In today's Tottenham Hotspur roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Lilywhites. Manchester United are set to try and steal Mauricio Pochettino away from the club, Noel Whelan believes James Maddison can replace Christian Eriksen, and former Spurs man Jamie O'Hara thinks his old side are becoming like Arsenal.
United target Poch
Report: According to The Sun, United are ready to meet Spurs' £32m buyout clause for the 47-year-old manager, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues to struggle reviving the Manchester club.
Verdict: The Argentine has become one of the most wanted managers around with Spanish giants Real Madrid also reportedly seeking his signature.
It is, of course, no surprise to see him so highly rated by the super clubs of Europe. After all, Pochettino has helped transform Spurs from a team challenging for a Europa League spot into Premier League contenders and Champions League finalists.
As for Spurs, it is hard to see where they will go post-Pochettino. Indeed, legendary coach Max Allegri has reportedly been ready to take the job, but transforming his title-winning days at Juventus to Spurs is a whole different kind of tough.
However, anybody who gets a hold of Pochettino would be getting a manager who could still be set to dedicate the next 20+ years of his life to the game and a man who is already amongst the elites of the sport. It is for this reason, Spurs should think carefully before letting him go.
Maddison the 'perfect replacement' for Eriksen
Report: Former Leeds United man Noel Whelan has told Football Insider that Maddison would be the 'perfect replacement' for Eriksen, with the Denmark international's future still hanging in the balance. Whelan said: "James Maddison is good enough to replace Eriksen, absolutely. I saw him when he was breaking through at Coventry and Norwich, and he is a great player.
“He’s now part of the England set-up and you can see why – he’s technically excellent, quick-thinking, has a great passing range and hurts teams with his creativity.
“He’s a real gem who would be the perfect Eriksen replacement. The problem for Tottenham is there will be plenty of competition for his signature. You can see Liverpool, Man City, all the big boys wanting him.”
Verdict: Maddison has been one of the many breakout English stars over the last few years, becoming one of Leicester City's best players, as they set their eyes on breaking down the barrier of the top six.
The 22-year-old scored against Spurs recently, netting a sublime strike from distance to hand the Foxes all three points. Throughout this season, Maddison has averaged a rating of 7.42 and also added two assists to his increasingly impressive resume. Subsequently, he has attracted much attention from English football's giants, such as Manchester United.
It does eventually look like Eriksen will depart Spurs. His contract is due to run out at the end of the season, with no signs of a renewal over the horizon, as Real Madrid continues to loom. If the 27-year-old is to leave, Maddison would no doubt be a great replacement, not just for now, but long term.
Spurs becoming like Arsenal, suggests O'Hara
Report: Former Tottenham man O'Hara has suggested the club are becoming like their north London rivals, after letting valuable players run down their contracts. He told talkSPORT: “I think that is the biggest problem Spurs have got. You’ve got Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Eriksen who are going to leave; they are going to go for nothing and might even go in January if Tottenham feel they need to get rid of them and make some money.
“That is a big problem. I’m so surprised that we’ve allowed this to happen because, truthfully, this doesn’t happen at Tottenham.
"Knowing Daniel and how he works, he will always give an extension and add another extension two years down the line so you’ve always got these players, because they are assets to the football club.
“You are losing three huge assets for your football club who could truthfully fetch you, in the right market, £100million.
“I gave Arsenal a load of stick for this when they let Ramsey go and let others go for nothing, thinking how can they let these players’ contracts run out? But now Tottenham are about to let three of their biggest players go for nothing. It’s crazy!"
Verdict: During the summer, despite a lot of interest, Spurs managed to keep hold of Eriksen and centre-backs Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, who were linked with Bayer Leverkusen and Roma respectively. Still, reports are appearing very often, suggesting that Eriksen is set to move at the end of the season.
To let players leave on a free is never a good idea. Clubs lose money, as well as sometimes losing valuable assets to the team. In this case, Spurs could lose out on millions for the three aforementioned players, whilst also losing some of their best talents from years gone by.
Pochettino must do what he can to either tie these players down or cash in on them quickly.
