Tottenham Transfer: 5 players for Pochettino to consider this summer
This is a crucial transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur and having purchased 13 players in the last two years with mixed success, the club need to get it right this time. Chairman Daniel Levy must break the trend of firing managers by backing current boss Mauricio Pochettino and giving him the players he wants.
Spurs have already moved to snap up Kevin Wimmer from Koln but who else will be on the shopping list ahead of the 2014-15 campaign?
Anthony Martial
Monaco striker Martial has been compared to Thierry Henry but his stats don’t quite back up that bold statement just yet. In 57 games for the French Ligue 1 side, he has managed just 13 goals but at 19 he certainly has time to develop.
With Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor contributing very little to Tottenham’s cause last season, it’s clear that the North London club need a striker to support Harry Kane but is Martial too much of a gamble at this early stage of his career?
Christian Benteke
Rather than opt for an inexperienced teenager, Levy could bankroll a move for an established striker who has already proved himself in the Premier League. Benteke enjoyed an explosive end to the season with Aston Villa and averages around a goal every other game which is an impressive ratio in a struggling side.
After three seasons with the Villains, it’s time to move on and there will be no shortage of interest. The player has suggested that he wants to play in the Champions League but there are no strong rumours linking Benteke with any of England’s qualified sides so he may look to ‘settle’ for the Europa League instead.
Toby Alderweireld
Spurs had been widely linked with the centre half prior to his move from Ajax to Atletico Madrid back in 2013. His first season at the Vicente Calderon was a miserable one and the Belgian made just 12 league appearances before being farmed out on loan to Southampton in 2014-15.
The 26 year old will now return to Spain but faces an uncertain future which he clearly wants to sort out.
“I will go back to Spain next week and we will talk,” Alderweireld told Sky Sports.
“We will see what happens. I hope a decision will be made quickly, otherwise it will be all summer.”
Southampton have naturally been linked but with Spurs uncertain over the form of Federico Fazio, a belated move for the Belgian would make sense.
Andre Ayew
Marseille’s Ghanaian international has been linked with a switch to White Hart Lane and is the type of versatile player that Pochettino would welcome into the squad. The 25 year old can perform as a second striker but his prowess on the wing may be his most valuable asset.
With Aaron Lennon facing an uncertain future following his loan stint at Everton and Andros Townsend failing to replicate his England form, Tottenham need a wide man and Ayew looks a strong option.
Mark Uth
It’s back to strikers for the last of these transfer targets and a player whom club scouts had been watching towards the end of the campaign. 23 year old German striker Uth is currently at Dutch side Heerenveen and impressed last season with 18 goals in 35 matches.
The Dutch Eredivisie may not be the strongest but that’s a decent ratio for a player who is approaching his best after three seasons in Holland and he may be less of a punt than the unproven Anthony Martial.