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Tottenham Hotspur have completed their second transfer of the January transfer window.

It's been a tough season so far for the Europa League champions, with new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank finding his side languishing in the bottom half of the table and out of the FA Cup after last week's third-round defeat to Aston Villa.

Despite bringing in new faces over the summer, however, Spurs are committed to continuing the club's rebuild this month, as they look to improve on a squad that finished 17th in the table last term.

Defender deal done for Tottenham Hotspur, on top of Conor Gallagher signing

Conor Gallagher has already been unveiled as a Lilywhites player, with the former Chelsea midfielder brought in for cover following a hamstring injury to Rodrigo Bentancur.

The England man has cost Spurs £35 million, according to the BBC, with another new face to come through the door in the coming days.

ESPN Brasil have reported that a move for Santos defender Souza has now been completed, for a fee believed to be around €15m.

Spurs originally offered €10m for the left-back but appear to have now reached an agreement, with this latest report claiming that, “This money is seen as essential to pay creditors and ward off the possibility of further sanctions from FIFA.”

After the Brazilian club sent Joao Basso on loan to Estoril Praia in Portugal in 2024, Estoril filed a lawsuit against them, with Santos apparently needing this latest transfer fee to settle the debt.

The Alvinegro have to pay just under €3m before a deadline to avoid a transfer ban.

FourFourTwo understands that Spurs are still in the market for further additions before the transfer window closes, as Frank targets European football next season.

Goalkeeper is one position that Spurs are being linked with in particular, with Antonin Kinsky likely to leave the club imminently and question marks over Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks.

Tottenham are said to be interested in the likes of Andriy Lunin, Bart Verbruggen and Mile Svilar as potential options to replace the Italian, who has been linked as a long-term replacement for Yann Sommer at Inter Milan.

Two under-pressure managers clash in a crucial London derby on Saturday, with both Thomas Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo in need of a win.

Spurs will be the favourites as they take on relegation-threatened West Ham, but there will be plenty of nerves on both sides.

Tottenham have won just two of their 10 home games in the Premier League, but could they be boosted by the return of Mohammed Kudus?

Mohammed Kudus injury latest ahead of Tottenham v West Ham

Kudus has been out of action since suffering a thigh injury in his side’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland on 4 January.

But a return against former club West Ham will not be happening, with the Ghana international set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

"Mohammed Kudus unfortunately is a bigger one to the tendon in the quad. That is one where we expect him back after the March international break,” Frank said earlier this month.

The forward has struggled for consistency since making the £55m switch across London, scoring two goals and providing six assists in 19 league appearances.

West Ham, meanwhile, have struggled to replace Kudus, after his five goals and three assists in 32 league appearances last term helped them steer clear of the bottom three.

His continued absence is a blow for Spurs, who have several other injury concerns as they look to arrest their worrying form.

Rodrigo Bentancur, Richarlison, Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are all currently out, leaving Frank thin on options in attack.

Spurs have strengthened in midfield, though, with the signing of former Chelsea man Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

Frank’s side currently sit 14th in the Premier League and fans will demand immediate improvement.

West Ham are seven points adrift of safety after losing to Nottingham Forest last time out.

Dutch teenager Kees Smit is destined to leave the Eredivisie in the coming weeks and months with Premier League clubs among those keen to add the midfielder's progressive profile to their ranks.

Smit has come through at AZ and will almost certainly make the Dutch club a lot of money. For those who follow the UEFA Youth League, Smit and the unfancied AZ were crowned winners of the competition in 2022/23 despite the presence of many more prestigious and established academy sides.

En route to the final, where they defeated Hajduk Split 5-0, AZ had seen off Eintracht Frankfurt by the same scoreline, beaten Real Madrid 4-0 and Barcelona 3-0.

That same year, Smit represented AZ in the REWE Junior Cup - an indoor football tournament held in Germany, contested by professional sides. Unsurprisingly, Smit was named the competition's best player, shining as the tournament's most technically-gifted individual, amongst a crowded field, both figuratively and literally.

Arguably the highlight of Smit's tournament display was a goal versus Fulham in which he stole possession, rode challenges as he drove forward and despite being forced away from goal, had the foresight to kick the ball off the perimeter board and into the net, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and looking very smart in the process. We don't know if snooker is big in the Netherlands, but it was a perfect example of doubling in off the cushion.

Smit is all-action, and there's little hesitation to his game - he's got a certain tiki-taka about him.

Comparisons have been drawn to Spain's anchor Pedri, and while the Barcelona man is currently the more accomplished player, Smit probably has greater athleticism, which probably lends itself better, from an intensity and physicality standpoint, to adapting well to the Premier League.

As mentioned, Smit backs this up with great feet and all-round technical ability. He's flighty and robust, operates well in tight spaces and doesn't overcomplicate it.

Take his performance against Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League, for example; the Eagles pretty quickly identified that stopping Smit at source - when he received the ball whilst facing his own goalkeeper - was the key to preventing AZ playing out from the back. The 19-year-old had other ideas, of course, with delicate dexterity and composure to break the first line of Palace's press, whenever appropriate. The youngster's decision-making shouldn't be overlooked, either.

It's emblematic of Smit's game as a whole - he finds gaps and bursts through them with a dribble or carry. Unlike other progressive players who are useful in transitional teams but less effective for possession-heavy sides, Smit does both.

Rarely is there a 'sure thing' in football as players can promise so much and see their progression derailed by injury or intra-club politics, but if we were to hedge our bets, we'd say Smit is a future Premier League star, not so far off the Kevin De Bruyne mould.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz could become part of City Football Group by the end of the transfer window, according to a report.

Spurs signed 22-year-old Veliz from Rosario Central in August 2023. He went on to feature in eight Premier League matches, scoring once, before loan spells with Sevilla and Espanyol in Spain.

Last July, Spurs sent the Argentina Under-20 international back to Rosario on a season-long loan. Reporting in Brazil indicates that the plan for his season could be diverted away from his home-town club and into the Manchester City universe.

Tottenham forward Veliz is a target for a Manchester City sister club

UOL reports that Brazilian side Bahia is now in advanced negotiations to sign the young striker, truncating his loan back in Santa Fe.

“According to information obtained by UOL from sources close to the negotiation, an agreement in principle has already been reached with Tottenham,” writes Cesar Luis Merlo.

“In the coming days, Tottenham is expected to try to terminate the remaining six months of the striker's loan to Rosario Central in order to facilitate the transfer.

“The offer's value has not been officially disclosed, but the proposal is considered quite high.”

Veliz attracted the attention of the north London club with 17 goals in 53 top-flight appearances in Argentina but was unable to establish himself under former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

He scored once in his two loans to La Liga, where he played for Sevilla and then Espanyol in a total of 20 league games.

Remaining in South America and playing under the auspices of City Football Group could open some doors for Veliz and help him to establish himself with regular first team football.

Bahia are majority-owned by City Football Group, which completed its takeover in the middle of 2023. They’re the current Baiano champions and began their defence with a 4-2 win over Jequie on Sunday.

Managed by legendary Sao Paulo goal-getting goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni, the Tricolor finished seventh in the national championship in 2025 to qualify for the Copa Libertadores.

Ceni is looking to strengthen his hand by adding a promising striker to a squad that already boasts three Argentinians as the new season gets underway.

Thomas Frank's future at Tottenham is continuing to look more and more bleak.

The Spurs boss has seen just one win in six in the Premier League, with the Lilywhites now 14th in the table as we pass the halfway point of the campaign.

Whilst it remains to be seen for now whether the Dane is replaced in North London, a former Arsenal hero has stuck the knife in, believing he knows exactly who should replace Frank should his time run out at Tottenham.

Despite sitting relatively safe in Europe, Spurs' debut campaign has been a poor one to say the least.

Just seven Premier League wins, their last coming away at Crystal Palace in late December, fans are once again looking to alternatives who could perhaps save their season.

Sol Campbell, who famously left Spurs for Arsenal back in 2001, has named a surprise candidate for the job, with the manager in question having only just been sacked by another Premier League club.

“Ruben Amorim [would be the ideal manager for Tottenham]," said Campbell, who spoke to Sky Bet.

"They’ll be looking at him. They’re probably talking to him now; it wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think he’ll go back to Portugal. Tottenham will be talking to him to see if there’s any situation going on – there’ll be people talking behind the scenes.

“Thomas Frank is a top manager, but he’s not at Brentford anymore – it’s a different animal. Tottenham is a big club and people are demanding. They want success and they want to keep moving forward in a successful way. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re talking to other managers.

"Obviously, if he starts turning it around and winning games and having good performances, that helps.

Sometimes you don’t need to win, but if you can have good performances and show you’re moving in the right direction, that can help. But they will be talking to other managers. It’s part and parcel until you show who you are and start winning on a regular basis.”

What do you think? Should Tottenham look to move for Ruben Amorim should Frank leave? Let us know in the comments...

It's ironic so much has been made about set-plays, long throws and the ugly side of the game in the Premier League this season when the one player who epitomises it, is out on loan in Germany.

Luka Vuskovic started out at Hajduk Split in Croatia, debuting at 15 years of age and became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in a league match five days after his 16th birthday. It was a sign of things to come.

The 6ft 4in central defender, who is currently on Tottenham's books, hails from a family of footballers which includes grandfather Mario, father Danijel and brother, also Mario.

Spurs loanee Luka Vuskovic is a monster in the air

Luka, though, promises to hit the heights none of his predecessors could, and that was apparent from a very early age.

At 16, shortly after breaking into - and staying in - the Hajduk Split team, Vuskovic signed a pre-contract agreement at Spurs, with the two clubs agreeing a reported £11 million fee.

He was subsequently sent on loan to Poland's top flight, before a spell in Belgium during 2024/25, where he finished the campaign as KVC Westerlo's second-top scorer on seven goals, as a centre-half.

This year, Vuskovic is with newly-promoted Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga where he's playing regularly and impressing.

Of the 90 aerial duels he has contested so far this term, he has won a staggering 74, at the time of writing, according to data experts Opta. In the Premier League this season, the only player who comes close to matching Vuskovic's 82 per cent aerial success rate is Virgil van Dijk, winning 77 per cent of his.

Few players anywhere in the world come close to matching the big Croatian for the sheer volume of aerial duels contested, and even fewer boast a success rate as high as the 18-year-old's.

It's for that reason that the teenager is a huge threat when it comes to attacking set-pieces, scoring regularly wherever he's been. When set-piece coach Andreas Georgson joined Spurs' coaching team along with Thomas Frank at the beginning of the season, he must have been licking his lips at the prospect of working with Vuskovic in a year's time - if they're still in situ, of course.

However, describing Vuskovic exclusively as some gargantuan Balkan obelisk would do a disservice to his ability in other areas. While he is clunkier in possession than the Micky van de Vens of the world, he is, like most modern centre-halves, comfortable on the ball, passing and carrying out of danger. Even though his style and gait running with the ball aren't exactly silky smooth, good luck regaining possession off him.

Elite box defender, check; penalty area homing missile, check. Coming to a league near you? Also check.

Conor Gallagher appears destined for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month with a fee reportedly agreed between Spurs and Spanish giants Atletico.

Gallagher has spent the past 18 months in Spain's capital working under respected Atleti boss Diego Simeone but is now set for a return to London with Thomas Frank's Spurs.

Tottenham find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table and out of both domestic cups, although the team are expected to progress to the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League.

Conor Gallagher signing doesn't solve Spurs' biggest problem

Frank's tenure has not gone to plan thus far, with the team struggling to fashion chances, in particular. Spurs have also punched above their weight in terms of goals scored versus Expected Goals (xG), which is widely regarded as an unsustainable practice.

The North Londoners have recorded the fourth-lowest xG tally in the Premier League this season, but have managed to score 30 goals. Their overperformance is partly down to strong finishing but this cannot be relied upon to continue throughout the second half of 2025/26.

Therefore, the signing of Gallagher has drawn criticism from some corners of the club's support, that they are signing a player deemed too similar to current midfield starter Joao Palhinha.

That is not strictly the case and Rodrigo Bentancur's three-month injury lay-off has necessitated the anticipated Gallagher purchase. The ex-Chelsea midfielder is more box-to-box than his Portuguese counterpart and has scored seven goals in 77 appearances for Atletico, but there certainly are similarities to their respective styles.

Whilst Palhinha is regarded as more combative, Gallagher can be trusted to transport the ball upfield more frequently and with greater success. Neither player is particularly effective at progressing the ball with their passing ability, though, which could be cause for concern for Frank.

Similarly, Palhinha and Gallagher are not prolific chance creators, which is hardly likely to help address their xG overperformance.

Alternatives in the middle of the park Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray are all lacking somewhat in the progressive passing department, placing in the 20th, 14th and 2nd percentile, respectively.

Gallagher is an improvement, ranking in the 31st percentile, however, it is still evidently not a strength of his.

Granted, Spurs' ball progression tends to come from the flanks with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence scoring favourably compared to their midfield teammates, but nullify these avenues and opponents will know that Spurs' ball progression through the middle relies on ball-carrying as opposed to line-breaking passes. Once an opposition manager realises this, it is easier to formulate a plan to stop it.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly landed Thomas Frank’s first signing of the January transfer window.

It’s been a difficult start to life in north London for the new head coach, with Spurs finding themselves in a lowly 14th place with over half of this season’s games played.

Frank has, at times, been criticised for being too safe and defensive during this campaign, but this is the area of the pitch that the new investment is focused on.

Tottenham look to Brazil for newest recruit

An interesting selection issue at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been at left-back, with Djed Spence forcing himself into contention against Destiny Udogie, with the former winning the battle so far.

It is relatively surprising, then, that this is where Spurs are aiming their first investment of the season.

According to Diario AS journalist Eduardo Burgos, Tottenham have agreed a deal for Santos left-back Souza.

The total package is said to be worth €15m to the Brazilian side, with the player being handed a five-year deal.

Burgos goes on to state that Souza is travelling to England early this week to complete his medical and sign the agreement.

The 19-year-old made 24 league appearances in the 2025 Serie A season, which runs across the calendar year and concluded last month.

The young defender also managed to contribute in an attacking sense, registering one goal and two assists throughout the campaign.

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while Souza’s age may mean Spurs see this as a signing for the future, left-back – the only position the Brazil youth international has played – wouldn’t have been our first pick for spending money on.

The Lilywhites only have one out-and-out right-back in Pedro Porro, a situation that saw Archie Gray having to fill in there for a significant chunk of last season.

Whether Spurs see Souza as capable of playing on the other side remains to be seen, but with Udogie (23) and Spence (25) in the squad, the Premier League side already seem set on the left for the foreseeable future.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa today as Premier League rivals go head to head in the third round of the FA Cup. FourFourTwo brings you all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa meet for the second time this season when they fight it out for a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Villa's 2-1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October helped to crystallise their recovery from a poor start, while Spurs boss Thomas Frank is under increasing scrutiny thanks to one win in six in the Premier League.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information on how to watch Spurs vs Villa online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa for free

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa will be available to stream for free in the UK. Television licence fee payers can watch the game using the BBC iPlayer.

If you're outside the UK this weekend you can use NordVPN to keep your usual access to the iPlayer.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa from anywhere

Away from home for the game? That doesn't mean you have to miss out on watching Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa. All you need is a VPN, a handy a piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and unblock your usual streaming services when abroad. It's also brilliant for your general internet security.

FourFourTwo’s colleagues TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPNs, and they say NordVPN is the best VPN you can get.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa on TV in the UK

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa is one of the BBC Sport picks for FA Cup third round weekend. It will be broadcast live on BBC One in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It will also be shown on TNT Sports 1 and the Discovery+ streaming platform (£30.99/month).

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa in the US

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa and every other third round tie will be on ESPN in the United States and available to stream on ESPN+.

❗Coverage is geo-restricted. If you're not in the States right now, you can still access your ESPN+ subscription by using a VPN such as NordVPN.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa through Stan Sport.

❗Coverage is geo-restricted. If you're not in Australia right now, you can still access your Stan Sport subscription by using a VPN such as NordVPN.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa: FA Cup third round preview

Spurs and Villa are two of the grand old men of the FA Cup. They were tied on seven wins apiece before a year ending in '1' brought the Londoners an eighth in 1990-91.

Villa won their first in 1887 and their most recent in 1957, losing the finals in 2000 and 2015 to remain stranded on seven wins.

Yet there's no doubt the FA Cup, craved by Villa supporters, is Unai Emery's last priority this time around. The Villa boss will tell reporters he wants to win every game, and he does, but when all other paths lead to the Champions League, this one is likely to be overlooked.

Frank doesn't have the same luxury. A third-round cup exit on home turf is the last thing he needs, even if it's against a better team on paper.

Tickets

The Spurs boss is under fire. Since the start of November, Frank's team have won two of their 12 matches in the Premier League, slipping to 14th in the table.

Spurs have produced results in the Champions League but the FA Cup is likely to be their last hope of returning to European competition next season.

Ange Postecoglou managed something similar last term but there's little sign of Frank's Spurs having the wherewithal to go all the way in any cup competition this season.

Even if they do, the chances of Frank himself being involved all the way to Wembley appear to be diminishing by the week.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa

Villa have won once at Spurs this season and the home team will be eager not to let it happen again.

Paul Gascoigne’s ability to land a prank was second only to his ability with a football.

Any player who ever shared a dressing room or training ground with him will no doubt be on the receiving end of one of Gazza’s infamous stunts, with the former England man never needing much encouragement to push the boundaries.

And if a team-mate ever doubted his ability to pull off a memorable stunt, that’s exactly when Gazza would take it to the next level.

Gazza on his infamous ostrich prank

“At Spurs, the lads said I wasn’t funny.” Gazza recalls to FourFourTwo. “So I went, ‘I’ll show you.’”

And show them he did, with the ensuing stunt - like many of Gazza’s best - involved an animal and some serious thinking outside the box.

“I went past this f**king zoo and thought, ‘Oh, that’s a good idea,’” Gazza continues, as he spent the night hatching a plan.

“The next morning I went in and asked to borrow an ostrich,” he adds, with his request somehow being granted.

“I waited until the lads were warming up and sent it on the pitch, it was f**king funny.

“The funniest thing was we finished training at 12.30pm, then I tried to catch the ostrich – f**k, it took me about three hours, I was f**ked!

“But we got it and took it back. There were feathers all over the place!”

No part of this story, from the willing zookeeper to the training ground scramble, could ever happen again these days, but it’s another reminder of Gazza’s unique way of seeing the world - and why it was never a good idea to tell him he wasn’t funny.

Paul Gascoigne: Eight (published by Reach Sport) is on sale now in print, ebook and audiobook