Selling Alex Pritchard Would Be a Mistake for Tottenham Hotspur

This summer looms as one of the more significant in Tottenham Hotspur's recent history. 

Having surprised most observers by qualifying for the Champions League group stage directly by virtue of an unexpected third-place finish, Spurs face a number of far-reaching decisions. 

In recent memory, only the summer of 2010 offered a comparable level of importance. 

Tottenham arguably made the wrong moves then. Despite signing Rafael van der Vaart, they failed to adequately strengthen the squad for the rigours of Champions League football and dropped out of the top four the next season. 

Predictably, transfer rumour-mongers have moved into overdrive and dozens of players have been linked with a move to north London. 

The recruitment of Paul Mitchell to oversee Spurs' scouting and player-acquisition system means that there is now something of a scientific approach being taken to transfers. 

With this in mind, many of these rumours can be ignored. 

Last summer was the first opportunity for Mitchell to show his worth, and it yielded the signings of Kevin Wimmer, Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, Clinton N'Jie and Heung-Min Son. 

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Wimmer and Alderweireld are unqualified successes, N'Jie and Son looked promising but struggled with injury, and Tripper was a solid, if unremarkable, addition. 

Incoming signings will also see players departing the club this summer. 

Federico Fazio, Nacer Chadli and Tom Carroll all seem likely to depart, but the addition of Alex Pritchard's name to that list would surprise many. 

Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas is reporting Pritchard will be available for around £8 million, with both Premier League and Championship clubs interested. 

Pritchard was expected to play a useful squad role last season, but an ankle injury restricted him to just one appearance. 

As Spurs entered the title race, Pritchard returned to action but was sent on loan to West Bromwich Albion. 

Presumably short on fitness and unable to break into Tottenham's humming first team, this move made some sense. Sadly, Pritchard was not a great fit for Tony Pulis' utilitarian Baggies side and only saw action on three occasions, all as a substitute. 

Two seasons ago, Pritchard enjoyed a brilliant loan spell with Brentford. At just 21, he scored 12 goals and made seven more in 45 appearances as the Bees almost won promotion. 

He was handed a contract extension last season, but that is no indication of his club standing. The fact Mauricio Pochettino was keen to keep him around, rather than find him another loan club, suggests he was very much part of the Argentinian's plans at that time. 

It would seem awfully harsh to condemn a player who has had virtually no chance to show his quality and does not seem like a typical Pochettino decision. 

In handing first-team opportunities to Ryan Mason, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Josh Onomah and Harry Winks, Pochettino has earned a positive reputation as a manager unafraid to back his young players. 

That reputation would be threatened by such a quick and unnecessary sale of an academy product. 

Admittedly, Pritchard only joined from West Ham United in 2009, but the finer points of his development have come in Lillywhite, and Spurs can now take full advantage. 

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Quick-footed, rather than pacy with a powerful shot and uncommon vision, Pritchard has the quality to influence a Premier League game and stylistically works as something of a Christian Eriksen deputy. 

A lack of creativity from the attacking midfield line behind Harry Kane was a major weakness as Spurs' title charge faltered in the final month. 

Pritchard would have been a handy option in those late stages.

At youth level, he had the skill to dominate, but his work rate was problematic. He was capable of drifting out of games and did not demand possession despite his relative superiority to many of his team-mates. 

However, his Brentford loan suggests he has eradicated those flaws from his game. 

To sell him now would be a mistake. 

Knowing his place in the club's hierarchy, Pritchard is unlikely to demand regular starts and, having played with many of the current first team, he seems a safer option in terms of squad harmony. 

Spurs' improvement has been built in large part on the team spirit and sense of the collective that Pochettino has managed to inculcate. 

Any unnecessary moves would jeopardise that harmony, and selling Pritchard would be an unnecessary move. 

It would provide a small source of funds for transfers, but Tottenham are hardly short on cash. 

Pritchard's minimal wages (estimated at less than £10,000 per week) are hardly a drain on the club's resources. 

Ultimately, Spurs gain virtually nothing from selling Pritchard. 

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He remains under contract, so the club would take no great risk keeping him around for six months at least. 

If he, like Mason before him, proves a valuable squad member, then the club is better off. If not, he can be sold later for a comparable, if slightly diminished, fee.