Even after relegation scares in back-to-back seasons, the most pessimistic of Spurs supporters probably wouldn’t have predicted being rock bottom after two games, with a -5 goal difference.
Or perhaps they would have, from recent trauma build-up. Still, Tottenham Hotspur’s summer incomings have been impressive, and arrived with an expectation of achieving European football this season.
But the North London club, at best, could be considered slightly overzealous in regard to its expenditure this summer, and their haste in helping to solve Chelsea’s wage bill issue is worrying, to say the least.
Tottenham Hotspur secure services of Chelsea duo, but why?
Ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline at 11pm BST, Spurs look set to secure the services of Chelsea duo Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo.
Their London rivals are willing to shift the pair in an effort to solve their wage bill issues, and Spurs seem all too eager to aid them in this regard.
Mudryk will sign on a season-long loan, while Adarabioyo is expected to move on a permanent transfer for around £7 million — combined, they recorded zero goals and zero assists in 23 Premier League appearances last season.
Chelsea, in contrast to the North London club, are fourth in the Premier League table, having taken two wins from two against Brighton and Fulham — blockbuster 3-2 and 4-3 victories.
Last season, they finished in 10th, accumulating just nine additional points to Spurs’ tally of 41, which saw them capable of being relegated all the way until the Premier League’s final gameweek.
If you stare hard enough, you’ll find that there was likely an expectation for the two clubs to perform as peers this season, yet Tottenham Hotspur have, rather alarmingly, found themselves vacuuming the crumbs up off the floor in Chelsea’s kitchen.
And that should worry fans of the North London club — after an initially serious summer in which Spurs secured the services of Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Savio, Jan Paul van Hecke, Omar Marmoush, and further Premier League-proven talent, this is a concerning sign.
It’s one thing to take players from Manchester City; Enzo Maresca’s men will likely challenge for the Premier League title this season, and the Savio-Marmoush duo bring multiple top-level seasons of experience under Pep Guardiola’s wing to London.
But a pair of ‘B squad’ players from Chelsea with little observable Premier League impact? What benefits could this duo bring that outweigh the positive impact it will have on the Blues’ wage bill, and their rivals’ ability to compete?
How good can Mudryk and Tosin possibly be, for paying £7m and the pair’s wages, to prevent Chelsea from getting the last laugh here?
During a summer in which Spurs appeared determined to turn a page, their performances on the pitch have scarcely improved, and their transfer business will conclude on a sour note.
And while fans of the North London club will surely stay focused on seeing the likes of Fernandes, Tonali, Savio and Marmoush come good, they should keep a closer eye on the duo that Chelsea appear overwhelmingly likely to have fleeced them for.
