Liverpool's Adam Lallana Would Be a Risky Signing for Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have won a place in the UEFA Champions League after an excellent Premier League campaign.

The squad that was good enough to get them there simply won't be sufficient if they wish to continue to progress next season.

With the additional demands of top-level European football as well as newly elevated expectations in the Premier League, they will need reinforcements.

This summer, as many in recent years, shapes as the most important in the club's history. The right moves could see Spurs fortify their position among the English and European elite and deliver on the promise that Mauricio Pochettino's young team hinted at this season.

At the same time, a poor transfer window would see them forfeit that hard-won place in the top four and allow the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and possibly even West Ham United march past them.

Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reported Pochettino will have £60 million for transfers this summer. While that is likely a rumoured number, it seems to be a reasonable estimate that could be subsidised by selling a handful of squad players like Ryan Mason and Tom Carroll.

Among numerous transfer targets already linked, it has been suggested that Tottenham will chase Adam Lallana in the summer, with Goal.com going so far as to label him the club's "priority" signing based off reports.

Pochettino was the England international's manager at Southampton and has never hidden his admiration for the now-Liverpool man. The Sun (via Mike Patterson of Sky Sports) reported that Spurs will try to prise Lallana away from Merseyside over the summer.

The 28-year-old joined Liverpool in the summer of 2014 for around £25 million. This fact alone should demonstrate that Spurs' rumoured £20 million bid would likely be unsuccessful.

Lallana himself admitted to Sky Sports that last season Liverpool fans might have said "yes, let's get him out".  However, he believes his improvement in this campaign will allow him to stay. 

He directly addressed the Spurs rumours, saying "no, not for me. I've got three years left on my contract."

Liverpool are a direct rival of Spurs' in the Premier League and would likely not sanction a cut-price sale of a first-team regular. Lallana played 49 times for Liverpool this past season, and so Tottenham would likely be obliged to bid around £30 million to secure his service.

Essentially, Lallana would cost Spurs half of their apparent transfer budget.

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Regardless of his quality, Lallana does not fill a position of need for Spurs. He would only really fit in their attacking line of three behind the main striker—a position already replete with options.

Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Dele Alli, Heung-Min Son, Josh Onomah, Nacer Chadli and Alex Pritchard are all most comfortable in the same role Lallana would play. It is arguably the only position where Tottenham have strength in depth.

This is not necessarily an argument against signing a player. Certainly, if the club believes a particular player would improve the team and can be acquired for a reasonable fee, other concerns carry less weight.

Ultimately, though, Lallana is not a special player. A fine passer, neat dribbler and capable of producing exceptional moments, the Liverpool man is a solid and reliable figure. He scored seven goals and created seven more for his teammates across a season in which he was often asked to play unfamiliar roles.

Were Spurs to sign him, Lallana could give Pochettino a genuine option to reshape his preferred midfield, perhaps sacrificing Eric Dier against more defensive opposition. That tactical flexibility would help Tottenham resolve their often ineffectual attack against weaker sides.

This season, Spurs dropped points at home to Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Leicester City. Lallana could have proved a key player in those situations given his style is particularly different to Tottenham's current options.

Mousa Dembele, Alli and Lamela are all aggressive runners with the ball, but Lallana prefers to play quick one-two passes and ghost past defenders instead of carrying the ball around them.

Lallana is also an aggressive defensive presence and familiar with Pochettino's demanding physical style.

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The Argentinian is very particular about his players' fitness and knows the Anfield player can deliver what is required.

Pochttino has barely made a transfer misstep since arriving at Tottenham, and the fans must trust his judgement. If he believes Lallana is the man to lift Spurs to become regular Champions League contestants and league-title contenders, he is probably right.

If Spurs do invest half of their transfer budget in a 28-year-old who plays in a position where they have numerous quality options, they would be gambling against significant odds.