There was a time when an exodus at Tottenham was something to be feared rather than welcomed. That is no longer necessarily true, even if the club’s summer is likely to be defined by a battle to keep Harry Kane.
The biggest change will be in the dugout, with Ryan Mason only having been given the job on a temporary basis until June.
When a permanent successor to Jose Mourinho is finally chosen, he could well be expected to lead a major overhaul of a squad that finished seventh and missed out on the top six for the first time in 12 years.
One major consideration which will influence transfers is a lack of homegrown players. Premier League clubs are required to have at least eight locally-trained players in their squad, but the rules are slightly different for European competitions.
Uefa only allow clubs to include 17 foreign players and Spurs’ seventh-placed finish means they will become the first British team to play in the new Conference League. The north Londoners are already at that limit judging by their current squad, because Uefa considers Welshmen like Joe Rodon and Ben Davies as having trained under a different association (the Premier League make an exception for UK nationals).
Republic of Ireland international Matt Doherty, on the other hand, counts as homegrown because he had already played in England for three years at Wolves before turning 21.
That said, after such a disappointing campaign it is almost impossible to envisage Spurs not initiating a major shake-up of their current band of under-performers – so their squad could look very different come the start of the 2021-22 season.
Harry Kane
Notwithstanding Kane’s own wishes, the major obstacle to his departure is the fact he still has three years left on his contract. There are only a handful of clubs – Manchester City among them – who would be able to afford a fee in excess of £100m for the Golden Boot and Playmaker Award winner.
With Spurs having lost a similar amount in revenue over the course of the pandemic, however, selling Kane would be one way to balance the books. Losing their star man could also facilitate the arrival of a number of new signings, à la Bale’s move to Real Madrid in 2013.
Gareth Bale
Speaking of the forward, he also looks set to return to the Spanish capital, with no news on Tottenham activating the second year of his loan deal. Following his brace on the last day of the season against Leicester, he confirmed he already knows where he will be playing his football next season, though he would only give a cryptic answer.
Juan Foyth
Unai Emery is keen to keep the Argentine after a successful loan spell with Villarreal which could culminate in winning the Europa League if they beat Manchester United in the final. Foyth, who started promisingly at Spurs but made a number of errors under Mourinho, has made 32 appearances in Spain.
Erik Lamela
Lamela’s current deal expires in 2022, meaning this is the final summer in which Levy can command a fee for him. While he won Goal of the Season for his rabona against Arsenal (after which he was sent off), it has been another season decimated by injury and he has started just five league games.
Danny Rose
Rose is the only player on a permanent contract whose deal expires this summer – not that it makes much difference, as he was left out of the 25-man Premier League squad this season anyway.
Carlos Vinicius
Vinicius has played his part, scoring 10 goals in all competitions. The Brazilian was only on loan from Benfica and Tottenham are not expected to activate his option-to-buy clause.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Carter-Vickers has impressed on loan at Bournemouth. The defender will not be going up with the Cherries after they lost to Brentford in the play-off semi-finals, so it is likely a number of other top-flight clubs will be monitoring him. Newcastle are among the clubs linked.
Moussa Sissoko
The 31-year-old has become a peripheral figure in recent months, though he has been included in France’s Euro 2020 squad, where he will have the chance to attract suitors.
Serge Aurier
Rumour has it that Aurier could return to PSG, though that could depend on whether his former boss, Mauricio Pochettino, is still in charge after the Parisians surrendered their title to Lille.
Regardless of their struggles this season, Harry Winks and Dele Alli are unlikely to move on unless a significant offer comes in due to their homegrown status. Oliver Skipp will return after a promotion-winning loan stint with Norwich City.
Until a new manager is appointed, the club feels at a crossroads – and it is anyone’s guess what next season will look like at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
More on Tottenham
- Daniel Storey: Loyalty the only logical reason for Kane to stay at declining Spurs
- Gazza’s injury: ‘It wasn’t just about getting him fit, Spurs needed the money’
- Exclusive: Sessegnon on the one part of his game that improved in Germany
- Wales, golf…? What next for Bale with Real Madrid and Spurs future unclear
- Winks exclusive: ‘Xavi and Iniesta comparisons are nice – but I need to improve’
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