After a month or so, Tottenham Hotspur have finally delivered with three new signings. The arrivals of Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have been met with positivity and relief as the injury-hit squad now has suitable depth, especially when all injured players return.
For a while, it looked as though Spurs would be unsuccessful in the transfer window, with players rejecting their approaches, in what would have been a disaster.
However, the new signings will provide a much-needed boost to Ange Postecoglou’s side and it will be interesting to see how they can improve from here, not only in the Premier League but also on their quest for silverware in the Europa League and League Cup.
These arrivals signify an exciting time with Tottenham’s season. For months, the club has been plagued by numerous injuries to key players, which has resulted in poor league performances as Spurs now lie in the bottom half of the Premier League. There are exciting options at Postecoglou’s disposal.
Exciting options for Postecoglou
Kinsky is a reliable goalkeeper, best shown in his debut performance against Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final first leg. This highlighted how he was more than up to the challenge.
Furthermore, his ability should be enough to challenge Tottenham’s number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, which creates competition within the squad, fostering a healthy and hardworking atmosphere.
Kevin Danso is perhaps the most important signing of the window and with an obligation to buy at the end of the season, he can truly kick on and become an important player. He brings with him masses of experience from Ligue 1 and is a solid reinforcement for the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who have had injury issues for the majority of the season.
Now, Tottenham possess five senior centre-backs, totalling with Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies. Most notably, this would allow Archie Gray to slot back into midfield, which is his preferred position, after covering at centre-back for most of the season.
Mathys Tel is an exciting and skilful forward and at only 19 years old, he is an excellent option as Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison are all out injured.
He has had limited game time this season so there are questions over whether he is match fit but he should be a perfect fit for Postecoglou’s style of play.
Questions do remain though over his commitment to Tottenham’s cause. Tel originally rejected Tottenham, only to change his mind on deadline day. Did he want to join Spurs because it was his only option?
Full-strength Spurs await
Once all of Tottenham’s players return from injury, bar Radu Dragusin who is out until September with an ACL issue, they should be a formidable side.
We saw signs of what Spurs could do at the start of the season with a full-strength side. The combinations of Heung-min Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski caused the opposition all sorts of problems, whilst the likes of Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero were solid defensively whilst also providing a unique attacking style to the team.
With these new additions, Tottenham will finally possess squad depth of some sort, with players easily able to drop in and out of the starting lineup.
Whilst the prospect of a fully fit Spurs side is something to relish, the timings of the new signings does warrant questions.
It was an unwanted trend of the winter transfer window that players would continually reject Tottenham’s approaches to prise them away from their clubs.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi was subject to a big transfer race and consistently rejected Tottenham despite their insistence on signing him. Eventually, he moved to Aston Villa on loan.
Fikayo Tomori was faced with the prospect of returning to London after leaving Chelsea for AC Milan in 2021. When Spurs came calling, he also decided against the move.
Additionally, Tel’s initial decision to turn down Tottenham as aforementioned contributes to this pattern.
If these players had been brought in earlier or at the very least, starting negotiations with clubs at the very start of the window, then perhaps Spurs would not be in the position that they find themselves in.
With players continuing to get injured, particularly over the last month, then the new players could have had a more immediate impact rather than potentially receiving less playing time when the injured players return to the matchday squad.
Youth development at the height of importance
In addition to the three signings to the senior squad, Spurs have been busy adding to their academy and allowing players to leave on loan.
The North London club brought in Dan Batty, Luca Furnell-Gill and Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny from Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea respectively.
Furthermore, Mason Melia will arrive in a year's time from League of Ireland side, St Patrick’s Athletic. The 17-year-old has already made 54 senior appearances for the side, adding 10 goals in the process.
Tottenham’s dedication to the youth is refreshing and these players join an already flourishing academy, with some players having experienced first-team football in the Premier League and Europa League this season.
In terms of outgoings, talented centre-back Alfie Dorrington joined Aberdeen on loan and Will Lankshear signed for West Bromwich Albion on loan for the rest of the season.
These loan departures are critical for the development of these two players, who will gain masses of experience from these moves.
Aberdeen is known for developing young players, most notably in the case of James Maddison.
Overall, Tottenham’s business in the winter transfer window has been solid. Reinforcements have been sorely needed and they have finally been brought in.
The signing of Mathys Tel is the standout transfer of the bunch and will provide a lot of pace and energy to the side. However, the lateness of the signings does bring up questions about the transfer strategy that Johan Lange instilled in this window.
