Why Tottenham Hotspur Should Consider the Transfer of Aaron Lennon

Since joining Tottenham from Leeds United in 2005, Aaron Lennon has been a firm fan favourite and a big part of the success Spurs have enjoyed. 

It was Lennon who hurdled a challenge in the San Siro to break down the field and set up Peter Crouch's winner against Milan. It was Lennon who picked up five assists in the famous 9-1 win over Wigan. 

For many of the nearly 10 years that he has been in north London, Lennon has been a regular starter and a genuine threat with the ball at his feet. Excellent close control and startling acceleration exposed even the very best defenders. He regularly tortured Manchester United's Patrice Evra. 

But Lennon is no longer the player he was, and if reports that Hull City, QPR and Stoke are all interested in acquiring him are true, Spurs should make the deal. The clubs that are being linked are a great indication of how low Lennon's stock has fallen. Once linked with Inter Milan, Lennon is now a realistic target for some of the Premier League's smaller clubs. 

A reunion with Harry Redknapp, a starring role in Mark Hughes' redevelopment of the Potters or the chance to join former teammates under Steve Bruce would surely all appeal. 

"

44 - Aaron Lennon has 44 Premier League assists for Spurs, the joint-second most with Teddy Sheringham. Darren Anderton has 67. Service.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 23, 2014"

Opta points out that Lennon has been one of Spurs' most consistently creative players in the Premier League. Second only to Darren Anderton, that puts him ahead of many of the great players that Tottenham have had in recent years. However, if you consider that Teddy Sheringham played just 236 games (25 fewer than Lennon) and he also contributed 97 goals to Lennon's 26, it seems a little less impressive. 

Lennon joined the club as an 18-year-old in 2005 and made a rapid impact and was twice nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. He was lightning-fast and a source of terror for opposition full-backs but struggled to cross accurately or consistently threaten to score. 

Unfortunately, his development stalled. 

There was a time when there was a genuine debate over whether Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon was the better winger. One could rightly point to Lennon's consistency and defensive contribution, but that comparison now seems laughable. Tottenham need to move on from players that are as one-dimensional as Lennon. 

In truth, Lennon was brilliant for club and country in 2009 but has been in decline since the injury that ruled him out of the second half of that season. 

Andre Villas-Boas coached Lennon to slow down in possession in order to have greater control and improve his infamously poor final ball. It failed to get the best out of him, and he has subsequently slipped further down the pecking order. Lennon has the most Tottenham appearances of any member of the current squad but, despite his seniority, Spurs would lose little by selling him. 

Steve Bruce seems to have a curious affinity for former Spurs players. One of his first signings as Sunderland manager was Alan Hutton. The Scottish full-back joined fellow ex-Spurs Darren Bent and Steed Malbranque. His current Hull team contains Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore. 

Hull often play defensively with an eye to breaking at speed. That would suit Lennon, and his penchant for working hard in a defensive role would quickly endear him to the Hull fans. 

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly has no interest in retaining Lennon's services, so a January sale would probably suit all parties. The reported fee of £7 million would represent good business for the buying club given his potential influence on his new team. 

His performance against Hull on Sunday may have piqued Bruce's interest. Lennon was introduced as a substitute with 30 minutes to play and gave an impressive display. It was a real reminder of what has kept Lennon in the Premier League for over 10 years.  

He provided the final pass for Christian Eriksen's winning goal and stretched Hull's defence throughout. He was quite impressive, but it must be noted that Hull were playing with 10 men. They had withdrawn into two deep, condensed lines so Lennon was introduced to force them to defend in wide areas. It was an intelligent substitution from Pochettino but would not have had the same effect were Hull still at a full complement. 

His impact against Hull could tempt Pochettino into keeping him a little while longer, but given Spurs have Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli and Andros Townsend to play in the wide areas, Lennon is highly unlikely to see significant playing time. 

Many Spurs fans would be sad to see Lennon go. He has provided many wonderful moments in his almost decade-long Tottenham career and is the only link to Spurs' Champions League season. Those memories colour many fans' judgements of his actual contributions. 

Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling argued that Lennon should have been included in Roy Hodgson's England squad for the 2014 World Cup, but realistically Lennon has not been at his best for nearly five years. 

Pochettino has already made the difficult and unpopular decision to move on from club captain Michael Dawson who was willing but simply no longer able to contribute. Selling Lennon is an easier call.

The 27-year-old provides no real threat to the opposition goal and lacks the spark that once defined him. 

The time has come for Spurs to sell Lennon. The transfer fee, wages and squad place could be put to better use.