Speaking on The Done Deal Show, Dean Jones has shared what he’s heard about Tottenham’s starting XI for this weekend’s Premier League opener against Southampton.
After a hectic summer, Premier League football is finally returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday as Spurs host Southampton, and it’s fair to say that excitement is palpable.
Spurs have added no fewer than six new signings this summer, and many are expecting big things from Tottenham’s new boys.
However, according to Jones, there won’t be too many debuts this weekend.
Indeed, the journalist says he’s spoken to someone very well connected within this space and he’s led to believe that Ivan Perisic could be the only new signing on show against the Saints.
What’s been said?
Jones shared what he’s heard regarding team news.
“I text someone today because I was trying to figure out what Tottenham’s first XI will look like on the first day of the season and who would play and the guy who I was messaging is very well connected in terms of getting the lineups and he said ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if Perisic is the only one on show out of the new signings.’ That is quite interesting because Perisic isn’t even up to full speed at the moment,” Jones said.
Right decision
As tempting as it is to just throw every new signing in at once, easing everyone in is the right call.
Ivan Perisic was one of Spurs’ first signings of the summer, so he’s had plenty of time to settle, but the likes of Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence have barely had a pre-season after arriving later.
Meanwhile, Fraser Forster was never going to be a starter, Richarlison has an uphill task of getting in over Spurs’ brilliant attacking options, while Yves Bissouma contracted covid during the South Korea tour so he may not be 100 per cent.
Perisic may well be the only new signing to start Spurs’ opener.
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