With Tottenham Hotspur without a Premier League win in 2026, and Thomas Frank’s future coming under severe scrutiny, fans may have expected the club to invest heavily in the January window. But it did not play out that way.
Tottenham made just two additions in the window, with one unlikely to play a significant role in the first team as he adjusts to the demands and rigours of Premier League football. The other, however, could prove to be very shrewd business which serves the club well now and in the future.
Having qualified directly for the Champions League round of 16, there is still plenty for Tottenham to play for this season.
The information found within this article has been gathered according to The Athletic’s sourcing guidelines. Sources with knowledge of transfer dealings, who asked to be kept anonymous to protect relationships, have been spoken to before offering the clubs involved the opportunity to comment.
Was this window a success or a failure?
It depends on how you look at it. Leading up to the window, strengthening the midfield and wide attack options were high on Tottenham’s priority list. In an ideal world, that probably looked like at least a starting-quality left winger and a prime-age central midfielder who excels at line-breaking passes.
Tottenham did not sign either of those, largely because their targets were not gettable. Spurs were in the market for wingers at the start of the window, but their targets were snapped up by clubs higher in the food chain or were declared unavailable until the summer.
In the meantime, Frank has shifted to a wing-back formation, allowing Destiny Udogie to provide width and attacking quality from the left, and placing greater emphasis on the central defenders to break lines. They also added Conor Gallagher, an England international with Champions League experience, to bolster the numbers in midfield.
However, some fans will worry that, with Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison all joining Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison on the list of long-term injured this month, the squad is currently looking even thinner than it did before the window opened.
How much did they spend and how much did they bring in?
It was a modest January window from a net-spend perspective. Brennan Johnson — who was sold to Crystal Palace for £35million ($48m), a club-record signing for the south Londoners — was their only permanent departure of the month. Spurs added Gallagher from Atletico Madrid on a “long-term” deal for a very similar fee of €40million (£34.7m; $46.6m), while Brazilian left-back Souza joined from Santos for a deal worth north of £10m.
Who have they signed?
Gallagher is their marquee signing of the January window, having beaten outside title challengers Aston Villa to his signature. The 25-year-old has plenty of time to develop as a player and leader at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but brings a wealth of experience at the highest level. For a player who does not just bring quality on and off the pitch but also adds to Spurs’ homegrown contingent, it appears a smart bit of January business.
He is joined in north London by Souza, who was confirmed as a Tottenham player on the 22nd January after an extended work permit application. Souza, 19, is relatively new to top-flight football, having only broken into Brazilian side Santos’ first team in 2025, but he is a highly rated talent tipped as one for the future. While he may not be relied upon to play many minutes this season, particularly with Spurs out of the FA Cup, he could flourish in the coming seasons, given time to adjust.
On deadline day they also signed 18-year-old striker James Wilson from Hearts on loan with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. He will link up with the club’s under-21 squad.
Were there any deals they wanted to do that they didn’t get over the line?
Yes, quite a few. Tottenham have been in the market for a starting left-winger in the summer, having targeted Antoine Semenyo at the start of the window, then at Bournemouth, and Manchester City and Brazil winger Savinho.
Spurs revisited Semenyo’s situation ahead of the January window, but faced competition from England’s biggest and most successful clubs. With his final contribution in a Bournemouth shirt being a stoppage-time winner against Spurs, Semenyo left the south coast to join Manchester City on January 9. They also asked about RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, who has had an excellent debut season in the Bundesliga, but were met with a swift rejection, with Leipzig unwilling to entertain interest until the end of the season. Diomande may be revisited as a target again in the summer, with the asking price indicated to be in the €100million range.
Tottenham were also in surprise negotiations to sign Andy Robertson, whose contract with Liverpool expires in the summer. As a two-time Premier League winner and part of the 2019 Champions League-winning side, Robertson would have brought a wealth of experience and leadership, as well as on-pitch quality, to a squad short on proven winners.
But Spurs could not complete the deal, with Liverpool failing to secure a replacement for the Scotland international in time. Tottenham may revisit the situation in the summer, when Robertson will be a free agent, provided he does not extend his contract with the defending English champions.
Are there still any obvious gaps in the team?
Tottenham need another starting-quality wide forward and a midfield controller. Mathys Tel’s emergence following Johnson’s departure will have given Frank some encouragement that he can provide quality contributions as a starter and from the bench until the summer, with Kulusevski and Kudus in line to return from injury well before then. And with Wilson Odobert enjoying his best stretch as a Spurs player since signing from Burnley in 2024, there may just be enough to tide Spurs over.
In midfield, Pape Matar Sarr’s return from the Africa Cup of Nations gives Frank another senior player to use, though he is not a natural line-breaking passer. For that reason, Yves Bissouma could prove to be among Frank’s most pivotal players, having demonstrated his passing quality against Aston Villa and Burnley since playing his first professional minutes of the season for Mali at AFCON.
Bissouma has had conduct issues with Frank and previous coaches, but if he can stay disciplined for the remainder of the season, he has the quality to lift this Spurs team in possession.
Do they have the squad to achieve their goals for the season?
That depends on their goals.
Can Tottenham, with the unit currently available to Frank, turn their form around entirely and push towards the European places? Probably not. Should they have enough quality to steer well clear of the relegation zone and finish around mid-table? Yes.
For a club with some of the most expensive season-ticket and matchday prices in the league, those ambitions do not match the supporters’ financial outlay, but their position at this stage is such that it is difficult to imagine them ascending much higher this season.
Tottenham’s one hope for some late-season excitement again comes in Europe, as they have qualified directly for the Champions League’s last 16. Could Frank take them to the quarter-finals with this squad, or perhaps even dream of going a stage further with a kind(-ish) draw and a bit of luck? Why not!
Will the manager/head coach be happy?
Frank surely would have liked at least another wide attacker and central midfielder, even if they would not have suited the club’s long-term ambitions.
If he manages to steer Spurs well out of trouble and end the season strongly, leading to assurances from the board about his future, he may reflect on the window positively, appreciating the club’s restraint in waiting until the summer for their primary targets.
But if Premier League results continue to spiral downward and Tottenham decide to replace him, he will undoubtedly have wished for more January activity.
What will their priority be in the summer?
They will largely be the same as in the January window, but they may find more joy. Robertson, who could be a free agent at that point, will likely still be a target as an on- and off-field leader. Spurs will look again for a starting wide attacker, where Diomande and Savinho could remain on their list of potential signings.
In midfield, Tottenham are likely to look again for positive, passing central midfielders. Spurs may also look to strengthen in the goalkeeping department after a particularly difficult winter period for Guglielmo Vicario.
Will they have money to spend?
Yes. Part of the reason Johnson was sold to Crystal Palace was to improve the club’s position in relation to the profit and sustainability regulations (PSR), allowing Spurs to remain aggressive and ambitious in the market.
Tottenham are a wealthy club, and under the Lewis family, whose stated ambition is to “win more matches, more often”, there is a desire to support the coach with player investment. The question will be whether they can do the right deals.
What is Tottenham’s strongest XI now that the window is shut?
Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher; Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons; Dominic Solanke
The full list of ins and outs
Ins: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Souza (Santos), James Wilson (Hearts; loan with an option)