Tottenham Hotspur are expected to commit to the signing of a new centre-back signing in January, TEAMtalk understands, with Manchester City and Brentford defenders on their radar.
Sources told us that early planning towards the next transfer window has led towards budget being put aside to bring in a new body in the back line.
However, Tottenham are now the subject of a takeover bid from a US consortium. That could affect their budget in January if the £4.5bn deal goes through, but not the areas that Thomas Frank wishes to address.
Spurs were hoping to sign another central defender in the summer and it did not materialise, but early season assessments led to an underlying belief that further strengthening is likely needed in that area of the field.
Such a decision seems sensible as such frailties were underlined when Joao Palhinha was forced to play at the heart of defence against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. The club do not want to be caught short as they attempt to win another trophy this season.
Frank has to be cautious around his management of Micky Van De Ven and Cristian Romero in terms of workload as two key components of his early season success at the club.
Ben Davies is unavailable at the moment, while Radu Dragusin is on the road to recovery after a long lay-off. Kevin Danso is a back-up option along with Kota Takai, who has also been injured, and Spurs are plotting how to now push on with their next phase of recruitment…
Tottenham want at least two new additions in January
In line with Daniel Levy’s departure from the club and the potential takeover, there is hope among the Tottenham supporter base that the club become even more aggressive in the market.
Early signs from insiders suggests this could indeed be the case with at least two signings expected to arrive in the winter, as it stands.
The defensive area will get attention, while it is also expected that an attacking reinforcement is signed for the wide areas.
Man City were a club that Spurs focused on for both positions in the summer – with both Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji looked at by the London side.
It’s also worth noting that Man City forward Savinho is also the subject of active interest from Spurs, as TEAMtalk revealed in an exclusive update on September 22. However, the Brazilian could pen a new contract with the Cityzens and put an end Tottenham’s hopes of a transfer in 2026.
Akanji has moved to Inter Milan on loan while Ake remains at City and is yet to start a Premier League game, with appearances so far coming from the substitutes bench.
It is worth noting that Spurs have also kept a close eye on Nathan Collins at Brentford as a potential signing, and could look into that situation more actively in 2026 in a bid to reunite him with his old Bees boss.
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Latest Tottenham news: Takeover bombshell / Huge Savinho blow
Meanwhile, as mentioned, Spurs are the subject of a jaw-dropping takeover bid from a US consortium, which could transform the club’s fortunes on and off the pitch.
Tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick is heading a 12-man group that has lodged a stunning £4.5bn offer to acquire the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium club.
Earick is said to be offering £3.3bn to buy out the current Spurs owners, while a stunning £1.2bn has been set aside for transfer business.
In other news, Tottenham could miss out on Man City ace Savinho again despite retaining interest in the winger. That is because he is very close to signing a new contract that will tie him down at the Etihad until 2031.