With the January transfer window now open, and Tottenham Hotspur having already sold last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace, it’s imperative that Thomas Frank gets plenty of activity over the coming month to ensure he gets the time in charge he so often calls for.
If Frank is to be the man the Spurs hierarchy put their faith in, the first Daniel Levy-less transfer window in 26 years must show some backing of the Dane, with players he wants in key areas of the pitch to try and resuscitate a season that sees a drab Spurs team milling in 13th place in the Premier League table after 20 games.
Here, Transfer News Blitz writer Oliver Powell provides a list of five names that Spurs could look to either move on or bring in this transfer window to mould a squad that Frank feels he can implement his football successfully on.
Yan Diomande
19-year-old Yan Diomande has caught the eye of a number of top clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
However Tottenham’s clear vacancy on the left side of their attack since Heung-Min Son’s sale may prove an enticing option for Diomande.
Currently representing Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations, Diomande has managed six goals and three assists so far in his first Bundesliga campaign since joining RB Leipzig for £20million in the summer from Leganes.
Diomande’s dynamic wide play from the left would pair perfectly with Mohammed Kudus, with both players ranking in the top seven across Europe for successful take-ons this season, providing Frank with two incredibly direct dribbling monsters.
Spurs would need to build on any relationship built with the German side following the Xavi Simons deal in the summer to sanction Diomande’s departure, with Leipzig keen to keep the winger until the end of the season amid a reported £87million price tag.
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Souza
The Athletic have reported that Tottenham have already had an £8million bid for Santos wonderkid Souza rejected as they look to add cover at left-back.
Repeated injuries to Destiny Udogie emphasise the need for legitimate competition for the Italian, with Djed Spence used as cover for both full-back positions and Ben Davies now 32 years old and out of contract in the summer.
Alongside returning hero Neymar, Souza helped Santos avoid relegation in the 2024/25 season, making 24 appearances and providing three goal contributions, with the latter gaining a reputation for his pace and dribbling into central areas to open up the pitch for others.
The defender has a £87million release clause, and it appears the Brazilian club are reluctant to accept any low-balling offers.
However, if Spurs could work a deal that made sense financially, it would be an exciting move for supporters to see a top talent from the Seleção arrive in a position of need.
Savinho
A name joining Hall of Famers Jack Grealish and Paulo Dybala in the annual ‘Spurs are interested in…’ list, Savinho has once again been linked with a move to North London after Manchester City shut down a potential transfer in the summer.
However, Antoine Semenyo’s imminent move to the Etihad suggests Pep Guardiola may be more willing to part with the 21-year-old, who has only managed five starts in the Premier League this season and just two assists.
Tottenham pursued a £70million move for the Brazilian in the summer until Guardiola and the City hierarchy decided Savinho wasn’t for sale.
Spurs landed Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day instead to plug the gap.
Despite a fairly unnoticeable campaign so far, there’s no doubt Savinho could spark some life into a side on the receiving end of ‘Boring, Boring Tottenham’ chants from their own away supporters.
His ability to play on both flanks and potential to develop in a starring role for Spurs rather than a support act for City.
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Mathys Tel
Mathys Tel arrived 12 months ago on loan from Bayern Munich as Ange Postecoglou desperately looked to add numbers to an injury-riddled squad.
Fast forward to today, and Tel has barely been given a chance under Thomas Frank, starting just four league matches, left out of the Champions League squad until injuries piled up and he replaced Dominic Solanke for the final three fixtures.
He is now rumoured to head back out the door on loan.
Despite making little impact in his first six months at the club, Spurs still invested £30million in the raw potential of the 20-year-old.
And whilst the Lilywhites have failed to show many signs of life in attack this season, opportunities have still been few and far between for Tel.
A start in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland was Tel’s first since October, and whilst his performances in restricted minutes haven’t been dismal, if there are arrivals in attacking positions, it would appear unlikely that more opportunities will arrive under Frank.
Both Roma and Galatasaray have been linked with Tel in loan moves to offer the Frenchman the chance to play more regular football.
Radu Drăgușin
Radu Drăgușin has only just returned from an 11-month absence due to an ACL injury.
However, reports suggest a move away for the Romanian could be on the cards with his role in the squad seeming unlikely to change.
The 23-year-old finds himself below Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso in the pecking order, and with Croatian talent Luka Vuskovic returning from his loan move in the summer, there is little room to suggest Drăgușin will play regular football.
Whilst Romero and Van de Ven have had sketchy injury records, both have been available for Thomas Frank this season, with Romero missing four league games and Van de Ven’s only absence was being rested for the 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
Drăgușin arrived in January 2023 from Genoa with high potential, but injuries and competition have derailed his hopes of becoming a stalwart in the Spurs backline.
Links with a return to Italy have developed as the window opened, as Juventus, Roma, and Napoli all have interest.
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