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Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a new worry over star defender Cristian Romero and his potential switch to Real Madrid, after a fresh update on the Argentine's future from broadcast giant talkSPORT.

Real Madrid targeting Cristian Romero as Carlo Ancelotti eyes new centre-back

The Galacticos are suffering from a fair few long-term problems in defence this season, with both Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao out for the rest of this season after sustaining ACL injuries.

David Alaba is also making his way back from an ACL injury, leaving Carlo Ancelotti desperately short in central defence for the foreseeable, and it is believed Real could look to the January transfer market for solutions.

Even when the likes of Militao and Alaba return, the La Liga champions still have to consider the long term, with Antonio Rudiger, Alaba and Carvajal all on the wrong side of 30 and potentially reaching the twilight phase of their careers soon.

Real are believed to be targeting Romero from Tottenham as one option on their shortlist of centre-backs for 2025, with Arsenal defender William Saliba also attracting interest from Ancelotti as they look to the Premier League for elite new defenders.

Spurs are trying to tie Romero down with a new contract, according to multiple media outlets, in an attempt to ward off the likes of Real and keep their star defender.

Both the South American and Micky van de Ven have formed an excellent partnership since the beginning of 2023/2024, and it is the bedrock of Ange Postecoglou's high line, so losing either one of the duo really wouldn't be ideal for the Australian.

Romero has missed Tottenham's last few games with a toe injury he sustained in mid-November, with van de Ven also sidelined, leaving both Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin to fill in for the crucial pair recently.

As per talkSPORT, who revealed further details on Romero and his long-term future at N17, there is a genuine concern for Postecoglou.

Indeed, it is believed that Tottenham face losing Romero next year if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, with the ex-Atalanta star keen to pit himself against Europe's elite again after playing just a handful of games in the competition.

Ancelotti can offer that exact thing to Romero, meaning he could surely be very tempted by the prospect of quitting north London for the Bernabeu if the opportunity presents itself in 2025.

TalkSPORT describe the 26-year-old, who's on a reported £165,000-per-week via his current contract, as "central" to Postecoglou's long-term plans - so the possibility of his exit next year could be very damaging.

"He could play in any side in the top four of the Premier League. He is a Champions League player, a top player," said pundit Paul Robinson to Football Insider in 2022.

“If Spurs are going to go places, Romero is the type of player they will need to keep and build around.”

Intermediaries are preparing to offer Tottenham Hotspur the chance to strike a potential £20 million signing in January, as they look to try and secure the player a new club this winter.

Postecoglou makes January transfer hint with Tottenham squad depleted

Ange Postecoglou is working with pretty limited resources at N17 right now, meaning that he is preparing for a scenario which could involve Spurs dipping into the January transfer market for fresh options.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will be out for months after undergoing surgery on a fractured right ankle, which he sustained during a heroic 4-0 victory away to Man City at the end of last month, while Richarlison is also believed to be out for an extended period.

Summer signing Wilson Odobert also underwent surgery on his hamstring midway through November, so his comeback isn't anticipated for a long while, with Postecoglou forced to include four schoolboys on the bench against Roma last week - amid their plethora of injury problems lately.

"Again, we had four school boys on the bench (including Callum Olusesi and Maeson King) last night, two of them were actually at school this morning," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's limited squad.

"We are working pretty hard with some pretty limiting factors, and we are still maintaining competitiveness in the competitions that we are in. We are in a good place to get to the next round and had to deal with some adversity. I think so far our season has been solid."

When asked if Spurs could look to January for a solution, Postecoglou refused to rule out the possibility of new additions, even if January is a famously difficult window to navigate.

"A lot of it will depend on where we are as a squad at that time," said Postecoglou on signing new players in January.

"Between now and then, it is only really Romero and Van de Ven who will be back in that time frame, but Richarlison will hopefully be back in the New Year, and we will just assess where we are squad wise. I think last year we did a little bit of business [Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner] which ended up helping us, but nothing concrete now because January is always tricky."

Tottenham could now be offered Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli

According to GiveMeSport, an option for Spurs to potentially sign next month could now be Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli.

The Italy international, who could cost £20 million or less to prise away from Turin, is out of favour under Thiago Motta - and it is believed that agents are preparing to offer Tottenham the chance to sign Fagioli alongside other potentially interested clubs.

While things aren't exactly working out for him at Juve, Arsenal veteran Jorginho has praised Fagioli's technical quality.

“Fagioli reads the game well, but maybe he has to work a little on his impact. But it will come with time,” said the midfielder in a post-match interview Rai Sport.

“He has technical quality and he reads the plays well."

Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the chase for a very highly-rated forward as his January transfer isn't entirely ruled out, with reliable journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic name-dropping Spurs as potential contenders.

Postecoglou hints at January plans as Spurs target new wide forward

In the build up to January, there have been reports suggesting that Spurs are targeting a new defender and wide forward, with manager Ange Postecoglou also suggesting that the club could make new signings in the winter window.

Speaking in a recent press conference, the Australian admitted that he's held meetings with technical director Johan Lange over strategy, and claimed his side could dip their toes into the market if they think it is necessary.

"We're always planning, planning for every scenario. A lot of it will depend on where we are as a squad at that time," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's plans for January.

"Between now and then, it is only really [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] van de Ven who will be back in that time frame, but Richy [Richarlison] will hopefully be back in the new year, and we will just assess where we are squad-wise but certainly, with Johan [Lange] I've already had a number of meetings for a strategy in January.

"I think last year we did a little bit of business which ended up helping us, but nothing concrete now, because January is always tricky, and it depends on where we are squad-wise."

In terms of the wingers they're reportedly looking at, it is believed Southampton winger Tyler Dibling is attracting attention from Tottenham, amid his excellent start to the season at St. Mary's and comparisons with Man City star Jack Grealish (Football Insider).

As well as the English sensation, reports in the Spanish media have claimed that Tottenham view Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo as a key potential transfer target, with his contract including a £50 million release clause.

Tottenham join Arsenal in race for Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams

Ornstein, writing in a piece for The Athletic, has now named Spurs as potential contenders to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams.

The Spain star has enjoyed a brilliant last 12 months, winning Euro 2024 with his country and racking up an incredible 19 assists in all competitions last term. The £200,000-per-week left-wide man is off the mark with two goals and five assists so far this season, and he has many admirers heading into 2025.

Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the race for Williams, whose contract includes a "fairly low" £46 million release clause for a player of his calibre, and while his January exit is unlikely, it also isn't entirely ruled out either.

As well as the north London duo, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on his situation at Atheltic, with all the aforementioned clubs real admirers of Williams.

Tottenham Hotspur have been through an awful lot of change over the last few years.

From the man in the hotseat to the players on the pitch, the team today is practically unrecognisable from the one Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019.

Well, it's almost entirely different, as two players who started in his final game also started for Ange Postecoglou on the weekend: Ben Davis and Son Heung-min.

Both players have been incredible servants for the club over the years, but Spurs need to find long-term replacements for both, and based on recent reports, they may have found just the player for the latter, a player who's been compared to Dele Alli and another world-class sensation.

Why Spurs need a Son replacement

So, the first thing that needs to be said is that Son is a talented footballer who has been an utterly sensational servant for Tottenham over the last decade or so, but therein lies the sole reason Postecoglou needs to find a replacement: he's been in the team for almost ten years and is now on the wrong side of 30.

The South Korean superstar is 32 years old, and while defenders, goalkeepers and even some midfielders and strikers can maintain a high level of performance at that age, it's incredibly rare for a touchline winger to do the same, as evidenced by research conducted by The Athletic which found the peak age for a player in his position is 26.

Moreover, while the former Bayer Leverkusen star has been able to maintain an impressive level of output this season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 14 games, it's impossible to ignore the fact that he appears significantly less dynamic on the pitch, and as we saw on the weekend, moving him into the striker role does not help.

On top of the simple fact that age catches up with us all, the 133-capped international has also become increasingly unlucky when it comes to injuries, as this season alone, he's missed ten games for club and country due to thigh and hamstring issues.

In all, while Son may well be able to play a role in the squad for a few more seasons, it's evident that he cannot be relied upon to be a regular starter for too much longer, and therefore a replacement attacker must be signed.

The good news is that Tottenham have been linked with a fascinating player capable of playing in midfield and on the wing, someone who's been compared to Dele and Jude Bellingham, of all people.

Son's potential replacement

So, the player in question is PSV Eindhoven star Malik Tillman, who was linked to Spurs late last week, has a release clause worth up to £33m active in the summer, and has been billed as a £120m star in the making by former Ajax star Kenneth Perez.

Now, the first thing to address is the comparisons to Dele, which actually come from Pochettino himself, who said in an interview with GOAL that the USMNT international and former England star share "similar talent" and that, with the right coaching, the 22-year-old could be moulded into a game-breaker like the former Spurs ace was in his pomp.

It's not hard to see where the Argentine's coming from either, as in just 20 appearances this season, the Nürnberg-born gem has scored eight goals and provided four assists from attacking, central and defensive midfield, as well as from the wing, showing that he can be as versatile and as dangerously effective as Dele once was.

So, with the comparisons to the Milton Keynes-born star coming from someone who certainly knows what he's talking about, where does this comparison to Bellingham come from?

Well, it stems from FBref, who have compared every midfielder in the Champions League this season and concluded that the Englishman is the third most similar midfielder to the PSV ace.

We can get a better understanding of how they've reached this conclusion by looking at the underlying metrics they rank closely for, metrics including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, live passes, medium pass accuracy, dribblers tackled, passes blocked and attempted take-ons, all per 90.

However, while being talked about in the same breath as two of the most exciting English midfielders of the last decade is great, it's Son that Tillman may replace at Spurs.

We say this as his most played position this season has been out on the wing, and with his tally of 17 goals and 19 assists in 59 appearances for PSV, he certainly looks lethal enough to replace the South Korean's incredible output.

Ultimately, signing Tillman could prove challenging next year, but given his incredible talent, versatility and potential, Daniel Levy and Co should be doing all they can to bring him to N17 as under Postecoglou, he could be unreal.

Ange Postecoglou has been in charge of Tottenham Hotspur for just under a season and a half now, and it would be fair to say he's more than made his mark.

The team no longer play the mind-numbingly boring football they did under previous bosses, instead they are now one of the most entertaining sides in the country.

Moreover, the Australian has also been able to bring in a number of his own players to alter the squad while also seeing some of those he doesn't want go the other way.

However, he has not been able to completely transform the squad, as exemplified by a defensive flop signed by José Mourinho in 2020, a flop who has cost the club millions and earns more than the incredibly important Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven's importance to Spurs

Now, there are several vitally important players in Postecoglou's Spurs squad, from the mercurial brilliance of Dejan Kulusevski, the newfound goalscoring reliability of Brennan Johnson or the often impressive shot-stopping abilities of the now injured Guglielmo Vicario.

However, if you were to ask a group of fans just who they thought the Lilywhites' most important player was, we'd hazard a guess that the majority answer would be Van de Ven.

The Dutchman joined the North Londoners from VfL Wolfsburg for £43m last summer, and while he wasn't necessarily a household name among Premier League fans at the time, he certainly is now and that's down to two reasons.

The first is something all the best centre-backs possess but is practically impossible to quantify: match intelligence.

Unlike his defensive partner Cristian Romero, who has built a reputation as being somewhat of a hothead, the former Wolfsburg ace usually looks calm and composed.

When you watch him throughout a game, more often than not, he makes the right decisions and finds himself in the right positions, although that is helped by the second reason he's so highly thought of: his incredible speed.

Yes, the new Flying Dutchman has the rare trait of being a blisteringly fast defender, which allows him to maintain a highline with his teammates and then cover back when needed to cut off counter-attacks, and this is something the team have sorely missed when he's been injured.

In all, the Wormer-born titan is an essential member of Postecoglou's side, and on top of excelling as a centre-back, he can also fill in at left-back, which is interesting, as that's the natural position of arguably the least important player in the squad.

The Mourinho flop who's cost Spurs millions

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon, who was signed by Mourinho in 2020 for an enormous fee of £32m, which now looks like a ludicrous amount of money to spend on a player who couldn't buy a start.

Life in North London started well enough for the former Real Madrid prospect, and in his first two campaigns for the club, he provided six assists and scored two goals, but partway through the second, the club appointed Antonio Conte, who ruthlessly cut him from the team ahead of the 22/23 campaign, sending him on loan to Atlético Madrid instead.

Upon his return from the Spanish capital, it was clear that Postecoglou also didn't fancy the 27-year-old and sent him to Manchester United for six months and, after that, to Brentford for the second half of the season.

Amazingly, despite having all this experience, the Madrid-born defender has only made it onto the bench twice this season, against Coventry City in September and then against Fulham on the weekend, so it would be entirely fair to say his career in North London is over.

What makes all of this worse is that Spurs have been paying the once promising full-back £53k-per-week while he's been in N17, so when you add up the weeks he's not been on loan, plus his initial £32m fee, he's cost the Lilywhites an eye-watering £38.6m, which is outrageous for a player who has made just 67 appearances in four years.

Broken down, that comes to £576k-per-appearance, £19.3m-per-goal, £6.4m-per-assist and £4.8m-per-goal-involvement, which can hardly be described as value for money, especially when Van de Ven is earning less at £50k-per-week.

A pundit has claimed that one member of the Tottenham Hotspur squad won't be happy with the treatment he's had from some supporters, and it could be "bugging him" behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham face Bournemouth after disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham

Ange Postecoglou cut a frustrated figure on the touchline after his side dropped points at home to mid-table Fulham over the weekend, with their disappointing 1-1 draw following up their very impressive 4-0 win away to Premier League champions Man City.

This has been a reoccurring theme of Spurs' season so far - wins against elite opposition overshadowed by poor results against teams they're favourites to beat - with Postecoglou gifting both Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town their first victories of 2024/2025.

Alongside those poor outings, the Lilywhites beat Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford, knocked City out of the Carabao Cup, demolished London rivals West Ham and beat top four rivals Aston Villa 4-1.

Tottenham are blowing very hot and cold, with Postecoglou not helped by a plethora of injuries to key players, including number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and a domestic ban for mainstay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs take on Bournemouth next week, off the back of this questionable run, but one very bright spark of their season so far has been Wales international winger Brennan Johnson.

The £70,000-per-week forward has scored 10 goals in all competitions, standing out as one of their star players, after he was forced to delete his social media accounts due to abuse from a section of critics online.

Johnson's bagged seven goals in his last nine league games, whilst also playing a major role in their Europa League campaign with three goals in five matches against Ferencvaros, Qarabag and Roma.

He's a real Postecoglou success story, and it is safe to say that the £47 million signing is proving all of his doubters wrong with some prolific performances on the field. Johnson is also impressing for Wales at international level, and right now, the sky appears the limit for Spurs' rejuvenated 23-year-old.

Pundit claims Brennan Johnson remains unhappy with Tottenham fans

However, speaking to Tottenham News, pundit and former Spurs scout Bryan King says that Johnson could still be unhappy with a section of Tottenham fans for the abuse he received online - specifically after what he spotted the winger do against Fulham.

“We saw Johnson’s reaction when he scored,” King said.

“He is obviously still not happy with Tottenham fans and comments that have been made about him on social media because he didn’t exactly go into a jubilant celebration when he scored. He made sure people knew how he felt about the way he has been treated by the supporters.

“I thought he had moved past that. However, it still seems to be bugging him.”

Johnson has a chance to prove his worth yet again when Spurs take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday, and he could continue to be a key talking point campaign.

For the best part of a decade, Tottenham Hotspur didn't have to worry about signing a new starting striker, as in Harry Kane, they already had arguably the best in the world.

However, with the Englishman out of the side last season, the North Londoners found putting away their chances to be quite a bit harder, as exemplified by the fact they underperformed their open play expected goals in the league by 5.55, per Understat.

The arrival of Dominic Solanke this season has helped alleviate the problem somewhat, but even still, the club is underperforming by 1.20 in open play despite being the league's top scorers at present.

So, it's not all that surprising to see recent reports linking the club to another talented striker, a striker who's outscoring Solanke and Son Heung-min and has been compared to Kane in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Chelsea are also interested in bringing the former Brentford ace back to the Premier League, as he is supposedly unhappy with the level of competitiveness in the Saudi Pro League and 'has not found the same motivation' that he did in England.

There is no price mentioned in the story, but it is said that the Middle Eastern side would demand a sizable fee to facilitate any move due to them spending around £40m on the 28-year-old in the summer and paying him a mammoth weekly wage of around £407k.

So, there are certainly some hurdles to overcome should Spurs want to sign Toney, but given his incredible ability and record in England, this is a transfer that feels worth the hassle, especially as he's outscoring Solanke and Son, and was compared to Kane earlier this year.

Why Spurs should sign Toney

So, before we look at his record compared to Solanke's and Son's, let's examine this comparison to the Lilywhites' all-time leading goalscorer, which came from England teammate Declan Rice.

Prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the former West Ham United captain highlighted the then-Brentford ace's creative capabilities as similar to the England captain's, saying, "he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well."

"He's kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well - his left and right-footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have."

You can see where the Arsenal ace was coming from when looking at the 28-year-old's output from his time in England; in 141 appearances for the Bees, he provided 23 assists, which works out to one every 6.13 games.

In comparison, the former Lilywhites star provided 61 assists in 435 appearances for the North Londoners, which means he maintained a slightly worse average of one every 7.1 games despite his reputation of being a brilliant creator and a goalscorer.

With that said, how does the former Newcastle United ace's output from this season stack up to the likes of Solanke's and Son's?

Unsurprisingly, given his form in England and the lower opposition in the Saudi Pro League, he blows both Spurs stars out of the water.

For example, in just 16 appearances, the "monster" striker, as dubbed by former manager Thomas Frank, has scored eight goals and provided three assists, equating to an average goal involvement every 1.45 games.

In contrast, the former Bournemouth star has scored six goals and provided three assists in 17 games, while the South Korean ace has scored four goals and provided four assists in 14 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 and 1.75 games, respectively.

Finally, for those who aren't convinced by performances in a considerably weaker league, you only need to look at his Premier League record with Brentford, which stands at 36 goals and 11 assists in 83 appearances, or a goal involvement every 1.76 games.

Ultimately, despite topping the scoring charts in the league, Spurs are still missing opportunities in front of goal, and while it could be expensive, signing Toney seems like a brilliant way to solve that problem, as he's undeniably proven at this level, even if he's spent a few months out of the country.

Tottenham Hotspur are undoubtedly one of the biggest teams in the Premier League thanks to the size of their fanbase, storied history and extensive list of legends.

For example, while they didn't necessarily bring trophies to the side, it would be hard to argue that Harry Kane isn't a legend of the club, and the same goes for Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale, although the latter was at least at the club for the 2008 League Cup triumph.

Speaking of that final, the captain on that day may just be one of the most underrated Premier League players of all time and an undeniable Tottenham icon: Ledley King.

The Englishman was a sensational defender, leader, and role model for younger players, and just a few years ago, there was a belief that they may have found their next King, but he would eventually leave for nothing.

King's Spurs career

It's a fitting name, really, as you cannot speak about Spurs in the 2010s and not speak about King.

The Bow-born defender came up through the Lilywhites' youth set-up before making his first team debut away to Liverpool in 1999, although he wouldn't make his home debut until the final day of the following season.

In all, the 21-capped international made 323 appearances for the North Londoners, and while persistent knee injuries plagued him throughout his career and ultimately forced him into early retirement at just 31 years old, there was no debate over his sensational ability.

For example, Thierry Henry described him as "the best defender I've played against and the only one that didn't have to foul me to get the ball", and one of the best examples of this skill and ability was in a game against Chelsea, in which he masterfully tackled Arjen Robben, preventing what would have been a certain goal.

On top of his brilliant performances for Spurs and the fact he was a one-club man, the iconic centre-back was also the last captain to win a significant honour with the club, and while he likely wishes that wasn't the case, it only further demonstrates his incredible contributions to the North Londoners.

So, when a young defender was compared to King just a few years ago, there were more than a few heads turned, although as we know now, it was a comparison that would not be proven accurate in the slightest.

Spurs next King

The weighty tag of the 'next King' is an almighty expectation to live up to at Spurs, and the player given it in 2020 was young defender Japhet Tanganga.

Now, it wasn't just the press that was making comparisons between the then-20-year-old and the club legend at the time, as you also had major fan accounts doing the same thing, and while it looks absurd today, it wasn't at the time.

For example, while King made his first league appearance away to Liverpool, Tanganga made his first league start at home to the Reds, and most importantly, he was sensational in that game, with then manager José Mourinho saying he handled the occasion "amazingly."

On top of positional similarities and their starts to life as Spurs players, both were local lads who came up through the academy, adding another level to the comparisons at the time.

Unfortunately, things wouldn't pan out in North London for the "outstanding" Hackney-born ace, as dubbed by Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Over the next few seasons, he'd suffer from a few knee problems of his own, struggle to match the level required on the pitch and ultimately fail to impress on loan moves to FC Augsburg and Millwall, although he fared a little better during the latter.

So, when his contract expired in the summer, Spurs opted not to offer the 25-year-old another deal, and he opted to return to the Den, where he's playing today and has made 15 appearances so far, potentially finding his level in the second tier.

Ultimately, while there were certainly reasons to be hopeful about his future following his early performances, the tag of the 'next King' was always going to be challenging to live up to, and while he may well enjoy a fruitful career in the Championship, he was never of the level required to play for Spurs.

It would be fair to say that last week was an extremely disappointing one for Tottenham Hotspur.

After dismantling Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad on the weekend, Ange Postecoglou's inconsistent entertainers endeavoured to drop points at home to AS Roma in the Europa League on Thursday and then Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

It was a week that epitomised the Australian's tenure in North London so far, with incredible performances and highs quickly followed by dismal displays that so often sap any momentum that may be threatening to build.

However, there is reason to be optimistic for fans, as recent reports have linked the North Londoners to one of the most exciting strikers in Europe, although it could be bad news for Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from the Mirror, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in Eintracht Frankfurt's star attacker, Omar Marmoush.

In fact, alongside the Lilywhites, the report revealed that Manchester United, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain had scouts in attendance to watch the Egyptian international on Thursday night in the Europa League.

Unfortunately for Spurs, as well as having to get ahead of the competition, they'll have to cough up a hefty fee if they want to secure the 25-year-old's services in 2025, as the report claims it will take an offer of around £60m to convince the German side into selling.

It'll be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Marmoush's incredible ability, it is worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Solanke.

How Marmoush compares to Solanke

Okay, so if Spurs decide to splash the cash and bring Marmoush to the club in January or in the summer, they wouldn't do so with the intention of making him a bench option.

Instead, he'd likely come in as a direct rival for Solanke for the starting number nine role, and based on their respective performances so far this season, he already looks like an upgrade.

For example, in just 19 appearances for Frankfurt this year, the "electric" forward, as football presenter Dougie Critchley described him, has scored a whopping 17 goals and provided 11 assists for good measure. Remarkably, that is only one goal involvement shy of Harry Kane's haul for Bayern Munich in the same country.

In contrast, the former Bournemouth star has managed to score six goals and provide three assists in 17 appearances, which isn't terrible but does come out to a much worse average of a goal involvement every 1.88 games.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Is it just as one-sided when we take a look under the hood?

Indeed, it is, as in the vast majority of metrics, it's the Egyptian dynamo who comes out on top, metrics including but not limited to non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot and shots on target, key passes, successful take-ons, shot and goal-creating actions and passes into the penalty area, all per 90.

Ultimately, it's evident that, at present, Marmoush is the far more dangerous striker of the two, and while Solanke could still be a valuable player for Spurs, the club should do what they can to sign the Frankfurt ace next year before someone else beats them to him.

Tottenham have now turned their attentions to a new signing in January as they look to fix a problem area for manager Ange Postecoglou in a bid to deliver silverware to north London.

Tottenham continue inconsistent start to the season

Following their 4-0 statement win over Manchester City, Spurs have been held to two draws in six days. Conceding in stoppage time to Roma, they were then held to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League by Fulham, who played the final minutes of the game with 10 men.

After the game, Postecoglou was quick to point out the problems that faced the Lilywhites as their mixed form continued, claiming that his second choice defenders would naturally see a drop off in performance.

“I've seen so much violin-playing over [other teams having] one centre-back out, but we're just supposed to get on with it,” Postecoglou told reporters.

"Benny and Radu have been outstanding throughout this spell. I mean there aren't too many teams in the league who have both their centre-backs out.

"I love the characters they're showing. I love the fact that they're not seeking excuses or wanting me to make allowances for it. But at some point, I need to also acknowledge the massive effort that all these guys are putting in. Radu and Ben were outstanding again today."

It is not the first time that Spurs have found themselves in this position in Postecoglou's reign, with both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missing chunks of last season too but Spurs opting not to add another defender to their ranks over the summer.

Now just a point ahead of Manchester United, Spurs are turning their attentions to the January transfer window, and have reportedly identified a potential solution to their defensive issues.

Tottenham eyeing £25m signing

That comes according to reliable journalist Mike McGrath, who reports that Tottenham are one of as many as seven sides keeping tabs on Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov ahead of a potential January swoop.

The Uzbek defender, who joined Lens in 2023 for just €100,000, has quickly risen through the ranks to become a key man for Will Still's side, and has drawn no shortage of praise in the process.

Taking to X, Football Analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him an "absolute unit" and a "warrior" who "just loves to defend", adding that he has been "really impressed" by his performances so far this season.

So have Tottenham, according to the report, with the Lilywhites and Newcastle United both "chasing" the 20-year-old, who is set to "fetch more than £25 million in the current market", a fee that would put him among Lens' biggest ever sales.

Spurs have made a point of signing younger talent in recent transfer windows, with both Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert being examples of that in the most recent summer window. In Khusanov, they could have found another future star to add to Postecoglou's ranks, while he may well come in useful across the second half of the season thanks to his ability to play on either side of defence, which could allow the Spurs boss to rotate his first choice options more regularly.