Is a back up/rotation striker now our only real priority for January?

I think Fazio needs to go and we either need a replacement for him at CB or if Dier goes back to CB then we should get a DM to replace him

No incomings in January, I think.

Ledleys Knee said:

Personally I wouldn't sign anyone

Son and Njie have started really well and are capable of covering for Kane at CF. And Dier, Mason, Alli and Bentaleb is an excellent CM quartet.

I would just sell Carroll (6 months on contract), Dembele (18 months on contract) and Fazio, and bring in no one. Time is all this squad needs

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Thank you for writing this for me.

Of the order of pain each sale would cause me, it would be Dembele, Carroll, and Fazio.

Dembele because he is obviously so talented. But his chronic hip injury and his lack of a true position leave him too much of a luxury that we can get some extra funds for. If he could ever be a defensive midfielder, then he would be worth keeping.

Carroll hurts because he is from the academy and plays with passion. He has good technique, but I think he deserves to have an opportunity somewhere else.

I'm not as low on Fazio as some here, but he should go and an improvement should be easy to find.

I would like to see an old head come in to deputise for Dier like Carrick and a back up for Kane like Batshuayi.

If Bentaleb can comeback into the fold and start playing to his ability then I'm happy for him a Dier to fight over that role.

A backup striker - being able to play on the wing would be a bonus.

Fazio out, promote Milos/CCV maybe or bring in a 4th CB.

I think there is still some movement out that will happen in time as the new/young players usurp some of the older guard. I think someone like Dembele could find himself sidelined, and Fazio obviously has to go.

In terms of incoming, a true striker gives us the right blend of squad option and possible starter, and I can see the argument for a true playmaker in midfield but if the three AMs can continue to deliver more (both individually and as a unit) that wont be such an issue, and we have lots of options in there now (Dier, Alli, Mason, Bentaleb, Dembele, Carroll, Winks, Onomah, Eriksen in an emergency, then other youth players and emergency players) for just two positions.

Elsewhere, I think we are fine at full back and even with the sale of Fazio I wouldn't get anyone in. Wimmer can play with Toby and Jan rotating, Dier coming back in there at times and CCV making the step up eventually. We have depth on the wings, especially with Lamela performing well, plus Pritchard has yet to play. All in all, we look in quite a good shape considering the meltdown when we didn't sign that striker.

Everlasting Seconds said:

No incomings in January, I think.

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I can't see the need for anyone. Best to assess in the summer.

With this squad showing we have cover in every position (although I'd agree we could upgrade in a couple of positions such a striker back up) :

GK (2) - Lloris, Vorm,
FB (4) Walker, Rose, Davies, Tripper
CB (4) Vertonghen, Fazio, Alderweireld, Wimmer
CM (5) Mason, Bentaleb, Carroll(, Alli, Dier (plus u21's Winks, Onomah)
AM (7) Lamela, Townsend Chadli, Eriksen, Pritchard, N'Jie, Dembele
FWD (2) Kane, Son
Total – 24 players

Priorities for me are :
1. Keep the squad together - against ManCity I think we saw something very good coming together. We've also hardly seen anything from Pritchard (injured) and N'Jie (ther than his great cameo v MamCity), so IMO we may find out that itrs even stronger than we think before Christmas

I'm always reminded of ManU in their prime when SAF only bought one or two players a season, and the result of the squad sticking together meant that there was no squad integration issues to deal with ad the team looked good from the off. I'd like Spurs to be similar - and I think we can be with this squad and stream of youngsters coming through

2. If we can find a good young striker or even an experienced pro content with the bench, I'd certainly like it. Without one I'd worry that an injury to Kane or Son or N'Jie would leave us very thin on goalscoring strikers. So that's my only priority

3. In the January TW CL sides can sometimes find they need experienced players due to injuries, and If a good offer came in for Fazio and/or Dembele I think we should take it - whether we would need to brig in a back up for ether is debatable with the youngsters we have coming through

If Der were injured, we could revert to a Mason/Bentaleb or Alli CM2 if the AM's play like they did against ManCity as the ball 'stuck' to the AM's and consequently the CM's wre not being pulled out of place as much as they were last season.

The number of games that we definitely need a DM for is probably about 10 a season - so after Christmas
just 5 - the other games tams sit back and a more expansive CM2 than one with a DM is better.

4. I'd welcome a 17/18/19 year old striker s we are short of strikers at u21 level - this would be an investment which I would he to pay off I a year or two.

Early days still - but its looking as if the last TW was much better than most originally thought despite the last minute disappointment of no striker. So Congrats to all those involved in the TW

Spursidol said:

With this squad showing we have cover in every position (although I'd agree we could upgrade in a couple of positions such a striker back up) :

GK (2) - Lloris, Vorm,
FB (4) Walker, Rose, Davies, Tripper
CB (4) Vertonghen, Fazio, Alderweireld, Wimmer
CM (5) Mason, Bentaleb, Carroll(, Alli, Dier (plus u21's Winks, Onomah)
AM (7) Lamela, Townsend Chadli, Eriksen, Pritchard, N'Jie, Dembele
FWD (2) Kane, Son
Total – 24 players

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For me, take out Fazio, Carroll and Dembele, and add in Veljkovic - and that's a superb 22 to build our next 3-5 years on.

Ledleys Knee said:

For me, take out Fazio, Carroll and Dembele, and add in Veljkovic - and that's a superb 22 to build our next 3-5 years on.

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Think I'd still like another striker - but its not absolutely critical if Kane, Son and N'Jie keep ft

Ledleys Knee said:

For me, take out Fazio, Carroll and Dembele, and add in Veljkovic - and that's a superb 22 to build our next 3-5 years on.

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I like that but would definitely add 1 more striker that can hold up the ball, plus another young (17-19 age range) striker.

Next season, I wouldn't mind seeing the worst performer of Chadli & Townsend moved on and replaced with Oduwa too.

spurs9 said:

My Ideal situation would be for Veljkovic to sign a new deal and have him replace Fazio, as then we have a player who can be a back up DM if we needed it and also gives us the flexibility to move Dier back to CB, with Veljkovic moving to DM. As that looks unlikely at this stage, I think I would want us to either sign a CB that can also play DM (not easy to find)) or sign a defensively sound/disciplined deep lying playmaker (also not easy to find) but I'm really not sure tbh.

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Agree with you about Velkjovic, but I don't think we'd need to get a CB who can play DM, we already have that in Toby. A good, solid CB is all we really need, one more mobile than Fazio anyway.

I still want Berahino, I think he'd be absolutely mustard for us. His goal against Everton was a superb piece of diagonal running and he saw the opportunity so early.

Berahino and a decent CB and I reckon we're pretty much sorted.

I see no urgent need right now for new players. But Faizo is a goner so better to sell him, and replace him, sooner rather than later.
Unless Dier gets a long term injury I see now need to get in another DM. Bentaleb should be given chances to prove himself in that position. Besides, no quality DM would come to sit on the bench anyway.
WBA will still want a ransom for Berahino, so I can't see that happening. I am content having Chadli as understudy CF.
As Poch also has stated, if Spurs are to buy new players they should be better than those already at the club. And new signings can, at times, disturb the balance at a club, particularly mid season.
And Dembele, btw, is too good to sit on the bench.
I want to wait until the summer to see the progress of Milos, CCV, Ball, Ward, Carroll, Pritchard, Wink, Onomah, Oduwa, Townsend (yes I still have patience with him) before making major moves in the transfer market this winter.

Ionman34 said:

Agree with you about Velkjovic, but I don't think we'd need to get a CB who can play DM, we already have that in Toby. A good, solid CB is all we really need, one more mobile than Fazio anyway.

I still want Berahino, I think he'd be absolutely mustard for us. His goal against Everton was a superb piece of diagonal running and he saw the opportunity so early.

Berahino and a decent CB and I reckon we're pretty much sorted.

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That wouldn't be ideal IMO, the reason why I said a CB that can play DM, and remember I was stating my ideal situation, is for 2 reasons, 1) if we decided Dier's future is at CB, we can move him back to challenge for that role and move the other CB to DM, whilst still having Dier as an option if required. 2) if we need a DM but Dier is injured or suspended or we want to rest him, we have that second option, without having to buy another CM and without weakening our defence by moving Toby. Also there will be times we will want to rest Dier & Toby for the same game.

Tweddled said:

I think Fazio needs to go and we either need a replacement for him at CB or if Dier goes back to CB then we should get a DM to replace him

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A straight replacement for Fazio at CB would be much better than switch Dier around again. Or could the answer lie within, say in Mlios or CCV...

I think everyone is agreed that we definitely need a backup/alternative Striker, so was wondering who people would most like to see bought in. Assuming that Berahino is no longer an option, Embolo or Batshuayi would be my personal choices.

JayB said:

Given the Martial transfer the market for strikers is going to be absolutely outrageous, especially in a January window. Basel for instance will be quoting enormous sums for Embolo, and given the dearth of options in the market some massive club will probably be willing to pay it within the next few windows. We obviously need a young striker but Mitchell is going to have to pull something out of a hat.

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It does make you wonder if Martial is valued that high, how much is Lacazette worth

wrd said:

We need another dm just so that Dier can have a rest more than anything, be very difficult to get somebody worthwhile who can be a backup

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with Bentaleb's return from injury this will no longer be a big issue IMO

Spurger King said:

Pretty much. I'd still feel a lot more comfortable if we were able to bring in another quality DM or creative midfielder, but if Dier continues to play as he is I think a squad player would be okay (as opposed to spending £25m on someone like McCarthy).

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I think we already have two DM's in our squad who can do the same job as Dier in Jan And Toby( Played for southampton in a DM role).

When our both fullbacks push up you will see Dier drop in to create a back three, with Jan covering the left and Toby covering the right side.

Ionman34 said:

Agree with you about Velkjovic, but I don't think we'd need to get a CB who can play DM, we already have that in Toby. A good, solid CB is all we really need, one more mobile than Fazio anyway.

I still want Berahino, I think he'd be absolutely mustard for us. His goal against Everton was a superb piece of diagonal running and he saw the opportunity so early.

Berahino and a decent CB and I reckon we're pretty much sorted.

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I think Berahino is a no goer, his price is going up and with the kind of attitude he supposedly has it's potentially a very risky signing.