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Leeds United were left frustrated as they missed out on an opportunity to move to within five points of Ipswich Town in second place after their draw with Rotherham.

A win against the Millers last weekend would have cut the gap by three points as the Tractor Boys were beaten 2-0 by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, which meant that the Whites only gained one point on the automatic promotion places.

Daniel Farke's side are hunting down the top two as they attempt to make an instant return to the Premier League after being relegated at the end of last season.

One of the driving forces behind their promotion push so far has been the outstanding form of French attacker Georgino Rutter, who registered his sixth assist of the campaign against Rotherham.

Whites left-back Junior Firpo recently hailed him as being "unplayable" and compared him to Paris Saint-Germain and France star Ousmane Dembele, due to them both being effective with both feet.

Ousmane Dembele's season in numbers

The exciting winger arrived at PSG from Barcelona over the summer and he has caught the eye with his superbly creative performances in Ligue 1.

He has racked up four assists and created five 'big chances', to go along with one goal, in nine top-flight starts for the French champions this term.

The left-footed whiz, who is equally adept at using his 'weaker' right, has made 2.8 key passes and completed three dribbles per match for PSG.

Dembele, who recorded seven assists and created nine 'big chances' in 16 LaLiga starts for Barcelona last season, has proven himself to be a consistent creative threat who can use both feet to split open the opposition's defence at will.

Farke has unearthed his own version of the France international by developing a system that has allowed Rutter to thrive in Yorkshire as an outstanding creator.

Georgino Rutter's season in numbers

The January signing from Hoffenheim has been deployed as a dynamic centre-forward by the German head coach, in a role that allows him to drop deep to pick the ball up and make things happen in the final third.

He has the license to drop back and allow Joel Piroe to run beyond him into the number nine position, which means that Rutter is difficult to mark as he could position himself to face up against the centre-back or the central midfielder.

This has resulted in a string of phenomenal performances from the £70k-per-week talent, who has racked up six assists and 16 'big chances' created in 15 Championship starts.

Rutter has made 2.6 key passes and completed 2.3 dribbles per outing for the Whites this season, which speaks to how impressive he has been as both a dribbler and a creator.

The 21-year-old magician has consistently been able to beat opposition players with the ball on either foot and, at the end of his runs, has also been able to create huge opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net – just as the PSG star has in France.

Farke's system and tactics have created an environment for the Dembele-esque attacker to thrive at the top end of the pitch and, hopefully, his form will continue throughout the rest of the season as Leeds eye an instant Premier League return.

Erik ten Hag claimed that the success of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho proves Manchester United's consistent playing philosophy.

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• Ten Hag spoke of a "game model" at United
• Academy is following in the footsteps of the senior team
• Emphasized the need for a technical director

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils have often been criticised this campaign not only for their under-whelming performances but also for the lack of a playing style under Ten Hag. While the elite Premier League teams, like Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, boast of having a distinct philosophy while going about business, it is widely believed that the Dutch manager has failed to lend United a unique identity even after staying at the helm for almost two campaigns.

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  However, Ten Hag refuses to agree to the aforementioned sentiment. Instead, he has argued that the revelation of academy players like Mainoo and Garnacho at the highest level is an indication of a well-drilled structure already prevalent at the club, where the academies closely follow the footprints of the senior team while adopting a style of play.

• WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to Ten Hag said: "There is a game model here. How do you think [Alejandro] Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are able to come up? That's because it was one of my objectives from the previous leadership team to bring that in.

  "It was already going, they were already improving the academy. You can see they won the FA Youth Cup, the academy teams are becoming champions and that is the structure that was laid out a couple of years ago. Now you see some revenues from it, and the best is by bringing players [into] the first team like Kobbie and Garnacho."

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  United have poached Jason Wilcox from Southampton to appoint him as the club's new technical director. Ten Hag believes that it is a step in the right direction and said: "Developments are going very quickly so you can't stand still, you have to make new improvements all the time so the function of a technical director, working on a game model, is the right choice. There is a base here and the proof is there as well.

  "Initial meetings are good… now we have to take things quickly because the summer is coming. It's a very important period where you come into a window. We want to make the next step into our squad and make plans to create an environment that avoids this year's problems in injuries."

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign a promising overseas forward in January, according to an update from a reliable journalist.

Ange Postecoglou's current options

The Lilywhites have Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil as their only two natural left-winger options as it stands, and if this season has proven anything, it’s that the club desperately need to enter the market to strengthen that area of the pitch.

Daniel Levy and Ange Postecoglou are without Solomon due to injury at this moment in time, leaving Gil as the only available player to provide cover, and if he was to sustain a problem, the manager would have nobody else at his disposal.

Tottenham in picture to sign £17m forward likened to Lionel Messi

The Lilywhites are looking to bolster their attacking ranks in January.

By
Chloe Chadwick

Dec 5, 2023

Therefore, Juventus’ Samuel Iling-Junior has been highlighted as a potential reinforcement, with the attacker having worked his way up through his club’s various youth ranks to get promoted to their first-team where he’s so far made 22 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Iling-Junior statistics).

According to Football Insider, England’s youth international has been made a top target for the upcoming window, and with Juventus open to discussing a move due to the difficult financial situation they find themselves in, the 20-year-old could be on his way to the Premier League, more specifically, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs in pole position for Iling-Junior

Taking to X, The Evening Standard's Nizaar Kinsella revealed that Tottenham are in pole position to sign Iling-Junior as it stands, with the hierarchy learning the price that it will take to prise him away from the Allianz Stadium in January. He wrote:

"Tottenham are leading the race for Samuel Iling-Junior. The 20-year-old winger is valued at £15.5million by Juventus. He could soon return to England having left Chelsea in 2020."

Iling-Junior's "flamboyant" style of play

Since the start of his career, Iling-Junior has posted 44 contributions (23 assists and 21 goals) in 113 appearances, showing the positive impact he can make in the final third, but he’s also capable of playing in several other areas of the pitch.

The Islington-born talent is a versatile operator having been deployed in four various positions over the grass following his arrival on the professional scene, including out wide on both the left and right flanks, alongside two roles slightly deeper in the midfield, making him a useful option to have in the building.

Sponsored by Puma, the left-footed starlet has therefore been described as a “flamboyant winger” by football scout Jacek Kulig, who also picked out his pace, athleticism, dribbling, ball control, bravery as strengths, which could suit Postecoglou’s attacking style of play.

Finally, Iling-Junior also shares the same representative, CAA Base Ltd, as Son Heung-Min, Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr, James Maddison and Richarlison (Tottenham agents), so this existing connection that his management already have to the club could give them a small advantage in January.

Southampton were denied a third Championship victory in a row at the death away at Watford on Saturday, Rhys Healey's last-gasp goal snatching a share of the points in a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Russell Martin's Saints dominated the possession in the contest – keeping 60% of the ball against Valerien Ismael's side – but they couldn't quite muster up a game-clinching second goal which allowed the hosts a way back into the game.

Southampton's top scorer in the league Adam Armstrong couldn't add another goal to his tally in this contest, setting up Che Adams to net the opener instead before Healey then dramatically equalised.

Adams did step up to the mark at Vicarage Road on this occasion – the ex Birmingham City man hammering an effort home after Armstrong teed him up – but the Saints lack another reliable prolific figure away from their star number nine up top.

Adams has found the back of the net four times this season, but there's now a former Southampton striker plying his trade in League Two who is outscoring the Scottish Saints man.

That figure is Charlie Austin, who was formerly in the Saints ranks himself during their Premier League hey-day.

Why Southampton signed Charlie Austin

Southampton signed Austin from QPR back in 2016, securing the signature of the sharp-shooter for £4m.

This was a reasonable price to pay at the time to win Austin's services, with the 6 foot 2 striker scoring 18 times for the Hoops during the 2014-15 campaign in the Premier League before switching to St Mary's.

That rich vein of goalscoring form for the west London side even saw him win a call-up to the England international squad, the Saints excited by the prospect of what Austin could offer on the South Coast after the signing was announced.

Charlie Austin's statistics at Southampton

Austin would go on to score a somewhat underwhelming 20 goals however for the Saints, only netting two times in his final season in the top-flight for the club.

The ex-QPR man's time at St Mary's is remembered more for his fiery rant after a draw at home to Watford in 2018 however, explosively calling the match officials out after one of his strikes in the game was dubiously ruled out owing to a VAR intervention.

Austin would later be moved on to West Brom after a hot-and-cold four season stay on the South Coast, even reuniting with former club Swindon Town further down the line as his career begins to wind down.

Charlie Austin's numbers since leaving Southampton

The now 34-year-old has played for a whole host of clubs since leaving the Saints, plying his trade for the Baggies and old club QPR again whilst even relocating to far-out Brisbane Roar for a solitary season.

It's at Swindon Town however where Austin has recaptured his best goalscoring form and solidified his presence as a feared EFL striker – rejoining the club where his fledgling career first catapulted into stardom back in 2009 last year.

In his first season back at the County Ground, Austin netted nine goals in League Two action with four of those astoundingly coming in one match against Rochdale.

This campaign alone, the veteran EFL forward hasn't shown signs of slowing down with ten goal contributions in total with an even split of five goals and five assists.

In contrast, Che Adams comes in with a slightly lesser four goals and two assists this season as Martin's back-up option at Southampton.

Austin will just hope he can continue seeing out his career in style with the Robins for now, whilst Martin at St Mary's will look to next month's transfer window as a perfect opportunity to add a new striker to the Saints ranks to help share out the goal load better.

Real Madrid-bound wonderkid Endrick sparked a mass brawl during his latest outing for Palmeiras when breaking out a ‘King Kong’ goal celebration.

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• Youngster catching the eye in his homeland
• Heading to Spanish football this summer
• Insists goal routine was just a bit of fun

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The teenage forward is set to leave his native Brazil for Santiago Bernabeu when turning 18 in July. For now, the youngster continues to make headlines in his homeland. He was on target during a Copa Libertadores meeting with Uruguayan outfit Liverpool.

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  Endrick put his side 3-0 up in the 82nd minute, as he nodded home at the back post after seeing a corner flicked on. He then indulged in a celebration that did not go down well with his opponents, leading to an unsightly melee and a yellow card being flashed in his direction. Endrick was also substituted shortly afterwards.

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• WHAT ENDRICK SAID

  Explaining his choice of goal celebration afterwards, Endrick said: “I am happy with this goal, the assist, and the victory. I celebrate the goal like this. It has nothing to do with racism. I did it against Independiente, and it was well received. It was a nice celebration. It was close to their fans and I spoke Spanish. Their defender, Mathias, understood and another player didn’t like it. I celebrate by imitating a monkey because I’m a fan of Planet of the Apes and I like the King Kong movie. What matters is that I am happy.”

The forward has finally confirmed that he's leaving Parc des Princes this summer, thus bringing a long overdue end to the drama

Not long after the news first broke that Kylian Mbappe had confirmed his intention to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, Aurelien Tchouameni dropped a social media post featuring nothing but a couple of popcorn emojis. No words were necessary.

The message was as clear as it was concise: Tchouameni can't wait to see what happens next in the football world's longest-running soap opera. The midfielder's excitement is perfectly understandable, of course. Mbappe will soon be joining him at Real Madrid.

It's long been the worst-kept secret in football, of course, inevitable for about six months at this stage, and arguably probable ever since Mbappe first burst onto the scene as a teenager at Monaco. Because the Frenchman has wanted to move to Madrid since he was a kid. His upcoming free transfer is, thus, the realisation of a dream. For PSG, though, it's the end of a nightmare.

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  Colossal damage done

  The French champions may actually end up getting some sort of financial compensation – Mbappe may give up certain bonuses owed to him or even hand over his signing-on fee to PSG – but the club is set to pay an incredibly heavy price for losing the best player in the world in terms of sponsorship deals, commercial opportunities and social media followers.

  Even when both Neymar and Lionel Messi were on the books, Mbappe was still PSG's most valuable player in every sense. He wasn't just one of the game's great talents, he was a homegrown hero. In their ideal world, the boy from Bondy would have led PSG to a first Champions League title. But this Parisian fairy tale has long since descended into farce.

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  PSG promise playing time

  Madrid's interest in Mbappe – and vice versa – has been long standing. Los Blancos first invited the kid with the posters of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane on his bedroom wall to the club's training ground in 2012. Madrid also agreed a deal with Monaco to sign Mbappe in the summer of 2017, only for the teenage sensation to surprisingly plump for PSG instead.

  "It wasn't just about money," Luis Ferrer, who was part of PSG's recruitment team for 10 years, told GOAL. "It was totally different, it took time, months and months. He had just had an amazing campaign with Monaco and everyone knew he was a jewel, but we also knew he was Madrid's priority.

  "So, Madrid were there and there was no way to stop that. [Madrid was Mbappe's dream too] – that's why we knew there was a lot of work to do.

  "We had to think of brilliant ideas. Everyone collaborated to make it work. But my idea was to tell Mbappe to join PSG first, that the (2018) World Cup was coming, and offer him a guaranteed spot in the starting XI that perhaps Madrid could not promise him.

  "We made that promise because we believed in his talent. It's something very rare, I've only ever promised a footballer once that they would definitely play. Normally it's the coach who does that, but because [former PSG boss] Unai [Emery] was involved in the talks…"

  Indeed, Emery played a pivotal role in convincing Mbappe and his parents that PSG was the best option for him at that stage of his career.

• 'Write history in my city'

  The idea of returning to Paris also appealed enormously to Mbappe, though. "I've always said that I wanted to write history in France, in the capital, in my country, in my city," he told . It would certainly be difficult to underplay the importance of Mbappe's upbringing in Bondy on his entire worldview.

  "I think that football is just different for us. It is essential," he wrote in the Players' Tribune. "It is every day. It is like bread and water… In Bondy, you learn values that go beyond football. You learn to treat everyone the same, because you’re all in the same pot. You all dream the same dream."

  Consequently, he returned to Bondy after being officially unveiled as a PSG player in September 2017 to meet and greet the next generation of kids dreaming of following in his footsteps.

  The event may have been organised by Mbappe's primary sponsor, Nike, but it was also hugely beneficial from PSG's perspective. Bondy was just one particularly productive banlieue in one of the best breeding grounds for footballing talent in the entire world. So, having Mbappe as the poster boy was priceless PR for PSG.

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• 'Came for collective accomplishments'

  Of course, Mbappe also delivered on the field. He is just about to be confirmed as Ligue 1's top scorer for the sixth consecutive season and has already usurped Edinson Cavani as the most prolific player in PSG's history.

  However, as Mbappe pointedly stated at the time, "It's a personal accomplishment, but I also came for collective accomplishments" – and, by that stage, Mbappe's dissatisfaction with PSG's progress and inability to challenge consistently for the Champions League was obvious.

  He had looked set to leave on a free transfer for the first time in 2022. Madrid were convinced that they had finally got their man, but Mbappe performed a dramatic U-turn by electing to stay in Paris after being promised even more money and even more power.

  PSG denied making Mbappe a de facto sporting director but Nasser Al-Khelaifi said he would be "the cornerstone of the club's project". That particular project is now on the verge of collapse – which may not be such a bad thing, as it would allow the club to move on from Mbappe but also its unhealthy obsession with superstars.

Chelsea chiefs are reportedly eyeing up a new defender target after their former fan favourite head coach Jose Mourinho lavished him with praise.

Pochettino keen to sign centre-back in January

Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino, in an attempt to turn around his side's stumbling fortunes as of late, is very keen to bring in a new centre-back next month.

Chelsea plotting £86m double signing after personal Pochettino request

Todd Boehly wants to back his coach yet again.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 15, 2023

Recent reports claim Wolves defender Max Kilman is a target for Chelsea, among many others, as Pochettino seeks to sign players with height and presence in the box.

The Argentine also made a public plea for new signings earlier this week, as he believes that Chelsea currently lack a real aggression both defensively and further forward.

"Maybe we need to do something," said Pochettino after Everton in a subtle message to the board. "Some movement that is a thing to analyse with the sporting director, the owner and to change the dynamic and to improve in the second part of the season because we need to be more aggressive.

"It is not only to dominate and play well, it is to compete better but we cannot show this lack of concentration and concede the goal we conceded. We were punished too much today, too many positive things, I know it is difficult to talk about positive things in this position."

Chelsea next take on Sheffield United in the Premier League this afternoon, a match which should result in a much-needed three points while arresting their recent decline, if all goes to plan.

Off the pitch, chairman Todd Boehly and transfer chiefs appear to be working on ways to back Pochettino. It is now believed they have a defensive target in their sights as well, with a report by The Sun sharing some new information.

Chelsea chiefs eyeing Alessandro Buongiorno

As per the outlet's sources, Chelsea chiefs are eyeing Torino defender Alessandro Buongiorno amid his excellent campaign in Serie A.

The Italy international, who has become a fixture of the national team's starting eleven under Luciano Spalletti, is also described as "vital" to the Torino cause. This has attracted attention from west London, with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy thought to be closely following Boungiorno with a view to making a potential move.

As shared by The Sun, this also comes after former Chelsea boss Mourinho publicly endorsed the centre-back recently. Torino have already rejected a £12.5 million bid from an Italian side for his services, believing they could acquire far more from a Premier League side.

They're believed to value him at around £35 million, which could arguably come as a bargain considering Buongiorno is one of Serie A's most in-form defensive stars right now. Juventus, Inter Milan and Mourinho's Roma are also in the chase.

Alisha Lehmann has been showing off her keepy-uppy skills while relaxing by the pool on a break in Brazil with boyfriend Douglas Luiz.

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• Domestic season over for Villans
• Have headed to South America
• Relaxing & recharging in the sunshine

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The couple have headed to South America after seeing their respective campaigns at Aston Villa come to a close. Luiz helped the men’s team to a top-four finish in the Premier League and Champions League qualification, while Lehmann figured prominently for the women’s team as they reached the League Cup semi-finals.

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  Lehmann also hit a half-century of appearances for her country in 2023-24, with the Swiss forward counting down the days to a European Championship on home soil in 2025. She is also looking ahead to a Women’s World Cup that will be heading to Brazil in 2027.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 25-year-old is already in that part of the world, and is keeping herself sharp by indulging in ball-juggling routines poolside and on the beach. Lehmann has mastered that art, with a box of tricks being opened up.

With 2023 drawing to a close, Tottenham Hotspur have been among the more tumultuous of Premier League clubs, though Ange Postecoglou is working feverishly to ensure that his side return to prominence on the continent.

Antonio Conte was sacked in March after a slide in form and a loss of identity. It was Tottenham's fourth managerial dismissal in as many years, and it was yet another roadblock that stifled the London club's chances of competing at the forefront of Premier League and European football.

But navigating away from the appointments of managers of glittering pedigree and welcoming Postecoglou to the head of the table – who had done a stellar job with Celtic in Scotland but was not considered the same calibre as the Conte's and Jose Mourinho's of the game – has proved to be an astute piece of business for the Lilywhites.

Despite acquiescing to Harry Kane's demands to be sold and granting his departure to Bayern Munich in August, Tottenham have proved that they can return to the Champions League, but they need more signings.

A brilliant start to the campaign was halted in November when injuries and suspensions highlighted just how thin the Spurs squad still is.

The January market is fast approaching, however, and Postecoglou and his transfer team will be sure to make good use of the opportunity to augment the ranks.

Tottenham transfer news – Conor Gallagher

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have received a boost in their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher following news that the Blues have deemed the player sellable as they seek to recuperate funds and move in line with regulations to permit lucrative spending in 2024.

The report relays murmurings that Chelsea would be willing to part with the England international for £50m, though it is probable that discussions with interested parties will start at the £40m mark.

Manchester United and West Ham United are also listed as suitors, but Spurs lodged an (unsuccessful) £40m bid for Gallagher's services on summer deadline day and could entice the 23-year-old to make a bold cross-London switch.

Conor Gallagher's style of play

It's surprising that Gallagher is among the stars to have been made expendable at Chelsea, regardless of the monetary benefits that could be gleaned from the sale of a homegrown player.

As per FBref, Gallagher ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 17% for tackles, the top 3% for blocks and the top 9% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

Evidencing his penetrative presence in the midfield and willingness to push forward and make things happen for his team, Gallagher has been important for a Chelsea side that has struggled to click into gear for successive seasons now.

Across all competitions, the £50k-per-week ace has completed 65 fixtures for the Blues, scoring three goals and supplying five assists, with his energy and industriousness establishing him as one of Mauricio Pochettino's most important stars this term.

Spurs could repeat Maddison trick with "magnificent" Todibo alternative

Ange Postecoglou will target a defender to improve his side this January.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 23, 2023

As per Sofascore, the 11-cap international has started 16 of the Stamford Bridge side's league games this year, supplying four assists, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.8 tackles and 6.6 ball recoveries per game, completing 73% of his dribbles and winning 55% of his duels.

A highly effective multi-functional midfielder, Gallagher would be a brilliant capture for a Tottenham team that needs to bolster the engine room this winter, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr both off to the African Cup of Nations next month.

He also boasts some striking similarities to Dele Alli, and within a free-flowing Spurs system, he could be moulded into a player of the same merit with some tactical tweaking.

Claims that Gallagher emulates such a style are corroborated by the words of The Athletic's Mike Stavrou, who took to Twitter to state: "Conor Gallagher was absolutely relentless with his pressing and energy tonight. Some player Chelsea have got."

How Conor Gallagher compares to "Poch-era" Dele Alli

Postecoglou wants fluency and offensive verve weaved into his set-up at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and would make good use of Gallagher's abilities, with the Chelsea man called a "manager's dream" by former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira.

Vieira was Gallagher's boss during the 2021/22 season when he was loaned out to Crystal Palace to gain some important Premier League experience – it's safe to say that he surpassed expectations.

During his time at Selhurst Park, the Englishman scored eight goals, completed 81% of his passes and averaged 2.1 tackles per game, with a budding prolificness offering shades of Alli, with journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke drawing the comparison.

Vieira said: "He surprised me with his finishing, he surprised me with his energy, he surprised me with the way he gets into the box at the right time to score goals."

Alli signed for Tottenham from League One side MK Dons as a teenager in 2015, for around £5m, and went on to establish himself as one of the division's greatest-ever youngsters, scoring 37 goals and supplying 29 assists across his first three campaigns, with Mourinho claiming that he could become "one of the world's best".

An intelligent and positionally astounding player, Alli would waltz into the danger area with remarkable constancy, thriving in a high-octane system – this is something that Gallagher could emulate with the current Tottenham squad.

Gallagher has demonstrated his calibre as a goalscoring presence from the middle in the past and such a streak could be reignited with a move to Tottenham, where he could prove to be the second coming of Alli, providing Postecoglou's side with a cutting-edge from deep to take the stress from Heung-min Son's shoulders.

As Tottenham Hotspur look to leapfrog North London rivals Arsenal in the race to finish inside the Premier League's top four, the January transfer window could quickly prove to make all the difference for Ange Postecoglou. Following Cristian Romero's injury, alongside Micky van de Ven's spell on the sidelines and Eric Dier's potential Bayern Munich move, to say that the Lilywhites are crying out for defensive reinforcements would be an understatement.

Postecoglou has already been forced to field makeshift defensive partnerships this season and will be well aware of the need to avoid a repeat of that, making this month all the more important. And whilst Spurs' Radu Dragusin deal looks to be gradually progressing alongside a move for forward Timo Werner, they could still do with one more fresh option, which could see them land one particular La Liga player.

Tottenham transfer news

Spurs recruited well in the summer across the pitch, welcoming Van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Pedro Porro in an impressive window. Injuries quickly exposed their remaining squad depth problem, however, with Ben Davies left as the only senior central defender in Postecoglou's backline, and he's spent most of his career at left-back. Entering the season with just three centre-backs never seemed wise and now Spurs look set to solve that problem.

According to journalist Gonzalo Tortosa via The Spurs Express, Spurs are ready to make an offer to sign Loic Bade in the coming days. The Sevilla defender reportedly has a release clause of €55m (£48m), which Spurs may be forced to pay if they want to push on and secure his signature this month. It should be seen as a successful January transfer window if the Lilywhites welcome not one but two new centre-backs in the form of Bade and Dragusin. As the weeks tick by, it's certainly one to keep an eye on.

"Fantastic" Bade could get Premier League redemption

After failing to make an impact on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, Bade could get the chance to redeem himself in the Premier League just one year after seeing his stint cut short by Stade Rennais. Discovering his best form at Sevilla ever since, the defender has more than earned the interest of Spurs, who may now need to pay just under £50m to secure a player once deemed a transfer to forget at the City Ground. Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig was full of praise for Bade during his Stade Rennais days, posting on X:

If Spurs land the defender this month, Postecoglou will no doubt be hoping to see the Sevilla version of the defender rather than the one who struggled at Forest. Bade's stats certainly show that he's ready for the Premier League this time around, with more progressive passes, tackles won and passes into the final third made than fellow Spurs target Dragusin this season.