STRATFORD, ENGLAND – MAY 05: A dejected looking Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on May 5, 2017 in Stratford, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Tottenham are targeting true difference makers
Mauricio Pochettino now understands just how fine the line between Premier League title winners and title contenders truly is. He’ll set out to put Spurs on the right side of that thin line this summer.
While Spurs will certainly look to add more quality at several positions, their main focus will be to add more attacker. Tottenham won’t be looking to simply add a quality Premier League player. They’ll be looking for a true X factor who can take the squad from really good to truly great.
The lack of such a player was apparently during the club’s devastating 1-0 loss at West Ham. Pochettino’s squad seemed to run out of ideas against a really defensive-minded opponent. The Hammers absorbed Tottenham’s pressure for long stretches and managed to carve out a narrow win after taking one of their few chances.
For the record, it isn’t as if Spurs are entirely devoid of such creative players. Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are all capable of moments of brilliance. Tottenham simply don’t have enough of those sorts of stars. Adding one more world-class attacker could put them over the top.
That will force Daniel Levy into the summer transfer window in search of a real difference maker. Those players don’t come cheap. Then again, acquiring a squad who can win a Premier League title is rarely an inexpensive undertaking.
Read on to discover the top five options to be Tottenham’s X factor summer signing. Adding any of these five stars could bring real glory to North London.
Tottenham’s potential interest in the Crystal Palace winger</a> are nothing new. They’ve tried to sign him during past transfer windows only to be rebuffed by the Eagles. It’s entirely possible this summer will be different.</p>
<p>First off, there’s a small chance that the club could suffer relegation. If that unlikely event does come true, Zaha will certainly demand a summer transfer. That would be best case for Spurs.</p>
<p>Even if Palace don’t go down, a transfer could still happen. Sam Allardyce doesn’t want to lose his speedy wide man, but he’s admitted that the club could be tempted to sell if they receive a massive offer. Predictably, the former England manager has declined to articulate that sum.</p>
<p>A bid of somewhere between £30 and £40 million should be enough to tempt Palace to part with him. His arrival would give Pochettino real options in the attacking midfield. Even better, he’d finally have a player who can take opponents on with the ball at his feet. Signing Zaha wouldn’t thrill the Spurs fan base, but it might thrill Pochettino.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/05/07/5-potential-x-factor-signings-tottenham/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Ross Barkley </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: Ross Barkley of Everton looks dejected after Chelsea score their first goal during the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park on April 30, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>4. Ross Barkley</h3>
<p>The Everton star really divides opinion among the Spurs fan base. Some think he’s a world-class star who could put Tottenham over the top while some find him to be a slightly better version of Moussa Sissoko. For me, the truth is somewhere in between.</p>
<p>At his best, Barkley is a dynamic presence in the Toffees’ midfield. His combination of strength, speed and skill on the ball make him almost unplayable. He’s the rare attacking midfielder who is equally adept at scoring and assisting goals.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, his form can be pretty erratic. That’s the main reason Ronald Koeman is willing to part with him this summer. Well that, and the reality that his contract with Everton will only have one year remaining.</p>
<p>My concern with Barkley is that he’s a little too redundant with Pochettino’s current attacking options. He’s a really good player, but he’s very much in the same style of Christian Eriksen. Paying more than £30 million for a reserve number ten doesn’t strike me as fiscally responsible.</p>
<p>Ross Barkley can help Spurs, but I’m not sure he’s a transcendent talent. It is possible that playing under Pochettino could help him find his top form more often. If that happens, Spurs would be making a savvy summer purchase.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/05/07/5-potential-x-factor-signings-tottenham/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Gylfi Sigurdsson </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SWANSEA, WALES – MAY 06: Gylfi Sigurdsson of Swansea City crosses the ball during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Everton at The Liberty Stadium on May 6, 2017 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>3. Gylfi Sigurdsson</h3>
<p>What if I told you Spurs had an opportunity to bring in an attacking midfielder who’d scored nine goals and contributed 12 assists in the Premier League this season? Think that’d be of interest to Mauricio Pochettino? So do I.</p>
<p>That’s precisely why I won’t be surprised if Spurs look to bring Gylfi Sigurdsson back to the club this summer. He’s been an extremely bright light in a dark season at Swansea. If the Swans face the drop, Sigurdsson will become one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer targets.</p>
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<p>The Icelandic star would be an X factor in the true sense of the word. He likely wouldn’t be an automatic starter for Spurs. However, his presence on the squad would do two massive things for the club.</p>
<p>First, it would push Christian Eriksen. We all know the Dane is supremely talented, but runs hot and cold as the season pushes on. Sigurdsson could give him a solid kick in the rear when necessary.</p>
<p>More importantly, he’d give Pochettino a devastating substitute off the bench. Just imagine bringing a player of Sigurdsson’s quality on for the last half hour of a tense Premier League encounter. He’d also be a huge help in Tottenham’s litany of cup competitions.</p>
<p>Tottenham would do well to correct an earlier mistake this summer. Pochettino would welcome Sigurdsson back to Spurs with open arms.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">MUNICH, GERMANY – MARCH 11: Douglas Costa of Muenchen celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the Bundesliga match between Bayern Muenchen and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena on March 11, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. Douglas Costa</h3>
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<p>Tottenham would be fools not to investigate bringing him to North London. The addition of his pace and creativity to the Spurs midfield would give it an entirely different dimension.</p>
<p>For the record, it’s not as if Costa has played poorly for Bayern this year. He hasn’t been at his best, but he’s still earned a <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/05/07/5-potential-x-factor-signings-tottenham/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/68889/Show/Douglas-Costa">Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.19</a> in 22 Bundesliga appearances. He’s provided his club a modest return of four goals and three assists in that same time period.</p>
<p>Tottenham can afford Costa’s transfer fee, but his wage demands could be an issue. He’d certainly want to be compensated at the same level of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris. Daniel Levy might be hesitant to move for him for that reason.</p>
<p>Acquiring Costa would be a gamble for the club, but it’s a move with tremendous potential upside. He would immediately become one of the Premier League’s most feared attackers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/05/07/5-potential-x-factor-signings-tottenham/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. Christian Pulisic </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Dortmund’s midfielder Christian Pulisic vies for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match of Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund in Moenchengladbach, western Germany, on April 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ</p>
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<h3>1. Christian Pulisic</h3>
<p>Douglas Costa isn’t the only Bundesliga player who could become Tottenham’s X factor next year. Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic also fits the bill.</p>
<p>In many ways, purchasing Pulisic would fit the club’s transfer philosophy perfectly. Pochettino and company prefer to buy young players they can shape and mold. At just 18 years of age, Pulisic definitely fits that description.</p>
<p>Of course, Dortmund have repeatedly stated they don’t want to let him leave this summer. As a result, Tottenham would need to come in with a massive offer to bring him to England. He might have the talent to tempt Spurs into such a financial outlay.</p>
<p>The only worrying fact about Pulisic is that he might not be ready to really impact Premier League matches every week. He’s been an adequate, but inconsistent Bundesliga attacker this season. That isn’t a sin for an 18-year-old, but it might mean he isn’t quite ready to be a game changer for Spurs.</p>
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