Harry Winks isn’t leaving Tottenham for Barcelona
Predictably, Tottenham’s decisive victory over Real Madrid has spawned a plethora of transfer rumours about Spurs players making big money moves abroad. Recent reports claiming Barcelona will try to pry Harry Winks away from his Premier League home are the most sensational of the bunch.
Reports from England claim Barcelona dispatched scouts to both of Tottenham’s Champions League matches against Real Madrid. That, in and of itself, isn’t much of a surprise. Keeping an eye on potential transfer targets and your arch rivals in the same fixture is pretty efficient business.
As the story goes, Barcelona officials attended the match to watch Christian Eriksen, but came away so impressed with Winks that they want to investigate a move for him as well. It’s hard to discern which side of this potential deal I find most ridiculous.
Let’s start with examining the move from the Barcelona side. They find themselves squarely in a win now mode designed to maximize Lionel Messi’s prime. Ernesto Valverde will be looking to purchase ready-made stars this summer. Winks may ultimately become such a player, but he isn’t there yet.
If Barcelona do decide to purchase an upgrade over Andres Iniesta this summer, it’s going to be a player ready to step into the starting XI from day one. Winks just isn’t ready to handle such pressure yet. Perhaps he should start double-digit Premier League matches before the media begins packing his bags for Spain.
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The move may make even less sense from Winks’ perspective. He’s made no secret of his love for Spurs. The English midfielder openly admits he was a boyhood fan of the club. Furthermore, he’s downright effusive with his praise of how he’s been treated at Tottenham. The obvious bond he feels with Pochettino only adds to the quality of his Spurs experience.
Winks is in a perfect position at the moment. He’s growing everyday under Pochettino’s watchful eye at his favourite club on Earth. The midfielder is an absolute rock star in the country of his birth. Moving to Barcelona may make sense at some point in his career, but not anytime soon.
Lastly, letting Winks leave for Barcelona doesn’t make any sense from Tottenham’s point of view either. He’s a clear building block for Pochettino and he hasn’t yet reached his full potential. It would cost a small fortune for Spurs to sell him. Barcelona are not in the habit of paying top transfer fees for players who aren’t world-class superstars. Again, Winks may earn that label eventually, but he is not there yet.
Next: Tottenham planning cutthroat offer for Barkley
In sum, if you’re a Tottenham fan who is frightened Harry Winks is headed to Barcelona this summer, feel free to relax. Winks trading Spurs in for Barca is purely a creation of the media.