It’s strange. As a Tottenham fan I don’t think we’ve come out of February with such good results and looking stronger than ever going into March. It’s not something we’ve seen since the Redknapp days. So why are we managing to do so well? Well it’s clearly known how Pochettino prides himself in fitness and hardwork, and it seems to pay off as each player seems more fit and determined than ever. The competition for places means that there isn’t a game where every single player is putting in 100% for the shirt – something we haven’t seen from enough Tottenham players over the years. The bond between fans, players, manager is the strongest I’ve seen, we’re all united together and everyone at the club wants to do their best.

Normally at this time of year we’re normally lurking around the top 4 but can never quite get in there and normally finish 5^th. This year we’re firmly in there, and I believe the reason why everyone believes we can actually win the league is because we’ve already exceeded our expectations for the season. 4^th has been the target for years, now we are lying in second position only two points off top playing the best football in the league with the youngest and most exciting players. I see no reason why we can’t do it. I already mentioned the bond between the club and the fans, but the team unity is so visible to see. The ‘bromance’ between Dele Alli and Eric Dier is a fine example. The team actually believe they can win this, and it’s so nice to see a Tottenham team who want to win all the time and if they don’t, they want to fix it in the next game.

So what can go wrong? Our potential fixture list was massive, but has been cut down a little after our defeat to Palace in the FA cup. It’s never nice to go out of the FA cup, a cup that has so much history with Tottenham, but giving our realistic chances to win a Premier League title, I’m sure most fans would prefer to focus on that.  It’s another cup that seems to be our kryptonite every year – The Europa League. It is well known our form on a Sunday after a Europa game dips, and we lose the consistency we build up over the November, December and January.  Just look at last Sunday, losing 1-0 to Palace after a gritty 1-1 draw in Florence. Admittedly we shouldn’t have lost but we can’t use that excuse in the league otherwise our dreams will be crushed. I know Pochettino wants to take it seriously but I hope it doesn’t scupper our chances of the league. I think we need to properly rotate the squad, because the busy fixture list normally becomes the time of year we start picking up injuries – normally to our most reliable players. Kane (broken nose) and Dembele (groin) are the new absentees, and those two have become two of our most important players this season.

I’ve briefly mentioned Pochettino and his fitness regime that he takes so much pride in, but as it nears the end of the season it’s a popular opinion that his teams start to come off the pace nearer the end of the season, simply because his players don’t have enough left in the tank. I really hope this isn’t the case with our hungry and young team, I should hope they have enough to win the league. With the no one in the squad being over 30 apart from Michel Vorm, I hope this Tottenham can prove all the doubters wrong and finally get rid of the ‘Spursy’ tag.

I want to finish this off by saying the dream of a premier league title coming back to White Hart Lane is no longer a dream. It’s reality. COYS.

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Saido Berahino – Striker(s)

So anyone who has read my first article will know I’m a fan of Berahino but I did question if he was the right fit for Tottenham but overall I decided I would love this guy at Spurs. However this was before the signing of Clinton N’Jie. I presumed that if we were to sign Saido, he would be playing more on the right flank whipping crosses into Kane and providing Kane some much needed support on counter attacks. It now looks as though that’s why N’Jie was signed and therefore I’m questioning where will Saido fit in? I really can’t see him being an effective striker without Kane as he’s not your typical lone striker that we are looking for, and I really don’t think he’s what we need now we’ve signed N’Jie. I personally think we need a big target man with Premier League experience. So who else could we look at?…

1. Charlie Austin 

I for one was not happy when we were linked with Charlie in January this year. But now I can’t help but feel he’s the perfect fit for when Kane isn’t starting. It’s a like for like replacement. 18 goals in his first Premier League season for a relegated team can’t be disregarded, he had a phenomenal season and I can’t understand why we’re not perusing him. He’s only 26 and is English, so seems to be the perfect fit for Poch. The only reason for us not going for him is surely his price tag. £15 million is quite hefty, but I think I’d rather spend it on a striker like Austin rather than a striker like Berahino for this season. It would be ideal if we could have both but we’re not as lethal in the market no more. He is your typical number 9, good at finishing, heading, defending from the front, holding up the ball and being able to shoot from a fair distance.

2. Javier Hernandez

Now I can see why you could be thinking Chicarito is probably similar to Berahino, but he’s really not. Hernandez is a striker, and only a striker. Berahino is versatile and has various positions but that’s not really what we need as we’ve got loads of players in the positions Berahino can play. I’d prefer Hernandez because he is lethal. He was born a poacher, if the ball lands at his feet then there’s a solid chance it’s ending up in the back of the net. Not only is he good with his feet, but at only 5’8”, he’s very good in the air. With 37 goals in just 53 games for Manchester United, it hard not look at him and think why he wouldn’t be the perfect fit for us. A loanee at Real Madrid too, where he notched 7 goals in 16 appearances (just 7 starts) tells me that he’s lethal when he gets given his chances.   I could see us getting him at around that £15 million mark, meaning he’s proabaly quite a few million cheaper than Berahino.

Andriy Yarmolenko- Winger

From what I could tell we was perusing this guy early in the summer transfer window after the Konoplyanka deal fell through for the 1000^th time. He is the current Ukrainian player of the year and there’s no surprise why. He’s a dynamic left footed winger who can play right wing, left wing or even as a second striker. Now we’ve been missing width since the Bale/Lennon days and have been desperate to have same width for the last few years after having two inverted wingers in Chadli and the dissapointing Lamela. With the signing of N’jie, who is right footed and most likely playing on the right side, it should mean we will have someone hogging the right touchline for the first time in years. I do also like Chadli on the left, but he’s very inconsistent and isn’t always the player who can produce a goal or chance out of nothing, unlike Yarmolenko. It seems as though his £15 million move to Everton has fallen through, so I really think we should pounce on the deal. At only 26 years old, he’s just starting to hit his peak and fits with the age of the current squad. Just this weekend (22^nd and 23^rd August), he netted a Hat-trick and 3 assists. And in the season just gone he managed 14 goals in 26 games from the wing. If we had him hogging the left touchline and N’jie on the other, we could actually see the return of a dangerous Tottenham side that team were afraid to play like back in Redknapp days. This is actually who I want the most this summer even though I know it’s unlikely.

Alex Pritchard – Attacking Midfielder/ Winger

Now obviously I know Alex isn’t a new signing but he can be just as effective as one. Just coming back from a tremendous season in the championship with Brentford, Alex showed he was potential Premier League material with 12 goals and 11 assists In 45 games and also being voted as the Italian supporters player of the season whilst at the Bee’s. Just making his comeback from injury and signing a new 4 year contract last week, I can’t wait to see Prichard in a Tottenham shirt and show what he can really do for us. I personally don’t think Eriksen has been up to scratch, but as proved at Leicester away, we miss his presence, spark and creativity when he’s not in the team. That would’ve been the prefect way for Pritchard to showcase his talents at CAM. I believe he could be a similar like for like with Eriksen if he is injured or being rested, or if Eriksen is playing then Pritchard can be playing on the left while Chadli is rested or injured.

Victor Wanyama – Defensive Midefielder(s)

When the news was released that Victor had told Southampton he would like to leave and the rumours he was keen to work under Pochettino, I probably got a bit over excited inside. Koeman has already said he won’t be leaving the club this summer, but players these days normally get what they want and Levy always gets what he wants as well, so a deal could happen. I for one think this is signing that needs to be made. We’ve lost too many targets due to Levy not coughing up the cash and going for cheap alternatives that just get sold the next summer because they’re not good enough anyway. Best example is instead of Schneiderlin, we chose Stambouli. I don’t want to see that happen again, because we’re so desperate for a tough Defensive midfielder. I see Wanyama as the Sandro figure, Doing all the dirty work and intercepting the balls etc playing alongside Mason (who I don’t actually rate highly but has had a fantastic start to the season In my opinon), Bentaleb or Dele alli. Southampton already signed him for £12 million and are pretty good at getting big profits when they sell, so I reckon £20 million minimum.  However there are other possibilities that would definitely do the job in the middle of the park…

1. Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund)
2. Maxime Gonalons (Lyon)
3. Asier Illarramendi (Rea Madrid)

In that order (with Wanymama top), they should be our defensive midfield targets. Bender and Gonalons are both 26 and both top, top midfielders who would really lead the team in the middle of the pitch seeing as the captain is Lloris so there’s only so much he can say/command.

I do just want to mention that If you managed to get to the end and take the time out reading the article I really appreciate it. I  like all the players we’re linked with and have currently got, this is just my opinions and if you don’t agree or if I’ve forgotten any targets or you just want to discuss what I wrote, let me know in the comments below or mention me on Twitter (@ryansellstrom).

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£3.5 million is a bargain. He’s 24 years of age, meaning he’s actually 1 year younger than Walker. I think most Tottenham fans still have the perception that Kyle Walkers still young with time to improve, but already at 25, he hasn’t improved since 2013 and it was time to provide competition/ replace him. Kieron made 38 Premier League appearances last season. Yes, that means he played in every single game for Burnley, not just showing how important he was to the team but how his fitness levels and stamina are impressive, something Pochettino prides his players in. The price we picked him up for is astonishing, especially for someone who braces the English nationality. I mean just look at Nathanial Clyne signing for Liverpool  for £12.5 million even though he made less appearances  (35) and had 0 assists compared to Trippier’s 4 assists for a team that scored 30 goals all season. In my opinion, Trippier seems a steal for £9 million less.

Tottneham have received a lot of stick on twitter for the signing of Trippier, especially from rival fans. Simply because we signed a player from a relegated team, it automatically makes Tottenham are a bad team and Trippier a bad player. Sadly as he doesn’t hold a fee between £10-15 million he’s purely not seen as good enough. But I think as a Tottenham fan we need to stop being so defensive and angry at Levy because we don’t spend big no more. Tripper will have just as good a season as Clyne, but because Clyne holds a bigger fee he’s the better player. We need to accept that after the last big spend and how shambolic that turned out to be, we have to realise that the big fees don’t always necessarily mean better players. We signed Soldado for £28 million and a player we used to mock has now become a fans favourite and one of the most prolific strikers in Europe for a fee of £0. We won’t see any big transfer fees until the stadium is completed, so I suggest until then we give players to prove themselves no matter what the fee is.

Why is he my choice ahead of Walker? Well the answer is simple, because he’s better.  He has a much better work ethic than Walker. Trippier reminds me of Dier in that way, always goes in with his heart and preparing to do any sort of dirty work to help get the team a win. He’s the nitty gritty full back we’ve been looking for but also has a classy eye when it comes to attack. He has a much better balance than most other full backs in league, especially as the new modern day full back is normally better at attacking, seeing themselves as not having to help with the defensive duties most of the time. As I stated, Kieran has a great balance between defence and attack. He, as many know, has a cracking delivery on him, like Dier. Basically, we found a smaller and faster version of Eric Dier. He reads the game the way Eric does, making some very important interceptions and cutting out potentially dangerous opposition attacks before they become real threats.

To put it clearly, Trippier should start the United game. He’s only played one half of football for Totteham and has already won me over. He deserves his chance at a big club after being released by Manchester City.  No matter what he’s probably going to be better than Walker and could potentially become an unsung hero in this Tottenham side as long as he continues to consistently perform the way he already does.

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If we did go ahead with a deal, does he fit with Pochettino’s system? The answer is yes. He’s already played with Harry Kane at England U’21 level, netting an impressive 10 goals in just 11 games, meaning the two could become a formidable force if they played together at club level. He’s only 21, fitting in with Pochs’ buy young and build for the future project, whilst also being English. He’s versatile, meaning he could play behind Kane, replace Kane (when he’s tired, not sold) and can play on the wings. Especially if we fail to sign a new winger, he could be an option on the right seeing as Lamela and Townsend normally fail to perform. Or his versatility could mean the opposite, making Lamela and Townsend work even harder for their places in the starting 11 and start making them produce impressive performances (look at what the signing of Davies did to Rose).  

Is he worth the price for a 21 year old with only one season under his belt? 15 goals for a team who were struggling for most of the season is impressive, also netting 2 man of the match awards for a team that frequently lost during the course of the season. Let’s not forget that even though he only has 1 season under his belt, it was a Premier League season, the toughest league in the world. For £15 million, he proves to be much more value for money than some of the other hot prospects in Europe. Memphis Depay made a £25 million switch to Manchester United this summer. There’s no denying he’s extremely talented, with 23 goals and 5 assists in 30 games. However the Eredivisie is a poor league, so Memphis could thrive a lot more. Not only that, Depay doesn’t hold the versatility Berahino holds, proving he’s only effective on LW cutting on the inside everytime. Raheem Sterling just moved to Manchester City for a staggering £49 million. Now there’s no denying he has talent and potential, but off last season he doesn’t justifying to the most expensive British Footballer. He does hold the versatility like Berahino, but even Raheem can’t decide which position he’s most effective in, whereas Berahino is most effective through the middle but has the talents to play on either wing if needed. Sterling only managed 8 goals and 7 assists last season, comparing that to Berahinos, Saido seems to be the better and cheaper option for now. Maybe in the future Raheem can fulfil that hefty price tag and prove to be a great investment for City.

Lastly, we have Paulo Dybala. On the back of a great season for a Palermo, he scored 13 and assisted 10 in 34 games. That’s impressive for someone of his age, and his form got him a 32 million euro move to Champions League finalists, Juventus. He should justify his price tag, but again he holds no versatility, showing he can only play as a ST, meaning if Tottenham did sign someone like him, he may not fit into Pochettino’s system whilst trying to nudge Harry Kane out of the team seems to be virtually impossible after the season he’s just had.  So yes, I believe he is definitely worth anything between £15-20 million, especially for his age, his nationality and the season he’s just had, and I do believe he’s the potential new Defoe we’ve all been treasuring to partner Harry Kane up top.

On the last note, I want to assess why Berahino might not become what we want him to be if he did sign for us. He doesn’t have the best attitude, which is normal for a 21 year old who’s in command. He would need to change that if he wants to have a good relationship with Maurico. I expect poch would force him to grow up; doing silly things like laughing gas would not put him in the good books at Tottenham. Standing at 5ft 11’, he’s no aerial threat. That won’t be a problem if he plays alongside Kane, but if he plays as a lone striker we won’t be able to play the same way as we do with Kane. Not that we play bad football with Kane on the pitch, it’s just that his heading ability gives the team a different option, whereas we only have one option with Beraino – keep it on the floor. Obviously not holding the same physical presence as Kane, Berahino can’t really hold up the play the way Kane does, so that could also affect the way we play. However, the way Tottenham play their football, Berahino would fit in the team straight away; these are just factors that we may have to consider. But he would be a much better improvement on Ade and Soldado. Sign him up Tottenham, as he is the risk worth taking.

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