Thomas Frank’s Spurs need a left-wing upgrade and have been linked with stars like Antoine Semenyo and Ademola Lookman
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After Thomas Frank’s era at Tottenham Hotspur began so brightly, he’s starting to lose his lustre in the dugout and will require an impactful January transfer window to reinvigorate the project in north London.
Spurs struggle to play through a press effectively - at least when Micky van de Ven isn’t unleashing his inner Diego Maradona - with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur not the most creative double-pivot in world football, and can’t break down a dug-in low block easily either.
Despite ranking fifth for the most possession in the Premier League this season, Tottenham are shockingly 17th for shot volume, having taken only three more than Wolves, and over 50 less than both Liverpool and Arsenal who are top of the ranking. They’re also 14th for shot volume, below Aston Villa who couldn’t even hold a goal of the month competition in August, and mid-table in terms of the most touches in the attacking third.
Another area they could target to improve this is the left wing position. Too often Tottenham’s attacking plan seems to just be ‘give it to Mohamed Kudus and hope’ and only five top-flight sides have launched more attacks down the right flank than Frank’s men. And while they’ve been linked with a host of big names like Antoine Semenyo and Ademola Lookman, a more prudent signing could be Vasco de Gama’s 19-year-old Rayan.
Gareth Bale regen Rayan could electrify Tottenham attack
“A technically skilled left-footed player who is fast, powerful, and elegant,” was the CIES Football Observatory verdict on Rayan, a description that could just as accurately be applied to a young Gareth Bale after Harry Redknapp moved him from full-back to left midfield.
And interestingly, their closest player comparison was to another Tottenham January target on the wing, Antoine Semenyo. The analysis also highlighted the teenagers’ versatility (“[he] primarily plays as a right winger, but can perform well in any attacking position”), his finishing being more threatening than his creation at this early stage, both of which are similar to the Welsh wizard who is only a centimetre taller than Rayan.
Bale was shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI while playing on both wings, recorded seven goals to two assists in his first season as an attacking player, and it’s no exaggeration to say Rayan could follow the same trajectory in north London.
Despite Vasco having a poor season in 2025, Rayan scored 12 times in 30 games so he’s already shown his eye for goal, and his ability to beat a defender then turn it into a shot which is an attribute Frank and Tottenham desperately need to electrify their attack. If he could transfer his average of 3.06 shots per full game from Brazil to England’s top flight, he would rank fourth Premier League for shot volume (according to Opta via FBref.com excluding those who’ve played less than five games).
Of course, it’s not realistic to except him to seamlessly adapt to the Premier League but Bale (or Jeremy Doku as a more recent example) show the returns that can be reaped from giving such a talented dribbler the runway to develop in the division.
Vasco star fits Thomas Frank signing profile
While the signing of Mohamed Kudus and Xavi Simons showed Frank will be working a higher calibre of recruit than Brentford, the Dane remains one of the best managers in Europe for Rayan to develop under.
Former Blackburn Rover David Raya, Posh star Ivan Toney, Addick Ezri Konsa and ex-Troyes forward Bryan Mbeumo were among the Bees’ gems signed from outside the top five leagues and even more well-known additions like Kevin Schade, and Yoane Wissa came from clubs who have been in the second tier within a few years of selling to Brentford.
Meanwhile Sepp van den Berg and Christian Norgaard did come from bigger clubs but had combined for less than 600 minutes for Liverpool and Fiorentina, so building up Rayan from a practically unknown prospect to a Premier League star would be far from uncharted waters for Frank.
Despite Rayan’s contract expiring on New Year’s Eve 2026, he’s been valued at €30 million (£26.4m) with a release clause of €40m (£35.1m) according to ESPN, and given the clubs that are interested in him it’s not inconceivable that the bidding will go that high.
Real Betis reportedly considered the Brazilian as an alternative target to Antony while Porto, Fiorentina and Aston Villa were also apparently interested while he was on the radars of Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal before making it clear he wanted a move to Europe.
Vasco de Gama are resigned to losing their star before the start of the next Campeonato Brasileiro season, and Tottenham can be one of his most attractive landing spots. They’re the biggest club confirmed to be chasing Rayan and he can bring