Tottenham’s five top transfer needs to address this summer

5. Left Back

It seems like forever since Danny Rose actually made an appearance in a Tottenham shirt. His injury absence has weighed heavily on Pochettino’s squad since he went on the shelf late in the 2016/17 campaign.

My first social media post in the aftermath of the City defeat was a get well wish to Spurs’ favourite left back. The majority of Tottenham’s difficulty handling Guardiola’s squad stemmed from its poor fullback play. Neither Kieran Trippier or Ben Davies looked capable of slowing down City’s talented wide men.

In fairness, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, etc are some of the best attackers in the world. Still, if Spurs really do intend to win the league, they are the sort of attackers Pochettino’s fullbacks will need to stifle.

To put it bluntly, only one of Pochettino’s left backs has the potential to handle that task. When he’s fit, Rose is arguably the best at his position in England. Davies is a reasonable backup, but that’s all he really has the potential to be for a title contender. His lack of athleticism makes him poorly suited to take Rose’s place.

That’s why the club would be wise to investigate purchasing another option with a higher ceiling. Taking a put on an untested starlet or a buy-low candidate like Luke Shaw would make a lot of sense for Spurs. It’s not a move I expect Levy to sanction, but it’s one I would applaud.