OPINION
Most fans would agree that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has a pretty decent record in the transfer market – but there is one area which is seriously harming his chances of success.
The Argentinian boss has brought the likes of Dele Alli, Heung-min Son and Davinson Sanchez to north London, both of which have been immense successes with the Lilywhites, while the likes of Lucas Moura, Victor Wanyama and Ben Davies all have shown themselves to be good captures too.
However, he has struggled to bring in a quality striker to compete with Harry Kane – Fernando Llorente following in the footsteps of his predecessor Vincent Janssen in failing to live up to expectation – and it is a rare blot in the manager’s copybook.
Many might argue that with Kane fighting fit for most of the season, Spurs do not need a second-choice centre forward – after all, Heung-min Son has proven himself an adequate replacement in times of need.
However, Pochettino’s reported plans for the future do not bode well, and could end in absolute disaster for the club.
The London Evening Standard claim on their transfer blog on their website (21/05, approx 11:45) that the man in the dugout is planning to get rid of a natural centre forward replacement altogether and instead bring someone in who can operate as a winger as well – Manchester United’s speed machine Anthony Martial touted as a potential top target.
While many might agree with Pochettino’s thinking, Spurs should be looking for a quality replacement for Llorente and Janssen, a man who can offer more than the likes of Son already do.
Quality in depth is everything for a successful side – look at Manchester City with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, or Chelsea with Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud – and Spurs already have plenty of options out wide.
Lacking a natural goalscorer behind Kane – who could suffer injury or suspension in the blink of an eye – is a recipe for disaster, and does not help the club’s hopes of ending their decade long silverware drought.