Tottenham must launch 'aggressive' transfer bid with Europa League prize money - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur were crowned Europa League champions on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Manchester United. That means a cash injection of £12 million into the club’s transfer fund this summer.

Even the highs of a Europa League final cannot cover up what has been a thoroughly underwhelming season for Ange Postecoglou’s side. Daniel Levy must add fresh faces this summer and there’s no time to wait.

Backed with those Europa League winnings, which are set to be considerably more than the £11.3 million performance reward the club will receive should they finish 17th in the league, Spurs should make an aggressive transfer move now and launch a bid for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.

Tottenham should use Europa League winnings to launch transfer bid

Wissa has scored an impressive 19 goals in the Premier League this season, eight more than current Spurs top scorer Brennan Johnson. The 28-year-old has proved himself clinical in front of goal, never going more than four league matches without hitting the back of the net.

Praising Wissa, alongside teammate Bryan Mbeumo, earlier this year Thomas Frank said: "That's an incredible achievement from the two of them. All praise due the two of them for the hard work, how much they push, and then of course to my staff, and then I think a little bit to the way we play."

That reliability is exactly what Tottenham Hotspur need. A player who will chip in with goals all season can help the club avoid another dreadful league campaign. Wissa also has the ability to play through the middle or out wide, which is a real asset, and has only missed three Premier League matches with injury this season.

In January, The Standard claimed that Brentford wanted £40 million for their marksman but since then the club has effectively transfer listed the player. Frank said: “I know Bryan is very happy at Brentford. He’s thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future, I don’t know. I’ve said many times, we are a selling club. But that’s also to reinforce that there are maybe 10 clubs in the world that are not selling clubs.

“Of course, if the right price - and that’s going to be expensive - is coming, then I’m pretty sure that the club will be open for it. But I’m very happy he’s here and I’m convinced Bryan will be happy playing football here. A lot (laughing). I would say a lot. There have been times before where a club has knocked on our door and we’ve said no.”

Brentford face another Ivan Toney transfer debacle

Brentford seem to have somewhat shot themselves in the foot when it comes to holding a strong negotiating position. Wissa is in the final 12 months of his contract and the club are desperate to cash in. That leaves the power with any bidder and Spurs must use that to their advantage.

In January 2024, The Independent claimed that Brentford wanted £100 million to sell Ivan Toney to Arsenal or Chelsea. By the time the summer window arrived, the Bees had to accept just £40 million from Al Ahli. That’s just 40% of the club’s January asking fee and, if similar thinking is applied to Wissa, it could mean the striker is available for £16 million.

That’s not even all of the Europa League winnings, the full £29 million would surely be enough to green light a transfer, but Spurs must act now because they will not be the only club tempted by a cut-price transfer for Wissa.

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