Thomas Frank has said that Tottenham Hotspur “will definitely be in the market” during the January transfer window.
Spurs’ performances have been inconsistent this season as Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as head coach in June, tries to instill new ideas into the squad. They have one of the best away records in the Premier League but have only won twice at home.
The north London side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round by Newcastle United but are in contention to finish in the top eight of the Champions League with two fixtures remaining in the league phase.
Spurs are missing several key players including full-back Destiny Udogie who suffered a muscle injury in last week’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle which will rule him out until January. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are recovering from long-term knee injuries while Dominic Solanke is training individually following minor ankle surgery in October.
Frank was asked about Tottenham’s potential transfer activity before Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest.
“We will definitely be in the market, no doubt about that,” he said. “We want them as early as possible, like every other time and let’s see if we can have them before January 31.
“After the window shut in September we had the first formal meeting and it is an ongoing process. I also get to know more and more (about) the squad and players, so one thing is the daily interaction and also I have seen a lot of games live, watched them back and you see all the small good habits and bad habits from the players.
“What can you affect? Or that will be tricky? Or how the relationship is? So, that knowledge gets us closer and closer to knowing what we want.”
Spurs enquired about Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in the summer before they signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United in a £55million deal. The Athletic reported last month that Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract which can be activated next month. Spurs remain interested in the Ghana international but he has been linked to Manchester City and Liverpool too.
Frank was asked multiple questions about Solanke’s fitness. The England international is Tottenham’s club-record signing but he has only made three substitute appearances this season due to a persistent ankle injury which he initially suffered in the summer.
Frank said he was “getting a little bit bored” of answering questions about Solanke but admitted he was training on the grass.
“Sometimes its not so easy and straight forward, maybe it’s a minor setback, maybe it’s taken a little bit slower,” Frank said about the timeline of Solanke’s recovery. “Without being too boring and talking about details, the thing is it’s more positive now and I’m looking forward to him on the training pitch and involved in the squad.”
Where Spurs could improve their squad
Tottenham spent over £150m in the summer to equip Frank with a squad strong enough to compete in multiple competitions.
They converted the loans of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso into permanent deals before splashing out on Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani arrived on season-long loans from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
They still look lightweight in a few areas and the biggest problem is left wing after Son Heung-min’s departure to Los Angeles FC. Frank has experimented with Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Kolo Muani and Tel on the left but none of them have performed at a high level consistently.
A deal for Semenyo appears to be challenging but it would be remarkable. Semenyo would instantly raise the level of the starting XI and ease the pressure on Kudus to provide attacking flair.
Maddison is expected to miss the majority of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while Kulusevski has been unavailable since May. Spurs might be tempted to sign another playmaker to support Simons.