Following Harry Kane’s exit and Ange Postecoglou’s arrival last summer, Tottenham Hotspur have been undergoing something of a squad rebuild.
The Australian has seen the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Emerson Royal and Harry Winks leave the club, while talented stars like James Maddison, Archie Gray and Micky Van de Ven have come in.
However, while the squad is full of talented players who could help the Lilywhites end their extended trophy-drought, some are still not good enough.
In fact, one of those who should be moved on as soon as possible is earning more than Van de ven and Dejan Kulusevski combined.
Kulusevski and Van de Ven's salaries
Kulusevski officially joined Spurs from Juventus on a permanent deal for around £25m last summer after spending the previous 18 months on loan with the club, and while he can be inconsistent at times, he’s easily one of the most technically gifted players in the squad.
The Swedish international has made 101 appearances for the North Londoners since January 2022, in which he’s scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.80 games, and in the last couple of matches, he’s been one of the few bright spots in the team.
So, it’s not all that surprising then that the 24-year-old is currently the club’s fifth-highest earner, making £110k-per-week, or a whopping £8.5m-per-year, which is a lot more than star defender Van de Ven.
The Dutchman joined the club last summer for a fee of around £34m from German side Wolfsburg, and to say he’s been a success in the year since would be an understatement.
The 23-year-old has become an integral part of Postecoglou’s ultra-attacking style of football, as, thanks to his lightning-quick pace, he’s capable of maintaining a high line and sprinting back to cover off danger.
However, for as indisputably crucial as he is to the North Londoners, he’s on a comparatively low wage – for a footballer, that is – of just £50k-per-week, which is around £2.6m.
That number is sure to increase over the coming seasons, but it will have to do so substantially to even match the wage of another Tottenham player who is far less important to the team.
Timo Werner's salary
Yes, the player in question is German forward Timo Werner, who first joined the club on a six-month loan spell in January, which, according to Sky Sports, cost the club around £4.3m in fees and wages.
Now, he wasn’t dreadful in those six months, but he wasn’t particularly impressive either, so when it was announced that the club had extended his loan for this season, it was a surprise, especially when it was revealed that they would be paying all of his wages and there was an £8.5m option to buy included.
However, based on the frankly enormous £165k-per-week he is earning, Postecoglou should not take that option, especially after a performance like the one against Coventry City on Wednesday night, in which he failed to register a single shot and was awarded a 2/10 from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.
So far, when accounting for his wages and the initial fee, the former Chelsea flop has cost the Lilywhites a whopping £7.1m, which, when broken down by his 18 appearances, two goals and three assists, does not make for pretty reading.
For example, he’s cost Daniel Levy and Co £394k-per-appearance, £3.56m-per-goal, £2.36m-per-assist and £1.42m-per-goal-involvement – talk about value for money.
Wages & Fee (Total)
£165k (£7.1m)
Appearances
18
Cost per Appearance
£394k
Goals
2
Cost per Goal
£3.56m
Assists
3
Cost per Assist
£2.36m
Goal Involvements
5
Cost per Goal Involvement
£1.42m
Ultimately, while the club have signed worse players in the past, it’s impossible to ignore how much Werner has cost in relation to his output, especially as he is on more than Van de Ven and Kulusevski combined. Therefore, Postecoglou should axe him from his starting lineup, and the club should not activate the option to buy.
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