Football London

Tottenham have long had squad registration issues in both the Premier League and Champions League so here's what their two new transfers mean

Tottenham have started to get moving in the January transfer window with players coming in and out of the doors at Hotspur Way and that has a knock-on effort for the various squad rules.

Spurs are set to complete a £34.7million deal for Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid after moving swiftly on Monday to see off competition from Aston Villa, while also closing in on the £13million signing of Santos left-back Souza, who is expected to land in the UK from Brazil on Tuesday to tie up his transfer.

Heading out of the door at Tottenham have been Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace in a £35million deal as well as Kota Takai on loan to Borussia Monchengladbach. A number of players out on loan have returned and moved on to new clubs during this January window although they do no affect the squad rules. because they were not already included.

If we can be forgiven for being presumptuous, here's what the completed Gallagher and Souza deals do to Spurs' Premier League and Champions League squad numbers and what room, or not, it leaves them for further transfers and which stars will have to be left out of Thomas Frank's squad.

Premier League

Souza fits nicely into the Premier League rules for Spurs because in that competition a club's Under-21 players do not need to be included on their 25-man squad list yet are eligible to play in the Premier League.

To be considered an Under-21 player for this current Premier League season, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2004. That means the Brazilian can join the likes of fellow January arrival Mason Melia as well as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel on that list.

Importantly it also means that Tottenham still have one spot free in their non-homegrown player list, because they only have 16 rather than the allowed 17. That list also includes Yves Bissouma, who the club would like to move on in this window, as well as Rodrigo Bentancur and Mohammed Kudus who will not be available until April because of their injuries.

England international Gallagher will replace Johnson in the homegrown player list, meaning Tottenham still have seven of the eight required. Technically they could fit in another homegrown signing this month or give the place to a youngster already on the U21s list.

The Premier League rules state that "a 'Home Grown Player' is a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)."

Kevin Danso qualifies as a homegrown player in Premier League terms because he was in the youth academies at Reading and MK Dons for years before leaving England at the age of 16 and later returning for a season at Southampton.

Here's how the club's Premier League squad looks now:

Premier League non-homegrown players (16 currently, 17 maximum allowed): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Joao Palhinha, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani.

Premier League homegrown players (Seven currently and eight minimum required): Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Brandon Austin, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Djed Spence.

Notable Under-21s players: Souza, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, Dane Scarlett, Mason Melia.

Champions League

If you've read these before, you'll know that this is the part where all hell breaks loose. Complying with the European squad rules has been a constant nightmare for Spurs and will continue to be for a while longer until the batch of 18-year-old signings eventually become B list players after two years at the club and then club-trained players a further year down the line.

It's all because the major issue in the Champions League, as it was in the Europa League last season, is the difference between UEFA's rules and the Premier League ones.

Let's start with the basics. UEFA's rules state that no club can have more than 25 players on their A-List during the season, of whom at least two must be goalkeepers.

The rules then make it clear that "as a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for 'locally trained players' and no club may have more than four 'association-trained players' listed among those eight places. If a club have fewer than eight locally-trained players in their squad, then the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly".

So what exactly is a locally-trained player you might ask? Well there are two different types. One is a 'club-trained player', those players who have been on a club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. The other is an 'association-trained player', those who were on another club's books in the same association for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.

So as an example, while Danso is homegrown in the Premier League, he will not, like Gallagher, fit into that association-trained category in Europe because he left England at the age of 16.

Then another big problematic area for Spurs is the difference in the registering of young players and that will affect Souza.

In Europe, there is a B-List for players born on, or after, January 1, 2004 but they must have been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years since their 15th birthday – or for a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. Players aged 16 may be submitted if they have been registered with the club for the previous two years without interruption.

So to put it simply, Spurs' Champions League squad is hugely bloated and spilling over in both non-locally trained spots and association trained ones, while having only one club-trained player in goalkeeper Brandon Austin.

As they need to register four in that latter category, Tottenham are required to leave three spots open, meaning what should be a 25-man squad instead shrinks to just a 22-man one.

While Gallagher is a straight swap for Johnson in the association-trained category, Souza replaces Takai in the non-locally trained department. The problem is Spurs have 21 players to fit into 17 non-locally trained spots and six association-trained players for four spots. Any association-trained players over the four allocated spots need to be crowbarred into the main group.

The simplest way to look at it is that with the two new signings and two departures, Spurs still have 27 senior players to fit into just 21 spots, keeping Austin aside.

Mathys Tel replaced the injured Dominic Solanke in the Champions League squad last month but the striker must return to the list immediately when fit, which he is now.

The next opportunity Tottenham will have to make three changes to their squad is ahead of the knockout phase, submitting their list by 11pm on February 5.

So even without further new arrivals and departures, Frank has some tough decisions to make with six players needing to be left out.

Maddison is likely to be kept out again with his ACL injury and decisions will have to be made on Bentancur and Kudus who may not return from injury until the final six weeks or so of the season.

Bissouma could depart from the Lilywhites and will be left out regardless, while Radu Dragusin is fit again after being left out but has been linked with a move back to Serie A. Key man Dejan Kulusevski could return to action next month if all goes well with an injection to stop the pain in his knee is successful. A decision will also have to be made over Tel and the new arrival Souza.

So six of those eight players just named cannot be registered if we're assuming the others all have to be, although there are also question marks about Antonin Kinsky's future. We're not including 18-year-old Mason Melia in our numbers here because we're assuming it's too early in his Spurs career to make it into the Champions League squad and the Irishman cannot be counted on the B list nor club-trained at this point.

With that in mind, here's how it all looks with the Champions League squad before Spurs even look at further new signings:

European non-locally trained players (21 currently, 17 maximum): Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Souza, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Joao Palhinha, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani.

Association trained players (six currently, only four can be used in exclusive slots): Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Djed Spence, Archie Gray.

James Maddison was pictured back on the grass and with the ball at his feet on Monday as he continues to recover from the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury he suffered in August

James Maddison has paid tribute to Tottenham teammate Mohammed Kudus and iconic Spurs midfielder Rafael van der Vaart in a training video as he continues to recover from injury.

Maddison, 29, has not featured for Thomas Frank's side since August after rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in South Korea. The England international underwent surgery and has since been working his way back to fitness.

Although the former Leicester man is expected to remain out for several more months as he carries on his rehabilitation, he shared a video of himself with the ball back at his feet on Monday.

While wearing a replica shirt from the 2011/12 season with Van der Vaart's name on the back, Maddison was spotted training in some winter heat, performing a non-contact drill with a mannequin in the background.

Indeed, the midfielder was seen cutting inside and out and then back on to his favoured right foot before reversing an inch-perfect strike into the corner. He then appeared to dedicate the goal to teammate Kudus, who is set for a three-month spell out after sustaining an injury against Sunderland earlier this month.

Maddison ran over to a chair behind the goal before performing Kudus' trademark celebration. In a caption on the post - which was shared on TikTok, Maddison said: "My guy Kudus [chair emoji and white love heart emoji]."

After scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists in 45 appearances for Tottenham last season, Maddison was hoping to kick on and continue his form into 2025/26 with a World Cup around the corner.

However, Maddison last featured in a competitive game for Spurs now in April and is not expected to return until the back end of this season. Speaking about his recovery from his ACL injury, Maddison said last month: "When I realised, obviously, I was going to be out for the majority of the season, if not the whole season, that kind of crushed that dream of going to the World Cup. It was a tough one to take.

"That's the cons of football and one of the negatives of missing out through injury. It's about dealing with that mentally. And that's partly why there's been some dark days.

"You want to represent your country, you always want to be in a position, especially off the back of a good season last year. Personally, with good numbers, I felt like I was close with Thomas Tuchel coming in.

"The first and foremost thing for me is just to come back safely and be fit. It's such a long injury. There are so many ups and downs that I just want to be in a place, returning and having a smile on my face and being fit for Tottenham Hotspur, whenever that is. It's going to be towards the end of the season, so the World Cup is probably going to be ruled out, if not definitely. So, it's one of them things.

"As I said, I'll take it on the chin and, yeah, it's one of those things that will drive me going forward."

Conor Gallagher is close to a return to the Premier League, with Tottenham agreeing a deal with Atletico Madrid

Tottenham are closing in on the statement signing of Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher.

football.london revealed on Sunday that Spurs stepped up their pursuit for the former Chelsea favourite despite strong interest from Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

The north Londoners escalated their search for a new midfielder on Monday after it was confirmed that Rodrigo Bentancur requires hamstring surgery and is set to miss at least three months of action.

Spurs and Atletico are understood to have now agreed a deal worth around €40million (£34.7m), with Villa - who wanted to sign Gallagher on loan with an option to buy - never striking a formal agreement with the Spanish giants.

Gallagher will travel to London early this week to undergo a medical and finalise the transfer. He will sign a long-term contract, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

football.london understands Atletico preferred to sell the 25-year-old permanently this month rather than a loan with a view or obligation to buy in the summer.

Spurs' willingness to do a straight purchase has played a key role in helping them edge Villa in the race to sign the midfield maestro.

Other clubs are understood to have been interested too, but they were reluctant to fork out on a permanent deal this month or would have preferred a loan with a view to buying the midfielder.

Spurs' apparent success in landing Gallagher will be a big blow for Villa, with Unai Emery short of midfield options due to injuries sustained by Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley.

For the north Londoners, it's a huge statement signing as Frank looks to recover from a disastrous winter period, with a run of two wins in 12 Premier League matches leaving them down in 14th in the table.

Ultimately, Spurs have learnt from past mistakes including the messy Eberechi Eze saga in the summer, which saw the playmaker change his mind late on and instead move to fierce north London rivals Arsenal.

This time, though, Spurs have seemingly claimed bragging rights over one of their Premier League rivals and it's a signing that should benefit both parties.

Gallagher has struggled for regular first-team action under Diego Simeone this season, making just four starts in LaLiga, and he is now on the brink of a return to the Premier League.

He will be hoping a fresh start boosts his chances of winning over Thomas Tuchel as he aims to earn a spot in the England squad for the World Cup this summer.

Gallagher enjoyed a hugely successful spell in the English top-flight before his move to Atletico, having announced himself during an impressive loan spell with Crystal Palace in 2021-22. He returned to Stamford Bridge to become a key part in the first-team and captained the Blues before being pushed towards the exit in a £33million move.

He has 136 Premier League appearances to his name, having also had a spell on loan at West Brom before his breakout season at Palace, with 18 goals and 13 assists.

At 25, he still has plenty to offer and will bring a wealth of experience to a squad that needs a big boost.

Frank has endured a tough start to his tenure after arriving from Brentford in the summer, with the FA Cup third-round defeat by Aston Villa piling more pressure on the head coach.

He has won only five of his last 20 matches and lost seven of his last 13 in all competitions - and he will be hoping fresh faces can improve his fortunes.

Spurs are on the brink of completing another signing too, with highly-rated Brazilian left-back Souza closing in on a £13m move from Santos.

It's time to look at what Tottenham need to do in the January transfer window and what has already taken place in the opening weeks

Twelve days have passed of the January transfer window and the Tottenham supporters are waiting for confirmation of moves as injuries hit hard.

Thomas Frank is discovering that unavailability is a theme at Spurs, as it was for his predecessor Ange Postecoglou. This week he found out that Rodrigo Bentancur is out for three months with his hamstring injury and requires surgery, which will bring him back at around the same time as Mohammed Kudus from his serious quad issue.

Frank already had a squad that required improving but now it also needs strengthening due to the lack of numbers, with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison long-term absentees.

Joint sporting directors Fabio Paratici, who is staying on until the end of the window before departing for Fiorentina, and Johan Lange will be looking to add quality to Frank's squad that works for both the short and long-term.

It's time to take a look at the state of play within the Tottenham squad in terms of outgoings and incomings.

Goalkeepers

This could be a category with more change in the summer as Tottenham decide exactly what the long-term make-up of the goalkeeping department is with Guglielmo Vicario linked with a return to Italy and Inter Milan especially interested.

Antonin Kinsky has been linked with a loan move pretty much since the moment he walked into Spurs from Slavia Prague last year. The 22-year-old was touted as being the one to push Vicario for his spot and Frank ruled out a loan departure for the Czech stopper during the summer window, saying he had a great career ahead of him at Tottenham.

However, Kinsky has played just two Carabao Cup games since that point and with Spurs out of that competition and now the FA Cup, the opportunities for him to play are dependent on Vicario either getting injured or dropping completely out of form. That means Tottenham could allow the young keeper to leave if they get a good enough offer and decide they have cover.

Currently that cover is Brandon Austin and academy stopper Luca Gunter so Spurs would maybe have to bring in experienced cover. If Kinsky was sold rather than loaned out, with West Ham and Besiktas among those believed to be interested in him, then it would have been an indicator that Tottenham believe he has not developed as expected.

Full-backs

Spurs are set to add Souza to their full-back options with the Santos left-back on his way to north London in a £13million deal this week.

That should give Spurs a full-complement of balanced full-backs with the Brazilian 19-year-old left footer competing with Destiny Udogie on that flank, along with the veteran Ben Davies, who has impressed in recent performances despite his contract coming to an end this summer.

Djed Spence has been utilised on the left but with Souza's arrival will be able to concentrate mostly on competing with Pedro Porro on his more natural right-hand side. There is also Archie Gray who can fill in other side but will be required in his natural role as a midfielder this season.

Centre-backs

Tottenham exiting all the cup competitions may free up Radu Dragusin to depart and get first team football and potentially a move for the future but Frank will have to think carefully about such a move and there will be concern over his options if injuries bite.

The Romanian has made his comeback after 11 months out with his ACL injury but opportunities are currently limited with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso all ahead of him in the pecking order. Dragusin is yet to get his chance under Frank but there is interest in his services from clubs in Italy, with Roma one of the more persistent.

Spurs are understood to have rejected a loan approach from the Serie A side ahead of the weekend's defeat to Aston Villa. Whether that stance changes after that result remains to be seen with Dragusin's talkative agent Florin Manea telling Italian media without a hint of irony: "The decisive days will be between today and tomorrow. I’d like to avoid talking, but we hope to reach a conclusion in the negotiations with Roma."

The other issue for Dragusin is that there is currently no space for him in the Champions League squad so matches are going to be hard to come by if injuries do not occur, although this is Tottenham we're talking about.

football.london reported before the window opened that Spurs were considering bringing in a new centre-back if one left. Kota Takai has already departed for Borussia Monchengladbach and if Dragusin were to depart, with reports of interest from a few clubs in a loan with an option to buy, the Frank would have to decide if it's enough cover to have three natural centre-backs with Davies and Gray able to step in.

There are also the players for the future in Luka Vuskovic and academy prospects such as Jun'ai Byfield and Malachi Hardy. Vuskovic, 18, has starred in the Bundesliga with Hamburg and is working with personal trainers on the one aspect of his game that needs improving for the Premier League, his acceleration and anticipation in dealing with faster attackers.

Alfie Dorrington has been recalled from his loan at Aberdeen with clubs in both the Championship and League One looking at the big academy defender. James Rowswell has been included on the first bench three times this season and the 19-year-old could be due a loan move in this or coming windows.

Midfielders

football.london reported before the window opened that Spurs were looking for a new midfielder for Frank but that has now become a priority in the wake of the Bentancur news. Lucas Bergvall is also out with what looked to be a recurrence of a muscle injury although the Tottenham boss did not speak about the teenager in the same serious way he did about Bentancur.

Step forward Conor Gallagher. The Lilywhites have been long-time admirers of the Atletico Madrid midfielder and Postecoglou was desperate to bring him to N17 for his ability and energy in the midfield as well as his leadership.

Now for his successor Frank, after football.london reported on Sunday that Spurs had entered the race, they finally look like seeing off competition from Aston Villa to seal a £34.7million deal with the 25-year-old England international said to be keen on the switch back to London.

Gallagher, who has 22 caps for England, will being plenty of experience to Frank's midfield, having played for three different Premier League clubs in Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion. He captained Chelsea on numerous occasions under Mauricio Pochettino before making the move to Atletico to experience life in La Liga and has 23 Champions League appearances to his name with two goals and one assist in the competition.

The midfielder played regularly under Diego Simeone last season, making 50 appearances and scoring four times. This season has seen starts harder to come by but Gallagher has still made 27 appearances for Atletico with three goals and one assist. He will bring more progressive passing to Frank's midfield along with the leadership required in the centre of the pitch.

He is also a homegrown player for a Tottenham squad that needs more of those to continue to comply with Premier League rules.

Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha are currently Frank's only fit central midfielders. The out of favour and soon-to-be out of contract Yves Bissouma is on his way back from the Africa Cup of Nations after Mali's exit, with a move likely to be sought, while Pape Matar Sarr is still out in Morocco with Senegal.

Maddison is unlikely to return until the season's final weeks, if he does come back from his ACL injury before this campaign's end.

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who can play in midfield or on the wing, has been the subject of interest from Tottenham and was long before this season. However, the 28-year-old appears to have set his heart on returning to Brazil and his former side Flamengo this month.

In terms of academy prospects, George Abbott has been recalled from his loan at Wycombe Wanderers after returning from a serious quad injury. Spurs are monitoring his fitness ahead of deciding what comes next for the 20-year-old.

Alfie Devine is loving life at Preston North End on his season-long loan with the Championship side holding an option to sign the midfielder permanently if they want to. However, with his rapid development there, football.london understands that there has been interest from clubs in both the Premier League and other Championship in taking the 21-year-old from Spurs permanently and on loan.

Tyrese Hall is also impressing at Notts County and the current plan appears to be for him to remain there unless an offer that's too tempting to turn down comes in. Callum Olusesi has been impressing for the U21s and named on Frank's bench five times with a loan move likely for the 18-year-old at some point in 2026.

Attackers

Tottenham went into the window looking for a left winger and now after selling Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace days before losing Kudus until April, they also find themselves short on the right wing.

That makes it difficult for Mathys Tel to head off on a loan he probably needs because right now the Frenchman is likely to play a fair amount of football in the weeks ahead.

Dominic Solanke's return means the England international is likely to come back into his Champions League spot in the squad as per the rules. Gallagher will likely take up Johnson's association-trained spot if Spurs make it through to the knockout stages which means no space for Tel unless another comes out.

Wilson Odobert filled in on the right in the absence of Kudus and while Frank was keen on a new left winger walking through the door, a player who can play on either side would be ideal.

Kulusevski, when he eventually returns from a patella injury that is rare in football according to Frank, will be such a key player because he can fill the role on the right and also provide another central playmaker alongside Xavi Simons.

The issue for Tottenham is that many of the most exciting talents they would love to bring in are wanted by all the top teams, or in Savinho's case are injured.

Nineteen-year-old Yan Diomande, who was at the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, is of course a player of interest with 11 goal involvements in 16 matches in his first season for RB Leipzig.

It would take a remarkable move to bring in the teenager with Diomande wanted by the world's biggest clubs. He admitted in a TikTok live stream: "I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too."

Spurs have held a long-time interest in Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche and had to watch the 23-year-old, who mainly plays on the right, rip them apart in the Champions League earlier this season. football.london understands the French club are looking at players in his position in case he does depart anywhere this month or in the summer.

The Lilywhites are also among the long, long line of clubs interested in Juventus' Kenan Yildiz but who isn't? The Italian media also believe the 20-year-old is set to sign a new contract in Turin. Tottenham are also one of the many in the European game keeping an eye on Porto's Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa, with the 21-year-old hitting 19 goals in 25 matches this season.

Solanke's return, although he will take time to get sharp, comes just as Richarlison looks to have succumbed to a hamstring injury. Randal Kolo Muani is versatile but is yet to do much to suggest his loan move from PSG should be turned into a permanent move.

In the academy, football.london understands that Spurs have knocked back a couple of bids so far this month for Will Lankshear as they are happy with him this season as he has taken a big leap in his development at Oxford United, where he has now been joined by Jamie Donley. United have an option to buy Donley worth between £4.5million and £5million, although it is deemed unlikely at this point that the relegation-battlers will be able to pay out for that.

Mikey Moore is now loving his loan at Rangers and is keen to remain there for the entire season. Dane Scarlett has interested suitors for a loan move, with League One sides among those considering him. The 21-year-old is nearing that point where a move away from Tottenham could be on the cards as he struggles to break through and he could potentially follow in the footsteps of Troy Parrott in developing abroad.

Damola Ajayi has returned from his spell at Doncaster Rovers with a new loan being sought, while Oliver Irow has departed on his first loan spell at League One side Mansfield Town.

U21s goal-laden starlets Luca Williams-Barnett and Tynan Thompson, both 17, are trying to catch Frank's attention in training in the hope of getting first team minutes, with the former having made his debut in the Carabao Cup against Ajayi's Doncaster side.

football.london understands that Tottenham are making sure a minor back issue for January arrival Mason Melia is completely gone before the highly-rated young striker gets to work. The 18-year-old is one of the biggest young talents in Irish football and Tottenham saw off competition from top clubs across the Premier League and Europe to land the striker's signature.

Melia has already played 98 senior matches, including Europa League games, despite his age and been directly involved in 33 goals, scoring 25 and recording eight assists. He has a very minor back complaint, which he played with during his final months at St Patrick's Athletic, and that is being dealt with to ensure he can hit the ground running at 100 per cent with the club.

Frank is then expected to decide whether the teenager will be involved in first team training to help his development or if the Republic of Ireland U21 international will head out on loan during this January transfer window to begin his senior experience in the English game.

Tottenham are closing in on the permanent signing of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, according to David Ornstein. It has been claimed that the two clubs are nearing an agreement in the region of £34.7million (€40m) with the player keen on a move to north London.

Spurs joined Aston Villa in the race for his signature following the serious injury to Rodrigo Bentancur, as reported by football.london.

The midfielder is set to be sidelined for the next few months with a hamstring injury which has resulted in the Lilywhites moving into the market in search of a new central midfielder and it certainly appears as though they have found their short-term replacement.

The England international left Chelsea in the summer of 2024, but now looks set for a return to the Premier League following a mixed 18 months in Spain.

Villa were leading the race for Gallagher having lost Boubacar Kamara to injury just minutes into their FA Cup win over Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this past weekend.

However, Spurs have been pushing for a permanent deal which was also the preference of Diego Simeone's side.

Spurs were interested in signing the 25-year-old when he was made available for transfer by the Blues but he opted for a move to Atletico.

The expected arrival of Gallagher could hint that the buy-option in Joao Palhinha's loan switch from Bayern Munich will not be activated with Bentancur having also signed a new contract recently.

It has not been an easy last few weeks for Thomas Frank with Mohammed Kudus picking up a long-term injury to join Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison as influential attackers absent. Richarlison was also forced off with a muscular issue on Saturday evening.

The departure of Fabio Paratici at the end of this month further clouds matters for the club with the Italian having only recently officially returned.

The Spurs boss was asked about transfers after the recent loss to Unai Emery's side and provided a clear response.

He said: "I think we definitely need to do everything we can to play two good halves, which is, I think every team wants to do that. Every team wants to be consistent in that aspect.

"In terms of transfer market, as I said many times, we are out there working very hard, trying to improve the squad."

Spurs currently sit fourteenth in the Premier League table and are now out of both domestic cup competitions. They occupy eleventh in the Champions League standings are likely to have a play-off to reach the proper knockout stages.

Ruben Amorim is out of work since leaving Manchester United and has been tipped to replace Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur

Former Premier League star Sol Campbell has tipped former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim to take charge at Tottenham Hotspur as his next job. Amorim is now out of work having been sacked by the Red Devils last week, with Darren Fletcher since being installed as interim boss until a replacement is appointed.

Thomas Frank was appointed as Tottenham boss last summer following Ange Postecoglou’s departure.

Frank has been under increasing pressure since his switch to North London following his stint at Brentford, most recently overseeing a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup.

Tottenham are also in 14th place in the Premier League table and are without a win in their last three top-flight matches.

As reported by football.london, Frank is currently fighting to save his job at Tottenham, although the Spurs boss does still have the backing from the club hierarchy.

Despite this, former Spurs and Arsenal defender Campbell believes that Amorim would be a wise choice for Tottenham to replace Frank, should they decide to make a change of manager.

“Ruben Amorim [would be the ideal manager for Tottenham]. They’ll be looking at him,” Campbell told Sky Bet.

“They’re probably talking to him now; it wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think he’ll go back to Portugal.

"Tottenham will be talking to him to see if there’s any situation going on – there’ll be people talking behind the scenes.

“Thomas Frank is a top manager, but he’s not at Brentford anymore – it’s a different animal. Tottenham is a big club and people are demanding.

"They want success and they want to keep moving forward in a successful way. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re talking to other managers.

“Obviously, if he starts turning it around and winning games and having good performances, that helps. Sometimes you don’t need to win, but if you can have good performances and show you’re moving in the right direction, that can help.

“But they will be talking to other managers. It’s part and parcel until you show who you are and start winning on a regular basis.”

Tottenham have already had one new arrival in the January transfer window and the supporters have been waiting to see him involved

Tottenham are making sure that a minor back issue for January arrival Mason Melia is completely gone before the highly-rated young striker gets to work, football.london understands.

The 18-year-old is one of the biggest young talents in Irish football and his move to Spurs has been long in the offing with the club agreeing a deal with St Patrick's Athletic back in February, worth an initial £1.6million - a record transfer for the League of Ireland - with the potential for add-ons to double that figure.

Tottenham saw off competition from top clubs across the Premier League and Europe to land the striker's signature and Melia, who won the PFA Ireland Young Player of the Year award last year, put pen to paper on a contract with the north London outfit until 2031.

Melia has already played 98 senior matches, including Europa League games, despite his age and been directly involved in 33 goals, scoring 25 and recording eight assists.

Tottenham fans were hoping to see him involved with Thomas Frank's first team but football.london understands that a very minor back complaint, which the young striker played with during his final months in Ireland, is just being dealt with to ensure Melia can hit the ground running at 100 per cent with the club.

Frank is then expected to decide whether the teenager will be involved in first team training to help his development or if the Republic of Ireland U21 international will head out on loan during this January transfer window to increase his senior minutes.

Melia finished his most recent campaign with St Patrick's Athletic with 13 goals and four assists from 35 League of Ireland matches and also netted and provided an assist in the club's six Europa League qualifiers.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley told football.london last summer after joining Luton Town to expect big things from the teenager once he settles into life at the Premier League club.

"I mean he is a young lad, who has played a lot of senior games at the minute and he is playing constantly for St Pats. I think him coming over, signing for Spurs and getting to know all the boys is only going to help him progress," said the keeper. "He is going to do very, very well."

When leaving St Pat's, Melia wrote on social media: "Never thought the day would come that I would be closing my chapter at @stpatsfc, I would like to thank everyone that has supported me while at my time at pats to the staff, teammates and to all the fans.

""From making my debut to scoring my first league goal, winning the cup and making so many memories with my teammates. I’ve met some good people and not so good….

"Everyone has a played a vital role in my career and I can't say how thankful I am for that, I’ve made some close friends that I will always have by my side. Thank you to all of yous that believed in me and gave me a path to get to where I am today. Once a saint always a saint."

Radu Dragusin has made just one appearance for Tottenham since returning from a serious knee injury and Italian side Roma would like to sign the Romanian on an initial loan this month

The agent of Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin has revealed he wants to push through a loan switch to Roma within the next 48 hours.

Dragusin recently made his long-awaited return to action following ACL reconstruction surgery, playing the final five minutes of the 1-0 Premier League victory at Crystal Palace in late December.

However, Thomas Frank is unable to provide the Romania international with the playing time he needs to get himself back up to speed following a substantial 10-month lay-off.

Therefore, the 23-year-old's representative Florin Manea is now putting pressure on Spurs to agree a deal with Roma for his client.

Manea told Tele Radio Stereo: "The decisive days will be between today and tomorrow. I'd like to avoid talking, but we hope to reach a conclusion in the negotiations with Roma."

football.london understands the Europa League winners have already rejected a loan offer from the Giallorossi for Dragusin, though discussions are evidently continuing between the parties.

Given Spurs have already loaned out Luka Vuskovic (Hamburger SV) and Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach), any final decision could yet hinge on not only financials but whether Ben Davies and Archie Gray are regarded as sufficient centre-back cover by Frank and the hierarchy.

Italian side Roma are also admirers of attacker Mathys Tel, who is open to departing N17 on loan this month amid a lack of starts since the beginning of the season.

Fiorentina, who departing sporting director Fabio Paratici is expected to join following the conclusion of the January window, had also shown an interest in Dragusin after signing winger Manor Solomon on loan.

The Romanian joined Spurs from Genoa two years ago in a package worth around £26.7million.

Outside of injuries, he has largely played second fiddle to both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven since signing on the dotted line at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that is not going to change anytime soon given the club are now out of both domestic cup competitions.

Juventus have also been linked as former Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini, who knows Dragusin well, has just started work in Turin.

Spurs are currently focusing their efforts on bolstering Frank's ranks with a left-back, midfielder and forward all on the agenda.

Young Brazilian Souza is poised to undergo a medical this week ahead of a £13million switch from Santos.

Cristian Romero sent an emotional message on social media following the midweek 3-2 Premier League loss against Bournemouth.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker has theorised that broken transfer promises could be behind Cristian Romero’s social media outburst last week.

Following the disappointing 3-2 loss against Bournemouth on Wednesday night, the Spurs captain took to social media to send a passionate message. Although the post has now been edited, the defender originally accused some people at the club of telling ‘a few lies’.

Following the post, Thomas Frank revealed that he and sporting director Johan Lange have held a conversation with the player. He also confirmed that Romero will continue as the club captain despite the comments.

Romero wasn’t part of the squad for Saturday’s FA Cup defeat against Aston Villa, after being handed a one-game suspension by the FA following an incident in last month’s loss against Liverpool.

First half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers piled more pressure on Frank, with Spurs’ second half fightback not enough to turn the game around.

Following their exit from the tournament, Lineker gave his thoughts on the situation at the club and shared a theory on the Rest is Football Podcast:

“Do you know how many games they’ve lost since last season? 37,” he said.

“It must be all comps, but that’s an extraordinary statistic.

“Obviously, they’ve had the issues with Ange Postecoglou and then they’ve brought in Thomas Frank and it’s been largely the same. They’re probably bereft of confidence, they’ve had a lot of injuries over the last 18 months, more than their fair share and probably the recruitment has not been quite right.

“I’ve seen one or two people speaking out, Romero of course in mid-week. I sense with Romero because he signed a new contract not that long ago, that they might have made him a few promises about players coming in, because for reason to do that sort of rant, must be something along those lines I would imagine.

“Yeah, it’s worrying times for Spurs.”

Tottenham are next back in action on Saturday when they face another team struggling to find form in West Ham United. The Hammers needed extra time to beat Championship side Queens Park Rangers in their FA Cup third round tie.

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is coming under increasing pressure with the team sitting in 18th place in the Premier League table, seven points adrift of safety.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank is set to be without one of his key midfielders for much of the remainder of the season

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is set to miss the next three months at least and requires surgery on a hamstring injury, football.london understands.

The 28-year-old Uruguayan suffered the injury late on in the defeat at Bournemouth last week before Antoine Semenyo's winning goal for the hosts, and he will now face an operation on the problem with the rehabilitation time keeping him out for much of the remainder of the campaign.

Bentancur has been a key player under Thomas Frank, starting all but four of their Premier League games and every one of their Champions League encounters across 28 appearances this season.

The midfielder was handed a bumper, new long-term contract in October but now joins the long list of injured players Frank is currently without.

football.london reported before the transfer window opened that Spurs were already looking at add another midfielder to their ranks and that has now become a priority after this latest injury with Lucas Bergvall also currently out with what looked to be a reoccurring groin problem.

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