Hotspur HQ

If there is one thing, above all else and amidst all the other pressing problems at the club, that Tottenham Hotspur fans take the most issue with about the organization over the years, then it is their sheer lack of ambition on the transfer market.

Even though Tottenham did sign some big talents in the summer window in Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus, when you account for the fact that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, won the Europa League trophy, hired a new manager, and watched rivals like Arsenal and Chelsea invest even more in their squads, you really have to cast their summer business under more of a microscope.

Tottenham like to tell their fans that they are aiming for bigger and better things, and after the surprising sacking of the stingy Daniel Levy, there has been a common refrain from the club to the fan base that there will be big, positive signings coming in January and a lot more investment.

Tottenham are not as serious as Arsenal

But when you listen to Thomas Frank talk and you look at the names Tottenham are linked to - and the caliber of players they were not able to compete for at all - the skepticism Spurs fans about their club's viable transfer strategy is only increasing.

Juxtaposing Frank's remarks with those just recently made by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who is quite literally leading the Premier League right now, and you can see how vast the difference in mentality there is between these two clubs right now.

Speaking about the upcoming January transfer window, Arteta sounded bold and ambitious about what the Gunners could try to achieve in the market. He said, via Fabrizio Romano, “We will be actively looking to strengthen the squad in January. Depending on the availability of certain players, the window is there, I mean, we're Arsenal and we have to be looking at it. Our job is to be very prepared because something can happen”.

While Mikel Arteta is far from the most likable character for Tottenham fans, even his biggest haters have to admit a level of respect for a coach that is always trying to push for more and publicly given a license by the club to say that the Gunners are "actively looking" for upgrades, even while being first in the league.

And that is probably the product of Arsenal suffering three straight tough calls in a title race, coming up just short. Tottenham, meanwhile, are nowhere near the title race and have not been in a while, but, then, you would think that would give the club more of a sense of urgency to say that they are actively pushing for major additions in the transfer market.

With Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush, and Savinho off the table and Tottenham Hotspur unsure which top forward, if any, they could potentially sign to their squad in the January transfer window, the most interesting transfer news surrounding Spurs now deals with a current forward of their own in Brennan Johnson.

Although Johnson scored plenty of goals from the wing last season and earned a reputation for being a bit of a poacher, including a very important winner against Manchester United in the Europa League Final, he always had issues with doing just about anything else at a Premier League quality level on the wings.

And then this season, Johnson has really fallen off, with Thomas Frank, who did value Johnson highly as a transfer target when he was coaching Brentford, unable to get anything out of the Welsh international. Johnson's stock at Spurs has only fallen further, and it is to the point where the Mohammed Kudus transfer has pretty much made Johnson a non factor in the offense.

Tottenham have another option now

Now, Tottenham are mulling over possible transfer destinations for a sale this January, and Mark McAdam of Sky Sports just reported that in addition to Crystal Palace, who have well established interest in Brennan Johnson, Bournemouth are also eyeing the player. He could have a big role to play for the Cherries, too, because they are about to lose Premier League Player of the Season candidate Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City.

The real twist in McAdam's report comes later, though. He states that it is still actually "unclear" if Spurs are willing to sell Johnson this winter, and he floats the idea of a January loan deal as being another option for Johnson in 2026. He goes on to describe this transfer as a "tough deal".

What's interesting, though, is that most of the other reporters, especially those close to Tottenham Hotspur, seem to be indicating that Johnson is close to a slam dunk to go because of his diminished role in the attack and his lack of a stylistic fit for what Frank is doing.

A loan deal is plausible, perhaps with a juicy option to buy if Johnson plays well, but if he is not even starting for Spurs anyway and Tottenham can get a nice chunk of change between 30 and 40 million pounds for them, then it would be puzzling for Spurs to not just take the money and run.

Tottenham had a pretty good summer transfer window in terms of incomings. Sure, they are nowhere near the position in the table they'd like to be, but this is more due to outgoings and injuries. The players they signed have been pretty great.

Nevertheless, there are still gaps to be plugged. Thomas Frank knows this, and so do the Tottenham fans. Actually plugging them, though, is an entirely different story.

As we know, January is not nearly as busy as the summer transfer window. The mid-season window lends itself to pre-contract agreements and the occasional loan deal, rather than any blockbuster deals.

One of those players who will enter the final six months of his contract is Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka. There were whispers over the last few days that Tottenham were showing an interest in approaching him.

Tottenham is not actually interested in Leon Goretza

As we reported earlier, Tottenham is not interested in signing Leon Goretzka. Furthermore, Goretzka is only focused on Bayern Munich in the final six months of his deal.

Look, this may change. Right now, though, Tottenham has not shown an interest in Leon Goretzka.

Take anything you read with a pinch of salt, but The Athletic, whose staff broke the news, is one of the more reliable and respected places out there. They won't publish something, and neither will their staff, unless it is true, or as close to their definition of truth as possible.

At face value, you'd think this would be a blow for Tottenham, but it isn't. Even on a pre-contract agreement, saving any transfer fee, Leon Goretzka is not worth pursuing.

Gortezka was once a great player. You could even consider him world-class at one point, or at least tiptoeing around world-class. However, those days are in the past now.

The German international is 30 years old, and his career solstice has already occurred. Going forward, it is hard to imagine him improving on his Bayern Munich days. Heck, we've seen that play out at Bayern already.

In the early days, when Bayern won the treble, Gortezka was a key piece of the puzzle. Nowadays, though, he is a passenger. He lacks defensive input, and he would do Spurs more harm than good.

Tottenham just saved themselves from throwing $20M in the trash

Financially speaking, the cut-price or even pre-contract deal would not be as good as it looks. Sure, Spurs might save some money on a transfer fee, but he's bound to demand a huge contract.

Leon Goretzka's yearly Bayern Munich salary (including bonuses) sits at just under $20 million. With many clubs interested in him, he was never likely to accept a paycut easily.

Hypothetically speaking, it would make him the highest-paid player at Tottenham. However, he would be far from the most important player.

Spurs are not in a position to be paying out inflated contracts, even in the post-Levy era. It would make all the work Levy did count for nothing, and it would weaken their negotiation position in future cases.

Just look at Man United. Paying out big money contracts for players like Alexis Sanchez when they were chasing their former glory days really worked out for them, huh?

Spurs are better off investing in a player who is in their prime, not on the decline.

For the most part, Tottenham Hotspur will be after attacking stars in the January 2026 transfer window, because goal scoring has been a real issue for the team this season. Richarlison is the club's leading goal scorer right now, and anyone who thinks that is a good thing for Spurs is clearly out of touch with what is happening in the games.

Spurs have gaping holes on the left wing and at striker, yes, but a lot of their attacking woes also stem from issues in the middle of the park. Tottenham do not have a great progressor in terms of passing or deep lying playmaking in the midfield, as their best option is Archie Gray, who is still too young to affect games profoundly in that regard. He needs time.

Tottenham have a few rambunctious box to box mavens, but a more technical profile would suit them best if possible in January. That is why it was so jarring for Spurs supporters to then see the club linked to Leon Goretzka, of all people, going into the January transfer window.

Tottenham won't be making this mistake

It looks like the rumors of Tottenham talking to Goretzka's agent were much ado about nothing. According to Bundesliga expert Seb Stafford-Bloor of The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur actually have "no interest" in the Bayern Munich veteran center midfielder at this time, meanwhile Goretzka is said to be focused on the rest of the season for Die Roten with six months left on his contract.

Now, maybe that does not rule out Spurs putting out feelers for Goretzka in the summer 2026 transfer window as a free agent, but given the wages he would make in free agency and his poor film over the past three years with Bayern mostly desperate to get rid of him, there really would be no sense in pursuing Goretzka at all. He is not better than Lucas Bergvall nor Pape Matar Sarr, and, plus, he has far less long term value than those two do.

Tottenham need to be smart and spend their money wisely on the transfer market, especially at a position like midfielder where they do have some real gem talents who are already capable starters at the Premier League level. On no plane does Goretzka make any sense for Spurs, and, therefore, supporters of the club have to be relieved that, as of right now, he is not an option for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are going to find it difficult to sign the top players they want to upgrade their squad this January, especially the goal scoring left winger and deep lying midfielder playmaker that Spurs supporters so desperately crave.

And just as Spurs will find it tough to sign top talents on the transfer market, they will also have the tough task of parting ways with key players who no longer serve a long term purpose to the squad and are best off exiting the N17 this January so they can blossom elsewhere.

No single player epitomizes that shift more than young right winger Brennan Johnson, who was a leading goal scorer for Tottenham last season and even struck gold with the decisive blow to hand Spurs their first Europa League title in 41 years in Bilbao against Big Six rivals Manchester United.

Brennan Johnson is now obsolete

But in 2025/26 under Thomas Frank, who coveted Johnson highly when he was Brentford's manager, Johnson's importance has waned further. He has been usurped on the right wing by the far more well rounded and dynamic Mohammed Kudus, and even when Frank has experimented with Johnson on the left, the Welsh international has been a total dud in that position.

He is not scoring or helping out the team in other ways, and with transfer interest mounting in Brennan Johnson, it is clearly time for him to go. But Thomas Frank confused Spurs fans a bit after the win over Crystal Palace with an update doubling down on the importance of Johnson to the team, even though he scarcely plays and has honestly been playing very poorly this season.

Frank said of Johnson, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "Yeah, I think Brennan is very important for us. Maybe he didn't get many minutes, but unfortunately we can only play 11 players. We spoke about it before with Mo, he's coming in and put his stamp on that right winger position. Then the left, we tried different solutions. He's still started quite a few games. I think Brennan is an important player for us."

Right, so Frank tried out Johnson in a number of roles this season, and he has been unable to make an impact in any of them. Tottenham are openly in transfer rumors about selling Johnson, and when specifically asked about these rumors, Frank said that Johnson was important in lip service only because he really just gavea. whole bunch of reasons why he is not important now that Kudus has arrived - and then Dejan Kulusevski will be coming back from injury.

Frank might as well be honest, because even though it is diplomatic to call Johnson "very important" and you do not want to bury your own guys or lose transfer leverage, it is patently and blatantly obvious that Johnson has no place at Spurs in 2026.

A lot of times in world football, if you want to progress as a club, you have to make the decision to sell off decent players in order to bring in even better ones who can help you achieve lofty goals of winning real silverware. And that is precisely the transition in mind set that Tottenham Hotspur as a club and even as a fan base have to start embarking on as 2026 approaches.

There has been a lot of hopes of bringing in marquee players like Savinho and Antoine Semenyo this winter period, and even before January 1 has struck, those hopes have been swiftly dashed with Spurs simply not having the right pull as a side stuck in the bottom half of the Premier League, even after a much needed win over Crystal Palace.

As Spurs supporters ponder alternatives for the Omar Marmoushes and Semenyos of the world, they must also prepare to wave goodbye to talented young players who are clearly not of starting quality or even the right fit for Tottenham.

Tottenham will likely sell two talents

The most obvious candidates for a sale are right winger Brennan Johnson and center back Radu Dragusin out of those with a bright future left at the top level. Obviously, Spurs would want to axe Yves Bissouma the most, but given he is on an expiring contract and injured with no real transfer interest outside of Turkey, there is no real hope there.

But Dragusin and Johnson could fetch fair fees on the open market this January. According to Football.London's Alasdair Gold, these two young players could be allowed to leave Tottenham Hotspur at the right price, and given Serie A clubs are all lined up for Dragusin and several Premier League sides want to buy Johnson, it should not be difficult for Spurs to part ways with them and then use that money to sign bigger stars.

That is the name of the game for Tottenham right now. Dragusin, for example, has no real path to playing time at Tottenham with three top center backs in the squad and then Luka Vuskovic shining on loan in Hamburg. Johnson was the hero in Bilbao against Manchester United in the Europa League Final, but he clearly has no role to play under Thomas Frank at Tottenham.

Brennan Johnson and Radu Dragusin are good players who will be better at a smaller club like Roma or Bournemouth than they would at Tottenham, and the fact that Spurs realize that and are looking to sell this January is a very positive sign indeed.

Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have learned to have a very healthy dose of skepticism regarding any rumored incomings to the squad, because, so often, Spurs have failed to deliver on what they promise or strongly hint at to their fans.

Spurs actually had a pretty active summer 2025 transfer window for new manager Thomas Frank, landing the likes of Joao Palhinha, Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons, and Mohammed Kudus to the side. But the thing is, Spurs had so many talent issues last season in finishing 17th in the Premier League as well as so many injuries carrying over to the 2025/26 season that those signings have been insufficient.

Tottenham will be looking for new players at a variety of positions, and while the priority will be landing attacking talent to try and help Frank foster an attack that is closer to the free flowing unit he enjoyed coaching at Brentford, there are more than enough needs to go around.

Tottenham need midfield help, too

According to reporting from Football.London's Alasdair Gold, there are five positions Tottenham Hotspur are considering upgrading this January transfer window. The first is obviously the left wing position, which will be a priority. Surprisingly, perhaps, Spurs are also interested in potentially signing another center back, especially if Radu Dragusin, as many expect, moves back to Serie A after recently recovering from a torn ACL.

But there are other needs still. Spurs are considering a striker, with Samu Aghehowa remaining a key name linked to them. They also want to sign a natural left back to cover for Destiny Udogie and thus divest from playing Djed Spence out of position, though Gold states that this move could happen in the summer, too.

Finally, Tottenham realize that they need more midfield help as well. They did sign Palhinha and Simons in the summer, but with Rodrigo Bentancur struggling and there being not a whole lot of passing progression deep outside of Archie Gray, a deep lying playmaker is a potential need. Per Gold, if Spurs are able to find the right player to suit them in January, then they would make a move for a midfielder in winter.

As it stands, Spurs are running out of credible options who can upgrade their squad at the most key areas of need with dream targets like Savinho and Antoine Semenyo unlikely to move. So addressing all five of these needs in the winter is highly improbable. But if Spurs can even knock off two, that would go a long way.

Tottenham Hotspur probably are not going to sign a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window, but the position is on the radar of fans as one the club could afford to upgrade. Although current starter Guglielmo Vicario is a very good pure shot stopper, he has been atrocious at nearly everything else a goalkeeper needs to do, and even national analysts like Jamie Carragher are catching on to his awful habit of throwing teammates under the bus when he makes a mistake.

Spurs have the young Antonin Kinsky waiting in the wings behind the error prone Vicario, though Kinsky has also shown that it is too soon for him to get the keys to the kingdom. He is good enough to merit far more starts than what he is currently getting, but, in an ideal world, Spurs would replace Vicario in the summer with a more consistent goalkeeper.

James Trafford has to be disgruntled with how things are shaking out at Manchester City after the Citizens signed the world class Gianluigi Donnarumma shortly after his own move from Burnley to the Etihad, but it appears he will not be available in the near future.

A cheap option for Tottenham?

So the best goalkeeper who could conceivably move in January is AC Milan star Mike Maignan, who has elevated not one but two teams (Lille and Milan) to league titles with his greatness in goal. Maignan is on an expiring contract and has been closely linked with rivals Chelsea, and while Tottenham have not really been mentioned in the transfer race for the French star, that has not stopped Spurs supporters from dreaming about a move.

Right now, though, it does not seem like Milan have any intention of actively shopping Maignan, who is very important to their Serie A title hopes, in the middle of the season in January just to make a pure transfer profit.

Max Allegri recently said of Mike Maignan, via Fabrizio Romano, “The club is working to discuss new deals for some of our key players. For sure, Maignan is a very important piece of our squad”

While that quote from Allegri is not exactly a concrete update or Milan slamming the door shut on a possible Maignan transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, or some other goalkeeper hungry top club, it is quite clear that the Rossoneri are not yet interested in giving up on Maignan or dangling him up for sale. But if there is any outside chance Spurs can get their hands on Maignan, they have to take it.

Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways on Sunday in the Premier League, outlasting a pretty tough team in Crystal Palace 1-0 as Thomas Frank was able to out maneuver Oliver Glasner, who has been a rumored potential replacement for Frank, in what turned out to be unsurprisingly a real defensive battle.

Richarlison was the main Man of the Match for Tottenham with a decisive assist, plenty of chances created, and even some wonderful defensive work as a positive follow up from his impressive performance against personal rivals Liverpool.

But if you ask most Tottenham fans who were watching the game, they would pinpoint second half substitute Wilson Odobert as the real game changer. Odobert's inclusion into the game helped turn the tide for Spurs, and you can see the tidy touches and the evidence of a player who could become a real Premier League terror for defenders with his take ons once he is truly full of confidence.

Wilson Odobert was in full flow

Well on Sunday against Crystal Palace, Odobert did not look lacking in confidence at all. He was brilliant on the ball and very direct, destabilizing an otherwise excellent Crystal Palace defense, helping Spurs ensure they would remain in control of the game with the lead intact.

Odobert has not been starting regularly for Tottenham, as both he and fellow young French left winger Mathys Tel are often discarded by Thomas Frank, who has a clear bias towards the more senior players like strikers Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.

You have to think, though, that with Tel and Odobert changing games when they come onto the pitch in important matches and proving to be decisive, Frank can only hold them out of important minutes and starts for so long.

Odobert has probably flown more under the radar than Tel because he isn't as explosive of an athlete and does not have the size to be a possible answer at striker, but he is a real playmaker in short areas with the quickness and skill to star on the left wing or in the attacking midfield.

Tottenham need players like Odobert who can provide a spark off the dribble, suck in defenders, and link up neatly with other forwards. Odobert is a real boon to have in the side next to players like Kolo Muani and Richarlison who are bigger bodied strikers, and RKM, in particular, would benefit a lot from playing with a young French playmaker who masters link up play. Odobert's key display against Palace just might help Frank take stronger notice.

Tottenham Hotspur checked a win off in the column on Sunday, as they successfully did what needed to be done to play gritty and get all three points off local London rivals Crystal Palace in a 1-0 win. It may not seem like much to write home about on paper, but given the losses to the likes of Fulham thsi season, this was the sort of match Spurs had to prove they could win again.

But even when Spurs come out victorious, it is still so abundantly clear to every member of this fan base that the squad is not good enough. Thomas Frank has his own issues as manager, and Tottenham fans can complain until the cows come home about his failings, most namely not creating a clear identity of what he wants to do at the club.

When the level of attacking talent is as barren as it is at Tottenham and when Archie Gray, who is still too young to be a star in this role, is the only remotely competent deep lying progressor, it is truly hard for a team to assert themselves at the highest level of the Premier League. Hence why Spurs are toiling in the mid table again despite changing managers.

Tottenham fans want to be active in January

Tottenham supporters are hoping for an active January transfer window, and the two main needs are attack and midfield. Spurs want to sign a proven goal scoring option either out wide on the left wing, which is preferred, or even at striker if possible. And then they definitely need to sign a top level technical midfielder to help out Gray and upgrade on Rodrigo Bentancur. Left back, center back depth to replace Radu Dragusin, and maybe even a goalkeeper to compete wtih Guglielmo Vicario are other possible signings.

But everyone knows that when it comes to Tottenham and the transfer market, the dreams tend to be bigger than reality, and even something like the summer transfer window they just had with Joao Palhinha, Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons, and Mohammed Kudus coming in is not going to be replicated.

Even Thomas Frank sounds resigned to the fact that Tottenham Hotspur are not going to back him fully in the winter window. The manager said after the win over Crystal Palace, via The Spurs Web, "Of course, the window will open, and we will be in the market and see if there's anything we can do, but it will have to be something where we can improve the team. If not, rather wait, but we will be out there."

So basically it is the same coach speak that Ruben Amorim and other Premier League managers are giving about how Spurs will not force signings but will try to be active. Basically, Frank is setting himself up knowing that Spurs need to make many upgrades, the attacking quality is nowhere near what he even had at Brentford, and he is probably going to get blamed for Spurs issues even more in the second half of the season because those kinds of players will not be available in January. There we go.