Tottenham August review: the Dele challenge, a drunk captain, and nine points

There’s rarely a dull moment at Tottenham. Here is a breakdown of a hectic opening month to the season.

Record breakers

For the first time the summer transfer window slammed shut two days before the season kicked off. It was also the first time that a Premier League club failed to sign a single player.

Mauricio Pochettino had talked of getting business done early and strong rumors of a £150 million war chest began to circulate after the manager signed a new contract. But as the summer dwindled away Spurs fans perpetually refreshed their Twitter feeds in vain.

Jack Grealish seemed to be the only player Tottenham actually bid for; well, if you can label £3 million plus Josh Onomah an actual serious bid. Of course it was frustrating for Poch, but the pragmatic Argentinean took it on the chin citing Brexit and stadium costs as the reasons for the club’s lack of action.

A trophy

Despite having nine players competing until the final week in Russia (more than any other club) and no new signings, Tottenham managed to win the 2018 International Champions Cup. Spurs finished top of a table consisting of 18 of the world’s best teams thanks to victories over AC Milan and AS Roma and a draw against Barcelona.

Although Tottenham haven’t won a trophy in more than a decade, there was no open-top bus parade to celebrate. However, the tournament was an excellent platform for academy players such as Oliver Skipp and Luke Amos to make the step up. Fringe players like Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and Lucas Moura also made the most of their chance to impress.