at place in Tottenham and struggled to have any sort of impact each time he took the pitch. The 27-year old who made just 8 starts in the Premier League, termed it as the worst season of his career in May and did not rule out an exit (Independent).
It is highly unlikely that Sissoko will find a place in Pochettino’s plans next season and after just a year, it is time for the club to cut their losses and ship him off.
Sort Out The Future of Walker
Since the business end of the last season, the future of right-back Kyle Walker has been cast under a cloud of doubts. The 27-year old found himself out of the playing XI in key fixtures, with the boss preferring Kieran Trippier, which did not sit well with him.
Ever since the exit rumours have been rife, with Manchester City touted to be the most likely destination for the Englishman. There have been negotiations going on between the two clubs over a £50million move, but no progress has been achieved as the clubs aren’t in agreement over the transfer fee (Independent). This situation needs to be sorted out at the earliest.
A Winger Needs To Be Brought In
Pochettino’s hunt for a new wide player is no secret. The Argentine tried to sign Wilfried Zaha on multiple occasions in the past year, but a move could not come to fruition, with the Ivory Coast international signing a new contract with the Eagles.
While Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son have done admirably well playing on the right and the left flanks respectively, neither of them are natural wingers who can claim to possess the blistering pace and the directness that an out-and-out winger like Zaha would have brought to the table. With Erik Lamela’s situation also unclear, Spurs need to be concentrate on signing a winger who will be able to add that extra dimension to their forward play and turn them into a more dangerous outfit.