If I’ve written it once, I’ve written it 1000 times; this summer’s transfer window is going to be unusual. With so much to do and so little to spend, Tottenham will need to find creative solutions; compromises must be made.
One of those compromises must be Daniel Levy sacrificing a fundamental element of his business model in relation to the age of new signings. As The Telegraph reports regarding a possible deal for 28-year-old full-back Thomas Meunier, the chairman is reluctant to purchase anybody over the age of 25, so to try to return the average age of the squad to one of the youngest in the Premier League, has quietly become one of the oldest.
In the past seven years, Levy has rarely deterred from his model of signing younger players with resale value. Strikers Roberto Soldado and Fernando Llorente are the only signings over the age of 27 during that period.
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I don’t think Levy can afford to be so picky this time around. There are too many holes in the squad and Jose Mourinho needs players who can come in and perform immediately if we are to compete for the Champions League places next season. With our stadium and Covid-19-imposed financial restrictions, we will be back to shopping at the Clinton N’Jie, Kevin Wimmer, and Vincent Janssen market if we look to address four or five positions with the £50m budget that Levy has earmarked for us, as The Express details.
This is the same market where we found Christian Eriksen and Eric Dier, so the results are mixed. But we aren’t in a position to gamble like that again. We aren’t plucky underdogs any more. We’ve been to the dance now and there are expectations from the fans, players, and manager to get results.
I would rather see the likes of Meunier, Diego Godin, and William come in this summer than a raft of unknowns. I’m not advocating a complete change of policy, just a balance that will give Mourinho a fighting chance of getting immediate results without major financial outlay. Some of these players will be available for little to nothing, offsetting their higher wage demands, and they can be replaced in a couple of years when the market is more stable. Any player signed from that N’Jie and Wimmer market is at risk of needing replacing anyway, because they may not be good enough.
Bringing in a couple of proven, more experienced players also means that there is less downside if the transfer punts we do take don’t bear fruit.
This next window will not allow clubs to be rigid with their transfer philosophies. If Levy isn’t more flexible, then he is asking for trouble.