da betway：
da bet vitoria： The summer transfer window has finally drawn to Âclose and now it’s time to reflect. WhichÂPremier LeagueÂside did the best business? Who did the worst? And what glaring transfer opportunities were surprisingly missed out on?Well, this article takes a look at Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites were by no means anonymous in the transfer market this summer, but to label it a stellar transfer window would be an equal fallacy.In truth, there were several opportunities in the market that the north London side failed to capitalise on. And being the know-it-all bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve decided to list FIVE of them.
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WILFRIED BONY
If there’s one obvious gap in the squad that Tottenham failed to address this summer, it’s undoubtedly the absence of a dependable centre-forward.
Harry Kane, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado have found just 21 Premier League goals between them since the start of last season and the Lilywhites were resultantly expected to invest heavily in a new striker during the summer window.
Arguably the best option available to the north London side was Swansea City front-man Wilfried Bony.
Since joining the Welsh outfit last summer from Vitesse Arnhem, where he netted 37 times in his ultimate season, the Ivory Coast international has claimed 16 goals in just 34 top flight appearances. Here’s some of the highlights from his inaugural Premier League campaign:
A powerful, aggressive, aerially-combative centre-forward, Bony fits Mauricio Pochettino’s philosophy, sharing many of the old-fashioned characteristics with former Saints front-line Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo.
Furthermore, although Gary Monk continually denied rumours that the 25 year-old had been put up for sale, his £19million release clause is well known and represents great value for money.
DANNY WELBECK
A failed transfer pursuit that may cost Franco Baldini his job – the Sporting Director let Danny Welbeck slip through his grasp on deadline day and is now allegedly in the firing line:
It’s known Mauricio Pochettino wanted to bring Southampton star Jay Rodriguez with him to White Hart Lane this summer. But as Southampton refused to sell the injured forward, Welbeck was seen as an effective surrogate, with the left side of Tottenham’s attack in need of added quality.
The 23 year-old is the flavour of the month after netting a brace against Switzerland earlier this week, including this composed finish:
Signing a Three Lions regular in his prime would have come with a host of benefits for the north London side and Manchester United’s £16million price-tag was more than affordable, but they eventually lost Welbeck to local rivals Arsenal . Here’s another look at the forward in action:
WINSTON REID
Tottenham eventually sourced a new centre-back on deadline day after saying goodbye to former captain Michael Dawson earlier in the summer, with Federico Fazio arriving from Sevilla.
The Argentine defender represents fantastic value for money but in my opinion, a better option would have been West Ham’s Winston Reid.
The 26 year-old may be no world-beater but he’s been incredibly consistent since the East Londoners returned to the Premier League in summer 2012, claiming the Hammer of the Year award the twelve months later.
He was in prominent form at the start of last season too before the New Zealand skipper was sidelined with an ankle injury – here’s a look at his stats from the campaign:
By no great coincidence, West Ham’s league form plummeted in his absence. Fazio remains an impressive addition but still comes with a risk; Reid, on the other, has proved himself in the Premier League as an impeccable athlete who fits its requisites perfectly.
Furthermore, the All Whites international’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, suggesting he could have been lured to White Hart Lane on the cheap and likely even less than Fazio.
FABIAN SCHAR
Another centre-back that emerged on Tottenham’s transfer radar this summer was FC Basel prodigy Fabian Schar:
But a formal bid never materialised – which I find incredibly surprising because the 22 year-old has the potential to become one of the best defenders in Europe.
As viewable below, statistically he was the best defender in the Champions League last season:
And the Swiss international’s World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014.
Schar comes with an interesting knack of scoring goals, such as this incredible strike as a youngster at FC Wil…
Admittedly, Barcelona, Lazio, Manchester United and Arsenal were also linked, so Spurs would’ve had to fight off huge competition for his signature.
But as previously stated, the Basel stopper looks like a great prospect for the future and the Lilywhites have most likely now missed their chance to sign him.
EVER BANEGA
Tottenham already boast great quality and depth in central midfield, but in my opinion, they struggled to move the ball quickly and effectively enough through the middle of the park last season.
A more fluid, deep-lying playmaker was in order and in that regard, former Valencia star Ever Banega represented a fantastic, realistically-available option for Spurs this summer.
The 26 year-old, previously linked to the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, offers greater mobility, creativity and technical quality than Spurs’ other central midfielders, as detailed below:
Furthermore, having been sent out on loan to Newell’s Old Boys in January 2014 after plummeting down the pecking order at the Mestalla, it was no secret that Valencia were looking to offload the Argentina international this summer.
Banega joined up with Europa League champions Sevilla instead for an incredibly miserly €2.5million fee.
The midfielder could have been a real coup for the Lilywhites – here’s a look at Banega in action:
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