Tottenham Hotspur should strengthen their midfield, central defender, wide midfielder and central striker departments at Hotspur Way in the 2024 winter transfer window, as GIVEMESPORT journalist Paul Brown gives his assessment of the upcoming market.
Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with the start to life at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but could feel his Lilywhites squad lacks the depth to compete with the Premier League’s elite sides.
Tottenham are embroiled in a race to finish in the top four and consequently qualify for the 2024/25 Champions League. Postecoglou is hoping to gain support in the 2024 winter transfer window and boost his team’s chances of achieving their goals in the current season.
Postecoglou started his life at Tottenham:
Postecoglou got off to a dream start at Tottenham, impressing fans with his free attacking football and ability to score goals. The start of the 2023/24 season proved to be the exact opposite of the youthful approach Spurs fans were used to under Antonio Conte.
Tottenham topped the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in October, remaining unbeaten in their first ten games of the season, winning eight times and scoring in every game.
However, a 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea the following week, with the Lilywhites playing with nine men and James Maddison and Micky van de Ven out injured for long periods, was the catalyst for Spurs to start to ease up.
Postecoglou’s charges lost 2-1 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 11 November after leading until the first minute of stoppage time following a defeat to their London rivals. The international break was supposed to give Tottenham a chance to regain momentum, but a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on their return to action spoiled a very positive start to the campaign.
However, the start of the 2023/24 season was still extremely impressive for the Spurs. Son Heung-min is in scoring form as he takes over the central striker role once occupied by Harry Kane, while Maddison, van de Ven and Destiny Udogie all hold great promise for the club. However, with the January transfer window opening in just a few weeks, Postecoglou hopes that president Daniel Levy will continue to support him as he looks to mould his squad into a cohesive unit.
Paul Brown on Tottenham:
Brown believes Tottenham have a “problem” in midfield as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could leave Hotspur Way in the winter transfer window. The journalist claims that Postecoglou wants another wide striker, which seems strange as he has plenty of options in those areas. Brown told GIVEMESPORT:
“Tottenham have problems in midfield and Hojbjerg could leave in January, so you would think that is an area of concern. Postecoglou seems to want another striker who can play out wide. They seem to have a lot of them, so it’s a mystery to me. Son has been playing great as a striker lately, but I think the team is missing a central striker type. I think the Spurs would also need another top central defender to come into the team, or put pressure on the first two, as they have had some problems with Romero and van de Ven out.”
Tottenham transfer news, including Richarlison’s future:
Tottenham hope to focus on arrivals in the 2024 winter transfer window, but must consider the future of some squad members if suitable offers come in.
Dean Jones, a transfer expert, recently told GIVEMESPORT (12 December) that centre-forward Richarlison is likely to stay at Tottenham Hotspur beyond the end of the January transfer window. The journalist also claimed that Spurs want versatility more than anything else as Son will travel to the Asian Cup with South Korea in the New Year.
Meanwhile, 90min claims that Tottenham are considering the future of midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who has become a target for Barcelona. The 27-year-old has found opportunities to break into the Spurs team recently under the guidance of Postecoglou, scoring a memorable equalising goal in a 3-3 draw against Manchester City in December.
However, Lo Celso often found himself out of favour during his five years in North London, as he was loaned out to Villarreal in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. The report claims that Postecoglou appreciates the talent of the Argentina international and is happy for him to stay. However, the club will consider offers to fund alternative signings, such as Chelsea’s centre-forward Conor Gallagher.