The summer transfer window for Premier League clubs may have closed, but Tottenham Hotspur are already being linked with a number of moves for January, while one unsettled situation could still see business take place before the month is out.
It was an incredible summer of business, and a record-breaking one at that, for Tottenham Hotspur, with the club spending close to £350m on 10 new signings as Roberto De Zerbi set about leaving last season’s relegation battle firmly behind.
Unfortunately, De Zerbi’s first full season in charge has begun rather differently to how many supporters would have hoped. Tottenham remain without a Premier League win and have failed to score in their opening four league games, before most recently exiting the Carabao Cup at the hands of Liverpool.
The actual football has often been better than those results suggest, but that is only until Spurs get into the final third. Goals have been hard to come by, and that is something De Zerbi will need to solve sooner rather than later.
It seems Tottenham have already started looking at the market with January in mind, so here is a look at some of the latest transfer stories surrounding the club.
Tottenham in three-horse race for Marcus Thuram
Spurs Web recently relayed reports claiming that Tottenham are among the clubs interested in Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, who has less than two years on his current contract and is therefore attracting interest from several clubs across Europe and the Middle East.
The 29-year-old has reportedly already turned down a move from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club, as he wants to continue playing in Europe during what should be the prime years of his career.
Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also interested, but Tottenham have been described as ‘strong contenders’ in the race. There have been no formal bids at this stage, however.
Inter, meanwhile, are not actively looking to sell Thuram as they consider him an important part of their squad. However, a formal transfer request accompanied by an offer of around £60m could reportedly be enough to force them into talks.
That would still be a difficult deal to see Tottenham pursue given they already have two high-quality options in Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush. De Zerbi previously said he ideally wants two players for each position, so unless an injury changes the picture, Spurs taking another number nine in January would appear unlikely.
There is, however, another development behind the scenes that could hand Tottenham a small advantage in their pursuit of the Frenchman or make any potential deal more likely. More on that in the next section.
Roberto De Zerbi gives green light to Piero Ausilio appointment
Johan Lange was Tottenham’s sole sporting director throughout the summer transfer window, but there have been multiple reports from Italy in recent weeks suggesting that Spurs are looking to bring in Piero Ausilio as a second sporting director.
Ausilio ended his remarkable 28-year spell at Inter Milan this summer and is ‘ready for a new adventure’. A few sources have even gone as far as claiming that De Zerbi has already given the green light to Ausilio’s appointment, given that the 54-year-old is a ‘close personal friend’ of his.
There is still some uncertainty over whether the move will actually happen, however. The Sun’s Tom Barclay has reported that Tottenham sources have denied suggestions that Ausilio has been offered the sporting director role. Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has also said that the move to Spurs is far from a done deal.
In fact, Di Marzio has suggested that Ausilio could even end up at Liverpool, who are themselves looking for a new sporting director.
Tottenham plotting January moves for two highly rated wingers
Spurs Web recently relayed reports claiming that Tottenham are monitoring Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo, who is coming off an excellent personal campaign. It is somewhat surprising that the 25-year-old did not attract more attention during the summer.
The Mozambique International scored 8 goals and registered 5 assists in the previous campaign, and he has already managed two goals and three assists in six matches so far this season.
Tottenham are also considering a January move for Boca Juniors’ young winger Leonel Flores, who can operate anywhere across the front three too. Boca president Juan Roman Riquelme has no desire to let him leave, however.
That stance could change for the right price, however, and a sufficiently large offer from Tottenham could tempt Boca into doing business. Manchester City, Brighton and Aston Villa are all interested too.
Spurs already have plenty of options in the wide areas, although Wilson Odobert is currently sidelined and Mykhailo Mudryk is only on loan, with his permanent option reportedly set at £75m. Roberto De Zerbi has also made it clear that he does not want a large squad.
A January winger signing could therefore depend on whether Mathys Tel can turn around his disappointing run of form and what Spurs decide to do about Mudryk’s future in North London.
A permanent addition may be more likely next summer.
Tottenham Hotspur could still sell Richarlison in next 11 days
Arguably more entertaining than watching Tottenham’s attack on the pitch at the moment is following Richarlison’s ongoing relationship with the club.
There have already been plenty of public shots between the Brazilian and De Zerbi following the manager’s decision to leave him out of Tottenham’s Premier League squad.
Several exits fell through during the summer, including proposed moves to Trabzonspor, Everton and, more recently, Vasco da Gama.
Most transfer windows around the world have now closed, but TeamTalk recently reported that Dubai-based Shabab Al-Ahli contacted Richarlison’s camp a few weeks ago to express their interest, and they still remain keen on signing him. The UAE Pro League window does not close until September 28.
A move to Shabab Al-Ahli would also give Richarlison the opportunity to reunite with Andre Jardine, who previously coached him with Brazil Under-23s.
Now keep in mind, though: Tottenham have already reached the maximum number of loans permitted under FIFA regulations, so any move for Richarlison in the coming days would have to be a permanent transfer.