With the page turned on the month of January, Tottenham Hotspur has had the opportunity to make significant changes to their squad ahead of the Premier League stretch. It was a relatively busy transfer window as Antonio Conte started to reshape the squad according to his own design. There’s a lot of work to do.
For all that they have shown some improvement under Conte in recent weeks, a quick glance at any top sportsbook according to World Sports Network (WSN), will reveal that the team is still rated a long way short of the Premier League heavyweights.
It is clear that overhauling the squad will be more than a one-window job. So how do we rate stage one of the Conte rebuild? Has it made the Spurs stronger?
Big departures
One of the main features of the transfer window was the moving on of big-name players. This was always likely once Conte got the job as Spurs boss. His credentials and his reputation gave him the authority to move out some of the big earners who hadn’t been at their best for some time.
Since the end of the Mauricio Pochettino-era, the squad has lacked cohesion and that isn’t something Conte would tolerate.
So out went Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso, and Tanguy Ndombele, with the first-named moving to Everton on a permanent deal and the other two going out on loan, at least in the short-term. The case of Lo Celso is particularly revealing.
Although the Argentinian had not performed consistently, he had been showing signs of improvement under Conte. That wasn’t enough to sway the new manager and Lo Celso is now at Villarreal, though where he might end up next season we can’t be sure.
One thing is clear, Conte wants players he feels he can count on. That has been good news for Harry Winks, who seems to have thrived under his coaching, but bad news for Alli, Lo Celso, and Ndombele.
New players
The arrival of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur seems to be good business. Both players came from Juventus and tick all of Conte’s boxes. Both are known for their high work rates, have considerable big-game experience, and are under 25.
It could be argued that there were more obvious gaps in the squad to fill, most notably at right wing-back and in the creative midfield slot, whereas Kulusevski is a right-winger and Bentancur a solid defensive or box to box midfielder.
However, their signing indicates that right now, Conte is focusing on personality, flexibility, and reliability rather than trying to slot particular skill sets into particular gaps in the squad.
Kulusevski provides a left-footed option and the flexibility to play a variety of attacking positions, while Bentancur can fill most central midfield roles, providing energy and defensive cover for the rest of the team going forward.
Neither can be regarded as headline-grabbing signings, but they could prove to be reliable pillars for the new team that Conte is putting together.
Old problems
Squad depth remains a problem. There are just four midfielders with significant Premier League experience in the squad, and none of them are the kind of players who can unlock a stubborn opposition defense. There are also continuing questions over the right-wingback slot.
Emerson Royal has not found it easy to establish himself in that role although age is on his side and it seems clear that Conte has faith in him. Still, it is likely that we will see reinforcements in that position during the summer.
The fact that Matt Doherty remains in the squad gives the team some cover.
The center-half positions are also a concern. Ben Davies has done well at left center back, but there isn’t any cover for that role, which means that Davinson Sanchez is likely to be called upon in that case, although he is much better suited to the right-center back slot.
Then of course, there is the Harry Kane issue. There is very little support for Kane as the main striker, though Conte appears to regard Steven Bergwijn as potential cover. However, Spurs will have to continue to manage their talismanic frontman with great care until the end of the season.
Summary
This January transfer window has not been spectacular, but it does reflect the manager’s personality.
He wants hard-working reliable players who can fit into his system. By moving on some of the big names and making two shrewd recruitment moves, he has gone some way towards the rebuilding that is required and we can say that he has made the squad stronger, at least in the short term.