Much has been said about the need for Spurs to find a new crop of forward performers. A cursory reading of several blogs indicates agreement that the Spurs have a wealth of midfielders. This is true if we define the term midfielder in a broad sense. There are twelve midfielders registered on Spurs’s first team. Harry’s preferred formation is a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 when VDV starts. Both formations require two dedicated wingers. Barring any injuries, Spurs starting lineup has two wingers that would strike terror in the hearts of any fullbacks in the world. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon are two old fashion wingers who can blow by a fullback, or two, with shear pace and acceleration to put in a cross. Beyond these players we have no true Premier League ready wingers. We can put VDV, Modric, Pienaar, and Kranjar on the field but they will play central left or central right, not true wide men getting to the bi-line and crossing. Danny Rose is an upcoming contender but he isn’t ready to start in the Premier League yet. I have two suggestions on who our next midfield purchase should be and why.

My first man is Mathieu Valbuena. At 27 years old he could be considered something of a late bloomer. He obtained his first French national team call-up last year and has been a regular competitor ever since. He is described as a player with explosive pace, great quickness, fantastic technical game, and an absolutely tenacious style of play. Valbuena’s qualities were witnessed in the Champions League game against Arsenal recently. Valbuena is not one of the top earners at OM so his wage demands can likely be met. Given his age in his late twenties, his next transfer would be a very important career decision for Mathieu. Tottenham’s league position in January or summer 2012 would be vital for a transfer to take place.

My second choice is 20 year old Xherdan Shaqiri. This Kosovo born Swiss international is an undoubted talent by all who have seen him. Shaqiri is left-footed, but equally comfortable on either wing or playmaking in the hole. I put his transfer and wage eligibility at “very possible” for two reasons. First, Basel offers limited wages compared to the EPL, so even Tottenham would be able to provide a better salary for the youngster if he is looking to break into a top league in Europe. Second, his transfer would be reasonable for a top prospect, as long as Real Madrid and Man City choose other targets.

The addition of any one of these two players would undoubtedly add to the overall unit quality, but would also push Aaron and Gareth to perform consistently at a higher standard or risk losing their place.