Martin Jol has invested well in the summer sales. With the signings of Gareth Bale, Adel Taarabt, Darren Bent and Younes Kaboul, Tottenham are beginning to look a serious threat to Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
'The one concern I have is that, given just how young these players are, it is almost impossible to predict with any real certainty how much of a success they will be'
Gareth Bale, Adel Taarabt, Darren Bent, Younes Kaboul - who's next on Martin Jol's wish list? It seems that Spurs are moving in the right direction. A squad that has finished painfully close to the Champions League party the last two seasons is being added to - and so far those additions are both clever and astute.
Darren Bent is a proven Premiership striker who even at lowly Charlton was knocking in goals at an impressive rate. Some may have been shaken by the transfer fee, me included, but when you compare it to other recent transfers (£30m for Andriy Shevchenko for one), £16.5m doesn't seem quite so inflated. If, for instance, he had the same goal-scoring ratio for a top-six side, his valuation would have been considerably higher. And the fact that Bent's goals last season were for a team who got relegated illustrates the kind of success he could achieve at White Hart Lane.
Gareth Bale was one of the most sought-after young players in this current window, one of the picks of his generation and a star in the making. There are many who feel that whilst going forward the Welsh teenager is pacy, direct and has the ability to swing in perfect crosses (not to mention his dead-ball prowess), at the back he is not so solid. However, given his age - the guy is still a week shy of his 18th birthday - there is a lot to work with. I would imagine that a host of top clubs were vying for his services but he chose Tottenham and that says a lot about which direction Spurs are heading
Adel Taarabt may not be a familiar name to most, me included, but he does have all the makings of a quality player. At 18, he has youth on his side but his ability is already evident. Just ask Spurs and West Ham fans about his talent; his five-minute cameo at Upton Park said it all and he turned the game of the season on its head with some moments of pure skill. Many have touted him as the next Zinedine Zidane and Chelsea and Arsenal were both keen on the Moroccan-born French star.
Younes Kaboul is another new kid on the block. This central defender/midfielder is also a youngster but at 21 already has three years of high-level football under his belt. His performances for Auxerre caught the eye of Spurs, who trumped the likes of Inter and Roma when they secured his service for £7m last week. He could be key in solving Tottenham's much-documented defensive shortcomings.
Compare and contrast these signings with those made by the four teams that Jol's side hope to catch.
Arsenal have made little in-roads as yet and have to deal with the loss of a legend. Chelsea have been ominously quiet; their free transfer signings, whilst smart, are not exactly earth-shattering. Liverpool finally got hold of Andriy Voronin and spent a king's ransom on Fernando Torres - two quality purchases and surely more to follow. And Sir Alex has been keen to consolidate his title win by spending over £40m on Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and more than likely Carlos Tevez.
Whilst the Tottenham signings would not be considered as big buys by many, they do represent intelligent business by Martin Jol and the club's Sporting Director, Damien Comolli. The one concern I have is that, given how just young these players are, it is almost impossible to predict with any real certainty how much of a success they will be. But, given what they have already achieved, it is a fair bet that they will turn out to be very wise investments indeed.
It has been some time since Spurs could claim to really be Premiership contenders and I, like many others, feel that title talk is not applicable right now. But given the talented crop that is being sown, such discussions are not light years away.
Are Spurs now ready to make a serious challenge for the Premiership title? Post your comments below or submit an article if you prefer.