Tottenham told they should have cashed in on expensive signing and now it could come back to bite Ange Postecoglou’s team

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Tottenham Hotspur have been warned there is a player who they should have sold in the summer and their inability to do so is hurting Ange Postecoglou’s team.

Spurs’ lack of attacking options was highlighted against Fulham as Postecoglou failed to find proper solutions for the players he was without on the weekend. Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw with the Cottagers as they looked toothless in the final third.

Dominic Solanke and Mikey Moore were both missing due to illness, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison both have long-term hamstring injuries and Dejan Kulusevski was only fit enough to start on the bench.

Tottenham told they should have sold Richarlison last summer

Tottenham have been told by The Athletic’s Jay Harris that they should have cashed in on Richarlison over the summer due to his inability to stay available. Richarlison is out for a while with a hamstring injury which is his eighth injury since arriving in North London just over two years ago.

Postecoglou was left without a proper striker for the 1-1 draw with Fulham as Dominic Solanke was sent home ill and was forced to play Heung-min Son up top. Son struggled to fulfil the new role and Spurs lacked a presence in the final third.

Richarlison was linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer, however, the Brazilian was not keen to make the move to the Middle East. The 27-year-old instead remained at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Harris told The View From The Lane: “Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing but you look back in the summer when there was interest from the Saudi Pro League, I probably think it would have been best from Tottenham’s perspective, that you sell him for £50/60 million and reinvest that in a young striker who could have played backup to Solanke.

“The Roma game, this game [against Fulham], these are all examples of having a higher quality backup striker would have done Spurs a massive favour. Over the next month, Solanke is going to have to play far too often, when he doesn’t play and Son goes in the nine, nothing clicks. You need Richarlison but during his time at Spurs he’s never been consistently available.”

What were Tottenham’s attacking stats vs Fulham without Solanke?

Fulham will come away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium feeling like they should have taken all three points. The visitors managed more xG, shots, shots on target and big chances created than Spurs.

Postecoglou faces a quick turnaround to sort out his team with a trip to Bournemouth on Thursday. Luckily he is expected to have Solanke back for the trip to the South Coast.