Tottenham transfer window verdict: Spurs win Harry Kane battle for now, but business geared to new future

The story of Tottenham’s transfer window was keeping Harry Kane from Manchester City’s clutches, a significant win for the London club.

After another season with the best striker in the Premier League, Spurs should be in a position to either tie down Kane for life next summer or bank a huge fee, should he push to leave again.

Their other business has felt geared for the medium- to long-term, reflecting the start of a new cycle under Fabio Paratici and Nuno Espirito Santo.

Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr (who will spent this season back on loan at Metz) and Emerson Royal are all promising young players with high potential, who will likely need time to settle in English football and the Premier League.

Meanwhile, the club streamlined the squad and offloaded high-earning but declining older players in Joe Hart, Erik Lamela, Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Sissoko.

As always, there is significant onus on the coach to work miracles – reviving Tanguy Ndombele and developing Dane Scarlett are among Nuno’s challenges – and the squad remains unbalanced.

Nonetheless, this window felt like a promising step in the right direction.

Ins and outs

In

Cristian Romero (Atalanta, loan with view to £47m deal)

Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta, loan)

Bryan Gil (Seville, £21.6m plus Erik Lamela)

Pape Matar Sarr (Metz, £15m)

Emerson Royal (Barcelona, £25m)

Out

Paulo Gazzaniga (contract expired)

Danny Rose (Watford, free transfer)

Juan Foyth (Villarreal, undisclosed)

Erik Lamela (Sevilla, swap for Bryan Gil)

Joe Hart (Celtic, undisclosed)

Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham to Watford, £3m)

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