Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has hinted at a potential transfer move to sign a Bodo/Glimt star who ripped his defence to shreds in the Champions League draw in Norway on Tuesday evening, but TEAMtalk has assessed why a deal could end up being a major risk.
Spurs had to fight to earn a late 2-2 draw against a Bodo side who they comfortably beat on aggregate in the Europa League semi-finals last season, with Norway winger Jens Petter Hauge stealing the show against the Premier League side.
Strikes from Micky van de Ven and an own goal from Jostein Gundersen with just one minute remaining made it four points from their opening two Champions League outings.
However, speaking after the game, Frank could not stop talking about the performance of left-winger Hauge, who he tried to sign while he was in charge at Brentford.
And, considering Tottenham‘s need to bolster their left flank in January after failing to replace Son Heung-min, it’s no great surprise that the north London club are now being tipped to move for Hauge in the new year – given the panic he created in their backline on Tuesday evening.
Not only did the Spurs boss heap praise on the 25-year-old’s efforts, but he went on to bring up a past transfer move for the midfielder. He told TV2: “He was fantastic. I actually tried to sign him for Brentford a long time ago. It was good to see him again. I knew he was good and today he was exceptional.”
And, when pressed on the possibility of signing Hauge for Spurs, he added: “You never know what the future holds.”
Lack of productivity from the left side of Frank’s front three has been a major issue so far this season, wth Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert offering next to nothing, while Xavi Simons is clearly more suited to playing centrally as a No.10.
To that end, Spurs are once again being heavily tipped to renew their interest in Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the January window.
Semenyo will likely cost in excess of £70million, though, given the fact that he only penned a new Cherries contract until 2030 earlier in the summer. And, with that in mind, Hauge will be a much cheaper alternative after Tottenham and Frank got a first-hand taste of exactly what he can bring to the table.
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Words of caution over Tottenham deal for Hauge
When speaking about Frank himself, Hauge reflected on just how close he came to joining Brentford, admitting: “I had a Zoom meeting with him. We were close a few years ago.
“We had a good talk out on the field. He’s a fantastic coach who has done incredibly well. It was close once, but it never quite worked out.”
And, while Hauge clearly showcased what he can do in Bodo’s draw against Spurs, having also scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 27 games so far this season, the potential signing does come with some warning signs.
Players who have stood out with the Norwegian side before and moved on as a result have tended to struggle at their new clubs.
Indeed, Hauge himself signed a five-year deal AC Milan in 2020 but struggled in Italy and was loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt a year later before a permanent switch to the Bundesliga.
The winger also failed to make a big impact in Germany as well and ended up back at Bodo, via a loan stint at Gent, although he clearly remains a bigger threat in Norway. Indeed, Hauge has over 100 goal involvements in just under 200 games for his current side.
If Tottenham do indeed actively pursue the player in January, the hope is that Frank’s in-depth knowledge of Scandinavian players will play a big part in whether or not he thinks Hauge could be a success in English football.
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