A Champions League final, a top-four finish and moving into the best stadium in the world – to say our season hasn’t been anything but a major success would be a travesty.
We may have come up short on Saturday against Liverpool, but only a fool would write us off from performing another miracle and getting to the same stage next season.
The manager is there, the infrastructure is there and, finally, it appears the money will be there too. So with Daniel Levy ready to dip his hands into his pocket, this summer could be the perfect time for us to rebuild for a new era.
With the events in Madrid now over, it’s already time for us to start looking ahead. Several players came into their own this season and will be a big part of the team moving forward. But there were a couple who fell well below the standards that we need and expect and will need to be moved on. After the highs of the World Cup last year and that unbelievable free-kick against Croatia in the semi-finals, Kieran Trippier is one of those players who has failed to meet expectations.
Even the right-back himself has admitted he’s been under-par this season, and when his abilities going forward aren’t giving us anything extra, there simply isn’t a point in keeping hold of him. He’s been woeful defensively and has to take the blame for quite a few games this season like against Barcelona and Chelsea, and it’s high time for Pochettino to be ruthless and get rid of the under-performers.
And whilst it’d be great to hang on to some of our better players, contracts have become a big issue and we need to be realistic. Both Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld have their deals expire in the summer of 2020, and would be free to talk to foreign clubs over a free transfer in January. Whilst it’s always a risk vs reward over whether you keep players with expiring contracts in the hope that they can deliver something for you on the pitch, it might make more sense for us as a team to get some money in for them whilst their values are still relatively high.
Getting well over £50m for the both of them in total would be decent business for what the situation has come down to, and would give us a little extra to use to make some of our signings. With those sales, someone like Wilfried Zaha could well be within our price range and be the statement signing we need to take us to the next level.
We’ve got a great core already at the club, with Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen/Davinson Sanchez, Harry Winks and Harry Kane right through the spine of the team. But with Spurs well and truly on the lips of most people after our run to the Champions League final, now is the time to cash in our chips and go all out. Our stock has never been higher in world football, and it’s important we capitalise and make the right moves this summer so that Pochettino is ready to take us to the next step for the years to come.