Tottenham Hotspur will be glad to put 2024 behind them.
The last couple of months have been a huge test for Ange Postecoglou’s side as they have struggled to compete in the Premier League and the Europa League with what feels like a never-ending injury list. The January transfer window will give Spurs the opportunity to take stock and strengthen their squad… if they so choose.
Here, The Athletic breaks down what to expect over the next month.
What positions will they be looking at in January?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tottenham’s plans for the January transfer window are linked to their injury crisis.
Over the last few weeks, Postecoglou has had to cope without his first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and centre-backs Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are both recovering from hamstring injuries while Mikey Moore is slowly returning to full fitness following a virus.
Their thin squad forced Postecoglou to name five teenagers on the bench for the 5-0 victory at Southampton along with Brandon Austin — the 25-year-old goalkeeper who has come through Spurs’ academy but has never made a senior appearance.
“A lot will depend on what happens in the next three weeks — who we get back in that time, where we sit with the health of the squad at the beginning of January,” Postecoglou said on December 6. “January is a tricky one. I wouldn’t expect us to do too many significant things in January — but if on January 1 we’re in exactly the same position we are now with nine players out I reckon we’d be doing something.”
The latest update is that Van de Ven and Romero will be available in January with Vicario hopeful of returning the following month. Even so, Postecoglou said on Tuesday that they need to reinforce in January — even if that might be difficult in reality.
However, they will look out for opportunities to improve their attacking options. They are over-reliant on Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson to start every game while Postecoglou has made his feelings about Timo Werner’s effectiveness clear.
“There’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows,” Postecoglou said before the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
“(Solanke) coming in has been great, but again we can’t overload him either, because ultimately, you know, even if he stays fit and nothing happens, performance will invariably drop if his energy levels drop. So it’s something we’re aware of and need to plan for.”
Which players do they want?
Tottenham need more in attack and Postecoglou was asked about the possibility of signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United following the forward’s comments that he was “ready for a new challenge.”
“If I looked at everyone we were linked to, I would have no time to do anything else, to be honest,” Postecoglou said. “I have got other people to do that part of the process. For us, we’ve been pretty disciplined in what we’re trying to build here and we’ll continue to be so.”
It is an easy link to make but, reading between the lines, any potential move for Rashford feels unlikely. He turned 27 in October and Spurs have focused on signing players under the age of 23 since Postecoglou was appointed. Rashford prefers to play on the left wing, which is where the captain Son, Werner and Odobert operate.
The England international’s £325,000-a-week wages would be a stumbling block too. The smarter option would be to sign a backup to Solanke; Richarlison’s struggles for form and fitness show he cannot be relied upon to the extent Postecoglou would like.
After Vicario fractured his ankle during the 4-0 victory over Manchester City, Spurs were linked with free agents including Keylor Navas and Loris Karius. Despite Fraser Forster making a couple of horrible mistakes in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, then conceding six against Liverpool, the wisest move might be to sign a younger back-up goalkeeper for the long-term.
There is interest in Burnley’s James Trafford but, with Vicario hopefully back in a couple of months, any move is more likely to happen in the summer. Trafford is an appealing prospect because he is a 22-year-old homegrown player with Championship and Premier League experience.
It has been widely reported that as part of the negotiations with Real Betis over selling Giovani Lo Celso, Spurs included a clause relating to Johnny Cardoso. Tottenham have a first refusal option on the 23-year-old midfielder but this only becomes active in the summer. Cardoso joined Betis in January after spending the beginning of his career with Brazilian side Internacional. He plays as a holding midfielder and has made 11 appearances in La Liga this season.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Tottenham’s most valuable asset who is not playing regularly is Richarlison. The Brazilian forward arrived from Everton for an initial £50million in July 2022 but has just 12 league goals since. It is no secret that he was on the market last summer and there was interest from Saudi Arabia that would have allowed Tottenham to make their money back on him — which they would have struggled to do if they sold him to a European club. But Richarlison did not want to move to Saudi Arabia so remained in north London.
It has been another frustrating campaign for the 27-year-old which has been disrupted by calf and hamstring issues. He has been restricted to five substitute appearances in the league for a total of 88 minutes, but is expected to return from injury at the beginning of January.
The other player to watch out for is Sergio Reguilon. The 28-year-old is not a part of Postecoglou’s long-term plans and he enters the final six months of his contract in January. The full-back will be allowed to negotiate with foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement with a view to leaving for nothing in the summer. He made his first appearance for Spurs since April 2022 in the Carabao Cup victory over Manchester United, and that was only due to injuries to key players.
Son and Davies will also enter the final six months of their contracts, but Spurs plan to trigger one-year options on both.
Will anyone move out on loan?
Spurs have a small squad and they are using everybody right now so the only players who might leave on loan will be from the academy.
Talented youngsters Alfie Devine (Westerlo), Ashley Phillips (Stoke City), Alejo Veliz (Espanyol), Dane Scarlett (Oxford United), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient), Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient) and George Abbott (Notts County) moved on loan in the summer and are benefiting from regular game time.
What moves have they made already?
Tottenham completed a deal in July for Yang Min-hyeok from South Korean side Gangwon FC. The 18-year-old winger has arrived in London and met a few of his new team-mates but does not officially join Spurs, and therefore cannot train with them, until January 1. Yang is focused on settling into life in a new country and having English lessons.
Depending on how he adapts, Yang could even add to Postecoglou’s wide options in the first-team squad, although the expectation is that he will be closer to the level of Spurs’ academy teenagers rather than players such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
Last year, Tottenham agreed a deal to sign Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split, and the Croatian centre-back is currently on loan at Westerlo in Belgium. He is still 17 but has a reputation as one of the best young defenders in European football. Vuskovic cannot join Spurs until he is 18 and his birthday is in February so supporters will have to wait until next season to get a glimpse of him.
Along with Yang, Vuskovic represents the next stage in Spurs’ policy of rejuvenating their squad for the future.
Who will make the key decisions in January?
Ever since Postecoglou was appointed in June 2023, he has been given plenty of say over transfer policy, and which players come in and out at Spurs. He works closely with technical director Johan Lange, who was appointed in October 2023, filling a gap in the official structure left by Fabio Paratici’s resignation six months before.
Lange has shifted the recruitment process to become more data-centric since his arrival. Postecoglou and Lange work closely together, with input from chairman Daniel Levy, to make decisions on who to sign.
What is their PSR position?
Tottenham have always had comfortable PSR headroom, which perhaps is why chairman Levy has been such a big supporter of the rules. For years now, Tottenham have sustainably run themselves rather than relying on benefactor injections. Spurs have some of the biggest revenues in the country since the opening of their new stadium, their turnover hitting £549million for the 2022-23 season. Their wage bill was just the sixth-highest in the Premier League that season and they have lost some of their biggest-earning players, including Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris, since then.
Put this all together and it means that Spurs do not necessarily have to sell players just to scrape through the PSR restrictions and could spend a significant chunk of money — if one of their top targets is available.
What is the manager’s priority?
It might seem strange with their defensive troubles but Postecoglou’s priority is to add more quality up front. The hope is that this will help his side break down teams that sit deep.
Spurs have only won two of their eight Premier League fixtures this season where they have had more than 60 per cent possession.
(Top photos: Getty Images)