Antonio Conte, Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy have already been busy working on recruiting some fresh faces for Spurs this summer, bringing three new players through the door in the shape of Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, Southampton’s Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma from Brighton & Hove Albion. But there is still more to come after an influx of £150million has Conte eyeing up a few more players to add to his lineup as he looks to improve the squad for Champions League football. One or two signings in several key positions are still required, a striker to support Harry Kane and reinforcements in defence the main priorities with plenty of targets already known to be on the North London club’s radar. Spurs are currently 14/1 to win the league next season according to this range of betting sites and have certainly made good strides to living up to that billing so far in this transfer window. But they will want to continue making progress by getting one or two more deals done before pre-season gets underway to set them up for another positive start to this campaign.
Perisic reunites with Conte
This transfer proves that Conte is now getting exactly what he wants from Tottenham’s hierarchy and the Italian coach will surely sign a new long-term contract. Perisic, like Conte, is a winner and this signing shows Spurs are ready to spend big money on wages when opportunities like this present themselves. Spurs confirmed the signing of 33-year-old Croatia international on a two-year contract after negotiations broke down between the forward and his previous club Inter Milan. There will be some concern over his age and whether he can maintain his fitness in the physically demanding Premier League but for what he might lack in that department he will more than make up for in experience. He has some of Europe’s biggest trophies with Dortmund, Bayern and most recently Inter as well as scoring in a World Cup final for Croatia in 2018 and is as dependable as they come consistently delivers excellent performances from wide areas. That kind of experience is bound to rub off on the squad and will bring a lot of knowledge on how to handle high pressure situations. Furthermore his workrate is excellent up and down the flank making him an ideal player in Conte’s 3-4-3 system. Whilst he will likely play on the left, he can also play left wing-back, right wing-back and in more advanced roles on either side giving Conte plenty of options and more depth opening up the possibility of resting players like Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski in attack for certain games. It looks to be an exceptional bit of business from the North London club.
Yves Bissouma is exactly what Spurs needed
Tottenham had limited options in midfield last year and there were times when bringing on Harry Winks wasn’t the most appealing option against compact sides defending deep. Oliver Skipp missed out on the latter part of the season with injury and Spurs often needed someone who could not only put in the work in defence but impact the play going forward. While Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been consistently solid in the middle of the park, the Lilywhites needed a more dynamic option to increase competition in the squad. Conte has had to rely upon the midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Hojbjerg since the January window but given the added workload and increased level of competition in the Champions League, the arrival of a further option in midfield was of paramount importance before the season kicked off. This is where Yves Bissouma could turn out to be so vital for Tottenham. The 25-year-old can keep a balance between his defensive and offensive duties when deployed alongside someone like Bentancur. Bissouma not only has amazing tackling ability but is also an excellent dribbler, often weaving his team out of trouble with his ball control in tight spaces. He can also carry the ball forward, after making interceptions to launch counterattacks. Although Hojbjerg has been brilliant, he is a bit cautious and is prone to taking the sting out of the attack. Having someone like Bissouma at his disposal will give Antonio Conte the luxury of options to rotate from without compromising on the quality.
Who else should Spurs add to their squad?
Bolstering Conte’s defensive options for next season has always been a top priority for the club this summer but there is also a need to offer some support up front for Kane and Son. Ben Davies occupied the left centre-back role last season and did a solid job, but with the busy fixture schedule next season, the Italian needs more options. To that end, Clement Lenglet could be a perfect fit. The financial problems at his current club Barcelona are likely to mean exits this summer and Paratici is expected to explore the defender as an option. The 27-year-old is currently valued at around £25 million prompting suggestions that the north London club could pay a portion of Lenglet’s wages to facilitate a temporary move instead. Another player heavily linked with a move to the capital is Richarlison. The Brazilian scored ten goals and contributed five assists in his 30 Premier League appearances last season and there has been a lot of talk over moves for the Everton man. Spurs will be astutely aware of the rumours circulating that the 25-year-old would be open to a move to North London and he seems to be the most likely target as things stand. Richarlison can also play various roles, allowing Conte to make rotations to his front three and have someone to be Harry Kane’s backup which Spurs are in desperate need of. Although the Lilywhites’ attacking trio were a danger to many Premier League sides, there is a need for rotation and depth next season, which Richarlison could bring. With Steven Bergwijn likely to leave, it means attacking options are thin, and the 25-year-old is likely to be snapped up by another club if Tottenham doesn’t act soon. One thing is for sure though they’re in good shape from their dealings thus far and anyone they do manage to sign before deadline day will only strengthen their chances of challenging the Premier League’s big guns next season.
