Arguable the best team in the Premier League over the last two seasons has been Tottenham Hotspur. Sometimes it’s characterised as a failure to win the league title despite challenging both Leicester City and Chelsea in the run-ins to the past few seasons, but the progress has been stunning. And if it weren’t for the meteoric success of Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes, perhaps more would be made of Spurs’ rise.To finish third and then second in successive seasons for a club who had only once played in the Champions League before that is a great achievement, and to go into their second successive participation in the competition in steady growth is an important milestone for the club.But it’s clear that they are still lacking in various ways, and too many to be considered title challengers again this season unless deadline day provides something that has let them down in both their title charges in the last two years – strength in depth giving a different option to change games.Reports on deadline day, however, suggest that Spurs might be about to make a left-field signing to rectify that problem. Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente – a long-time Chelsea target – is reported to be on the radar of Mauricio Pochettino as he seeks to add to his squad while he still can.That would be a canny signing. As backup to Harry Kane, Tottenham would be getting a striker who has proven in the last year that he can score goals in the Premier League, but who also has some serious European experience, too. That will only help Spurs in their quest to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League from a very tough group which includes Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. It would also take some of the load off Kane, something that most observers have flagged up as a problem for the last few years.
But whilst Llorente’s potential arrival would be great news on a strength in depth front, and would mean a proven goalscorer taking Kane’s place when he’s injured – as he was on two separate, though short, occasions last season – or simply off form, it would also give Spurs another option, and something they don’t really have already.
Llorente’s ability in the air is a potent weapon, especially when the team is attempting to break down stubborn defences. We’ve seen already this season how Spurs have struggled to break well-organised sides down, and until they got up to speed last season, it was the same story this time last year. The crossing ability of Kieran Trippier and Christian Eriksen, whose dead balls are also a weapon which is often used to great effect, will all look much more effective when aimed at Llorente late in games.
Far from just being obvious number two backup to Harry Kane, capturing the signature of Fernando Llorente would give Spurs exactly what they’ve needed for a while now, a plan B. He might not be the tricky player who will beat a man and create something out of nothing – something Spurs also need in their squad – but he would certainly give a new dimension to the attack.
If Pochettino can nab Llorente from right under the noses of Antonio Conte and Chelsea, it might just be the unexpected signing of the summer – and one which could turn out to be the cleverest.
