Tottenham make surprising change of transfer plans

Bruno Fernandes was a prime transfer target of Tottenham’s under Mauricio Pochettino. The same can’t be said for Spurs under Jose Mourinho. 

Tottenham came very close to making Bruno Fernandes the successor to Christian Eriksen as the club’s No. 10 last summer. Now that Jose Mourinho has taken over for Mauricio Pochettino, it looks as if Fernandes will be staying at Sporting for the foreseeable future.

According to The Daily Mail, the Portuguese manager has decided to end Spurs’ interest in the talented midfielder. Specifically, Sporting’s decision to raise the value of his release clause from £65 million all the way up to £85 million has changed Mourinho’s mind about pursuing his countryman.

It’s fair to wonder whether the end of Tottenham’s pursuit is more about the price tag or the changing needs of the squad under Mourinho. In particular, Dele Alli‘s recent emergence as a possible world-class No. 10 could make purchasing a player like Fernandes entirely redundant. Spurs may shop for a younger, cheaper backup for Dele in January, but they aren’t going to break the bank on a new No. 10 who might not end up in their starting XI.

Instead, look for Spurs to concentrate any money they spend in January on solidifying their defence. They’ve scored goals aplenty under Mourinho, but they’ve let opponents find the back of their own net far too often.

Mourinho hasn’t been able to concoct the right defensive midfield to really grab game’s by the scruff of the neck. He desperately wants Eric Dier to be a part of that solution, but his performances have been quite poor. It’s very possible Tottenham will look to buy a well-established defensive midfielder to pair alongside Tanguy Ndombele in January.

There are also concerns about the club’s back four. Both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will have the ability to leave via free transfers at the end of the current campaign. Both have some interest in signing new deals with Tottenham, but if they don’t, Spurs will certainly be shopping for their replacements in January. Mourinho is still determining what role Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth will play for him moving forward. Even if he trusts both young defenders, adding a veteran to the mix will be a requirement in the near future.

Expect Spurs to be active in January, even if their net spend isn’t all that high. The removal of Fernandes from Mourinho’s shopping list does give Tottenham a lot more flexibility moving forward.