Who are Spurs Buying Next?

Well, we've been linked with just about every player in the Premier League, as well as Serie A, the Bundelisga, and the Championship as well it seems. With Jermain Defoe being our only purchase thus far, and the window about to close, I thought I would put in my two cents on the players we've been linked with, and talk about what I think we need.

Wilson Palacios- He has shown that he has some quality in the Wigan side, and could be that strong holding midfielder that we often need. 14 million pounds seems like a lot, but with Man City bidding on every player on the planet it seems, it's just the cost of business now. Will he move? The Sun said the fee was agreed, but the Daily Mail says that he is settled in the northwest, and may not want to move to London. I think he would be a great addition to the team, but he alone is not going to turn us back into a top 5 club.

Stephen Appiah- He's been training with us, and we had a closed door match to determine his match fitness, but I don't know if he's what we need. His wage demands will surely be high, and for someone who's been out of the game so long, I don't know how he'll settle. We see how knee problems can be with Ledley, but we can't deny his quality. I think he would take too long to settle though, and we need someone who can get stuck in right now.

Kenwye Jones- Suddenly he's a huge target for us, and I'm not positive why. He has formed a good partnership with Cisse at Sunderland, but I don't see him meshing too well with the team. He wouldn't work at all with Pavy, and I'm not sure who he'd pair with Defoe or Bent. If we could get him at a cut price, I'd say alright, but over 10 million for him? No thanks.

Stephen Hunt- Now that it appears that Stuart Downing is going nowhere, he's the next one up to solve our long-standing left-wing problem. I watched him play with Reading several times, and he is a good winger, able to whip crosses in and take players on. O'Hara has been serviceable on the left flank for us, and I think he has a bright future, but Hunt would be a major upgrade in my opinion. Bentley hasn't settled on the left, he's not a left winger, so Hunt would seem to a great option to come in and balance the team.

Shay Given- I would love to have him, but there's not a chance that we'll be able to get him to the club. An excellent shot-stopper, and distributor of the ball, he would be an ideal replacement for Gomes, but Newcastle aren't going to let him go, so Steve Harper, Given's understudy, would be a much more likely signing since he's out of contract in the summer. We need cover in goal since Harry clearly doesn't rate Cesar.

Adriano/Hernan Crespo/Craig Bellamy- I lumped all of these players together because they all seem to be more trouble than their worth, and I hope we don't see any of them pulling on the shirt. It seems City have agreed a 14 million price for Bellamy, so hopefully we won't see him. He is a cancer in a changing room, it's all about him, and not the team. And his goal return for the problems are not worth it. I should also add Nicholas Anelka into this group. He made his name at ARSE-nal first of all, and he's a mercenary, wearing out his welcome quickly at a club and then moving on. Arsenal, Real Madrid, Fenerbache, Bolton, Man City, Chelsea, and who knows how many other clubs he's come and gone for. As for the Inter twins, Adriano is someone who could hold the ball up, but I don't know about his fire for the game. And Crespo doesn't want to come back to England, so why get a player who doesn't want to be here?

Fred- Losing his place at Lyon, he would be a good buy at around 4 million pounds. He would be a good squad player, really serving the role that Frazier Campbell is right now, but he's not going to net us 20 goals a season, so we don't need to pay Lyon like he would.

Nickey Shorey- Was a good player for Reading, and has totally fallen off at Aston Villa this year. Speed was never his strong suit, and he seems to be getting caught out a lot. I like him, but not more than Bale, or Assou-Ekotto.

There are more players we've been linked with, but I forget after a point. After I remember, I'll add them in a future post.

What do we need?

I would say our biggest problem is goalkeeping cover, followed by a left-sided winger. And I think we need a winger, someone who can whip in crosses, and take on defenders.

Another striker would be nice, especially with Bent being linked to leaving the club. Another holding midfielder seems to be a priority, which Palacios would be good for. I think we need another defender, a right back or center back for cover, especially with Ledley only being able to play sporadically. With Hutton out, and Gunter not deemed ready yet, we've only got Corluka on the right side, so some cover might be welcome there.

Again this is just my two cents, but let me know what you think.