The January transfer window is now open, and it allows Tottenham Hotspur to offload players who don’t have a future under manager Antonio Conte. However, one player that might not be departing is Harry Winks.
Before the arrival of the Italian tactician, Winks might have been a candidate to leave this January. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old is in good form under Conte, which is why former English footballer Noel Whelan says Winks is vital to the Tottenham boss.
“It doesn’t surprise me because he’s a very good player and England international,” Whelan said to Football Insider. “I think managers have come and gone at Tottenham, and that’s messed with the consistency of the whole squad. Also, there was the speculation about Harry Kane in the summer, and that just took over everything and was the main priority at Spurs.
“But when a new manager comes in as Conte has, everyone is playing off a clean slate. He’s a very solid player. Keeps the ball, possession-based, good reading of the game, starts moves off. You can’t really afford to let too many players go when you’ve only just come through the door. When you’re looking at how Conte plays, with the wing-back system – players like Winks and Oliver Skipp become vitally important to their side.”
Under Conte, it seems as though Winks is helping the squad generate scoring chances, providing four key passes in his last three fixtures for Tottenham. Furthermore, the midfielder has helped create nine shot-creating actions in his previous three Premier League appearances.
If Winks continues with this form, perhaps he can indeed leave up to the potential many saw in him. Also, the Tottenham man can play his way into the England national team with the FIFA World Cup occurring later in the year.
The usual suspects putting in acceptable performances before the transfer window shuts, then the usual decline sets in and we all wonder why we never sell them year in year out
Just get rid of him. Zzzzzzzzzz.
Just off the top of my head even if Winks plays as well as he can I’d rate him behind Skipp, Rice, Henderson, Phillips, Grealish, Mount, JWP, Bellingham, Gallagher, ESR to name a few but it’s nice spending January in dreamland.
I have little time for stuff like this, there is a need for change, even getting one out is a start, as long as it’s a player that needs to go and the one that comes in is a significant improvement.
Former English footballer? Can’t be many of them around, thank goodness there was one to tell us this though!
You’re probably right silly me.
Levy won’t release the funds as usual. Unless it’s for some spotty faced youth who nobody has ever heard of. Levy will have been making suggestions to Conte via Paratici to juggle the squad around and try things like playing Bergwijn as a full back, Dele as a striker and Gil as a playmaker, anything to avoid spending money.
I would suggest that Winks is getting game time because of the pausity of other choices.Yes he has been perhaps more offensive in his play under Conte,but he is way off what we rquire in the middle of the park.
Before the window we were linked with so many players,all nailed on additions.Now we are in January and I don’t see anybody linked with us.What is troubling is the deafening silence from the club about their intentions regarding the backing of the manager.
Oh to be a fly on the wall of Conte’s office when he is talking to the Don Paratici.