Tottenham have had an inconsistent season thus far and even though they have done enough to just about stay in contention for the title, they are perhaps a couple of bad results away from just competing for a top four spot. This was the same team that competed for the title last season but what’s changed this season is that their rivals have strengthened considerably while Spurs have signed players who have either failed to justify their price tags or had their value inflated by the selling club.
Apart from Victor Wanyama, none of the summer signings have impressed. Spurs did sell a few players and recouped part of the money, but considering they are building a new stadium, they can’t afford to splash the cash in January and have to spend wisely.
The biggest area of concern is the lack of good backups for Harry Kane. Vincent Janssen had a brilliant goal-scoring record in Netherlands but has flattered to deceive in England and failed to replace Kane when the Englishman was recovering from an injury. The same can be said about Moussa Sissoko whose form has been patchy.
With a key phase coming up and Kane arguably suffering the worst form of his life, the need to take off the goal scoring burden off his shoulders is imperative. If Spurs can sign a player who is versatile enough and can score goals, it’d be the perfect deal. Having said that, there aren’t a whole lot of players who can do that at the moment.
Fiorentina attacker Federico Bernardeschi and Leverkusen’s Kevin Volland are good options that Spurs can go after. The former is a very versatile player and has played in as many as six positions for the Viola and has been pretty effective wherever he has played. He’s the most effective from the centre though as he’s managed four goals and one assist in five games.
Fiorentina have struggled this season and are ninth in the league table. It’s unlikely that they’ll qualify for Europe and which presents Spurs a good opportunity to woo the Italian star.
Leverkusen, who proved to be Tottenham’s nemesis in the Champions League, are going through a similar spell in the Bundesliga. Their form has been patchy and although they only signed Volland in the summer, it doesn’t mean they can keep him if a good offer is on the table. Volland can play either as a striker or as an inverted winger on the right and is more of a flair player.
Pochettino will have to assess the squad and there’s no doubt they can do with another goal-scorer.
