Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on signing an “elite” Champions League goalkeeper, who could be brought in as a replacement for Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs eyeing new goalkeeper amid Vicario criticism
Tottenham have been underperforming as a collective this season, currently sitting 13th in the Premier League, having won just one of their last five matches, but their goalkeeper has received some particularly heavy criticism.
Following the 3-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest last month, Jamie Carragher slammed Vicario for refusing to take responsibility, saying: “Typical Vicario, he’s always blaming someone else. Every time I see him when a goal goes in, he’s throwing his arms at someone else.”
Since then, the Italian has gone on to put in some improved performances, keeping clean sheets in two of his last four matches, but Jamie O’Hara remains unconvinced by the goalkeeper.
Interestingly, a report from TEAMtalk has revealed Tottenham have ‘growing concerns’ about whether the 29-year-old has a long-term future in north London, and they have now started looking at replacements.
The report states Tottenham are now keen on signing Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who could be allowed to leave the Spanish club this year, despite being highly regarded at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Indeed, the Spanish club may now be willing to sanction Lunin’s departure, given that he has found game time hard to come by this season, and youngster Javi Navarro could be utilised as a back-up to Thibaut Courtois.
There could be fierce competition for the Ukrainian’s signature, with Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion also named as interested parties, and there is a belief a move to the Premier League would strongly appeal to the £76k-a-week shot-stopper.
Lunin could be "elite" as a first-choice goalkeeper
The 26-year-old has made just two appearances for Madrid in all competitions this season, which came in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, suggesting he may need to leave the European giants for the good of his career.
The Ukraine international being a back-up goalkeeper arguably isn’t a great sign, but in fairness, he is playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois, and he has impressed at Real Madrid when given the opportunity.
Tottenham ready double-your-money offer for player who's keen to join Frank
Spurs are preparing a bid.
1 ByEmilio Galantini
Lauded as “elite” by scout Ben Mattinson, the Madrid ace played a major role in his side reaching the Copa del Rey final last season, keeping a clean sheet and making five saves from inside the box in a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad in the semi-final.
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The Kharkiv-born goalkeeper has also proven himself in the Champions League, making 13 appearances in Europe’s elite competition, including eight en-route to glory in the 2023/24 edition, during which time he received high praise from Carlo Ancelotti.
As such, should Tottenham decide not to persist with Vicario as their first-choice goalkeeper, Lunin could be a solid replacement.
Liverpool look set to miss out on a deal to sign Antoine Semenyo from Premier League side Bournemouth, as he closes in on a move to their rivals.
Manchester City are reportedly close to sealing a swoop for the Ghana international after positive talks with the Cherries, and the transfer could be completed in the coming days now that the January transfer window is open.
The Reds were said to be in the race to land the £65m-rated left winger at the end of last month, but the Cityzens appear to have won the race for his signature.
Semenyo’s return of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, suggest that it is a blow for Liverpool to miss out on his services this month.
Liverpool set to sign £43m star in January
However, the reigning Premier League champions are reportedly closing in on another player who could be an even better signing than Semenyo.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to the Mirror, Liverpool are set to complete a deal to sign Club Brugge central defender Joel Ordonez in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Reds are poised to wrap up a move for the Ecuador international ‘in the coming days’, as they close in on their first signing of the month.
It adds that the initial fee for the centre-back is expected to be around £35m, but it could rise to £43m if add-ons are achieved, with Arne Slot keen to bolster his backline.
The outlet explains that Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury and the fact that Ibrahima Konate’s contract expires at the end of the season have played a part in Liverpool’s move for Ordonez.
Why Ordonez is a better signing than Semenyo
Whilst missing out on Semenyo will be frustrating, because of his impressive output at the top end of the pitch this season, the Club Brugge centre-back could be an even better signing for the second half of the campaign and beyond.
Liverpool currently rank joint-fifth for goals in the Premier League this season, with 30 goals scored. Meanwhile, they rank joint-10th for goals conceded, with 26, and only eight teams have conceded more goals.
Konate’s individual errors have been costly for the Reds. Liverpool podcaster and writer Eddie Gibbs described him as “Liverpool’s most alarming fault line” who “looks like a footballer fighting his own reflection” earlier this season.
Jamie Carragher ripped into his defensive work in the 3-3 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road last month, as his defending partially led to the team giving up 2-0 and 3-2 leads.
The France international has been too much of a defensive liability this term, with six errors leading to shots, goals or penalties, per Sofascore, and Ordonez could come in to improve Slot’s backline by providing a more reliable presence alongside Virgil van Dijk.
25/26 season (all comps)
Konate
Ordonez
Appearances
24
21
Error led to shot
4
1
Error led to goal
1
0
Penalties committed
1
0
Dribbled past
6x
5x
Fouls committed
28
18
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Club Brugge star has only made one error in 21 appearances in the Pro League and the Champions League combined this season, whilst he has also committed ten fewer fouls than the Liverpool flop.
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These statistics suggest that Ordonez is less likely to make costly errors at the back for the Reds, which could tighten up their defence and improve their defensive record in the second half of the campaign.
The 21-year-old star, who was described as “imressively complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also a consistent defender, as he only made one error that led to a shot or a goal for the opposition in his first two seasons in the Pro League with Club Brugge, per Sofascore.
Therefore, Ordonez would be an even better signing than Semenyo could have been because he has the quality to have a bigger short-term impact in an area of the pitch that Liverpool have struggled more in, whilst he is also four years younger than the attacker and has more scope to develop further in the future.
Liverpool now very interested in bargain deal to sign "excellent" Bundesliga star
The Reds are still chasing an attacking reinforcement.
ByTom Cunningham
The Ecuador international is also five years younger than Konate, whose contract expires in the summer, and this piece of business could ensure that they have their new long-term right-sided centre-back in the building already.
Ok, so there’s no Premier League, La Liga or Champions League right now. The football season, however, is still far from finished.
From the Women’s World Cup to the Gold Cup, this summer sees a handful of tournaments taking place to ease the pain of fans around the world who can’t stop crying about the lack of club football going on. And that includes the Copa America, which will see South America’s biggest and best go head-to-head from next week to see who is the king of the continent.
The oldest international football tournament is set to be one of the most entertaining in decades this year, and it could be a competition that brings in to light players who fans around the world are yet to hear of, which is why we have come up with the Copa America Alternative XI, where only one player per nation is represented in the side.
With 12 teams competing in the competition, one nation had to miss out, and that country was Qatar. With all the formalities out of the way, here is the Copa America Alternative XI.
[snack_break title=”Goalkeeper”]
Wuilker Farinez
South America has been a hotbed for goalkeeping talent since football arrived on the continent over a hundred years ago, and Wuilker Farinez could be the next great star.
The Venezuelan and Millonarios number one has been part of the national setup since the age of 19 when Farinez starred in the U-20 World Cup that saw the South American side make it all the way to the final before losing out to England 1-0. This summer the keeper will certainly be one of the young names to keep an eye on.
[snack_break title=”Defenders”]
Antonio Valencia
Arguably the most famous Ecuadorian player of all-time, Antonio Valencia’s shift from the wing to full-back has been more beneficial for country than it has been for club, as it has allowed a new generation of attacking talent to take up their natural positions in the XI.
Valencia’s pace and experience will be vital for an Ecuador side that will be keen on making an upset as they seek to win their first ever Copa America with the veteran defender leading them out in Brazil.
Gary Medel
Soccer Football – International Friendly – Chile v Costa Rica – Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua, Chile – November 16, 2018 Chile’s Gary Medel in action with Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
Yes, that is former Cardiff City player Gary Medel, and yes, he’s still as nuts as ever. The former Bluebird has continued to hack down everyone who stands in his path, this time in the name of Besiktas, and for Chile, the 31-year-old is as important as ever.
Although Medel is more a defensive midfielder at club level, the Chilean has been a rock in the backline for the South American nation, and heading into the Copa America the former Inter Milan hard-man will be hoping to retain the continental championship and add a third to his trophy cabinet.
Fabian Balbuena
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Fabian Balbuena was an interesting signing for West Ham last summer, but after an adjustment period the Paraguayan defender more than paid back the fee Manuel Pellegrini shelled out for the former Corinthians defender, and on an international level, the centre-back has started to make an impact.
The defender has only made nine appearances for Paraguay, and this year’s Copa America could be the time Balbuena establishes himself as a vital player for Los Guaranies, who head to Brazil as the tournament’s underdogs.
Luis Advincula
Peru quickly became a neutral’s favourite during last year’s World Cup, and this time around in the Copa America Luis Advincula will be hoping to see more success on the pitch than off it.
The Tigres defender, who has been on loan at Rayo Vallecano this season, is one of the more experienced players in this Peru side, but his lightning pace has also made him one of the most feared attacking full-backs on the continent.
[snack_break title=”Midfielders”]
Philippe Coutinho
After the disappointment of Russia last year, Brazil will be eager of a return to the top with a big performance in their home country, and supporters will be praying that Coutinho is back to best.
The Barcelona star has been lacklustre since his blockbuster move to the La Liga giants, but with Neymar out of the tournament, the pressure of success has been shifted onto Coutinho’s shoulders, who many will be expecting to perform.
Lucas Torreira
After an impressive World Cup and a stellar debut season with Arsenal, Lucas Torreira has quickly established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Premier League, and he will be essential to Uruguay this summer.
The 23-year-old rottweiler of a midfielder has been ever-present for his nation since Russia, and this summer could see the Arsenal man be the difference between a first Copa America title since 2011 or another competition where Uruguay could have done better.
Alejandro Chumacero
You know the name from your FIFA career mode when you were searching in the free agents pool, but in real life, Bolivia’s hopes will be pinned on Alejandro Chumacero, who is one of the few members of the squad that plays outside of the country.
The midfielder has been a mainstay for Mexican side Puebla since 2018 and is regarded as Bolivia’s best player heading into the Copa America, and at 27-years-old, Chumacero will have no better time in his career to show the world what he’s got.
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[snack_break title=”Forwards”]
Lionel Messi
Soccer Football – Champions League Semi Final First Leg – FC Barcelona v Liverpool – Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain – May 1, 2019 Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
Was there any doubt who was going to represent Argentina in this XI? Lionel Messi might be one of the greatest players to ever play the beautiful game, but on the international stage, the Barcelona superstar has had his difficult moments.
The forward has carried Argentina to World Cup and Copa America finals, and this summer could be Messi’s last big chance to claim international glory and further cement his status as arguably the best of all time.
Duvan Zapata
Soccer Football – Serie A – Atalanta v Juventus – Stadio Atleti Azzurri, Bergamo, Italy – December 26, 2018 Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
The Atalanta striker fired the Bergamo-based club to the Champions League for the first time in their history with a 28-goal haul season, and for Colombia, Zapata now has some big shoes to fill with Radamel Falcao’s goalscoring abilities slowly dwindling.
Shoya Nakajima
With the years of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa fading away into the history books, a new era of Japanese football could be about to emerge, and in Shoya Nakajima, Japan could have their latest hero.
The most expensive Japanese player in history following the winger’s move to Qatar’s Al-Duhail last February according to the Japan Times, Nakajima made a name for himself in Portugal after a string of impressive performances for Portimonense, and the attacker’s contributions could lead to Japan surprising a few this summer in Brazil.
Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update on Celtic centre-forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.
What’s the latest?
In comments made after the Bhoys’ 2-0 win over St Mirren on Wednesday night, the 56-year-old revealed that, after missing the Hoops’ last two fixtures due to illness, the Greece international will be available for selection for the trip to Livingston this weekend.
Speaking about the current condition of the 27-year-old, Postecoglou said: “We’ve got Giakoumakis back for the weekend as well, which I think will give us some more quality in depth.”
Postecoglou will be buzzing
With both Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti remaining sidelined due to injury, and with goalscoring having been something of an issue for Celtic in recent weeks, the news that Giakoumakis is set to return to action this weekend is sure to have left Postecoglou buzzing.
Indeed, over the Bhoys’ last three outings in all competitions, they have hit the back of the net just twice, with Celtic’s only available centre-forward Daizen Maeda having drawn a blank in all three fixtures.
Meanwhile, Giakoumakis had been in fantastic goalscoring form prior to his layoff, bagging four goals in his last four appearances, including a match-winning hat-trick in an uninspiring 3-2 win over Dundee.
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As such, the return of the £1.8m-rated hitman ahead of what is sure to be a challenging fixture against fourth-placed Livingston on Sunday will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Celtic’s chances of leaving the Tony Macaroni Arena with all three points. Victory is all but essential should the Hoops wish to keep their Premiership title push on track.
In other news: £3.8k-p/w dynamo drops teasing transfer hint which will surely frustrate Celtic fans
Wolverhampton Wanderers made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at strugglers Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Former Liverpool academy player and fan Conor Coady scored the decisive goal at Goodison Park early in the second half before Toffees full-back Jonjoe Kenny was sent off to further heap misery on Frank Lampard’s side.
The win saw Wolves climb up to seventh with their hopes of securing European football very much alive still, however, despite another solid team performance, the contribution of right-wing-back Jonny Otto was underwhelming, with the Spaniard playing opposite to his preferred side.
According to SofaScore, the 28-year-old wing-back contributed little in both halves of the pitch. From an offensive point of view, Jonny failed to complete a single cross or long ball as well as completing a dribble whilst also seeing his sole shot go off-target.
Defensively, despite his side’s 11th league clean sheet of the season, the Spaniard was lacklustre. Throughout the entire 90 minutes, the wing-back failed to make a single tackle, clearance or block and made just one interception whilst also winning just 20% of his duels and losing possession 16 times.
In fairness to Jonny, he did enjoy an impressive 91% passing accuracy with 43/47 passes completed whilst also making 75 touches.
However, Wolves boss Bruno Lage certainly won’t be encouraged by the wing-back’s performance, with the Portuguese having to fill round holes with square pegs following the injuries to right-wing-backs Nelson Semedo and Ki-Jana Hoever.
Semedo could be out until late April with a hamstring injury whilst the status of Hoever is still unknown after the 20-year-old suffered a similar-looking issue to that of his Portuguese teammate in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Therefore, Lage has had to deploy Jonny, usually a left-sided full-back, on the right with the 28-year-old only recently returning from a lengthy injury spell.
Two knee injuries have meant that since the start of the 2020/21 season, the Spaniard has played just 12 times and is clearly readjusting to playing regular, top-flight football.
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However, it’s an opportunity that will have to be taken with both hands given the impressive performances of both Rayan Ait Nouri and Fernando Marcal at left-wing-back this season.
The vacancy on the right-hand side is currently Jonny’s only way into playing regularly at Wolves and therefore the 28-year-old will have to adapt in order to keep his place whilst Semedo is sidelined.
In other news: Fosun must surely regret huge Wolves howler over £67.5m-rated title-winning “rock”
Liverpool are reportedly the current front-runners to sign dominant Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Bremer’s monstrous season
The 24-year-old has been an impressive performer for Torino this season, making 25 starts in Serie A and helping his side sit 11th in the table.
Bremer has averaged 3.9 aerial duel wins per game, highlighting his prowess in that area of his game, and he has also enjoyed 3.5 clearances and interceptions apiece per match. To put that into perspective, all three of those numbers would rank in first place amongst the current Reds squad.
Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Brazilian in the past and an exciting rumour has now emerged.
The Latest: Liverpool favourites to sign defender
According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], ‘in first place is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool’ when it comes to the race to acquire Bremer’s signature.
Jurgen Klopp himself is believed to have ‘great interest’ in snapping up the Torino man, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2024.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-23/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: Goodbye, Joe Gomez?
Should this rumour be true, you have to wonder if it could spell the end of Joe Gomez’s time at the club, with the Englishman linked with a move away from Anfield earlier this week.
He is already fourth in the centre-back pecking order behind Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, and Bremer surely wouldn’t be coming in as fifth choice.
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The defender would be an exciting addition to Klopp’s squad, given his age and his aforementioned statistics this season, but whether or not he is happy to play a squad role remains to be seen.
In other news, Liverpool would reportedly jump at the chance to sign one player. Find out who it is here.
Everton are now set for a big change in the summer with regards to transfer plans after an agreement was reached in talks with the Premier League.
The Lowdown: Delayed accounts
The Goodison Park faithful have delayed the publishing of their 2020/21 accounts, as they are having on-going talks over what allowances to the spending rules are permitted in transfer windows, because of the financial impact of the global pandemic.
Their next accounts, which are due this month, are set to project over £300m worth of losses for the Merseyside club in the current three-year cycle, while the top flight only permit clubs to record losses of up to £105m.
That said, discounts for spending on infrastructure and lost income due to the pandemic are set to keep the them within the agreed limits for now.
The Latest: Premier League agreement
As per The Daily Mail, the Toffees have now reached an agreement with the Premier League which will allow them to consult over player signings and new contracts, in order to avoid breaching spending rules.
Of course, this could change how they now approach the summer transfer window, given that last summer they were reduced to spending a mere £1.7m.
The Verdict: Sensible
Given the financial predicament that they find themselves in, the Blues are being sensible with the agreement they have reached with the top flight.
They simply cannot afford to breach spending rules, especially if they find themselves relegated to the Championship, and thus in need of a big rebuild potentially with key players jumping ship.
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The consultation may allow them to be more flexible in the market, and thus be able to buy and sell the players that they need in order to kickstart the new season under Frank Lampard.
In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ Lampard favourite could now be replaced here!
Aston Villa are monitoring Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ahead of a possible free transfer, according to The Sun.
The Lowdown: Pogba’s situation
Pogba’s days at Old Trafford appear to be numbered, with his current contract set to expire at the end of June.
It seems as if there is a real chance that United could lose their most expensive signing ever for nothing over the coming months.
The 29-year-old has contributed to 10 goals in 16 Premier League games this season, missing 13 top-flight matches through suspension and injury.
The Latest: Villa monitoring developments
The Sun dropped an update regarding the central midfielder on Thursday morning, claiming that Villa and Newcastle are monitoring his situation.
Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are thought to be favourites to secure his services and can do so right now in a pre-contract agreement, whereas the English sides in the race will have to wait until the summer.
The Verdict: Pogba and Phillips?
NSWE look like they are willing to back Steven Gerrard ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park, with the club allegedly readying a £60m swoop for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.
It now seems like they want Pogba to partner Phillips in midfield, with Gerrard having just six midfield options at this moment in time, two of which are youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.
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A move for Pogba, on £290,000-a-week, could prove to be out of their reach, but it’s good to see that Villa at the very least see themselves as a possible destination for a player labelled as ‘world-class’ by Gary Neville.
In other news: Worrying international break news emerges on ‘fantastic’ Villa gem as he pulls out of squad.
Leeds United continue to be linked with a summer swoop for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is becoming extremely likely to move on from Rubin Kazan.
The 21-year-old winger is currently playing in his home country for Dinamo Batumi, thanks to FIFA’s ruling to allow players to leave Russia or Ukraine outside of a transfer window if they wished.
He has since seen his contract terminated by the Red-Greens.
According to Italian outlet Il Mattino, the Yorkshire outfit are among the leading candidates to secure him during the off-season, where he will be looking for a new club.
Serie A outfit Napoli and Premier League rivals West Ham United are also mooted with interest by the report.
Whilst Raphinha may be on his way out at Elland Road, the potential arrival of Kvaratskhelia could spell trouble for Dan James as his struggles following a club-record £30m move from Manchester United continue.
If the Brazil international does depart, the Welshman is in line for more game time in his natural right-wing position but given his form and the interest in the Georgia international, he could well be axed by manager Jesse Marsch going forward.
Once described as being “headless” with his decision-making in the final third by Darren Bent, the £16.2m-rated dynamo has only delivered four goals and four assists across 30 appearances but only one of those goal contributions have come in their last seven outings, via Transfermarkt.
Kvaratskhelia is an exciting young talent and one that had been one of the most dangerous attackers in the Russian Premier League this campaign – on top of two goals and five assists from only 17 starts, the Georgian leads the division for successful dribbles per 90 (3.14).
That ability has seen him earn quite the praise indeed, with former Russia U18 coach Denis Bushuev likening him to two greats in his position.
“Naturally. He is from the same galaxy of players as Ribery or Robben. He could play in the top five clubs in the Bundesliga – he has crazy technique.”
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By comparison, James only manages 0.9 successful dribbles per 90 in the Premier League and whilst the quality of the two leagues is like chalk and cheese, he ranks as low as 13th in the current Leeds squad, even behind the likes of Tyler Roberts, Junior Firpo and all three of his positional peers.
As such, Marsch and co should look to sign the £14.4m-rated Kvaratskhelia for an absolute bargain price this summer. There’s little point in persisting with James just because he’s a club-record signing when a player like this is available.
AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Marsch heading for Leeds nightmare over “explosive” £13.5m-rated gem…
It hasn’t been the prettiest campaign for Tottenham Hotspur, and Thomas Frank has work to do if he is to convince the Lilywhite supporters of his capacity to lead this team through a sustained period of success.
The conquering of the Europa League last season might have been used as a springboard, but Tottenham have reverted to type, 11th in the Premier League and lacking the attacking sparkle fans expect. This was painfully clear last weekend, during the 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
To Dare Is To Do, but Spurs are not being brave enough, and their instability is becoming a big problem. It will be Frank’s undoing if he fails to mount a convincing assault against the Premier League’s elite, challenging in the Champions League and FA Cup too.
Defensively, issues linger from the Ange Postecoglou era. Tottenham have been blunted in attack too. But it’s perhaps the midfield which is epicentral to the lack of control and creativity and craftsmanship.
Spurs' plans to fix their midfield
Tottenham’s midfield ranks have left plenty to be desired this season. Frank will feel hard done by given James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been absent since the summer due to injury, but the decision to persist with Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha isn’t providing the desired results.
Palhinha, a loan arrival from Bayern Munich, has added some punch to the centre of the park, but he’s not exactly a progressive midfielder on the ball. Bentancur, beside him, struggles to serve as a neat counterpoint, with the Uruguayan’s struggles in recent years even leading analyst Raj Chohan to describe him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.
Clearly, Spurs need an upgrade, and they could find one in Leon Goetzka, who fancies trying his hand at something new after a lifetime of football in his German homeland.
That’s according to Spanish sources, who claim that Goretzka is seeking a fresh start after being consigned to a reduced part in Vincent Kompany’s project.
Tottenham are understood to be among the best-placed teams to complete a deal, with Premier League rivals like Nottingham Forest and West Ham United also ready to submit formal offers this winter.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Last summer, Manchester United’s interest led to Bayern relatiation, placing a £34m on the 30-year-old. ENIC Group will hope that figure has since diminished.
Why Leron Goretzka would be perfect for Spurs' midfield
Goretzka has enjoyed a glittering career with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, winning the Champions League and so many Bundesliga titles since joining on a free transfer in 2018 after his contract with Schalke expired.
Bayern Munich'sLeroySanecelebrates scoring their first goal with Leon Goretzka
A powerful and commanding centre-midfielder, Goretzka’s prospective success down N17 in the Premier League would come at either Palhinha or Bentancur’s expense.
Looking at how he contrasts with ex-teammate Palhinha for example, underscores the kind of upgrade Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici would strike.
Goretzka vs Palhinha (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)
Goretzka
Palhinha
Goals scored
0.11
0.16
Assists
0.04
0.16
Touches
83.66
60.63
Pass completion (%)
90.8
84.9
Progressive passes
7.69
3.02
Progressive carries
2.18
0.49
Shot-creating actions
2.21
1.29
Successful take-ons
0.41
0.43
Ball recoveries
4.73
3.77
Tackles + interceptions
2.74
5.87
Aerial duels won
1.95
1.72
Data via FBref
He is a midfield powerhouse, and his energy and ferocity have seen him said to be “like a madman” on the field by former teammate Sami Khedira, who then hailed his countryman as a “machine” of a player.
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He doesn’t churn out the same calibre of defensive actions as someone like Palhinha – who does? – but Goretzka is a more complete and balanced player. He would raise the level of Spurs’ wider system, trumping Bentancur in that regard.
Indeed, across 11 Bundesliga starts this season, the experienced midfielder has won 57% of his ground duels. He could actually partner Palhinha in the Spurs centre, striking a much-needed defend-attack balance. Control. It’s very important in the Premier League, and Goretzka would instil it.
With an intense work rate and a tenacity that cannot be taught, Goretzka would be a credit to Tottenham’s midfield. He would certainly work his way into the starting line-up at the expense of strugglers like Palhinha and Bentancur.
Tottenham need more dynamism in midfield, and Goretzka has the experience and the technical skillset to create a central system that could see Frank’s vision realised over the second half of the season and indeed the next few years.
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