Tottenham failed to get rid of their unwanted players this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur’s failure to get rid of their unwanted or wantaway players this summer has overshadowed their start to the season.
Firstly it is important to acknowledge that Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou did finally depart. This was long overdue, and 12 months too late.
Efforts put into those deals would have been better spent trying to shift players who are entering the final years of their contract, or whose time have simply run out.
These include Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Jan Vertonghen, Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama.
If Tottenham had got rid of them all, then of course there would have been some criticism of a weak squad, but this is what a rebuild is all about.
Spurs needed to be more ruthless, and this meant cutting the wage bill, and creating pathways for younger players to take over.
One club who successfully did so are Manchester United.
The Red Devils sold Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian, and loaned Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling. Three of those deals took place after the English transfer window closed.
United were just glad to get them off their books.
Letting Lukaku go, and Sanchez, without a replacement was a case in point of a risk being taken, and injuries have caused some subsequent difficulties.
But as it transpires so far, United are still ahead of Tottenham in the table, and are a step forward in their rebuild.
Players like Lukaku and Sanchez clearly wanted out, and instead of having them hang around, and even picking them, United have moved on.
This was a bold approach, but it has created greater opportunities for younger players, and this is what Tottenham need to do.
It’s not too late, In January Spurs can still get rid of a couple of the players who are viewed as no longer part of the club’s future.
The policy to hold out for the best transfer deal or the right offer has backfired. Sometimes it is just best to cut the cord, and move on.
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