Today is June 30, which is an important day in the football calendar because it marks the end of the current fiscal year. It’s also the official end date for a number of footballer loans. While we’re all celebrating the signing of James Maddison from Leicester City, there was another deal announced at the same time — the sale of Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate and capped England international Harry Winks, who is heading the other direction.
That deal hasn’t been announced yet and now we know why — Winksy’s full season loan at Sampdoria didn’t end until today, meaning the formal paperwork can’t be submitted until tomorrow. That means, according to George Sessions in the Independent, that Winksy’s move will take place this weekend, and likely will be announced then as well.
Harry Winks’ loan with Sampdoria officially ends today, which will allow Leicester to confirm his £10million transfer this weekend. Curiously he made 203 apps for #THFC – the same number Maddison made for #LCFC. A key figure under Poch, move suits everyone https://t.co/Q3zmRxVdPi
— George Sessions (@GeorgeSessions) June 30, 2023
If there’s a move that more astutely depicts the transition from the Mauricio Pochettino era to the one that’s starting this summer, it’s this one. I don’t know if I’d go as far as Sessions in calling Winksy a “key player” under Pochettino, but he did play an important role in that wild Winks-Sissoko midfield pivot that started in the Champions League final and was a regular feature in the following season.
But while you can say a lot of things about Harry Winks, the one thing most fans agree on is that he was limited. Once Pochettino was out the door, Winks gradually saw his playing time diminish under Jose Mourinho and then Antonio Conte. By the end, Winks was privately agitating to move somewhere where he could get regular minutes. He got that this past season at Sampdoria, despite an injury that wasted fully half of the season.
Winksy moving to the Championship feels like a regression for him, but it’s probably a good move. He will undoubtedly play major minutes for a side that is expected to compete for the Championship title and bounce right back up to the Premier League next season. And while he’s no longer part of Tottenham’s plans, he’s still I think a player who can play in the top flight in English football. He’ll get a chance to prove that this coming season.
Meanwhile, Tottenham basically traded him and £30m for James Maddison, and that feels like a pretty good deal. It means one Tottenham player out the door this summer, with undoubtedly a fair few to follow afterwards.
