Tottenham was active during the summer transfer window, and when it reopens for business in January, they will undoubtedly need to be involved.
Tottenham needs to be involved in the transfer market in the beginning of the year, even though January may not be the busiest transfer window. The Lilywhites made some significant roster upgrades in the summer after Ange Postecoglou took over as head coach, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to contend for championships.
With eight games played, Tottenham leads the Premier League and appears to be in a very promising position. It is hoped that they will remain in the top half come January. Winter acquisitions will be crucial, particularly because three players on the team are expected to move to the injured list and a few players are already out for the foreseeable future.
Following last week’s confirmation of Johan Lange’s appointment as technical director starting from November 1, the Dane will be looking to make an immediate mark for his new club in the transfer market. So what exactly does he need to do in January? football.london takes a look below at three positions he must solve for Postecoglou.
New centre-back
Defence very much has to be the priority position for Tottenham in the January transfer window. Needing to upgrade their backline in the summer, Spurs completed deals for Micky van de Ven and youngster Ashley Phillips but they were unable to clinch a third centre-back signing prior to the summer deadline.
As well as Tottenham have done this season with Cristian Romero and Van de Ven forming a fantastic partnership, the Lilywhites could find themselves in trouble if one of the duo picks up an injury and faces an extended spell on the sidelines. Davinson Sanchez’s exit to Galatasaray at the beginning of September has left Tottenham rather short on options at the heart of defence and they must ensure they fix the issue at the turn of the year.
Linked with moves for Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo and Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly in the summer, Spurs must decide if they revisit moves for the Premier League defenders or look elsewhere. It is very much a priority for Tottenham in January and it would be nice to bring in a new centre-back as soon as the market reopens for business.
The Dane was expected to depart in the summer amid links with Atletico Madrid and Manchester United but a potential exit never came to fruition. If indeed he is to move on for a new challenge elsewhere, Spurs will need to bring in a replacement for him.
Even if Hojbjerg stays, Tottenham really need to add a further midfield option regardless as they cannot afford to leave themselves too short when Bissouma and Sarr are representing Mali and Senegal respectively.
An attacker will also be required in January following the injuries to Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon. Whereas the Croat may have already played his final Tottenham game after sustaining a complex ACL injury in non-contact training in September, Solomon faces a layoff of around three to four months due to a knee injury.
Spurs have been boosted by the return to fitness of Bryan Gil, thus giving the Spaniard the perfect opportunity to make his case to Postecoglou. Regardless of whether the winger takes his chance or not, Tottenham must bolster their attacking options even further in wake of Perisic’s injury and also because of Son Heung-min’s participation in the AFC Asian Cup.
A versatile forward would certainly prove beneficial to Postecoglou as he would then have an extra option who can play out wide and also through the middle if required.