TBR Football

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are now interested in signing a centre-back in the January transfer window who used to ply his trade in the Premier League.

The extent of Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury coupled with Cristian Romero still being out injured has meant Spurs’ availability at the back has been a huge problem for them.

Archie Gray’s displays at centre-back impressed Ange Postecoglou but even so, a pairing of the 18-year-old alongside a struggling Radu Dragusin has been far too easy for attacks to exploit.

Tottenham keen on January transfer for Ben Godfrey

TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been informed that Tottenham are one of the several clubs in the mix to sign Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey in January.

TBR Football can reveal that apart from Spurs, other Premier League clubs such as Wolves, West Ham United, Brentford and Brighton are also interested in signing the Englishman. While Leeds United liked Godfrey in the past and they still do as they remain keen on his signature in the winter window as well.

Despite starting just a single game in all competitions for the Italian side in his debut season, Godfrey is content at Atalanta due to the fact that they are topping the Serie A table and as a result, he understands why Gian Piero Gasperini is sticking to his winning formula.

TBR Football understands that while Godfrey, who “surprised” Carlo Ancelotti at Everton is satisfied with life in Bergamo, the prospect of playing in England appeals to him.

Just last month, Ange Postecoglou was asked in his press conference via HaytersTV: “You’re linked with Ben Godfrey as a stop-gap in January?”

Postecoglou replied: “Sorry? We’re starting naming players, are we?”

Let’s wait till after Christmas for that.”

Ange Postecoglou quipped: “Thanks, we’ll just see mate, I’m kind of hoping, I’ve been really good this year because I’ve got a fair Christmas list for Santa so we’ll see what I get.”

The Spurs boss’ reply might have poured cold water over the speculation at the time but it seems like Godfrey has been earmarked behind closed doors as a potential solution to their problems in defence.

Crystal Palace know what a successful January transfer window looks like.

The Eagles made two very shrewd additions 12 months ago when bringing Adam Wharton and Daniel Munoz to Selhurst Park in the Winter window – both of whom played key roles as Oliver Glasner eventually led Crystal Palace to 10th in the Premier League.

This season saw the south Londoners make a slow start, going eight Premier League games without victory until securing a 1-0 win over Tottenham at the end of October.

Crystal Palace now sit a bit more comfortably with 20 points in 19 games to put them 15th – although with only five points separating the Eagles from the relegation zone, talks have already began to make a reinforcement in Nicolo Fagioli.

Crystal Palace in talks to sign Nicolo Fagioli

A story from Tuttosport now states that Crystal Palace have opened talks to sign the Italy international from Juventus.

The Italian news outlet believe Juventus are willing to sell Fagioli for €20m (£16.6m) this month after he fell down the pecking order under Thiago Motta – with West Ham and Fulham also interested.

So far this season, the Juventus No.21 has only made five Serie A starts out of a possible 18 as Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli and Teun Koopmeiners are preferred.

Tuttosport add that Fagioli would consider leaving for another club on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season, although this does not interest Juventus, who would prefer an outright sale this month.

Oliver Glasner faces competition from Tottenham

West Ham and Fulham are not the only sides interested in the 23-year-old along with Crystal Palace.

TBR Football understand Tottenham are also monitoring Fagioli after hearing that Juventus are willing to sell – while Manchester City are alert to the situation too, having lost Rodri to a serious knee injury.

Furthermore, Aston Villa are admirers of Fagioli as well.

A fee of just £16.6m for a promising Italy international represents an attractive proposition for Premier League sides this Winter – hence the widespread interest – so it would be a surprise if nobody offered that sum to Juventus this month.

Tottenham Hotspur are suffering from an unprecedented injury crisis this season and the club’s supporters want answers.

Ange Postecoglou will be without eight big-name players for their clash with Newcastle United on Saturday all due to injuries. Destiny Udogie was the latest player to succumb to an injury and he is set to miss six to ten weeks.

But why are the Lilywhites picking up so many injuries this season? Well, Postecoglou may have already hinted at why when he was in charge of Celtic.

What is Tottenham’s current list of injuries?

One of the common themes you will notice from Tottenham’s list of injuries is hamstring issues. Spurs have had six players sidelined who have either had or are currently struggling with an issue in this area.

Udogie, Heung-min Son, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have all had hamstring injuries at some point. Now, this can often be associated with fatigue and for Tottenham that could certainly be the case given the intensity of Ange Ball, the lack of squad depth and the number of games they have played.

It’s worth noting before pointing fingers that their injury list has been made to look a lot worse through a combination of misfortune, players with poor injury histories, suspensions and illness. For example, Van de Ven and Richarlison are two players who have had clear injury issues in the past and Guglielmo Vicario is just unlucky having suffered an impact injury.

What Postecoglou said at Celtic when he had similar injury issues

Now, this will sound very familiar to Tottenham fans. In December 2021, Postecoglou admitted that Celtic were suffering many injuries due to the busy fixture schedule but also because of his high-intensity demands on the players.

When asked whether he would taper his high-intensity methods during the injury crisis, Postecoglou told the media: “No, it’s not possible. It’s a by-product of the team we want to be and it’s part of the process. I’ve been through it a number of times with teams I’ve taken over and the initial process is always difficult.

“Games are coming thick and fast, but that’s the level we want to be at. We’ve still got seven games to go between now and the break, so we have to make sure we keep presenting ourselves well and get some game time to the guys who played well tonight.

“It’s not ideal but the guys have coped with it in the past. As you saw tonight, we have a good level of intensity and energy and we are just going to keep doing that in every game we play.”

Ange Ball is clearly very intense and becomes even harder to sustain when you have a limited number of players available and matches every three days or so. The Australian is clearly not going to back down, so Spurs either need to back him and bolster his squad or consider whether the way he plays is sustainable for their future.

Tottenham Hotspur have a brilliant track record of producing top young players throughout their history.

Harry Kane is arguably Tottenham’s greatest-ever academy graduate, considering he is their all-time top goalscorer and has a case for being the club’s best player of all time as well.

Similarly, Ledley King, who Kyle Walker dubbed as “underrated” was a brilliant centre-back who came through Spurs’ academy as well.

Harry Redknapp rates Mikey Moore highly, who seems to be yet another excellent prospect from Tottenham’s academy.

A young player who did not quite have the career he was expected to at Spurs is Marcus Edwards.

However, a former coach at Tottenham, Temisan Williams has revealed just how outstanding the Sporting CP winger was as a young player.

Marcus Edwards dubbed the ‘English Messi’ as a teenager at Tottenham

Tottenham were interested in re-signing Marcus Edwards, as per a revelation in June. While Ruben Amorim was keen on Sporting’s Edwards as a potential addition at Manchester United as well.

Temisan Williams, who was a former coach at both Tottenham and Arsenal was quizzed on The Overlap Breakdown podcast on who is the most technical player he has ever coached and he named Edwards.

“Hands down, Marcus Edwards.”

So much so that Temisan Williams believes that when he came across Edwards as a teenager, he felt like he was witnessing the English version of Lionel Messi.

“When I saw Marcus Edwards at Tottenham, I thought I saw the English Messi. He was that good and he was playing at an age group up at the time.”

Williams expanded: “He was just so quick on the ball, it was ridiculous. It looked too easy for him. Even though he was Under-15s, it looked so easy and so I’m not surprised when [Mauricio] Pochettino came out and was saying what he was saying about Marcus Edwards in relation to what he can end up doing.”

“And it’s really good to see now that he’s obviously fulfilling his potential, we’re seeing what he’s doing at Sporting CP and of course, there’s been talks of him potentially coming back to the Premier League but he was definitely standout.”

Mauricio Pochettino compared Marcus Edwards to a young Lionel Messi

In 2016, Mauricio Pochettino likened Edwards to Lionel Messi as well.

Pochettino explained via Sky Sports: “The qualities, it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays, remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi.”

The former Spurs boss even felt Edwards had shades of Erik Lamela about him due to his directness and fearless approach to the game,

“He’s small, he’s left-footed, I remember a little bit [Erik] Lamela when he was at River Plate, remember he had long hair, when he was 14, 15 years old, there is a lot of videos on YouTube that you can see that he took the ball, didn’t give a pass and shot straight away.”

“He [Edwards] is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player. But now, it’s how he builds his future, that’s very important. And it’s our responsibility to tell him.”

Perhaps had Tottenham kept Edwards, they could have had a chance to further develop a truly special talent.

Ange Postecoglou has just lost yet another player to injury as Destiny Udogie picked up a hamstring injury in Tottenham’s draw with Wolves.

The Australian manager is now missing nine players for their next match against Newcastle on January 4. Destiny Udogie joins the list of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert who are now either suspended or injured.

But with the January transfer window now open, the Spurs boss has the chance to make his move to replace the Italian with a new addition. It seems like the Lilywhites already have a target in mind.

Tottenham ready to step up Patrick Dorgu pursuit

Tottenham are ready to step up their pursuit of Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu, according to Give Me Sport. Spurs had looked to sign a left-back in the summer but instead opted to wait, however, an injury to Uodgie has forced them to act now.

Dorgu was a player Tottenham looked at last summer although they never formalised an offer for the Danish international. They are not the only club looking at the 20-year-old with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli and AC Milan all monitoring his situation.

Dorgu is expected to cost around £30 million with his contract running until 2029 with the Italian club. GMS’ report adds that Ange Postecoglou is hopeful of now convincing Daniel Levy to get him a new left-back after learning the extent of Udogie’s injury.

How long is Destiny Udogie out injured?

Udogie is expected to be sidelined for six to ten weeks with a hamstring injury, according to Paul O’Keefe. That could see the defender miss as many as 13 matches should he be sidelined for the full ten weeks.

The 22-year-old will miss key games against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, the final two Europa League group stage clashes and league matches against Arsenal, Man United and Man City.

Tottenham Hotspur have found themselves in a terrible position.

Ange Postecoglou boldly spoke about winning a trophy at the start of the season, and that may still happen. But, Spurs have been really poor over the last two months.

The North Londoners are currently 11th in the Premier League table and are closer to the drop zone than they are to the top four.

Things need to change at Tottenham as soon as possible – if it doesn’t, their best players could start exploring their options. One of them has already started to think about his future.

Dejan Kulusevski is ‘thinking of leaving’ Tottenham

Dejan Kulusevski has been at Tottenham for nearly three years now.

The Swede joined Spurs on a loan deal but that was made permanent in 2023. He has been a key player for the North Londoners since and has produced a few phenomenal performances.

Ben Foster claimed that Kulusevski is Tottenham’s ‘best player’ this season – that assessment has been backed by several others as well after watching his performances.

Now, Milan Live claim that AC Milan are interested in signing Kulusevski, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who works as an advisor at the Italian club, has ‘started contacts’ with his countryman over a potential move.

The report highlights Spurs’ terrible season so far and claims that Kulusevski is ‘thinking of leaving’ Tottenham because of his side’s form.

It has further been claimed that Tottenham will demand at least €50 million (£41.5m) to let Kulusevski leave the club.

What should Tottenham do if offers arrive for Kulusevski?

Reject them all!

Kulusevski is the only Tottenham player who has been good enough under Postecoglou since the start of the season. Without him, Spurs would be in an even worse position.

We won’t be surprised if the 24-year-old attracts interest from other clubs, but Tottenham are in a good place because they have tied him down to a contract until the summer of 2028.

We just can’t see a world in which Daniel Levy will accept a bid for the Swede in 2025, but Tottenham have to do much better than they have done recently if they want to keep him happy.

If they don’t, Kulusevski could push for a move away from the club to fulfil his ambitions – just like Harry Kane and Gareth Bale did in the past.

Destiny Udogie was taken off in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw against Wolves after he suffered an injury.

After the contest, Ange Postecoglou confirmed Destiny Udogie had suffered a hamstring injury, bemoaning how Spurs continue to suffer a fitness crisis.

The Tottenham boss said via London Evening Standard: “I think it was a hamstring. Again, like I said, we’ve been relying on a core group of players because we just haven’t had the ability to rotate so at some point it was going to catch up with us. Unfortunately, it caught up with Destiny.”

Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injury worsened, with a reoccurence ruling him for two to three weeks after he played in his side’s 1-0 defeat against AFC Bournemouth.

Defenders like Cristian Romero and Ben Davies have also been on the sidelines due to their respective injuries.

Ange Postecoglou, whose Tottenham side sit in 11th place now has another reason to be worried after an update has emerged about Udogie’s injury.

Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie injured for six to 10 weeks

The former Udinese left-back has had a bit of a difficult season.

After a brilliant debut campaign at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 22-year-old has been one of the many Spurs players whose form has dropped off this term.

Now, journalist Paul O Keefe has taken to X to reveal that Udogie could be set to miss six to 10 weeks of football for Spurs due to his latest hamstring injury.

Djed Spence, who Tottenham will not sell in January will now be turned to as a replacement for the Italian international.

Spence has impressed Ange Postecoglou and he could partner Pedro Porro to become a part of Spurs’ starting full-back pairing for a while now.

Which games could Destiny Udogie miss for Tottenham due to injury?

Udogie will be gutted that his season has been hampered by such an ill-timed injury.

However, injuries are part and parcel of any player’s career and the youngster will be determined to return to the pitch stronger than ever. Here are the 10 games Udogie could miss through his injury.

If Udogie does return in six weeks’ time, he could be fit in time to face Hoffenheim or Leicester City.

Only time will tell how swiftly the Tottenham star recovers from his latest setback.

Ange Postecoglou’s future is one that will divide opinion amongst the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase.

On one hand, Ange Postecoglou will be considered as the right man for the job for how he has brought a distinct style of play to this Spurs side from day one.

As a result, it could well be a case that Tottenham get a rub of the green, their results will do a complete 180 and they will skyrocket up the Premier League table.

However, a section of the Lilywhites’ supporters could be frustrated by how Postecoglou has been unable to help them kick on this season, as they sit eight points behind the top four in 11th place.

Perhaps the only saving grace for Tottenham remains that they are in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. Gary Lineker believes Spurs could beat Liverpool if Arne Slot rests key players ahead of crucial games in the Champions League.

Darren Bent had his say on Postecoglou’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Darren Bent tells Tottenham to stick with Ange Postecoglou like Arsenal did with Mikel Arteta

Jamie O’Hara called for Tottenham to sack Ange Postecglou and suggested his former club to appoint Marco Silva as his replacement.

Ian Wright admitted feeling sorry for Postecoglou due to his side’s plethora of injuries this season, indicating that even externally, he has support from big names within the game.

Another such name is Darren Bent, who suggested Tottenham not to sack another manager in Ange Postecoglou and instead stick with him like Arsenal did with Mikel Arteta.

Bent said on Ben Foster- The Cycling Goalkeeper’s YouTube channel: “Do you start again? Remember, they’d had Jose [Mourinho], who’s been one of the best, they’ve had [Antonio] Conte, who’s been one of the best, they’d have Nuno [Espirito Santo], [Mauricio] Pochettino obviously, people still talk about those years.”

“They’ve now got Ange [Postecoglou], they can’t now start again. I liken it to Arsenal, I know, obviously, the rivalry. Arteta comes in, I know he obviously got the success with the FA Cup, if you look at their league form, he went eighth to eighth and they still stuck with him even though the fans turned a little bit.”

“I think Spurs might have to just do that, get a couple of more transfer windows, get a couple of his players and then go again.”

How Tottenham’s board and players feel about Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham’s players and board back Ange Postecoglou despite their underwhelming campaign, as per a revelation on Monday.

The higher-ups at Spurs are understanding of the tough situation Postecoglou has found himself in, especially seeing the number of injuries that have piled up in front of him.

The lack of availability is believed to be a reason why Tottenham’s board understand why Ange Postecoglou’s high-energy playing style has not executed as well as it can be.

Furthermore, playing a game every few days is also considered a factor that has not made life any easier for the former Celtic boss.

As for the Tottenham players, they still support Ange Postecoglou as he has not lost the dressing room.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be among the most active clubs in January’s transfer window.

The winter window is officially open and Spurs need all the help they can get. The North Londoners have won just four games out of a possible 14 since the start of November.

Tottenham are 11th in the Premier League table – they are closer to the relegation zone than they are to fourth-place Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou needs to strengthen his squad, and he is considering a move to sign a really talented player from France.

Tottenham eye move for Maxence Caqueret

Maxence Caqueret is one among many Olympique Lyon players who may have to find a new club in the January transfer window.

The Ligue 1 giants were handed a transfer ban in November and were provisionally relegated to the French second division at the end of this season because of ‘financial mismanagement’ (ESPN).

To avoid relegation, Lyon will have to ‘demonstrate a much healthier economic outlook’ and one way of doing that is by raising funds through player sales.

Tottenham are hoping for just that – GiveMeSport claim that Spurs are interested in Caqueret and are keeping a close eye on Lyon’s financial situation.

However, Spurs will only make a move for the midfielder if they ‘can negotiate a cut-price deal or reach a loan agreement’ this month.

Fellow Premier League sides West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Everton are all interested in Caqueret, as are Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

All the clubs know that Lyon are in desperate need to make money this month. It remains to be seen who will take advantage of that situation and sign Caqueret in a bargain deal.

Postecoglou has been impressed by two other Ligue 1 stars

Tottenham need reinforcements in multiple areas of the pitch, and Caqueret, who has been hailed as ‘one of the best pressers in Europe’ by Breaking the Lines, would be a good option.

However, the Lyon star is not the only player from Ligue 1 that Postecoglou is looking at.

Lens duo Andy Diouf and Abdukodir Khusanov have also caught the Spurs manager’s eye after he began his search for reinforcement in the January transfer window.

TBR Football exclusively revealed back in October that Khusanov is a target for Tottenham but they face competition from Newcastle United for his signature this month.

It remains to be seen who Postecoglou will bring in before the window shuts in February.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters would perhaps unanimously agree that their side have been one of the most disappointing teams in the Premier League this season.

Despite their season tailing off at the end of the previous campaign, Tottenham seemed like they were on the right track under Ange Postecoglou.

However, Ange Postecoglou is struggling to help Spurs pull off a turnaround in their fortunes as exemplified by their 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest followed by their latest 2-2 draw against Wolves.

Postecoglou’s job as Tottenham boss is safe, however, despite how poor his side have been this season.

The Lilywhites are languishing in 11th place this season and the prospect of them failing to qualify for Europe seems like a realistic possibility.

However, in Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Foster believes Tottenham have a star who is doing his talking on the pitch.

Ben Foster says Dejan Kulusevski has been Tottenham’s “best player” this season

Kulusevski is good enough to play for Liverpool, as per Tim Sherwood, which goes to show how much his stock has skyrocketed this season.

Dominic Solanke raved about Kulusevski as well, marvelling at how “phenomenal” he has been this campaign.

Ben Foster claimed on his YouTube channel that the £25 million (BBC Sport) man has been Tottenham’s best player this season and by some distance.

“[Dejan] Kulusevski is the man, he’s incredible. I think you’re kind of seeing the real Kulusevski now.”

“When he first signed, he was phenomenal, a lot of injuries, it’s held him back but now you’re seeing Kulusevski, he’s been without a doubt their best player of the season so far.”

Glenn Hoddle raved about Kulusevski as Spurs’ “best player” this season by a “country mile” as well.

Gary Neville’s verdict about Kulusevski is that elite clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona will begin to consider him as a potential transfer target as well; such is the leap he has taken in a Tottenham shirt this season.

Ange Postecoglou named Dejan Kulusevski as Tottenham’s “best player this year”

Ange Postecoglou lauded Kulusevski as Tottenham’s standout performer in 2024 as well.

“You’ve always got to make decisions you think are right. I am never going to make decisions to alleviate or appease people’s opinions.”

“Deki has been our best player this year and I want to protect him because there is no chance he can play all these games we’ve got. Like I say, even if they can play, performance will invariably drop because it is not sustainable.”

In the new year, the Swedish international will be determined to set the same high standards.

Judging by his form throughout the season, it seems likely that Kulusevski will continue to soar.