In the same period of time, Spurs have had numerous problems in the defensive midfield position. Scott Parker was brought in by Harry Redknapp in 2011 and was phenomenal in his first season, winning the fans’ player of the year award at White Hart Lane, but was plagued by injury towards the end of the year. This paved the way for all action Brazilian midfielder Sandro to step into midfield alongside new signing Mousa Dembélé, who had been brought in from Fulham to plug the enormous gap left by Luka Modric’s departure to the Spanish capital. The double pivot of Sandro and Dembélé worked perfectly for Tottenham until the former was ruled out for over seven months with a serious knee injury. Etienne Capoue was brought in during the summer of 2013, alongside six others, but an early injury and latter fallings out with Tim Sherwood and Mauricio Pochettino meant the Frenchman only lasted two seasons at Tottenham, leaving for Watford.

McCarthy was a player who was linked to Tottenham during his Wigan days and reports even claim the Irishman was close to signing for Spurs in 2013. The 24 year old is a strong, fierce tackler who has ability to pass the ball well and start attacks. Whoever is brought in to fill the position at Spurs will be required to form a partnership with Nabil Bentaleb, a player who seems irreplaceable at the heart of Spurs’ midfield and has a bright career ahead of him. The 20 year old signed a new five-year deal last week and has the ability to reach the very top of the game.

A McCarthy-Bentaleb partnership would suit a Pochettino system incredibly well, replicating the role played by Victor Wanyama and the aforementioned Schneiderlin at Southampton under Pochettino. McCarthy would sit next to the Algerian and would aim to break up play, feeding the ball to the likes of Bentaleb, Eriksen and Lamela to begin attacks. If Pochettino does opt for a 4-3-3 formation, a trio of McCarthy, Bentaleb and Eriksen could be perfect for the role. Bentaleb’s defensive ability, added to his maturity and excellent passing ability would allow him to play in the deeper role, with Eriksen slightly in front of the two as a creative midfielder who can also fulfil Pochettino’s tactics very well.