Tottenham Hotspur look set to lose Mousa Dembele this summer but two Premier League players could replace him and more.
Tottenham have a problem: the first team works nicely but they need depth and don’t have the money to match their rivals.
It’s no secret that their best players don’t earn on a par with the best at other top six clubs and that has prevented them from competing for the right players to build on.
This year, however, represents a great opportunity to add some depth to the side without having to spend lavishly as top talented players look to move on from sides at the bottom.
First and foremost, Spurs need to replace Mousa Dembele who looks set to move on imminently. That brings up two necessities – replace a key player and add the squad player that they already need.
The first could certainly be Southampton’s Mario Lemina. The 24-year-old has had a stop-start season since moving from Juventus last summer but Lemina can fit in as a remarkably similar player to Dembele.
A physical, technically gifted player, Tottenham would be the perfect place for Lemina to develop in a fully functioning team at the top end of the table – we know he’s got the ability to be a star.
But if he doesn’t have the consistency to fill the void on his own, Stoke City’s Joe Allen certainly does. Allen feels like the perfect fit for Spurs as a squad option. He’s agile, loves possession, has the technical skills, and will gladly help cover the pitch.
It’s difficult to judge the costs of each right now, with Southampton’s top-flight status still in the balance and Stoke already relegated, but it’s difficult to imagine a better opportunity to fix two problems for the value it would cost.
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