This upcoming summer transfer window will be a massive one for a handful of Premier League clubs. The top two that come to mind are Liverpool and Tottenham (with Arsenal continuing to rebuild under Mikel Arteta).
Both these top six sides are going into the summer window for two completely different reasons. For Liverpool, it’s to sell to bring freshness and return to battle the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea.
For the current Champs, getting rid of injury-prone and deadwood players and doing a Philippe Coutinho, sell one of their biggest players to bring in a top player(s).
My main focus will be on Tottenham because this is the team that needs a big window.
The squad has so much deadwood and players not good enough to play for the shirt anymore that the side needs a kick up the arse.
I could see several mid-level PL and top European clubs interested in some of our players.
Out of the whole squad, I think fans would say sell all besides Sergio Reguilon, Pierre- Emile Hojbjerg, Heung-Min Son, Joe Rodon, Harry Kane, Giovani Lo Celso, Japhet Tanganga, Tanguy Ndombele and Oliver Skipp.
However, I’d personally add Steven Bergwijn (needs confidence), Erik Lamela (gives the team so much energy and is just an arsehole we need), Joe Hart (capable back-up) and Matt Doherty (just signed last summer).
Additionally, you know Jose Mourinho loves, for some reason, Eric Dier. So he’d sadly stay, but for everyone else is surplus to requirements.
With that in mind and a report suggesting Tottenham is in debt and needs to recoup money lost during COVID-19. So the big money we know needs to be used might not happen but the sell of Hugo Lloris, Davison Sanchez and Dele Alli will help with that.
Additionally, we could get good money for Harry Winks, Serge Aurier, Lucas Moura, Moussa Sissoko and, if need, Dier and Lamela. Plus, the money saved off wages and transfer fees not signing Gareth Bale on a permanent.
So who should Tottenham sign?
If I had to say for the top three targets would be a new number 1 goalkeeper and a brand new centre back partnership.
The top pick to replace 34-year-old World Cup winner Lloris must be Burley’s Nick Pope.
The 28-year-old is at the start of his prime and could be argued that Pope needs to progress playing regular European football to overtake Jordan Pickford as England’s number 1.
Understandably, Burnley won’t let one of their top assets leave on a cheap as reports state his contract expires in June 2023 with an option of additionally 12 months. So ideally a £40-50 million deal would get it over the line.
The most significant area Spurs need to improve on is central defence. I don’t think one will be enough, the club ideally needs a second to form a new partnership to match the dominance of Toby Alderweireld and super Jan Vertonghen were a couple of seasons ago.
The North London club need a signature centre back like when Liverpool did signing Virgil Van Dijk, Manchester United getting Harry Maguire and Manchester City signed Ruben Dias last summer after being a target for Tottenham.
It’s becoming more like it’ll be Inter’s Milan Skriniar finally coming to the club and after a full year of speculation and hopefully to be able to get him less than the £45 million reported during the winter transfer window.
If they can sign the Slovakian for around £35-40 million, it would be a bargain and leaves enough to bring in a second along the lines of Burnley’s James Tarkowski.
It would make sense for Spurs, the English defender is well established in the Premier League and if Pope joined that would be a solid triangle at the back. I just don’t see the Clarets letting two of their biggest stars leave to join a PL rival, especially since they don’t need the money now.
So for no less than £45 million will even get Burnley interested in chatting, but would be worth it.
Staying with the defence, a right-back is needed because Aurier and Doherty have been useless, let’s hope the Irish right-back will gain the confidence and form from his time at Wolves.
However, the Ivory Coast Aurier is all set to depart, and a replacement is needed.
The top target would be Norwich’s Max Aarons, but he’s a target for Bayern Munich and a reported price tag of £35m. We all know chairman Daniel Levy is a tight-fisted bastard and I can’t see him spending more big money on the defence after forking out £125m.
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This leaves the door open for a free transfer move for David Alaba, who is leaving Bayern at the end of the season. The club could pay the wages he’s asking as the price is similar to what we’re paying Bale at the moment to sit on the bench.
It’ll be an uphill battle it looks like Real Madrid are favourite’s to sign the Austrian.
I was thinking of a back-up left-back, but Spurs have one already in Ryan Sessegnon (currently on loan at Hoffenheim) and would be a brilliant deputy to Reguilon.
The only other deal would be a midfielder and RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer is the top target for coach Mourinho. The 26-year-old Austrian turned down a new contract at the Bundesliga side. A cut-price deal or a swap deal could be on the cards.
I’d offer Sissoko as it would be a like for like replacement for Leipzig.
Finally, as for the Kane back-up question, I’d like to see them take a chance on Carlos Vinicius turning the loan move into permanent but the £38.2m buy option might be too much.
Image via Catherine Ivill/Getty Images 
If that’s the case, then Mourinho will give youngsters Dane Scarlett and Troy Parrett a chance, which would begin win fans back.
Back-up choices
Goalkeeper – Dean Henderson (Manchester United) – A tricky one as the 23-year-old signed a new contract and his future is tied to David de Gea as the future England Number 1 can step in if the Spaniard leaves.
Depending on how long that could take, Levy could pitch that Henderson will be Spurs’ first choice from next season.
What Levy will love is the price as he’d be considerably less than Pope at a suggest £18 million, but likely get a deal done for £25-35m.
Centre-Back – Sven Botman (LOSC Lille)/ Ben White (Brighton) – Both these defenders are young and having great seasons at their respected clubs, which means both will be receiving hefty bids in the summer.
Fans would argue both are better picks then Tarkowski’s, especially if Burnley won’t let him leave for anything less then a high price.
White is reported to be a £50m, but it would be worth considering as he’d be a long-term signing at 23-years-old and offers what the squad has been missing at the back, speed and be seen as important as club legend Ledley King.
The advantage of 21-year-old Dutchman has over the other two is he’s left-footed and could be the cheapest option and while Botman is not the quickest he has the height to defend set-pieces, crosses and with a left boot knock out a long ball if needed.
Additionally, being on a French side means you can typically get a reasonable price and current estimates slightly under £20 million and could be an agreed fee. He had been rumoured with Spurs over the winter.
Midfield – Donny Van de Beek (Manchester United) – His first season in the Premier League and harsh to say but Van de Beek has been a failure for the Red Devils.
To the point, you have to ask if both parties regret it. If a bid came in the summer would United take it and if offered the chance to recoup their £40 million I think they could take it.
It was reported before the move to Manchester, Tottenham made a last-minute attempt. The North London couldn’t hurt by enquiring again, and it successful.
Spurs have been searching for a Christian Eriksen replacement for 18 months, and while Lo Celso and Ndombele have done well a prime Ajax level Donny could be the missing piece.
However, he is at the beginning of a five-year deal and would be hard to negotiate, but if you offer £45 million, it would be enough profit for a bit-part player who has barely featured this season.
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