In recent years the transfer window has represented a time of excitement for Tottenham Hotspur, with Harry Redknapp at the helm it seemed like anything was possible and any target achievable. However, now the wheeler-dealer has moved on, new boss Andre Villas-Boas seems unwilling to comment on speculation or even give interviews from the inside of his car. As a result the Spurs faithful have been left wondering, where are all our ‘triffic players?

It is worth pointing out that the club have signed two very promising players although you may have forgotten given that the deals were completed almost two months ago. Former Ajax blockade Jan Vertonghen and intricate playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson arrived in moves that essentially trumped rivals Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Both transfers emerged from an extensive and slightly tiresome process, which inevitably will have seen valuations and wage demands skyrocket. This begs the question, should Spurs abandon any further attempts to sign high-profile players given their devotion to a strict financial mantra?

I realise I am asking to be inundated with comments questioning my sanity and lambasted for my apparent dismissal that Spurs are now a ‘big club’ and should be challenging for a top four spot. However, cast your minds back to February when Lille sensation Eden Hazard lit up message boards claiming he would entertain the idea of moving to North London. Fans were beside themselves with joy, some even claimed a deal was already done but I think it’s now obvious that Hazard used the club as a pawn to generate interest from bigger and better teams.

Fast-forward to the present day and the club are deep in negotiations with another big name, former on-loan assassin Emmanuel Adebayor. Manchester City appear desperate to offload but the tipping point rests entirely on the striker’s wage demands and other financial incentives. Perhaps attention would be better spent elsewhere? Sure Adebayor finished last season as the club’s top scorer but many forwards would have flourished at the peak of Redknapp’s attack minded side. His strike partner Jermain Defoe ended up just one goal shy of Adebayor’s total despite spending the majority of the season perfecting his arse indentation on the Spurs bench.

A quick glance at the gossip columns suggest the club’s current transfer targets include reputable goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Julio Cesar plus Leandro Damiao, who is currently running riot with Brazil at the Olympics. All of these players are renowned on a global scale and thus cannot be purchased or enticed at a cut price. These individuals may well be the type of players that can propel Spurs further up the league but a lack of Champions League football means the Lilywhites are a far less attractive option, just ask Luka Modric.

The history Villas-Boas shares with Portuguese giants Porto will inevitably see the likes of Hulk and Joao Moutinho cemented in the headlines on a slow news day. Hulk is barely worth mentioning because of the astronomical transfer fees that have been touted in the past, if the likes of Chelsea bulk at an asking price then it’s time to move on. Mountinho on the other hand has been hailed as the replacement for the outgoing Modric but an inspired Euro 2012 campaign could push the playmaker out of reach. It strikes me that all of the players mentioned so far are unlikely to fit into the admirable albeit unconventional, strict financial set-up dictated by chairman Daniel Levy. You can’t force square pegs into round holes, which is perhaps the perfect analogy for the club’s current transfer tactics.

There are a growing number of fans relishing a return for Dimitar Berbatov, the second most famous sportsman to be made an outcast in Manchester. The striker himself declared he could be available for a mere £5m but question marks remain over whether he would suit the high-tempo pressing game favoured by the new manager. The Bulgarian left to join Manchester United on deadline day in 2008, which is coincidently the day Spurs have continued to excel on for a number of years. Perhaps Levy and co are simply biding their time until desperation sets in and bargain deals can emerge from within the furore.

It’s time for Spurs to avert their gaze from the glossy names of football’s elite whilst also avoiding players from within the Premier League. The trials and tribulations of Joe Allen and Steven Fletcher prove overvaluation is a common theme and few fans will want a repeat of transfers like David Bentley and Darren Bent.

There is much work ahead of the baptism of fire against Alan Pardew’s transfer astute Newcastle United, a team who have thrived on uncovering those rare gems from across Europe. In my opinion things have to change fast or the Geordies could well teach Spurs a lesson on the pitch as well as off it.

Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I am helping Arsenal’s Emmanuel Frimpong in his search for loyalty in football.

[ad_pod id=’dfp-mpu’ align=’right’]