Tottenham should target Premier League talent
At this early stage of the summer transfer window, it’s clear that Tottenham are having trouble luring top foreign talent to North London. Fortunately for Spurs, there’s a very easy solution for this pesky problem.
Mauricio Pochettino and company simply need to look for talent closer to home. In fairness, the club tried to do with this Ryan Sessegnon, but the talented fullback elected to stick with Fulham to make sure he received regular playing time. Otherwise, most of Spurs’ reported interest this summer has taken place elsewhere in Europe.
While I’m in favour of the club looking for talent all over the globe, it only makes sense to start in your own backyard. That’s why I’m writing this piece. My intention is to suggest five current Premier League stars that could serve as quality transfer targets for Tottenham.
You won’t find big names in this list. Of course, it’d be great if Pochettino could lure Kevin de Bruyne to Spurs. That isn’t going to happen though. Instead, I’m focusing on under the radar targets who would really be attainable. Naturally, that means I’m going to be looking at the rosters of clubs who reside outside the league’s top six.
That doesn’t mean these players aren’t talented though. On the contrary, they should be hungry to prove they can play at a club like Tottenham. That hunger, and their relatively modest price tags, should help convince Daniel Levy to investigate the possibility of signing them.
Without further delay, read on to discover the identify of five Premier League stars that should be on Tottenham’s radar.
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<p>I realize that he isn’t Pochettino’s ideal sort of signing given his advanced age. He isn’t old, but 26 is old by Spurs standards. The Argentine gaffer would prefer to bring in a younger player he can mold to his likeness.</p>
<p>That’s a lovely strategy in theory, but it hasn’t worked out too well for Spurs. Clinton N’Jie is already back in France and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou may well join him this summer. It’s time for the club to pursue a safer option.</p>
<p>Phillips is just that. He isn’t going to become a star, but he’ll do a solid job for the club. <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/40036/Show/Matt-Phillips">Four goals and eight assists</a> from a winger is a pretty good total for a club managed by Tony Pulis. He could be an excellent change of pace for Spurs.</p>
<p>The Baggies wouldn’t want to lose Phillips to Tottenham, but the allure of Champions League football would loom large in his mind. This is certainly a move Daniel Levy should be considering as a backup plan this summer.</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/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. James Ward-Prowse, Southampton </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – MAY 17: James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Matteo Darmian of Manchester United battle for possession during the Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium on May 17, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>4. James Ward-Prowse, Southampton</h3>
<p>If you want to see Spurs’ set piece deliveries improve, then purchasing Ward-Prowse is the move for you. The young English midfielder specializes in delivering tantalizing corners and devastating free kicks on a regular basis.</p>
<p>Christian Eriksen isn’t going to be dislodged as Tottenham’s starting number ten, but he needs more competition. At the very least, Ward-Prowse would give Pochettino a quality alternative to starting Eriksen every match.</p>
<p>At just 22 years of age, he still has plenty of room to grow as a football player too. Right now, he is too much of a specialist to really be a regular starter for a Champions League club. If he can round out his game and contribute more defensively, he could certainly ascend to that level.</p>
<p>Southampton aren’t going to want to part with Ward-Prowse, but it’s a move Spurs should investigate nonetheless. Pochettino and company can tout Champions League football and their ability to get players into the England squad as reasons that Ward-Prowse should push for the move. He’d be an excellent addition to Spurs’ young corps.</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/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Demarai Gray, Leicester City </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-437976" src=https://playingfor90.com/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F06%2F624783334-watford-v-leicester-city-premier-league.jpg-850x560.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">WATFORD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 19: Demarai Gray of Leicester City during the Premier League match between Watford and Leicester City at Vicarage Road on November 19, 2016 in Watford, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>3. Demarai Gray, Leicester City</h3>
<p>I must confess that I’ve had a change of heart about the fleet-footed attacker since the summer began. Originally, I thought his reported release clause of £22 million was too much for such a raw attacker. However, the way the prices have skyrocketed this summer has me changing my tune.</p>
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<p>Now, £22 million seems like a bargain for a young English attacker with real upside. He certainly isn’t the finished article, but he has the bravery and pace to develop into a real offensive weapon. Gray isn’t ready to start for Spurs right now, but he could play an important role off the substitute’s bench.</p>
<p>Think of purchasing Gray as a safer attempt at buying an unknown French winger with tremendous upside. The fact that he’d be staying in his home nation gives him a better chance to realize his full potential than his French counterparts. He might be a little more expensive than someone like Vincent Marcel, but it would be money well spent.</p>
<p>The real question is whether or not Gray is willing to accept a move to another club where he won’t be a member of the starting XI. At least part of his desire to leave Leicester is based on his inconsistent playing time. Something tells me the chance to play for Tottenham would cause him to overlook his demands to become a regular starter for his club.</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/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Lewis Cook, Bournemouth </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 15: Lewis Cook of AFC Bournemouth is put under pressure from Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Bournemouth at White Hart Lane on April 15, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. Lewis Cook, Bournemouth</h3>
<p>The former Leeds star only managed nine appearances for the Cherries last year, but his slated for an expanded role this year. Moving to Tottenham might move him back in terms of game time, but it would provide him a terrific environment to improve his skills at a rapid rate.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>If Pochettino continues to play a true 3-4-3 system, adding another offensive-minded midfielder would make a lot of sense. Cook could give Spurs a lot of flexibility in the middle of the pitch. His ability to carry the ball pat defenders would give the club something different.</p>
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<p>The only concern I have about adding Cook to the squad would be his impact on Harry Winks’ development. The two would likely be competing for a lot of the same playing time next season. It’s a battle I’d expect Winks to win. However, I tend to think competition is always a good thing for a football squad.</p>
<p>Ironically, Cook might be one of the most difficult players on this list to purchase. Bournemouth are determined to keep hold of all their key players this summer. There’s a reason they just paid Jermain Defoe an insane amount of money to serve as their striker. They truly believe they can achieve Europa League qualification next season.</p>
<p>Despite the Cherries’ desire to keep him, Tottenham should at least test their resolve. You never know when a big from a big club might turn a young player’s head.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – APRIL 14: Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle celebrates after scoring the first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Newcastle United and Leeds United at St James’ Park on April 14, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>1. Jamaal Lascelles, Newcastle</h3>
<p>When Newcastle went down last year most people believed it would only be a matter of time before they returned to the Premier League. Jamaal Lascelles stellar defensive play is a big reason the Magpies find themselves back in England’s top flight.</p>
<p>It’s not an exaggeration to say that Lascelles was a rock for Rafa Benitez. He appeared in 43 contests for Newcastle last season with 41 starts to his credit. Lascelles repaid his manager’s fate with a solid <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2017/06/30/tottenham-transfer-news-spurs-investigate-five-radar-premier-league-stars/"https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/23/Show/England-Newcastle-United">Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.12</a> on the season.</p>
<p>Despite being a relatively known name in Premier League circles, Lascelles is still just 23 years of age. As a central defender, he has lots of career growth ahead of him. He could be the perfect deputy for Toby Alderweireld.</p>
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