Fabio Paratici has certainly left Tottenham fans wanting more following Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski's start to life in the Premier League. A vital transfer window for the club due to their up and down form beforehand, Spurs' managing director of football returned to former club Juventus on deadline day to clinch deals for the duo.
Usually taking foreign players quite some time to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League, both have settled in immediately and helped the Lilywhites get back on track in their top-four quest. Bentancur brings a calming influence to Tottenham's midfield and has formed a solid partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while Kulusevski has a very good understanding with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane and duly chipped in with goals and assists.
Bringing in five new players at the start of the campaign as part of the club's much-needed rebuild, only Cristian Romero out of the quintet has been a success. All eyes will be on Paratici this summer to see what he does for Antonio Conte, who will want a repeat of his fellow countryman's January dealings as he looks to build a Spurs squad capable of winning major silverware.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte can unleash his Tottenham wonderkid on the Premier League after key rule change
One problem for Spurs in the past has been the high number of foreign players at the club, which in turn has made things tricky in terms of incomings as no more than 17 non-homegrown players are permitted in 25-man squads in both the Premier League and Europe. So how exactly do things look for Tottenham at present?
Tottenham's Premier League numbers as things stand
Homegrown players: Brandon Austin, Matt Doherty, Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga, Tobi Omole, Ben Davies, Harry Winks, Harry Kane (8)
Non-homegrown players: Hugo Lloris, Pierluigi Gollini, Emerson Royal, Cristian Romero, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Sergio Reguilon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, Son Heung-min (12)
Notable U21 players: Jack Clarke, Alfie Devine, Bryan Gil, Dejan Kulusevski, Troy Parrott, Maksim Paskotsi, Pape Matar Sarr, Dane Scarlett, Ryan Sessegnon, Oliver Skipp, Harvey White
Tottenham currently find themselves quite some way under the limit of 17 non-homegrown players in the Premier League following their recent transfer business as 12 of the spots have been taken up. Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso's loan exits to Lyon and Villarreal respectively freed up two spaces, with Bryan Gil's loan switch to Valencia not having an impact as he was named on the U21 list anyway as he was born after January 1, 2000.
With new arrival Bentancur taking up one of the 17 non-homegrown positions, Spurs had the luxury of naming Kulusevski on the U21 list, which also includes the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Oliver Skipp, as he was born on April 25, 2000. In terms of the homegrown numbers, Tottenham currently have eight positions filled after Dele Alli's switch to Everton.
So what does this mean for the club's transfer business in the summer? Well, two things have to be considered as the rules do differ in both the Premier League and in European competition.
Matt Doherty, Joe Rodon and Ben Davies are all classed as homegrown players by the Premier League, yet the trio are seen as non-homegrown players by UEFA after coming through an academy at an Irish or Welsh club. Despite representing England on the international stage, Eric Dier is a non-homegrown player in both competitions after graduating from Sporting CP's system as a youngster.
Premier League
Both of Tottenham's homegrown and non-homegrown numbers will be boosted next season as a few of the club's players will be too old to be registered as U21s. For the 2021/22 campaign, players born on or after January 1, 2000 could be included on the U21 list.
However, next season players will have had to be born on or after January 1, 2001 to be registered as an U21 player. Thus meaning Sessegnon and Skipp will have to be named as homegrown players and Kulusevski as a non-homegrown player.
Kulusevski's inclusion as a non-homegrown player will take Spurs' current total up to 13 in the Premier League, allowing Paratici to bring in up to four foreign players this summer if he so wishes, although that number will all depend on what happens with Ndombele and Lo Celso. As the rules do differ in the Premier League and Europe, it really is a balancing act for Paratici and it's something the club really cannot afford to get wrong as they have been in this position in Europe numerous times before.
Skipp and Sessegnon's inclusion on the homegrown list in 2022/23 will take the current total to ten, which would then have to see Paratici cut homegrown players or subsequently see the foreign player limit reduced accordingly in order to name a 25-man party. While it remains to be seen if Gil and Pape Matar Sarr will stay at the club next season or head out on loan again, both will still qualify for the U21 list as both were born after the aforementioned date.
Europe
Currently having 12 non-homegrown players in their 25-man Premier League squad following their January transfer business, Spurs' numbers will increase significantly should they qualify for Europe. As explained above, Doherty, Rodon and Davies are seen as non-homegrown players by UEFA, with Kulusevski another to be added to this list come the start of 2022/23.
As things stand, Tottenham will have 16 of the 17 spots taken up before any transfer business takes place this summer. If Ndombele, Lo Celso, Gil and Sarr do indeed remain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and are part of Conte's plans for next campaign, the number will increase to 20 and leave Paratici and the head coach with a decision to make over who misses out.
Doherty, Rodon and Davies' status as non-homegrown players in Europe really does make things tricky for the club in Europe when it comes to naming a squad. For this reason, Paratici has a lot of things to factor in before looking to improve Tottenham's squad for 2022/23.
