Can Tottenham Be Considered EPL Contenders?

Image Courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur’s Official Facebook Page

Coming off a great 2012-13 season under the coaching of André Villas-Boas, Tottenham were one of the most pleasant surprises in the English Premier League last year. Now they seem to be ready to take the next step to mount a title challenge this campaign.

Despite losing Gareth Bale to Real Madrid on a world-record €100M transfer, the Spurs were able to spend the money properly as they signed players to cover all the needs they could have in a long season that will have them competing in the UEFA Europa League as well.

The White Hart Lane outfit incorporated gifted players like former Ajax star Christian Eriksen (€12M), attacking midfielder Erik Lamela (€27M) and Spain international Roberto Soldado (€27M) together with promising prospects like Nacer Chadli (€7M) and Vlad Chiriches (€8M) that allowed them to add depth, quality and some much needed firepower for a season where they are viewed as dark horse contenders for the Premier League crown.

But is that enough?

The solid defensive duo of Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson, the dynamic play of Gylfi Sigurdsson in midfield and the safe hands of Hugo Lloris on goal mean that Tottenham have a solid foundation to build upon. Even though they lost their star in Bale, they should be perfectly capable to battle the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea for the Premiership this season.

Only time will tell if they are fully equipped to pull the upset, but the team looks really good on paper. If all things click, there might be an unexpected champion once the season comes to an end.

Juan Pablo Aravena is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jparavenarant or add him to your network on Google