Upcoming changes to Tottenham line-up?

Tottenham is looking forward to welcoming some new blood, even while a number of valued team members set off to new pastures. So let’s put our video games, and Sloto Cash online casino games aside and look at the players we should watch over the coming months include:

Harry Winks

Amid limited opportunities on the field, midfielder Harry Winks has decided to move on from Tottenham.  Winks has made no secret of the fact that he’s been frustrated by Mourinho’s reticence to give him more playing time on the field. Reports are that Winks will likely head to Spain.

In his quest for more regular game time, the midfielder has been focusing on developing a relationship with Spain’s La Liga where he would like to join former Spurs full-back Kieran Trippier. Trippier is currently suspended due to breaches of team gambling policies but otherwise he has enjoyed an excellent season.

One stumbling block that Winks might face involves the fact that many Spanish clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid – the “Big Three” —  are facing COVID-related financial issues. Winks has a contract with the Spurs until 2024 so even if Mourinho gives his OK – which isn’t certain based on his stated goal of keeping Winks around to give his midfield some depth – Winks would sell for over £20 million.

Angel di Maria

Argentinian Angel di Maria, formerly of Manchester United, moved from the Red Devils in 2014 in a move that cost Man Utd £59.7million. Manchester lost £16 million of that when di Maria moved to Paris Saint-Germain, since they paid only  £44 million. The original £59.7million deal made di Maria one of the most expensive players in the world but Man Utd felt that he didn’t live up to expectations, particularly after he picked up a red card during a FA Cup tournament with Arsenal (which the Red Devils lost) and refused to travel on Man Utd’s pre-season tour.

In Paris however, Di Maria’s star began to rise again. Paris Saint-Germain won the quadruple three times since Di Maria joined and he was responsible for 86 goals in 231 appearances. A number of the biggest clubs in Europe have been sniffing around in preparation for the summer transfer window. Tottenham is one of them and as di Maria’s PSG contract gets set to expire this summer, the Spurs are ready to negotiate.

FBref.com calls di Maria  one of Europe’s best creative players. If Mourinho signs di Maria, he will send Manchester the message that they should have held onto him for a while to let him blossom.

Dele Alli

Dele Alli is also feeling that his opportunities in Tottenham are limited. After a fall-out with Mourinho Alli has made no secret of the fact that he wants out. In the January trade window Alli almost headed over to Paris Saint-Germain but a truce of sorts saw him make an appearance in a Premier League game against Manchester City which calmed the situation down a bit.

Alli, however, is still focused on getting more time on the field and he thinks that he can accomplish that with PSG and Mauricio Pochettino. He told the FIFA PlayOn Podcast, “When I won the Young Player of the Year award, the next year I wanted to be the Player of the Year, I just want to achieve as much as I can in football….That’s always my main focus and at the minute it’s obviously not going very well for me personally because I have not been in the team so yeah I will be looking to sort that situation out but I want to get back to playing and trying to win as much as I can….I’m getting to that point where I want to start winning trophies and be a part of something and try and win as much as I can in terms of trophies for the team.”

The club seems to be on board with Alli’s ambitions but, even at age 24, Alli is obviously looking for how he can put himself in positions to win trophies. If he continues to think that his opportunities with the Spurs are limited this season, he may continue to push for a move. The Spurs haven’t won a trophy since 2007.

Alli is under contract at Tottenham until 2024.

Ben White

£50 million rated Brighton star Ben White has inspired a race between Leeds United, Liverpool and Tottenham to see which club will sign the versatile 23-year-old defender. White is also attracting attention of Manchester United and Chelsea, even though this is only his first season in the Premier League.

White had never played a game in the Premier League until 2016 but since then he has impressed, making 23 appearances since he stepped up to the first-team, straight from the academy. White is a valuable player who is equally at home playing at left wing-back, right wing-back, and defensive midfield. He particularly shines as centre-back which is a position that a number of teams want to fill in the summer transfer window.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been following the drama. “You can see how hard that market when you look at Liverpool’s business in January. They waited until the end of the window and they got two players who they probably did not initially want to sign. If you are a top-class centre-half in this day and age, you are in high-demand.”

White reportedly turned down three of Brighton’s contract offers before eventually signing a new deal. Now, improved terms at bigger Premier League clubs are luring him onward.

Sven Botman

The number of transfers this January transfer window period was lower than usual so all eyes are on the summer transfer window when teams will be doubling down on the positions that they need to strengthen. Observers say that Mourinho should be focusing on addressing the centre of defense to bolster his squad.

When analysing the Spurs’ performance, observers note that Tottenham scored the first goal in 13 of their 21 Premier League matches this year but won only 8 games. If they have the lead, they should focus on the counterattack but too often, the games end in draws. That has kept the team from moving up in the league standings.

A good defender would be able to turn that scenario around. One possible player who could fill that gap might be Lille defender Sven Botman. At 21 years old, the Dutchman doesn’t have a lot of experience on which to fall back but his style and defensive traits could be exactly what Mourinho needs. Botman, at 6”3, dominates his opponents. His win percentage is 70% and his aerial dominance would shore up the Spurs’ defensive block.

Standing 6-foot-3, Botman is very well-built and as a consequence, he’s able to dominate many opponents. This season, he’s contested 110 battles in the air and won 77 of them, leaving him with a high win percentage of 70%.

His aerial dominance would benefit Spurs greatly once they retreat into a defensive block. Currently Botman is at Ajax but if rumours about the French club’s financial troubles are correct, Botman may very well be looking for a comfortable niche in Hotspur Stadium.