Tottenham Hotspur certainly aren't wasting any time in their bid to rebuild their squad for new manager Thomas Frank. So far this summer the North London club have spent no less than €140 million signing five players in Kota Takai, Luka Vuskovic, Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and most notably Mohammed Kudus. And it certainly seems as though the club are intent on adding a top-class central midfielder to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.
In what has certainly been one of the most bizarre transfer sagas of the window, Tottenham reportedly bid around €70m to trigger the release clause of Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White. What seemed like a foregone conclusion quickly descended into chaos, as Forest quickly stated that Spurs had made an illegal approach for the English star. Since then, very little has happened and it now seems as though Tottenham may have to look elsewhere for a midfield recruit. So who could the North London club sign to bolster Frank’s team that would fit the billing as well as Gibbs-White? Let’s take a look at some of the other candidates.
Kobbie Mainoo
The first player on today’s list is unquestionably an audacious one for a club like Tottenham, but perhaps not as unobtainable as some may think. Kobbie Mainoo is considered by many Manchester United fans to be an excellent, young prospect. However, reports in England have long suggested that the Old Trafford club would be willing to sell the academy graduate for the right price. As such, that has inevitably led to Tottenham being linked with the 20-year-old talent. Whether Mainoo would actually favour a move to Spurs remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt that Man Utd would certainly lick their lips at the prospect of earning €70m from the talent.
Curtis Jones
Another young player that Tottenham could pluck from the ranks of their rivals is Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones. Now 24 years of age, Jones has been heralded as an Anfield star in the making for a number of years now but remains a peripheral figure in Arne Slot’s team. Last season the England international featured in just 50 percent of his team’s Premier League action and that figure may fall this season, following the arrival of Florian Wirtz. As such, Jones may be on the hunt for a starting role in another top-flight club and that’s something that Tottenham may be able to provide for the right price.
Hugo Larsson
If Tottenham would rather avoid the complications of negotiating with another Premier League side, then they may want to consider a move for Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Larsson. Despite being just 21 years of age, Larsson has already made over 60 league appearances for the Eagles and is quickly developing into an excellent box-to-box midfielder. Although Larsson isn’t perhaps as attack-minded as Gibbs-White, he would certainly be an exciting addition to Frank’s midfield and a player that Spurs could mould into a more attacking player in the years to come.
Lewis Ferguson
Another midfield talent that Tottenham may be tempted to take a look at this summer is Bologna star Lewis Ferguson. Signed for just €2m in 2022, the Scotland international has gone from strength to strength in SerieA, and was even named the best midfielder in the Italian top-flight in his second season at the club. With 19 goals and assists in just 79 league games for Bologna, Ferguson clearly has the talent to be an attacking threat in Tottenham’s midfield this season, as well as a natural affinity with the more physical aspect of football in Scotland and England.
João Palhinha