Is it the end for Jake?

I have to say that I have heard two conflicting stories about the long term plans for Jake Livermore, but I have no idea which is true.

Talk has been growing stronger that Livermore is a serious target for both Fulham and QPR and to me both have logic. Fulham are short in midfield and are currently lacking that mix of bite and quality, though I do wonder if Jake's strengths are slightly too similar to those of Steve Sidwell, but of course that may well be what Martin Jol is looking for. At QPR Harry is clearly a fan of the player after picking him so often last season, and will know both of his quality and temperament and perhaps he feels he is just the right sort of player to add bite and energy to his over paid and pampered team of mercenaries.

The big question is whether AVB would be looking to loan Livermore to give him games and also keep him motivated, or whether he doesn't really consider him to be a player with a Tottenham future. Jake has hardly had a look in since Dembele has arrived and the majority of his eleven appearances this season have been late arrivals from the bench, despite playing every minute of the first three games, though one defeat and a draw in those games would have perhaps signalled the end of his partnership with Sandro anyway, because as a pairings they clearly lacked the creative spark needed, but was that Jakes fault or merely a case of them being too similar in style?

The impression I was getting the other week was that Jake was very much in AVB's plans and along with a few other younger players such as Carroll and Kane, they were high hopes for all of them, though the feeling was that loans were the best solution to give them experience. However Jake often being excluded from the Europa team and Tom Huddlestone being preferred to him in the absence of Dembele, did make me wonder if AVB simply didn't feel that Jake had what it takes. Equally was that just a case it using Europe to develop Carroll and add some minutes to Huddlestone's match fitness, after all Livermore and Sandro could again have been a problem domestically. recent games have seen Jake preferred to Hudd, but only as a last few minute closer of games, which is hardly a ringing endorsement.

Though pure speculation on my part, but it did make me wonder if Jake was being shipped as a means of generating cash for new faces, perhaps with a better all-round game than our home-grown youngster? In the last few days, Spurs have been linked with the soon to be out of contract Moussa Sissoko and Yann M'Vila, both seemingly available and both offering the same qualities as Jake, but perhaps both being slightly better and with a better all round game. Sissoko is able to sign a pre contract deal now whilst M'Vila has fallen out with Rennes and France and is potentially available for a bargain that may well appeal to both AVB and Levy.

Add the potential signings of Moutinho, Holtby and God knows who else, you wonder if Jake is a player that could be sacrificed to make squad space and also generate funds for incommers? Personally I like Jake and would love to see him make it at White Hart Lane, but if the club can sign players that they feel are better fits and need to balance the books, who am I to argue, though it is always that much sadder for me to see another Academy prospect miss out. Whether Spurs would perhaps look to initially loan Jake and then review the situation in the summer, that may well depend on their plans, but equally, loaning him, may not only allow someone like QPR their own time to re-evaluate when their own position is clear, but a strong showing from the player may well increase his value from being an emerging squad player to one of genuine Premiership quality...

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