Johnson seals £50m transfer, Dier limbo - Tottenham best and worst case deadline day scenarios

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Tottenham could be extremely busy on transfer deadline day. Spurs have brought in six new players and said goodbye to seven members of last season's first team squad, either permanently or on loan, with Djed Spence the latest to leave on loan to Leeds United on Wednesday.

However, there are still players in Ange Postecoglou's squad who appear not to have a role in his plans for the season and Spurs could still do with strengthening in a couple of areas for the Australian.

With deadline day upon us, football.london takes a look at the best and worst case scenarios for Postecoglou and Spurs when it comes to incomings and outgoings...

Best case scenario

With Harry Kane departing the club for Bayern Munich in a £100million transfer, there is something of a gaping hole at the top end of the pitch for Spurs. £60million man Richarlison finally got his first goal of the season in the Carabao Cup defeat to Fulham on Tuesday night, which will do him the world of good, but Postecoglou is still looking for another frontman.

Speaking about the club's transfer plans, Postecoglou said: "With Harry [Kane] nothing has changed for us. It's not like he's gone and we've now got to go and replace Harry. We've known this for a while but the business we've done so far has been in anticipation of Harry going.

"So we're not going to be out there looking for a number nine to replace Harry. That's not the strategy that's already in place. What we're looking to do is make sure we have a stronger team, a stronger squad to play the football we want and develop over the next period of time.

"There's still areas we can strengthen in all our lines: defensively, midfield, up front. Again that's not just bringing players in for the sake of it. They have to fit the profile we're looking at.

READ MORE: Tottenham's summer transfer 2023 ins and outs in full as Djed Spence leaves on loan

"We've purposefully gone a bit younger because we want to build a team here. It's not about putting the finishing touches on something, we're building something here. So that's the mind of profiles we're looking at."

When it comes to a forward, with a younger profile, who can play anywhere across the front line - ergo the perfect player for Postecoglou - Brennan Johnson fits the bill. He will not come cheap though, with Nottingham Forest demanding around £50million for the Welsh forward.

Reports have suggested Forest may accept a lower fee, with a player incluided in a swap deal, with Davinson Sanchez's name mooted. Sanchez has struggled to win over the Tottenham fans since his £42million move from Ajax in 2017 and endured a difficult night on his first start this season against Fulham in the Carabao Cup, missing the spot-kick that sent Spurs crashing out.

As well as a forward, Postecoglou needs strength in depth in defence, with Perr Schuurs the name most heavily linked with a move to N17. If Spurs can get him from Torino, or secure a deal for homegrown Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham, who's preferred move to Monaco seems to have stalled, it would be a good end to the window.

There are also links with Ansu Fati, from Barcelona. Fati has 29 goals and 10 assists in 112 first team appearances for Barca, and at 20 years old has plenty of time to grow. You would think he would sign if a deal for Johnson breaks down, but it's an interesting proposition nonetheless.

In terms of outgoings, Postecoglou has made no secret of his desire to trim down the squad. Players need to leave for their own sake. Postecoglou said: "The reality of it is we can't just keep acquiring players. We've got too big a squad as it is. It affects the training, the players themselves because they all want to play and be involved."

Eric Dier appears to have no future at the club and with less than one year left on his current contract, Spurs will be looking to sell if they can. Bayern Munich are interested in a reunion with Harry Kane

Hugo Lloris is still at the club, but is expected to move on, while Spurs will be hoping to secure funds from the sales of the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sergio Reguilon. Ndombele and Reguilon will more lilkely be loan deals, while Hojbjerg does have a role to play if he stays, but if Spurs can get fees for them, as well as getting them off the wage bill, that would be a very good end to the transfer window too.

Worst case scenario

Spurs have done some good business already this summer, but fans will expect more on deadline day, that's just the way it is. If clubs don't make at least one signing on deadline day it can be seen as a disaster, such is the excitement around the day.

The worst case scenario for Postecoglou and Spurs would be failing to bring in another defender and another forward. Leaving Postecoglou to work with what he has at his disposal would be a worry, particularly with injuries that will always play a part in a season.

Letting Sanchez and Dier leave, whether that be permanently or on loan, as well as not signing a new defender would be something of a disaster. That would leave Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero exposed, with only Ben Davies and Japhet Tanganga available to fill in at centre-back. Tanganga himself could leave for pastures new, and Spurs cannot allow players to leave without making sure they can get someone in.

Reguilon could leave without too much fuss, as could Hojbjerg, with enough players in the midfield to get through a season, although Postecoglopu has admitted he would like to strengthen there if he can as well.

Neither Johnson nor Fati signing and Spurs making a late move for a forward out of nowhere, with no experience of the Premier League and someone the supporters do not warm to, would perhaps be worse for Postecoglou than signing no one at all.

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