Tottenham supporters in the Transfer Tavern are very much looking forward to their side’s trip to Premier League champions Chelsea on Sunday, with Spurs well aware that victory over their London rivals would move them eight points clear of the Blues in the race for Champions League qualification.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men sit fourth in the division after winning 18 of their 30 league matches this season, and they currently sit a healthy five points clear of the defending champions with just eight games of the season remaining. And with an FA Cup semi-final to come against Manchester United next month, there are many optimistic and excited Spurs fans in Tavern, and victory over Antonio Conte’s Chelsea on Sunday would put them firmly on course for a third successive top four finish.
As such, there are many buoyant Tottenham fans in the Tavern at present, several of whom are hoping their team can indeed get the win on Sunday, and thus take a huge step towards another season of Champions League football.
In the meantime though, there has been plenty for our resident Spurs supporters to get their teeth into, not least recent reports linking their club with a mega money move for Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
And given the 23-year-old can play both deeper and in a more attacking role, his arrival could well get the best out £72 million-rated Dele Alli (as per Transfermarkt).
Ultimately, the 21-year-old hasn’t had the best of seasons at Spurs this time round such has been the lofty standards he has set in recent years, with the attacker scoring just six times in the Premier League so far, albeit he does have ten assists to his name.
And while his overall numbers of ten goals and 16 assists this term in all competitions are not to be scoffed at, it is widely regarded by many that the England international isn’t quite carrying the same threat as previous seasons when on the pitch, to the point that he is no longer a certainty in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions starting eleven.
And after failing to start either of England’s most recent friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy, it’s clear that Alli simply must up his level, and while signing Fernandes in the summer isn’t going to help his World Cup chances, his arrival could benefit him in the long run.
Ultimately, the 23-year-old would be pushing Alli for a regular starting spot in that advanced attacking position behind Harry Kane, and that competition for places, which arguably isn’t quite there at the moment, would force Alli to improve, as failure to do so would cost him his place in Pochettino’s team.
If Spurs are indeed going to spend the reported £87 million on luring the Portugal international to North London, he’s not going to be sat on the bench – it will be up to Alli to keep him out of the team, and as such he will have to find his best level once again.
So while it may appear on the surface to be a potentially detrimental move for the 21-year-old, Fernandes’ arrival could actually get the best out of Alli in the seasons to come.
Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!
About the Author
