Pundit issues verdict on Harry Winks U-turn at Tottenham amid ‘huge’ claim
Noel Whelan has insisted Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks was right to change his mind about a move to Serie A club Sampdoria.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed it would’ve been a “huge mistake” for the 26-year-old to hang his hat on a possible Premier League switch in the final days of the window.
According to the Daily Mail (25 August), Winks was initially unsure about a move to Italy, instead preferring to stay in the Premier League.
However, Fabrizio Romano updated on Sunday (28 August) – quoting Sampdoria’s director Carlo Osti, who confirmed that the midfielder would indeed join the club on a loan deal.
Winks has not been named in the matchday squad for any game so far this term and was left out of Tottenham’s tour of South Korea in pre-season.
The 10-cap England international, who is out of contract in June 2024, is one of a number of players leaving Spurs on a temporary basis.
Whelan told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “You’ve got to have some concrete interest if you’re turning your back on a move to Italy.
“It could have easily been that he stays at Spurs, sitting on the sidelines and letting his career dwindle away if no Premier League side came forward.
“He’s given himself a chance now of playing every week and recapturing his best form.
“Turning down a move away is something he can’t afford to do – it would have been a huge mistake. At his age, he needs to be playing regularly.
“If that’s abroad, then it’s abroad.
“It would have been a very silly move to shut the door on a loan to a very good club without having that concrete interest in the Premier League.”
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