Why Tottenham must let go of some of their brightest young talents
Written by Ryan Walton https://x.com/ryantalks_footy?s=20
Tottenham Hotspur have, in recent years, employed a clear transfer strategy centered around bright young talents with the potential to grow into top players. Some of our most notable acquisitions include the likes of Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.
Ahead of this summer’s transfer window, seen by many as a make-or-break for the Tottenham hierarchy, the club need to make some difficult decisions in order to improve the quality of the team, which will require moving on some well-liked players who fans may be reluctant to see leave Spurs.
As we’ve seen already this summer, there has been intense debate surrounding two young players in particular: Lucas Bergvall (20), and Luka Vuskovic (19). Both players were believed to have massive roles to play in Tottenham’s future, however the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi as manager has thrown this into doubt, with the Italian seemingly not fancying either the Swedish midfielder or the Croatian defender. Some fans argue that we will seriously regret parting ways with these players if they are able to reach their potential in the future. But in my opinion, the problem here lies in that previous sentence.
IF they are able to reach their potential.
As a Tottenham fan from a young age, I have grown tired of seeing the club continue to stick with the same players who simply aren’t at the required level for our football club, with this being at the cost of team performance on many occasions in the last 10 years. We look back at how Pochettino wasn’t supported in his efforts to win the Premier League title, how proven winners Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte did not receive any of their first-choice transfer targets, or more recently Ange Postecoglou’s second summer in charge that saw us recruit two teenagers from Championship clubs and a Bournemouth striker who hasn’t lived up to expectations since his arrival. There are plenty more instances of how the Spurs hierarchy haven’t supported managers and the squad in a bid to improve and evolve in the hunt for success.
We now find ourselves with a manager in De Zerbi who the fans are all aligned on following our Premier League survival last term, and a board who has possibly learned from their previous mistakes and has a newfound willingness to make things right. As a result of this, we have a real opportunity to begin to make a statement in the transfer market and the Premier League, rebuilding Tottenham Hotspur as a serious football club with ambition.
Unfortunately, I believe that Bergvall and Vuskovic are worth sacrificing in order for us to realise our potential and begin to make the necessary upgrades in our squad. With fees around £50m being touted for both players, that should be considered great business by Spurs, with one in Vuskovic who has never played a competitive minute for the club, and Bergvall who has never truly broken through with consistent weekly minutes. In my opinion, a similar viewpoint must be taken on other players this summer, mainly Pape Matar Sarr, but potentially also Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert.
To be clear, I am not against younger talent having roles in the squad, as I firmly believe that Archie Gray will be a hugely important part of Tottenham’s future. However, when you look at other successful clubs in England, they have a solid spine in their team, with a few added young players here and there who are coming into a stable environment where they will be able to slot in seamlessly.
Spurs haven’t got an established first team as of yet, proven by the number of transfers we have completed already this summer, as well as the amount of rumours on players we will be signing next. It is unfortunate that some of our brightest young players will not have a future at the club, however it is a result of Tottenham’s poor recruitment over recent years that this is the case.
We will no doubt see Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic thrive elsewhere in the coming years. However, with Jan Paul Van Hecke coming through the door at centre back and rumours of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes in midfield, we must reluctantly move on from potential and prioritise proven top quality players. Although our young players may benefit our tomorrow, Tottenham Hotspur must concentrate on improving our today.
