Why Tottenham Hotspur May Sell Andros Townsend This Summer

The charm and the frustration of Andros Townsend were both on show in Tottenham Hotspur's recent post-season friendly wins.

Involved in the build-up to two of Harry Kane's goals, the winger was a constant threat to both the Malaysia XI and Sydney FC. But almost as prominent as the smart link-up play and threatening runs were the sloppy passes and poor decisions which have led to the former attributes not yet being enough to earn him a fixed starting position at Tottenham.

The juxtaposition is sufficiently potent that Spurs may well be considering selling Townsend this summer. Whether he stays will depend on how willing he is to fight for his place.

Townsend is once again in Roy Hodgson's squad for England's upcoming matches with Republic of Ireland and Slovenia—the latter a European Championships qualifier. Since recovering from the ankle injury which ended his 2014 World Cup dreams, subsequent international breaks have provided some relief from the player's battle to earn a regular starting place at Spurs.

This past spring Townsend's stunning goal off the bench to equalise against Italy came after six domestic starts in a row for the north Londoners ended with the ignominy of a first-half withdrawal at Manchester United (albeit he was the tactical fall guy as the team collectively struggled during the loss), and an underwhelming performance in the home win over Leicester City.

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Altogether it coalesces into the kind of situation where you can envision head coach Mauricio Pochettino moving him on.

If ultimately judged not consistent enough for a side with Spurs' ambitions in Europe and the Premier League, Townsend is still a high-profile and exciting talent who would appeal to a lot of clubs. Indeed, following the aforementioned Italy vs. England match, the Telegraph's Matt Law reported of interest in the 23-year-old from clubs in both countries' top-tier divisions.

As good as it is to see home-grown players flourish in the first team, the other objective of producing talent is to make money for the club (as Spurs have in recent times with Steven Caulker, Jake Livermore and Jonathan Obika, among others). With two years to run on his contract, Spurs could get a decent price for Townsend and free up a place in their crowded midfield.

The thought of moving will have almost certainly crossed the England international's mind too.

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Despite his preceding mixed form understandably instigating a change in approach by Pochettino (in this case restoring Erik Lamela to attacking midfield), Townsend will still have been frustrated at not getting a sufficient opportunity to follow up on his goal in Turin.

Since his initial call-up and contribution to England qualifying for the World Cup he has repaid Hodgson's trust enough times now to earn a place in his plans. But becoming more than an impact player is tied in with the need to play regularly for his club. That knowledge could make Townsend receptive to a move elsewhere.

If a parting of the ways is the simpler option for him and Tottenham, it might not be the best one.

Townsend himself is part of a promising young Spurs squad which includes fellow academy products such as Harry Kane and Ryan Mason, the two of whom are now also England team-mates (see above for the latter). Succeeding alongside them at the club where they were brought up is a powerful motivational tool, one which will not be easily dismissed.

Townsend is unlikely to find a club to join as geared to contend as Tottenham either, at least in England. Fifth-place finishers and Capital One Cup finalists this past season, there is optimism for year two under Pochettino.

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Speaking this week to Sky Sports HQ, Townsend understood the benefits of making a go of it where he is: "Hopefully I can come back raring to go, fully fit and hit the ground running as I did two years ago. If I'm playing for my club, it means I'm playing well. If I'm playing well for my club, the England stuff will come out of that."

Pochettino is evidently not convinced Townsend deserves to be a first choice yet. However, the Argentinian still might prefer to continue nurturing his quicksilver talent than give up on him.

While the earlier-mentioned spring sequence ended poorly, Townsend had earned the sustained playing time with a good performance away at Queens Park Rangers and an outstanding solo goal to help see off Swansea City. Earlier in the campaign he also played a part in significant wins over Asteras Tripolis, Chelsea and Sheffield United too.

Wingers possessing his speed and eye for goal are not abundant in the game. Compared to a year earlier, games such as the QPR win and January's defeat of Sunderland did also show an improvement in his crossing and link-up play.

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One of the more notable features of the recent Sydney game was Townsend's combination work with new right-back DeAndre Yedlin. Not all they did came off, but it was often ambitious in its design and commendably positive as they approached the final third. The development of the two as a duo on the right could appeal to Pochettino.

At the moment his feet operate a little too quickly for his mind. If Townsend works at his game, he is capable of turning these sometimes separate attributes into a more well-rounded package.

Both Tottenham and Townsend have much to consider.

There is plenty in favour of giving it another year (or at least half a season until the January transfer window). But the desire of the here and now, especially for Townsend, may overpower remaining patient.

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