Tottenham Hotspur may have endured a successful start to life under Thomas Frank in the Premier League, winning his first game against Burnley last weekend.
However, the start in North London hasn’t all been plain sailing, with the Lilywhites’ activity in the transfer market falling way below the expectations of the fanbase.
Daniel Levy has shown glimpses of splashing the cash this summer, already spending £85m on the signatures of Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel from West Ham United and Bayern Munich, respectively.
The pair should’ve been joined by Morgan Gibbs-White, but the owner failed to complete a deal for his signature after triggering the £60m release clause in his contract at Nottingham Forest.
He’s not the only player who should be plying his trade in Frank’s side, with questions certainly starting to be asked about the owner, given the recent antics in the market.
Spurs’ failed pursuit to land Eze this summer
Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been a huge target for Spurs over the last couple of months, with constant talks being held between the two sides over a £60m transfer.
After missing out on Gibbs-White’s signature, the 27-year-old became their main target for the role, leading to advanced talks taking place, even reaching an agreement with the player himself.
However, the deal has since fallen apart, with North London rivals Arsenal taking advantage of the Lilywhites’ failure to complete the deal despite constant deliberation in recent weeks.
It was reported last night that Mikel Arteta’s side had hijacked the move, swooping in at the 11th hour, subsequently agreeing a deal with Oliver Glasner’s men and with the attacking midfielder.
Eze now looks set to join the Gunners, inflicting yet more pain on the Spurs fanbase, with other targets desperately needing to be identified before the September 1st deadline.
Spurs’ hunt for an Eze alternative this summer
As a result of missing out on Eze, other targets may be revisited, including Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss, with the Moroccan set to depart the Foxes this window.
However, like the England international, they could also be set to miss out on his signature, after Palace submitted an offer to land the 21-year-old as a replacement for the outgoing talent.
Despite the interest in the youngster, he’s not the only player currently in their sights, with West Ham star Lucas Paqueta the latest player the club are considering, according to CaughtOffside’s latest report.
The report claims that the Lilywhites are closely monitoring a deal for the Brazilian international, potentially seeing the 27-year-old as the perfect alternative to Eze.
It also states that the Hammers have slashed his current asking price by 50%, now only demanding £40m for his signature despite wanting £80m to offload him 12 months ago.
Why Spurs’ £40m target would be the perfect Eze alternative
Missing out on Eze will certainly be a huge disappointment for the fanbase, with anger undoubtedly going to be directed to the hierarchy – especially if they don’t land an alternative before the window slams shut.
