Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino enters the summer transfer window safe in the knowledge that he will still be in charge at White Hart Lane come August.
Indeed, such a display of faith from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is a luxury which certainly hadn’t been afforded to Pochettino’s managerial predecessors Tim Sherwood and Andre Villas-Boas, despite the three sharing similar overall win percentage figures.
While there were undoubted positives to be taken from the Argentinian’s debut campaign at the helm, Pochettino is also under no illusions that there is much work to be done if his side is to take the next step and challenge for Champions League qualification.
Here are five players Spurs should target in the summer if they are to mount a serious challenge for the top four…
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Saido Berahino, West Bromwich Albion
It is well-known that Tottenham’s principal weakness lies in their attack. Harry Kane may have exploded onto the scene in spectacular fashion last season, but the truth is he was not originally favoured by Pochettino as a starting striker in the campaign’s early stages, and apart from the England youngster, Spurs’s attacking options are thin on the ground.
With Emmanuel Adebayor seemingly on the way out and Roberto Soldado a lost cause, the London club could do worse than to target West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino.
At 21 years of age, Berahino is a player with great potential, and his 14 Premier League goals for the Baggies last season shows he can hack it in the top flight.
He also has experience of playing alongside Kane for the England under-21 side; if they are paired together at club level, an effective strike partnership could be on the cards.
Petr Cech, Chelsea
Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football, which his current employers have not been able to offer him since he joined from Lyon in 2012.
Should the Frenchman decide to leave, Chelsea’s Petr Cech could be an interesting, if somewhat optimistic option. They will need to fight tooth and nail with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool for his signature, but at least the veteran shotstopper would be guaranteed first-team football, and avoiding the hassle of moving away from London would play into Tottenham’s hands.
While a world-class keeper like Cech may very well only be interested in clubs participating in Europe’s elite club competition, he could be tempted if Spurs show enough ambition in other areas of the team.
Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton
After joining Spurs from Sheffield United in 2009 and being touted as the club’s long-term right-back, Kyle Walker has failed to live up to his promise at White Hart Lane.
The 25-year-old is prone to lapses in concentration and positional judgement, costing his team dearly on occasions, and the 15 league appearances he registered last season shows that Pochettino is not too convinced by his abilities either.
Nathaniel Clyne would make an excellent upgrade; this modern-day, marauding right-back has experience of playing under Pochettino while the Argentinian was in charge of Clyne’s current club Southampton, and is therefore well-equipped for the manager’s high-intensity, high-pressure style of play.
Loic Remy, Chelsea
Should Spurs fail to bring in Berahino, or should they decide that further strengthening in attack is needed, then bidding for Chelsea striker Loic Remy would be a smart move.
The Frenchman is a proven goalscorer, yet he still found first-team opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge last season. Blues boss Jose Mourinho is known to be looking for an attacker this summer, meaning that Remy could soon find himself falling further down the pecking order; with a number of his compatriots including Hugo Lloris, Younes Kaboul and Benjamin Stambouli plying their trade at Tottenham, he may regard White Hart Lane as an attractive option.
Winston Reid, West Ham United
Tottenham are a club who are still having problems at finding a solid, long-lasting pairing in the centre of defence. Austrian Kevin Wimmer – the club’s first signing of the summer – also plays in this position, but given his lack of experience in playing in England, the Lilywhites would be wise to invest in a proven centre-back to give their backline a degree of discipline and solidity.
West Ham’s Reid fits the bill perfectly; excellent for the Hammers last season, Spurs could be tempted to take advantage of the managerial upheaval taking place at the Boleyn Ground to persuade the New Zealander to call the north part of London his new home.