Part 2 of the Big Transfer Summary focuses on how Jose has faired in his first summer window at Spurs.
Since the 15/16 season where Tottenham finished behind Chelsea by 7 points, Spurs have not been able to compete for the league title since. In this time Man City reached a level never seen before setting the points record, whilst Klopp was improving Liverpool year on year forming a 'Top 2'. Pochettino had a fight on his hands, Cities riches mean't Spurs could not keep up, while on merseyside Klopp seemed to do no wrong in the transfer market year on year! It may have seemed the Pochettino spell just came to a sudden end with things just not going the right way but those Spurs fans will acknowledge it was a gradual decline from the end of the 15/16 failed title challenge.
The fickleness of football strikes, the memories of the once beloved Pochettino are fading and Spurs fans are now seeing The Special One as the man to bring them back competing for major honours. One thing that was clear from the surprise appointment of Jose was that he will need the reshape the team and bring in his own recruits. The Spurs squad was in desperate need of a spruce up, an exciting starting eleven but average beyond that mean't their was no real competition for places. Jose needed to have a good window & considering the financial constraints as a result of the Covid 19 destruction I can't see how Spurs could have done much better.
It was common knowledge what areas recruitment would be focused upon, improvements in the fullback areas, bring in a striker to cover/compete with Harry Kane & another wide attacking player.
Spurs have really struggled in the full back positions in recent years, it was clear the error prone Aurier & inconsistent Davies would not get Spurs back competing with the top 2 anytime soon. Jose wasting no time to take Doherty from Wolves hands at a bargain £15M, he was one of the leagues stand out full backs over the last two years. Yes he played in a more attacking wingback role but Nuno's Wolves are a fairly defensive team and he would have spent plenty of time tucked in as a LB. An upgrade on Aurier in the defensive department which will probably provide the competition to bring improvements in Aurier's game. On the other side they have brought in the young spaniard Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid. Reguilon looked to be breaking into the first team fold at Madrid but was then loaned out to Sevilla last year, where he racked up 38 appearances and won the Europa League earning rave reviews on the way. Once again Spurs have done some good business, £25M fee for a 23 year old who is now a Spanish international. He certainly looks a threat going forward & with the coaching of Jose he will have a sound understanding of his defensive responsibilities. The Spurs fans are excited about this one and combined with Matt Doherty they have reason to be excited about their fullbacks this year.
The late signing of Joe Roden provides competition for the senior CB's at the club, as Foyth who was favoured under Pochettino was deemed surplus to requirements and loaned out to Villareal. With only 3 senior centre backs at the club due to Vertonghen moving on a free I'd expect Joe Roden to get plenty of chances in the team.
Spurs have a few options in centre midfield however with the compact schedule & a Europa league campaign to navigate the signing of Højbjerg provides a quality addition and good squad depth. On current evidence he isn't a massive upgrade on the current options but he was always high rated youngster and found his chances at Bayern hard to come by before opting to join the Saints. This could be a move that really suits the player and allows him to establish himself as a top quality midfielder.
The signing that had the Spurs fans all licking their lips, the return on Gareth Bale. You can't blame the fans for the excitement surrounding this one, Bale had provided the fans with great memories during his first stint at the club. Spurs needed some quality in the wide attacking areas, Lamela has never really hit the heights Spurs fans had hoped he would and Steven Gergwjin seems to be a squad player. Bale comes back to North London a serial winner, he is the sort of signing that the players would have got excited about. Harry Kane & Son are on fire at the moment, if Jose can get Bale fully fit that is a front 3 as good as any in the league. Bale had his fair share of problems at Madrid but there is no denying the talent! Plenty of people doubting him but will be keen to prove those wrong, Jose so far has not rushed him straight in allowing him to build his fitness so he doesn't just break down. It may be that Jose has to wrap him in cotton wool at times this season but if he keeps him fit throughout, wow what a signing this could be!
The problem position, in the last 5 years spurs have not been able to find another striker they can really on when Kane is injured or could do with a rest. They have tried to buy in some seasons but in recent seasons it is almost like they have bought wide forwards and hoped Kane would stay fit so they would not be called upon. A late surprise the loan signing of Carlos Vinicius from Benfica on loan, with the option to buy for £45M. A striker who has had to move around early in his career but found his feet with Benfica last season scoring 18 goals earning the attention of Europe's elite. Loan with the option to buy is a great deal for spurs, it gives them a year to work with him before investing a significant transfer fee in the player if deemed worthy. Very similar to Harry Kane in the fact he's an in the box striker, all 18 of his goals came from in the box and he isn't the Firmino type to be getting involved a large part in the build up play. Kane has been providing goals so far this year but let's not kid ourselves he will be chomping at the bit to be adding to his goals tally . He will need to settle to the league and Jose's style of play but Spurs are full of goals at the moment and with the games coming thick and fast Vinicius will get plenty of minutes to prove his worth. Have Spurs finally found their man to fill the second striker role in the squad? They could have finally solved their problem up top! With the departure of Vorm Jose brought in Joe Hart as GK cover, this may seem like a nothing transfer but Joe Hart will be a leader within the dressing room even if he is not a starter. He's experienced & he's won things in the past so on a free transfer it's a win win for Jose. Overall it's a fantastic window, the main weaknesses in the team have been addressed people may argue Erikson has yet to be replaced and it's a valid point. What I do think though is Ndombele came in last year for a reasonable price tag and failed to justify the hype but it's clear with the ball at his feet he's a talent, the year could have helped him settle & get used to working with Jose & i'm expecting he will help fill the Erikson void this year. Outside the top 2 the main focus has been on the Lampard's mega spending Chelsea & Man United to be the teams who could challenge; with the window Jose has had he will rightly be confident about a top 4 finish.
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