Tottenham have had a very successful transfer window so far and one that might have surprised many. Antonio Conte has welcomed six new players to his squad, as well as seeing three make a permanent exit and one make a temporary move, all before the new season has begun.
Spurs will be hoping to take this success into the 2022/23 season, with the need for silverware and Champions League aims to meet. This is why it has been so important to build a strong squad for the Italian.
Not only did Conte need incomings to upgrade and add depth to his current side, he also needs some more players to go out the door. There have been a number of the current Tottenham squad who have been linked with moves across the world, but apart from Steven Bergwijn, the Lilywhites are yet to complete any moves for first team regulars.
READ MORE: Bryan Gil decision could sway Tottenham's dream Nicolo Zaniolo transfer for Antonio Conte
Both Japhet Tanganga and Bryan Gil have been linked with moves to AC Milan, with the latter also having admirers in both Spain and France. Emerson Royal, Sergio Reguilon and Joe Rodon are amongst the others who have been linked elsewhere.
Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso were two of the players who returned from their short-term loan spells this summer. The duo, along with Reguilon and Harry Winks have all been left out of pre-season and this seems to give a clear indication on Conte's views of the quartet.
Ndombele in particular has had a rocky time at Spurs, moving to N17 as the club's most expensive signing. The French international has quality in him, but fails to show it consistently. His final game in a Tottenham shirt saw him stroll off the pitch, when he was substituted, with his side trailing 1-0 against Morecambe in the FA Cup and it meant he left the pitch to a stadium full of boos. Two former Lilywhites players have given their verdict on the midfielder.
"I think the league is too powerful for Ndombele, I think it’s too quick. He’s not quick enough for the game. Go to France and you play PSG, Marseille, Monaco, Lyon and Lille, the rest of them you can play at 50 per cent. In the Premier League you can’t do that in any game," Graham Roberts admitted.
"I just think he hasn’t got that in his game, I don’t care how fit he gets, if you look at his stature he runs different, and I’m not having a dig at him, I’m just saying he’d be better in another league."
Alan Hutton's comments indicate that he agrees on the future of Ndombele at Tottenham. "They’ve tried with him, tried to get him fitter and we’ve seen flashes of brilliance but he’s just not been good enough," he told Football Insider.
A key factor in selling the 25-year-old and potentially a number of the other players who need to leave is money, which Hutton touched on. "There’s no getting away from it, they’re going to have to cut their losses," he admitted.
"They paid a lot of money for him, it was a record fee for Tottenham. I don’t think they’re going to get anywhere near that for him at this moment in time. If they got £25million I think they’d probably just have to take it. He’s got big wages, he’s on a long-term contract, he won’t leave unless he gets what he wants," the former defender added.
This is where Spurs have to really assess their outgoings and what the biggest priority is for them. As much as some fans just want to see players sold for whatever, clubs won't want to just let them go for pennies, especially when they cost as much as someone like Ndombele.
However, this also has to be weighed up by the fact if they don't lower their asking price, they may struggle to move these players on. A player could stay at the club and not play but that doesn't benefit anyone and Tottenham would still have to pay their wages.
Therefore the money side of things needs to be compromised by both sides. Another solution is to send a player out on loan and hope that they thrive during their spell away, to increase their market value.
Ndombele already showed this may not go to plan and this is also, for some, only a temporary solution and won't solve the issue of the player needing to move on completely. Conte wants to find great success at Tottenham and he needs a cohesive squad, full of players he can see in his plans.
This is why outgoings are so important, to ensure the Lilywhites have a solidified squad for the 2022/23 season. Players that seem likely to go out the door will also need to do so for the sake of their own careers.
Many of them are young and still have room for development and improvement and if they aren't getting this in N17, it may be best for them to get a fresh start elsewhere. Players want regular game time and if the Italian can't offer them that, especially with the upcoming World Cup, then their place at Spurs should be questioned.
There are clearly a number of decisions which need to be made, perhaps why some outgoings are yet to get over the line, as Conte tries to solidify his squad ahead of the opening game against Southampton.
READ NEXT:
The Harry Kane Chelsea links reality and Tottenham's Marc Guehi, Maddison and Zaniolo interest
Yaya Toure and Jermain Defoe agree coaching roles as duo to join Tottenham academy team
Antonio Conte finally has what Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have at Liverpool and Man City
