Tottenham Hotspur are looking to complete some business in the January transfer window. Despite beating Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park at the weekend, they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League, 11th at the season's midpoint.
There is much work for Thomas Frank to do, many holes to be plugged, but Tottenham are building something atop the foundation of last season's Europa League win, and a well-utilised winter market could help accelerate the manager's vision.
The Lewis family are going to back the boss. Funds have been provided; expect a fresh face or two.
There's no question that Tottenham need a new centre-midfielder, but there has been movement on the Brennan Johnson front, so landing a new wide-attacking recruit could be first on the club's co-sporting directors' list of priorities.
Spurs lining up Brennan Johnson replacement
On the overtures of the New Year, it has emerged that Tottenham have agreed a deal in principle with Crystal Palace for the transfer of Johnson, worth £35m.
Johnson has played a sporadic role this season, with his creative and physical metrics leaving much to be desired. Only at the end of last season did the Wales international score the winning goal in the Europa League final, his 19th of the season, but football moves quickly.
So quickly, in fact, that the north Londoners have already earmarked a replacement, with the Daily Mail revealing that Spurs are interested in AS Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche.
Akliouche, 23, has been excellent for his French employers since graduating from their much-lauded academy, and at £40m, he would be more affordable for Tottenham than someone like Bournemouth's £65m-rated winger Antoine Semenyo, who is headed for Manchester City.
Why Akliouche would be a Johnson upgrade
Akliouche has become one of the most important members of Monaco's senior squad, featuring 22 times in all competitions this season, scoring three goals and supplying five assists.
But this is not a player who is defined by data. He is elegant and fleet-footed, dangerous out wide or from a central midfield berth. As per Sofascore, he has created seven big chances from only 14 league appearances in 2025/26, his athleticism underscored by an average of 5.3 ball recoveries per game.
A ball recovery is defined by the number of loose balls recovered by a player.
Data isn't everything, but as the statistics will tell you below, Akliouche is a strong playmaker and he likes to dribble forward with the ball himself, albeit leaving something to be desired when in front of goal and striking at the keeper.
Johnson might have a firm advantage on the goalscoring front, but he's turning out to be something of a one-trick pony, otherwise offering very little.
Given that a lack of spark and creativity has been among Tottenham's most damaging flaws this season, the decision to have shipped him out is understandable, especially now that Akliouche is in ENIC Group's sights.
A veritable artist on the ball, talent scout Jacek Kulig has actually remarked that Akliouche has "a left foot made of gold", with pinpoint, inventive passing showcased each time he takes to the field.
This is a versatile winger of "ridiculous" technical quality, as has been said by analyst Ben Mattinson, and though he's not a shoot-first kind of wideman, Tottenham have struggled on the playmaking front, and he would be perfect.
A left foot made of gold, and a skillset tailor-made for Frank's Tottenham team. The shoe could very well fit.