Transfermarkt

It's been a pretty miserable first half of the season for Tottenham, but some excitement may stem out of their latest transfer activity. Spurs are expected to complete a €40 million deal for Atlético Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher after moving ahead of Aston Villa in the race for his signature. Villa appeared to be in pole position to sign Gallagher, but Spurs are now closing in on the 25-year-old after expressing a willingness to meet Atléico's valuation on a permanent deal this winter. Villa had preferred to sign the former Chelsea man on an initial loan deal with an option to make the move permanent in the summer.

Gallagher has not yet agreed personal terms with Spurs, but that is understood to be a formality. The midfielder is thought to be keen to finalise the transfer as soon as possible, and he will hope a move back to the Premier League may boost his chances of breaking back into Thomas Tuchel's England squad for this summer's World Cup. He has only played once under the German so far, featuring for 59 minutes in the 3-1 friendly defeat by Senegal. It was a bold move for Gallagher to swap his boyhood club Chelsea for Diego Simeone's Atlético, but just how did the midfielder perform in LaLiga?

How has Gallagher performed in Spain?

Gallagher signed for Spanish giants Atlético in the summer of 2024, leaving Stamford Bridge in a €42m deal. The transfer led to some unrest from some sections of the Blues support, with it suggested a large contributing factor behind the sale was the fact he was a homegrown player, so therefore generated more profit to stay on the right side of the Premier League's financial laws. Last season, in his first campaign in Madrid, he made a decent impact, with his relentless pressing suiting the style of the team. He was nicknamed 'El Pitbull' for his tenacious hounding of opposition defenders and ability to rapidly cover ground, and appeared the perfect fit for 'El Cholo's' Atlético.

However, despite playing 32 times in LaLiga, he only started half of the 38 matches in the league, with fierce competition in midfield from Pablo Barrios, Koke, Rodrigo De Paul and Marcos Llorente. Gallagher also made nine appearances in the Champions League last term, with his best moment in an Atlético shirt probably being his goal against rivals Real Madrid in the round of 16 at the Metropolitano.

Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday, with a convincing 2-1 victory for Aston Villa pouing further anguish on Thomas Frank’s tortured reign at the North London club. Elimination from the cup tournament now means that Spurs have won only one of their last seven games in all competitions.

The result now means that Frank is under immense pressure at Tottenham, with reports suggesting that the former Brentford head coach could be relieved of his duties in the coming weeks. Frank was appointed Spurs manager less than 200 days ago, when he replaced Ange Postecoglou at the club. However, new stats now underline how far the club have fallen under the Danish tactician and why they may be in the market for a third manager in less than a year.

Following Saturday’s defeat to Villa, Frank has won 12 games, drawn a further eight and lost 12 of his 31 matches in charge of Tottenham. That gives him a dreadful points-per-game average of just 1.32. And not only is that a 13% drop from his predecessor’s average of 1.52 points per game, but it’s also considerably worse than the managers that came before both of them.

Indeed, Frank’s average represents the poorest return for any permanent Spurs boss in over two decades, officially undercutting the 1.35 PPG record held by Juande Ramos during his ill-fated spell between 2007 and 2008. The gap widens further when looking back to the "Golden Era" under Mauricio Pochettino (1.84 PPG) or even the pragmatic tenures of José Mourinho (1.77 PPG) and Antonio Conte (1.78 PPG). Frank’s inability to find consistency has seen him fall behind even Nuno Espírito Santo, who averaged 1.65 PPG before his dismissal in 2021.

Whether Tottenham will ultimately act after Saturday’s defeat remains to be seen. But everything in Frank’s first half season at the club suggests that the Dane is either entirely ill-equipped to handle the pressure of the job or encourage his squad to perform better. As such he is currently the worst Tottenham manager in 20 years. And that’s a hard stat to come back from.

Tottenham were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday, with a convincing 2-1 victory for Aston Villa pouing further anguish on Thomas Frank’s tortured reign at the North London club. Elimination from the cup tournament now means that Spurs have won only one of their last seven games in all competitions.

The result now means that Frank is under immense pressure at Tottenham, with reports suggesting that the former Brentford head coach could be relieved of his duties in the coming weeks. Frank was appointed Spurs manager less than 200 days ago, when he replaced Ange Postecoglou at the club. However, new stats now underline how far the club have fallen under the Danish tactician and why they may be in the market for a third manager in less than a year.

Following Saturday’s defeat to Villa, Frank has won 12 games, drawn a further eight and lost 12 of his 31 matches in charge of Tottenham. That gives him a dreadful points-per-game average of just 1.32. And not only is that a 13% drop from his predecessor’s average of 1.52 points per game, but it’s also considerably worse than the managers that came before both of them.

Indeed, Frank’s average represents the poorest return for any permanent Spurs boss in over two decades, officially undercutting the 1.35 PPG record held by Juande Ramos during his ill-fated spell between 2007 and 2008. The gap widens further when looking back to the "Golden Era" under Mauricio Pochettino (1.84 PPG) or even the pragmatic tenures of José Mourinho (1.77 PPG) and Antonio Conte (1.78 PPG). Frank’s inability to find consistency has seen him fall behind even Nuno Espírito Santo, who averaged 1.65 PPG before his dismissal in 2021.

Whether Tottenham will ultimately act after Saturday’s defeat remains to be seen. But everything in Frank’s first half season at the club suggests that the Dane is either entirely ill-equipped to handle the pressure of the job or encourage his squad to perform better. As such he is currently the worst Tottenham manager in 20 years. And that’s a hard stat to come back from.

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Tottenham’s season continues to go from bad to worse as the club continues to tumble down the league table. Following a 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth in midweek, Spurs now find themselves sitting precariously in fourteenth place in the Premier League table. Just one victory in their last six league games has led to serious speculation over Thomas Frank’s future as club manager. However, with the club unlikely to make a managerial change anytime soon, reports have also suggested that the North London side may turn their towards the transfer market to find solutions to their growing problems.

One notable transfer rumour that continues to gather steam revolves around reports in France that suggest that Tottenham are desperate to sign Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche. The 23-year-old French forward has a market value of €45 million and recent remarks from Monaco’s head coach suggests that Akliouche may indeed depart the club in the coming weeks. “I am counting on everyone for the second part of the season, but Maghnes is free to make his decision. Those pertaining to his future are his to take,” said Sébastien Pocognoli ahead of Monaco’s tie with Auxerre. So who is Akliouche and why are Tottenham so intent on signing him this month?

Stats

M. Akliouche Right Winger

AS Monaco

Career stats–

All competitions

Games

Goals

Assists

Stats

M. Akliouche Right Winger

France

Career stats–

All competitions

Games

Goals

Assists

How good has Maghnes Akliouche been this season?

Akliouche has been a regular starter for Monaco for two and a half seasons now, bagging an impressive 19 goals and 22 assists in 119 games for the Ligue 1 giants. That includes three goals and five assists in 23 games this season, however it would be fair to say that the young winger has struggled for consistency across all competitions for Monaco in recent months. “So far this season, Akliouche has been on par with his form from last season, though without a really good streak of games,” said Transfermarkt Ligue 1 expert Ronan Caroff, when asked about the player’s form this season. “This is not his fault alone. Despite a coaching change in October, Monaco have only won one Ligue 1 game since the start of November. But there is a wider picture to be seen: He got his first France national team call up this season, and has been called for all three windows. He’s only started one of his five caps for France to date, but still made an impact with his first goal and assist, and showing his versatility on various attack positions.”

Rumour M. Akliouche Right Winger

Monaco 38 % Tottenham Ligue 1 Premier League

Is Maghnes Akliouche ready for the Premier League?

Due to his growing presence in the Monaco first team, Akliouche’s market value has steadily risen from just €300k in December 2021 to where it now stands at an impressive €45m. In that time only eight players have gained more market value across all of Ligue 1, which clearly underlines the potential that Tottenham are seemingly keen to pick up with a sizable transfer fee this month. But is the younger French forward ready to make the move to the Premier League and solve Frank’s problems in attack? “I would rather see him moving next summer, Monaco lacks clear attacking options these days despite some fancy names and likely don't want to lose their main asset (both in football and market terms) in January without proper time to plan his succession,” noted Caroff when asked about a winter move for the Monaco star. “Though, if it had to happen now, I would consider him ready, he's now fit for the highest level with two consecutive Champions League campaigns under his belt, being a top non-PSG player of Ligue 1 and a French international. And we've seen with Rayan Cherki at Manchester City that the fear of too much physicality against these "artists" isn't really justified, and that they know how to adapt themselves or the game to compensate for that gap.”

Rumour M. Akliouche Right Winger

Monaco 38 % Bayern Munich Ligue 1 Bundesliga

Rumour M. Akliouche Right Winger

Monaco ? Arsenal Ligue 1 Premier League

Rumour M. Akliouche Right Winger

Monaco ? Man City Ligue 1 Premier League

Who else wants to sign Maghnes Akliouche?

Going from the blazing hot beaches in Southern Brazil to the freezing cold of North London is likely to be some culture shock, but that looks like what may await Santos full-back Souza this January. Brazil has become a popular shopping ground for young talent for Premier League teams in recent years and the 19-year-old defender could be the latest to make the move as a teenager. He has a current market value of €5 million.

According to reports, Tottenham have now agreed a fee with Santos for a fee in the region of €15m for Souza after seeing an initial €9.2m bid rejected last week. The Brazilian is thought to be keen to move on with several other European clubs also enquiring this winter, including AC Milan and Newcastle. With expert insight from Brazil, we bring you more on the Tottenham target, what he could bring to the Premier League, and what it may take to seal a move this January.

What type of player is Souza?

Thiago Rabelo is a very well respected journalist and part of Transfermarkt's team in Brazil. He has been watching Souza's development closely and tells us more about what kind of player he is: "Souza is the typical Brazilian left-back. He's fast, quick, and very offensive. What I like most about him is his speed and courage in attacking spaces. As he is so fast, his dribbling is always at speed, a very important characteristic for a full-back."

That description may leave Spurs fan's brimming with excitement, but there are some areas for improvement, as Rabelo explains: "Souza still has a lot to develop. I still see him with physical and defensive weaknesses. The last Brazilian Championship shows how much room he has for growth. He started the year on the bench and, halfway through, became an important player for Neymar's Santos to avoid relegation."

In the last decade we have seen many young Brazilian talents leave their homeland for the riches of European football as teenagers. Some have been resounding successes. Other haven't worked and have soon returned. Rabelo admits this theme is becoming a concern: "I don't see him ready for European football. He's not even established in Brazil yet. This has been a big problem for many young players in Brazil. They leave the country very young and without establishing themselves at their formative club. Souza is a player who doesn't arrive in Europe fully formed, but he is a player with a lot of potential to develop."

So what would it take for Tottenham to prize Souza to London this winter? "Despite the difficulties of 2025, Santos should experience better days this year and don’t have to sell players for low prices," explains Rabelo. "Last year, the club already rejected offers of €10m for the player and that's not expected to change - it will probably take a bit more than that. Brazilian football has been experiencing strong growth in value and, consequently, more expensive sales." Souza certainly looks like an exciting prospect for the future, but he is unlikely to be someone who will come in and have an immediate impact in the Premier League.

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The January transfer window is now open and the rumours continue to circulate as clubs plan out moves. Teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes on identifying targets and figuring out their budgets.

Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals. The rumour mill is still gathering pace and we've collated some of the biggest current transfer stories.

Today's biggest transfer stories

Rumour Luca Netz Left-Back

Mönchengladbach 38 % Tottenham Bundesliga Premier League

Tottenham's pursuit of a new left-back could turn their attention towards the Bundesliga. According to Sky Germany, the North London club are keeping tabs on Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Luca Netz, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

Rumour M. Guéhi Centre-Back

Crystal Palace ? Arsenal Premier League Premier League

There are seemingly very few clubs that haven't been linked with a move for Marc Guéhi this month and it just became a smaller and more exclusive collective of sides. According to the Athletic, Arsenal have joined the race to sign the Crystal Palace defender this month.

Rumour E. Ferguson Centre-Forward

Brighton ? Nott'm Forest Premier League Premier League

Antoine Semenyo said goodbye to Bournemouth in style with a last-minute winner against Tottenham to escalate the pressure on Thomas Frank. Semenyo was playing his last game for the Cherries before joining Manchester City but a growing number of Spurs fans want the South coast collapse to be Frank’s final game in charge.

The travelling contingent made their feelings crystal clear towards the Danish manager at full-time as he was met with a chorus of boos as he approached the away end. Bournemouth hadn’t won in 11 games but they moved just one point behind Spurs with the North London club now languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table. Frank transformed Brentford and arrived at Tottenham in the summer with an excellent reputation but Spurs fans have never been fully on board and he’s now under serious pressure.

Thomas Frank vs Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham record

Tottenham took an early lead against Bournemouth courtesy of Mathys Tel but the Cherries turned it around to lead 2-1 at the break. Spurs did rally in the second half and equaliser through João Palhinha before the Semenyo sucker-punch in the fifth minute of added time. “It’s very, very difficult,” Frank told Sky Sports post-match. “It’s really painful. The players put in everything. The first half-was fine, we went 1-0 up then lost two goals from second phases at set-pieces, which we need to improve on. I loved the mentality and character in the second and we were completely on top. We got a more than deserved equaliser and we were the team closer to winning it. But to concede a goal five minutes into extra-time is so painful.”

Antoine Semenyo said goodbye to Bournemouth in style with a last-minute winner against Tottenham to escalate the pressure on Thomas Frank. Semenyo was playing his last game for the Cherries before joining Manchester City but a growing number of Spurs fans want the South coast collapse to be Frank’s final game in charge.

The travelling contingent made their feelings crystal clear towards the Danish manager at full-time as he was met with a chorus of boos as he approached the away end. Bournemouth hadn’t won in 11 games but they moved just one point behind Spurs with the North London club now languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table. Frank transformed Brentford and arrived at Tottenham in the summer with an excellent reputation but Spurs fans have never been fully on board and he’s now under serious pressure.

Thomas Frank vs Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham record

Tottenham took an early lead against Bournemouth courtesy of Mathys Tel but the Cherries turned it around to lead 2-1 at the break. Spurs did rally in the second half and equaliser through João Palhinha before the Semenyo sucker-punch in the fifth minute of added time. “It’s very, very difficult,” Frank told Sky Sports post-match. “It’s really painful. The players put in everything. The first half-was fine, we went 1-0 up then lost two goals from second phases at set-pieces, which we need to improve on. I loved the mentality and character in the second and we were completely on top. We got a more than deserved equaliser and we were the team closer to winning it. But to concede a goal five minutes into extra-time is so painful.”

Brazilian, Igor Thiago is one of the big sensations in English football in the 2025/2026 season. With 14 goals, the Brentford striker is only behind Manchester City's Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts. The Norwegian has scored 19 goals. Thiago is also close to breaking the record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian in a single Premier League season. For now, the record belongs to Matheus Cunha, with 15 goals in 33 games last season.

Born in Gama, Federal District, Thiago came up through the youth ranks at Cruzeiro and was promoted to the first-team in 2020. Two years later, he was sold to Ludogorets in Bulgaria, for €1.3 million. His rise in European football was rapid. With 21 goals and 11 assists in 55 games, he was sold to Club Brugge in Belgium for €11m. In Belgian football, he shone again, with 29 goals in 55 games. He was sold at the end of his first season with the club for €33m.

Two knee injuries hampered Thiago's first year at Brentford and he played only eight games. But now free from physical problems, and thriving under Keith Andrews, he is making a real difference on the pitch. Valued at €35m, he is the star at Brentford right now, who are riding high in seventh in the Premier League.

A striker who intimidates his opponents

Ben Littlemore, Content Manager for Transfermarkt in the United Kingdom points to Thiago's physical strength and good relationship with coach Andrews as key factors to the Brazilian's success: "Thiago is a crucial player for Brentford because of his physical strength and dedication. He is a very difficult opponent to stop, as well as being a great finisher. Injuries ruined his first season, but the confidence of coach Andrews was fundamental for him to show what he can do and enjoy this great run of form."

The January transfer window is now open and the rumours continue to circulate as clubs plan out moves. Teams are working tirelessly behind the scenes on identifying targets and figuring out their budgets.

Managers will be constantly assessing their squads with sporting directors and recruitment staff scanning the market for potential deals. The rumour mill is still gathering pace and we've collated some of the biggest current transfer stories.

Today's biggest transfer stories

Roma director Ricky Massara has said the situation over any move for Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has now changed following head coach Ruben Amorim's Old Trafford exit, and the Dutchman could now stay at Old Trafford.

Newcastle United will reportedly have Tottenham for competition if they go back to Wolves in an effort to sign 25-year-old Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. Spurs are keen to add another attacker after the injury to Mohammed Kudus.