Doctor issues Arthur Vermeeren medical claim as Tottenham transfer news emerges
We’re delighted to welcome injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the injury situation at Tottenham Hotspur...
Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren is not expected to have any issues passing his medical amid Tottenham and Atletico Madrid links, according to Dr Rajpal Brar.
The Sun reported on 26 December that Spurs were lining up a £25million swoop for the 18-year-old and believed that they could sign him ahead of Arsenal.
However, Fabrizio Romano reported on 25 January that the teenager had arrived in Madrid with his girlfriend and lawyer to seal a move to Atletico.
The injury expert believes that the Belgian has age on his side and a move will not take him as much time to adapt as someone who’s well-settled in a foreign league.
He will have long-term issues gauged in his medical such as heart-related issues and excess wear and tear.
Discussing the state of play with Vermeeren exclusively with Tottenham News, Dr Brar, a doctor in physical therapy and a sports scientist, said: “Vermeeren has been playing in a league with much less intensity than the Premier League.
“He’s also 18 so it’s not like he’s adapted to life there and a move to England may not be that difficult for him.
“They [medical staff] will be looking for any significant problems that could impact his career in the long-term such as heart-related issues, any excess wear and tear that is concerning, etc.
“Nothing in his injury record suggests that he’ll have any issues with his medical either.“
It has been reported that even Chelsea have sent scouts to watch the midfielder so he’s someone who the top Premier League sides have been taking note of.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the other clubs linked with a move for his services as well.
However, they’re all expected to miss out on his services unless there’s a dramatic late twist in his move to Atletico.
Despite only being 18, he’s already a key player for Antwerp and has made 21 league starts this season.
In other Tottenham Hotspur news, a player is mooted to have suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and now may be out for longer than first expected.
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£34m star among favourites to join Spurs as Ange targets “elite” signing
He could come in to replace a big figure.
A £34 million star is now among the favourites to join Tottenham as the club and manager Ange Postecoglou target an “elite” signing in one key area.
Spurs backing Postecoglou with transfer wishes
So far, the club’s recruitment team and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy have moved to back Postecoglou with necessary squad upgrades.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
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The signing of defender Radu Dragusin in a £25 million deal from Genoa comes as, arguably, the most necessary coup when considering their previous lack of depth behind both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
In the absence of both players at sporadic points before this month, Postecoglou was forced to deploy a makeshift central defensive pairing of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies, so Dragusin’s addition will come as a very welcome for the Tottenham manager.
This comes after Postecoglou publicly expressed the desire for Spurs to make new signings, and early in the window, with Levy and co granting his wish.
“The January window, like for every club, is an important one,” said Postecoglou last month.
“My view on the January one is that if you can get your business done early in the window it certainly is more helpful because you leave it until the end of January and sometimes what you train to gain you’ve missed that opportunity by waiting a whole month.”
Spurs are also in talks to sign Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge, and reports have refused to rule out the possibility of Tottenham signing Conor Gallagher before February 1 – however difficult that may be.
While it is not thought to be high on the agenda for this month, there is also the small matter of replacing club-record goalscorer Harry Kane. The England star departed for Bayern Munich last summer and Tottenham are believed to weighing up new strikers for 2024 as a result.
Santiago Gimenez “among the favourites” to join Tottenham
Sharing an update on their links to Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez, Mexican news outlet Medio Tiempo say Spurs are still well and truly in contention for the 22-year-old. It is believed Gimenez is “among the favourites” to join Tottenham and replace Kane, with the Lilywhites holding a keen interest alongside the likes of Chelsea and West Ham.
The north Londoners are apparently evaluating their future attacking options, and want an “elite forward” among their chief transfer priorities. Gimenez, who is thought to be valued at around £34 million, has scored a sensational 19 goals in 18 Eredivisie starts this season.
| Santiago Gimenez’s best league games for Feyenoord – 23/24 | Match Rating (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
| Ajax 0-4 Feyenoord | 10.00 |
| Excelsior 2-4 Feyenoord | 9.31 |
| Feyenoord 6-1 Almere City FC | 9.26 |
| PEC Zwolle 0-2 Feyenoord | 8.55 |
| FC Utrecht 1-5 Feyenoord | 8.42 |
He’s also been lavished with praise by former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt, who called him the division’s best marksman right now.
“He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast,” said Kuyt on one of the striker’s performances. “Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie.”
Spurs in pole position to seal “electric” Johnson upgrade in late move
The Lilywhites are reportedly trying to secure a deal for the talented youngster.
Tottenham Hotspur have already added Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin to their first-team squad this month and they are reportedly looking to complete a third deal before the end of the January transfer window.
Tottenham in pole position for attacker
According to Football Insider, Spurs are in pole position to secure a swoop for a young winger, who would not arrive at the club until the end of the season.
The report claims that the Lilywhites are currently leading the race to seal the signature of Club Brugge starlet Antonio Nusa, who The Guardian claimed is valued at £25m, but are set to face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United.
It states that they need to raise funds, potentially through the sale of Miguel Almiron, to sign the attacker and that they have held internal talks about a move for him, which means that Daniel Levy could face a battle to land a late in the window agreement for the talented ace.
Spurs have jumped ahead of their rivals by offering to send him back to Brugge on loan for the rest of the season, as he is keen to remain at the club until the summer.
Ange Postecoglou could now land an upgrade on Brennan Johnson, albeit for the 2024/25 campaign, by beating Newcastle to Nusa’s signature this month.
Brennan Johnson’s struggles this season
Spurs signed the Wales international from Nottingham Forest last summer and the winger has not been able to provide consistent quality out wide.
The 22-year-old whiz has contributed with one goal and four assists in 18 Premier League appearances and 15 starts for the Lilywhites so far this term.
Johnson has found the back of the net once from an Expected Goals of 3.47 and has registered four assists from an Expected Assists of 1.85.
This suggests that the young forward has been very wasteful in front of goals with the opportunities that his teammates have created for him, whilst his fellow attackers have outperformed the quality of chances that he has provided them with.
The stats that show why Nusa could be an upgrade on Johnson
Spurs could land an upgrade on the underperfoming winger by signing Nusa, whose form for Brugge this season suggests he has the potential to be an exciting signing.
| 23/24 Pro League | Antonio Nusa (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 15 |
| Starts | Six |
| xG | 2.42 |
| Goals | Three |
| xA | 2.32 |
| Assists | Two |
As you can see from the table above, the 18-year-old whiz, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed has “electric” pace, has outperformed his xG and been let down, slightly, by his teammates in front of goal this season in the Pro League.
Johnson has two more league assists than Nusa despite his chances culminating in a lower xA number, and has two fewer goals than the Brugge star despite being provided with 1.05 more xG.
These statistics suggest that the Norway international, who has registered three assists in three European Championship qualifiers for his country, could be far more effective than the current Spurs attacker in the final third based on their respective form this season.
If Nusa can translate his form over to the Premier League then he could be far more ruthless with his finishing and have the quality to create better opportunities for his teammates to find the back of the net, which is why the young whiz would be an upgrade on Johnson for Postecoglou.
At the age of 18, he is also four years younger than the Welshman and could be a fantastic long-term signing who could develop and improve over time.
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