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Aston Villa secret weapon could see them beat Tottenham to sign £18m-rated South American gem

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Aston Villa secret weapon could see them beat Tottenham to sign £18m-rated South American gem - BirminghamWorld
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Aston Villa will be able to bring in some new faces in the upcoming January transfer window

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Aston Villa are back in action on Thursday night in the Europa League against Young Boys. They won 2-1 away at Leeds United last time out in the league. Attacker Morgan Rogers scored twice against the Whites at Elland Road to help his side secure a useful victory.

The Midlands outfit have risen into the top four in the Premier League. They are in the Champions League places along with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Unai Emery’s side will be hoping to stay there come the end of the season.

Aston Villa eye River Plate prospect Lautaro Rivero

Aston Villa have joined Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid in pursuit of £18 million-rated River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, according to El Intransigente. The report adds that the player has spoken with Emi Martinez about a potential switch to Villa Park. He is under contract until 2028 meaning he still has three years left to run down.

Rivero, 22, could be seen by Emery as someone to boost his defensive department. He is still relatively young and has potential to get better in the future. As with any acquisition from South America, patience would be required if he joined whilst he settled into life in England.

The centre-back has been on the books of River Plate for his whole career to date. He has risen up through their academy ranks and was a regular for them at various different youth levels. The Buenos Aires-born man penned a new three-year deal in July which shows he is highly-rated in Argentina.

Rivero, who has made one cap for his country so far, broke into his current club’s first-team in 2024 and has since made 16 competitive appearances in all competitions. They could now face a battle to keep hold of him amid attention from Europe. He has also been loaned out in the past to Central Cordoba to get some experience under his belt as a youngster.

Would Lautaro Rivero be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Rivero would give Aston Villa another option to pick from at the back. If he joined, he would provide them with more competition and depth in their defensive department. He would battle it out with the likes of Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings for a place in their starting XI.

They would need to see off competition from elsewhere for his signature too with Tottenham and Real Madrid mentioned as potential suitors. It would be hard to turn down the latter especially if they came calling. However, they may not be able to guarantee him regular game time which is what he needs if he leaves River Plate.

It is yet to be known what direction Aston Villa will take in the January transfer window. They could do with some back-up in attack for Ollie Watkins. Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott are facing uncertain futures and could head back to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively due to a lack of minutes which would leave some vacancies to fill.

Aston Villa ‘in the race’ to sign £18m wonderkid amid Tottenham and Nottingham Forest interest

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Aston Villa are battling Tottenham and Nottingham Forest to secure the signature of a teenage prodigy

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Aston Villa have emerged as one of the leading contenders to sign rising Belgian wonderkid Nathan De Cat during the January transfer window.

The Lions, who finished last season in sixth position, are in the market for a talented midfielder that can inject a sense of youth into Villa’s ageing team. As it stands, Villa have the fifth oldest team in the league, with an average age of 27.85, according to Give Me Sport.

They are hoping to sign someone that can learn from the likes of Amadou Onana (24), Boubacar Kamara (25) and Youri Tielemans (28) in Villa’s engine room. The club are currently competing in the Europa League but have ambitions of making it back into Europe’s elite competition once again after reaching the quarter-final of the Champions League last term.

Who is Nathan De Cat?

Nathan De Cat is a 17-year-old central defensive midfielder who has already established himself as a first team regular with Belgium side Anderlecht.

The 6ft 4in midfielder made his professional debut at the age of 16, in a 0–1 Challenger Pro League away win against SL16 FC two seasons ago and was swiftly promoted into the first team squad the following summer.

Overall, De Cat has made 26 appearances for Anderlecht, scoring twice and recording one assist. He’s featured in 19 matches in total this term and has been included in the starting lineup in 16 of those instances gaining experience in the top-flight of Belgium, the Europa League qualifiers and the Conference League.

De Cat is expected to break into the Belgium squad in the near future. He has racked up 20 appearances for the nation at various age groups, ranging from Under-15 to Under-19.

He was named in the Team of the Tournament at the Under-17 European Championships over the summer, with his team reaching the semi-final before eventually falling short against France.

“He is a fighter, but loves dribbling too, and is especially fond of performing the Zidane turn,” commented Michael Yokhin via The Guardian as the outlet included him in their next Generation List.

Could Aston Villa sign Nathan De Cat in January?

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are one of three Premier League sides ‘in the race’ to sign midfielder Nathan De Cat from Belgium title contenders Anderlect.

Nottingham Forest, who also secured qualification for the Europa League last term by finishing in seventh, are also interested in the young midfielder amid rising speculation about the future of in-form central midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with interest as they continue to mould a team in the image of new manager Thomas Frank after he replaced Ange Postecoglou.

Anderlecht, who are third in the Belgian Pro League and chasing the title, are keen to retain De Cat’s services but are reportedly willing to listen to offers that are somewhere in the region of £18m plus performance related add-ons.

Birmingham striker Troy Deeney makes brutal Aston Villa TOTW call

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Ex-Birmingham City striker Troy Deeney makes brutal Aston Villa team of the week decision after win over Spurs - BirminghamWorld
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Aston Villa continued their strong winning run at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday

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Aston Villa carried on from where they left off before the international break as Unai Emery’s side left Tottenham Hotspur with a comeback 2-1 victory over the high-flying north London side.

The result was a stark contrast from what we were seeing from the Villans in the early weeks of the season, when they looked far more toothless in front of goal. Morgan Rogers cancelled out Rodrigo Bentancur’s early strike with a sumptuous finish from range, a first of the season for the England international.

It would prove to be Emiliano Buendia who would win the game for Villa in the 77th minute. Despite being linked with a stunning move to Birmingham City over the summer, the Argentine was the decisive figure off the bench to secure a fifth consecutive win in all competitions for Villa. The club’s turnaround feels secure now, and fans will hope only to climb the table further from here.

Troy Deeney snubs Aston Villa stars in Team of the Week

Former Birmingham and Watford striker Troy Deeney has given his say on the Premier League’s outstanding players of match week eight, revealing his Team of the Week selections for BBC Sport.

Somewhat surprisingly, no Villa player makes the cut despite the team’s strong show of character to win at one of the division’s most in-form sides. Goalscorers Rogers and Buendia were snubbed as the ex-Blues star showed little sympathy to his former club’s second city rivals, picking an attacking formation with three strikers and leaving out any Villans representation.

The 37-year-old did, however, name Villa boss Emery as his manager of the week for the Spaniard’s role in his side’s comeback. Deeney said of Emery: “His team were 1-0 down at Spurs. His tactical changes turned the game in their favour for a 2-1 win.”

Deeney’s XI for TOTW (3-4-3): Dubravka; Acheampong, Maguire, Tuanzebe; James, Caicedo, Yarmoliuk, O’Reilly; Welbeck, Haaland, Mateta. Manager: Emery.

‘World-class’ - Shay Given praises Buendia’s winner on MOTD

Villa and Buendia received shed-loads of praise for their exploits from elsewhere, though, as former Villans goalkeeper Shay Given analysed the Argentine’s late winner on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night. “It’s such a good goal, isn’t it?”, floated presenter Mark Chapman.

“This is the the best goal I think I’ve seen all season,” responded Given. “Me getting excited probably, but it comes from a corner, here, we see it come in. They clear and obviously [John] McGinn and [Matty] Cash are at the back, McGinn just nods it down to Cash. But watch this for a strike off Cash. It’s unbelievable, Mark, the technique out to [Lucas] Digne, and his two touches are incredible.

“And after that, obviously, Buendia does a bit of magic himself, onto his left-foot swinger. But you watch McGinn here, keep an eye on McGinn. He nods it back and goes, ‘Go safe, go home, go home!’, Cash goes ‘No, I’m having none of it’, I’m going to strike it out wide to Digne, two brilliant touches from him, and then obviously Buendia steps up to the party after that. It’s just an unbelievable goal.

“Look at that technique [from Cash], honest to God, I was off the sofa, I was excited. I was going ‘please be a goal, please be a goal’. It’s like a PlayStation goal, you see it on the computer. It is just world-class from Aston Villa, what a goal.”

'Wonderful' - Aston Villa player hailed by Sky Sports man after Tottenham Hotspur win

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Aston Villa secured all three points in their latest Premier League outing this weekend

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Aston Villa won 2-1 away at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. They fell 1-0 down early on after Rodrigo Bentancur’s goal for the hosts. The Midlands outfit fought back though to earn an impressive three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Morgan Rogers levelled things up for the visitors before half-time with a thunderous strike. Emi Buendia then came off the bench after the interval to score a late winner. Unai Emery’s men held on for the victory and have kept their recent momentum going.

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers hailed

Rogers managed to get his first goal of the season in the league for Aston Villa against Spurs. It has taken the England international a while to get going in this campaign to date. The attacker will now be eager to add to his tally over the coming weeks and months.

Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe was impressed by his goal against Thomas Frank’s side and said: “Villa have struggled to break Tottenham down but in Morgan Rogers they have an individual who can turn a game in a split second. The way he manipulates this ball out of his feet to take it away from the goalkeeper. The strike is simply stunning. There’s pace on it, there’s dip. No chance for the goalkeeper. You’ve got to close down a player as good as this, a player who is in form as well. You have got to get closer than that. You give him sight of your goal and you’re going to get punished. Wonderful strike.”

Rogers, 23, made the move to Villa Park in January 2024 and has since become one of their key players. He is under contract until 2030 and they will be looking to keep hold of him for as long as possible. The former Manchester City man has scored 18 goals in 81 matches in all competitions to date.

What now for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa are on a roll right now and have risen up to 11th in the Premier League table. They have 12 points on the board from their first eight fixtures. Next up is a trip to Holland on Thursday to play Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League.

Speaking after their victory against Spurs, Emery has said: “I’m very, very proud of every Aston Villa supporter, they are here with us, they support us and they were helping us. And, of course, I’m very proud of the work we did today. The players focused on the match, 90 minutes strongly.

“Even when we were losing, we didn’t lose our gameplan and progressively got better, feeling better. It was really a very good win. As well, confidence is coming, the confidence we’ll need for the next matches. And, of course, we continue being humble in our way, but getting better and trying to build the team, build our structure in everything – tactically, individually as well – in the way we did, in the way we have to.”

He added: added: “Today, we showed, we did one step forward more in our idea for this year how we want to build the team and how we want to be successful. We started poorly but now, progressively, we are getting better and this victory is very, very, very important for our confidence and for the players as well, how they play, perform and compete.”

Aston Villa player ratings: Two score 9/10 as Unai Emery's side beat Tottenham

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Emi Buendia scored a late winner for Aston Villa against Tottenham Hotspur down in London on Sunday afternoon. The Midlands outfit won 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to keep their recent upturn in form going. Unai Emery’s side fell 1-0 down early on after Rodrigo Bentancur’s opener.

They levelled things up before half-time through attacker Morgan Rogers. The visitors then brought on Buendia to mix things up going forward. The ex-Norwich City man, who spent time away at Bayer Leverkusen last season, then managed to find the net to earn his team an impressive three points.

Aston Villa are on a roll at the moment and are carrying momentum. There is a feel-good factor around Villa Park again and their fans are travelling back home now in good spirits. Here is a look at their player ratings from their victory against Spurs in their latest Premier League outing...

Chris Sutton and Paul Merson share Tottenham vs Aston Villa score predictions amid 'not convinced' claim

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Aston Villa are back in Premier League action this weekend with an away trip to Tottenham Hotspur

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Aston Villa have seen an upturn in form over recent weeks as they look to keep their momentum going. Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 at home to Burnley last time out before the international break. Forward Donyell Malen managed to get himself on the scoresheet twice against the Clarets to help his side secure a useful three points.

The Midlands club are currently positioned in 13th place in the Premier League table after their first seven fixtures. They have nine points on the board from their first seven fixtures and will be eager to continue climbing up the division over the coming weeks. Emery’s men should be in confident mood ahead of this weekend.

Chris Sutton and Paul Merson drop Aston Villa score predictions

Aston Villa are back in action on Sunday afternoon with an away trip to Tottenham Hotspur. Their upcoming opponents won 2-1 against Leeds United in their last game at Elland Road. Thomas Frank was lured away from Brentford by Spurs this past summer and his team sit 3rd in the division behind Arsenal and Liverpool.

Former Villa striker Chris Sutton, who also had spells with the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Norwich City and Celtic, has shared his score prediction ahead of the match, as per a report by BBC Sport: “After a slow start to the season, Aston Villa are on a good run of results with four straight wins now. I am still not convinced by their performances, though, and this will be a good test of where Unai Emery's side are really at and whether they have actually turned a corner or not. I don't watch Tottenham and feel like they will score a barrel-load of goals, but they have got a good balance to their team and I am backing them to find a way to win this. Sutton's prediction: 2-1.”

Meanwhile, ex-Villa man Paul Merson has said, via Sportskeeda: “Aston Villa are finally starting to find some form after that nightmare start. The draw against 10-man Sunderland must have stung them quite bad, but since then there has been a solid uptick in form. The only concern for Villa would be the lack of clean sheets, they are still conceding goals.

“Tottenham are doing really well under Thomas Frank. We all know they won't win the league, but I also feel they are going a bit under the radar at the moment. What stood out for me is how they produced a comeback against Brighton. You don't see the Spurs teams of the past doing that to be honest.”

He added: “I believe Villa can get something out of this game. If Unai Emery's team play to their full potential, I don't think there will be much to separate these two sides. Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Aston Villa.”

Can Aston Villa keep their momentum going in the Premier League?

Aston Villa made a slow start to his term but seem to have found their feet now. They are proving to be harder to beat and are looking more of a threat in attack. Emery will get the chance to bring in some more new faces when the January transfer window opens up for business.

In the meantime, he is stuck with what he has currently got available at his disposal. They are having to juggle their domestic duties with their Europa League campaign as well. Villa have done well in that competition for far and have won their first two outings against Bologna and Feyenoord respectively as they gear up for upcoming tests against Go Ahead Eagles and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Speaking after their victory over Burnley, Emery said: “I’m so happy. We were sad the last [international] break we had. We were focused on carrying on and working on some things we needed to improve. We needed to add in the squad players we signed in the last moment [of the transfer window], and the players reacted fantastic. They responded on the field and in the training session, demanding a lot and being so, so demanding in the necessary tactical work individually. They did it.”

Aston Villa injury news and return dates ahead of Tottenham clash: Ollie Watkins and Youri Tielemans updates

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Aston Villa face Tottenham Hotspur in their upcoming Premier League clash following the international break

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Aston Villa will be itching to return to action following the international break. The Midlands outfit hit some form before a large chunk of their players jetted off around the world for duty with their respective countries. Unai Emery will be hoping that his team can rediscover the momentum they were starting to build for themselves.

They are back in action this weekend with an away trip to London to play Tottenham Hotspur. Donyell Malen scored twice for them last time out as they ran out 2-1 winners against Burnley at Villa Park. Emery’s men are currently sat in 13th place in the Premier League table.

Will Ollie Watkins be fit for Aston Villa against Tottenham Hotspur?

Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa need to make checks on striker Watkins ahead of their clash against Spurs. The attacker was taken off against Wales in England’s last outing after colliding with the goal post and has since been sent home. The Three Lions went on to win 3-0 at Wembley and he managed to get on the scoresheet along with Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka.

He won’t be featuring in their upcoming match away at Latvia and will instead be looking to get back up to speed. England boss manager Thomas Tuchel has recently shared this latest update regarding his situation: “Instead of scoring, he injured himself unfortunately. It was such a big chance, an easy second goal for him. He was unlucky to hit the goalpost. It was very painful for him still and it's just not possible for him to train and also not to play. So, we sent him home.”

Expected return date: 19/10/2025

Aston Villa injury woes

Tyrone Mings: Aston Villa are without the defender due to a foot issue. The defender has made six league appearances so far this season. He has been with his current club since joining them back in 2019 from AFC Bournemouth. Expected return date: 23/10/2025

Emi Buendia: The attacking midfielder has enjoyed a new lease of life over recent times. He was loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen last winter after falling out of favour. The ex-Norwich City man has sustained a head injury recently and will need be assessed. Expected return date: 19/10/2025

Youri Tielemens: Aston Villa’s midfielder has suffered a setback on his road to recovery. He is set to remain in the treatment room for a further five weeks which is a blow. The 28-year-old is in the treatment room with a calf issue and probably won’t be seen until November now which isn’t ideal. Expected return date: 23/11/2025

Andrés Garcia: The 22-year-old winger has been struggling with his match fitness so far this term. It has taken him a while to get up to speed and Emery isn’t taking any risks with him. He moved over to England back in January and penned a long-term deal after catching the eye in his native Spain with Levante. Expected return to date: 19/10/2025

Aston Villa should play this front three against Tottenham amid Ollie Watkins injury concern

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Aston Villa are back in Premier League action this weekend following the international break

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Aston Villa have seen an upturn in results over recent weeks following their slow start to the new season. They beat Burnley 2-1 at Villa Park last time out before the international break. Attacker Donyell Malen got himself on the scoresheet twice against the Clarets to help his side pick up a useful three points.

The Midlands outfit are positioned in 13th place in the Premier League table after two wins from their first seven fixtures. They are back in action this weekend as they look to keep their momentum going. Up next is an away trip down to London to play Tottenham Hotspur.

Aston Villa injury latest regarding Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa attacker Ollie Watkins was taken off in England’s last match against Wales after colliding with the goalpost. He managed to get himself on the scoresheet against Craig Bellamy’s side earlier in the game. Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka also bagged at Wembley as the Three Lions ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

Watkins has since been sent home and won’t feature for his country against Latvia. Unai Emery will need to assess him over the coming days and decide whether he is fit to play against Spurs. Villa won’t want to take any risks with him and will only select him if he is fully available.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has recently shared this latest update regarding his situation: “Instead of scoring, he injured himself unfortunately. It was such a big chance, an easy second goal for him. He was unlucky to hit the goalpost. It was very painful for him still and it's just not possible for him to train and also not to play. So, we sent him home.”

What is Aston Villa’s best front three if Ollie Watkins is injured?

Aston Villa will have a decision to make on who to play in their front three against Spurs if Watkins is sidelined. Rogers should be in confident mood after his goal for England and will be looking to score some more goals in the league now. It has been a tough opening couple of months of the campaign for him.

Rogers, 23, is yet to find the net in the Premier League. Nevertheless, he still has plenty of time to turn things around and he should get the nod in the starting XI again against Thomas Frank’s side. He joined his current club back in January 2024 after catching the eye in the Championship with Middlesbrough and he has since become one of their most prized assets.

Evann Guessand was snapped up by Aston Villa in the last transfer window to bolster their attacking department. He gives them more competition and depth at the top end of the pitch. The forward was on the bench against Burnley but may well come back into the starting XI against Spurs.

The 24-year-old has taken a while to get going and will be hoping to get off the mark sooner rather than later. Prior to his transfer, he impressed with OGC Nice in Ligue 1 and fired 13 goals last term. As with many players from abroad, it takes time to adapt to life in England and fans need to be patient with him whilst he continues to find his feet.

Aston Villa’s swoop for Malen from Borussia Dortmund hasn’t quite gone to plan yet. The 26-year-old has struggled to truly make the impact he would have wanted to so far. However, his two goals against Burnley will have done him the world of good and he deserves to start against Spurs as he eyes more success in front of goal. Emery then has others to pick from off the bench like Emi Buendia and Harvey Elliott amid concerns over Watkins.

Early Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa injury news: four miss out and six doubtful

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The latest injury updates from European hopefuls Tottenham and Aston Villa

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After winning all of their last four matches, things are finally beginning to look better for Aston Villa as they start to put the heartbreak of missing out on the Champions League and their subsequent PSR struggles behind them.

Villa have started their Europa League campaign in the exact manner you would expect a team led by a four-time winner to approach it. While they are also now up to 12th in the Premier League table after victories over Fulham and Burnley, leaving them within three points of a European position at this early stage.

Unai Emery’s side still have a bit of work to do if they are to be viewed in the same way as they were towards the end of last season when they went toe to toe with Paris Saint-Germain but the signs are positive and they can really start to think about Europe again if they can pick up all three points against a Tottenham side that have looked rejuvenated under new boss Thomas Frank.

Both sides know that a victory could play an important role in the race for European qualification in seven months time and it’s likely that the finest margins, including injuries could play a role in deciding this contest. With that in mind, we take a look at the early injury news from both the Tottenham and Aston Villa camps ahead of what promises to be an intriguing spectacle in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur injury news

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be without playmaker James Maddison for almost the entirety of the season after he sustained a damaging ACL injury. He’s unlikely to kick a ball until at least May, and would need a miraculous recovery to get back into contention for the World Cup in North America.

Maddison is joined in the treatment room by Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede has been a big miss for club and country in recent months with a knee issue, and won’t be back until mid-November. Dominic Solanke also misses out with a foot injury. He’s struggled with numerous issues throughout the campaign and is unlikely to play again until next month.

Yves Bissouma, who was heavily linked with a move away after failing to make the Champions League squad, also misses out. He’s not featured competitively since the Europa League final win and is currently nursing a knee injury, with no timeline on his recovery currently determined.

Randal Kolo Muani, who has had an injury-ravaged start to his Tottenham career, is a doubt with a thigh injury but is now showing positive signs of recovery. The same applies to Kota Takai, who is training with his new teammates after recovering from a foot problem. Defender Radu Dragusin, who sustained an ACL injury, is believed to be close to a return but this fixture is still expected to come too soon as he continues his rehab.

Aston Villa injury news

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is sweating over the fitness of four first team stars heading into the Tottenham match. Midfielder Emi Buendia, who is starting to rediscover his best form, is believed to be nursing a face injury but could still be available by the weekend.

The same applies to Andres Garcia, who is lacking match sharpness, and Tyrone Mings, who has a foot problem.

Ollie Watkins collided with the post whilst playing for England against Wales, and is out of the squad to take on Latvia. It makes him a fresh doubt for the weekend.

Youri Tielemans has missed a number of matches with a calf injury and it’s not yet clear if he’s fit enough to return to training.

Wolves could sign £6.5m bargain defender for nothing in January

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Wolves may look to bring in new faces in their bid to avoid relegation

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Wolverhampton Wanderers remain bottom of the Premier League table but will have taken heart from a spirited performance at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

Vitor Pereira’s side came mightily close to picking up all three points thanks to a scrappy Santiago Bueno goal early in the second half, but Spurs rallied and equalised through Joao Palhinha deep in stoppage time.

While it was a devastating end to the game for the Old Gold, who remain rooted to the bottom with just one solitary point, the result represented a step forward in a game from which they may not have expected anything.

The task at hand remains a difficult one. Pereira will more than aware that positive results in upcoming fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland and Burnley could prevent them from having a mountain to climb as we approach the winter period. He may decide to look to the future in January and secure a potentially game-changing transfer.

Wolves should target Diogo Leite free transfer signing

Wolves would be smart to secure a free signing in January in the shape of Union Berlin centre-back Diogo Leite. The 26-year-old Bundesliga star sees his contract run out in 2026 and so would be available to sign on a pre-contract agreement from January onwards.

Though this would mean he would not be available to play for Wolves until next season, he could prove a very astute buy if Wolves were to survive in the top flight this campaign. Signed for just €7.5 million (£6.5m) from Porto in 2023, Leite has seen his profile increase in Germany. The Portuguese is viewed as one of the most reliable defenders in the Bundesliga, averaging 2.26 tackles per 90 and 60 touches per game.

The Old Gold have struggled at the back so far this season, with Pereira going so far to change his entire defence between their most recent Premier League fixtures against Leeds United and Spurs. Leite would certainly elevate his central defensive options, should Pereira be able to secure the signing of his fellow countryman ahead of what is likely to be a host of clubs around Europe.

Standing at 6ft 3in tall and praised for his versatility across defensive systems, Leite also offers a mixture of physicality and composure, both on and off the ball, which would help him adapt easily to the Premier League. He would slot in with ease alongside multiple other Portuguese speakers in the Wanderers squad, and could be a major signing.

What next for Wolves after late blow at Tottenham?

Wolves head coach Pereira praised his side despite the late blow they were dealt at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, believing his players are “mentally stronger” as they approach an important set of fixtures in October.

Pereira told BBC Sport: "We deserved the three points and almost in the end it's difficult to accept. I'm trying to come back but it's difficult. We controlled the game in the second half. The spirit was there. Everything was there but the last minute, it's football.

"It's difficult to come to this stadium and play this way. The first half we had some problems but the second half my team were the best team on the pitch. Keeping this spirit, two games in a row without losing, we played very well against Everton. Tactically and mentally we are in conditions to compete. We are on the same page. I believe we'll get points.

"They are working well, all of them, fighting for the position. We need to find our balance, give some confidence for the first XI. When they came from the bench they showed the spirit we have in this team. Mentally we are stronger. We [him and the owner] talk every day, if we have something to talk, we talk."