On the back of such a successful year, confidence was at an all-time high at the end of last season at Tottenham. As we edge closer to the start of the new campaign, however, some of that good feeling is waning in certain sections of the fanbase. While the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have been spending millions strengthening their squads, Spurs have been, well, not.
With less than a month to go before the summer transfer window closes, the silence coming out of the club in terms of new arrivals is almost deafening. That said, we saw last season that this Spurs team are as good as any in the Premier League on their day. Despite the loss of Kyle Walker to Manchester City, Mauricio Pochettino has been able to keep the majority of the team that finished second in the table last year together.
But if the Spurs boss wants to be able to challenge for the title again this season, there are a few things the club need to do between now and the new campaign getting underway.
Make an exciting signing
While there is little doubt this Spurs team is jam-packed with talented players, nothing gets fans excited more than a new signing - something there has been very little of so far this summer. What we saw last year was that Tottenham couldn't keep up with Chelsea over the course of 38 games, helped by the strength in depth Antonio Conte had at his disposal. At Spurs, players such as Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli were relied upon, possibly too much. Adding a couple of world-class players to this squad would certainly help in that area, and someone in the shape of Ross Barkley would tick one of those boxes - not to mention excite the fans. Over to you, Daniel Levy.
"Daniel Levy" ( CC BY 2.0) by Doha Stadium Plus
Add more goals
If there was any doubt as to whether or not Harry Kane was the real deal, topping the goalscoring charts for a second year running will have silenced those doubters. Unsurprisingly, Kane is right up there in the running to finish as the league's top scorer, and punters heading to this site to bet on the Premier League using bitcoin will be interested to see whether the England man can see off competition from the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata. What Kane needs, though, is to have some of the goalscoring pressure taken from his shoulders. For all his hard work, Vincent Janssen didn't show any real signs last season that he has what it takes to score between ten and 15 goals in the Premier League. Pochettino will be well aware that he needs goals to come from somewhere else other than Kane.
"Harry Kane" ( CC BY 2.0) by enviro warrior
Tie down Alderweireld
Following another sensational season for Spurs, Toby Alderweireld proved once again that he is one of European football's best centre-backs. Whenever someone really stands out at Tottenham, they usually attract the interest of one of Europe's elite clubs, and that will be the case again if Spurs don't tie down the Belgian to a new contract. With a contract that runs until the end of 2019, the 28-year old has a clause in his current deal that says he can leave for £25 million if the club triggers a one-year extension. Perhaps the most crucial issue the club can resolve between now and the start of the season is that of Alderweireld's long-term future.
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