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Alasdair Gold

Tottenham's crucial transfer window target, new contracts incoming and homegrown player numbers

nikmich: "Will Tottenham make any new additions and if so in what positions will they look to improve?"

Alasdair says: "Once Destiny Udogie arrives and departs back on loan, Spurs will keep looking for centre-back opportunities, especially if Japhet Tanganga joins Joe Rodon in leaving the club. Mainly at the moment though it's all about getting that unwanted quartet of Ndombele, Lo Celso, Winks and Reguilon out of the club.

"They've been training away from the group all summer, weren't taken out of the country for the pre-season matches and it was made clear to them from the start that they weren't in Antonio Conte's plans. Yet with a lack of serious moves for them, they could all end up being late departures as the first two were back in January with their loan moves. That does not help Spurs as they're also keeping their eye out for late opportunities that arise in attacking midfield and forward positions now they've done the bulk of their priority position shopping."

READ MORE: Tottenham supporters show classy touch by helping out Dane Scarlett during Portsmouth loan move

mk2022: "Do you see the club going for any young homegrown talent (e.g. Alex Scott) in moves like the Udogie one?"

Alasdair says: "Spurs will have to start building their homegrown numbers up for the long-term because they have let Alli, Carter-Vickers, Clarke, Etete, Rodon (for the Premier League) and eventually will see Winks go, and in the short-term both Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett have left on loan.

"Djed Spence has come through the door but the club will want to boost their numbers going forward, although they may be ok for their registered limits this season which requires club trained and locally trained in the Champions League, depending on what happens with Harvey White. Ultimately younger academy players can bump up those numbers registered but you'd prefer Premier League ready players so I think they have to make moves for homegrown players, whether it's in this window or the coming ones.

"As for Alex Scott, he's a player Spurs have scouted heavily and spoken about and the 18-year-old has got a fair bit of interest in him at the moment."

nk7: "Have you heard anything about Roma now refusing to sell Zaniolo?"

Alasdair says: "I can only tell you what's happening from the Spurs' side of things and they are playing down any links to Nicolo Zaniolo right now. That certainly doesn't mean they're not interested. Far from it. I know he's been a player of interest for a number of years for Spurs.

"I think they're just so focused right now on trying to move players out of the door as a priority, mainly because of those foreign player limits. They're four over in their Champions League squad and on the limit of 17 in the Premier League squad. Of course they could just leave players out if they want to sign more but that's a costly thing to do. They need to sell rather than paying millions in total for unused players.

"When it comes to Zaniolo, I can't see why Roma would want to loan him out with very little relative financial recompense, which leaves a permanent transfer and that would surely only come about through contract or injury concerns from their side. For Spurs a loan first makes more sense after those injury woes of recent years.

"He's a starter every week for them but for Spurs he would be in the mix in their now stronger than ever squad. It's certainly an interesting one and it might be a situation we know more about definitively as the window winds towards its conclusion."

Jjqq: "Any update on Paqueta interest?"

Alasdair says: "Spurs have been tracking Lyon's Brazil international Lucas Paqueta for a while. The versatile 24-year-old can play in an attacking midfield role, centrally or on the right and can also play up front when required. He netted 11 goals and laid on seven assists in a Lyon side that struggled at times last season.

"He adds plenty of versatility and fits the idea of a more advanced Conte number 10 that can create out wide and would provide the Italian with two players in every position if he signed with Richarlison able to be used either up front or on either flank.

"There's plenty of interest in Paqueta with Newcastle and Arsenal among those linked to him and again as I said below Spurs want to get players out of the door first before they can move for anyone on a big deal. The Brazilian's price tag, with three years left on his contract, has gone all over the place this summer with talk of a £68m one to a lower £33m one in recent days but Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas is not a man to let anyone go on the cheap.

"I just wonder whether if Paqueta were to leave the Ligue 1 side this summer than he would want to go somewhere he can start every week rather than a club like Spurs were the competition now for those attacking spots is intense. Conte has raised the standards in N17 and even the bench this week against Chelsea is going to be jam-packed with stars and many who can't even get into the matchday squad."

Ryangoles: "Recent Spurs managers haven’t questioned why Kane is on direct free kicks when, as much as I love him, he’s dreadful at them. Was wondering if Conte might be asked that at some point?"

Alasdair says: "Gianni Vio is at the club now and working on set-pieces with the team so we'll see plenty of variety with the free-kicks and corners in the weeks and months ahead as they learn what he wants and he fits his 4,830 different routines to them. Kane will take some, he did score in pre-season albeit via a deflection, but plenty of others will take them as well. I'd like to see Son and Dier take more of the direct ones."

thekitman1: "What do you think of the new third kit? Personally I love it!"

Alasdair says: "I like it. Far better than the wetsuit away one."

Mc87: "What constitutes a good end to the transfer window for Spurs? Outs rather than ins?"

Alasdair says: "I'd say moving on all four of the unwanted quartet, perhaps one or two more after that heading out on loan or permanently, with at least two more signings after Udogie to balance it out. To have a window with nine new signings would be remarkable. We're in that territory really already because of how early Spurs have done the bulk of their incoming business."

JoeyG10: "What players at Tottenham could be in line for new contracts in the near future?"

Alasdair says: "With two years left on their deals, Harry Kane and Eric Dier will be the priorities. Decisions will have to be made on Davinson Sanchez, Matt Doherty and Lucas Moura, with the latter having an option to take his deal up to 2024. Then after that it's a case of looking at the contracts of those with slightly longer left but who have performed well and deserve new deals as the season goes on. If Ryan Sessegnon can continue to remain injury free then he could be in that category as could potentially Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg if he stars this season."

AlexStylianou: "Can you see us making a move for Adama Traore again? Feel were a bit light in attack with only Lucas and one of Kulu/Richarlison as attacking options to bring off the bench."

Alasdair says: "If it's a cheap squad option then perhaps, but I feel his chance of getting much football at Tottenham has gone now with Kulusevski and Richarlison's arrivals after he chose to head off to Barcelona for that ultimately disappointing loan spell in January. The Spaniard has slightly less versatility in where Conte could play him, compared to signing an attacking midfielder who can also play centrally in the midfield, and even as a wing-back, Spurs have three at the moment. Traore had that hamstring injury during the summer but I'm sure a few clubs will look at him before the window shuts with his contract running down."

elliottharvey: "I've just finished watching Juventus All or Nothing and I was surprised to see how involved Kulusevski was in their season. He seemed to be starting almost every game and scored, assisted or created chances in so many matches. Plus all the people at the club spoke very positively about him. He's obviously been brilliant for Spurs so why on earth did Juventus let him go and for so cheap?"

Alasdair says: "It's a strange one for me as well but his game time just dwindled and they clearly didn't have the belief in him that Paratici and Conte did. It's definitely Tottenham's gain. I think he'll soon become world class the more and more he develops. He's superb already."

E.E: "Have you ever met Joe Lewis or know what/how he is like (or how other people describe him like)? He seems like an interesting person, but there is barely anything about him online, which makes him even more interesting!"

Alasdair says: "I have not even seen him from a distance, let alone met him. I wrote a piece on him a little while back on football.london if you want to Google that. He's a private guy who has made a fortune for himself. I agree, he's an interesting character. He doesn't really do interviews which perhaps adds to that. Quotes are few and far between."

sibbo9: "Has there been any talk about using Perisic as a right wing back or about another purchase in this position?"

Alasdair says: "Spurs currently have three right wing-backs and Lucas and Kulusevski can both play there so it's probably the one area they don't really need anyone else in unless one or two left. Although I do agree that Perisic can probably play there if required during a match as well. So there's options galore."

beninjones: "With Spurs losing three in a row versus Chelsea last year do you feel Conte has to make changes to his starting line-up this weekend? This is the squad that finished 4th but also couldn’t beat Chelsea. Do you think Perisic and Bissouma might come in?

Alasdair says: "I think this is a different Tottenham to last season. Every Conte said towards the end of the last campaign that he would be interested to see how they would have got on playing Chelsea at that point. Any unexpected injuries aside, I think the only change he might think about would be Ivan Perisic for Ryan Sessegnon purely because of his big game experience, but I reckon Sessegnon, particularly with his better fitness right now, has earned the chance to start. I'd be surprised if he broke up the Hojbjerg/Bentancur partnership right now. I think Bissouma needs to continue to get fitter and take on Conte's demands."

slcspurs: "Relatively new USA fan here. Are the out of favour players like Harry Winks still training with the first team? If not, where are they training and what happens to them during the season if Spurs don't move them? Is there a limit to total number of players on the roster?"

Alasdair says: "Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon are all training individually at the moment as they seek moves away after being told they are not in Antonio Conte's plans. Hotspur Way is a big place so there's plenty of space for them to maintain their fitness as their representatives and the club find moves for them. You can register 17 foreign players and eight homegrown players - all over the age of 21 - in your Premier League squad and unlimited numbers of U21s."

Bazdog: "Frank Kessie has not been registered in La Liga with Barca what do you think of the chances of him being the surprise signing or do think midfield is sorted with similar players now?"

Alasdair says: "I'm sure plenty of clubs will be watching the situation at Barcelona. It's a chaotic one and anything could happen in the coming days, particularly with the talk that certain players like Kessie have clauses to let them leave for free if they are not registered in time for La Liga.

"When it comes to the former AC Milan midfielder and if he were to become available, I guess it's down to whether Conte now feels he has enough cover in the centre of the pitch after signing Yves Bissouma to add to Hojbjerg, Bentancur and Oliver Skipp, who will be back in a couple of weeks.

"Winks will likely go and Pape Matar Sarr could be loaned out, but fitting five similar top midfielders all expecting to start into two places is a tough sell and then there are those foreign player numbers. Of course, it's also a free deal which will need some serious consideration from a business point of view as well as a talent one, but if I'm him am I certain of starts at Spurs?

"I do wonder whether Tottenham look for another Barcelona this summer as they might seek to profit from the Catalan club's chaos."

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