Tottenham slammed for signing £35m former Chelsea star ahead of Manchester United

Chris Waddle is ‘really concerned’ Tottenham will be relegated from the Premier League and says it was foolish to expect a £35m January signing to turn the tide.

Spurs finished just 17th in the Premier League last season – 13 points above the relegation zone – and have slipped even further this term, sitting one point above the drop zone with seven games remaining.

Tottenham’s underwhelming form cost Thomas Frank his job last month but his replacement, Igor Tudor, lasted just seven games and 44 days before also losing his job.

Spurs are yet to appoint their third manager of the season but are expected to hire ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who left Ligue 1 side Marseille earlier in the year.

Waddle doubts a new manager will ‘change a single thing’, however, and has questioned if the Tottenham players ‘have the stomach’ to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The Spurs hero has also slammed the club’s business in the transfer market and says ‘alarm bells were ringing’ when Tottenham signed Conor Gallagher.

Gallagher was linked with Manchester United in January but Spurs spent £35m to sign the former Chelsea star from Atletico Madrid.

‘Where do Tottenham go from here? It’s looking like the Championship,’ Waddle told 10bet. ‘I’m really concerned and worried about what is happening at the football club.

‘I cannot believe a club of that size are in the position that they’re in. After the result against Forest, Tottenham are basically the favourites for that third relegation spot.

‘Hopefully three or four players will come back [after the international break], but are they good enough? Will it be enough?

‘That’s the big question for Tottenham: Are the players good enough and do they have the bottle for a relegation fight? Can they roll up their sleeves?

‘I’m not convinced that this group of players have got enough about them to stop the rot. Tottenham are miles off the pace.

‘The players need to take some responsibility, but the main culprit are the board and leadership of the club. They haven’t invested money in players; they’re always buying for the future, but Tottenham need better players for the now.

Ex-England winger Waddle added: ‘I don’t think a new manager at Tottenham changes a thing. The players aren’t good enough and that isn’t going to change if a new manager comes in.

‘I’m looking at the squad, looking at individuals that don’t look like they’ve got the stomach or the ability to pull the club out of the hole it’s in.

‘Tottenham have the best stadium in the country and the best training facilities. They don’t have the best players and until the board changes its recruitment policy, then the club will always struggle. They won’t ever be able to challenge at the top end of the table.

‘Look at the recruitment. £35m for Conor Gallagher in January. No disrespect to Gallagher, but if Atletico were happy to let him go after a season and a half, then alarm bells should be ringing. 

‘Don’t blame the manager for Tottenham’s problems. It isn’t Igor Tudor’s fault. The people that run the club must take responsibility.

‘Tottenham are in a fight. They’ve got seven games to save their season. The only people that can save them now are the players.

‘Am I confident they will do it? Nothing I’ve seen from this group of players convinces me that Tottenham will be playing Premier League football next season.’

Tottenham face a huge match against Sunderland in their first game back following the international break on April 12.

Spurs’ final six games of the season are against Brighton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton.

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