Tottenham Transfer Talk - Squad and New Contracts

Tottenham Transfer Talk - Squad and New Contracts

Tottenham squad ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final

First a quick look at the squad.

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Paulo Gazzaniga, Alfie Whiteman (20 - 21 in October)

Right-backs: Serge Aurier, Kyle Walker-Peters (HG), Replacement for Kieran Trippier (possibly)

Central Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez, Juan Foyth, Cameron Carter-Vickers (21 - 22 in December)

Left-backs: Ben Davies (HG - not in Champions League), Ryan Sessegnon (also covers the inverted winger role) (19 - 20 next May)

Midfielders: Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Winks (HG), Mousa Sissoko, Eric Dier, Oliver Skipp (18 - 19 in September)

Attacking Midfielders: Dele Alli (HG), Christian Eriksen, Giovani Lo Celso, Erik Lamela

Strikers: Harry Kane (HG), Heung-min Son, Troy Parrott (17 - 18 next February)

14 non-homegrown players (15 in Champions League)
5 homegrown
5 homegrown youngsters
1 player converting to homegrown next season
1 homegrown player on-loan 22-year-old (23 next February) Luke Amos


That means, with the signing of Giovani Lo Celso, we will have a further 3 non-homegrown spaces available but one less in the Champions League because en Davies was taught under the Welsh Football Association and is therefore deemed to be non-homegrown.

It is a law that suppresses Welsh, Scottish and Irish football quite frankly. Aby young player with any talent would need to move to an English Football Association club at 17 so as to qualify as homegrown and have greater value and flexibility in their careers when they reach 22 years old.

Eric Dier, although playing for England, was a youngster at Sporting in Portugal, thus is a non-homegrown player. It would be helpful if that rule were amended.

I have said before and I'll say again, I still think Troy Parrott is a year away from being ready. Cameos yes, but if it were me I'd still be wanting a guy like Llorente with a bit of experience to help him.

Youngsters can learn a lot from an old head who has been there and done it.

Contracts

Jan Vertongehn will be offered a new contract, I have reported that before so you won't be surprised.

Christian Eriksen will sign if Real Madrid doesn't buy him.

Toby Alderweireld staying at Spurs

And awarding Toby Alderweireld the captaincy was a gesture from Pochettino that he wants Alderweireld to stay at the club.

Let us just say there was a frank discussion with Daniel Levy and Mauricio Pochettino and both sides have had time to contemplate.

Toby is happy at Tottenham, the issue has been with his father and agents, who we believe have acted in a very unprofessional manner. The club refused to give in to an agent that agreed a fee and then asked for more.

He has lost 2 years wages, he could have doubled his wages 2 years ago and Tottenham left that contract on the table for him. At their meeting they took that contract off the table and he will be offered a new contract at the end of this tournament.

Now, if he signs that and we wouldn't be offering it if all parties had not come to an agreement at last, then that eases the situation next summer.

The club have shown the players we are building a side and they are not going to get much better opportunities elsewhere unless Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus or PSG come in for them.

I thought it would be another 2 years before Alderweireld would want to return to Ajax and I don't know the length of the contract he will be offered, but I'd expect it to be an additional 2 years.

Right, I said in the last article that I thought of something writing that, that I want to talk about and it is more on contracts.

That is going to add some solidity to our defence, an area that was becoming a concern. Will we see Danny Rose now reconsider, we'll have to wait and see.

It is an unexpected turn in events. I'd challenge any Spurs fan who still misunderstands Daniel Levy and how a football club should be run if they both sign extensions as well as the players joining plus the summer spending.

They both still want to end their careers at Ajax but as I have mentioned before, I was sure Alderweireld would want 2 more years yet before he moved there.

Roma were offering him lower wages than he was on at Spurs and that was without a wage increase. Perhaps that has opened his agents eyes to what he is actually worth to other clubs and he has found out that nobody wants to pay the wages he has been asking for.

Manchester United wouldn't pay them last summer and when you hit 30 your wages start to drop so he has had some decisions to make.

I wrote a post on this that explained he was losing £4.5m (€5.01m - $5.62m) annually. Signing a new contract will save him losing another £4.5m this year as well.

As a manager and indeed chairman, you have to plan ahead. We have looked at the situation of those players whose contract expires in 2 years time and explained why they are available for sale.

Next summer there will be a new batch and the problem rears it's head again, as does the homegrown vs non-homegrown quotas.

Obviously, we will see how our right-backs get on but we'll be watching homegrown Max Aarons and others next season.

Onto our players though and who has a contract ending in 2022 thus might be available for sale next summer. Other clubs will notice this and be watching their targets or having a word through agents to sound players out.

I know what the rules say, but this is real life. It happens, everyone does it, even us.

This will also help you to understand why we are linked to certain players, like the Lazio keeper this summer. It doesn't mean we are going to buy them but keeping ourselves informed if a player chooses not to sign a contract extension.

Contracts Ending 2022

• 27-year-old (28 next March) Erik Lamela
• 32-year-old (33 in December) Hugo Lloris
• 21-year-old (22 next January) Juan Foyth
• 27-year-old (28 next January) Paulo Gazzaniga
• 26-year-old (27 in December) Serge Aurier

Look at who is top of that list, the show pony himself, Erik Lamela. The man with stacks on talent who had a mentality issue when he joined, has had a heap of injuries and only given us one and a bit good years.

He is available at the right price. Nobody is going to pay the right price, why would you, he has so many injuries.

Erik Lamela does not want to leave Spurs. He came into training a week earlier to prepare for pre-season, as did Dele Alli.

This season is a big season for Lamela. A left-footed Argentinian with bags of skill, yes, that's Giovani Lo Celso.

You see the danger, bit-part player unless he is careful, he has competition to produce the goods on a consistent basis and that means having an end product.

It was great to see him in the box snapping up a poachers goal against Juventus. When he first arrived to didn't go in the box, he did in Italy for Roma but that showed his mentality for us, he was hiding or running sideways across the field, never towards the box.

That changed and his performances changed when he addressed that. After more injuries, it is important to see him there wanting to score goals. It might only be a pre-season friendly, but it was encouraging to see.

He could be up for sale next summer, he could prove he is worth another contract, that is effectively what he is playing for this season.

Two goalkeepers. There could be an issue, there could be two new contracts. As a club, you have to be prepared.

Big year for Kyle Walker-Peters. he'll either make it or be sold next summer I would have thought.

Serge Aurier, another playing for a new contract or be looking at moving him on and overhauling that position.

I have no doubt at all that Juan Foyth will be offered a new contract.

So there you have it, when you hear a transfer rumour, think to yourself, why are Spurs watching them, are they planning ahead and the story might make a little more sense.

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