Tottenham's start to the season has been far from perfect, so Ange Postecoglou may look to bolster his squad in the January transfer window as their hunt for a trophy continues.
It's been a mixed first half of the season for Spurs. The Lilywhites are floating around mid-table in the Premier League, but also progressing well in the cup competitions. Postecoglou has come under fire at times this season with Spurs suffering some tough losses at times, but with some big injuries in the squad, his side has been far from full strength at times.
With Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Guglielmo Vicario all missing large chunks of the season through injury, Spurs may be tempted to strengthen defensively in the January transfer window, while some attacking additions are always welcome. So, if Postecoglou were to add to his squad in the January transfer window, who could arrive? We simulated the 2025 January transfer window to find out...
Spurs' 2025 January transfer window simulated
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2024 editor to simulate the 2025 January transfer window, making defenders the priority position for Postecoglou. This is what happened.
Incomings - £109million (£132million including add-ons)
Jorrel Hato (Ajax) - £32million (rising to £43million with add-ons)
Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli) - £37million
Alex Baena (Villarreal) - £40million (rising to £52million with add-ons)
Spurs made three signings in the January transfer window simulation, spending £109million, potentially rising to £132million with add-ons. The biggest incoming was Alex Baena from Villarreal, with the Spanish winger joining the club for an initial fee of £40million.
Two defensive additions were also made, with Napoli's Alessandro Buongiorno signing for £37million. The Italian established himself as a key defender for Napoli, with Spurs paying a little over his asking price to secure a move halfway through the season. Ajax's Jorrel Hato also moved to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his £32million fee potentially rising to £43million with add-ons.
At just 18 years old, Spurs beat Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Liverpool for the in-demand defender in the simulation.
Outgoings - £13.9million
Sergio Reguilon (Villarreal) - £13million
Will Lankshear (Plymouth Argyle) - Six-month loan (£900k loan fee)
Brandon Austin (Barnsley) - Six-month loan
Not many outgoings were made in the January transfer window, with just one permanent departure taking place. Sergio Reguilon left Spurs to return to Spain, with the defender moving to Villarreal for £13million. Youngsters Will Lankshear and Brandon Austin both left on loan deals for the rest of the season, joining Plymouth Argyle and Barnsley respectively.
Interestingly, Liverpool made an audacious effort to sign Dejan Kulusevski in January, but the Reds saw their £63million bid swiftly rejected by Spurs.