Tottenham Transfer Rumor Tuesday: Lots Of New Names

I will not be discussing the Luka Modric transfer mess directly in this piece. I'm sorry for those of you that thought you might find some sort of insight here into the whole ordeal. I'm sick of it. So we're going to focus on things other than little Luka, I promise. There's quite a few new and interesting names floating around this week, which is a welcome change from the previous weeks when every other rumor related to Tottenham Hotspur was about Scott Parker, Lassana Diarra, or Pablo Osvaldo.

I know you probably know this, but let's take a brief moment to celebrate the fact that the Club has made a signing. Your GIF of the Cartilage Free Captain crew celebrating is here. We did some analysis of the signing here and let's remember that even though it's a bargain, at a reported £1.5 million, Coulibaly is still only 16. We all thought John Bostock was going to be a star and look how that's turned out. I know, I'm a cynic, but let's have some perspective. Coulibaly isn't going to put Spurs over the top this season, but he a good long-term prospect. If he works out then the Club looks great and if he doesn't then we'll have forgotten all about it in a few years.

The truth of the matter is that Tottenham Hotspur still need help if they're going to contend for a Champions League place and the thing they need most is a striker. This has been the Club's story since the end of the 2009-10 season if not earlier and yet we haven't signed a first team striker since July 27, 2009 when we bought Peter Crouch from Portsmouth. That needs to change.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, on to the rumors!

Trimming The Fat: A quick rundown of who is on the way out. Sunderland are rumored to be after both Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe, but the move seems dead in the water since the Wearside club cannot meet the players' wages. Queens Park Rangers are close to selling Adel Taarabt for an alleged ££15 million to PSG, 40% of which will come to Spurs. QPR also seemed poised to give Spurs more money, this time in exchange for Peter Crouch. Meanwhile, rumors of the sale of Niko Kranjcar and Alan Hutton persist.

More Rumors After The Jump!

This Team Needs More Funny Names: Obviously Harry Redknapp recognizes that having players on the team who's names are Robbie, Peter, Michael, Kyle, and Brad is a bit boring. Hence, Spurs are looking into signing FC Basel midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, a left-footed winger who's comfortable on both sides of the pitch. The 19 year-old Switzerland international could cost as little as £5 million, but given his performances this summer at the U21 European Championships that valuation has probably risen to closer to £10 million, and could be an excellent replacement to Giovanni Dos Santos and/or Niko Kranjcar in the short-term.

Another Central Midfielder?: With the ongoing Luka Modric transfer saga, the injury to Sandro, the belief that Wilson Palacios is headed to Paris St. Germain, and the continued existence of Jermaine Jenas Tottenham find themselves in need of reinforcements in the center of the park. Enter Real Madrid bench warmer Esteban Granero.El Pirata, that's the Pirate for those of you not well-versed in Spanish, is surplus to requirements following the additions of Nuri Sahin and Hamit Altintop, but won't come cheap. Tottenham are rumored to have made a bid in the neighborhood of £12.3 million. The Spaniard would certainly be a good addition, but if we're going to spend that much, why not spend a few million more pounds and buy Lassana Diarra?

I Only Have One Rule: That rule is never buy a player coming off an excellent international tournament. So, what do you do when they player's national team failed to meet expectations and flamed out in the quarterfinals? Argentine, and RSC Anderlecht midfielder is being linked with a move to White Hart Lane. Biglia played only twice in the Copa America, so it's not his fault that Argentina continue to disappoint. The 25 year-old would probably be a good squad player, but if Jenas and Placios stick around this move doesn't make much sense.

#WeNeedAStriker: Yesterday, the Club signed Souleyman Coulibaly. We're also being linked with another young African striker. Teteh Bangura of Swedish club AIK to be exact. Bangura has already scored 15 goals in 15 appearances this season in the top division of Swedish football. I don't know enough about the player to fully comment on how good he actually is or how he would fit in with the Club. Here's some YouTube highlights. Take them with a grain of salt.

Player We're Not Being Linked With But Should Be: I caught a lot of heat for my selection last week, so I'll try to be a little safer and smarter with my choice this time around. Since we still need a striker let's look at Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar Donetsk. Sure, Shaktar play in the Champions League and I'm willing to be they pay pretty good wages, but it's cold in the Ukraine and Adriano is Brazilian. As an aside, it boggles my mind how many good young Brazilians play in Eastern Europe. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but what do I know. Adriano has scored 37 goals in the last two seasons and at the age of 24 seems to be hitting his stride. Would be a good get for the Club.

Player We're Actually Going To Sign...This Week: On Sunday, Harry Redknapp came out and said he didn't think the Club was going to be able to make a move for Scott Parker during the transfer window. Redknapp claimed this was about the fee, wages, and lack of resale value. Many speculate it is actually because Daniel Levy doesn't want Parker. Personally, I think this is all a clever smokescreen. I wouldn't be surprise to see us sign Parker. I would be disappointed and angry, but not surprised.