This has been a very unfamiliar summer for Tottenham. The offseason months in Spurs’ portion of north London are usually time for introspection and frustration, anxiously fretting that key assets may be sold while frustration mounts at Daniel Levy’s policy of brinksmanship with signings as he seeks the best possible price even at the expense of proper planning for the campaign to come. But this summer, after all the doubts in the spring about Antonio Conte’s future, business has been handled early, and there is a clear mood of optimism at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Conte, in truth, was never going to have it any other way. If there had been stalling on new signings, he would almost certainly have left by now. In total, there have been seven players brought in on permanent deals, five of whom have a realistic prospect of making an impact on the first team this season (plus center back Clément Lenglet, added on loan from Barcelona). Although there have been six departures, plus three on loan, only Steven Bergwijn and Joe Rodon were remotely close to the first team. The result is a much deeper squad, one with variety and versatility—and that means the expectation should be of a top-four finish and, perhaps, if others struggle, something more.
Richarlison, at a club-record $73 million, was the biggest summer signing. The 25-year-old is not merely a potent attacking presence, contributing 10 goals and five assists for a poor Everton side last season, but is also a diligent presser, in the top 8% of forwards across Europe for each of pressures made, tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances. That should make him ideally suited to Conte’s football, and he offers the advantage that he can play anywhere across the forward line, reducing the pressure on the front three that ended last season so impressively: Dejan Kulusevski, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
