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Tottenham Hotspur have until the transfer deadline on Monday at 7pm to complete any final deals - and one big surprise could be in store.

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Tottenham Hotspur have delved into the January transfer market to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher and left-back Souza from Atletico Madrid and Santos respectively, but there may be more work to be done. They are positioned in 14th place in the Premier League table after 23 fixtures, and it has been an inconsistent season for them so far under Thomas Frank. Changes may be required.

Frank was picked as their replacement for Ange Postecoglou last summer but has struggled to get going in North London. Now, with just a few days to go before the transfer window closes, reports suggest that he could get a surprising new addition - with Arsenal connections - to help him turn things around.

Tottenham Hotspur eye move for Serge Gnabry

According to reporter Christian Falk, Spurs have “made contact” with ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry at Bayern Munich. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and is yet to pen an extension. Therefore, he is due to become a free agent in June as things stand.

Gnabry, 30, is a Germany international with 57 caps under his belt. He has made 25 appearances in all competitions this term and has chipped in with seven goals and eight assists. However, his long-term future in the Bundesliga is up in the air now.

The attacker has been on the books of Bayern since joining them back in 2017 and he has since been a great servant. He has played 308 matches for them altogether to date and has found the net on exactly 100 occasions. The Stuttgart-born man has also been loaned out to Hoffenheim in the past to boost his development.

Gnabry moved over to England as a youngster back in 2011 when Arsenal came calling. He went on to feature on 18 occasions for the first-team of the Gunners but struggled to make an impact. They loaned him out to West Brom before he was sold on to Werder Bremen on a permanent basis.

Would Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry suit Tottenham Hotspur?

Spurs sold Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace earlier this month so have a vacancy to fill on the wing. Regardless of his Arsenal past, Gnabry would be a shrewd pick-up by Frank’s side. He is vastly experienced and would inject more firepower into their ranks.

He could offer the North London outfit more competition and depth at the top end of the pitch. In addition, he is quick and his pace can cause real problems to opposition defenders. He has been playing in Germany too long now and should test himself in a different country before it is too late.

The fact his deal expires later this year means he can be snapped up for nothing when this season ends. Alternatively, Spurs may be able to get him for a cut price fee if they were to make a cash bid for him before the January transfer window ends on Monday. Bayern won’t want to lose him for free and if he doesn’t commit his future there, they may have to sell him over the coming days to ensure that they pick up some money for his services.

Frank’s men won 2-0 away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last time out. That result should give them confidence as they aim to improve their league form. They are back in action this weekend against Manchester City at home so will be in for a tough test.

A round-up of some of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Spurs, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and more.

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Another day of scurrilous gossip and scarcely plausible stories has been and gone, and that means it’s once again time for us to round up some of the biggest and strangest Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed over the past 24 hours – starting with a startling story involving Tottenham Hotspur.

According to TeamTalk, Spurs are “strongly considering” an unexpected bid for recently-released Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, with head coach Thomas Frank said to be “on board” with the idea.

Spurs have a host of injuries up front (and everywhere else, for the matter) and supposedly see Sterling as an ideal player to sign on a short-term basis, with the England international’s much-publicised preference to remain in London offer Spurs a “distinct advantage” compared to other potential bidders.

West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Napoli are all mentioned as being interested too, but the report doesn’t suggest that any of those sides have made a concrete offer to Sterling as yet. As a free agent, he doesn’t need to be signed by the end of the transfer deadline either, meaning that there’s less of a rush.

The 3AM Verdict: While perhaps surprising, this does make a certain amount of sense for a Spurs side thoroughly bedevilled by injuries – if it’s a short-term deal, then the risk is low and if Sterling can somehow recapture a fraction of his previous form, it could prove to be a shrewd move. Still, we should note that this article is inherently speculative and we have seen no clear signals as to where Sterling might end up as yet.

Chelsea ‘preparing’ breathtaking £130m move for Real Madrid star

Let’s check out a story from Spanish gossipmongers Fichajes now, who allege that Chelsea are themselves “preparing” a staggering €150m (£130m) bid for Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Apparently Bellingham’s recent inconsistent form means that the “stage is set” for Real to accept such an overwhelming bid, while it’s also claimed that the prospect of a return to England would be “extremely appealing” to the 22-year-old, although there’s no mention of his thoughts about moving to Chelsea specifically.

Real would be “willing to let him leave” if the right fee was offered, and while it’s not clear that £130m would be enough as yet, Chelsea will supposedly “spare no expense” to get this one over the line if they can.

The 3AM Verdict: Let’s just start by saying that Fichajes is not, in our opinion, a reliable source for such stories and they have a penchant for reporting colossal potential transfer deals which mysteriously never happen. We believe that this one will fall into the same category. Not happening in the foreseeable future.

Bournemouth ‘step ahead’ of Aston Villa and Everton in winger race

Let’s finish things up with a slightly more believable story from Sport Witness, who reckon that Bournemouth have “stepped ahead” of rivals Everton and Aston Villa in the race to sign Inter Milan winger Luis Henrique.

The 24-year-old Brazilian only signed from Marseille in the summer but has failed to score in 24 appearances and would be “free to leave” should Inter complete a likely deal for former Villa forward Moussa Diaby. Apparently the player would have to be “convinced” to leave for the Premier League, but a healthy salary usually helps to twist the necessary arms in such cases.

Bournemouth have supposedly tabled an offer which is somewhere between €20m and €30m (£17.5-26m), with different sources in Italy stating different sums, and the Cherries are apparently “ahead” of both Everton and Aston Villa, who are also alleged to be interested.

The 3AM Verdict: The Semenyo deal means that Bournemouth have both the money and the need, and this could be a fine signing based on his performances for Marseille. It’s very hard at this stage to gauge how likely a deal is to take place, however, with a lot of incomplete information going around. We doubt that Everton make a bid as they’re trying to keep things cheap this winter, but Villa could conceivably move with Evann Guessand leaving for Crystal Palace.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours - with stories from Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and more.

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There are only a few days of the January transfer window left, and the rumours are flying thick and fast – and to help you keep track of all the likely comings and goings, we’re back with our regular evening round-up of some of the Premier League transfer stories you might have missed, starting with a story for the Liverpool supporters among you.

According to Sky Sports, via transfer reporter Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool remain “interested” in Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano – and the Frenchman is said to be “stalling” on signing a new contract in Bavaria in case Arne Slot’s side make a move.

Plettenberg opines that the 27-year-old, whose contract at the Allianz Arena runs out this summer, is holding out hope that either Liverpool or Real Madrid will make a bid for him. There’s no word on whether Real will make such an offer, but Plettenberg states that he “can confirm” Liverpool’s interest.

There’s no word on whether the Reds plan to submit a bid before the transfer deadline, or whether they could offer a pre-contract deal to sign him for the start of July, but Bayern have apparently made their final contract offer and are waiting for his decision – leaving Liverpool with a brief window to pounce, should they wish.

The 3AM Verdict: Liverpool have been monitoring Upamecano for some time and given that they can offer him a contract in order to entice him to sign on a free transfer now, it’s perhaps surprising that they haven’t done so given their evident interest in the player. We suspect that a January deal is very unlikely, given that they backed out of a bid for Marc Guéhi this month due to not wishing to spend the money to sign him.

Spurs plan to ‘thwart’ Real Madrid’s bid for rising Spanish star

Let’s head over to a story from Spain now, which comes courtesy of gossip website Fichajes – they allege that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to “thwart” Real Madrid’s prospective move for 22-year-old Osasuna forward Víctor Muñoz, who has impressed since signing from Real last summer.

Real hold a budget-friendly buyback option worth just €8m (£7m), and are debating bringing him back to the Bernabeu, but despite that Spurs are said to be “frontrunners” for his signature – and are apparently “prepared to pay” his full release clause, worth €40m (£34.7m) to make it happen.

It’s said that “several” other Premier League sides are also monitoring Muñoz’s progress, although they aren’t named in this report. The story also implies that any bidding war will take place in the summer, with no suggestion that Spurs will move for the young forward this coming week.

The 3AM Verdict: We should start by noting that we don’t consider Fichajes to be a reliable source, and we doubt that Spurs would pay the full release clause based on his recent impressive – but scarcely overwhelming – form. In any case, there’s no suggestion that a formal approach has been made, so we doubt there’s any movement before deadline day if Spurs are indeed interested.

Chelsea snubbed as midfielder search continues

Let’s wrap this evening’s digest off with a story from TeamTalk, which suggests that Chelsea are struggling to find a midfielder to help tide them through to the end of the season after former player Ruben Loftus-Cheek reportedly rejected the chance to return to Stamford Bridge.

The 30-year-old England international had been linked with a move to several sides including Manchester United and Aston Villa, but has apparently “made it clear he is happy and settled” at current club AC Milan – and it now appears likely that he will sign a new contract instead of leaving the San Siro.

Talks over a deal for Loftus-Cheek “never advanced” as a result of the player’s stance, while Chelsea’s hopes of signing Douglas Luiz have also been dashed with a move to Aston Villa imminent. Chelsea, however, could still sign a midfielder before deadline day, and continue to “explore” other options.

The 3AM Verdict: This ties in with what we’ve been hearing elsewhere, which is that while Loftus-Cheek was offered around by his representatives, a move was never really close to taking place. We suspect he’ll stay put, but we’re also growing sceptical that Cheslea will indeed sign the midfielder they want to help them cope with their injuries – there are simply no tangible links with plausible targets as it stands. That could change quickly over the next few days, of course.

A round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours you might have missed - with stories from Spurs, Manchester United, Everton and more.

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Every evening, 3 Added Minutes comb through the gossip columns to bring you up to date with all the biggest (and strangest) Premier League transfer rumours which you might have missed – and today, we kick things off with a story concerning Tottenham Hotspur.

According to TeamTalk, Spurs are responding to Juventus’ alleged interest in Randal Kolo Muani by “weighing up” moves for potential replacements – with two names on their radar, one of which may come as something of a surprise.

The first isn’t unexpected, with Spurs said to be “keeping a close eye” on the situation surrounding Crystal Palace’s wantaway striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but they are also said to be looking at a bid for Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, who is said to be “emerging” as an alternative.

The Dutchman, whose time at Old Trafford has been less than happy, is also said to be “on the radar” of Crystal Palace and Juventus themselves, setting up a potentially intriguing domino rally of transfers as deadline day nears. There’s no suggestion that an approach has yet been made, nor any word on how much United might demand for Zirkzee.

The 3AM Verdict: We can’t easily see this one happening, especially as Zirkzee has struggled as an out-and-out striker, but Spurs haven’t always taken the obvious path with their transfers. Should Juventus and Spurs reach a deal for Kolo Muani, we suspect that Mateta is a more likely target, but who knows? Few forwards will be available for reasonable fees this winter, after all.

Manchester United plot move for Everton star

Manchester United, for their part, are also said to be looking for attacking reinforcements – and according to TeamTalk (again) they have added Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye to their shortlist, even though it could take a “mammoth fee” to prise him away from the Hill Dickson Stadium.

Ndiaye, who recently helped Senegal to win the Africa Cup of Nations, is said to have a “growing number of admirers” at Old Trafford and is apparently seen as a “strong fit” for the club. Other clubs are also said to be “tracking” the 25-year-old, too, although they aren’t named.

There’s no word on quite how mammoth that fee might have to be, but it’s likely to be large enough that United are said to be looking at a summer move for Ndiaye and there’s no suggestion that their plans could be brought forward to the current transfer window.

The 3AM Verdict: Not an implausible story, although there’s little detail here and no firm evidence of United’s interest is presented. We suspect that United are looking at a number of attacking options ahead of the summer, and Ndiaye may well be one name on a very lengthy shortlist. One to watch, but not until the end of the season.

Fulham ‘monitoring’ Liverpool star as crunch decision looms

Let’s wrap things up with a story from Caught Offside which we will report and then promptly dismantle, for reasons which will become obvious – they allege that Fulham are “monitoring” the situation of Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, amid speculation that Aston Villa could terminate his rather fruitless loan spell in the Midlands.

With “discussions” about his future ongoing, Elliott and his agents are “exploring alternatives” to a return to Anfield, where he faces the prospect of spending yet more time warming a bench. Fulham, as a result, are said to be “considering” a short-term deal for the star of England’s successful recent European Under-21 Championship campaign.

There’s no word on the specifics of the terms of such a deal but it’s discussed as likely being a loan until the end of the season. Fulham “remain poised” to strike should Villa decide to cut his stay in Birmingham short.

The 3AM Verdict: Caught Offside may not want to listen to the source for this story going forward. FIFA rules prevent a player from registering for more than two teams involved in the same competition in any given season, and Elliott has already played for both Liverpool and Aston Villa, meaning that he simply cannot play for Fulham or any other English side until 2026/27. We report this story solely because it is, in our view, worth dismantling inaccurate stories that readers may have seen floating around elsewhere. This one definitely won’t happen.

Aston Villa have been linked with a stunning move for a forward that scored 28 times last season.

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Aston Villa kept their title dreams alive in fine fashion by recording their first away victory against Newcastle United in 21 years on Sunday. It wasn’t a vintage display in terms of possession or dominance, but it was a real show of quality and an indication of just how good Unai Emery’s team are in the decisive moments in the final third.

Emi Buendía opened the scoring with a phenomenal strike from distance while Ollie Watkins killed any hopes of a Newcastle comeback by slotting away a second in the final moments. The result leaves Villa just four points adrift off leaders Arsenal after the Gunners’ latest slip-up against Manchester United, and could open the door for the Lions to challenge for a first title since 1980.

The Villans are desperate to take advantage of this opportunity. They are close to re-signing both Tammy Abraham and Douglas Luiz to add experience to the squad - but could still have their biggest move yet up their sleeve as we approach deadline day.

Aston Villa plot shock move for Omar Marmoush

Aston Villa are reported to be exploring a blockbuster move to sign Manchester City frontman Omar Marmoush before the window closes.

Caught Offside claims the 26-year-old is becoming unsettled at the Etihad Stadium due to a lack of first team opportunities and adds that he’s considering his long-term future with the club. The outlet says sources close to the player insist that his desire is to remain in England rather than pursue a move elsewhere in Europe or in Saudi Arabia - opening the door to clubs like Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, who are believed to be at the front of the queue in terms of potential suitors.

In the last six months, Marmoush has had a challenging period. He’s only made 11 league appearances all season and has only been selected to start on two occasions. He rarely gets a look-in behind the imperious Erling Haaland and has found his minutes in wide areas much more limited than last season following the arrivals of Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki, along with Phil Foden’s return to form.

Marmoush recently scored his first goal of the season in a rare start against Wolves over the weekend after returning from international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, but still faces a decision on what’s coming next in his career.

Marmoush could make the difference in the title race

If Marmoush does decide to leave, he’ll definitely not be short of potential options. In fact, less than 12 months ago, it’d be hard to name a more in-demand footballer on the planet. In the first of last season while playing for Frankfurt, Marmoush registered a staggering 15 goals and 10 assists in his last 17 league matches for Frankfurt. He also scored a further four goals in the six games he played in the Europa League while forming an incredible strike partnership with Hugo Ekitike at Deutsche Bank Park.

Pep Guardiola’s side spent a reported £59m to bring the striker to the football club ahead of Liverpool. They saw glimpses of what he was capable of straight away with the player scoring seven and assisting twice in 16 matches, notably bagging the Goal of the Season with a stunning strike against Bournemouth while also netting a phenomenal hat-trick against Newcastle United in just his third appearance for the football club.

Many expected Marmoush to be an even bigger player this season but that simply hasn’t materialized so far. A move to Aston Villa, however, could rejuvenate the 26-year-old and potentially give the West Midlands side the edge in the title race if Tottenham don’t come in with a superior offer.

City, who are also in the title race, need to be careful when considering selling Marmoush to a championship-chasing rival. However, it’s fair to say that it’s not something that’s bothered Pep Guardiola too much in the past. For example, he allowed Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Arsenal, and let Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling go to Chelsea.

“I think that means you are a small club. Big clubs make decisions for the benefit for all three parties: players, both clubs – and agents sometimes. Really, it’s not a problem,” Guardiola told beIN Sports in 2023. “So if [my players] want to go to Chelsea or [Manchester] United or, I don’t know, Liverpool or whatever, what is the problem? They are happy to be there, the club is happy for the transfer. Another player would come and we’d keep going: good spirit, good mood, and try to do it.”

Quite where Marmoush would fit in at Villa if he did join remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt at his best he could make a huge difference to the landscape of the title race if he finds form and confidence quickly. As for whether a bid materialises or not, we’ll find out within the week.

A round-up of the biggest and wildest new Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Nottingham Forest, Spurs, Wolves, West Ham and more.

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Another day of January transfer gossip has been and gone, and as always 3 Added Minutes are here with our regular morning round-up of some of the biggest and juiciest new Premier League transfer rumours – starting with a surprising story involving Nottingham Forest.

While many of their fans will already have heard the news, it bears repeating given what a significant move it would be: According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Forest have launched a £35m bid to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

It’s an ambitious move given that he was negotiating with Juventus last week, but with the Italian outfit seemingly priced out and Aston Villa less likely to get involved after the arrival of Tammy Abraham, Forest clearly think there’s a chance to pull of a coup – and the striker himself is said to be keen on the move, with the report suggesting that “personal terms… will not be an issue.”

Palace, however, will only sell the 28-year-old if their £40m valuation is met and they are able to find a replacement, with Wolves’ Jørgen Strand Larsen mooted as an option. Should Forest fail with their bid, they are expected to be “active” in their attempts to sign an alternative with Chris Wood still injured and Arnaud Kalimuendo having left.

The 3AM Verdict: This would be an audacious bid in many ways, but if Mateta’s relationship with Palace has broken down and there are no other suitors then perhaps it makes sense. It remains to be seen whether the Tricky Trees stump up the cash, or whether Palace bring their price down – but they’ve proven to be tough negotiators, as Marc Guéhi might attest.

Spurs ‘interested’ in Wolves star as Andrew Robertson alternative

Let’s head over to a story from TeamTalk now, who claim that Tottenham Hotspur are “interested” in striking a deal with Wolves over the signing of left-back Hugo Bueno following the apparent failure of their efforts to sign Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson.

With Spanish full-back Bueno already “poised to depart” the Molineux at the end of the season and several clubs from his home country interested, Spurs are now “monitoring” the situation as they search for depth at the back. Everton are also said to be taking a look, although there’s little detail on the extent of their interest.

The 23-year-old Bueno is said to be “available” if the asking price is met, which is reported to have been set at £20m in the event of Wolves’ relegation – although how that holds up in the event of a January bid is unclear, as is whether Spurs will make their move now or wait until the summer alongside Bueno’s unnamed Spanish suitors.

The 3AM Verdict: Bueno, like many Wolves players, has been playing rather better lately after a disappointing start to the season, and £20m or so doesn’t seem like an unfair price by Premier League standards – but we’d like to see further corroboration of this story before we buy into it completely. There’s nothing implausible here, but there’s no suggestion that a bid has been made or that any kind of discussions are presently taking place. We’ll wait and see.

West Ham trying to ‘hijack’ key Fulham deal

Let’s wrap this morning’s transfer rumour round-up off with a story from Sport Witness, who cite sources in the Spanish media in claiming that West Ham are “attempting to hijack” Fulham’s bid for PSV forward Ricardo Pepi, who is the subject of a reported £27m bid from the Cottagers.

Fulham “remain in advanced talks” with PSV and there is no suggestion that their deal is going south, but West Ham want to “disrupt” the deal and have now made an “informal approach” of their own as they weigh up a last-gasp gazumping.

The Hammers reportedly had a bid for Pepi turned down last summer and are now considering another effort despite having already splashed out on two strikers in the current transfer window already. No final decision on whether to make a bid has yet been made, however, with the situation at the London Stadium said to be “fluid.”

The 3AM Verdict: The most surprising thing about this story is that Pepi broke his arm last week and is likely to be unable to play until March – but both Fulham and West Ham, who have been linked with the American for ages, don’t seem to have been put off by a minor issue like that. We expect Pepi to leave PSV in the near future, and suspect that Fulham will be his destination, but stranger things have happened.

Tottenham are pushing to strengthen their defensive options before the window closes - could a rare swap deal help them out?

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Cristian Romero's last-gasp header rescued a 2-2 draw, rescued Thomas Frank’s blushes and saved Tottenham Hotspur from an embarrassing defeat against the division’s second lowest-ranked club. However, the full-time whistle at Turf Moor and the last-minute equaliser didn’t save Frank and his team from being booed off the pitch by the away end as the pressure intensified on the Dane, with Spurs having now won just two of their last 14 league games.

As it stands, Spurs are in 14th position, Frank is battling to save his job and the problems that have haunted the capital club since the end of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure continue to damage the club’s chances of finishing in the upper echelons of the league table. But can they improve matters before the end of the January transfer window?

Tottenham hope to sign defender before the window closes

Spurs remain winless in the Premier League in 2026 despite an encouraging display against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and they’ve failed to control games - and have at times switched off defensively, particularly from set plays despite both Romero and Micky Van de Ven’s habit of netting at the other end of the pitch.

Calciomercato understands they are in the market for a central defender to help sort things out at the back, and have turned their attention back to a star that has been on their radar since last season when Postecoglou was still in charge.

The outlet explains Spurs are keen on signing Alessandro Buongiorno from Napoli. The 12-time Italian international has played in Naples since 2024 when he left Torino and formed part of the club’s Serie A title winning side last season. Overall, he’s played 49 matches for Napoli and has looked extremely solid, earning himself a place in the Serie A Team of the Season last year.

The blockbuster Spurs and Napoli swap deal which could define the winter window

Buongiorno has the ability to be a strong addition to the Tottenham team, but he’s under contract with Napoli until 2029 and is unlikely to depart for a cheap figure given that he’s a regular for the club. However, his Napoli side are in fourth position and unlikely to challenge for the title this season while they are also at risk of dropping out of the Champions League unless results go in their favour in the last game. Tottenham, who are on course to stay in Europe a little while longer, could use this to their advantage as they aim to once again go to the latter stages of an elite competition.

One way Tottenham could look to entice Buongiorno to North London is by striking a deal with their former manager and perhaps giving him a player that he wants in exchange for the defender as a sweetener. A viable option for this sort of deal could potentially be out-of-favour defender Radu Dragusin, formerly of Genoa, who is reported to be the subject of strong interest from clubs in Italy - including Conte’s Napoli - despite his injury-hit spell in North London.

Il Corriere dello Sport in Italy understands AS Roma have already tabled a loan move but add that Conte’s side are also interested. With Dragusin thought to be unsettled in North London and perhaps surplus to requirements it could make sense to try and include him in negotiations to cut down the overall figure and fill a void in both manager’s squads.

It looks to have worked for Aston Villa in their pursuit of Tammy Abraham, with Yasin Ozcan going in the opposite direction, and could be something we see from more top-flight clubs moving forward, particularly if it helps from a PSR point of view. Perhaps Spurs could repeat the trick, especially as their need for defensive reinforcements has been sharpened by the apparent failure of their reported bid for Andrew Robertson.

Tottenham Hotspur have the opportunity to bolster their ranks before the end of the January transfer window.

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is under mounting pressure amid their poor run of form. The Dane was picked as their head coach last summer following their decision to part ways with Ange Postecoglou but has endured an inconsistent start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs find themselves positioned in a disappointing 14th place in the Premier League table after losing 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened West Ham last time out. Next up for the North London outfit is a Champions League clash on their own patch against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night - but could they make any additions to their squad once that match is out of the way?

Tottenham Hotspur eye Brahim Díaz after AFCON blunder

Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Díaz has made the headlines recently after his missed Panenka penalty and subsequent tears in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations for Morocco against Senegal. He has also been linked with a £52million switch to Spurs before the end of the January transfer window, as per a report by TEAMtalk. His contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in June 2027, but his time in Spain could be coming to a premature end.

Díaz, 26, has been on the books of his current club since 2019 but his long-term future with the La Liga giants is up in the air right now amid reported attention from elsewhere. He has made 139 appearances for them in all competitions to date, 18 of which have come this season, scoring 21 goals. - but has never fully established himself as a regular starter. The attacking midfielder has also been loaned out to AC Milan on three separate occasions in the past.

He was a hit during his time in Italy and fired 18 goals in 124 outings altogether. The Serie A club weren’t able to snap him up on a permanent basis, though, and he subsequently returned to Real Madrid. He caught the eye during his days at the San Siro though and Milan legend Alessandro Nesta was full of praise for him: “Díaz has these fantastic plays in tight spaces… I’m sorry for him to have this problem, deciding between Milan and Real Madrid!”

Would Real Madrid man Brahim Díaz suit Tottenham?

Spurs need more quality in their squad if they are to rise up the division. Despite his recent spot-kick shocker for Morocco, Diaz had an impressive AFCON and was one of the stars of the tournament and its leading goalscorer with five strikes. He has scored 14 goals in 23 caps for Morocco since switching his allegiance from Spain.

The forward would be a shrewd addition by Frank and would give him more firepower going forward, as well as additional competition and depth at the top end of the pitch. In the long-term, he could battle it out with their attacking players like Mohamed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Richarlison - but with two of those now long-term injury absentees, he would likely be an instant starter.

Díaz rose up through the academy at Málaga and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. Manchester City came calling for his services in 2015 and he spent four years at the Etihad Stadium. He went on to play 15 times for their senior team under Pep Guardiola and scored twice before he was given the green light to head out the exit door to Real Madrid.

His first spell in England was a bit of a learning curve for him and he may feel like he has a point to prove in this country now. He didn’t get as many minutes as he would have hoped to at City but he was young and inexperienced. Time will tell whether Spurs will be able to snap him up before the deadline on Monday 2 February.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours analysed - with news from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and more.

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We’re already over the halfway point of the January transfer window, but there’s a lot of business left to be done – and to help you keep track of all the likely comings and goings, we’re back with our latest round-up and review of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours.

Today, we start things off with a story for Tottenham Hotspur fans, who probably need a bit of exciting transfer news more than most – well, according to TeamTalk, they now “plan to convince” Real Madrid and Morocco winger Brahim Díaz to move to North London this month.

Díaz just finished the Africa Cup of Nations as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals, but also missed the last-gasp penalty in Sunday’s final which cost his side the trophy. At least that means he has some experience of dealing with disappointment, which wouldn’t do a potential Spurs signing any harm.

Apparently Spurs are “keen” on the 26-year-old and have “already begun making moves” to make a transfer happen, although there’s no suggestion that serious negotiations have yet taken place. It’s said that discussions over the future of Thomas Frank won’t stop Spurs from making deals this month, and a winger like Díaz is “on Tottenham’s agenda.”

The 3AM Verdict: Díaz is one of those players who crops up in the gossip columns every window without fail and also without ever moving to the Premier League, but given that he’s only started three league games for Real this season, it’s hardly an implausible story. That said, we haven’t seen much corroboration of this story from sources we’d view as being more reliable, so we’ll stay sceptical for now.

Michael Carrick eyes former favourite for Manchester United move

Up to Old Trafford now, courtesy of a story from eager gossipmongers Caught Offside – who reckon that Manchester United could make a move for Hayden Hackney, a Middlesbrough and England Under-21 midfielder of whom interim manager Michael Carrick is a “long-term admirer” having coached him at the Riverside.

Spurs had been favourites to make a move for Hackney, apparently, but have “cooled their interest” after securing the signing of Conor Gallagher. That could put United at the head of the queue for the young holding midfielder, as the Red Devils “continue to track the player closely.”

Apparently Everton, Brighton and Fulham are all “monitoring Hackney closely” as well, but there’s no suggestion that any of his apparent suitors have yet made a move. Nor is any evidence provided that they will before this month’s deadline.

The 3AM Verdict: United seem to want to hold fire on signing a new midfielder until the summer, when starrier and frankly more expensive players such as Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba could be on the menu. Hackney will surely get a Premier League move eventually, but we haven’t seen anything to convince us it will happen this winter or that United are particularly strong candidates. Stranger things have happened, mind you.

Nottingham Forest ‘agree terms’ for striker signing

Let’s wrap up with a transfer tale from Fabrizio Romano, who took to social media earlier today to state that Nottingham Forest have "agreed all terms” on a transfer deal which would see them sign Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca – although the deal isn’t over the ‘here we go’ line just yet, apparently.

The deal would see them sign the 25-year-old forward on an initial €1m loan deal with a purchase option worth €35m (£30m), with Forest’s offer accepted after “many clubs’ calls.” Romano doesn’t name the other teams interested, but half of Serie A has been linked with a move in recent weeks, as have Besiktas and Benfica.

The decision now rests with Lucca himself, after Forest made their “best salary proposal so far” to the forward, and it’s not clear whether a better deal could wind up on the table before he makes his call.

The 3AM Verdict: Given the financial stature of the teams linked with Lucca in recent weeks, we suspect that Forest will make the most lucrative offer and get the deal over the line, but it’s always possible that he would prefer to stay in his homeland. We’ll find out soon enough, by the sound of it.

Thomas Frank faces an uncertain future at Tottenham after a disappointing defeat to London rivals West Ham

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Thomas Frank’s future as Tottenham Hotspur boss is reportedly hanging by a thread following his side’s demoralising home defeat to relegation strugglers West Ham United.

The home side fell behind after just 15 minutes when Crysencio Summerville scored but looked on course to get back into the contest when Cristiano Romero levelled on the hour mark. However, the visitors, who hadn’t won a match since 8th November, consigned Spurs to another disappointing home defeat by scoring a dramatic winner in the last moments through Callum Wilson.

Frank, who left Brentford to join Tottenham was the subject of jeers from his own supporters, with some chantinh about him getting ‘sacked in the morning’. It’s the latest in a long line of damaging results for Frank in what has been a grim first seven months in charge for the Dane.

Will Tottenham sack Thomas Frank?

Frank earned his big move to Tottenham after seven impressive years at Brentford which saw him lead the club to the top-flight for the first time since 1935 while consolidating the Bees’ position as a competitive outfit. However, he’s so far failed to achieve expectations at Tottenham with the club languishing 14th in the table, ten points above the drop zone.

The north London side are also out of both domestic cup competitions, meaning that the Champions League is their only possibility of silverware, although that seems highly unlikely at this stage given the team’s current form. Frank has been backed in January transfer with the signing of ex-Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, and he’s also been allowed to bolster his backroom team by bringing in ex-Liverpool coach Johnny Heitinga.

But neither had the desired effect on Saturday as Spurs were embarrassed by their relegation-threatened London rivals, and with his win record at home currently sitting at 18.2%, it’s going to need a huge turnaround for Frank to even see out the remainder of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s ideal next manager choice is clear

It might appear far-fetched for a club in the bottom half of the table and who finished 17th last season, but during the summer the Spurs hierarchy outlined that their ultimate goal was to be challenging for the Premier League title in the near future.

Levy, who has since departed, said via Sky Sports: "You saw the outpouring of emotion with the parade. It was just incredible. We've won a European trophy. But it's not enough. It's what we haven't done that is more important. We need to win the league. We want to win the Premier League. We want to win the Champions League. We want to win."

These were seriously ambitious comments and and outcome which feels like a pipe-dream at the moment, however, it’s worth noting that from a commercial standpoint the Lilywhites are in a fantastic position while they also boast one of the best stadiums the country has to offer. Based on that alone, Tottenham should still be able to attract the best-in-class when it comes to managers if they can show the right ambition and sell their project.

In the past they’ve had names like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, so it perhaps might not be too much of stretch from them to at least try to attract ex-Liverpool favourite Xabi Alonso if Frank does depart. Alonso is currently out of work after leaving Real Madrid earlier this month, but is regarded as one of the most exciting young managers in world football.

He’s achieved most of his success at a club with a similar kind of reputation to Spurs in Bayer Leverkusen, who were often ridiculed for their failure to get over the line in vital moments and ultimately turned them into a well-oiled machine with a never-say die mentality and an ability to win trophies.

Alonso joined Leverkusen for his first managerial gig in October 2022 with the club in 14th position, which is ironically where Spurs are at present. He led Leverkusen to a sixth place finish during the remaining months, and in his first full season won the league and cup double whilst also reaching the final of the Europa League.

His side, who were mockingly referred to as ‘Neverkusen’ due to their long-standing reputation for repeatedly finishing runners-up in major competitions became the first team in history to win the Bundesliga without losing a single match, finishing the competition with 28 wins and 6 draws, while across all tournaments they managed to record 51 matches without a defeat.

That team had a reputation for scoring late, netting 17 goals during stoppage time and 34 goals from the 80th minute onwards. They assembled a rock-solid team without spending huge sums of money and were able to completely outclass an imperious Bayern Munich side that had dominated the league for a number of years.

Alonso’s availability should be something that every top club is keeping an eye on. Liverpool have been linked but for the time being are standing by Arne Slot, and at the moment there’s not a lot of openings at top Champions League clubs although that could change in the near future.

Tottenham could use this to their advantage by acting quick to try and attract Alonso if they don’t feel Frank’s the man to take them forward. He’d arguably be more popular with the fanbase than Oliver Glasner despite his incredible career at Crystal Palace, and wouldn’t cost anything in terms of compensation to another club after losing his job at the Bernabeu.