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Paul Merson has urged Tottenham Hotspur to make a significant move in the January transfer widow in order to kickstart their new regime.

With the January window now days away from opening, the rumour mill has gone into hyperdrive, and it seems clear that one winger’s future is going to dominate the headlines for the next couple of weeks.

It has been widely reported over the last month that Spurs were pushing aggressively to land Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause in his contract at Bournemouth.

We even heard reports that Tottenham were willing to shatter their wage structure to land the Ghana international.

However, Spurs faced an uphill battle to land the Bournemouth star, who is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

Tottenham need to buy quality in January

Merson urged Tottenham not to give up on the 25-year-old, suggesting that the Lilywhites need him more than their Premier League rivals do.

The former Arsenal man has claimed that Tottenham need to make a significant signing in January to kickstart the current project at the club, which appears directionless at the moment.

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When asked which club needs Semenyo the most, Merson told Sky Sports: “Tottenham. They need to make a real key signing that will kick them off. They have a wage structure at Tottenham and don’t really pay big money but this could kickstart them.

“For me, I think Tottenham would be the one. It would be a statement for Tottenham; it would kickstart them moving forward for the next five or 10 years.”

“Beat a couple of other clubs to him. He will play every week and wants to play football. You get the consistency of playing week in and week out. But I think he suits them.”

Merson thinks Spurs can make a good case to Semenyo

Over the last few days, some sources have suggested that Semenyo prefers a move to Man City or Liverpool, and Spurs were not considered a priority for Semenyo Manchester United having been ahead of the North Londoners.

However, Merson believes that Semenyo will not be the main man at many of Tottenham’s rivals and faces more uncertainty at other clubs.

He added: “Chelsea have loads of wingers already, [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Pedro] Neto, [Jamie] Gittens and Estevao. Plus, he’s 26, I don’t see the sell-on. At Man Utd, he will play wing-back. That isn’t his favourite position. He won’t want to play wing-back.

“Man City, how long will Pep Guardiola be there? You sign a four-year deal and the manager leaves at the end of the season, who is to say the new manager will want him to play. Liverpool, maybe, but then you’re taking Mohamed Salah’s place.”

The referee for Tottenham’s trip to Crystal Palace has now been announced, and it is not something that will particularly delight Thomas Frank.

John Brooks’ officiating has come under the radar following Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool at home.

The referee showed two red cards to Tottenham players and controversially allowed the away side’s second goal to stand despite Hugo Ekitike appearing to push Cristian Romero.

Thomas Frank felt Brooks got all three of his big decisions wrong on Saturday, and was not too happy that he cost his side a chance of getting a result.

Referee announced for Tottenham’s clash against Crystal Palace

Spurs desperately need to get back to winning ways at Palace on Sunday, and they will not be too pleased with the official who will oversee the contest.

Jarred Gillett has been confirmed as the man who will be in charge at Selhurst Park, and his record involving Tottenham games is far from ideal for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham have lost seven and won six of the 13 matches Gillet has taken charge of, but what will concern Frank’s side even more is his propensity to dish out bookings.

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He has handed out 31 yellow cards to Spurs players in those 13 matches, which is not something that the Lilywhites can afford, and that is a major concern, given how many of Tottenham’s players are teetering on the edge of suspension.

While Gillet has never sent a Spurs player off, he has also never handed a penalty to the North London club in those 13 games.

Four Spurs players need to avoid a booking at Palace

Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur are all on four yellow cards each at the moment.

Players picking up five yellows within the first 19 matches of the season will be suspended for one game, which means that all four of them need to avoid bookings in the next two league games.

Tottenham Hotspur will hope to avoid a third successive league defeat when they face Crystal Palace away on Sunday.

With no Carabao Cup distraction earlier this week following their elimination at the hands of Newcastle United almost two months ago, Tottenham have had more than enough time to reflect on their back-to-back league defeats. Beginning with an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago, a much-improved performance last weekend saw a 9-man Spurs side fight hard but ultimately leave empty-handed in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

That was probably the rare occasion this year where the team were not booed off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and considering their poor record of just 2 wins in 9 league games, supporters were satisfied with the performance, knowing they were victims of some poor refereeing decisions. The atmosphere on the night was incredible, strong enough to even be acknowledged by a Liverpool player afterwards.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, come into this fixture after their own Carabao Cup dreams were ended by current league leaders Arsenal. Marc Guehi’s stoppage-time equaliser was ultimately in vain as last season’s FA Cup winners were knocked out following an 8-7 defeat in the penalty shoot-out.

They are unlikely to dwell too long on that disappointment, however, given their impressive Premier League form. Palace currently sit 8th in the Premier League table, just 3 points off the top four, although their early-season unbeaten run has taken a hit recently, with no wins in their last four matches in all competitions. That run includes a heavy 4-1 defeat to newly promoted Leeds United in their most recent league outing.

What time does Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur kick off?

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur: head-to-head record

Although Spurs have historically been dominant against their London rivals, Crystal Palace completed a league double over Tottenham for the first time in their history last season.

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However, all three meetings prior to that saw Spurs emerge as comfortable winners.

Even at Selhurst Park, Tottenham have generally had the upper hand, having won 7 of their previous 12 visits, alongside 2 draws and 3 defeats.

Tottenham team news

Speaking to the press, Thomas Frank revealed that the team news remains unchanged from the Liverpool defeat, adding that he would be ‘very happy’ to welcome back Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, though he did not guarantee either player’s return.

Speaking of the Liverpool match, where two Spurs players were shown controversial red cards, Xavi Simons will miss this fixture as well as Spurs’ next two games, while captain Cristian Romero is also unavailable after his dismissal.

On the brighter side, Radu Dragusin returned to the Spurs squad after almost a year out with an ACL injury, although he remained an unused substitute.

Confirmed absentees include the injured James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie, along with AFCON participants Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma.

Crystal Palace team news

Oliver Glasner is without several key players for this fixture. Ismaila Sarr is away on AFCON duty, while Daniel Munoz remains sidelined with a knee injury.

Further absentees include Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada and Cheick Doucoure, all of whom are not expected to return until mid-January.

Predicted line-ups

TOTTENHAM: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gray; Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Nketiah, Pino; Mateta

Our prediction

With more losses than wins and Tottenham currently sitting 14th in the table, it would be wrong to suggest supporters would be lenient with another defeat, and for that reason Thomas Frank will need to find a way out of the situation he finds himself in.

Keep an eye on Djed Spence, who was Spurs’ best player against Liverpool and is likely to carry that form into this match, especially with more space to attack and without the threat of having to deal with Ismaila Sarr and Daniel Munoz

For Crystal Palace, Marc Guehi will be one to watch. Once on Spurs’ radar, the centre-back has contributed 6 goals already this season and poses a clear threat at set-pieces, meaning Tottenham will need to limit his impact there, while Richarlison’s ability to drive past him with the ball could be key.

Fabio Paratici will try and poach a Tottenham Hotspur defender in January if and when he is confirmed as Fiorentina’s head of football.

Although Spurs have not been contacted by Fiorentina, the Italian club are thought to be locked in talks with Paratici about jumping ship from the North London club.

Paratici only returned to Tottenham as a co-sporting director with Johan Lange back in October, but his future at the Lilywhites now looks in serious doubt.

In fact, Fabrizio Romano and others have claimed that the Spurs sporting director is now edging closer to joining La Viola, and it has now been claimed that he could raid the North London club in January.

Fabio Paratici wants to take Tottenham centre-back to Fiorentina

According to a report in Firenze Viola, Paratici will look to raid Tottenham for Radu Dragusin when he completes a move to the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

The outlet explains that the centre-back will be the first name on the Italian’s wishlist and that the player had already been among Fiorentina’s transfer targets.

In fact, the Serie A club inquired about Dragusin a month ago, but Tottenham refused to negotiate at the time.

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Paratici’s move to Florence is expected to change things, given the relationships the 53-year-old has at Spurs.

Radu Dragusin is also wanted by other Serie A clubs

Fiorentina are from the only Serie A side looking to take the former Genoa man to Italy.

Roma have reportedly expressed their interest in a January deal for Dragusin, with the Giallorossi identifying the Romanian as the ideal choice to bolster their backline.

It has subsequently emerged that AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli are also big fans of Dragusin, who is thought to be valued at €30m (£26.1m) by Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are turning their attention to a Juventus star, but they face competition from two of their fierce rivals for the player.

With Spurs now coming around to the realisation that Antoine Semenyo may be out of their reach, the Lilywhites are turning to other alternatives.

One of the names on their wishlist is a 20-year-old Turkish international, who has forged a solid reputation in Turin.

It was first reported two weeks ago that Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz would be a dream signing for Tottenham, but it has now emerged that the North Londoners will face plenty of competition for the youngster.

Tottenham are battling London rivals for Kenan Yildiz

TEAMtalk have now claimed that clubs in the Premier League are now eyeing a move for the versatile attacker, whose future in Juve is shrouded in doubt.

The report names Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as the ‘most keen suitors’ for Yildiz ahead of the January window, with both clubs said to be big fans of the winger.

It is revealed that Arsenal are also monitoring the former Bayern Munich youngster’s situation, thus potentially making it a three-horse race between the London giants.

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The Juve man has primarily featured on the left-flank or as a second striker in Turin this season and is said to be regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe.

Spurs will soon get clarity on Yildiz’s future

TEAMtalk explain that the winger is currently in a contract standoff with the Bianconeri despite being happy at the club.

The forward is seeking a salary of around €6m (£5m) per year, and if the Serie A giants fail to offer close to that figure, he could push for a move.

With Marco Ottolini having been appointed as Juve’s new sporting director, negotiations between Yildiz and the club are expected to speed up and his future could thus become clear over the coming days.

A reputed German outlet is in awe of a Tottenham Hotspur youngster and are convinced that he is going to be nearly impossible to get out of the North London club.

Many of you would have already guessed that they are referring to Luka Vuskovic, who is seen as a future star of Croatian football.

The 18-year-old is winning a lot of admirers with his performances on loan at Hamburg this season, and it has been claimed that the Spurs man is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Vuskovic has seen his market value double this season, and one outlet is convinced that it will continue to rise.

Tottenham told they have an ‘exceptional talent’ on their hands

BILD are excited about the youngster’s potential, and despite the sharp increase in his market value, they say this is ‘just the beginning’ for the centre-back.

The publication states that there are ‘countless factors’ in Vuskovic’s favour, pointing out that he has the best tackler in the Bundesliga, leading in aerial duels and has the second most interceptions of any player.

The report points to the fact that the on-loan Tottenham man is a goal threat in the opposition box and suggests that he is a strong candidate for Croatia’s World Cup squad.

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The outlet also quotes Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin saying about the centre-back: “He has exceptional talent, but what impresses me even more than his occasional good plays on the pitch is his work ethic.

“If I’m in the office very, very early in the morning, he’s there just before or after me, working out in the weight room. What I really like is his self-criticism.”

Luka Vuskovic backed to be a €100m player

Bild back up what we have heard from other sources by stating that top clubs around Europe are already following the Spurs man, who is rated as the hottest young defensive prospect on the continent, alongside Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi.

The report claims that Tottenham have ‘done everything right’ with Vuskovic so far, including picking the right loan moves and that the Lilywhites have already warded off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich.

The publication predicts that if the centre-back were to leave Spurs in the future, his transfer fee would be at around €100m (£87.2m).

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega foresees a big problem for the Lilywhites in the January transfer window.

Over the past few months, it has been widely reported that ENIC want to make some statement signings to signal their ambition in this new era for Tottenham.

Several sources have claimed that Spurs are willing to make big investments in key positions across the squad.

In fact, it was even reported by TEAMtalk last month that Thomas Frank will be handed a transfer kitty of £100m for the January window.

Ramon Vega questions whether top players would join Tottenham

Despite Tottenham’s willingless to spend on top talent, one former Spurs defender is not convinced the North London club can make game-changing signings.

Vega has taken to social media to suggest that top players would not be exited by the Spurs project and suggested that the Lilywhites may have to settle for young, up-and-coming talents.

He wrote on X: “The question here is who wants to come to Spurs from a player’s point of you? Maybe a young up-and-coming or an established one at the top of their career will choose Spurs?

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“Let’s say money is not a question here for the player! Is the project and the excitement to improve his career and win a trophy what Spurs represent at the moment? Is it attractive enough? Would you?”

Journalist claims Spurs’ transfer plans are too ambitious

It has been reported that Antoine Semenyo is not keen on a move to Tottenham even though Thomas Frank’s men are willing to offer him better terms than their Premier League rivals.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Spurs are also likely to be snubbed by Yan Diomande and Maghnes Akliouche since those players are wanted by many other big clubs around Europe.

Jones concluded that Tottenham’s transfer plans are beginning to ‘look too ambitious’, which ties in with Vega’s claim that the Lilywhites are not in a position to attract world-class talent to the club.

A Tottenham Hotspur defender is becoming a highly sought-after player in Italy ahead of the January transfer window.

Thomas Frank has not had to deal with any major injuries to his main centre-backs this term, unlike across other areas of the pitch, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso largely remaining fit.

Tottenham have now been boosted by the return of Radu Dragusin, who was named in the matchday squad for the first time against Liverpool after recovering from his ACL injury.

The Romanian has been out of action for almost the entirety of 2025, and after recovering from his injury, he is now generating a lot of transfer interest.

Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin wanted by several Serie A clubs

It emerged earlier this week that AS Roma are plotting a move to take Dragusin back to Italy.

Now, journalist Mirko Di Natale has revealed that even more Italian clubs are on the 23-year-old’s trail ahead of the January window.

He reveals that Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli have already made enquired about Dragusin’s availability, while Juventus may also consider making a move for him.

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Di Natale asserts that Tottenham Hotspur value the centre-back at €30m (£26.1m) but suggests that the North London club may be open to loaning him with an option to buy.

Does it make sense for Spurs to sell Dragusin?

The injury crisis Tottenham had at the back and have had in other positions this season shows the importance of having suitable cover for various roles.

It has been rumoured that Spurs may add a centre-back to their squad during the January window, although that does not appear to be the club’s top priority.

Unless the Lilywhites bring a defender through the door, it would make little sense for them to consider selling the former Genoa man.

A Tottenham academy graduate will return to Hotspur Way in January after struggling for game time out on loan in the EFL.

Spurs have a whole host of young players out on loan this term, many of whom are impressing, none more so than Luka Vuskovic, who has seen his market value more than double in light of his performances at Hamburg.

However, things have not gone favourably for a 19-year-old Tottenham winger at a League One club during the first half of the campaign.

Damola Ajayi joined Doncaster Rovers on loan in the summer, but the season-long loan spell has now been cut short.

Damola Ajayi returns to Tottenham after starting just one league game

Ajayi made an instant impact for Doncaster during pre-season, but the winger has found game time hard to come by at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Although he made 11 appearances in League One in total, he only started one of those matches for the Rovers.

Ajayi did start for Doncaster in their Carabao Cup third round clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the teenager is now expected to return to the North London club in the summer.

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John Wenham, who breaks news about Spurs’ youth sides on his social media platform, the Lilywhite Rose, has now revealed that the North London club have decided to recall the winger.

(Tweet)

Doncaster Rovers boss reacts to Ajayi’s return to Spurs

The winger impressed for Tottenham’s Under-21s last term, playing 18 times in the Premier League 2, scoring three goals and providing an assist.

Ajayi also impressed in pre-season, and many Spurs fans would have expected him to shine in League One.

Rovers boss Grant McCann has now revealed that the teenager has been ‘unlucky’ as he was competing against one of the best players in League One for a place in his side.

A striker wanted by Tottenham Hotspur has not been able to agree on a new contract with his club, who have now made a final decision on his future ahead of the January window.

Several experienced strikers have been linked with a move to N17 ahead of the January window.

One of those is a player who has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months, scoring nine goals so far this season and earning a call-up to the French national squad.

It has been claimed that Spurs could try again to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta in January after exploring a deal for him in the summer, and a new update has suggested that Crystal Palace have made a decision on the striker’s future.

Crystal Palace have set a clear stance on Tottenham target Jean-Philippe Mateta

A couple of weeks ago, it emerged that Palace are worried about losing Mateta to Tottenham after failing to tie him down to a new contract.

However, a source from the Eagles has made it clear that the centre-forward will not be leaving Selhurst Park under any circumstances in January.

The Palace source told TEAMtalk about Mateta: “The club are comfortable with how things are; they are open to Mateta getting some sort of extension, but the player is demanding somewhat more than what is on offer.

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“Palace have him under contract until 2027, they don’t need to sell him in January or even next summer, they won’t be forced into anything.”

Spurs face competition from two clubs for Mateta

TEAMtalk explain that Mateta continues to be hugely frustrated by a lack of a new deal from Palace.

The striker is not happy with the terms Oliver Glasner’s men have offered and has informed them that they have to pay him more if they wish to retain him.

The outlet adds that it is not just Tottenham who are watching Mateta’s situation, with Manchester United and Arsenal also continuing to keep track of events in South London.