Tottenham may not actually need another defensive midfielder

The combination of a potential formation change and a change of heart for one player may mean Tottenham doesn’t need to buy a defensive midfielder.

Heading into the summer transfer window it seemed that purchasing a shiny new defensive midfielder will be near the top of Tottenham’s shopping list. As the end of the window approaches, it’s become pretty obvious that Spurs don’t have to make that type of purchase.

There are two central reasons for this shift in thinking. The first is rather obvious. Most people assumed Mousa Dembele would be leaving the club this summer. Inter Milan, in particular, were keen to bring him to Italy. Suddenly, it seems as if interest from abroad has dried up.

Dembele isn’t fit enough to be relied upon as a starter every week, but he can easily join in a rotation with several other players. He, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama are all capable of shielding the back four with immense physicality. Three quality options isn’t enough to rotate for two positions, but that may not be the formation Mauricio Pochettino relies upon this season.

Early indications from preseason show that Pochettino is starting to learn more towards a three-man midfield. That greatly reduces the pressure on any one midfielder to shield the back four. In an ideal world, the player in the middle will drop deep to shield the back four. The players on either side of him have defensive responsibilities, but they are also expected to get forward frequently.

If you’re following this line of logic, Pochettino certainly has three quality options to choose from as the central, more defensive, midfielder. That’s more than enough to allow him to compete in all competitions. Purchasing another natural defensive midfielder could be prudent if the right player comes available for the right price, but it’s not a requirement.

The real pressure on Daniel Levy will be to strengthen Pochettino’s options at the other midfield spots. Right now, Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko are the only two midfielders really well suited to play in a three. It’s possible players like Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli can slide back into a more recessed role, but that will require Pochettino to place a lot of trust in Erik Lamela, Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura to play every week as outright wingers.

That’s precisely why you’ve seen Spurs linked with a number of box-to-box midfielders in the transfer window. Players like Jack Grealish and Wilmar Barrios would give Pochettino a lot more versatility in his midfield three.

It also explains why additional wide players continue to be strongly linked with Spurs. Wilfried Zaha and Anthony Martial would provide Pochettino better options to play on the wings of his front three.

Ultimately, Pochettino hasn’t finalized his tactics for the season because his roster isn’t finalized. He clearly wants to switch to a midfield three though. A simple look at the club’s transfer efforts make that obvious to the keen observer.