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With injuries to first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with the other option in Radu Drăgușin leaving a bit to be desired, it is safe to say Tottenham are a bit thin in this department and need more options.

One of the players they have been targetting, however, looks on his way to a big-money move elsewhere.

Tottenham-linked Abdukodir Khusanov pursued by PSG

As reported by Foot Mercato, reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are keen on making a move for Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov. This could potentially throw a spanner in the works for the Uzbekistan international’s Premier League suitors, with Newcastle and Tottenham having been linked with him in recent weeks.

PSG are currently dealing with the possibility of losing Milan Škriniar in the coming weeks, with other key centre-back options in Presnel Kimpembe and Lucas Hernández out injured. With these players also nearing 30s, with club captain Marquinhos already in his 30s, the Parisians are keen to finding long-term replacements and have already roped in Lucas Beraldo and Willian Pacho.

Khusanov, 20, has made 12 appearances for Lens this season across all competitions. Valued by Transfermarkt at €5 million, he has at the club a €140k-per-year contract running until June 2027.

Can’t get them all

Tottenham’s youth policy under Technical Director Johan Lange has indeed made them an attractive prospect for the stars of tomorrow. Alas, they cannot get every player they want.

PSG have on their side the much-revered Luís Campos in an advisory capacity, who has already given his stamp of approval for Khusanov, which usually means the player has the right ingredients to make it at the top level of football, from which we can extrapolate that Spurs have once again scouted a veritable gem of a player.

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That is one positive to take back home for the Lilywhites, for it’s unlikely they’ll match the financial might of PSG at this moment in time.

Tottenham eye Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu as a potential replacement for Pedro Porro

Tottenham Hotspur surprised many by not signing a replacement for Emerson Royal after selling him to AC Milan in the summer. But the fact that Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, and Djed Spence could occupy those roles meant Spurs could still make do.

Three months into the new season, however, one player has been surrounded by uncertainty regarding his future at the Hotspur Way. And that player is none other than Pedro Porro.

Porro has seen his stock enhance ever since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou last year after a tough start to life in North London. The right-back is now one of the first names on the team sheet under Ange Postecoglou. He has already made 14 appearances across all competitions, netting two goals and supplying as many assists.

The Spaniard is now being linked with moves away from Spurs. La Liga giants Real Madrid are particularly keen on him if their pursuit of Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold fails, while Manchester City are also rumoured to be interested in re-signing him.

Reports in recent weeks have been linking the Tottenham star with a return to Spain, with Real Madrid keen to find a long-term replacement for the injured Dani Carvajal. And so, Spurs are scouring the market for options to potentially replace Porro.

According to a report from Sport Witness, Tottenham are interested in signing Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrei Ratiu.

Andrei Ratiu has progressed well at Rayo Vallecano this season after a challenging debut year. He has been Rayo’s first-choice right-back, starting 11 out of 12 La Liga games thus far. The Romanian international has registered a goal and an assist apiece, catching the attention of Spurs and several other clubs.

The aforementioned report adds Barcelona are firmly interested in Ratiu and have already established contacts with Rayo to understand the finances of a potential deal. The 25-year-old full-back has a contract at Rayo until June 2028 (Transfermarkt), protected by a €25m release clause.

While Spurs remain interested in the Aiud-born talent, Barcelona are seemingly having control over the Ratiu case. But even taking that into account, given his age, profile and experience of competing in La Liga, not much argument can be made against exploring a move for the Romanian star.

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Ratiu has a modest €25m release clause in his contract, and so if the Lilywhites hold a concrete interest in him, they must not wait until the summer to trigger it and bring him to North London as a potential replacement for Porro.

Tottenham Hotspur make Ben Davies contract decision

Tottenham Hotspur, off to an inconsistent start to the season, face AS Roma on home soil in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

The North London club faces a dilemma with certain players whose contracts are expiring at the end of the ongoing campaign. However, the Lilywhites are growing increasingly confident of keeping a player on board for another year.

According to a report from The Athletic, Tottenham plan to exercise the one-year contract extension option in Ben Davies’ deal, keeping the defender at the club until the end of 2025/26 season.

The Wales international’s current deal runs out at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), but Spurs do not intend to part ways with him yet. The 31-year-old is the longest-serving member of Ange Postecoglou’s side, having arrived at the Hotspur Way from Swansea City back in 2014. He has racked up 338 appearances across all competitions so far for Tottenham, scoring three goals and supplying 23 assists.

Ben Davies will now extend his stay in North London to 12 years after the club triggers a one-year option in his contract. The left-back may have not received the appreciation and plaudits he deserves from the fans over the course of his Tottenham career, but that is now apparently starting to change especially following his latest performance.

Without the first-choice centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Big Ange had no option but to pair Davies with Radu Dragusin against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The duo performed extremely well, helping the visitors keep a clean sheet in the stunning 4-0 win over Man City. Davies, being the senior-most member, marshalled the backline extremely well. He used his experience and reading of the game to great effect on Saturday.

The Neath-born star, who signed a three-year deal in the summer of 2022, is by no means a regular starter at the club, with four of his six starts this season coming in the Europa League. However, the left-footed defender has shown that he is more than capable of stepping up and doing a job for the team when most required.

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At 31, Davies will be wary that he is seen more as a squad player than a mainstay in the first XI by Big Ange. Having a player of the Welshman’s experience, versatility, commitment and leadership skills is vital for Spurs.

So, the club would be doing a wise job by extending his stay in North London for another season.

Bournemouth star Ilya Zabarnyi has caught the attention of Tottenham this season

Tottenham Hotspur have spent plenty of money in the Ange Postecoglou era so far, trying to bridge the gap with the best Premier League teams.

Spurs enjoyed a strong summer transfer window where they broke their previous transfer record by signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. Now, the North Londoners have begun gearing up for the January transfer window, with a substantial budget set aside to improve the backline.

Injury problems to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero reveal potential depth issues under Ange Postecoglou and they have headed into the busy festive period after the international break with just one fit senior centre-back in Radu Dragusin.

After a relatively slow start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign as compared to the previous one, the Lilywhites still can turn their season around and achieve their primary goal – which is likely to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four and win a trophy. And Daniel Levy and his bosses at the Hotspur Way want to stay competitive during the second half of the season by signing a centre-back.

Bournemouth’s highly-rated defender Ilya Zabarnyi has emerged as a target for Tottenham. The Ukraine international has been a revelation since arriving at Bournemouth from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023, demonstrating his innate qualities on and off the ball. The defender has enjoyed regular football and grown in stature under Andoni Iraola’s coaching.

Ilya Zabarnyi has impressed for the Cherries this season, playing every single minute across 12 Premier League games. Tottenham have shown an interest in the 22-year-old but face competition from current Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The promising young defender has now responded to the claims of Tottenham and Liverpool’s interest. When Zabarnyi was asked about the links to the Premier League duo, he said to the Telegram channel Vzbirna (h/t Champion):

Upon being questioned if this is the ‘decisive season’ for him, Zabarnyi responded:

Despite recently signing a new five-year contract at the Vitality Stadium until 2029 (Transfermarkt), interest in Zabarnyi continues to grow. Due to the length of his contract, Bournemouth are in a good position to demand a sizeable fee for their defensive lynchpin. Currently, they are willing to listen to offers in the region of £50m.

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As for Spurs, they still have plenty of games to cover before January, so Postecoglou will have to rely on the options he currently has at his disposal. However, come January, Big Ange has to push Levy and Co. to splash the cash on Zabarnyi.

It remains to be seen whether the North Londoners’ interest in the former Dynamo Kyiv man is genuine, but a move for Zabarnyi would be ambitious given the competition from Liverpool for his signature.

Tottenham are interested in signing Lille star Angel Gomes but faces competition from Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a productive summer transfer window, reinforcing the squad that finished fifth in Ange Postecoglou’s first season. However, results have not gone exactly their way and improvements are certainly required to boost their top-four hopes in the second half of the campaign.

Football London journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed that Ange Postecoglou would love to sign a creative midfielder when the transfer window reopens in January. And LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes has emerged as a target for Tottenham.

The diminutive Englishman has been playing some impressive football for Lille in Ligue 1. He could be a valuable asset to Ange Postecoglou’s squad, having impressed significantly in Portugal and France since being released by Manchester United as a youngster in 2020.

Angel Gomes is out of contract at Lille at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), meaning the Lilywhites could potentially strike a pre-contract agreement for him as early as January. However, Manchester United are also interested in bringing back the England international to Old Trafford.

The twinkle-toed midfielder wants to see out the final year of his contract at Lille and leave on a free transfer in the summer. Ex-scout Bryan King has now backed Spurs to beat Man United to Gomes’ signature as he thinks a move to North London could appeal to the creative midfielder.

Indeed, the prospect of moving to Spurs could appeal to Gomes, as Ange Postecoglou’s men are still in the Europa League, as well as chasing a top-four spot in the Premier League. Gomes has established himself as one of the best creative midfielders in French football, helping Les Dogues finish fourth last season and secure their return to the elite Champions League for the first time in three years.

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This is the sort of signing that will particularly excite the White Hart Lane faithful, as they look to become a consistent outfit under Big Ange this season, and there will be hope that they can bring in some quality in January to help sustain a top-four push.

This summer, Wilson Odobert was one of many exciting teenage signings that arrived at Tottenham Hotspur. Having shone at the 2024 Paris Olympics during France’s silver-medal run, the 19-year-old even scored a goal in the solitary outing he made for Burnley before his £25m move to North London.

Fast forward a little over three months, however, and things are looking worrying for the young Frenchman that had barely arrived onto the scene. After just a handful of performances for the Lilywhites, Odobert sustained a hamstring injury in September that ruled him out of action for over a month, and while he did return to the pitch in October he was quickly sidelined once again.

While it was earlier being considered a “thigh problem“, Tottenham have now confirmed that Odobert has underwent surgery on his right hamstring, confirming a relapse while he was coming back to fitness.

Any injury of muscular nature is worrisome for a footballer, much less a hamstring one. Even worse is a relapse during rehabilitation. Players are already going down more frequently owing to the ever-burgeoning footballing calendar, and then Ange Postecoglou is also famous for having an intense regimen. All of this leaves Odobert at a very concerning juncture of his nascent senior career.

One cannot help but draw parallels from another young wide forward that arrived at Tottenham on the back of a lot of fanfare but found himself hampered by injuries throughout his stint with the Lilywhites. Signed by Spurs in the same summer Gareth Bale left for Real Madrid, €30m man Erik Lamela was perceived by many as the inheritor of the Welshman’s mantle as he arrived from AS Roma, and while he undoubtedly had moments of exceptional brilliance in a Spurs shirt, making 81 goal contributions in 257 appearances, the Argentine also missed a staggering 155 games in total for club and country over the course of his eight-year spell in North London owing to a multitude of injury issues.

Of course, no two players are ever same, but the past does offer us a lesson to learn from. There is a precedence here of a promising player being derailed at Spurs due to injuries, and when we take a wider view we find that similar cases are a dime a dozen in the footballing world.

Wilson Odobert is a quintessential Postecoglou forward, in that he’s capable of operating on either flank as well as centrally. When fit, he could become one of the most lethal weapons in the Australian coach’s arsenal, but that is not how things have begun for him at Tottenham. That he was reintegrated into the squad only to go down mere days later is a very, very worrying signal, and it will be months before he returns to training again; given Spurs’ topsy-turvy trend of results this season, it’s entirely plausible he may find a totally different head coach at the helm by the time he returns to training.

Tottenham need options up front the pitch, especially out wide. Timo Werner, for all his industry, continues to lack that final output. Both Son Heung-min and Richarlison have been struggling for form this season—when they’re on the pitch‚ that is—and both are linked with exits in January as well, however unlikely the likelihood of their mid-season departure may be, especially in Son’s case.

This means, come January, Spurs may very well have to dip into the market for at least a short-term wide option, which will make things even trickier for Odobert when he comes back.

First and foremost, we wish Wilson Odobert and his family the best as he tries to recover properly this time, and hope that Spurs do not rush him back under any circumstance for his own sake. It would be quite a shame if a young player of such promise were to be derailed this early in this career.

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Tottenham could end up signing Timo Werner permanently from RB Leipzig

There has been a lot said and written about the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur forward Timo Werner over the last month or so.

Having spent the second half of last term on loan from German club RB Leipzig, the Lilywhites negotiated a fresh temporary agreement which included an £8.5million option to buy the German international. However, due to his largely underwhelming displays this season, large sections of the Tottenham fanbase had been calling on ending the forward’s loan spell prematurely and sending him back to RB Leipzig in January.

Football London correspondent Alasdair Gold has already revealed that no such option exists to cut short the agreement during the winter transfer window. Parent club RB Leipzig holds the final call in deciding whether Timo Werner will stay in North London or return to the Red Bull Arena.

As per the latest developments, there appears to be a twist in Werner’s future at the club. According to an exclusive report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are yet to rule out the possibility of signing the German forward permanently from Leipzig after head coach Ange Postecoglou has decided against cutting short his temporary spell in January.

The Stuttgart-born star made an impact in Spurs’ 4-0 rout of English champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League last weekend. He came off the bench in the second half and bagged an assist for Brennan Johnson’s goal, enhancing his chances of staying at the Hotspur Way beyond his loan spell.

Daniel Levy, his club chiefs, and Postecoglou are holding off making a final decision on Werner’s future. Despite continuing to consider the options in attack, the North London outfit has no interest in ending the ex-Chelsea man’s stay prematurely, especially due to a lack of personnel out wide.

Wilson Odobert and Richarlison are set for an extended spell on the sidelines due to ankle and hamstring issues. This means Big Ange only has Werner, Son Heung-min, and young Mikey Moore as the only left-wing options to negotiate the busy fixture schedule. Thus, the aforementioned report adds that Tottenham wants to keep Werner at the club as Big Ange views him as a crucial member of the squad who can bring a spark to the team when required.

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Vicario’s injury coul force Tottenham to bring in a goalkeeper next January

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario announced on social media that he has suffered an ankle fracture and was operated upon following their defeat of Manchester City on Saturday. The Italian international also revealed that he played an hour of the game with his injury, although he failed to give a timeframe for his return to action.

Ange Postecoglou will have to call upon 36-year-old second-fiddle goalie Fraser Forster. He has been used in the Europa League matches every now and then this season as well as in the cup games, but it remains to be seen if he is up for the intensity of playing in the Premier League although there is little that Spurs can do until January at least.

The Telegraph has reported that Vicario is expected to be out for months and not weeks due to the surgery and as a result, Tottenham will expedite a goalkeeper’s signing in the winter. A shot-stopper’s purchase was anyways on their radar but the board was happy to wait until the end of the season but it is fair to say that doing so would be extremely detrimental at this point in time.

The source does not link any particular goalkeeper to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and not much has emerged in recent hours regarding who exactly the Lilywhites could swoop for, though it is admittedly going to be difficult to bring in a first-choice level goalkeeper in January as clubs will be very reluctant in letting go of their players midway through the campaign.

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For the very near future, Fraser Forster will be the favourite to feature in each of Tottenham’s 10 games that remain between now and January. He is an experienced goalkeeper having previously spent eight years on Southampton’s books but it is not remiss to admit that Postecoglou will be anxious about his backline with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven also currently on the sidelines.

Tottenham host AS Roma in the Europa League

Tottenham Hotspur host AS Roma on matchday five of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, November 28th. It will be the final time European action will be held at the home of the Lilywhites this year and they will be hoping to cap it off with a vital win that will take them another step closer to securing passage into the next round of the competition.

Spurs suffered the first defeat of their campaign in the tournament on matchday four against Galatasaray by a 3-2 margin, though their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage are very much safe. After a thumping win over Manchester City, Ange Postecoglou’s side will undoubtedly be the favourite to beat Roma, who are on their third coach of the season already.

Team News

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have a number of absentees for the game. Will Lankshear was shown the red card last time out and is suspended for the game, while the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are all ruled out. Mikey Moore is also a doubt as he is recovering from an illness.

Spurs’ top goal-scorer in the competition is Dominic Solanke and he will be available for the game right from the word go. He scored last time in the Europa League in Istanbul after coming off the bench. Son Heung-min is unlikely to start, however, as Ange Postecoglou is managing his recovery very carefully after a muscular injury earlier in the season.

PREDICTED TOTTENHAM XI (4-3-3): Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

AS Roma

AS Roma come into matchday five of the Europa League in 20th place and with just one win in their first four matches of the tournament, a defeat against Spurs would make their position quite precarious in the standings. If they are to win, they will need to do so without Alexis Saelemaekers, Eldor Shomurodov and Mario Hermoso, who are all injured and likely to miss the game.

Artem Dovbyk is the Giallorossi’s top scorer in the Europa League with two goals to his name and will be a player Tottenham will have to stay on top of. Lorenzo Pellegrini will also be a threat as their second striker while a player of Stephan El Sharaawy’s qualities can never be written off either, and could be a player who can threaten Spurs.

PREDICTED AS ROMA XI (4-4-1-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, N’Dicka, Angelino; El Sharaawy, Kone, Cristante, Pisilli; Pellegrini; Dovbyk

Match-deciding duel

Brennan Johnson vs Angelino

Brennan Johnson is likely to be Tottenham Hotspur’s creative outlet down the right flank and will also be a goal threat to AS Roma given his form in the last few weeks. The Welshman will be up against former Manchester City left back Angelino, who is one of the Italian side’s better players and can cause a chaos if he raids forward as well.

Angelino will have to be taken care of by Johnson when Tottenham are without the ball, while his duel against the Spaniard could influence the result of the match. It could be an enticing tussle to keep tabs on.

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Prediction

Tottenham 3-0 AS Roma

Tottenham will have their tails up after beating Manchester City at the weekend and will hope to follow it up with another great result in the Europa League. AS Roma have done little good this season and therefore, Spurs could grab a comfortable win.

Serio Reguilon is reaching the end of the road at Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon has been ostracised from the first-team squad by Ange Postecoglou right from the start of pre-season. As a result, he has not had a single minute of professional football since May despite being available in that time.

It has been clear for a long time now that the Lilywhites want to offload the Spaniard, who has been a part of the club since 2020. The 27-year-old was short of suitors in the Premier League in the summer but had interest from Turkish and Saudi Arabian clubs, which he surprisingly chose not to explore.

The 27-year-old has been away from first-team action for a long time now, having been told by Ange Postecoglou to find a new home. Sergio Reguilon has been linked with moves to Sevilla and Fenerbahce in the past. Osasuna are the latest club to show interest in the Madrid-born defender, who is into the final eight months of his £53k-per-week contract at White Hart Lane.

After being linked with a move of late, Osasuna are now believed to be not interested in Reguilon’s services anymore. The Spanish club are happy with the options they have at left-back and therefore see no point in moving for the Spurs outcast.

The Madrid-born defender has been planning to terminate his contract and seal his exit in January after falling out of favour under Big Ange. He hopes to find a new employer for the second half of the season, with the left-back’s situation at the club getting desperate day by day.

Football finance expert Dan Plumley thinks Tottenham could reach a mutual contract termination agreement with Reguilon. He has suggested that negotiations will focus on whether the defender leaves on a free transfer or if he can come to a middle ground with the club over a payoff.

Reguilon has no future at N17. It is extremely disappointing to see a once highly-rated left-back in Spain arrive at Spurs and fail to fulfil his potential. Over the years, he has only amassed a total of 67 appearances across all competitions in Tottenham colours, scoring two goals and making eight assists for his side.

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The ex-Sevilla man, who won the UEFA Europa League during his time in Spain, wants to leave Hotspur Way. Tottenham want him out as well. So, the only solution that pops up at this moment is a mutual contract termination. Should that happen, it will give Reguilon a chance to make a fresh start in his career. It will also be financially beneficial for both the parties.

However, having not seen competitive action since the end of May, Reguilon may face challenges finding a new club immediately even as a free agent.