FootballFanCast.com

There has been very little to celebrate for Tottenham Hotspur fans this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been incredibly poor in the Premier League and, in the last week, have crashed out of both the League Cup courtesy of Liverpool and the FA Cup at the hands of Aston Villa.

The North Londoners were comfortably the second-best team in both games, and while there was nothing positive about the 4-0 hammering at Anfield, the fans were at least able to see new boy Mathys Tel open his account at Villa Park.

The loanee has a £45m option to buy inserted in his deal, and while fans will be hoping that it gets activated in the summer, Daniel Levy might look to one of their most exciting youth players who's tearing it up on loan as a way to save millions on the Frenchman.

Why Spurs should sign Tel

So, if we step away from the money involved in this potential deal, why would Spurs want to sign Tel?

Well, in short, the 19-year-old gem looks like he could be a future superstar in the making, and while it's hard to come to that conclusion from his lack of football this season, you can get a better idea of his ability from how well he played last year.

For example, despite playing just 1406 minutes of first-team football across 41 appearances for FC Hollywood, the Sarcelles-born dynamo racked up an outrageously impressive haul of ten goals and six assists.

That means that the teenage phenomenon maintained a simply unreal average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes.

That's not all, though, as on top of being an incredibly dangerous attacker, the "mind-blowing" prospect, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also positionally versatile, so while he can certainly play on either wing, he's just as comfortable down the middle, or as a second striker.

However, and this is the part fans might not want to hear, that's the role one of their own promising loan stars has played before, and therefore, there is a chance Levy and Co see him as a cheaper alternative to Tel.

The Spurs gem who could replace Tel

One of the few positives to come out of this season for Spurs has been the emergence and development of their younger players, be that Mikey Moore making his way from the academy to the first team or Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray taking to Premier League football like ducks to water.

However, while they understandably don't garner as much attention from the fans or media, the Lilywhites also have several genuinely exciting talents out on loan, with Jamie Donley perhaps being the most compelling of the lot.

The 20-year-old has spent the season in East London with League One side Leyton Orient, and to say he's thrived at Brisbane Road would be an understatement.

For example, in just 31 appearances for The O's, the "sensational" talent, as dubbed by Kulig, has found the back of the net on five occasions and provided six assists for good measure, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.81 games.

Moreover, the Antrim-born prospect grabbed the headlines over the weekend when his brilliant long-range effort bounced off the back of Stefan Ortega and into the back of the net against Manchester City in the FA Cup.

However, while he's primarily played in attacking midfield this season, the young Englishman who's blessed with "a left foot of pure gold" per Kulig, spent much of his time in Tottenham's academy playing up top or as a second striker.

That means he could be viewed as a viable alternative to Tel by Levy and Co should they decide against splashing the cash on the Frenchman.

Ultimately, Spurs have an incredibly exciting homegrown talent in Donley, and they should do all they can to create a path to the first team for him, but to help the club move forward, that shouldn't be at the expense of Tel.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the charge to sign an "amazing" £83m midfielder, despite widespread interest in the Premier League, according to a report.

Tottenham targeting a midfielder

Although Tottenham were relatively busy in the January transfer window, they still remain short on numbers, amid the ongoing injury crisis, which indicates they will need to improve the depth of their squad ahead of next season.

One position in which Spurs are looking to strengthen is central midfield, with a defensive midfielder of particular interest, and they are well-positioned to win the race for Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso, having formulated plans to activate his release clause.

Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton is another player on the shortlist, while Angel Gomes is also being considered in a slightly more advanced role, with the England international's Lille contract set to expire at the end of the season.

According to a report from Caught Offside, the Lilywhites are also leading the charge for Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios, who they were determined to sign in the January transfer window.

Rios will not come cheap, however, as there is a €100m (£83m) release clause included in his contract, which the Brazilian club are insisting on receiving if they are to sanction a sale.

Tottenham are ready to make a move for the Colombian in the summer transfer window, but they are not willing to fork out the huge asking price, so Palmeiras will need to lower their demands if a deal is to occur.

There may be competition for the 24-year-old's signature, too, as the likes of West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are also ready to make moves of their own at the end of the season.

Rios impressing for club and country

While his performances are unlikely to justify a £83m outlay, the midfielder has put in some impressive displays for Palmeiras, and he is ranked among their best-performing players in the league this season.

Over the past year, the maestro has proven himself in both an attacking and defensive sense, ranking high on a number of key metrics.

Such performances at club level have earned the Palmeiras star a call-up to his national side, featuring in the Copa America final against Argentina last year, and he was credited for putting in an "amazing" performance.

That said, Palmeiras' asking price is far too high, which could prove to be prohibitive, especially considering the Vegachi-born ace is contracted until the end of 2028.

There are signs Rios could be a quality signing for Tottenham, but they should only pursue a deal if the Brazilian club are willing to lower their demands by a considerable amount.

Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring two Premier League players ahead of the summer transfer window, with a "sensational" £60m midfielder on their radar, according to a report.

Spurs struggling amid injury crisis

Tottenham's season has undoubtedly been hampered by the scale of the injury crisis in N17, and Ange Postecoglou bemoaned the number of players currently sidelined in the wake of his side exiting the EFL Cup at the hands of Liverpool.

"Vicario, Romero, Destiny, Van de Ven, Solanke, Odobert... I could go on and on. We had 10 senior players missing. If you take seven or eight key players from any team and you're playing the best team in the league at the best, I don't think you make judgements in these moments."

After crashing out of the EFL Cup as a result of the 4-0 drubbing at Anfield, Postecoglou is undoubtedly under increasing pressure, with recent performances not good enough, regardless of the number of players currently on the sidelines.

However, the Australian continues to work on potential signings for the summer, with the injuries this season perhaps indicating the manager needs a bigger squad to work with if he is going to continue to play such an intense style of football.

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham are now closely monitoring two Premier League players for the end of the season, namely Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton and Southampton's Tyler Dibling.

The English duo have attracted Spurs' attention after putting in some impressive performances for their respective clubs, with Dibling enjoying a breakout season at St Mary's, despite the fact his side are at serious risk of relegation.

The report claims the Lilywhites are looking to sign young players for the future, rather than focusing on big-name signings, and the Premier League duo fit the bill in that regard, with Dibling just 18, while Wharton - valued at £60m in the summer - is 21.

Dibling and Wharton impressing in the Premier League

It is no wonder Tottenham are looking to sign the talented English youngsters given that they have been in good form this season, with Dibling solidifying his place in the Southampton first team, picking up four goals and two assists in all competitions.

Crystal Palace star Wharton has been impressing for quite some time now, receiving a call-up to the England squad for Euro 2024, and he has been the subject of high praise from members of the media.

Dibling and Wharton are showing signs of great promise, so it is exciting news Tottenham are in the running for their signatures, although it may be difficult to lure them to north London if they fail to qualify for Europe next season, which is looking increasingly likely.

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign an "extraordinary" midfielder this summer and have a £21m bid in the works, according to a report.

Tottenham keen to strengthen in multiple areas

Amid their ongoing injury woes, Tottenham made moves to sign a number of players in the latter stages of the January transfer window, although their only high-profile arrival was Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Spurs made a late £70m bid for Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, which was knocked back by the Premier League side, while they have also held talks over a move for Lille striker Jonathan David, with the Canadian's contract set to expire in the summer.

As such, it is clear Ange Postecoglou feels he needs to strengthen in a number of different positions if his side are to be more competitive in the Premier League next season, having massively underperformed in the ongoing campaign.

According to a report from Football Insider, Postecoglou has picked out defensive midfield as the priority position to strengthen in the summer, and Tottenham are now planning to activate the £21m release clause in Johnny Cardoso's Real Betis contract.

Spurs hold a major advantage over rival suitors, having secured a priority option to sign the midfielder when they agreed to sell Giovani Lo Celso to Real Betis.

Aston Villa are also interested in Cardoso, but the Lilywhites are seemingly leading the race for his signature due to the first-refusal option.

There is also a feeling a deal could be straightforward if the release clause is triggered in June, as agreeing personal terms with the highly rated 23-year-old is not expected to be an issue.

"Extraordinary" Cardoso flourishing in La Liga

With Postecoglou keen on a defensive midfielder this summer, the Betis star could be the perfect addition to the squad given his performances for the Spanish side over the course of the past year.

The American has been flourishing from a defensive standpoint, ranking in the 98th percentile for interceptions per 90, the 95th percentile for clearances and the 86th percentile for aerials won when compared to his positional peers.

Such is the maestro's ability, he has been lauded as "extraordinary" by Betis president Angelo Haro, and he has been a key player for the La Liga side this term, having started the last seven matches in the Spanish top flight.

Daniel Levy has received his fair share of criticism from Tottenham fans this season, but the agreement to include a priority option to sign Cardoso in the deal to sell Lo Celso could prove to be a masterstroke.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured their fair share of frustration this season, with Ange Postecoglou's ambitious project stunted by an unrelenting surge of injuries.

It's left Spurs stranded in 14th place in the Premier League, with the poor and lasting form eradicating any hopes of qualifying for European competition next season through the top flight.

However, Postecoglou's side are still in the FA Cup, meeting Aston Villa at Villa Park later today, and finished fourth in the league phase of the Europa League, bypassing the additional knockout round.

There's hope yet that an exciting finish to the campaign could be forged from the scalding flames of recent months, with Son Heung-min captaining the side and eyeing a maiden piece of silverware.

The skipper is now 32 and has come under fire for some of his performances this term, but he's still a major influence capable of driving the Lilywhites forward.

Son Heung-min's season in numbers

In 2015, Tottenham signed Son from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £22m fee when he was 23 years old. The dynamic forward has since forged a fine career for himself in England, posting 172 goals and 92 assists across 440 appearances and being hailed for his "world-class" quality by Postecoglou last season.

Having taken the armband from the departed Harry Kane at the beginning of Ange's tenure, Son has been the standout attacker, and even though he's discernibly on the decline in regard to athleticism and energy this term, he's still scored 10 goals and supplied 8 assists across 32 matches in all competitions.

Son's still got enough in the tank to play a big part for his long-served side, but there's no doubt that he's struggling, and the recruitment to aid him on the left flank hasn't been good enough.

Timo Werner is playing in his second successive loan spell at the club and was singled out for his lack of fight and determination by Postecoglou in December, with the Australian manager saying it was "not acceptable".

Moreover, Wilson Odobert is dealing with a long-term injury after joining from Burnley for £25m last summer - the 20-year-old only featured three times in the league, failing to hit the target or create a big chance while also failing with 68% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Rewarded for his loyalty with a new contract in January, the veteran forward needs to be playing with a higher calibre of support, more energy and impetus. He can't play twice a week to the same level anymore, and given that Spurs are struggling for players to compete with Son, our mind is cast back to Steven Bergwijn.

Spurs must rue losing Steven Bergwijn

Son is still a potent attacking force. Technically, the South Korean captain is still one of Postecoglou's best players and his goal record reflects his value.

However, his underlying energy has been diminished, with pundits such as Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp picking up on the changes.

With Son's aforementioned positional peers struggling to impose themselves, Bergwijn's particular approach could have gone down a treat in this Postecoglou system.

Plainly, Son is a victim of the system crashing this season and would have benefited greatly from a more stable, less injury-affected campaign, but instead, he's toiling.

Bergwijn, 27, is now playing his third season since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his energy and potency in front of goal would have been the perfect mix to lessen Son's load and play off the left flank when he tires in Ange's fast-paced team.

Tottenham signed Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for a fee in the region of £25m in January 2020, but the electric-paced winger only managed to score 8 goals across 83 matches for the north Londoners.

Embroiled in the thick of Antonio Conte's downfall, Bergwijn was set up to fail.

Now playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Bergwijn has enjoyed a healthy return of seven goals and seven assists over 24 matches this season, though his athletic metrics further underscore the quality that Tottenham are missing on their left flank.

He has averaged 4.3 successful duels, 1.8 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game in the league this term, as per Sofascore, perfectly illustrating the kind of robust style of play that would be so well suited to Postecoglou's free-flowing and high-octane football.

Moreover, the 27-year-old has been hailed as a "big-game monster" in the past by journalist John Cross - something that Spurs could have done with, for example, at Anfield earlier this week, with Son branded with a 5/10 match score by Football.london's Alasdair Gold after his performance, where he was singled out for his inability to get on the ball against Liverpool.

The saving grace is that Tottenham were able to recoup £26m for the failed signing, who fled back to the Dutch Eredivisie to sign with Ajax in July 2022.

However, given that Spurs turned their transfer cannon toward Richarlison, signing the Brazilian for a whopping £60m fee, it's perhaps less satisfactory.

Ultimately, Bergwijn was "unlucky at Spurs" - a comment made by pundit and ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson - and it's quite possible that in different circumstances, perhaps under Postecoglou, he would have enjoyed far greater success in the Premier League.

Ever since Ange Postecoglou arrived in north London, it's been clear that his emphasis lies on attacking football that easy on the eye and overwhelming.

Tottenham Hotspur are an enigma - at their best, they are capable of giving top teams a hiding, but at their worst, are susceptible to the most ignominious of results or stuck on the wrong side of a basketball scoreline.

Scour through social media and you'll find rival supporters peddling false claims of Spurs whinging about their injury issues, but there is substantial truth in Postecoglou's indignation on that front.

Tottenham's season has been decimated by fitness blow after fitness blow after fitness blow. Oh, he'll die on his tactical hill to be sure, but the Australian gaffer's electric start to life down in N17 last season bespeaks his and Tottenham's potential.

In fairness, Spurs were drained of colour and inspiration as Liverpool picked them apart in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday, but Arne Slot's side are probably the best team in the world right now, steamrolling through the season.

Naturally, Tottenham didn't reach the end of the match without another cruel injury blow.

Richarlison added to the injury list

Ever since Postecoglou arrived, Tottenham have wanted to attack. This has been both a blessing and a curse. Son Heung-min is one of the finest forwards of his generation, but aged 32, he has struggled to match the desired intensity this term and has floundered with the cogs crashing around him.

It doesn't help that his teammates keep getting picked off, with Richarlison unable to complete the Merseyside clash after pulling up with an issue as he was withdrawn before the break.

Postecoglou resignedly said that it was "another one to add to the list" after the fixture, with Richarlison set to return to the medical room only a month after returning from a hamstring problem that had ruled him out for two months.

Mathys Tel arrived on loan last week to add relief, but Spurs need Dominic Solanke to return from the infirmary if their attacking fluency is to be restored.

Spurs have struck gold on Dominic Solanke

Last month, Tottenham's injury crisis deepened when Solanke pulled up with a knee injury that will take six weeks to recover from. He's unlikely to return before the end of February.

Solanke is Tottenham's club-record signing, brought in from Bournemouth last summer in a deal rising to £65m. Richarlison was the previous number one.

The belated Harry Kane replacement, 27, has posted 11 goals and 6 assists across 29 matches in all competitions this season. This is a decent return, built on the excellent campaign that convinced Daniel Levy to pay the big bucks, with Solanke notching 19 top-flight goals for the Cherries last year.

Solanke isn't the most relentless of goalscorers, only averaging 2.59 shots per Premier League match this season, as per FBref, which puts him in the bottom 45% of strikers in the division.

He suffered from similar defects in his early days at the Vitality Stadium, with former teammate Junior Stanislas highlighting the many other areas that make him a top forward: "His quality was evident in training. His hold-up play, skills and willingness to run in behind - he was someone you always wanted on your team. He brought so much more than goals."

Spurs held off from signing a direct Kane successor last season, but Solanke is now proven as a well-thought-out option, bringing his own take on the No 9 role and not expected to bring the obscene strike record of his predecessor.

Moreover, five of his seven Premier League goals this season have come against teams in the top half of the table, with the other two bagged against Brentford and Manchester United (he also put two past the Red Devils as Spurs advanced to the Carabao Cup semis).

He's a big-game player and a facilitator for teammates such as Son to find more space in the danger areas and wreak the kind of havoc that Postecoglou's system, at full throttle, provides.

Described as a "pressing monster", the England international will be a major player over the coming years and will be one of the biggest driving forces as Spurs push to escape from the rut that they are currently bogged in.

Before long, Spurs' new striker might be worth more than the legendary Kane, whose £54m release clause at Bayern Munich becomes active during the 2026 January transfer window.

Kane, who turns 32 this summer, has scored 72 goals from 73 matches since joining Bayern from Tottenham in 2023, adding 28 assists. The Three Lions captain's teammate, Jamal Musiala, has described him as "an incredible player, one of the best in the world".

Certain fans might be tempted to voice hopes of Kane re-joining next summer when his release clause becomes active, but in Solanke, Tottenham have a most industrious and energetic option.

Simply, £54m would be too heavy a price for a player whose 33rd year would be encroaching. Tottenham have endured plenty of misery in the transfer market over the past few years, but in Solanke, they have a striker capable of offering a multi-faceted approach over the coming years.

Re-signing Kane for such a sum would set Levy back, and the fact that Solanke will soon be worth more than his predecessor bears testament to his importance in Ange's side

Tottenham Hotspur are beginning to hold a real transfer regret, after they were offered an elite striker's signature in the January window but opted not to pursue it with enough intent, with the Lilywhites now fearful they're about to lose the race for his services.

Tottenham secure loan deal for Mathys Tel but future uncertain

Ange Postecoglou is convinced that January signing Mathys Tel, who joined Spurs on a six-month loan with an option to buy at around £47 million, will remain in north London beyond this campaign.

Postecoglou boldly stated that Tel would be staying, with the Australian convinced he'll remain at N17 for the long run.

"He'll be a Tottenham player, mate. He'll be a Tottenham player. I think he'll show everyone he's going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn't bring him here for six months," said Postecoglou on Tel's future.

"I think he is very, very exciting. When you meet him you realise he’s got that bit about him as a person who has enormous self-belief and confidence in what he can do and what he wants to do.

"Even though he’s young, physically he’s already in a place where he can take on the enormous challenges of being an attacking player in the Bundesliga and I think he can handle the Premier League. He’s a goal-scorer, he can take people on, he’s got speed. He is exciting."

However, reports to the contrary suggest that the 19-year-old's future isn't quite as set in stone, despite the buy option.

A lot of it will centre around the forward's own preference, with reliable Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk stating that Tel still has his eyes on a potential move to Man United this summer, while a return to Bayern is also possible.

Taking this into account, it would be a prudent move for Spurs to consider alternatives, in the event Tel doesn't want to continue at the club.

Tottenham beginning to rue missed Jonathan David transfer chance

Lille star Jonathan David, who'll be a free agent this summer, stands out as perhaps the biggest bargain alternative to Tel that Postecoglou could hope for.

The 25-year-old, who's scored six goals in eight Champions League games this season, also boasts a total of 20 across 34 appearances in all competitions this season. He's been a prolific scorer in France for years now, and elite clubs across the continent are standing up and taking notice, as the opportunity to snap him up at zero cost will soon present itself.

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham were offered the chance to agree a pre-contract with David ahead of a switch this summer, and they're beginning to regret not pursuing the opportunity with more gusto.

Spurs are now very worried they'll lose the race for Canada's superstar as a result, with Barcelona allegedly leading the race for David as things stand.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a potential blow in their plan to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich in a permanent deal this summer, with reliable Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk sharing an update on his future.

Spurs sign Mathys Tel on loan with £46 million option to buy

In one of the most dramatic stories of the January transfer window, Tel joined Spurs in a last minute deal after pulling a major U-turn on his decision to sign for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Chairman Daniel Levy flew to Munich for talks with the 19-year-old, but ended up travelling back to England empty-handed after originally failing to convince him. However, reports state that Postecoglou played a major role in changing Tel's mind at the last minute, with the Frenchman then opting to join Spurs in a major boost for the north Londoners.

"Daniel Levy flew to Munich last week because Johan Lange feared that his meeting and presentation with Mathys Tel didn’t have the desired impact," said L'Equipe reporter Loic Tanzi.

"After meeting with Levy, Tel communicated that he wasn’t going to join Spurs. It was as much about showing that he wouldn’t be forced into something by Bayern as it was about not being convinced by Spurs.

"Sunday evening, Ange Postecoglou spoke with Tel over the phone. Postecoglou put forward how he planed to use Tel, expressed how much he valued Tel’s versatility and speed, and expressed that he thought Tel could torment Premier League defences with his qualities.

"It was a long and concrete speech, and it ‘scored points’ with Tel, who appreciated the coach focusing on his plans for him on the pitch, as opposed to the ‘project’ that the management tried to sway him with. Monday morning, the player decided he was going to Tottenham."

Tottenham's loan deal for Tel includes a £46 million option to buy, and going by his fairly bright debut against Liverpool on Thursday, he's a player who could eventually make a serious difference amid their injury crisis.

The teenage sensation bagged 10 goals and six assists in all competitions for Bayern last season, and Postecoglou will be hoping Tel can replicate those numbers at his new landing spot.

Tottenham dealt Mathys Tel summer transfer blow after Man United claim

However, signing him indefinitely won't be straightforward. Tottenham have every intention of keeping Tel beyond 2024/2025, but it will rest on the player's preference, as German football insider Christian Falk explains.

Falk states that Tel would like to join Man United this summer, despite agreeing buy-option terms with Tottenham, so the Red Devils could yet tempt the 19-year-old with an alternative Premier League move to Old Trafford.

"There were also talks with Manchester United who were interested in Mathys Tel’s signature," wrote Falk on his own version of the Dailybriefing.

"Tel was certainly open to the move, but United weren’t prepared to pay the loan fee Bayern Munich were demanding at the time (€5m). So, you see, there was a huge difference to the offer Tottenham came to the table with. Whether Tel stays with Bayern beyond the summer or moves on, it’s entirely up to him. If he can make the step to United, he would like to do it."

A lot can change from now till the summer, and Tel has already displayed a tendency to switch his mind, but United remaining an option means Spurs are not certain to keep him.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be among the many clubs contending to sign in-demand Lille striker Jonathan David on a free transfer, with the player now allegedly making a decision on his next landing spot.

Jonathan David scores for fun in France with contract running down

After June 30th, the Canada international will be free to move on to new pastures at zero cost, with his contract expiring at the end of this season.

David, who's scored 20 goals across 34 appearances for Lille in all competitions already this season, has entered the final few months of his career at the Ligue 1 club - which has piqued interest from a host of top European sides.

The 25-year-old Brooklyn-native stands out as, potentially, one of the summer's biggest bargain transfers. Despite barely reaching the peak of his career, David's already hit over a century of goals for Lille, 104 to be exact, not to mention 27 assists to go with that truly impressive tally.

The former Gent sensation's record in front of goal speaks for itself, and while you could make a case that he hasn't been tested in a truly elite division like the Premier League just yet, that argument can be somewhat quashed by David's record in the Champions League.

This term, he's managed six goals in eight Champions League outings. They've come against big-name opposition as well, with David bagging a brace against Atlético Madrid, grabbing Lille's winner in a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid and even scoring at Anfield - alongside another strike against Juventus.

There is little denying that David can be considered an elite-level marksman at this point, making the prospect of signing him for nothing a very tempting proposition.

Tottenham have been linked with a move for David, as have an array of other top European clubs, with journalist Graeme Bailey now sharing a potentially important update on his future.

According to Bailey, writing in a piece for The Boot Room, suitors believe that David has already chosen his preferred next club.

Tottenham held talks with the player's representatives recently, alongside Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham, but it is Barcelona who are leading the race to sign him.

Bailey claims that David has chosen to join Barcelona over Tottenham as his preferred choice, and talks are at an advanced stage. A Barça deal for the centre-forward is said to be close, so if the Lilywhites wish to pull off a hijack, or turn the tide like they did with Mathys Tel, they're already running out of time.

Given Barca are the team David grew up supporting, by his own admission, so Spurs could be facing an uphill battle to beat Hansi Flick's side to his signature.

“[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting," said David in 2024. "When you grow up supporting a team, it’s a dream to play for them."

There is no getting away from it: this season has been a disaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou's side's form in the Premier League has been diabolical; they are now out of the League Cup and have had to deal with an ever-growing injury list.

Moreover, the club's two top scorers, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson, are now on said list, and their absence has left the team looking incredibly blunt in attack.

Worse still, a player sold by the club in the summer, who may well have been the perfect solution at the moment, is outscoring the pair of them.

Johnson and Solanke's season so far

It would be fair to say that Johnson has endured a mixed time in N17 thus far, as while he certainly wasn't bad in his first season with the club, his return of five goals and ten assists in 34 appearances last season perhaps was slightly below what fans were hoping for, especially as he cost a whopping £47.5m.

Then, the start of this season couldn't have gone any worse for him, as several lacklustre performances, which culminated in an incredibly ineffective display at home to Arsenal, saw a portion of the online fanbase turn on him, so much so that he felt it necessary to deactivate his Instagram account.

However, after he came off the bench to score the winner against Coventry City in the Third Round of the League Cup, the Welsh international started to score for fun.

As things stand, he's racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and three assists in 32 games, and once he's back from his calf injury, we wouldn't be surprised to see him add to that.

For his part, Solanke has enjoyed a relatively successful first campaign in the capital following his club-record £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer.

While it took him more games than he'd liked to get up and running, the Englishman has undoubtedly established himself as one of the most important players in the squad, both for his output and ability to bring his teammates into play.

Prior to his knee injury, the Basingstoke-born marksman had racked up an impressive tally of 11 goals and six assists in just 29 appearances, and like his Welsh teammate, that haul will only improve once he's back in the side.

However, as effective as both attackers have been this season, they have been outscored by someone the club sold in the summer.

The former Spurs player outscoring Solanke and Johnson

Spurs made a number of signings last summer, but they also made their fair share of sales.

The likes of Oliver Skipp, Emerson Royal, Joe Rodon and more all left N17 to ply their trade elsewhere in England and Europe, but the striker outscoring Solanke and Johnson moved from the U21 side: Troy Parrot.

The Irish international spent last season on loan with Dutch side Excelsior, where he did incredibly well, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists in 32 games, which was enough to catch the eye of AZ Alkmaar, who decided to spend around £6.7m to secure his services in July.

Since moving to De Kaasboeren, the "big talent," as was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has maintained his impressive form and has already scored 15 goals and provided three assists in just 32 appearances this season.

In other words, he has scored four more goals than Solanke in just three games more and three more than Johnson in as many games, which isn't bad going from the former academy gem.

Ultimately, the Eredivisie is an easier league, but with two of his star attackers out injured, we reckon Postecoglou would love to have a talented forward like Parrot in his squad right now.