Waddle added on the changes that Spurs need to make when it comes to transfer business and squad building: “This is where the problems normally start for Tottenham. He may say, ‘I want to get A, B, C, D, E and F’. A lot will be dependent on the transfer fee, wages. Is he young enough? He’s not 29, 30, 31.
“Tottenham have always been known for buying in young players, developing them and selling them on. That’s got to change. If Tottenham want to be a big four club – you look at the big four, they don’t produce players and sell them on. They produce players and they keep them until they think it’s time to move on. And that’s what Tottenham’s got to start thinking.
“They’ve got to start thinking, ‘we’ve got Bergvall, we’ve got Archie Gray. If this is the future and they can play at Premier League level consistently and they look the part, then they’ve got to be stitched up and signed up for five, six, 10 years, whatever. And then, when they’re ready, they can get rid of them, probably in their 30s when you think it’s time for them to move on.
“But Tottenham don’t do that, we know that. They develop players and when they get consistency, they cash in on them and they find another young player. It’s time Tottenham stop doing this.
“Look at Man City, look at Liverpool, look at Arsenal, Aston Villa. They buy players and they don’t get rid of players until they think they’re not good enough. That’s when they sell players. When you look at Man City – Bernardo Silva is about to leave, John Stones, in their 30s, Kevin De Bruyne, in his 30s, Gundogan, in his 30s. They get the best out of them and they say, ‘look, you’ve been great with the club’.
“You win trophies, you’re making money, they pay for themselves. You know, down the line, these players move on and they get a new player in. That’s how football works if you want to be successful.
“It’s not about buying players and selling them on and then thinking, who do we buy next? It’s getting a young player, develop them because you can see his potential, move them on when you think he’s had his day, we’ve got a better player coming through or we’ve already got a better player. Then you sell them or you let them go. Tottenham’s got to start operating along the lines of these clubs I’ve just mentioned.”