Lack of ambition? Tottenham transfer strategy blamed for holding club back

Recruitment misfires, not managerial choices, seen as root cause of Tottenham’s ongoing struggles

Tottenham remain the only club among the traditional ‘big six’ that consistently avoids marquee signings, showing reluctance in the transfer market. Their record signing, Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for £65 million ($83m), pales in comparison to the spending of their top-six rivals.

Former Spurs winger Chris Waddle, speaking to Football Insider, pointed out that Tottenham’s recruitment strategy – not their managerial appointments – is what’s truly holding the club back. He labelled them a “selling club” and raised serious concerns about their approach to signings, especially in light of any potential managerial changes.

Tottenham focused heavily on youth in last summer’s transfer window, bringing in teenagers Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, and Min-hyeok Yang. Dominic Solanke, signed from Bournemouth, was the only addition with significant senior experience, and the club isn’t expected to pursue any high-profile names this summer either.

However, after an unprecedented injury crisis and a string of poor performances, Spurs were forced to act mid-season. They signed young goalkeeper Kinsky and secured loan deals for Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso from Bayern Munich and RC Lens respectively. While these reinforcements have helped Tottenham reach the Europa League final, their domestic campaign has been nothing short of disastrous.

Waddle blames Tottenham for not investing in experienced players

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Waddle addressed the potential of Scott Parker taking over at Tottenham this summer if Postecoglou were to be dismissed. Although he wasn’t keen on that particular appointment, the former Spurs star delved into the club’s deeper issues — pointing to their recruitment strategy as the main problem, not the manager.

Waddle laid bare his concerns about Tottenham’s direction, stressing that the club operates like a selling side, consistently failing to retain its top talents. He explained that Spurs are always on the lookout for young, unproven players with potential, rather than experienced names already performing at an elite level — players like Matheus Cunha or Alexander Isak, whom the club simply won’t target due to financial hesitancy.

He pointed out that even world-class managers such as José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Nuno Espírito Santo — all proven winners — failed to deliver silverware at Spurs. Mourinho has lifted trophies throughout his career, Conte currently leads Napoli in the Serie A title race, and Nuno overachieved with Nottingham Forest, yet none succeeded in North London. For Waddle, the answer is clear: the problem lies not with the managers, but with the club’s recruitment and lack of ambition.

The Former Spurs Winger speaking to FootballInsider, criticised the Club for their lack of investment in experienced players

“The thing with Tottenham is they’re a selling club and I keep saying this, they don’t keep hold of their best players.”

“So, straight away you’re always looking for a young, talented footballer who will hopefully hit the ground running, and do the business for you.”

“But if you haven’t got a chequebook that can buy experienced players, players who are at the top of their game, like a [Matheus] Cunha, like players like [Alexander] Isak, Tottenham Hotspur will not go for these players, so, they might go for someone who’s six, seven, eight years younger, who’s got potential.”

More Tottenham News

• Postecoglou delivers Tottenham injury update ahead of Europa League final
• Tottenham plot shock move for Manchester City star amid £300,000-a-week revelation
• Tel : 7 , Antonín Kinský : 8 ,  Reguilón: ?? | Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings vs Aston Villa | Premier League 2024/25

The saga of Tottenham unable to keep hold of top players in their prime continues. Superstars such as Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Harry Kane all left considering not winning any silverware was unbearable. Unless the club can find a way to seriously establish themselves as a contender for significant prizes, they resign themselves to keep losing their best players in their prime—leaving Tottenham with money to spend without the pulling power to recruit established winners to replace the departed players.