While you could say that everything hasn’t been rosy at Spurs for a while, with a new state-of-the-art stadium, and now with serial winning Antonio Conte at the helm, many thought things were on the up. Conte's arrival sparked an excellent unbeaten run in the league, but there was still something missing.
Spurs have struggled in the transfer market for a while. And, by struggled, you could say they have failed to spend the money required, and they find it challenging to get deals over the line. As you will expect, Conte will have asked for guarantees on arrivals as he plots Spur’s path back to the big time in English Premier League football. But as yet, Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici have failed to deliver.
The most talked-about deal in England was Adam Traore's proposed move from Wolves to Spurs from the beginning of the transfer window. It was one of those deals where it seemed it was a matter of time when, rather than if, with Conte planning to use the Spaniard as a right wingback. But, at the eleventh hour, Barcelona swooped to take their former player back to Spain.
And this isn’t the only time Spurs have been left blushing during the current transfer window. Luis Diaz, 25, was earmarked with a move to North London. Again, many rejoiced at the thought of the club nearing towards the completion of a deal that would result in some genuine quality being added to a squad in much need of it. However, just as Spurs felt they had their man, along came Liverpool, who are now on the verge of sealing an agreement with the Porto star.
The above is all too familiar with Spurs, who Conte believes are way short of those challenging for honours in the Premier League. There are concerns that the club's failings in the transfer market could be a significant issue for the fiery Italian, who may feel his employers haven't stuck to their side of the agreement when he decided to take the job in November.
The operation will now appease Conte by bringing new recruits, even if they aren’t his original or preferred targets. There is strong speculation that Spurs will get over the line for Swedish wide player Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus. A loan with the potential to make it a permanent deal is in the offing. Paratici brought Kulusevski to Juve from Atalanta, so his involvement could prove pivotal.
Other players such as West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who is currently out of the picture at The Hawthorns, are said to be of interest to Spurs. They are believed to be preparing to pounce for the England stopper, who has so far failed to agree on a new deal with his current employers, meaning he’d be available for free this summer if no club swoops this month.