Tottenham 'keen' on £87m winger but could face Man Utd competition

Tottenham Hotspur may look to the transfer window to improve Thomas Frank’s squad this month

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Tottenham Hotspur have had a challenging first half of the season and Thomas Frank’s side find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 21 matches played.

The Lilywhites are out of both cup competitions, and the Danish head coach may know that a run in the Champions League knockout stages is his best opportunity to get fans onside amidst mounting criticism of the former Brentford boss.

The January transfer window could prove crucial to turning their season around and Frank previously confirmed that his side will be looking to strengthen this month ahead of the spring run-in.

Spurs’ first signing of the window was announced on Wednesday afternoon, in the shape of former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. While it can be argued the move for the ex-Blues star was a controversial one, the England international will look to make an impact on the Spurs midfield in the absence of the injured Rodrigo Bentancur. Further signings could be yet to come.

Spurs ‘keen’ on Man Utd target Diomande

According to reports on Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, Tottenham are one of several clubs ‘keen’ on RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, bagging a Bundesliga hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in December to draw international headlines. The former Leganes winger is believed to have a release clause of €100million (£87m), though previous reports have indicated that a deal could be done for lower than this fee.

Reporting from Sky Sports states that Manchester United, PSG and Bayern Munich are all interested in Diomande alongside Spurs, with United’s interest set to ‘accelerate’ if other clubs make a move. All of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have also previously been linked.

Diomande was called up to his first AFCON this winter and scored in Ivory Coast’s 3-0 last 16 victory over Burkina Faso. The reigning 2024 champions were then knocked out 3-2 by Egypt in the quarter-finals of the competition.

Diomande could be perfect remedy to Frank’s attacking dilemma

Spurs are currently in need of attacking options following the recent sale of Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace for £35m and subsequent long-term injury to Mohammed Kudus, and Diomande would certainly fit the bill. He is capable of playing on both wings and has featured from both sides almost equally for Leipzig this season, in his first campaign for the club after signing for £17m in the summer.

His record of seven goals and four assists for the German outfit has caught the eye of several big clubs on the continent and Spurs are believed to be amongst those who are looking to secure his signature, be it now or next summer.

The player remains focused on his own game, despite all the hype. “I’m trying to stay concentrated and listen to the coaching staff and to play my own game. People can see everything is going well, so I'm not gonna stop,” he said in an interview with GOAL. "My friends try to send it to me, but I try to stay focused and calm.

“For me, it was going to take like, two or three years. I’m working hard as well, and I'm happy, like everything happens so quickly, and I hope to keep going until the season ends,” he said.