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Tottenham Hotspur could land Michael Kayode for a huge discount

Tottenham Hotspur will be a busy outfit in the January transfer window and it is not ruled out that they bring in at least a couple of players in the winter. While a forward’s signing is expected to top their list of priorities, a defender’s capture is just as important with several of Ange Postecoglou’s key players from the backline suffering injuries.

One player who has emerged on the club’s radar in recent months has been Fiorentina full back Michael Kayode. The 20-year-old was on Tottenham Hotspur’s wish-list in the summer as well but an asking price of approximately £25 million proved to be a deterrent in their pursuit of Kayode. It has been mooted now that he could be available for a discounted amount in January.

According to local Florence daily Firenze Viola, the Serie A side is willing to part with Kayode for almost half the transfer fee next month with the asking price reportedly set at just £13 million now. Arsenal have retained an interest in the player since July this year, whereas Aston Villa and Newcastle United will also prove to be stern competitors alongside Tottenham.

The Premier League is increasingly starting to look like Kayode’s destination and a transfer could very possibly materialise for him within the next four weeks. Fiorentina’s slashed asking price will be a major boost for a number of clubs, not least Tottenham, who could search for a cheaper fix midway through the season before exploring revisiting their transfer strategy in the summer.

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Spurs will be bolstered by the addition of a player who can play in both full back positions as Archie Gray and Ben Davies, the back up right and left backs, have had to step into playing as central defenders in recent weeks. It will be interesting to see if the player responds to their interest positively, or wants to join a team where he can play more regularly.

Tottenham Hotspur are enduring a tough start to the season, currently sitting 12th in the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, who are known this season for upsetting bigger teams. Despite the poor form, manager Ange Postecoglou continues to have the club’s backing. However, reports suggest an upcoming match could be pivotal. Spurs have managed only one win in their last six Premier League fixtures since December began.

Tottenham’s poor results and performances have sparked criticism of Ange Postecoglou. According to the Daily Mail, the Australian still has the backing of the club’s hierarchy, but the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool is seen as a pivotal moment for his tenure. A report from football.london states that Postecoglou’s position is “safe for now,” though there is a clear understanding that results must improve. The club’s progression to the Carabao Cup semi-final is reportedly working in his favour.

The Liverpool game can change the managerial direction of Big Ange

Following a disappointing streak of results after their win against Manchester City, many expected Ange Postecoglou to be out of the job by Christmas. However, the Australian has pointed out that he typically secures trophies in his second season, and it seems the board’s faith in him, combined with a mounting injury crisis, is keeping him in charge despite growing calls from fans for his dismissal.

Reports indicate that Postecoglou’s position is “safe for now,” but there is a clear understanding that results must improve. Spurs’ progress to the Carabao Cup semi-final is playing in his favour. They face league leaders Liverpool in the semi-finals, with the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 8 and the return leg at Anfield on February 6.

A win against the club that Postecoglou grew up admiring to set up a trip to Wembley will certainly go down well with the Spurs faithful. Regardless of how the rest of the season pans out, securing silverware will certainly give Postecoglou breathing space. Getting one over the club that beat you 6-3 at home will be all the more sweeter. Whether that will come to pass is the question.

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Elimination from the Carabao Cup, added to continued poor Premier League form, could influence the club’s stance on Postecoglou’s future. Meanwhile, Tottenham remain in the Europa League, with advancing to the knockout stages being another critical factor.

Daniel Levy backed to bring Julian Brandt to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to bring in an attacking name or two next year and were recently linked with the capture of Borussia Dortmund star Julian Brandt. The 28-year-old has emerged as one of Bundesliga’s finest players in recent years but owing to a contract that expires in June 2026, there has been talk regarding a discounted transfer away to pursue a fresh challenge in 2025.

With that said, it is not hard to see why Spurs would want to attempt his signing. The 28-year-old is in the best years of his career and is a capable option on the left wing, a position which the squad needs numbers in. Son Heung-min is in the final years of his career whereas neither Richarlison nor Timo Werner have fulfilled expectations, with both likely to depart the club next summer too.

And while a swoop for Brandt has been mooted, former Spurs scout Bryan King believes that Daniel Levy would wait another year before trying to acquire the German international on a free transfer. He was quoted saying the following to Tottenham Hotspur News.

“He’s a good player, Brandt. We’re talking about a quality player, a German international. If Spurs have the chance to sign him, and he wants to come to England, then they should absolutely do it. It’s a shame they can’t bring him in this January. I would certainly be looking for Spurs to be signing somebody of that quality. However, we’re talking about Mr. Levy here. If he can get a player for free, he will wait.”

A January transfer for Julian Brandt can be comfortably ruled out even though Spurs might be willing to land a winger in the winter. The forward remains a key part of Borussia Dortmund’s plans in spite of coming to the end of his contract at the Signal Iduna Park and might not be allowed to depart midway through the ongoing campaign.

Having said that, it highlights Daniel Levy’s incompetence if he believes a player of Brandt’s quality would choose Tottenham if he had a number of choices upon becoming a free agent. Admittedly, there will be a huge market for his services and he would prefer joining a club playing regularly in the Champions League as well as one that contends for trophies perennially, neither of which Spurs do.

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Instead, Spurs would have some chance at landing him if they tried to proactively negotiate a deal for the player in 2025, with the possibility of a lower transfer fee also on the cards. It will be interesting to see how things pan out with regards to Brandt’s future given that he could even prolong his stay at Dortmund sooner or later.

Tottenham host Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 29th

Tottenham Hotspur host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, December 29th, as they look to draw the curtains on 2024 with a win in front of their home supporters in the Premier League after two successive defeats. The Lilywhites will also reach the halfway point of the season following the game against Vitor Pereira’s side and it is fair to say that they have a lot of work to do in the second half of the campaign if they are to finish in the European spots by May.

The match could also be an important landmark in Ange Postecoglou’s career at Spurs as more dropped points could see the Australian get the firing from Daniel Levy. The only reason the Tottenham chief has not pulled the trigger on him is due to the busy festive schedule but with nearly a week between the team’s next two games, there could very possible be a seismic news coming out of Hotspur Way if things don’t end up working out perfectly.

Team News

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur will be without Djed Spence after his red card against Nottingham Forest in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat. The Lilywhites are also going to miss Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Mikey Moore, Radu Dragusin, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert – all of whom are having fitness worries ahead of Wolves’ visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That being said, Ben Davies is likely to be fit and might start for a depleted side in the heart of the backline. Spurs will need to take control of the game from the word go as Wolves, in spite of being 17th, will be a big challenge having recently seen off Manchester United. Likewise, the offensive game-plan will also need to be robust.

PREDICTED TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Gray, Davies, Udogie; Kulusevski, Sarr, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers don’t have to deal with any suspension problems on their visit to north London but will be without as many as six players for the game. Boubacar Traore, Enso Gonzalez, Mario Lemina, Pablo Sarabia, Sasa Kalajdzic and Yerson Mosquera are unlikely to be at Vitor Pereira’s disposal owing to injury issues.

Matheus Cunha will be the visiting outfit’s biggest threat going forward and with 10 goals as well as four assists to his name in the ongoing campaign, the Brazilian marksman will have to be closely monitored by the Lilywhites. Defensively, Wolves are not doing a solid job and having conceded 40 times in the Premier League this season, Spurs can exploit them if they are not compact.

PREDICTED WOLVES XI (3-4-2-1): Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Gomes; Semedo, Andre, Gomes, Ait Nouri; Guedes, Cunha; Strand Larsen

Match-deciding duel

Pedro Porro vs Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha is in imperious form and if Tottenham Hotspur are able to deal with the threat posed by him, they would have done more than half their defensive duties right. Pedro Porro will be tasked with keeping the South American hitman at bay and it will be interesting to see how the former Sporting Lisbon right back squares up against Cunha.

Porro’s role will likely be more defensive than usual and he would consequently not have the license to go forward as a result of having to tightly mark Cunha, so it will be interesting to see how that possible tactic affects the team’s offensive momentum down the right side, and whether Dejan Kulusevski is freed from his defensive shackles as a result.

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Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers will come into the game with their tails up having defeated Manchester United very convincingly in their previous outing. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are crippling in terms of form and fitness, with a lack of squad depth proving detrimental for Ange Postecoglou with every passing game. It is becoming increasingly hard to see Spurs picking up points, not least when their opponent is playing some very good football, especially given the so-called ‘new manager bounce’.

Tottenham Hotspur’s defensive department has been incredibly substandard for the majority of the first half of the ongoing season, though a fair share of their worries at the back have been compounded by injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Radu Dragusin has done a decent job in their absence but Ben Davies has not particularly impressed and is ageing.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are plotting a move for Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey heading into the January transfer window. The 26-year-old has played less than 100 minutes for the Serie A leaders across all competitions and is keen on departing the club to reignite his career, with a swoop back to England the priority for the former Everton star.

Godfrey’s transfer is unlikely to cost much for Tottenham Hotspur given his status as a fringe player with Atalanta, so Spurs should not have too many problems in possibly acquiring him either. With that said, the Englishman might also be open to moving to north London, where he could be in for some regular game time in the second half of the season, especially in the cup competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur will be confident in Ben Godfrey’s abilities given that he has the experience of playing in the Premier League and was one of the league’s more promising youngsters before making the switch to Italy. A somewhat versatile option, the player is even capable of playing as a right back should he ever be required to play in place of Pedro Porro.

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A centre back’s addition is vital for Tottenham and Godfrey would undoubtedly fit the bill from a financial as well as sporting perspective. With that being said, a low-cost transfer for the Atalanta man also means the Lilywhites will have the bandwidth to spend on other areas of the pitch in the winter with a winger also expected to be their priority.

Tottenham are expected to be active in the upcoming January transfer window

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to put 2024 behind them, with the last two months being a real struggle for Ange Postecoglou’s side to compete in the Premier League with a never-ending injury list.

Over the last few weeks, Ange Postecoglou has had to cope without his first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and centre-backs Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are both recovering from hamstring injuries while academy starlet Mikey Moore is gradually returning to full fitness after being hit by a bad virus.

Injuries have certainly played a big part in Spurs enduring a tough season, although the lack of a plan B from the Australian tactician has proven detrimental with him unwilling to adapt his style of playing despite current circumstances. Players have been shoehorned into different positions and asked to play in the same manner, and it just hasn’t worked out.

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The January transfer window is coming at the right time for the Lilywhites to add to their squad which has been decimated by injury problems. Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has now shed light on Tottenham’s January transfer business, claiming they could add one or two players who are likely to be young talent rather than established stars.

Spurs spent big money on Dominic Solanke in the summer and the English striker has done a good job so far, directly contributing to 15 goals in 23 appearances. That is a good return from Solanke playing in his first season under Big Ange, but Tottenham could do with a backup striker to fill in for their club-record acquisition when he’s unavailable or needs a break.

Vitor Roque, currently plying his trade for Real Betis on loan from Barcelona, has been watched by a Spurs scout recently. The Brazilian is only 19 and fits the profile of signings Spurs have made in recent transfer windows.

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Defensive reinforcements are an absolute must owing to injuries to Van de Ven, Romero and Davies. Young midfielder Archie Gray playing in central defence alongside Radu Dragusin is not ideal in any case, and Spurs require a bit of depth in that weakened position. Atalanta’s Ben Godfrey has been subject to links with a move to White Hart Lane in recent times.

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All in all, the winter transfer window will allow Tottenham to take stock and fortify their squad. All eyes will be on Daniel Levy as Spurs hope to have a productive second half of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking for some reinforcements in the upcoming 2025 transfer intervals, and Daniel Levy is expected to stay put to his recently adapted buy young and nurture them at White Hart Lane strategy as the North Londoners look to sign 17-year-old Italian sensation Mattia Liberali from AC Milan.

The Lilywhites have been subject to links with a move for the attacking midfielder alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United and German giants Borussia Dortmund, per Italian outlet Milan Live.

Spurs have been looking to add more depth and dynamism in the attacking midfield role as they look to have more competition for James Maddison; however, they are looking to recruit another highly young potential who can be an understudy to the former Leicester City man, much like Lucas Bergvall.

Milan scraping to keep hold of Mattia Liberali

Amid interest from multiple clubs, AC Milan are still looking to tie down the youngster to a new contract at San Siro as they scrape to hold on to Liberali’s services given the three-way interest in his signatures.

The Italian U19 international has scored 3 goals and provided one assist in the ongoing 2024/25 campaign while also making his senior bow in the Italian top tier against Genoa recently.

It is to be seen if the Milan Reds are able to keep hold of the academy starlet or if the interest from outside will weigh too heavily for Mattia to stay at San Siro.

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Do you think Tottenham should sign another young attacking midfielder, or would you prefer a more experienced option? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Milan Skriniar as the North Londoners look to add depth and quality on the defensive side of things given the problems that Ange Postecoglou has faced with injuries.

The Lilywhites have a first-choice duo. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been a consistent presence in the treatment room, and one of the North Londoners backups to the duo, Ben Davies, has also joined the defenders on the sidelines. And the Australian head coach has been forced to deploy Archie Grey at the heart of defence.

Daniel Levy is looking to cement this crack in the Spurs roster as he looks to bring in Skriniar, who is set to be made available by PSG in the upcoming January transfer window with a fee of €35m deemed enough to secure his signatures.

Newcastle want Skriniar

However, his services won’t come easy; Spurs Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also looking to land the 29-year-old with Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar’s situations at St. James Park still a bit blurry, per Caught Off Side.

The interest in the former Milan centre-back doesn’t end there, with multiple European elites interested in snapping up his services, with the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, Al Nassr, and Atletico Madrid interested in his services.

And given such wide interest in his signatures, Daniel Levy & Tottenham will face significant competition to secure his signatures, making this one of the most closely watched transfer sagas of the upcoming winter window.

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Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a January move for Randal Kolo Muani

Tottenham Hotspur forwards Richarlison and Wilson Odobert have not been available at Ange Postecoglou’s disposal for much of the campaign, while Timo Werner’s performances have been substantially below the expected standard with the manager also calling him out some weeks ago after a long run of frustrating outings in the final third.

According to TBR Football, Spurs are plotting a move in January for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani. The French international, who played at the World Cup in 2022 at Qatar under Didier Deschamps, joined the Ligue 1 outfit in a lucrative transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt but has fallen down the pecking order under Luis Enrique since the start of the season.

He has been linked with departing the Parc des Princes and it is likely that PSG will cut their losses by letting him leave on a discounted transfer sooner rather than later. Apart from Tottenham, there is interest in the player from Arsenal and Manchester United as well, with the Premier League looking increasingly likely as his next destination.

Randal Kolo Muani is aged 26 and has the best years of his career ahead of him, so it is not a surprise to see a number of clubs interested in him in spite of a flopped couple of seasons in France. However, there will be major doubts if indeed he will be able to succeed at Tottenham and in the Premier League, which is of far superior quality than the Ligue 1, if he has been extremely poor with PSG.

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Moreover, the player is mainly a striker and has not excelled in wide roles on the pitch, so it remains to be seen just how much intent Spurs will show in a possible race to sign him. Dominic Solanke is doing well as the team’s number nine whereas there might soon be more minutes coming Will Lankshear’s way, thereby making Kolo Muani’s purchase slightly redundant.

Micky van de Ven will not play again for Tottenham in 2024

Tottenham Hotspur have witnessed an unprecedented injury situation this season, with several key absentees hampering the performance and consistency levels.

The defence has been severely plagued with injuries. Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies are all currently in the treatment room, and when your first-choice goalkeeper and centre-back pairing are missing, it is certainly going to affect the team.

Micky van de Ven has been unfortunate with hamstring issues for the second season running in North London. The Dutchman made a surprise return from injury against Chelsea earlier this month, only to suffer a setback in the second half. He was forced off the pitch with a recurrence of his hamstring issue, ruling him out for the remainder of 2024.

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Ange Postecoglou admitted that the 23-year-old will return at some point in the New Year, along with his centre-back partner Romero, who suffered a quad injury in the first half of the same game against Chelsea.

Now, injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has dropped a worrying update on Micky van de Ven, revealing that the defender will not be 100 per cent fit until next season. The doctor claims that he will need a ‘proper off-season’ where the entire emphasis has to be on his healing as the defender has a history of hamstring issues.

Van de Ven doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break from hamstring issues. The Wormer-born talent previously missed two months of the 2023-24 campaign due to a hamstring injury. He has featured only in nine Premier League games this term and missed 15 games already.

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It is extremely frustrating for a defender who is so talented and blessed with explosive pace. The 23-year-old makes Spurs better whenever he is playing in the first XI. He has been among the first names on Big Ange’s teamsheet when fully fit.

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Sadly, hamstring problems directly have an impact on a player’s pace, which is one of the Netherlands international’s strengths. Van de Ven has a history of such issues and it isn’t surprising to know that it will take him time to regain full fitness. Our club’s medical department have to be very careful when managing his fitness and must avoid rushing him back into action.