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Rob Guest

Alessandro Bastoni transfer hint dropped as Antonio Conte Tottenham masterplan takes vital step

The transfer window has now officially closed for business. Tottenham were incredibly quiet on the final day of the summer market, instead doing nearly all their incoming transfers ahead of the team's pre-season tour of South Korea.

Making some statement signings with Richarlison and Yves Bissouma joining from Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, the Lilywhites also moved on players such as Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks.

So what happened, what didn't happen and what comes next for Tottenham? football.london takes a look.

READ MORE: Daniel James, Hakim Ziyech and why Tottenham are not signing anyone on transfer deadline day

What happened

Adding some real quality to his squad back in January with the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, the summer was always going to be a key period for Antonio Conte in his quest to shape his Tottenham squad and get them challenging towards the top. Adding experienced players Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on free transfers, Bissouma arrived not long after in a deal that could rise to more than £30million with add-ons.

The Lilywhites would then spend double that on Richarlison, with Clement Lenglet joining from Barcelona on a season-long loan and Djed Spence finally arriving from Middlesbrough midway through July. One month later their seventh signing was confirmed when Destiny Udogie joined from Udinese before heading back to the Italian side on loan.

Cristian Romero's permanent move to the club was also confirmed at the end of August after such a successful time following his initial loan switch from Atalanta. In terms of outgoings, five players left Tottenham on permanent deals as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Steven Bergwijn, Jack Clarke, Kion Etete and Marcel Lavinier all sealed moves away.

The majority of outgoings were loans, however, with Dane Scarlett getting his first real taste of senior football at Portsmouth and Troy Parrott jumping up to the Championship with Preston after wowing at MK Dons the previous campaign. Joe Rodon was another to depart for regular first-team football as he headed for French side Rennes, while the out-of-favour quartet of Sergio Reguilon, Winks, Ndombele and Lo Celso all moved on temporary deals as permanent exits couldn't be found.

What didn't happen

Tottenham fans will point to the failure to add an attacking midfielder to the ranks this month. Still not really replacing Christian Eriksen ever since his switch to Inter Milan in January 2020, supporters were desperate for Fabio Paratici to bring in a playmaker but it never quite happened.

Fans will perhaps also highlight that Spurs missed out on a top quality left-sided centre-back option amid talk of big-money moves for Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol. Lenglet is a good addition on loan from Barcelona but the fact it is a loan hints at the possibility of moving for one of the duo again next summer.

A new attacker can also be added to the list as it did appear that one would be coming in to allow Bryan Gil to head out on loan. Daniel James was mentioned ahead of deadline day but he has since joined Fulham from Leeds United.

A couple of loan deals also didn't come to fruition, most notably Japhet Tanganga and Gil sealing moves away. The former was heavily tipped to head to Serie A with AC Milan and Roma linked with his services, while the latter appeared nailed on to return to Valencia before his move fell through on deadline day.

Pape Matar Sarr also remains a Tottenham player and will provide cover in midfield rather than heading out on loan elsewhere to aid his development. Harvey White is also in the same boat after staying in the capital.

What comes next

The next few months will highlight what comes next for Paratici and Conte in the transfer market at Tottenham. It remains to be seen just how things will look after the World Cup and many teams will no doubt be keen on adding to their numbers for the second part of the campaign.

Tottenham fans will be desperate for a few more faces to arrive to give the team a further boost, and Conte will more than likely be feeling the exact same way. Spurs' transfer dealings over the course of the summer do shine a light on what does need to happen in N17 further down the line, though.

Talk regarding a new attacking midfielder won't go away until a player for that position signs on the dotted line, while Spurs will need to take a look at their options out wide due to Lucas Moura's contract and question marks over if Gil will succeed in north London. As mentioned above, the arrival of Lenglet on a season-long loan deal does hint at the possibility of Spurs making a move for Bastoni next summer if they can tempt him away from Inter Milan.

A good summer on the whole for Tottenham with some quality players coming in through the door and the squad depth addressed, Spurs were never going to solve all their issues in one window. They have made strides, though, and that will hopefully point to a successful season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

READ NEXT:

Daniel James, Hakim Ziyech and why Tottenham are not signing anyone on transfer deadline day

Bryan Gil breaks his Tottenham transfer silence after huge Valencia blow on deadline day

Antonio Conte's final Tottenham transfer request for Fabio Paratici as next task becomes clear

How Paratici can still seal transfers for Tottenham after deadline day amid Moura exit talks

Full Tottenham Premier League fixture list for 2022/23

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