Tottenham fringe players‘ most likely destinations
Tottenham did not have a great 2020/21 season, narrowly scraping a seventh place Premier League finish.
Along the way there was some pretty dark moments, many of which – but not all – were the work of Jose Mourinho.
He is gone now and the club are readying themselves for the Nuno Espirito Santo era. Before these (hopefully) brighter days can begin, the club has plenty of deadwood to get off the books. Below, we have taken a look at where they are most likely to end up.
After a solid start, Davinson Sanchez has surprisingly regressed during his time at Tottenham
With Christian Romero and a host of other defenders being pursued, it may be time for the Colombian to be moved on. Sanchez is still young for his position at 25 years old and has shown signs of genuine talent in the past.
Even still, you cannot shake the feeling that he would struggle to find a Premier League suitor. Perhaps he should follow the example of Chris Smalling and Fikayo Tomori by heading out to Italy.
The stars could align for this move with Spurs open to including him in a deal that would bring Romero to the club from Atalanta. Bergamo could be a good fit. Sanchez has the pace to slot into Gian Piero Gasperini’s high line and he would also be treated to Champions League football this season.
Serge Aurier may have been guilty of a few high profile errors during his time at Spurs – more than a few actually – but the Ivorian has also enjoyed long spells of reliability.
However, with the club looking to kickstart a new era, the hot again, cold again Ivorian might consider finding a new home. There are a couple of clubs that have been linked in the past, including former side Paris Saint-Germain. That seems like a no-go now, though. Achraf Hakimi is probably a little bit better…
One door that does remain open is Milan. The Serie A giants are Champions League bound this season and Aurier would provide competition to David Calabria at right-back.
Moussa Sissoko was once one of Spurs‘ most dynamic midfielders but over the past 18 months his form has regressed significantly.
Now 31 with two-years left on his current deal, staying in north London for another season would likely only delay his inevitable departure. He may not be a truly elite player anymore – if he ever was – but he should easily be able to find another club.
Napoli have been credited with an interest but the story that has caught our eye is the one linking him with a move to Qatar.
Al-Duhail are keen to poach their second Spurs player, after Toby Alderweireld left earlier this week. Where Sissoko ends up will depend on how he views his own career playing out over the next few seasons.
Eric Dier is fast running out of supporters in England. He endured the toughest season of his career last time out and was scapegoated for a lot of Spurs‘ defensive shortcomings.
One man who always seemed to have his back was Jose Mourinho. Perhaps the stage is set for a touching reunion – complete with plenty of conversing in Portuguese – at Roma.
This actually makes pretty good sense. Mourinho appears to have missed out on Granit Xhaka and although Dier has mainly played as a centre-back recently, he can also slot into defensive midfield if required.
The decline of Joe Hart over the past four years has been one of modern football’s great mysteries.
Ever since Pep Guardiola bodied him seconds after touching down at Manchester airport, he has seriously struggled for form. Last season was no different either with Hart failing to impress during a string of cameos.
Pierluigi Gollini’s arrival has pushed him further down the pecking order and unless he’s content with being third choice, he will need to move on.
Celtic are in desperate need of goalkeeper and a move to Scotland could be just what Hart needs to resurrect his stagnating career. Even if it’s just a loan move this one makes sense.
In tragic news for neat and tidy midfielder fans across north London, Harry Winks might also be on his way out of Tottenham this summer.
Despite experiencing a slight resurgence when Ryan Mason was in charge at the end of last season, Winks has been a bit-part player at Spurs for some time.
His stock is still fairly high, though, so he should be able to find a mid-table Premier League to take him. Everton, for example. Yes, he is very Everton.