Conor Gallagher transfer reasons, striker bids rejected, Mathys Tel problem and Frank concern

It’s time to look at what Tottenham need to do in the January transfer window and what has already taken place in the opening weeks

Twelve days have passed of the January transfer window and the Tottenham supporters are waiting for confirmation of moves as injuries hit hard.

Thomas Frank is discovering that unavailability is a theme at Spurs, as it was for his predecessor Ange Postecoglou. This week he found out that Rodrigo Bentancur is out for three months with his hamstring injury and requires surgery, which will bring him back at around the same time as Mohammed Kudus from his serious quad issue.

Frank already had a squad that required improving but now it also needs strengthening due to the lack of numbers, with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison long-term absentees.

Joint sporting directors Fabio Paratici, who is staying on until the end of the window before departing for Fiorentina, and Johan Lange will be looking to add quality to Frank’s squad that works for both the short and long-term.

It’s time to take a look at the state of play within the Tottenham squad in terms of outgoings and incomings.

Goalkeepers

This could be a category with more change in the summer as Tottenham decide exactly what the long-term make-up of the goalkeeping department is with Guglielmo Vicario linked with a return to Italy and Inter Milan especially interested.

Antonin Kinsky has been linked with a loan move pretty much since the moment he walked into Spurs from Slavia Prague last year. The 22-year-old was touted as being the one to push Vicario for his spot and Frank ruled out a loan departure for the Czech stopper during the summer window, saying he had a great career ahead of him at Tottenham.

However, Kinsky has played just two Carabao Cup games since that point and with Spurs out of that competition and now the FA Cup, the opportunities for him to play are dependent on Vicario either getting injured or dropping completely out of form. That means Tottenham could allow the young keeper to leave if they get a good enough offer and decide they have cover.

Currently that cover is Brandon Austin and academy stopper Luca Gunter so Spurs would maybe have to bring in experienced cover. If Kinsky was sold rather than loaned out, with West Ham and Besiktas among those believed to be interested in him, then it would have been an indicator that Tottenham believe he has not developed as expected.

Full-backs

Spurs are set to add Souza to their full-back options with the Santos left-back on his way to north London in a £13million deal this week.

That should give Spurs a full-complement of balanced full-backs with the Brazilian 19-year-old left footer competing with Destiny Udogie on that flank, along with the veteran Ben Davies, who has impressed in recent performances despite his contract coming to an end this summer.

Djed Spence has been utilised on the left but with Souza’s arrival will be able to concentrate mostly on competing with Pedro Porro on his more natural right-hand side. There is also Archie Gray who can fill in other side but will be required in his natural role as a midfielder this season.

Centre-backs

Tottenham exiting all the cup competitions may free up Radu Dragusin to depart and get first team football and potentially a move for the future but Frank will have to think carefully about such a move and there will be concern over his options if injuries bite.

The Romanian has made his comeback after 11 months out with his ACL injury but opportunities are currently limited with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso all ahead of him in the pecking order. Dragusin is yet to get his chance under Frank but there is interest in his services from clubs in Italy, with Roma one of the more persistent.

Spurs are understood to have rejected a loan approach from the Serie A side ahead of the weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa. Whether that stance changes after that result remains to be seen with Dragusin’s talkative agent Florin Manea telling Italian media without a hint of irony: “The decisive days will be between today and tomorrow. I’d like to avoid talking, but we hope to reach a conclusion in the negotiations with Roma.”

The other issue for Dragusin is that there is currently no space for him in the Champions League squad so matches are going to be hard to come by if injuries do not occur, although this is Tottenham we’re talking about.

football.london reported before the window opened that Spurs were considering bringing in a new centre-back if one left. Kota Takai has already departed for Borussia Monchengladbach and if Dragusin were to depart, with reports of interest from a few clubs in a loan with an option to buy, the Frank would have to decide if it’s enough cover to have three natural centre-backs with Davies and Gray able to step in.

There are also the players for the future in Luka Vuskovic and academy prospects such as Jun’ai Byfield and Malachi Hardy. Vuskovic, 18, has starred in the Bundesliga with Hamburg and is working with personal trainers on the one aspect of his game that needs improving for the Premier League, his acceleration and anticipation in dealing with faster attackers.

Alfie Dorrington has been recalled from his loan at Aberdeen with clubs in both the Championship and League One looking at the big academy defender. James Rowswell has been included on the first bench three times this season and the 19-year-old could be due a loan move in this or coming windows.

Midfielders

football.london reported before the window opened that Spurs were looking for a new midfielder for Frank but that has now become a priority in the wake of the Bentancur news. Lucas Bergvall is also out with what looked to be a recurrence of a muscle injury although the Tottenham boss did not speak about the teenager in the same serious way he did about Bentancur.

Step forward Conor Gallagher. The Lilywhites have been long-time admirers of the Atletico Madrid midfielder and Postecoglou was desperate to bring him to N17 for his ability and energy in the midfield as well as his leadership.

Now for his successor Frank, after football.london reported on Sunday that Spurs had entered the race, they finally look like seeing off competition from Aston Villa to seal a £34.7million deal with the 25-year-old England international said to be keen on the switch back to London.

Gallagher, who has 22 caps for England, will being plenty of experience to Frank’s midfield, having played for three different Premier League clubs in Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion. He captained Chelsea on numerous occasions under Mauricio Pochettino before making the move to Atletico to experience life in La Liga and has 23 Champions League appearances to his name with two goals and one assist in the competition.

The midfielder played regularly under Diego Simeone last season, making 50 appearances and scoring four times. This season has seen starts harder to come by but Gallagher has still made 27 appearances for Atletico with three goals and one assist. He will bring more progressive passing to Frank’s midfield along with the leadership required in the centre of the pitch.

He is also a homegrown player for a Tottenham squad that needs more of those to continue to comply with Premier League rules.

Archie Gray and Joao Palhinha are currently Frank’s only fit central midfielders. The out of favour and soon-to-be out of contract Yves Bissouma is on his way back from the Africa Cup of Nations after Mali’s exit, with a move likely to be sought, while Pape Matar Sarr is still out in Morocco with Senegal.

Maddison is unlikely to return until the season’s final weeks, if he does come back from his ACL injury before this campaign’s end.

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who can play in midfield or on the wing, has been the subject of interest from Tottenham and was long before this season. However, the 28-year-old appears to have set his heart on returning to Brazil and his former side Flamengo this month.

In terms of academy prospects, George Abbott has been recalled from his loan at Wycombe Wanderers after returning from a serious quad injury. Spurs are monitoring his fitness ahead of deciding what comes next for the 20-year-old.

Alfie Devine is loving life at Preston North End on his season-long loan with the Championship side holding an option to sign the midfielder permanently if they want to. However, with his rapid development there, football.london understands that there has been interest from clubs in both the Premier League and other Championship in taking the 21-year-old from Spurs permanently and on loan.

Tyrese Hall is also impressing at Notts County and the current plan appears to be for him to remain there unless an offer that’s too tempting to turn down comes in. Callum Olusesi has been impressing for the U21s and named on Frank’s bench five times with a loan move likely for the 18-year-old at some point in 2026.

Attackers

Tottenham went into the window looking for a left winger and now after selling Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace days before losing Kudus until April, they also find themselves short on the right wing.

That makes it difficult for Mathys Tel to head off on a loan he probably needs because right now the Frenchman is likely to play a fair amount of football in the weeks ahead.

Dominic Solanke’s return means the England international is likely to come back into his Champions League spot in the squad as per the rules. Gallagher will likely take up Johnson’s association-trained spot if Spurs make it through to the knockout stages which means no space for Tel unless another comes out.

Wilson Odobert filled in on the right in the absence of Kudus and while Frank was keen on a new left winger walking through the door, a player who can play on either side would be ideal.

Kulusevski, when he eventually returns from a patella injury that is rare in football according to Frank, will be such a key player because he can fill the role on the right and also provide another central playmaker alongside Xavi Simons.

The issue for Tottenham is that many of the most exciting talents they would love to bring in are wanted by all the top teams, or in Savinho’s case are injured.

Nineteen-year-old Yan Diomande, who was at the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, is of course a player of interest with 11 goal involvements in 16 matches in his first season for RB Leipzig.

It would take a remarkable move to bring in the teenager with Diomande wanted by the world’s biggest clubs. He admitted in a TikTok live stream: “I want to play at Anfield, I want to play for Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool. I’m a big fan of Liverpool because my father’s dream is to see me play at Anfield. So that’s my dream. You know, to fulfil my father’s dream is a dream for me too.”

Spurs have held a long-time interest in Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and had to watch the 23-year-old, who mainly plays on the right, rip them apart in the Champions League earlier this season. football.london understands the French club are looking at players in his position in case he does depart anywhere this month or in the summer.

The Lilywhites are also among the long, long line of clubs interested in Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz but who isn’t? The Italian media also believe the 20-year-old is set to sign a new contract in Turin. Tottenham are also one of the many in the European game keeping an eye on Porto’s Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa, with the 21-year-old hitting 19 goals in 25 matches this season.

Solanke’s return, although he will take time to get sharp, comes just as Richarlison looks to have succumbed to a hamstring injury. Randal Kolo Muani is versatile but is yet to do much to suggest his loan move from PSG should be turned into a permanent move.

In the academy, football.london understands that Spurs have knocked back a couple of bids so far this month for Will Lankshear as they are happy with him this season as he has taken a big leap in his development at Oxford United, where he has now been joined by Jamie Donley. United have an option to buy Donley worth between £4.5million and £5million, although it is deemed unlikely at this point that the relegation-battlers will be able to pay out for that.

Mikey Moore is now loving his loan at Rangers and is keen to remain there for the entire season. Dane Scarlett has interested suitors for a loan move, with League One sides among those considering him. The 21-year-old is nearing that point where a move away from Tottenham could be on the cards as he struggles to break through and he could potentially follow in the footsteps of Troy Parrott in developing abroad.

Damola Ajayi has returned from his spell at Doncaster Rovers with a new loan being sought, while Oliver Irow has departed on his first loan spell at League One side Mansfield Town.

U21s goal-laden starlets Luca Williams-Barnett and Tynan Thompson, both 17, are trying to catch Frank’s attention in training in the hope of getting first team minutes, with the former having made his debut in the Carabao Cup against Ajayi’s Doncaster side.

football.london understands that Tottenham are making sure a minor back issue for January arrival Mason Melia is completely gone before the highly-rated young striker gets to work. The 18-year-old is one of the biggest young talents in Irish football and Tottenham saw off competition from top clubs across the Premier League and Europe to land the striker’s signature.

Melia has already played 98 senior matches, including Europa League games, despite his age and been directly involved in 33 goals, scoring 25 and recording eight assists. He has a very minor back complaint, which he played with during his final months at St Patrick’s Athletic, and that is being dealt with to ensure he can hit the ground running at 100 per cent with the club.

Frank is then expected to decide whether the teenager will be involved in first team training to help his development or if the Republic of Ireland U21 international will head out on loan during this January transfer window to begin his senior experience in the English game.