Time is running out for new Spurs signings

Tottenham have yet to make any moves this summer. With the deadline looming, and their rivals getting better, could this be a costly decision?

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino recently revealed he doesn’t know whether or not the club will make any new signings this summer. According to BBC Sport, Pochettino says that while the club are “working” and “doing everything to help the team,” he can’t say for sure if there will be new additions or not.

Tottenham’s core has been relatively stable over the last several years. Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, among others, have led the team to relative success during Pochettino’s four seasons. The club have managed to qualify for European competition in each of the last four seasons, including two second-place finishes in the Premier League.

Spurs have yet to win any trophies under Pochettino, a statistic that calls the club’s transfer policy into question. There’s a benefit to stability and sticking with a tried and true core group of players.

On the other hand, you have to question the results, or lack thereof.

The conservative approach Tottenham have taken in this transfer window is a stark contrast to some of their biggest rivals atop the Premier League.

Manchester City, league winners and notorious spenders, brought in talented playmaker Riyad Mahrez from Leicester. Chelsea added Jorginho, a key piece in new manager Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli team. Liverpool have made several new signings, including Naby Keita and Brazilian keeper Alisson.

Spurs were in a similar position last summer, and there was a great deal of hand wringing about a lack of new signings. The club would respond by making several moves close to the deadline in an attempt to improve at the last minute. They signed Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente, both of whom have yet to make meaningful contributions to the team.

A large part of integrating players into a team is giving them time to get acclimated to their new club. When a team like Spurs sign players at or near the transfer deadline, this is significantly more difficult for them to do. Add that to the fact that there is a clear hierarchy of established players at Tottenham, and the problem becomes even more apparent.

Pochettino even spoke about this last winter, saying that players need “six or seven months … to adapt themselves to the team.” He also said that he would prefer Tottenham to make deals in January since it’s so difficult to compete with the likes of Liverpool, City and Chelsea in the summer.

The Premier League is operating under an earlier transfer window this season, a move that was agreed upon by the clubs last September. Teams within England’s first division have until Aug. 9, one day before the start of the season, to bring in new players. The earlier deadline makes Tottenham’s inactivity even more alarming since there’s far less time to get deals done than in previous seasons.

Spurs are again competing in the Champions League, and Pochettino believes the earlier transfer deadline is putting them (and other English) behind the curve in continental competitions. “If you compare with Europe,” he told BBC Sport, “I think you are at a complete disadvantage and it does not help the clubs in the Premier League.”

If Spurs elect (or fail) to sign any new players, they’ll go into the new season with the same core group as they have in years past. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when you have players like Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer two of the last three years. Alli was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 2016-17, and many clubs would love to have players of Heung-min Son’s and Christian Eriksen’s caliber.

Tottenham won’t be a bad team if they stand pat, and barring injury they should remain competitive both in the league and abroad.

A lack of new signings could prevent them from ascending to the next level. If change doesn’t come for Spurs, we may be having this exact same conversation (again) one year from now.