FootballFanCast.com

It would be fair to say that for much of this season, there has been very little for Tottenham Hotspur fans to celebrate.

Ange Postecoglou's side have struggled for the majority of the domestic campaign, languishing in the second half of the Premier League table and already being out of both cups.

However, they've started to see a number of injured players return and, against Ipswich Town, picked up their third league win on the bounce.

Moreover, one of the surprise stars of this season could now replace one of Antonio Conte's signings, who has struggled this year.

Conte's most important Spurs signings

Before we get onto the Conte signing, who could see himself replaced in the coming weeks, it's worth looking at a few of the Italian's Spurs signings who are still key members of the first team.

The first player who comes to mind is undoubtedly Dejan Kulusevski, who completed his 18-month loan move to N17 in January 2022.

While he has endured ups and downs in the capital, he is now arguably one of the most talented players in the entire squad and is frankly undroppable.

For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 3030 minutes, the "world-class" dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, which comes to a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 151.5 minutes, and makes him the most productive player in the squad.

During his time in the hot seat, the former Chelsea manager welcomed Rodrigo Bentancur, who joined alongside the Swede, and Yves Bissouma, who joined the club from Brighton & Hove Albion for around £25m in June 2022.

Now, while neither one has been as effective as Kulusevski, they've still played prominent roles within the first team this season, with the Uruguayan making 28 appearances thus far and the Malian 32.

Finally, a player who is arguably just as important to the starting lineup but has barely played this season thanks to injury is Cristian Romero, as even though he completed his loan move to the club under Nuno Espírito Santo, it was under Conte's management that he made his move permanent.

However, there are still two more signings made by the serial winner who are still in the first team picture, although one looks like he could be set to replace the other.

The Conte signings in competition at Spurs

In terms of surprise packages for Spurs this season, the first name that probably should come to mind is Djed Spence, who has fought his way back from being left out of the Europa League squad to being one of the most critical players in the team.

In fact, the Englishman, signed under Conte's tenure for around £20m in July 2022, has been so impressive this term in attack and defence that he looks ready to replace another of the Italian's signings at right-back: Pedro Porro.

In fact, with Destiny Udogie back at left-back on the weekend, that is what happened, as the former Middlesbrough player started off the right of the back four, while the £40m former Sporting CP star started on the bench.

Now, the Spanish full-back is most certainly a brilliant outlet going forward, as shown by his nine-goal involvements this season, but he has been something of a liability in defence at times, with his performance against Ipswich in the reverse fixture earlier this season earning him particular ire from journalist Mitch Fretton, who described him and Radu Dragusin as "absolute horror shows" at the back.

There have also been a few occasions this season in which he has been shown up by opposition attackers, such as in the FA Cup game against Aston Villa and by Leandro Trossard away to Arsenal.

Moreover, when we compare the 25-year-old's underlying defensive numbers to the Englishman's, it becomes increasingly apparent who the more reliable defender is.

For example, the "unbelievable" 24-year-old ace, as dubbed by the iconic Ian Wright, comes out on top for tackles and tackles won, all blocks, shots blocked, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it's hard not to look at Spence as the better full-back at the moment, as while he might be slightly less effective going forward, he can do his primary job to a much higher standard.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is enjoying the Lilywhites' best spell of form for a long time, with Spurs sealing a third-consecutive Premier League win for the first time this season after their 4-1 victory at Ipswich.

Ange Postecoglou praises Tottenham after 4-1 Ipswich win

The north Londoners were set for a tough task against Kieran McKenna's relegation-threatened side at Portman Road, but they weathered periods of pressure to eventually round off a superb win away from home.

A first-half brace from Brennan Johnson, combined with late goals from in-form defender Djed Spence and star winger Dejan Kulusevski, cancelled out Omari Hutchinson's impressive curled effort to hand Postecoglou's side another much-needed three points on Saturday afternoon.

Tottenham next face off against Man City at home, and the Sky Blues' topsy-turvy form gives Postecoglou some hope they could make it four straight victories against the English champions.

Spurs' head coach heaped praise on his squad after their win at Ipswich, especially their clinical and exciting forward play.

"A couple of times in the first half we lost a bit of concentration, in terms of the second ball and duels. Disappointing goal we conceded but aside from that I thought we handled that side of the game really well, which we had to," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's triumph at Ipswich.

"But I always felt we were a threat when we had the ball. Sonny was unplayable in the first half. So good to get Brennan back in those areas where he's always a threat. All four of our goals were quality goals. We had to do the hard things, but the fruits of that labour was that our front third play was super, exciting and clinical."

Another real plus-point from the game was new signing Kevin Danso, who put in another solid performance at the heart of Postecoglou's backline.

There were some doubts surrounding Danso's ability after Tottenham signed him from RC Lens on loan with an obligation to buy for around £21 million, but the Austria international defender is proving his worth at N17.

Kevin Danso emerging as leader behind-the-scenes at Tottenham

As per reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold, speaking on his YouTube channel, Spurs did their homework on his personality after hijacking Wolves' winter deal for the 26-year-old.

Gold says that Danso is emerging as a leader behind-the-scenes at Tottenham, with the £25,000-per-week centre-back standing out as a bubbly and strong character among the squad.

“He’s just a really bubbly, strong character Danso and he’s fitted in so well," said Gold. "Often we talk about the talent of players and how well they play but maybe don’t give enough credit when the scouting setup also identifies the character and personality of a player.

“Danso in that mould has been brilliant, as Postecoglou said, to fit into a team as a senior player despite making such a big step up – he just looks like a man determined to grab this opportunity with both hands.

“I think the young group of players are really benefitting from having him there but I also think people like Vicario are benefitting from having another leader and organiser there. I would not bet against Danso in the next 18 months or so becoming part of that leadership group.”

As one of the 'big six', Tottenham Hotspur fans have been starved of success in recent history.

To try to correct that, the club have appointed a range of contrasting managers in recent years, from the more cautious José Mourinho and Antonio Conte to the uber-attacking Ange Postecoglou.

However, as most fans will probably attest, one of the major factors holding the club back is the board's reluctance to go big in the transfer market in the same way their rivals like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea do.

It's a choice that baffles as much as it frustrates the fan base, as, according to a recent report from Deloitte, the club are the ninth wealthiest in world football and, on top of that, they have a decent track record of selling big stars for even bigger money, and based it looks like they could already have their future star to sell, who could go for even more money than Gareth Bale in years to come.

Spurs' biggest sales

So, before looking at the future star in question, it's worth looking at some of Spurs' biggest sales, starting with Bale.

The Welsh superstar joined Real Madrid in a then-world-record £85m deal in the summer of 2013, which, for a player who cost the club £10m in 2007 and had just scored 26 goals and provided ten assists in just 44 games the season prior, was probably a fair deal for all parties involved.

Now, just behind the Cardiff-born icon in terms of the transfer fee is actually Harry Kane, as while his transfer to Bayern Munich in 2023 was initially reported to have cost the Germans around £86.4m at the time, it later came out that the initial fee was likely closer to £82m.

Even so, for a player with just a year left on his deal, that still has to be looked at as a reasonably impressive fee for the Lilywhites, even if it was a particularly painful transfer for the fans.

Interestingly, the third most expensive departure isn't even an attacker; it is Kyle Walker.

The sensational right-back joined the club in 2009 and, after spending some time on loan with Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa, would go on to make 229 appearances, in which he scored four goals and provided 18 assists, before moving to Manchester City in the summer of 2017 for around £54m, which was a world record for a defender at the time - how things change.

Yet, while all three of these sales represent brilliant business from Tottenham, it looks like they could already have a player on their hands who could go for even more in the future.

Spurs' future record sale

One of the few positives to come from this season for Tottenham has been the development of their youngsters.

Lucas Bergvall has been given plenty of minutes in the middle of the park, Mikey Moore has seen action from the bench and occasionally started games.

At the same time, Archie Gray has been an integral solution to the club's nightmare injury situation, and it is he who could be the club's next record sale.

It's not just us saying that either, as respected football analyst Ben Mattinson described the teenage sensation as a "future £100m" player in February of last year, and in the 12 months since, that claim has started to look more and more realistic.

At the time, Mattinson highlighted his "composure and versatility" as key reasons why the then-Leeds United ace would go a long way in the game, and once again, his impact in North London this season only solidifies that claim.

For example, even though the Durham-born gem is primarily a midfielder, he has been tasked with covering at centre-back and full-back for most of the campaign, and despite his age, slight frame and inexperience in playing in defence in the top flight, he has done a seriously admirable job.

In all, the 18-year-old phenom has made 17 appearances at centre-back, seven at right-back, five at left-back, and just two in defensive midfield for the Lilywhites this season and has already become a firm fan favourite among the Spurs faithful.

Ultimately, it's still very early days for Gray at Spurs, but as things stand, we wouldn't be surprised if Mattinson's claim about his future price tag rings true. However, if that is the case, we can't imagine the fans would be particularly happy about a potential sale.

It's been an odd campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been absolutely ravaged by injuries all year, which, alongside some already spotty form from the end of last season, has seen their results in the Premier League vary wildly from week to week.

It wasn't too long ago that picking up a win looked an impossible task, yet all of a sudden, they picked up their third league victory on the bounce on Saturday, which goes to show that, when fit, the North Londoners do have a lot of talent within their squad.

In fact, one of their more promising players has recently been compared to one of the most exciting and valuable midfielders in Europe and looks to be one of their recent rare successful acquisitions from Ligue 1.

Spurs' poor record buying from Ligue 1

It's too soon to cast a definitive judgment on Kevin Danso's Spurs' future, but it would be fair to say that the Lilywhites do not have a particularly good track record when it comes to signing players from Ligue 1.

The most notable example of this has to be Tanguy Ndombele, who joined the club for around £63m from Lyon in the summer of 2019 and did so to a lot of fanfare.

Unfortunately, instead of helping to revolutionise the North Londoners' midfield, the Frenchman became arguably their biggest flop, making just 91 appearances for the team between the 19/20 and 21/22 campaigns, and going out on three loan moves before joining OGC Nice for free in July 2024.

A cheaper flop was Serge Aurier, who joined the club from Paris Saint-Germain for around £23m in the summer of 2017 as a replacement for Kyle Walker.

The trouble-making right-back managed to get himself sent off in his first Premier League start for the club, was described as generally "erratic" by Spurs icon Teddy Sheringham, and then, in the club's 2021 League Cup final, gave away the free-kick that saw Manchester City score the winner, which also happened to be his final game for the North Londoners, and saw Jamie Carragher describe him as "one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football."

The unfortunate truth is that there are even more names you could bring up as examples of bad signings Tottenham have made from Ligue over the years, such as Clinton N'Jie, who made just 14 appearances for the club, or Georges-Kevin N'Koudou, who scored one goal and provided two assists in 27 games.

However, there are some examples in which Spurs managed to find a gem in the French top-flight, which they did a couple of years ago, and now have a player compared to one of the most valuable midfielders in Europe.

The Spurs ace who's a big-money star in the making

Tottenham are lucky to have a handful of incredibly exciting and promising youngsters on their books at the moment, from the academy superstar Mikey Moore to signings like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

However, just a few years older is Pape Matar Sarr, who might have a little less time to reach the heady heights of a world-class midfielder but is nonetheless an exceptional talent and, as things stand, a successful signing from Ligue 1.

The 22-year-old "monster," as dubbed by GOAL's Mitch Fretton, joined the Lilywhites from FC Metz for around £15m in August 2021 and, after spending the 21/22 season back on loan with the Lorraine-based outfit, has already amassed 87 appearances for the North Londoners, in which he's scored eight goals and provided six assists while playing in central and defensive midfield.

Moreover, the "unplayable" midfielder, as dubbed by Spurs fan and podcaster Lee McQueen, has also won flattering comparisons to Real Madrid's Federico Valverde.

They stem from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Uruguayan is the tenth most similar midfielder to the Lilywhites ace.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected assisted goals, actual assists, passing accuracy, goal-creating actions, clearances, carries and more, all per 90.

On top of the general encouragement that should come from a comparison to the Real Madrid star, the North Londoners should also be excited about what this could mean for the Senegalese star's future price tag.

For example, according to Football Transfers, the multi-Champions League winner is currently worth up to €123.8m, which converts to around £103m, and while the former Metz star isn't worth that today, who's to say he won't reach that valuation in the future if he is already so statistically similar to Valverde.

Ultimately, Spurs haven't had the best track record when it comes to signing players from France over the last decade or so, but in Sarr, it looks like they have very much bucked the trend and have a future star on their hands.

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to sell a "fantastic" forward in the summer, looking to receive a fee of around £10m - £15m, and two big English clubs are interested in a move.

Tottenham eyeing attacking upgrades

It has been far from an ideal season for Tottenham, and while some of their struggles can be put down to the injury crisis they've endured, there is no denying they will need to strengthen in the summer if they are to start competing near the top of the table.

Spurs are looking to bring in additional depth in attack, and a report has revealed they are now eyeing a surprise £6m+ move for Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez, with the former Newcastle United man impressing in La Liga this season.

Perez is seemingly more likely to be brought in as a rotation option, but there are also indications they could pursue a move for a top striker, with it recently being revealed they are now ready to trigger the £62m striker in Matheus Cunha's Wolves contract.

Given that Cunha would be an expensive purchase, Tottenham may have to cash-in on some of their current players to help fund the move, and GiveMeSport are reporting they are now willing to sell Manor Solomon in the summer.

Solomon has spent the current season on loan at Leeds United, where he has impressed, with the Championship promotion-hopefuls now looking to make his stay permanent in the summer, while Everton are also said to be keen.

Spurs would be looking to receive a relatively low fee of around £10m - £15m for the Israeli, although they would still make a tidy profit, having signed him on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk back in 2023.

Solomon needs a permanent move elsewhere

The 25-year-old's performances in the Championship this season have been very impressive, picking up seven goals and seven assists to aid his side's push for promotion back to the Premier League.

However, the left-winger has never managed to force his way into Postecoglou's plans, and there may be even more competition for a starting spot next season, given that Spurs are planning to bring in some new attacking options.

As such, while journalist Adam Pope has lauded the Leeds loanee as "fantastic" for his performances this season, it is probably the right decision to sanction his departure this summer.

They might not have had the trophies to show for it, but Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with some incredible players over the last decade and a half.

For example, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were arguably the best strike partnership in the Premier League for large parts of the late 2010s, while the likes of Mousa Dembélé and Toby Alderweireld helped to make Mauricio Pochettino's greatest team an absolute nightmare for opposition attackers.

However, in going back even further, you come to the utterly sensational Gareth Bale, who, in his pomp, had a claim to being the most dangerous attacker in the country.

The Welsh icon was a goalscoring force of nature for the Lilywhites, and in some ways, Ange Postecoglou might have his own version in the squad today.

Bale's Spurs career

Tottenham completed the £10m signing of Southampton's 17-year-old Bale in May 2007, and while he was a highly-rated youngster tipped for greatness at the time, it took a while for that to happen in North London.

For example, early on in his Spurs career, the Cardiff-born dynamo suffered a ligament injury in his ankle, and when he returned to the fold around eight months later, nothing went right for him.

In fact, the then-full-back famously didn't win his first game with the Lilywhites until the 25th attempt, and it became such a talking point that Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly told Harry Redknapp to drop him from the team because he was a bad-luck charm.

The Englishman didn't listen to the Manchester United boss, and on top of sticking by the young talent, he opted to move him up the pitch from left-back to left midfield and left-wing part way through the 09/10 campaign, which, as we all know today, was an inspired decision.

In all, the 35-year-old ended up scoring 55 goals and providing 50 assists in 203 appearances across his first stint with the club before adding another 16 goals and three assists in 34 games during the 20/21 campaign.

However, it was the 12/13 season that truly established the former Saints gem as a genuine world-class talent and secured his £85m move to Real Madrid, as in just 44 appearances, the 111-capped international scored 26 goals and provided ten assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games.

Overall, Bale has to go down as one of the best players Spurs have had in the modern era, and excitingly, they may have someone who can replicate some of his output in the squad today.

Tottenham Hotspur's new Bale

So, while this season has been something of a disaster for Postecoglou and Spurs, there are still several incredibly talented players within the squad.

The likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Djed Spend and Lucas Bergvall, for example, could all be key members of the next great Lilywhites team, but when it comes to their new Bale, it can be one man: Brennan Johnson.

The talented forward joined the club for around £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in September 2023, and before the pitchforks come out, we are not saying he is as talented or will ever be as talented as the multiple Champions League winner, but there are a couple of clear similarities.

The first is, as the Cardiff-born legend was, the 23-year-old is a key member of the Welsh national team and has already racked up 33 senior caps, in which he's scored five goals and provided four assists.

The second reason is that the former Forest star also endured a slow start to life in N17, as while he didn't need 25 appearances to pick up his first win, he didn't score his second league goal for the club until matchweek 22 last season.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, after another slow start to this year, the "frightening" dynamo who can "make something happen," as dubbed by podcaster and content creator HLTCO, has become a reliable source of goals and assists from the wing.

For example, in just 34 appearances this season, totalling 2211 minutes, the Nottingham-born ace has scored 14 goals and provided three assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 130.05 minutes.

Now, it seems incredibly unlikely that he will be able to match Bale's sensational tally from the 12/13 campaign, but as things stand, we wouldn't put it past the former Forest star to reach 20 goals in all competitions before May.

Ultimately, things might not have gone too well for Spurs this year, but in Johnson, it looks like they have an incredibly talented winger and someone who could reach another level next season should the players around him remain fit.

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have hit their stride in the Premier League, and Ange Postecoglou has eased some of the pressure on his shoulders as his mission for success in North London continues.

Tottenham breathe life into difficult campaign under Postecoglou

Only a few weeks ago, many would've struggled to predict any forthcoming change in fortunes for Postecoglou amid mounting pressure at Spurs following a poor run of results.

The Australian has had to deal with crippling injury issues at Tottenham that stretched his squad to the limit, accompanied by a ruthless fixture schedule that saw the Londoners crash out of the EFL Cup and FA Cup to Liverpool and Aston Villa, respectively.

Stoically, Daniel Levy has stood by the former Celtic manager despite high-profile media figures such as Jamie Carragher delivering scathing criticism of Postecoglou's high-octane style.

Predictably, the Liverpool icon hasn't been the only one. Still, signs of light at the end of the tunnel are beginning to appear for Spurs after stringing together a trio of Premier League victories against Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town.

Although a late push for continental qualification via the league table appears unlikely, as they sit 12th, the Lilywhites are still in the Europa League. Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar stands in the way of a quarter-final tie against either Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt.

While there is still plenty of work to be done, Postecoglou's side could still theoretically seal a backdoor route to Champions League qualification if they manage to go the whole way, which would likely be a major selling point for potential new arrivals in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur eye surprise £6m+ Ayoze Perez deal

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham Hotspur and Levy are ready to offer over £6 million for Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez this summer, with the Spain international also believed to be a target for Eintracht Frankfurt.

Postecoglou is seeking further flexibility within his forward line, and the La Liga outfit haven't ruled out a departure should a financially advantageous proposal be put forward.

Supplying a prolific focal point for Villarreal this term, the 31-year-old has registered 14 goals and two assists in 20 appearances across all competitions circa 2024/25. He also now has 111 career strikes to his name for club and country after his recent burst of form.

Premier League fans will be well-versed with Perez, given that he spent time at Newcastle United and Leicester City before making the move back to his homeland.

Capable of operating in several roles across the front four, the Spaniard has fashioned 19 chances and completed the same number of dribbles while on duty in La Liga this campaign.

Experience is something missing within what is a vibrant young group at Tottenham. Perez may be approaching his latter years, but he still has plenty to offer at the highest level and may relish the challenge of a return to familiar surroundings.

Over the last few years, Daniel Levy has received criticism from the Tottenham Hotspur supporters for his ownership of the club, with protests held ahead of games in recent weeks.

The fanbase have been campaigning for change, wanting a new owner to take them forward and transform the side into a Premier League-winning outfit - understandable given the facilities in place in North London.

His lack of spending during his time at the helm has often come into question, with the recent injury crisis that has depleted Ange Postecoglou’s side evidence that more needs to be done to help the Aussie.

However, admiration needs to be handed Ange’s way in the manner he’s conducted himself through the situation, with the recent wins in the league evidence of what he’s capable of with a full quota.

Despite the protests around Levy’s future, the 63-year-old has spent big in certain situations, but it remains to be seen if his big-money additions are worth the fees paid.

Tottenham’s record signings under Daniel Levy

In the summer just gone, the Spurs owner forked out a club-record £65m for the signature of striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, handing the manager the forward he craved after Harry Kane’s departure.

The Englishman has been missing since the middle of January with a knee injury, halting his progress in North London after his impressive start to life, registering 17 combined goals and assists in his first 29 matches.

The 27-year-old moved to the club after Richarlison failed to nail down the regular role at the top end of the pitch, scoring 18 times across the last three seasons with the Lilywhites.

He cost a whopping £50m from fellow top-flight outfit Everton, but the big-money fee spent hasn’t been worthwhile, undoubtedly going down as a miss for Levy.

However, the Brazilian isn’t the only player to fail to live up to his mammoth fee in North London, joining another player who only demonstrated his quality in glimpses.

The Spurs flop who’s now similar to a £100m talent

Back in the summer of 2019, Spurs spent big on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele from French side Lyon, costing £63m, a then-club record, before Solanke’s rival.

After such a fee, there’s no denying that excitement built among the fanbase over his move, but unfortunately, the now 28-year-old was only able to showcase his skillset on a consistent basis.

He would feature a total of 91 times for the Lilywhites over a three-year period, spending two separate spells on loan at Napoli and Galatasaray before his contract was cut short - allowing him to depart on a free transfer last summer.

Whilst he produced some moments of magic, including his superb effort against Sheffield United, unfortunately, he was unable to produce such levels on a regular basis - leading to his departure with concerns around his attitude and fitness.

However, in the last few months since his departure, he’s moved back to France, joining Nice on a free transfer, recapturing his form which saw Spurs fork out such a hefty fee for his services.

Such is the impressive nature of his performances, the “unbelievable” Ndombele, as dubbed by journalist Jack-Pitt Brooke, he’s been compared by FBref as a similar player to Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes - who previously had a £100m release clause in his deal.

When comparing his figures to the Brazilian in 2024/25, the Frenchman has matched or bettered the Magpies star in numerous key areas, highlighting how impressive he’s been since leaving North London.

It’s great to see a former first-team star after such a tricky period during his time as a player in North London - potentially needing more time to adapt to life in England.

However, after such an impressive run, some of the fanbase may wish they had kept hold of him, with Ndombele having the skill set to feature amid the recent injury troubles.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a horrific injury crisis throughout the 2024/25 campaign, massively restricting Ange Postecoglou from success in his second season at the helm.

The Lilywhites have often been depleted in numerous key areas, resulting in their lowly Premier League standing, which has seen them drop to 12th place - 11 points off the top four with just 12 games to go.

However, multiple players have started to make their comebacks in recent weeks, helping the Aussie end the campaign strongly after their mid-season slump.

Spurs have claimed back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Ipswich Town in the last week, with the likes of Brennan Johnson and James Maddison playing key roles since their return to fitness.

However, the injury issues have allowed one player to stake his claim for a starting role, shining with regular minutes after previously being left out in the cold by Postecoglou.

Djed Spence’s stats for Spurs in 2024/25

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs completed a £20m deal to sign full-back Djed Spence from Middlesbrough, with then-boss Antonio Conte confirming he was a signing made by the hierarchy.

He struggled to make an immediate impact in North London, making just six appearances before loan spells with Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa - also failing to star during his respective stints.

However, the injuries at the back presented the 24-year-old with a chance in the first team, taking his opportunity with both hands now appearing to be a key member of Ange’s backline.

The Englishman has registered two goals and two assists in all competitions throughout 2024/25, netting his first Premier League goal yesterday - fully deserved given his recent form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Despite his recent run in the side, he’s still been outperformed by one player who also struggled to settle into life in North London, before starring after his eventual departure.

The former Spurs ace who’s outperformed Spence in 2024/25

Over the years, the club have made some questionable dealings in the transfer market as they try to close the gap to the top four places and secure Champions League football.

Some have impressed in the first team, with others unable to make the desired impact, with Spence in the latter category until his recent run of games under the Aussie.

Ivan Perišić was a high-profile addition back in the summer of 2022, joining the Lilywhites on a free transfer under Antonio Conte after his release from Inter Milan a couple of months prior.

The Croatian made 44 appearances during his first season at the club, notching one goal and 12 assists, often being the orchestrator with his two-footed set-piece ability.

However, he would tear his ACL in the early stages of 2023/24, registering just six appearances, before moving to Hajduk Split on a free transfer after a loan spell between January and the summer.

Fast-forward to the present day, the 36-year-old is still going strong in Europe, moving to PSV Eindhoven in September and playing a vital role in their Champions League success.

Perisic, who has previously been dubbed “sensational” by journalist Henry Winter, has registered 13 combined goals and assists, a tally Spence has been unable to match to date.

However, when comparing the underlying stats between the pair, the Croatian has trumped the Englishman in various key areas, demonstrating his talents despite his age.

Perisic has thrived in attacking areas, creating more chances and completing more crosses than Spence, highlighting the impact he possesses in the final third.

During his time in North London, the former Inter star often featured at left-back, returning to his more familiar midfield role in the Netherlands, but still managing to better the current Spurs ace for blocks made per 90 in 2024/25.

There’s no denying that Spence has been phenomenal in recent months, potentially earning himself an England call-up as a result of his stellar showings under Postecoglou.

However, Perisic has done superbly well to resurrect his career after his lack of minutes in his second season in England, with his form for PSV once again showcasing his talent despite coming to the back end of his career.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to trigger a £62m release clause for a "sensational" striker, according to a report.

Spurs keen to strengthen in attack

Goals have not been a problem for Tottenham this season, having found the back of the net 53 times in the Premier League, the second-highest total in the division.

Dejan Kulusevski continued his good form with a goal in yesterday's 4-1 victory against Ipswich Town, with Brennan Johnson also bagging a brace, showcasing the quality of the attacking options at Ange Postecoglou's disposal.

Son Heung-min was also singled out for special praise, with Postecoglou lauding the Korean as "almost unplayable", having returned to form after receiving criticism in recent weeks.

However, the manager remains keen on strengthening his frontline in the summer, with Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens becoming the latest player to be linked with a move to north London.

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze has also been named as a target, with Tottenham clearly keen to bolster their options in wide areas, but there are also suggestions they could be set to make a move for an out-and-out striker.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Spurs are now ready to trigger the £62m release clause in Matheus Cunha's contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There could be a huge transfer battle on the cards this summer, as a number of top Premier League clubs are also keen on Cunha, namely Chelsea, Aston Villa and Arsenal, while Paris Saint-Germain headline the interest from abroad.

The £62m release clause is expected to be activated when the summer transfer window opens, with the 25-year-old likely to have a whole host of options to choose from.

"Sensational" Cunha impressing for Wolves

Wolves took a big step towards avoiding relegation from the Premier League yesterday, defeating AFC Bournemouth 1-0 away from home, and they have their striker to thank once again, with the Brazilian bagging the only goal of the game.

That takes the Wolves star's tally to 14 for the season in all competitions, and he has found the back of the net in each of his last three Premier League outings, so it is no wonder clubs are now starting to queue up for his signature.

Lauded as "sensational" by members of the media, the former Atletico Madrid man has proven he deserves another chance at a top club, and a fee of £62m for a top striker in the Premier League seems reasonable.

The only issue for Tottenham is the interest from elsewhere, as it may be very difficult to win the race for Cunha's signature if he has offers on the table from clubs who have a much higher chance of playing in Europe next season, making this one to watch.