Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-0 at Arsenal on Saturday afternoon.
Pundit Jamie Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that he now thinks Tottenham’s deal to sell Kyle Walker to Manchester City is now a mistake – and fears more may follow him out of the club.
Spurs travelled to Arsenal on Saturday afternoon in search of a vital three points, especially given that they could have moved seven points clear of their North London rivals.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men almost entered the game as favourites after a strong start to the season in the Champions League and in the Premier League, but they fell flat at the Emirates Stadium.
First half goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez handed Arsenal a 2-0 lead, meaning Spurs boss Pochettino has won just one in 17 away games against top six rivals.
Questions are again being asked about Tottenham’s credentials as Premier League title challengers, and former Spurs midfielder and current pundit Jamie Redknapp has expressed his concerns in his Daily Mail column.
Redknapp noted that, whilst many felt that Tottenham got a great price for right back Kyle Walker upon his move to Manchester City, the deal now looks to be a mistake given that City and Walker lie 11 points ahead of Spurs in the title race.
Redknapp added that Spurs have lost attacking talent at wing back, given that Walker has left and Danny Rose has been injured, but he urged Pochettino not to fall out with Rose, as he can’t afford to lose another top wing back.
Finally, Redknapp expressed fears that four men – Rose, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and even manager Pochettino – could leave if Tottenham don’t make a real achievement soon, given the money that Walker is earning at City.
“When Kyle Walker joined Manchester City in the summer, the talk was that Tottenham had pulled off a great bit of business, that £54million was an excellent deal for a 27-year-old right back,” said Redknapp. “With Tottenham now trailing Pep Guardiola’s side by 11 points in the title race, it is increasingly looking like a bad decision. Spurs have now lost their last two away trips to Manchester United and Arsenal without scoring a single goal. Their right backs in these games, Serge Aurier and Kieran Trippier, failed to create a single chance.”
“Tottenham’s attacking full backs in Walker and Danny Rose have been such a big feature of their game in the last couple of years. Trippier and Ben Davies are very good players who have done well this season but they do not offer the same attacking threat. Spurs may have one of the best young squads in the country but the club’s mentality has not changed since I played for them 13 years ago. Chelsea were hammered for letting Nemanja Matic join a direct rival in Manchester United but when Walker went to City, it was seen as a shrewd move for Tottenham. Regardless of whether Mauricio Pochettino and Rose have fallen out, Tottenham cannot afford to lose another star wing back.”
“This summer, Europe’s biggest clubs in Europe will be circling to buy Harry Kane and Dele Alli. If Rose is allowed to leave, it gives his team-mates a reason to move elsewhere, too. Walker’s former team-mates will know how much money he is on at the Etihad and there is a danger that this promising team will be broken apart. Pochettino, too, will wonder what he can achieve at Tottenham if their best players are sold. Pochettino’s away record against Spurs’ top-six rivals now reads one win in 17. That is not good enough. Unless Spurs can adopt a big-club mentality, they cannot be considered title contenders,” he added.
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