Postecoglou is apparently very keen.
A £30m midfielder has been told to pack his bags and join Tottenham after a recent claim they will “do everything possible” to sign him for manager Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs keen on signing new midfielder
Reports over the last month have suggested that Postecoglou wants to bring in a new midfielder at Spurs, and one who can provide that extra bit of dynamism/creativity.
Tottenham look at signing “exciting” £15.5m alternative to Antonio Nusa
He’s been likened to AC Milan star Rafael Leao.
While the Lilywhites head coach said new signings are unlikely this month as things stand, late twists may still be on the cards as we approach February 1, with Postecoglou refusing to completely rule out more transfer business (via Dan Kilpatrick).
Reliable media sources like Jacob Steinberg of The Times have also mooted potential late moves for the likes of Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, as the north Londoners apparently consider a late for the Englishman who’s starring under Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
| All confirmed Tottenham deals for January so far | Transfer |
|---|---|
| Timo Werner | Arrival (RB Leipzig, loan) |
| Radu Dragusin | Arrival (Genoa, permanent) |
| Djed Spence | Departure (Genoa, loan) |
| Ashley Phillips | Departure (Plymouth, loan) |
| Japhet Tanganga | Departure (Millwall, loan) |
| Sergio Reguilon | Departure (Brentford, loan) |
| Ivan Perisic | Departure (Hajduk Split, loan) |
| Eric Dier | Departure (Bayern Munich, loan) |
Atalanta star Ederson has been linked with a move to Spurs as well, but it appears Postecoglou will have current midfield ace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to choose from a little while longer. The Dane’s lawyer, Lars Helgreen, publicly confirmed his wish to remain in north London.
“Despite the rumours and noise, the player has always kept focus on helping the team, coaches and Tottenham,” he told Sky in Germany (via The Evening Standard). “The player never asked to leave now. He’s very ambitious for Tottenham and for Denmark and continues to keep improving himself, like he did all of his career. He’s a strong character and player.
“His only focus is Tottenham to finish the season well and to help as much as possible.”
Despite Hojbjerg’s desire to stay, Steinberg’s aforementioned report suggests that Spurs are still weighing up new midfielders, and one man who’s been linked recently is Fenerbache star Sebastian Szymanski.
The Pole has bagged an incredible nine goals and eight assists in the Turkish Super Lig this season, and a report by newspaper Aksam claimed Spurs will “do everything possible” to sign Szymanski with Postecoglou personally very keen.
Szymanski told to pack his bags and join Tottenham
Following this report of serious interest, Szymanski has now been told to join Tottenham and pack his bags by former agent Kamil Kosowski. Speaking to Przeglad Sportowy (via Sport Witness), Kosowski is quoted saying that when a club like Spurs come calling, you just “pack up an go” and there is “no better time” than the present to do so.
He appears to be garnering quite a reputation as Poland’s potential next star, and he would be quite the asset at Tottenham. Called “superb” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Aksam state he is valued at around £30 million.
Three midfielders Chelsea could sign to finally move on from Gallagher
The Blues could sell their homegrown talent this month.
Despite what their place in the Premier League table would suggest, Chelsea have actually been enjoying a run of good form of late, with five wins, one draw and just one loss in their last seven games in all competitions.
Those wins have seen them slowly climb up the league table, but perhaps more importantly for their season, it has seen them sneak into a League Cup final and the FA Cup fifth round.
The situation is looking much rosier for Mauricio Pochettino as things stand. Still, a week is a long time in football, and with the transfer window slamming shut at the end of this one, the Argentine could still catch the ire of the Stamford Bridge crowd if he oversees the sale of Conor Gallagher.
The Englishman has been one of the few consistently good players for the club this season and has taken the captain’s armband in the absence of Reece James, yet rumours of his potential sale persist.
With this in mind, the links to other dynamic midfielders begin to make more sense, although if Todd Boehly and Co proceed with their plan to sell the fan favourite, they better hope that his replacement hits the ground running – let’s take a look at three of them.
1Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich
The first name on this list is one of the most highly thought of youngsters in world football, so much so that the German and English national sides battled it out to secure his services a few years ago, a battle Die Mannschaft eventually won. The player in question is, of course, Bayern Munich’s jewel, Jamal Musiala.
The 20-year-old was touted for an £87m move to west London earlier this month, and if the Chelsea ownership want to appease any fan anger over the potential sale of Gallagher, then signing the German superstar in his place is about the best thing they could do.
It would also represent something of a homecoming for the four-time German champion, as he spent eight years in the Blues’ youth setup before moving to Bavaria in 2019.
Since moving to FC Hollywood, he has exploded into one of the most dangerous midfielders on the planet, racking up 22 goal involvements in 26 Bundesliga starts last season before reaching seven in 11 so far this campaign.
Described as “one of the world’s biggest talents” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and from looking at where he ranks amongst other midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for several key metrics, it’s hard to disagree.
According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% for multiple statistics, including non-penalty goals, progressive carries and successful take-ons, while also sitting in the top 2% for things like shot-creating actions and non-penalty expected goals.
Unfortunately for Gallagher, he doesn’t get anywhere close to the German prodigy, and while he is clearly a decent Premier League footballer, signing Musiala would represent an enormous upgrade.
| Jamal Musiala vs Conor Gallagher | ||
|---|---|---|
| Musiala | Stats vs CMs in Europe | Gallagher |
| Top 1% | Non-Penalty Goals | Top 42% |
| Top 1% | Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists | Top 28% |
| Top 1% | Progressive Carries | Top 22% |
| Top 1% | Successful Take-Ons | Top 25% |
| Top 1% | Touches in the Oppositions Penalty Area | Top 11% |
| Top 2% | Non-Penalty Expected Goals | Top 25% |
| Top 2% | Shot-Creating Actions | Top 29% |
| Top 4% | Assists | Top 28% |
| Top 5% | Total Shots | Top 22% |
| All Stats via FBref | ||
2Nicolo Barella – Inter Milan
The second name on the list is a player who’s less focused on scoring goals than Musiala and someone who perhaps more closely aligns with the sort of footballer Gallagher is, at least in ethos: a team player who never stops running and does the less glamorous, dirty work.
Nicolo Barella has spent the majority of his career starting in the centre of the park. However, he tends to float out to the right once the game kicks off. He fulfils the role of the ‘mezzala destra’, which essentially means he is given the freedom to get slightly further forward than a typical central midfielder while maintaining plenty of defensive responsibility as well.
The Italian was touted for a move to West London last month for a fee of around £80m, and while that is a significant amount of money, the quality and experience that he would bring to Pochettino’s midfield might make it worth it.
Described as a “little warrior” by Kuilg, he would keep some of the busyness that Gallagher brings to the Blues’ midfield while adding in some more quality passing and an increased attacking threat, something borne out in the numbers.
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The 6 ft 5 titan could anchor the Blues’ backline for the next decade or more/
For example, the Inter ace produces almost double the number of progressive passes as the Englishman and significantly more progressive carries, shot-creating and goal-creating actions per 90.
| Nicolo Barella vs Conor Gallagher | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats per 90 | Barella | Gallagher |
| Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists | 0.26 | 0.23 |
| Progressive Passes | 10.1 | 5.78 |
| Progressive Carries | 2.40 | 1.93 |
| Shot-Creating Actions | 4.37 | 3.31 |
| Goal-Creating Actions | 0.70 | 0.37 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season | ||
3Bruno Guimarães – Newcastle United
The last player on the list would be the most expensive deal of them all, Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães.
The Brazilian midfielder was touted for a move to the Bridge earlier this month after news broke that the Toon would likely have to sell one or two of their current stars to finance their future spending. However, this didn’t translate to any discounts as the former Lyon man is still priced at around the £100m mark.
Since making his way to the English game in January 2022, the “complete midfielder”, as Kulig described him, has become integral to everything the Toon do, making an impressive 69 Premier League appearances, in which he has scored ten goals, provided nine assists, won 39 games and lost 17.
It is his attacking output that would make him a good replacement for the Chelsea man, as his underlying numbers are that bit more impressive. For example, despite taking fewer shots on target per 90, Bruno has actually registered a league goal this season.
Ultimately, getting this deal over the line would take a considerable financial effort, but it would kill two birds with one stone: weaken Newcastle and strengthen Chelsea.
| Bruno Guimarães vs Conor Gallagher | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats per 90 | Guimarães | Gallagher |
| Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Progressive Passes | 7.55 | 5.78 |
| Shots on Target | 0.31 | 0.48 |
| Goals per Shot on Target | 0.17 | 0.00 |
| Goal-Creating Actions | 0.41 | 0.37 |
| Successful Take-Ons | 1.79 | 1.07 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League Season | ||
Aston Villa and Monchi in talks to sign “incredible” star alongside Rogers
Villa have revived their interest in a player with some spectacular numbers.
As we head into the final days of the January transfer window, Morgan Rogers looks by far the likeliest addition for Aston Villa, who have already signed Kosta Nedeljkovic from Red Star Belgrade in a buy-and-loan-back deal.
After an improved offer, Villa are in fresh talks with Middlesbrough over signing the attacker and are hopeful of completing a deal in the early part of this week. Rogers wants to join and is the top priority for Unai Emery, who’s bidding to keep Villa in the Premier League top four.
All the while, though, Villa sporting director Monchi is apparently in talks over yet another player as they continue to display their ambition and flex their muscles in the transfer market.
Villa make contact over Goncalves
According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via SportsView, Villa are in talks over Pedro Goncalves at Sporting. The club have apparently been long-term admirers of the Portuguese and have now reignited their interest in the final days of the window.
Monchi and his recruitment team have been in contact with the player’s entourage to establish contractual details, but they know a deal won’t be easy. Goncalves’ current terms run until the summer of 2027, and his release clause stands at £68m.
Goncalves would be “brilliant” signing
Goncalves actually spent two years on the books of Villa’s Midlands rivals Wolves, but he only ever made one appearance (as a substitute in the EFL Cup). He would return to Portugal with Famalicao in 2019, and then move to Sporting a year later.
Primarily a central midfielder who can also play as a number 10 and on both flanks, Goncalves has put up some eye-watering numbers during his stint in Lisbon. Across 158 appearances to date, he’s been directly involved 111 goals, despite the fact he often takes up a deep starting position.
He won the league’s Golden Boot in his first season with 23 goals, and is on course to continue his record of ranking eighth or higher for direct goal contributions every year.
| Season | Goals and assists | Primeira Liga rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 26 | 3rd |
| 2021/22 | 17 | 8th |
| 2022/23 | 26 | 2nd |
| 2023/24* | 12 | 4th |
Goncalves caught the eye of English audiences last season when he scored what proved to be the Europa League goal of the season away to Arsenal, as Sporting dumped the eventual Premier League runners-up out of the competition at the round of 16 stage. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admitted that he’d shown “incredible” perception, vision and execution in his “superb” effort.
Late January transfer at Aston Villa could supercharge Moussa Diaby
A new attacker is a priority for Unai Emery this month.
Journalist Zach Lowy, who has covered Portuguese football, says that he’d be a “brilliant signing” for Emery and Villa. It’s unclear whether they view him as a summer target or intend to spring a late winter move, and whether they’ll be willing to activate his hefty release clause and shell out a club-record fee. This, though, is the kind of deal that could announce their arrival on the Champions League stage, should they get there.
Everton have turned down deadline-busting bid for “great” squad player
An English club are “still pushing” to get a deal over the line.
Everton are believed to have turned down a bid for a “great” player late on in the January transfer window, according to a fresh update regarding his future.
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