Spurs’ record signing Roberto Soldado is set to stay at the club, after a rather poor two years in North London. Having arrived in a £26m deal from Valencia, Soldado seemed sold-out of ideas.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to hand the Spaniard a lifeline seems an odd one, with an over-reliance on 31-goal star Harry Kane a problem last year. Could this be the biggest mistake to come out of White Hart Lane this summer?
In their quest for all things Champions League, Spurs have not exactly set the world alight in the transfer market. Toby Alderwiereld, Kieran Trippier, Dele Ali and Kevin Wimmer have arrived at the club, with only Belgian star Alderwiereld and former MK Dons star Dele Ali likely to provide competition for the Argentine’s starting XI.
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The focus this year appears to be on shifting the deadwood out of the club. Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chirches, Paulinho and Younes Kaboul have left the club this year. Midfield man Benjamin Stambouli somehow did enough to win a move to Ligue 1 giants PSG. Yet Soldado has survived.
The lack of activity is perhaps understandable, considering the £100m wasted following the sale of Gareth Bale back in 2013.
However, the Lilywhites must be in the chase for the Champions League, and Pochettino must know the consequences of not qualifying. Chairman Daniel Levy is not exactly lenient.
With fellow top four hopefuls Liverpool strengthening their squad sufficiently, Spurs are at risk of being left behind. Shipping Soldado out may not solve all of their problems, but it is a start. Linked with a £12m move to Villarreal, at least re-couping some of the fee shelled out to him can go towards a replacement.
Seven strikes in 51 games is not good going. The former Spanish international works his socks off, but as Radamel Falcao showed us last year, that is not always enough. The high pressing system employed by the former Southampton boss would surely suit a younger replacement, not a 30-year old who has failed to live up to expectations.
Harry Kane has rightly earned the right to be considered the starting striker at the club, and with his service, the North Londoners can boast the most prolific Englishman in the league last year. However, a long season gets even longer with a Europa League campaign thrown into the mix, and Spurs need options.
Holding on to the hope Soldado will rediscover his La Liga form is an admirable notion. Is it a realistic one? Probably not.
In Pochettino, Tottenham have opted for a stylish young manager to drag them away from the rigid Andre Villas-Boas era, one who will field a vibrant young side. In keeping their Spanish stinker, they are holding on to a forgettable period in their history.
Selling Soldado will not solve every problem dragging Tottenham away from the top four spots. However, it will represent a complete departure from the Villas-Boas era, as they enter a new dawn.
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