Who Should Be Tottenham Hotspur's Priority in Contract Talks?
CORRECTION: Since this piece was published we have received confirmation from Tottenham that Tom Carroll is contracted to the club until 2018 after an unpublicised built-in option was taken up.
The new-contract photograph has been a frequent sight for those who have followed Tottenham Hotspur's online presence over the past year; head coach Mauricio Pochettino sitting beside one of his players as he puts pen to paper on a new deal.
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In this period we have seen Mousa Dembele's resurgent form earn him an extension and fellow first-teamers Eric Dier and Dele Alli tied down to longer stays too. Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and goalkeeper Luke McGee have been among the academy hopefuls handed shows of faith in their future.
Harry Winks has been photographed twice—last July and on Tuesday (above), the latter as it was confirmed a one-year option extending his deal to 2019 had been taken up.
What fascinated was not what it said about the talented 20-year-old, but what it may have said about the future of the Tottenham midfield, and one of its members in particular.
Tom Carroll isn't the only Tottenham player not to have his contract photo this season. Jan Vertonghen's status hasn't been officially clarified by the north London club either, but it has been reported that the vice-captain is poised to sign a new deal, per Tom Collomosse of the London Evening Standard.
Otherwise, though, every major player has an individual security net established. Carroll is the only one of those regularly involved this season facing contractual uncertainty.
The last public announcement relating to Carroll here was back in December 2011 when he and (now Hull City player) Jake Livermore agreed extensions until 2016, per Spurs' official website.
As intermittent playing opportunities mixed with spells on loan at Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City, sorting out his long-term future was not a priority. There was too much for the developing youngster to prove in the present.
This season the 23-year-old has staked his best claim yet for his viability as a top-flight former.
He had to bide his time early on after his return from Swansea. Having not worked under Pochettino for long before the temporary switch to Wales, he needed to prove he could handle the demands of his head coach's energetic system.
Carroll has done that since December, appearing 16 times (compared to nine up until then) and scoring his first Spurs goals in wins over AS Monaco, Norwich City and Colchester United. He has proved himself a valuable role player, slotting in when required and becoming an increasingly confident facilitator in his team's attack—recording four assists as part of that forward work.
Yet despite his contract seemingly being set to expire, Carroll still has not been signed up for more years.
Winks getting his future sorted ahead of him does not bode well for the former England under-21 international. While Carroll has remained ahead of him in the pecking order of Spurs' competitive midfield this season (and at times, the previously preferred Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason too), it is Winks who currently has a confirmed place in the the first-team picture beyond 2014-15.
Winks' development will almost certainly require at least one space being freed up in the Tottenham midfield. Bentaleb has been out of favour of late, but he was awarded a new contract last summer.
Alli, Dembele and Dier are among Tottenham's most important players. When fit, the versatile Mason is a favourite go-to option for Pochettino.
Given the lack of paper-proven public backing from the club, it leaves Carroll as the most likely candidate to make way.
Pochettino obviously values him, but his use of the midfielder does not necessarily signify there will always be a place for him—just that in that present moment he saw him the best man for the job required.
Carroll may be the default priority for Tottenham contract talks, but even if he wasn't, both the club and player could do with establishing if he has a part in Pochettino's long-term plans.
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