The manager of a 2023/2024 league-winning side has requested that his club sign one Tottenham star outside the UK transfer window, with the coach making this demand as he plans a tactical tweak to his eleven.
Spurs sell or loan out host of players over the summer
As many as 15 senior players departed Spurs before the summer transfer deadline, either on loan or permanently, with Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Ashley Phillips and Dane Scarlett moving on to pastures new.
Given the vast majority of these deals were either loans or free transfers, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy only managed to raise around £46 million by facilitating these exits, but Tottenham are set to receive a further £17 million next summer through Hojbjerg's loan to Marseille - as it includes an obligation to buy.
Ange Postecoglou has watched his squad get seriously trimmed of deadwood and youngsters who need more playing time, with Timo Werner, Archie Gray. Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall joining in their stead.
South Korean wonderkid Min-hyeok Yang is also preparing to join Spurs in January, following his brief loan stint back at Gangwon FC. In the meantime, it is still possible that Postecoglou could shift more players out.
Young midfielder Alfie Devine joined Belgian side Westerlo on loan last week, while there have been rumours that Sergio Reguilon is attracting interest from Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce, as the Turkish transfer window does not shut until Friday.
It will be intriguing to see which players could opt to leave their current sides for the east of Europe, as there is still a few days remaining for them to do so. Victor Osimhen most notably sealed a loan move to Süper Lig champions Galatasaray, after failing to secure transfers to both Al-Ahli and Chelsea on deadline day, who were both in rumoured talks for the Nigerian.
Okan Buruk requests Galatasaray sign Ben Davies from Tottenham
According to Takvim, the 23/24 league winners have another high-profile player on their agenda - Wales international and Tottenham defender Ben Davies.
Davies has 88 international caps for Wales, and has been a faithful servant for Spurs since joining them from Swansea City around 10 years ago. Takvim say that Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has requested the signing of Davies from Tottenham, with the manager now planning to switch to a back-three for the rest of this season.
The 31-year-old has experience in this formation at international level, and is a proven Premier League player with nearly 300 appearances in the competition.
"Ben's an outstanding character, I sensed that straight away in terms of the way he carries himself, the way he thinks about the game and his position in the game," said Postecoglou on Davies.
"From my perspective, the more of those kinds of guys you can have in a dressing room helps you make sure that the standards you want to create are there.
"Ben's certainly one of those and he's been great for us every time he's played. He's probably wanted to play a bit more but it's testament to his character that he's always ready to play and he trains the house down every day."