Football.London

Jamie Donley was on the lips of all Tottenham fans on Tuesday evening after another outstanding display for Leyton Orient. The 20-year-old was instrumental in Orient's 6-2 win at Exeter City as Richie Wellens' side moved into the League One play-offs.

The east London club made the best possible start to the contest with Azeem Abdulai putting them 2-0 up inside the first seven minutes. Donley was the architect for Abdulai's second goal with a sensational assist that put his teammate clean through on goal.

Taking the ball down on his chest on the right touchline and allowing it to bounce twice, the Tottenham academy ace then played an incredible crossfield ball that skimmed along the surface and went between two Exeter players to allow Abdulai to ghost in unmarked. Darren Pratley's reaction said it all as he had both his arms in the air as soon as Donley picked out his fellow attacker, with four Orient players immediately going over to celebrate with the loan star rather than the goalscorer.

Donley was to add another assist to his name 11 minutes before the interval as he teed up former Tottenham man Dilan Markanday. Picked out on the edge of the area after making a good run through the middle, the Antrim-born player subsequently put the ball on a plate for Markanday to convert from close range.

Donley was to get the goal his performance deserved in the 78th minute as he completed the rout in style with a dipping volley from the edge of the area. It was some strike from the youngster as he scored his fifth of the season for the O's.

Now on five goals and six assists for the season for Orient, Donley's form has been sensational since coming back into the starting XI at the start of December after remarkably finding himself out of the matchday squad on four occasions prior to that. The Tottenham man has played a pivotal role in Orient's rise up the table and their 11-match unbeaten run in the league, leaving supporters dreaming of promotion to the Championship come May.

Donley's performances will undoubtedly be catching the eye of everyone back at Tottenham as they plan for the years ahead. A player rated extremely highly by Ange Postecoglou and the club, the attacking midfielder is sending a big message right now that he can challenge for a permanent spot in the first-team squad next season.

He has gone from strength to strength in his first loan move away from the club and he will be intent on making a huge impression at Hotspur Way when he returns for pre-season training ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Right now, though, Wellens is the man in possession of Donley and that is only going to help Orient in their promotion push between now and May.

"That pass for Azeem's goal where he side-footed it, I said to him in there that it's an unbelievable pass and Josh Keeley has said that it came off his shin," explained Wellens when speaking to the media after the game. "I said it didn't because the only two people in the stadium that can play that pass are Jamie Donley and the other one is me. That pass doesn't belong in League One, it was top.

"When you get him in the final third, his ability to find passes is special. He's got that little where he looks to pass it and then he has that little delay and pause and that moves defenders off their line. He can hit people's backfoot, he hits space and we're really pleased with him. I think he's come on the last two or three months unbelievably."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham round off their final game of the Europa League league phase with a home encounter against IF Elfsborg on Thursday evening. Sitting sixth in the 36-team league after seven games, Ange Postecoglou's side have their destiny in their own hands as they look to avoid a two-legged knockout phase play-off tie in February.

Three points against their Swedish opponents will seal a place in the round of 16, with a point potentially enough if other results go their way. Spurs certainly won't be resting on their laurels, though, and they will be intent on recording a win to give them a confidence boost going into Sunday's Premier League clash at Brentford.

Once again, Postecoglou is going to be limited in terms of players for the Europa League fixture, with question marks surrounding the fitness of Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison going into the game. So how exactly could Tottenham line up against Elfsborg in Thursday's 8pm kick-off? Our football.london writers have made their team selections below.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham correspondent

It's a bit of a lottery right now when it comes to who Ange Postecoglou will have available to him. It looks like he will be missing James Maddison for at least a couple of weeks but at least one of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven could get some minutes as Spurs look to be ultra careful with both centre-backs and gradually build them up.

Key for Postecoglou will be how Pape Matar Sarr has recovered after playing when he shouldn't have on Sunday and whether Yves Bissouma is in a position yet to play, having been on the bench but left unused against Leicester.

Mikey Moore will probably come in for this game so as not to push Richarlison's groin too much, although the Brazilian will hopefully be fine. Elsewhere it's business as usual for the same overused players with Brandon Austin coming in for the unregistered Antonin Kinsky.

Gold's team: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bentancur, Bissouma, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Son, Moore.

Rob Guest - Football writer

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team is all going to depend on the fitness of some his players following some bad news last weekend. Richarlison came off in the 54th minute against Leicester due to a groin issue and Pape Matar Sarr shouldn't have played at all, with James Maddison missing out on the squad completely.

Due to Postecoglou's comments regarding Richarlison, it would probably be wise to leave him out of the starting XI on this occasion unless of course he is 100% fit. Tottenham cannot afford further attacking injuries right now and that may present Will Lankshear with an opportunity to lead the line amid Son Heung-min's struggles when played through the middle.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall will take up two of three midfield slots against Elfsborg. The duo could be joined by Yves Bissouma in the middle should he be in a position to start after remaining an unused substitute against Leicester last weekend.

Guest's team: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Lankshear, Son.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of some new Tottenham signings to ease numerous injury problems with the hope of also improving the club's awful run of form. Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester means that Spurs have picked up just four points from the last 30 available.

Pressure on Postecoglou's job has subsequently increased significantly but football.london understands that Daniel Levy is currently still sticking by the decision to keep him in charge. Key returns from injury for the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero could help matters, but additions are still needed.

It is understood that Spurs plan to bring in at least one new signing for Postecoglou before the winter window closes. Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani was one name linked to making a loan switch before he opted for Juventus instead.

Spurs have also been credited with an interest in Lille striker Jonathan David, Johnny Cardoso of Real Betis, Ipswich's Liam Delap and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo. For two targets, that interest has gone further with the Telegraph claiming that talks have been held for both Southampton ace Tyler Dibling and Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.

The latter sees his contract in France expire this summer and therefore he could be signed on a free transfer, but West Ham are also interested. The prospect of a move taking place in the next six days, despite his lack of game time recently, also appears unlikely.

As for Dibling, numerous clubs are showing an interest in the 18-year-old, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool and RB Leipzig. He is currently missing with an ankle injury however, and is not expected back until February, which potentially rules out a switch this month.

While it is great to see the Lilywhites planning moves for the summer, Postecoglou needs signings imminently and once again preparation and subsequently execution in a transfer window has been sub-par.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ex-Manchester United star Angel Gomes already admitted the allure of a Premier League return before Tottenham Hotspur reportedly began negotiations to sign him.

The 24-year-old joined United aged six before leaving 14 years later to join current club Lille in 2020. Gomes has since established himself as a key cog of the Ligue 1 outfit, for whom he's made 130 appearances.

However, with his contract running out this summer, the midfielder's future has been up in air with a return to his home country being touted. The England international - who made his international debut under Lee Carsley late last year - already made his thoughts clear upon a potential return to the Premier League last September, saying it could happen "if something was to come up that did make sense".

After being asked whether he'd already received offers for a return to England's top flight, Gomes smiled and said: "I have … but I believe everything will happen naturally and at its own time and I am really chilled. So, if something was to come up that did make sense, you never know in football."

One club who are said to be interested in securing his services are Tottenham. Amid the club's torrid injury crisis with 12 senior players currently on the sidelines, Ange Postecoglou would seriously benefit from arrivals before next Monday's January transfer window deadline.

While Spurs have held talks with Gomes and Southampton's teenage sensation Tyler Dibling, it's reported that the deals would be for the summer window, according to The Telegraph. The club are also looking to bring in one outfield player this month.

Spurs aren't the only club in the Premier League looking to snap up Gomes, with GiveMeSport reporting the Lilywhites will face competition from West Ham United and also his former side. It's also claimed he's preferring a move to Spurs instead of their London rivals or a return to his boyhood club.

Despite the constant transfer speculation surrounding his future, Gomes spoke up about his contract situation in an interview with Fabrizio Romano. "I'm aware of clubs inquiring about my situation, but I'm now completely focused on Lille," he insisted.

"I want to finish the season in the best way possible, and then we will see what happens; I'm focused on the present and not on negotiations."

There are few clubs in European football to have had the kind of dramatic change in revenue over the last decade that Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed.

The decision to make the move from White Hart Lane to a new purpose-built 62,850-seater stadium on the Tottenham High Road has been a complete game-changer when it comes to the kind of sums that the club can pull in on an annual basis.

The aim of the build was to try and financially futureproof the football club and create diversified revenue streams thanks to hosting the NFL's London Series on a 10-year deal, as well as the ability to welcome world-class music artists and events to North London. It has been a plan that has worked.

It came at a heavy cost, of course, with the build at around £1.2billion, and that build was largely paid for by raising debt, around £850million of it that sat on the balance sheet at fixed rates as of the 2022/23 financials, the most recently available full, audited accounts. That debt was seen as good debt, secured at favourable rates compared to what the market can offer now, meaning that the club has already made headway in paying it down, the aim within the next ten-to-fifteen years to be debt free and the stadium paying for itself.

It has been a vital build, one that simply had to be done, and it will serve Spurs well both now and into the future. But there are obvious problems in the "priority" area for chairman Daniel Levy, and that is that the club are at this moment not competitive in the Premier League and closer to a relegation scrap than a battle for Champions League football. For the club to continue to see revenues grow, playing in European football's elite knockout club competition is incredibly important.

Commenting at the time of the publication of the 2022/23 accounts, Levy wrote: "Our turnover has exceeded half a billion pounds for the first time. Whilst UEFA monies contributed, this has also been driven by increased stadium revenues from both football and non-football events and additional revenue streams.

"This is the impact of our multi-use stadium and what our board has been focused on delivering in order to invest in our football in a financially sustainable manner. The absolute priority for our club is to deliver on-pitch success."

Sunday’s defeat at home to relegation-threatened Leicester City saw the anger directed the way of Levy, watching on from the stands, instead of embattled boss Ange Postecoglou, whose side have been hit with horrendous luck with injuries this campaign, particularly defensively, and left with a threadbare squad. Yet there has been only one January addition, a goalkeeper, and fans are angry.

Last week saw the publication of the annual Deloitte Football Money League, which takes a look at the financial state of world football’s biggest clubs.

What the report did give was some early hints as to what 2023/24 looked like from an accounting perspective for Spurs, with the club dropping one place to eighth in the list. Reductions in matchday revenue due to fewer games, and broadcast money due to a lack of Champions League football, means that Spurs are looking at a decline in total revenue of around £20million, with total revenue set to be around £529million for the 2023/24 financial year.

But one metric that does stand out is the club’s wage bill, which is pegged at around £222million for the 2023/24 period. That places them 14th on the Money League list, six places lower than where they sit for total revenue.

As a wage to turnover ratio, Spurs will sit at around 42%, down 5% year-on-year and down from a high of 57% in 2021. Spurs have the lowest wage to revenue ratio of all 20 Premier League clubs.

It could be argued that it is financially responsible, when rivals are willing to spend more, with wages often correlating with greater success due to the fact that wage rises often come about through incentivised contracts. But with wages a better barometer of a successful team than transfer spend, Spurs have been spending less, or at least seeing the gap widen between what the club as a business makes and what it spends on player salaries.

Those kind of numbers will be irksome for fans who want to see the ambition that was shown in making such a bold, world-leading football stadium, reflected in the ambition that the club has for the actual product on the pitch. There is a famous business phrase: “It’s the product, stupid.” Maybe that is apt here.

But there is a flip-side, and the notoriously cautious and tough dealmaker Levy will be well aware of the potential pitfalls. The club was very profitable between 2015 and 2019 to the tune of more than £300million. That was largely down to excellent player trading and selling major assets such as Kyle Walker and Gareth Bale.

But player trading, save for the sale of Harry Kane in August 2023, which will be accounted for in the 2023/24 accounts, when the club are projected to make a loss once more, has not been strong in recent years. That has coincided with the club flipping from profit to loss, with the last three years seeing cumulative losses of some £190million-plus, estimated.

Amortisation costs have risen, and taking into account the new squad cost ratio financial controls that come into effect from next season, where wages, amortisation, agents fees and termination payments work as a ratio against total revenue, Spurs are likely around 70%, which is where limit Premier League clubs competing in Europe will have to reach. That is around the same as some of their main ‘big six’ competitors.

So, there is some reason behind the fact that the club having been so unwilling to spend big sums on wages, and the problems that are currently being seen at Manchester United have offered some red flags as to what happens when clubs engage on that road without competitive success to follow. With revenue shrinking for 2023/24, and the trend likely a similar one for 2024/25 given the lack of a big player sale or any Champions League football, and a far smaller Premier League merit payment for this current season, Spurs are showing signs of real caution.

But with a wage to revenue ratio that puts them 20th out of all Premier League clubs, and at a time when the club has been crying out for some additional resource, it is a hard sell to fans to plead too much poverty when they are spending less than the likes of Aston Villa, who have surged past them, in chasing success.

Time is now starting to run out for Tottenham in the January transfer window. Such a pivotal month for the club following a host of injuries from the end of October onwards, the north London club have only made one signing in the winter market so far after striking a deal with Slavia Prague for Antonin Kinsky.

Ange Postecoglou is in desperate need of more reinforcements to help put an end to Tottenham's current slump that has seen them slip down to 15th in the Premier League table. Amid a lot of speculation regarding the head coach's future following a dire set of results, football.london reported on Monday that for now at least Spurs are sticking with Postecoglou amid the injury crisis his squad is engulfed in and the Australian has the players behind him still.

The club are attempting to sign at least one player for him in the week ahead to add depth to the squad. There are certainly a couple of positions that Tottenham need to address before the 11pm deadline on Monday, February 3, with all fans keeping their fingers crossed that Daniel Levy and Johan Lange will be able to add to Postecoglou's squad over the coming days.

So what transfers could take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before deadline day? football.london takes a look below.

New centre-back

It has been evident for quite some time now that Tottenham require centre-back reinforcements. Spurs have yet to strengthen in defence during the transfer window and now there is less than a week remaining to add to the position.

That area of the pitch still really could do with addressing but it may not be as much of a priority as it was at the start of January as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are nearing their returns. Regardless of that, Tottenham still require a new centre-back as injuries will very likely strike again in defence going on how the 2024/25 season has panned out so far.

New attacker

A new attacker may now be at the top of Tottenham's priority list heading into the final few days of the window. With Dominic Solanke out for six weeks after injuring his knee in training, there are now question marks over Richarlison's fitness as he left the pitch early in the Leicester defeat with a groin issue.

Richarlison's Spurs career has been extremely stop-start due to various injuries and there is no guarantee he gets through the rest of the campaign completely unscathed. Amid Son Heung-min's struggles when playing through the middle, Spurs cannot chance it and go without a striker in January as they are competing on four fronts and they cannot afford to leave themselves too short with so much at stake.

In an ideal world, an attacker who can operate through the middle and also out wide would suit Tottenham down to the ground.

A transfer for next season

Southampton ace Tyler Dibling has been linked with a move to Tottenham after an excellent breakthrough season in the Premier League. It has been a dismal return to the top flight for Saints but Dibling has been a rare shining light for the south coast club.

The Telegraph have reported that Spurs could look to strike an agreement with Southampton for Dibling to move to N17 at the end of the season if they cannot sign him this month. As important as it is for Tottenham to sign players for the here and now, they may also have one eye on their plans for the 2025/26 campaign.

Scarlett loan exit

One loan exit that could be on the cards is Dane Scarlett heading elsewhere for regular first-team football before deadline day. Starting the campaign with Championship side Oxford, the attacker fared well in his minutes but his playing time was restricted at times, especially following the arrival of Gary Rowett as manager.

Recalled by the north London club just over a week ago, the youngster has not featured in Spurs' matchday squad since returning and another loan move looks to be in the pipeline. Tottenham should certainly have options for the academy graduate after his four goals and one assist during his time with Oxford.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur are desperate to complete at least one more deal before the January transfer window closes.

Spurs have so far only added Antonin Kinsky to their ranks, despite continued calls from head coach Ange Postecoglou to give his squad the help it requires. A defender and a forward are high on the priority list, but with just six days of the window remaining open, time is running out.

Will Postecoglou get the player or players he needs to bolster his ailing squad? Will the Australian still be in a job to oversee any new signings coming in given Tottenham's horrendous form? You can find all that and more with our bespoke Spurs WhatsApp service.

Our reporters are working hard behind the scenes to bring the very best, most up-to-date news to the football.london website every single day. And you can be amongst the first to know what's going on by joining football.london on WhatsApp to receive the latest information direct to your phone.

There are two options open to you. We have a number of WhatsApp communities that you can join to receive the very latest news when we send it out. You can sign up to our community here.

No one will be able to see who is receiving our broadcasts and no one else can send messages except for the football.london team.

Then there's the football.london Tottenham WhatsApp channel too. You can join the nearly half a million followers already enjoying the club's news via your phone just like you would on social media. You can follow our channel here.

Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham just never seem to get a break on the injury front. Already without a host of key stars, Spurs unfortunately had to do without James Maddison for Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City.

The numbers in the treatment room could potentially increase over the coming days, although that should all become clear on Wednesday when the head coach faces the media to preview the Europa League tie against Elfsborg. Richarlison, who has made an impact since returning from injury, had to come off against the Foxes due to a groin problem, with Pape Matar Sarr also making way at the same time early in the second half and the boss admitting after the game that the Senegalese star "shouldn't have played today".

Ahead of a huge week of football with Tottenham facing crucial games against Elfsborg and Brentford, we take a look at how the injury table looks for Postecoglou and Spurs right now and when the injured stars could finally make their return.

Richarlison

Richarlison started Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City and duly got his name on the scoresheet in the first half with a header from Pedro Porro's cross. However, his game time would come to an end nine minutes into the second half as he was replaced by Mikey Moore.

Speaking to the media after the game, Postecoglou revealed that the Brazilian had a groin issue and he really should have come off at half-time. He said: "He was feeling his groin mate, he should have come off at half-time but he wanted to give another 10 minutes. I could see he wasn’t running well so that is why I took him off."

Return date: All will become clear on Wednesday when Postecoglou speaks to the media.

Pape Matar Sarr

Sarr also came off at the same time as Richarlison as Sergio Reguilon replaced him for the final 36 minutes of the contest. Sarr had just made his return to the team after not making the matchday squad for last Thursday's win at Hoffenheim.

"I've said all along, the players need help and I've also said the club are working hard in that area to try to alleviate some of those problems, because Pape Sarr shouldn't have played today. He obviously wasn't fit," said Postecoglou in his post-match press conference.

Return date: All will become clear on Wednesday when Postecoglou speaks to the media.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma returned to the matchday squad for the first time since the defeat at Arsenal but he remained an unused substituted in the Leicester City loss. The decision to not bring on the experienced Mali international hints that he is not fully fit at present as otherwise he would have been introduced.

Return date: Given he was named in the matchday squad, a possible return to action against Elfsborg could be on the cards.

James Maddison

Tottenham were dealt some more bad news on the injury front going into the Leicester game as Maddison missed out on the squad completely. His absence came three days after playing a key role in the team's win at Hoffenheim.

Speaking before the game, Postecoglou said: "He's still a bit sore from the other night. It took a fair bit out of the group and he just wasn't 100% so he misses out today. No no [nothing too serious]. We hope not. Hopefully should be alright for next week."

Return date: Going on Postecoglou's comments, Maddison should be in line to return against either Elfsborg or Brentford.

Djed Spence

After missing out against Hoffenheim as he is ineligible to feature in the Europa League, Djed Spence was also absent for last Sunday's home encounter against Leicester. In his pre-match press conference on Friday morning, the Spurs boss indicated that the versatile full-back was "still sore from the weekend" and was now a doubt for the match as he had a knock.

Return date: As he cannot play this Thursday night against Elfsborg, Spence's return will likely be against Brentford on Sunday.

Cristian Romero

Having taken part in training last Wednesday ahead of the Hoffenheim match, Cristian Romero was not part of the squad for the European tie or the Leicester encounter. However, Postecoglou's comments when speaking on Tottenham's Review Show indicate that he could possibly be in line to return later this week.

When asked if Spurs could have some players back from injury for the Elfsborg match, he said: “We’ll see. There are definitely a couple getting close, Micky and Cuti, they’ll be training with the group, and even just having them training is great. There are another couple who are not too far off, on the horizon as well, so that will definitely help.”

Return date: Romero could possibly return later this week or maybe next week for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool.

Micky van de Ven

As mentioned above, Van de Ven's long spell in the treatment room could soon be over. Prior to the Leicester post-match comments from Postecoglou, the 59-year-old did state on Friday that the Dutchman and Romero have a chance of featuring in the week where Tottenham face Liverpool and Aston Villa in the cup.

"Of the long-terms, they are the only two, Micky and Romero, who have a chance of that week. But we've still got sort of 12 days or something," he said. "Part of that process is to see how they cope with training over the next week or so. Both of them are scheduled around that sort of time to be available."

Return date: Later this week or next week at Anfield.

Timo Werner

Timo Werner has not featured for Tottenham since sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over Tamworth in the FA Cup. Postecoglou mentioned in the days after the injury blow that the German would face three to four weeks out of action.

Return date: Three to four weeks on from when he suffered the injury could mean a potential return against either Brentford, Liverpool or Aston Villa in early February.

Destiny Udogie

Destiny Udogie is yet to play for Tottenham in 2025 after ending 2024 by picking up a hamstring injury in the draw against Wolves. Postecoglou confirmed at the time that the Italian would face a six-week spell on the sidelines.

Return date: The FA Cup game away at Aston Villa would mark six weeks on from his injury against Wolves. Tottenham's following game after that comes at home to Manchester United seven days later.

Brennan Johnson

Tottenham are rather light on attacking options right now, with Brennan Johnson joining those in the treatment room midway through the month due to a calf issue. The injury is expected to keep the winger out of action for three to four weeks.

Return date: A return after three weeks would mean Johnson could return for either the Liverpool or Aston Villa cup games. Four weeks and his comeback may be against Manchester United midway through February.

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has some competition for his place in the Tottenham team upon his return following the signing of Antonin Kinsky. The Italian's last appearance for Spurs was in the 4-0 win over Manchester City in November, a match where he suffered an ankle injury that resulted in him going under the knife.

Speaking ahead of the Newcastle United game at the start of the month, Postecoglou issued an update on Vicario's fitness and stated that he could be back towards the end of February.

"He's on schedule," he said. "It's obviously when it's a fracture, there's a kind of set schedule for him being in a boot, how much weight bearing he can do, and then sort of getting clearances along the way, so he's still sort of on the same timelines of end of February, I think was the initial prognosis, nothing's really changed in the short term."

Return date: Spurs' final game in February is at home to Manchester City on Wednesday, February 26. March will start with an FA Cup fifth round tie providing they progress past Aston Villa.

Dominic Solanke

Tottenham were delivered a cruel injury blow ahead of the recent defeat at Everton following the news that Dominic Solanke would face time in the treatment room after sustaining an injury in training. The striker twisted his knee the day before the match when attempting a shot on goal.

In his Hoffenheim post-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Solanke faces six weeks out because of the injury.

Return date: A return after six weeks would come in the fifth round of the FA Cup as long as Spurs beat Aston Villa at the start of next month. If Spurs are to go out in the fourth round, a return in a round of 16 Europa League tie on Thursday, March 6 or against former club Bournemouth three days later could be on the cards.

Wilson Odobert

Tottenham fans will likely have to wait until the back end of the season to see Wilson Odobert in action once again. Suffering a hamstring injury against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup before doing likewise against AZ Alkmaar the following month, the Frenchman went under the knife as a result and Postecoglou told football.london in November that "obviously Wilson will be out for a fair chunk of the season".

Return date: Later this season.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur must act in the final six days of the January transfer window otherwise their path will become perilous and that might mean taking some calculated risks.

Ange Postecoglou is currently struggling for players and Premier League points and Spurs have not moved for a single outfield player to help his and the squad's cause this month, despite the Australian's repeated calls for aid while watching his stars drop like flies each week with new injuries.

Tottenham have been linked with moves for various players like Manchester United outcast Marcus Rashford, Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling as well as Lille forward Jonathan David among others, with Postecoglou admitting that he wants a new attacker in particular before the window closes.

In the latest episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discussed whether the north London club could enter the race for any of the above players and also spoke about Postecoglou's future and how damaging recent weeks have been.

They also discussed the defeat to Leicester on Sunday, the chants against chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites' precarious position in the Premier League table's lower reaches.

You can listen to the new episode of the podcast on your preferred platform by going right here or you can watch the show on YouTube right here.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

The dreaded 'R word' cropped up once again on Sunday afternoon as Tottenham fell to an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City. Leading at the break courtesy of Richarlison's header, a mad five-minute spell at the beginning of the second half saw Ruud van Nistelrooy's struggling team prevail.

Equalising through Jamie Vardy seconds after half-time, Bilal El Khannouss was then afforded all the time and space in the world to run towards the Tottenham box and find the bottom corner of Antonin Kinsky's net. The result leaves Spurs 15th in the Premier League table, eight points away from the drop zone and nine points adrift of the top half.

Due to their position in the standings after 23 games, Tottenham have been brought into the relegation debate and the odds on them dropping down to the Championship have tumbled as a result. Without a win in the Premier League since the middle of December when they demolished Southampton at St Mary's, Spurs' league form is a real concern right now and losing is becoming a worrying habit.

However, the return of key players such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven very soon could prove vital to their form, as could the addition of one or two new players prior to next Monday's transfer deadline. In terms of new signings, Spurs shouldn't be in this position so late in the window where they require players as it has been evident since early December that new additions needed to be in through the door come the start of the winter market.

Returning to action on Thursday night with their final Europa League league phase game against Elfsborg on the calendar, Spurs' next match in the Premier League comes away at Brentford on Sunday afternoon. The Lilywhites have yet to win at the Gtech Community Stadium since Brentford's promotion to the Premier League in 2020, with the sides playing out three consecutive draws in west London.

At a time when Ange Postecoglou's Spurs have been rather poor on the road this season with seven defeats from 14 games, Brentford, on the other hand, sit fourth in the table for home form this term. The Bees have won seven of their 12 home games, with their three defeats coming against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Liverpool.

What is rather worrying for Tottenham heading into this weekend's game is that they could potentially be 16th in the Premier League table prior to making the trip across the capital, which in turn would give Daniel Levy and the club a brutal reality check. That is because Everton, who are currently one place and one point behind Tottenham, have the chance to leapfrog them providing that they beat Leicester at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The gap between Spurs and the relegation zone could also narrow ahead of their game at Brentford when you take a look at this weekend's games. Aside from Everton's home encounter against Leicester, Wolves, who are 18th and one point away from safety right now, host Aston Villa at Molineux and then 19th-place Ipswich Town face off against 20th-place Southampton at Portman Road.

Wins for Wolves and Ipswich Town would certainly leave Tottenham in a precarious position as they would only be five points away from the drop zone if the results were to pan out that way. Facing Manchester United and Manchester City at home either side of a trip to Ipswich in late February, Spurs have to start getting the points on the board sooner rather than later, starting away at Brentford this weekend.

If not, the 'R word' may unfortunately become part of people's vocabulary when it comes to discussing Tottenham over the coming weeks.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking herefor in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.