Harry Winks in the dark about Tottenham’s plans for him next season

Harry Winks doesn’t know what his Tottenham Hotspur future holds. The Spurs academy midfielder, who started in a Champions League final, is currently on loan at Sampdoria in Serie A, and while he’s enjoyed the experience he currently doesn’t know what Spurs’ plans are for him next season or going forward.

Winks had a rough start to his loan, picking up an ankle injury soon after signing that required surgery and kept him on the sidelines for the entire first half of the season. In fact, he didn’t play a single match for them until January, but since he has been a regular starter. Unfortunately, Sampdoria hasn’t won a single match with him in the side, have won only twice all season, and sit bottom of Serie A with just 12 points from 26 matches.

In an interview with Gazzeta dello sport, Winks says he’s happy that he made the decision to stretch himself by heading to Italy on loan.

“I feel indebted to Sampdoria. I simply believe that if I had played from the beginning, without my physical problems, I would certainly have done everything possible to help the team, but I don’t want to think that my presence would have been so fundamental. This is a great team, beyond what has happened and is happening, and I am just one of the elements that make it up. Let’s not forget that.”

Winks was asked about his future, as his Sampdoria loan is one season without a purchase option. He admitted that he didn’t know, and hadn’t been contacted by Spurs about the future.

“No one from Tottenham has contacted me, not even [Antonio Conte]. I was and remain totally focused on Sampdoria.

“I have a loan agreement until June, and I am satisfied with this experience. I don’t know what my future will be after June and I don’t even think about it now. I only look at the next game, but I was pleased to have made this choice last year, I am proud of it. And I repeat it today, beyond the current difficulties”.

Weirdly, since this interview aired, Winks has felt compelled to “clarify” his comments on social media, posting an Instagram story that his comments about his contact with Spurs referred only to talks about next season.

I’m not really sure what Winks needed to clarify — the comments seemed pretty straightforward to me — but there you go.

I don’t know if anyone really knows what to do with Harry Winks next season. He was not a favored player under either Mourinho, Nuno, or Conte, and Winks himself pushed for a loan this season in order to get significant playing time. But Spurs are likely to have a new manager next season, and that person may have different ideas on how Spurs will want to play. It’s not inconceivable that Winks could be a part of that solution, or he could head off on another loan, or be sold. There are too many variables to know — all we do know is that he’ll be returning to his boyhood club this summer.

Winks went on to talk about how he hopes Sampdoria can do enough to stave off relegation from Serie A this season.

“If I look behind us, we have also had many moments in various matches where we have been unlucky, with positive results missed by a whisker, which also add to many other problems. But let’s stay focused on our season, the team has grown, we always go on the field with a positive mentality. Destiny can be changed.

“As long as the math gives us hope, we will continue to push. And anyway, there are conditions for improvement. Let’s believe it, all together.”