Tottenham Hotspur could turn their year-long scouting of a top Ligue 1 winger into a January transfer swoop, according to sources, as Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange aim to provide Thomas Frank with attacking upgrades.
As TEAMtalk have consistently reported, Spurs are expected to sign a new left-winger after failing to adequately replace former skipper Son Heung-min, with the likes of Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons all failing to make the position their own.
In reality, Simons only started in that position as part of his transition to English football after his summer switch from RB Leipzig, with his best position as a No.10.
Johnson is more effective in Mohammed Kudus’ position on the right, while Odobert has some flashes that he could be the answer – but not enough for Tottenham not to move for an upgrade in the winter window instead.
As we’ve mentioned before, Antoine Semenyo and Ademola Lookman are the two favourites to fill that role, but now TEAMtalk insider Dean Jones has thrown a bit of a curveball when it comes to Barcelona target Malick Fofana.
We asked Jones if any Premier League clubs are in the mix to sign the explosive Lyon attacker in January, with Fofana expected to cost in the region of €50m (£44m / $58m), to which he replied: “If there is a battle to sign Fofana then it will be interesting to see if Tottenham position themselves as part of it.
“They had a look at him in the build up to last summer but by the time they decided to go for him it was a bit too late to bring anything to life.
“They have watched him a lot across the calendar year and obviously we know Spurs are drawing up their list of attacking options at the moment for future windows, so he probably would figure within that.”
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Unbelievable signing, but Tottenham sent Fofana warning
Fofana has spent the large part of his career playing as a left-sided attacker, so would clearly be a strong fit for Spurs.
He’s not had the most explosive starts to the current campaign, scoring twice and adding one assist, but the 20-year-old Belgian is a two-footed, direct winger who would bring another dimension to Frank’s attack.
That being said, Jones has warned about the time it could take Fofana to adapt to English football, as has been seen with both Simons and Randal Kolo Muani, and the fact that Tottenham need players who can make an impact straight away.
Jones added: “I think a main thing would be to consider his adaptation time to the Premier League because with their next signings, they really do need players that hit the ground running.
“We have seen how Xavi Simons and Kolo Muani have not found the switch easy, when it comes to getting into the side and then performing constantly at their top level.
“So maybe Spurs have to think about that moving forwards. But he’s a player that has impressed them.”
Whether Tottenham actually move for Fofana remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – it would be a major mistake if a new left-sided attacker is not signed for Frank.
Latest Tottenham news: More winger signing updates; Brazilian striker eyed
First up, Tottenham have reportedly taken a step closer to the January signing of a top attacking target who would make a significant impression on Thomas Frank’s starting XI, if they can overcome interest from a LaLiga rival in his services.
Elsewhere, Spurs are being tipped to switch their focus for signing a new No.9 from Europe to Brazil, as sporting director Fabio Paratici looks to give Thomas Frank more firepower, although TEAMtalk can reveal why the latest links must come with a word of caution.
And finally, Tottenham have made a decision on whether or not they will sack Thomas Frank as the manager, as a Sky Sports pundit sends a warning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.