Tottenham Hotspur should be in for an interesting summer transfer window, and if reports are to be believed, they’ve already identified their top target.
Indeed, The Telegraph claim that Spurs’ number one priority this summer is signing Danny Ings.
Of course, Spurs have been expected to go for a striker in this window after Harry Kane was linked with a move away from the club, but interestingly, this report states that Spurs want Ings to partner Kane rather than replace him.
Now, the idea of Kane and Ings playing together is mouthwatering in itself, but we also have to consider what this will mean for the rest of the Spurs squad, and one player in particular – Dele Alli.
Nuno Espirito Santo has been famed for playing a 3-4-3 system with Wolves over the past few years, but from time to time, especially when Diogo Jota was at the club, he reverted to a 3-5-2, however that formation was used sparingly.
Due to his tendency to play a 3-4-3, it would have been fair to assume that Nuno would have used that same tactic at Spurs, but the arrival of Ings as Kane’s new partner could see him switch to a 3-5-2 on a permanent basis, which would be good news for Dele Alli.
Think about it, where would Alli have fit in a 3-4-3? He’s not a wide player and he’s not a number 8, so there is seemingly no room for him, but in a 3-5-2, the presence of two more defensive-minded midfielders could allow him to operate in his favourite role just behind the striker.
This isn’t set in stone, there are a lot of things that need to happen for this to come to fruition.
For a start, Spurs need to actually sign Ings, and then they need to keep Kane, but if those two things do happen, Alli could be about to get a second wind in his Tottenham career.
It’s fair to say that the links to Ings that emerged this week should make Alli very excited about this coming season under Nuno Espirito Santo.
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