Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has made it clear that he needs more squad depth and experience to compete at a higher level in the Premier League next season.
Spurs currently find themselves tussling alongside Chelsea and Arsenal for a place in next season’s Champions League, but Conte's side remain the long shots of the three to play in Europe’s top club competitions next season. Conte has inherited a side who, in recent years, have spent money on younger and less-established players in a bid to make them long-term assets.
Conte accepts that strategy has outlined the importance of needing experience and depth to go with it. “What happened in January was not easy. We lost four players in January. Four important players for Tottenham, and we brought in only two,” said Conte
“So even just in terms of numbers, rather than reinforce the squad, we on paper weakened it. (Rodrigo) Bentancur and (Dejan) Kulusevski are ideal prospects for Tottenham, because Tottenham are seeking young players they can develop and grow, not players who are ready. That is the issue. This is the vision and the philosophy of the club.
"It is inevitable that if you want to grow quicker and if you want to be competitive more rapidly, you need players with a lot of experience, because they also raise the experience level of the overall team. But I repeat, I have realised now that this is the vision of the club.”
With Conte’s quotes in mind, Mirror Football takes a look at four experienced players who Tottenham should consider signing this summer to build up the club’s experience and quality.
James Ward Prowse (Southampton)
Southampton midfielder and captain James Ward-Prowse has been linked with Spurs and a number of other Premier League clubs in recent years and given his form for Saints, it is easy to see why. The 27-year-old has over 300 Premier League appearances to his name and has this season scored nine league goals, an impressive tally that has seen him move to second on the all-time list for most free-kicks scored in the Premier League.
Ward-Prowse has also been involved in the England squad in recent seasons, but a potential issue may be the asking price from Saints. He is comfortably the club’s most valuable player and has four years left on his current contract, suggesting a substantial fee would be required.
Pau Torres (Villarreal)
Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres has been instrumental for the Spanish side in recent seasons and helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals this term, only to be knocked out by Liverpool earlier this week.
Torres has previously been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, with the Daily Mail also suggesting that Spurs on keen on 25-year-old Torres, who has played 123 club games in the last season, 98 of which have been in La Liga. He has also won 17 caps for Spain in the last three years.
The Villarreal-born defender has two years left on his deal at Spain, but as a regular in both La Liga and European club competitions, he could be a statement signing who has plenty of top level recent experience to his name.
Who should Tottenham be targeting in the summer transfer window? Have your say in the comments section.
Christian Eriksen (Brentford)
A familiar name to Spurs fans is Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen, whose remarkable comeback at Brentford in recent months has been crucial in keeping the Bees away from a relegation fight.
Eriksen spent six and a half years at Spurs before being sold to Inter Milan in January 2020 . There were fears Eriksen would not play again after he suffered a cardiac arrest in June 2021 during a Euro 2020 clash with Finland, leading to an exit from Inter.
Brentford, managed by fellow Dane Thomas Frank, signed Eriksen on his road to recovery on a short-term deal earlier this season. Since his return, Eriksen has scored once and provided two assists in eight league games, with Brentford picking up 16 points from the eight games he has played in. Eriksen has been linked with interest a potential Tottenham return and a move to Newcastle United in recent weeks.
Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan)
Dutch centre-back Stefan de Vrij, like Eriksen, was a regular under now Spurs boss Conte when the Italian side won the Serie A title in the 2020/21 campaign.
The 30-year-old, who has just a year left on his contract at the San Siro, has a career record of over 350 league appearances across the Eredivisie during stints with Feyenoord, Lazio and Inter, winning last season’s league title and reaching the final of the Europa League two seasons ago.
At 30, De Vrij still has plenty to offer and has been a regular again for Inter this term in their fierce battle with city rivals AC Milan to win the Serie A crown.
