Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy has identified three key areas Spurs must strengthen this summer.
After surviving relegation by the smallest of margins, Spurs are working hard to reinforce their squad. They have already agreed deals for free agents Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, and are pushing to sign Jan Paul van Hecke and Savinho.
The North London club are also expected to be in the market for a new goalkeeper with Guglielmo Vicario likely to leave. Manchester City’s James Trafford is their priority target. Apart from them, Danny Murphy has identified three key areas that Roberto De Zerbi must strengthen in this transfer window.
He believes the Italian tactician should look to add another centre-back, a central midfielder and another striker. While speaking to TEAMtalk, Murphy said:
“I think a lot will depend on how he feels Kulusevski and Maddison are, because if those two are fully fit, fighting and rearing to go again, then that might save them some money in attacking areas,”
“That wouldn’t change the centre-forward problem because [Dominic] Solanke is never fit, so I think they’ll also go for a striker who can complement and challenge Solanke for that position.
“They’ve already got Senesi at centre-half and there’s talk of them trying to get van Hecke from Brighton as well, so it looks like they’re trying to improve their spine. I think they’ll need another striker and a centre-half, especially if Romero leaves and [Micky] van de Ven goes, which is certainly a possibility.”
Key areas that Murphy wants addressed
Spurs forked out a big fee to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024. However, the move hasn’t quite worked out as he has struggled to stay fit, making only 65 appearances over the last two seasons. Murphy wants the club to push for a striker who can support and compete with the 28-year-old.
While they have already added Senesi to their squad and are working hard to strike a deal for van Hecke, the former Spurs midfielder wants the club to push for another centre-back amidst uncertainty around Cristian Romero and Mick van de Ven’s future. The duo could push for an exit after another disappointing campaign.
Murphy paid special emphasis on the club signing a central midfielder, despite the fact that they are likely to make Joao Palhinha’s move permanent. He wants the club to push for a more creative central midfielder. He believes they already have physically imposing options and box-to-box midfielders; they now need someone who is a bit more technical and can add more creativity to the mix, along with goals.
He further added: “They’ve got a lot of midfielders actually, but they are all a bit similar,” he added. “I think they need a real standout holding midfielder who gives them more physicality and quality. If you look at Paulinha he’s great without the ball, but with the ball he’s a bit predictable.
“You also wouldn’t call [Conor] Gallagher particularly creative, he’s more of a presser, he’s physical and wins the ball back. You could put [Pape] Sarr and Archie Gray in that category too, they are more box-to-box players who aren’t particularly creative.
“[Rodrigo] Bentancur is the only one who’s got a bit more about him, but even he struggles with goals and assists. I think they need somebody in the middle of the pitch who has tremendous physicality, but who is also more technically gifted, but they are so hard to find.
“They need a better balance in the midfield, right now its dominated by players who work hard but just don’t have the ability to dictate a game.
“So, either that or they go for someone who is more of a technician, someone like [Martin] Zubimendi or [Alexis] Mac Allister, who aren’t powerhouses, but are technicians. However, I think Tottenham struggle with that, they’ve got no one to create anything in possession.
“It is all well and good getting a striker, and Maddison will also be a big bonus for them if they get him fit, but reinforcing that spine at Tottenham should be a priority.”
De Zerbi took charge of the North London club with just seven games to go. He helped them earn 11 points out of a possible 21 to survive the drop. Now he is working hard to revamp the squad to ensure they stay miles clear of the relegation zone and climb back towards the top.
They have already made some key additions to their squad, and a few more top-quality signings could go a long way in helping Tottenham revive themselves.