Tottenham Hotspur have 'extra' cash to spend in January thanks to their last 16 Champions League qualification, says 'expert' John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Spurs sail through...
Over what was a dramatic Champions League group campaign for Antonio Conte's side, Spurs sealed top spot of Group D on the very last matchday to the delight of Lilywhites supporters.
The north Londoners sealed a dramatic comeback against Ligue 1 side Marseille after going 1-0 down in France, courtesy of a Chancel Mbemba goal on the stroke of half time.
Tottenham's resolve was tested but Clement Lenglet's strike on 54 minutes handed the Premier League side some second-half momentum to grab a winner. Five minutes into added time, mainstay midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg nicked Tottenham's victory-clinching goal with the last kick of the game - sending Spurs' dugout into raptures.
The 2-1 victory at Marseille will gift sporting director Fabio Paratici a financial windfall as the Italian draws up his transfer plans ahead of January.
The Latest: Paratici set for '£8.2 million' Spurs boost...
The exact fee, as shared by Spurs 'expert' Wenham, could potentially provide a small assist for Spurs and Paratici in the transfer market.
Conte arguably needs some mid-winter additions given their wave of injury problems and an ever-congested fixture schedule, largely due to the World Cup.
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“The game against Marseille was so important,” explained Wenham to Football Insider.
“The fact we have two league games before the World Cup in Liverpool and Leeds at home, to me, Marseille was the bigger game.
“Not only does it give us something to build upon and look forward to in the second half of this season, let’s call it a restart.
“It also gives us impetus in the January transfer window when we go to make new signings. We can offer Champions League football to whoever we want to sign.
“We will have an extra £8.2million, I understand that is the figure we earned for qualifying. So we have put ourselves in a really good position to grow as a club.“
The Verdict: Crucial game for Spurs...
Tottenham's heroics have indeed put the club in a 'really good position', not least for the extra pulling power, £8.2m financial windfall and the potential to earn even more revenue in the knockout rounds.
Conte will also want to stay in charge of a Champions League regular, so their win in Europe could potentially be looked back on as one of their most important of the calendar year.