With Tottenham’s dreams of Champions League glory turning to dust, all eyes will be on how Mauricio Pochettino can turn their heartbreak into a new opportunity. In the end, their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Liverpool revealed a tired-looking Tottenham side that couldn’t repeat their magical performances against the likes of Ajax.
But with Mauricio Pochettino hopefully being given the chance to finally spend some money on new players, there’s still plenty of room for optimism in the Tottenham camp.
A recap of Tottenham’s 2018/19 season
Last season saw both the best and worst of Tottenham Hotspur. From their stunning Champions League wins against the likes of Manchester City and Ajax, to their uninspiring defeats at the hands of Watford and Wolves, it’s been another frustrating season for the Spurs faithful.
The main thing to remember is the Tottenham still managed to book their place in next season’s Champions League tournament, and their fourth place finish in the Premier League happily saw them one point clear of Arsenal.
All of this has been achieved with nothing in the way of spending on new players. With no less £850 million spent on the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Mauricio Pochettino has had to do the best he can with the current players.
Despite losing 18 games, Tottenham still managed to get their best all-round season result in recent times. With a playing budget of just £351 million since 2015, Mauricio Pochettino’s team have spent less than the likes of Newcastle United, and the fact that Tottenham even managed to make the Champions League final should not be underestimated.
But with their sluggish performance in the final against Liverpool highlighting everything that’s wrong the Tottenham side, it’s clear that Mauricio Pochettino will have to take things up a gear in the 2019/20 season.
Will Mauricio Pochettino stay at Tottenham?
Mauricio Pochettino has worked wonders with the Tottenham side, and he is much-loved at the club. Despite this, there have been an endless stream of rumours that the Argentine manager could be tempted to leave the side. Recently big-name clubs like Juventus and Manchester United have been linked with Pochettino, and it’s easy to see why Tottenham’s coach could want to sign for an appropriate offer after all that he has achieved with the side.
Pochettino came in for plenty of criticism as a result of his decision to field a below-par Harry Kane ahead of Lucas Moura in the Champions League final, and the lack of silverware will have caused plenty of concern that the current manager could be about to jump ship.
Despite this, Pochettino’s post-match interview after the Champions League final suggested that he is keen to help Tottenham build on their promise. The manager will reportedly meet up with Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy to form a five year plan for the club that should hopefully feature a much larger spending budget.
Fixing the weak spots in the Tottenham side
The current Tottenham squad features no shortage of talent, but they have lacked the consistency to match the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. Nowhere was this better seen than at the end of their Premier League season where poor performances against the likes of West Ham and Bournemouth capped off what could have been a much better season.
Stars like Harry Kane suffered from injuries that saw him absent for nearly two months, but even quality players like Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen showed plenty of inconsistency that hampered Tottenham’s chances throughout their campaign.
Thankfully, Son Heung-min managed to prove what an excellent player he is throughout the 2018/19 season. But questions remain about the quality of the Tottenham central midfield area, and with recurrent transfer rumours about at least three of the side’s back-four including Kieran Trippier, it’s clear that some big-money signings might need to be made.
Who will be Tottenham’s next big signing?
With the welcome news that Tottenham’s purse-strings could be loosening, it’s been interesting to see which names have been linked with the famous London club. Here are just some of the main contenders to join Spurs.
Giovani Lo Celso
So far we have already seen Tottenham’s £52 million bid for Giovani Lo Celso being rejected. The fiery Real Betis midfielder had an excellent season in Spanish football, but Spurs are apparently willing to break their own transfer record to put down £60 million in order to secure the 23-year old star.
Lo Celso has a proven track record when it comes to picking up goals and laying on assists. Whilst the Argentine star has a few issues with his temperament, there is little doubting that he would be a useful addition to add some firepower to Tottenham’s midfield area.
Tanguy Ndombele
Tottenham have also put in a bid for the impressive Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele. The 22-year old French star has a £70 million asking price and has already been linked with many other top European clubs.
With an excellent performance in France’s recent 2-0 win over Bolivia, Ndombele has shown that he is a midfield powerhouse who could make yet another big impression on a new-look Tottenham team. But with other big Premier League clubs like Manchester United also keen to sign the young star, it remains to be seen whether Tottenham have the pulling power necessary to get Ndombele to join their ranks.
Maxi Gomez
Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez is another powerhouse who has been eyed up by Pochettino. With a nickname translating into ‘The Bull’, it’s clear that Gomez could bring a lot of strength to a Tottenham squad that has a glaring lack of depth.
The 22-year old Uruguayan striker managed to get 13 goals and five assists in a fairly unimpressive Celta Vigo side and his aerial ability seriously impressed fans in La Liga last season. But with Valencia also keen to put in a bid for Gomez, it’s clear that the forward has plenty of options at his disposal.
Ryan Sessegnon
Whilst Fulham had a dismal season, it looks like life in the Premier League might not be over for Ryan Sessegnon just yet. The young star was often Fulham’s saving grace in the left wing-back and midfield position last season, and it’s easy to see how he could jump ship to join a more successful London side.
Spurs will need to put in a bid of around £20 million to get the 19-year old to join their ranks. Plus there are also signs that Tottenham might make a signing of the Leeds player Jack Clarke. All of which shows that we could see a new-look Tottenham Hotspur in 2019/20.
