Have Tottenham made a £22 million mistake?

After a memorable season that saw Tottenham make it to the Champions League final, this summer represents an opportunity for the club to strengthen further.

While much has been made of the fact that Spurs haven’t signed any new players over the course of the last two windows, Mauricio Pochettino has demanded investment before the 2019-20 campaign begins.

Central midfield appears to be a priority for the Tottenham manager, with a replacement for Mousa Dembele, who left the North London club in January to move to China, needed.

As per usual, Spurs have been linked with plenty of new faces.

For the club to lower the odds at bettingsitesonline.ca on winning silverware next term, strengthening the side’s core is necessary.

The two names most prominently mentioned this summer to fill the Tottenham midfield berth have been Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.

Both players are coming off the back of impressive seasons, are international-calibre stars and would be excellent additions to the Spurs squad.

However, both look likely to cost exorbitant fees, with Tottenham needing to break the club transfer record to land one or both.

As such, the fact that Andre Gomes looks close to signing for Everton in a £22 million move, without Spurs intervening, raises question marks.

Tottenham have been linked with the Portugal international both before he moved to the Toffees on loan last term and since he impressed in the Premier League in 2018-19.

Comfortable on the ball, technically gifted, hardworking and adaptable, Gomes appears to fit the mould of a Pochettino player.

While Ndombele or Lo Celso may be preferred options, are they worth the £20 or £30 million more that it will seemingly cost to land them?

Gomes is similar to Harry Winks in the way he distributes the ball and operates in a deep-lying playmaker role – perhaps this is why Tottenham appear ready to let him join Everton.

The 25-year-old will clearly have a connection to the Goodison Park club given he has spent time on loan there, but Spurs could have offered him Champions League football – surely a drawcard that would have swayed his decision.

While most Tottenham fans will want a signature signing or two this summer, building up the squad, rather than just improving the team, should be a priority.

With fixture congestion and squad depth issues pertinent last season, and the Barcelona man available for a relatively modest fee in the currently inflated market, the Portugal international would have added quality to the Spurs ranks.