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It’s the final few days of the transfer window and yet again Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is scurrying around trying to sign enough players for head coach André Villas-Boas to mount a challenge for the top four. A deal to sell Luka Modric for about £30m was finally concluded early this week and £15m has already been spent on Fulham’s Moussa Dembélé, although the Belgian is not coming as a direct replacement for Modric. But with a number of other potential deals still to tie up before midnight on Friday, the Life’s a Pitch team feels Levy’s strategy has once again this summer been a risky one.

“I think these next three days will define Spurs’ season and may define Villas-Boas’ time as Spurs manager, it’s that crucial,” says the Sunday Telegraph’s Jason Burt. ”They’re really worried about replacing Modric and of all the good players they’re signing at the moment, or could sign, none of them are up to that mark. Modric needs to be replaced and they’re not doing that quite yet. They’ve got a couple more days, so we’ll see what happens. But I think it’s a dangerous strategy.”

Not just dangerous, but unnecessary, reckons The Mail on Sunday’s Ian Ridley. ”I don’t understand why it drags on all summer. Modric is going to go, so why not do this in May/June? Why wait until three or four days before the transfer deadline? Because every other deal is dependent on it and on the money, on the cashflow and so on. Spurs started appallingly last year. It probably cost them the title because they were stretching, stretching, stretching, trying to stay in touch. They’ve not started well again this time. Why not get the business done so you hit the ground running for the first game of the season? Villas-Boas is now starting to play catch-up. White Hart Lane could turn if they’re not seeing signs of progress in a month.”

So what would represent a good debut season for Villas-Boas? “I think that would be a remarkable season for him if he could finish fourth,” says the Daily Mirror’s John Cross. ”And that would give the Spurs fans confidence that they’re moving in the right direction.”

Watch the full video discussion by clicking on the play button in the image above.

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