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Spurs eyeing "sensational" £65m PL star who could make Solanke even better

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Tottenham Hotspur's campaign seems to be getting worse by the week.

Ange Postecoglou's side fell to their 12th defeat of the Premier League season yesterday afternoon, and if that wasn't bad enough, Dominic Solanke had to sit out after being the latest player to join the club's ever-growing injury list.

The Englishman has been one of the few positives for the Lilywhites this year, as while he hasn't necessarily been prolific, he has been effective and undoubtedly a good use of £65m.

However, he could be about to reach another level, as recent reports have linked the North Londoners with a Premier League star who'd be an ideal teammate for the talented centre-forward.

Tottenham target Premier League regular

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have maintained their strong interest in Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho.

The report has revealed that should the Red Devils receive a good enough offer for the Argentine this month, whom they value at £65m, they'll let him leave and that the North Londoners consider him a 'serious option.'

However, things aren't necessarily that simple, as Serie A leaders Napoli are also keen to land the dynamic winger, which could prove a problem for the Lilywhites.

In all, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Garnacho's ability and potential, one worth fighting for, especially as he could help Solanke get even better.

Why Garnacho would improve Solanke

So, to get straight to the point, there is one overarching reason why Garnacho could help make Solanke a better striker for Spurs, and it's a simple one: his output.

Yes, despite still being just 20 years old, the Madrid-born winger has already proven that he can be an effective attacking outlet in the toughest league in world football.

For example, in 50 appearances last season, the "sensational" talent, as dubbed by journalist Michael Plant, scored ten goals and provided five assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.33 games.

Even this year, as everything seems to be going so badly wrong around him, the eight-capped international has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 32 appearances, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.46 games.

Now, it is true that Son Heung-min has scored as many goals and provided two more assists in 27 games this season, but he has played more minutes, and crucially, the South Korean superstar is set to turn 33 this year, and as most fans will likely attest, he does not have the same explosiveness and unpredictability to his game that made him so great in the past.

In contrast, the former Atlético Madrid youth player undoubtedly does have that, and we can see it in his underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League, he sits in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive carries and carries into the final third, the top 10% for touches in the opposition's penalty area and the top 12% for carries into the penalty area, all per 90.

So, not only is the United gem racking up an impressive amount of goal involvements for someone so young, but he is also progressing the ball up the pitch and into incredibly dangerous areas, which is precisely why Solanke would love playing with him, as he could get himself into positions to exploit this.

Moreover, having a winger as dynamic and unpredictable as Garnacho off the left instead of the ageing Son or ineffective Timo Werner should naturally open up more space for the former Bournemouth poacher, as defenders are forced to mark more than one attacker.

Ultimately, it might not be a deal that wins the fans over right away, but Spurs need a new, exciting option off the left to help Solanke reach another level, and it looks like the United prospect could be the perfect option.

Spurs considering blockbuster January move for striker Postecoglou admires

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Tottenham Hotspur are considering a blockbuster January move for a striker that Ange Postecoglou is said to admire, according to a new report.

Tottenham injury bug hits their forwards

Tottenham are enduring perhaps their worst season in recent memory. Currently 15th in the Premier League and just eight points clear of the drop zone, the Lilywhites are without a win in the top flight in over a month and have lost seven of their last nine.

Ange Postecoglou's side have also been ravaged with injuries for almost the entire campaign, with keys players like Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero having missed large chunks of the year, and that injury bug now spreading further forward in the team.

The latest addition to the club's seemingly ever-growing injury list is striker Dominic Solanke. The striker, who has scored 11 goals in all competitions for Spurs since his summer move from Bournemouth, missed Tottenham's 3-2 defeat to Everton at the weekend, and it was confirmed after that he had injured his knee in training and is expected to be sidelined for a number of weeks.

"It was just him trying to shoot and twisting his knee. It's just one of those things that, unfortunately, we're going through at the moment," explained Postecoglou after the defeat to the Toffees. "We'll get the full extent of it. We're hoping that it is not too serious, but it will certainly keep him out for a few weeks."

Spurs eyeing move for Delap

To fill the hole left by Solanke's absence, Tottenham are now eyeing a move for Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, who has been one of the Premier League's oustanding strikers this term. According to TeamTALK, Delap is admired by Postecoglou and Tottenham are open to making an advance for the 21-year-old this month.

The publication claims that Spurs will face significant competition for Delap's signature from London rivals Chelsea, however, and that club chairman Daniel Levy would be reluctant to pay a significant fee for the Englishman, which could be a potential road block to a potential switch to North London being completed.

Ipswich, meanwhile, aren't keen to let Delap, who has scored eight goals for the Tractor Boys this season, go in January, but TeamTALK report that the right offer may force them to re-think. Delap's rumoured price tag is set at around £42 million – which is £23 million less than Spurs paid for Solanke in the summer.

Delap has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances this season, including from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who used to manage him as a youngster at Manchester City.

"Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age," said Maresca last month. "I think we spent one year together and he scored [about] 22 to 24 goals. He is a very good striker.

"England have many good players, many good strikers [but] he's working hard off the ball and on the ball, understands the game and can score goals. I think he can be an important player for England."

Their next Dele Alli: Spurs step up bid to sign £37m "magician"

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Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign has been nothing short of a disaster this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side fell to their 12th defeat in just 22 games yesterday afternoon as relegation-threatened Everton played them off the park as if they were a League Two side in the FA Cup.

The North Londoners are now closer, considerably so, to the drop zone than the Champions League places, but in all the doom and gloom that has been this year, there are a few reasons to be hopeful, such as the emergence of their young talents.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and even Mikey Moore have all looked great and, with more time and better players around them, could help lead the club to a bright future, but they'll have to take another even greater step forward to match the impact a young Dele Alli had in his breakthrough campaign.

The Englishman was utterly sensational during the 15/16 season, racking up 20 goal involvements in 46 games, and while he's endured some tough times in recent years, he's recently secured an 18-month contract with Como, and Spurs have recently been linked with someone who could become their next Dele.

Tottenham target dangerous Premier League prospect

According to a recent report from Spain, Spurs have maintained their 'relentless pursuit' of Brighton & Hove Albion ace Facundo Buonanotte.

The report claims that the North Londoners are keen to upgrade their midfield options and view the young Argentine as an ideal player to do so, although the Seagulls are also eager to keep hold of him once his loan with Leicester City is complete.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this season claimed that an offer in the region of €45m, which is about £37m, could be enough to tempt the south coast club into selling.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given how well Buonanotte has played for the Foxes, it's one worth pursuing, especially as he shares some similarities with Dele.

How Buonanotte compares with Dele

Okay, so the first thing to clear up is that, at his best, Dele was verging on world-class during his time with Spurs, so to expect Buonanotte to reach those levels right away would be incredibly unfair and frankly foolish.

However, there are still a number of apparent similarities between the pair that should excite fans over a potential transfer.

The first similarity is that, like the Englishman, the Brighton ace is primarily an attacking midfielder but has already shown an ability to play in a variety of positions, from central and right-midfield and even right wing, which for a team as injury-riddled as Spurs, would be incredibly handy.

The second trait that the 20-year-old "magician," as dubbed by Rising Stars XI on X, shares with the former Lilywhites star is that he already looks more than comfortable playing in the toughest league in the world despite being so young, which, again, for a team who are clearly building around youth players, is incredibly encouraging.

For example, in just 22 appearances for Leicester across all competitions, the Pérez-born dynamo has found the back of the net five times and provided three assists for good measure, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.75 games.

Finally, like the Milton Keynes-born maestro, the young prospect is a midfielder who seemingly excels at winning the ball in the middle and final third, driving at opposition defences and either taking a shot himself or playing the ball to one of his teammates.

For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League, places the youngster in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers for tackles in the attacking third, the top 6% for tackles in the middle third and the top 8% for shot-creating actions stemming from successful take-ons, all per 90.

Those stats are only made all the more impressive when you account for the fact he's still just 20, which also suggests that he'll only get better over the next few seasons.

Ultimately, there is an element of risk in signing someone so young, but Spurs took that risk when they signed Dele a decade ago, and while he might not quite reach those same unreal levels, Buonanotte looks like he could play a similar role for Postecoglou in North London.

Spurs scouts tracking £20m "proper striker" with 12 G/A after Solanke injury

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Tottenham Hotspur scouts have been tracking a young striker who has been taking Ligue 1 by storm this season, according to a new report.

Tottenham defeated at Everton as more injuries mount

Tottenham's poor run of form in the Premier League continued at the weekend as they were beaten 3-2 by struggling Everton at Goodison Park. The Toffees soared into a 3-0 lead before the break thanks to goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye, and an own-goal from Archie Gray.

Dejan Kulusevski and former Everton star Richarlison pulled back late goals for Ange Postecoglou's side, but it was too little too late as they sunk to a seventh defeat in nine top flight games.

"It is a difficult result," Postecoglou said after the game. "We struggled to really get in the game in the first half and that gave Everton and momentum. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb but the players certainly tried to claw the game back but we just fell short."

On top of the loss, Spurs also recently confirmed that star striker Dominic Solanke, who wasn't involved against Everton, is now set for a few weeks on the sidelines having picked up a knee injury in training.

"It was just him trying to shoot and twisting his knee. It's just one of those things that, unfortunately, we're going through at the moment," explained Postecoglou. "We'll get the full extent of it. We're hoping that it is not too serious, but it will certainly keep him out for a few weeks."

Spurs watching Guessand

To cover Solanke, Tottenham could dip into the transfer market. According to TeamTALK, the club's scouts have been tracking highly-rated OGC Nice forward Evann Guessand, and are now ready to step up their interest this month.

The 23-year-old, who can play as both a striker and a winger, has scored eight goals and produced four assists in 18 Ligue 1 games for Nice this season, helping put the Eaglets firmly in the race for Champions League football next term.

TeamTALK report that Nice are considering offers of around £20 million for Guessand, which would put him firmly within Tottenham's budget.

Guessand, who represents the Ivory Coast, has previously described himself as a "proper striker".

"My father, Hervé, was also a striker, but I am less of a classic number 9 than him," he told Nice's website. "I went to Lausanne as a centre-forward, but I feel comfortable in all the forward positions. In fact, I was originally trained as a winger, and it was only when I grew in stature that I moved into the middle.

"It's not pretentious, but I'm naturally confident. I know my abilities, I know that I can be decisive. I was last season and I hope to be decisive again this season."

As bad as Dragusin: Spurs must drop 4/10 dud who lost the ball 19 times

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Tottenham Hotspur were condemned to another miserable Premier League defeat against David Moyes' Everton, with Ange Postecoglou watching in horror as his side lost 3-2 and were dismantled across the opening half hour.

Iliman Ndiaye wreaked havoc with a feathered dribble into the danger area, making a beeline toward goal and rifling a strike past new Spurs 'keeper Antonin Kinsky.

But the hard truth is that Tottenham weren't even undone by blips and lapses, instead culpable of long stretches of abject football. Postecoglou will feel bitterly aggrieved after a season laden with injuries, but the performance put in at Goodison Park was inexcusable.

Aside from a spirited late effort (in vain), it was pretty grim viewing, with inquiries sure to be held in the wake of a damaging defeat that has left Tottenham in 15th place. Radu Dragusin, once again, was at the epicentre of the drama.

Radu Dragusin struggles again

Defensively, Tottenham were shambolic. Dragusin has been dealt a tough hand at times this season, thrown into the deep end, but it's hard to look past the 22-year-old's lack of authority and resistance.

Football.london's Alasdair Gold could only hand Dragusin a 3/10 match rating, criticising his role in Ndiaye's goal for 2-0 where he was turned inside out and left in the Toffees forward's dust. The Romanian was hesitant and uninspiring. Tottenham desperately need Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to return from respective injuries.

Play was halted before half-time as Dragusin was treated for a cut after Dominic Calvert-Lewin accidentally elbowed him. He eventually returned to the field but did not make it back out, replaced by Richarlison.

Having made four errors across his 15 Premier League appearances this season, Dragusin is clearly struggling to succeed in this Spurs system - or lack thereof. However, he's not the only one, with the supposedly high-class Pedro Porro looking bleakly out of sorts over the past few months.

Why Ange must drop Pedro Porro

Porro is one of Tottenham's most talented players but he's certainly suffered from patchy form this season, with his performance at Goodison Park emblematic of Tottenham's wider problems.

The threadbare nature of the Lilywhite squad has left the Spain international shouldering a heavy burden indeed, and while he looked flimsy and unconvincing against the likes of Ndiaye and Calvert-Lewin, it's clear that the 25-year-old needs a rest.

Porro avoided a lowly 3/10 match rating, but he still had to settle for something not to be desired, with Gold branding the rounded right-back with a 4/10 score and writing: 'Spurs just look so vulnerable down his side. He's played more minutes than anyone and it shows.'

With Romero and Van de Ven both slated for comebacks in the next two weeks, you could argue that Gray is worthy of taking Porro's place at right-back, especially when considering that he's played more football than any other Spurs player in 2024/25 (2,467 minutes).

It was a shoddy day at the office yet again, having been exposed even against lowly Tamworth a week ago. This time it wasn't great either, failing to accomplish a dribble, losing four of his six duels and ceding possession a whopping 19 times.

Frankly, Tottenham might just have to endure over the next few weeks and hope that things will come together when players begin to trickle back in from the infirmary. One thing's for certain though: something needs to change, and dropping Porro for the younger and more robust Gray could be the tactical tweak to send Spurs back toward something promising.

Not just Dragusin: 4/10 Spurs star may have just cost Ange his job

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Ange Postecoglou was already facing heavy criticism for Tottenham Hotspur's dismal form in the Premier League this season, but the club's issues have devolved into something altogether more concerning following defeat at Goodison Park.

Everton, buoyed by the return of ex-manager David Moyes, blew Spurs to smithereens in the opening half-hour and presented more questions for an outfit lacking any form of answer.

There's no denying that Tottenham have been dealt a cruel hand on the injury front this term, but there's no excuse for the way Postecoglou's side were picked apart by a team with an ostensibly weak frontline, battling relegation before the match but now only four points behind the north Londoners.

So many poor performances. So much for Postecoglou to chew on if he hopes to salvage something from this withering campaign.

Spurs' worst players vs Everton

Radu Dragusin endured a nightmarish first half for Tottenham before being withdrawn due to injury, beaten by the fleet-footed Iliman Ndiaye for Everton's second and failing to project the kind of iron-clad presence of a top Premier League centre-half, with Spurs writer Simon Yemane even commenting that the Romanian "isn't good enough."

Archie Gray also endured a tough afternoon at centre-back, unfortunately turning into his own net to make it 3-0 before the break, but the 18-year-old has performed valiantly in an unfamiliar role this term and fans generally recognise the shift that he invariably puts in - and the calibre of talent they have on their hands too.

It wasn't just the defenders who let the travelling Londoners down, though, with Heung-min Son's sad decline taking its next step as the captain, so cherished by the Tottenham faithful, failed his team on Merseyside.

Heung-min Son's performance vs Everton

Son is a modern Tottenham legend but he's struggling to muster up the athletic, sharp performances that have been a staple throughout his storied career in the English capital.

Against Everton, the 32-year-old squandered a glorious opportunity to restore parity when deftly played into space by Dejan Kulusevski, the brightest spark on a gloomy afternoon.

The rotten roots of the South Korean's poor performance ran deeper, unfortunately, for Son tamely tested Jordan Pickford later on and 'contributed very little else,' according to football.london's Alasdair Gold, who branded the skipper with a lowly 4/10 match rating.

You have to call Postecoglou's decision to keep Son on the field into question, for the veteran forward was unable to offer any kind of creative or mobile output to enhance Tottenham's performance, and was overshadowed by young Mikey Moore who supplied the assist for Richarlison's late consolation.

On that note, is it time for Postecoglou to ditch his tried-and-tested leader for a younger, springier counterpart?

Why Spurs should ditch Son

Tottenham owe much to Son's devotion to the cause over so many years, posting 170 goals and 91 assists across 435 appearances. But Moore illustrated perfectly Tottenham's conundrum: that their talisman is slipping from his gold standard and might soon be better placed on the bench with a touch more regularity.

Moore, 17, was probably Tottenham's best player - barring maybe Deki - despite only being on the pitch for 17 minutes, expertly arcing an assist for Richarlison to keep hopes of a stunning equaliser alive, also hitting the target with a shot and wrongfooting several Toffees defenders with his quick movements.

If you were being extra cynical, you might even be able to claim that Son's poor finishing may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Postecoglou's vision, as that first-half strike on goal could have changed everything had it gone in, lifting Spurs spirits and then some.

But then, looking at that from the other direction, Postecoglou was the architect of his own demise in a sense, failing to withdraw Son in good time and allowing the discussed forwards to enter the fray and bring some fresh energy and dynamism to the contest.

More ruthless team selection might have changed the narrative for Postecoglou's side, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and all that. However, now the Aussie coach must recognise the issue that he has and make the tough decision to move him to the bench against Leicester next weekend.

The problem, of course, is that Tottenham have a dearth of options at their disposal right now, with more misery piled onto the crisis through the revelation that Brennan Johnson will be sidelined "for the next three to four weeks."

Timo Werner will also be missing until the later stages of February, though a certain degree of respite has arrived through Richarlison's return to fitness and late strike against Everton, nearly sparking a dramatic and unlikely comeback against his former club.

Tottenham will host an internal inquest to determine the route forward after another abject defeat, but time is running out for Postecoglou's project, with next weekend's Premier League clash down N17 having the feel of a critical juncture.

With Moore showcasing his quality so well this afternoon and Richarlison getting back amongst the goals, you could argue that Son should be dropped.

And that's without even thinking about the many Spurs widemen currently stuck in the surgery. Something, to be sure, needs to change.

Spurs lodge enquiry to sign big-money Werner upgrade who's a "massive" star

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The Tottenham Hotspur attackers in the Premier League so far this season have been performing well. Brennan Johnson has seven goals and two assists, and Dejan Kulusevski has nine goals and assists, shown excellent quality outside of goal involvements.

Heung Min-son has put up some decent numbers, with 12 goal involvements, but has left a little to be desired at times. Dominic Solanke has shown flashes of brilliance, with ten goals and assists, and seems ready to hit a purple patch at any moment.

However, one forward who has not performed up to the standard that might be expected of him is Timo Werner.

Werner’s disappointing form this season

It has been a truly disappointing season for German international Werner. After joining on loan from RB Leipzig last January, the Lilywhites extended the deal to keep the attacker at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the end of the season, with an option to buy him for £8.5m.

However, he has really underwhelmed with his performances. In 26 appearances across all competitions, the winger has one goal and three assists, with his only goal coming in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Manchester City in October.

Perhaps the German’s worst performance of the season came in the FA Cup 3rd round against National League side Tamworth. He squandered several chances in a game that Spurs only won in extra time and received a 4/10 rating from The Standard journalist Dom Smith.

Former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has been critical of the winger at times during the season. Speaking to talkSPORT, the legendary manager said Werner “doesn’t excite me” following the defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in the season.

Spurs are certainly in need of something extra in attack, given Werner’s poor performances. They have recently been linked with a Premier League star who could add some more dynamism up front.

Spurs target Premier League attacker

The player in question here is Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho. According to a report from Football Transfers, The Lilywhites have ‘set their sights’ on the Argentine and ‘have lodged a concrete enquiry’ about a deal which could cost them upwards of £60m.

This would be a fantastic coup for the North Londoners. Garnacho is one of the premium talents in world football, as shown by his nomination for the Golden Boy 2024 award. His record at United is already impressive, with 23 goals and 14 assists in 117 games for the Red Devils.

The winger has proven he can be a big game player, too. He scored in the 2023/24 FA Cup final against Man City, which United went on to win 2-0, and followed that up with another strike against the same opponents in the 2024 Community Shield.

He has comfortably outscored Werner this year across all competitions. The United winger has eight goals and five assists in 31 games so far in 2024/25. However, some key statistics on FBref also suggest the Argentine is an upgrade on the Spurs star.

Over the past two seasons, including Werner’s few months at Leipzig last term, Garnacho leads the way in several key metrics. For example, he averaged more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, with 3.83 compared to Werner’s 3.54. As football statistician Staman Dave said, he is a “chance magnet”, perfectly demonstrated by those stats.

Also a "massive" talent in the eyes of Sky presenter Joe Tomlinson, off the ball, the United star also has some impressive stats, which far exceed Werner’s numbers. The Argentine winger averages 1.51 tackles and interceptions and 4.22 ball recoveries per game, compared to 1.18 tackles and interceptions and 3.08 ball recoveries for Werner.

The statistics suggest that Garnacho is an upgrade on Werner for Spurs, should a deal be possible, as he provides more quality at the top end of the pitch per 90. He is also of a good age profile, just 20 years of age, and is a dynamic attacker who loves to drive at defenders.

If this is a deal the Lilywhites get to do, they would have their perfect Werner replacement and a player with the time left ahead of him to develop under Postecoglou's coaching.

Bid already submitted: Spurs hold talks to sign the next Harry Kane

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This season has been a pretty rough one for Tottenham Hotspur and their fans so far.

The positive way to look at it is that Ange Postecoglou's side are still in three cup competitions, but in the Premier League, they have lost more games than they've won and sit nearer the relegation zone than the Champions League places, which is an unmitigated disaster.

However, to their credit, the club clearly back the manager for the long term, and with the right recruitment to develop alongside the likes of Archie Gray, Mikey Moore and Lucas Bergvall, he could build something special that turns this year into nothing more than a blip.

That appears to be the mindset of Daniel Levy and Co, as recent reports have linked the club with an incredibly exciting young striker who's been compared to Harry Kane and is available for less than Dele Alli cost back in 2015.

Tottenham chase promising poacher

According to a recent report from Tottenham News, the North Londoners are incredibly keen on St Patrick's Athletic striker Mason Melia.

The North Londoners saw a £1m bid turned down earlier this season but continued to scour the youngster and, according to the report, remain incredibly keen on signing him.

However, to do that, they'll have to double their original offer, with the story revealing that the Irish club value their exciting prospect at £2m, which may be a lot of money but is considerably less than £5m Dele cost the Lilywhites back in 2015.

It might cost them more than they would like, but with how well he's played this season and the potential he possesses, Spurs should pay the money for Melia, especially as he's already won the unavoidable comparisons to Kane.

Why Spurs should sign Melia

Okay, so the first thing to say is that the comparison to Kane comes courtesy of talent scout Jacek Kulig, who referred to Melia as the "Irish Harry Kane" last April, and while that was undoubtedly said tongue in cheek, there is a reason he said it.

For example, despite being 16 years old for most of last season, the "exceptional" talent, as dubbed by former manager Jon Daly, managed to rack up a haul of seven goals and two assists in 35 mostly substitute appearances, which totalled 178 minutes.

That means he averaged a goal involvement once every 193.11 minutes as a teenager playing among senior players, which is really quite impressive.

This season, he's made six appearances in the Europa Conference League qualifiers and even played two legs against Turkish side Basaksehir, who won the Süper Lig just five years ago.

On top of that, he's also now played three games for the Irish U-19s, totalling 112 minutes, in which he's already scored a goal to go along with the ten goals and three assists he picked up in 22 games for the U-17s.

Ultimately, there is undoubtedly an element of risk in signing such a young player from a league so far down in the UEFA rankings, but there is a considerable amount of hype around Melia, and for the price being reported, it may just be worth a gamble for Spurs, especially as he's already been compared to the sensational Kane.

Spurs looking at signing £226k-p/w "phenom" who could be Bale 2.0

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Tottenham Hotspur have been ravaged by injuries throughout the entire squad this season, which has really hampered their progress in the Premier League. Incredibly, they sit 14th in the top flight, and although they have made good progress in the Carabao Cup, this season has simply not lived up to expectations.

Towards the start of the season, Ange Postecoglou claimed he has a record at each club he has managed that sees him “always win things in my second year”. Well, that theory will be truly put to the test this season, with the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League still all winnable.

The Lilywhites might need reinforcements to help with their trophy-winning quest and have been linked with one attacker who could add plenty of firepower.

Spurs target new attacker

The player in question here is Barcelona and Spain winger Ansu Fati. The La Masia graduate has also had terrible luck with injuries, and a fresh start away from the Nou Camp could be on the cards this winter.

According to a report from The Guardian, Spurs are one of the sides interested in signing the winger, given the fact they are “in need of attacking reinforcement” in the January transfer window, with Postecoglou lining up a swoop for the Barcelona outcast.

However, they are not alone in the race to sign Fati, who earns £226k-per-week according to Capology. The Guardian also suggests London rivals West Ham United are interested in adding him to the squad under new boss Graham Potter. There is currently no clarity on if it is a loan deal or a permanent move.

Why Fati would be a good signing

It has once again been a really disappointing season for Fati. Once one of the biggest stars to come out of the esteemed La Masia academy, he was handed Lionel Messi’s number 10 shirt when the legendary attacker left Barca in 2021.

This season, injuries have struck the winger again. He has missed 11 games, a total of 84 days, with a muscle issue and a foot injury. Thus, the 22-year-old has only managed eight appearances across all competitions and has not scored a goal.

His Barca record overall curtailed somewhat over time, as the injuries hit. He has played 120 times, scoring 29 goals and grabbing nine assists. That includes a goal and two assists against Real Sociedad in 2022/23.

Over time, he had 13 separate injuries for the La Liga giants, and one for Brighton and Hive Albion during his loan spell, where he scored four times and assisted once in 27 appearances for the South Coast side.

Yet, Spurs still want to sign the winger, surely because of the obvious talent there. His debut season in 2019/20 was a prime example of what he can do, a campaign where he scored seven times and grabbed an assist, becoming a breakthrough star.

That season, Fati was comparable to Spurs legend Gareth Bale, who was playing for Real Madrid in 2019/20. The Welshman scored two goals and grabbed two assists in 16 La Liga games.

For the Lilywhites, Bale was sensational. Over two spells in North London, he scored 71 times and grabbed 53 assists. One of his best goals came against Inter in the Champions League, where he carried the ball from inside his own half and fired home. That day, he also got his first Spurs hat-trick.

The similarities between Fati and Bale in 2019/20 are there to see from a statistical point of view, as per FBref. For example, they both had an Expected Goals tally of 0.33xG per 90 minutes, and the Spaniard averaged slightly more key passes each game, with 1.58 compared to 0.99. The Welshman’s 2.89 progressive passes per game slightly trumped Fati’s 2.54.

If Spurs can get Fati back to a good level of fitness, they might have a “phenom” on their hands, as football statistician Statman Dave once described him, who can progress the ball up the pitch and make things happen in the final third in a similar way to how Bale did in his career.

Postecoglou will be hoping the 22-year-old can regain those levels at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as they look to win a trophy for the first time since 2008, when Bale was just breaking through.

Tottenham set to explore late January deal for £264k-per-week PSG player

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Tottenham Hotspur are set to explore a January deal for another PSG player after missing out on a move for winger Randal Kolo Muani, who is set to join Juventus instead of Ange Postecoglou's side.

Spurs lose race with Juventus for Randal Kolo Muani signing

The Lilywhites held talks with PSG on Monday (Fabrizio Romano), but Juventus eventually won the race for his signature, as Postecoglou and Spurs' recruitment team now return to the drawing board in their search for another forward.

While Juve and PSG are yet to announce the deal, the feeling is that it will still happen, but the latter side needs to sell one of their loan players before making it official - as they're currently maxed out on their allocated temporary deals per season.

There is little hope of Spurs hijacking Juve's deal at this stage, but Postecoglou's team have their eyes on another PSG ace in £264,000-per-week defender Milan Skriniar.

Some reports have suggested that the north Londoners have held talks over signing the Slovakia international already, who was a rumoured transfer target for ex-Spurs boss José Mourinho as far back as 2020.

“They’re also been in talks with Paris Saint-Germain about taking Milan Skriniar, who’s another notable player available in this window,” said journalist Duncan Castles recently.

“PSG will let him go. They’ve allowed him to talk to other clubs. Again, not a favourite of Enrique’s. They have interest in him from Serie A clubs, and they are basically going to wait and see who gives them the best offer by the end of the window.

"So that is an option for Tottenham to get someone into their defence, who’s actually a centre back in the centre of their defence.”

Tottenham set to explore late January deal for Milan Skriniar

Sharing an update on their interest in the 29-year-old, journalist Pete O'Rourke has told Football Insider that Tottenham's pursuit of the player is still very much alive.

Ben Davies is set to return from injury against Everton tomorrow, according to Postecoglou in his latest press conference, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero also back towards the end of this month.

However, the trio's absences have seriously exposed their lack of depth in recent weeks, and Tottenham's fragility at the back has been a big talking point.

Tottenham are set to explore a late January deal for Skriniar as a result, with the club potentially looking to squeeze a good deal out of PSG during the final phase of the window when pressure to conclude agreements is high.

O'Rourke says to "keep an eye" on the former Inter Milan star's exit from Paris, as it is looking highly likely with Spurs on red alert.