Premier League 2018/2019: Five reasons Why Tottenham will not make the top four
From looking on from afar and attempting to gatecrash the party that was Champions League qualification, which was once exclusively open to only the top four of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, to successfully negotiating their entry and cementing their status as Champions League participants, Tottenham have done impressively well in recent seasons.
Hitherto unknown players such as Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Heung-Min Son to name a few have been nurtured into world beaters and seasoned internationals under the management of Mauricio Pochetino, while elite players such as Dmitir Berbatov, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale have been sold off to bigger clubs for a healthy profit.
However, with increased number of rivals for limited spots in the UCL group stage, the competition is now more intense than ever to qualify for the Champions League in the EPL, and Spurs will face an uphill battle to retain their top 4 status in the upcoming season.
While it might be difficult to imagine a scenario where Tottenham doesn't finish in the top four owing to their impressiveness in recent seasons, it is a very likely possibility. Here are five reasons why Tottenham might not make it into the top four next season.
#5 Inactivity in the transfer market
Tottenham Hotspur achieved a remarkable third-placed finish last season in the Premier League and almost put their Wembley voodoo behind them, before eventually falling short in the Champions League, getting knocked out by Juventus. While the season could be labelled a success, they were a long way off the pace, finishing a massive 23 points behind runaway winners Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Since then, City has already added Riyadh Mahrez to their team, while Tottenham's other rivals have also bolstered up their squads, addressing key areas of weaknesses from last season, with Liverpool leading the way, having spent about £182.2m on new arrivals, including goalkeeper Alisson Becker from Roma and combative midfielder Naby Keita from RB Leipzig.
Tottenham have however been characteristically quiet on the transfer front, and are yet to make any major signing. While their squad is adequate enough for a top-four challenge, the number of arrivals at their direct rivals and increased competition means strengthening the squad for the assault on this season should be a matter of priority for Tottenham. However, on evidence of their transfer activities thus far, Spurs are not thinking along these lines, and this could be a major factor in the club failing to finish in the top four after three consecutive seasons of making it.