Tottenham have indicated they're ready to bid up to £35 million for a PSG target after concrete discussions, according to a report this week.
Thomas Frank under fire after woeful Tottenham defeat
Spurs' frankly humiliating 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday has dramatically intensified the pressure surrounding manager Thomas Frank, with growing concerns that the Dane may already be out of his depth despite only arriving from Brentford during the summer.
That loss at the City Ground represented arguably Frank's worst afternoon since taking charge, with his side thoroughly outclassed from first whistle to the last.
Callum Hudson-Odoi's brace and Ibrahim Sangare's spectacular late strike condemned Spurs to their sixth league defeat of the campaign, leaving them languishing in mid-table.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario endured a nightmare performance that exposed deeper problems within Frank's squad.
The Italian first placed teammate Archie Gray under immense pressure when playing out from the back, allowing Sangare to steal possession and tee up the opener. Five minutes after halftime, Vicario badly misjudged Hudson-Odoi's overhit cross, watching helplessly as it sailed over him into the far corner.
This season alone, Vicario has registered the most errors leading to goals of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, further highlighting his decline in form.
Frank admitted his dismay over the performance afterwards, acknowledging how his side looked increasingly disjointed after conceding.
However, worrying underlying statistics suggest deeper issues.
Tottenham are overperforming expected goals by 9.7 — the highest margin in the Premier League — suggesting current results flatter underlying performances.
Only three teams have attempted fewer shots this season, with Spurs ranking seventeenth for shots on target.
Spurs quite simply need inspiration from somewhere, and Frank has already confirmed that they will be active when the January transfer window opens for business next month.
“Of course. We will definitely be in the market. No doubt about that,” Frank said last week.
“We want them as early as possible, like every other time and let’s see if we can have them before the 31st of January.
“If I ever speak about other players, it needs to be [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [who] are retiring soon.
“I think not about that specific situation or other players, just every position we have, we have more players on the list for right-back, centre-back, number six, goalkeeper, right-winger, whatever, and it is never straight forward in terms of signing players, that’s for sure.”
While FC Koln's Said El Mala has already rebuffed a potential winter transfer, that hasn't stopped Spurs from making an approach for his services.
Tottenham ready to bid up to £35m for Said El Mala after approach
That is according to Sport Bild, who report that Tottenham have made a 'concrete' enquiry over signing El Mala, a player also wanted by the likes of PSG, Man United and Bayern Munich.
Spurs have also 'indicated' that they're willing to offer up to £35 million for the German winger's signature, so the intent is there.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the Bundesliga's breakout stars this season, establishing himself as Koln's most exciting talent since Florian Wirtz left them for Bayer Leverkusen years ago.
Despite primarily featuring as an impact substitute under coach Lukas Kwasniok, the Krefeld native has delivered devastating contributions with six goals and three assists across 16 league appearances.
The Germany Under-21 international was also given his first call-up to the senior squad by Julian Nagelsmann in November, featuring on the bench in their 2-0 win over Luxembourg.
If El Mala continues this form, he could be an outside contender for Germany's 2026 World Cup squad, and all of this interest from Europe's elite is certainly a big sign of how highly-rated he is.