Managing Tottenham as Chiesa joins fellow Serie A star in double transfer deal

02 January 2024 , 07:00

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Managing Tottenham as Chiesa joins fellow Serie A star in double transfer deal

In what is supposed to be a season of transition at Tottenham, new manager, new style of play, new faces on the pitch, Ange Postecoglou (or me, for the purpose of the article) is sensing an opportunity.

Despite a wretched injury record which has seen the likes of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and James Maddison unavailable for much of the campaign, Spurs went into the New Year in fifth spot, three points behind league leaders Liverpool.

One advantage Tottenham do have over the other clubs at the top of the table is a lack of European football. Liverpool, Man City, Aston Villa and Arsenal will all have the knockout phases of their respective competitions to contend with from February onwards, while Spurs will only have to contend with one game a week for much of the remainder of the season.

If Tottenham are to spring a surprise and mount a serious title challenge, they'll need help in the form of January reinforcements, and they'll need them quickly. On top of the ever-expanding injury list, captain Heung-min Son is headed for the Asia Cup in Qatar, while Spurs could also be without Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr until the middle of February with the pair headed for the Ivory Coast and the AFCON.

Reinforcements at centre-back have to be the priority in the January transfer window, while a midfielder and a versatile forward would also add much-needed depth in key areas.

Son will head to the Asian Cup this month (VINCE MIGNOTT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The defence

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven played a pivotal role in the first 10 games of the season as an undefeated Spurs topped the league, but that all came undone in the ludicrous 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea in November, which saw Romero sent off and Van de Ven pull up with a hamstring injury as Tottenham's nine men suffered their first loss of the season. That was the last time the pair played together, with Postecoglou opting to field two full-backs in Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at the heart of the defence in the absence of his first choice centre halves.

Van de Ven is due back this month but a hamstring strain is likely to keep Romero out until February, pressing home the need for reinforcements. Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo is one name on the shortlist and without a doubt the fans' favourite, but a deal for the Frenchman is looking more and more difficult, and with time of the essence, Spurs are setting their sights elsewhere.

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Radu Dragusin is expected to complete a switch to Spurs this month (Cristiano Mazzi/SPP/REX/Shutterstock)

Genoa's Radu Dragusin looks the more likely candidate, with the 21-year-old Romanian already agreeing personal terms ahead of a possible switch to north London in a deal that could be worth around £25million.

Spurs are rightly eager to box off their priority position in the first week of the window, with a view to integrating a new arrival in time for their next Premier League outing, a huge clash at Manchester United on 14th January.

Middle men

With Bissouma and Sarr on international duty for the foreseeable and Maddison still sidelined with an ankle injury, midfield is another big priority in January. Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher is at the top of the list and talk of a £40million move has been mooted, but any move to Spurs would be hugely unpopular with Chelsea fans given the clubs' rivalry (which, if you ask a Spurs fan, is as good a reason as any to get it done), and with Mauricio Pochettino's men sitting 10th in the table, Todd Boehly may scupper a potential deal in a bid to keep supporters onside.

If a deal for Gallagher doesn't come to fruition, Tottenham could look to highly-rated Blackburn youngster Adam Wharton, while Belgium wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren is another candidate worth considering, though Spurs may have to beat off competition from north London rivals Arsenal for the 18-year-old Antwerp star.

Forwards

Richarlison finally finding his scoring boots after a barren spell in front of goal has been a huge relief, but Spurs may need more help in the form of reinforcements up top to keep the goals flowing with top scorer Son out of the picture for the foreseeable.

Club Brugge starlet Antonio Nusa has been linked with a move to N17, and while a move for the 18-year-old may be a gamble, a one v one winger with the capacity to beat players and provide cut-backs from the byline would be a huge asset in the current Spurs system. Former Celtic winger Jota has also been linked with a reunion with Postecoglou in north London and, while obviously exciting on the pitch, could just be worth it for his chant ('Jota on the wing', look it up).

Federico Chiesa has been linked with a move to Spurs (Alberto Gandolfo/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)

Or, if Spurs wanted to really push the boat out and show they're serious about challenging at the top, a move for Juventus' Federico Chiesa, who has been linked with a move away from Turin, would certainly be a popular one with the fans.

Conor Mummery