Spurs should simply bid a lots of money for some of Brighton's best young players - particularly Baleba & Verbruggen...and then find out the players they want to replace them with and buy those players instead...
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Transfers The Winter Transfer Thread - 25/26
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Tottenham in three-horse race to sign teenage winger with 10 G/A in 38 games
Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on an exciting young attacker, and his club have opened the door to a January sale.
Tottenham battling two European clubs for Sani Suleiman
According to a report in Hospodarske Noviny (as relayed by Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are fans of AS Trencin winger Sani Suleiman, who is impressing a lot of scouts around Europe.The 19-year-old, who joined the Slovakian side in July 2024, has played 38 matches so far, scoring five goals and contributing five assists.
Suleiman’s displays have caught the eye of several European sides, with Tottenham’s main competition coming from Rangers and Bayer Leverkusen.
The outlet adds that Trencin could make a decent profit if they cash in on the Nigerian Under-20 international in January.
AS Trencin director opens door for January sale of Spurs target
Interestingly, the outlet also spoke to the Slovenian club’s sporting director, Andrej Zacik, who confirmed that Suleiman is attracting a lot of interest from the continent.While he refused to name the interested clubs, he opened the door to a January sale of the winger.
Zacik told the publication about the Spurs target: “A lot of clubs are watching Sani. So, it’s not just noise or speculation. There is real interest. However, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many clubs there are.
“Some teams are just probing him for now, others are already going a little further. In addition, there are also teams that are communicating directly with the player’s agent. However, there is definitely interest.”
When asked if Suleiman could be sold in January, the Trencin director responded: “It can happen.”
19 you say, so another cheaper young option who won't be ready.Tottenham in three-horse race to sign teenage winger with 10 G/A in 38 games
Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on an exciting young attacker, and his club have opened the door to a January sale.www.spurs-web.com
Tottenham battling two European clubs for Sani Suleiman
According to a report in Hospodarske Noviny (as relayed by Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are fans of AS Trencin winger Sani Suleiman, who is impressing a lot of scouts around Europe.
The 19-year-old, who joined the Slovakian side in July 2024, has played 38 matches so far, scoring five goals and contributing five assists.
Suleiman’s displays have caught the eye of several European sides, with Tottenham’s main competition coming from Rangers and Bayer Leverkusen.
The outlet adds that Trencin could make a decent profit if they cash in on the Nigerian Under-20 international in January.
AS Trencin director opens door for January sale of Spurs target
Interestingly, the outlet also spoke to the Slovenian club’s sporting director, Andrej Zacik, who confirmed that Suleiman is attracting a lot of interest from the continent.
While he refused to name the interested clubs, he opened the door to a January sale of the winger.
Zacik told the publication about the Spurs target: “A lot of clubs are watching Sani. So, it’s not just noise or speculation. There is real interest. However, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many clubs there are.
“Some teams are just probing him for now, others are already going a little further. In addition, there are also teams that are communicating directly with the player’s agent. However, there is definitely interest.”
When asked if Suleiman could be sold in January, the Trencin director responded: “It can happen.”
Tottenham battling for a player ....Tottenham in three-horse race to sign teenage winger with 10 G/A in 38 games
Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on an exciting young attacker, and his club have opened the door to a January sale.
Tottenham battling two European clubs for Sani Suleiman
According to a report in Hospodarske Noviny (as relayed by Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are fans of AS Trencin winger Sani Suleiman, who is impressing a lot of scouts around Europe.
The 19-year-old, who joined the Slovakian side in July 2024, has played 38 matches so far, scoring five goals and contributing five assists.
Suleiman’s displays have caught the eye of several European sides, with Tottenham’s main competition coming from Rangers and Bayer Leverkusen.
The outlet adds that Trencin could make a decent profit if they cash in on the Nigerian Under-20 international in January.
AS Trencin director opens door for January sale of Spurs target
Interestingly, the outlet also spoke to the Slovenian club’s sporting director, Andrej Zacik, who confirmed that Suleiman is attracting a lot of interest from the continent.
While he refused to name the interested clubs, he opened the door to a January sale of the winger.
Zacik told the publication about the Spurs target: “A lot of clubs are watching Sani. So, it’s not just noise or speculation. There is real interest. However, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many clubs there are.
“Some teams are just probing him for now, others are already going a little further. In addition, there are also teams that are communicating directly with the player’s agent. However, there is definitely interest.”
When asked if Suleiman could be sold in January, the Trencin director responded: “It can happen.”
Why do I feel trepidation ??? Another wunderkind...?Tottenham in three-horse race to sign teenage winger with 10 G/A in 38 games
Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on an exciting young attacker, and his club have opened the door to a January sale.
Tottenham battling two European clubs for Sani Suleiman
According to a report in Hospodarske Noviny (as relayed by Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are fans of AS Trencin winger Sani Suleiman, who is impressing a lot of scouts around Europe.
The 19-year-old, who joined the Slovakian side in July 2024, has played 38 matches so far, scoring five goals and contributing five assists.
Suleiman’s displays have caught the eye of several European sides, with Tottenham’s main competition coming from Rangers and Bayer Leverkusen.
The outlet adds that Trencin could make a decent profit if they cash in on the Nigerian Under-20 international in January.
AS Trencin director opens door for January sale of Spurs target
Interestingly, the outlet also spoke to the Slovenian club’s sporting director, Andrej Zacik, who confirmed that Suleiman is attracting a lot of interest from the continent.
While he refused to name the interested clubs, he opened the door to a January sale of the winger.
Zacik told the publication about the Spurs target: “A lot of clubs are watching Sani. So, it’s not just noise or speculation. There is real interest. However, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many clubs there are.
“Some teams are just probing him for now, others are already going a little further. In addition, there are also teams that are communicating directly with the player’s agent. However, there is definitely interest.”
When asked if Suleiman could be sold in January, the Trencin director responded: “It can happen.”
Nothing wrong with signing teenagers, just sign fucking good ones.
He's only 19 and has only had about 700 minutes in BL, and I've not seen loads of them, but I'd say much better/more powerful dribbler/1v1 than Tel, nothing like Xavi who operates in more central zones. Very much in the Semenyo mould, but rawer.
Obviously, context is one is PL the other is 700 mins in BL but this shows they are similar types:
Interestingly, following on from the news yesterday that we were interested in Diomandé, this popped up today:
Where is Yan Diomande's ceiling?
The 19-year-old Leipzig winger is turning heads and breaking
Every club is searching for the next dynamic winger. In today’s era where teams are increasingly moving towards some form of a man-marking defensive scheme, having a player who regularly dribbles past their marker and forces the opposition into tough decisions is immensely valuable. The constant problem of breaking down stubborn low blocks is easier to solve when there are attacking threats who can cook off the dribble.
One of the young electric wingers who might break out soon is Yan Diomandé.
His career arc is quite fascinating for someone who turned 19 less than a month ago. You don’t often see players within the big 5 leagues train in Florida’s DME Academy during the early parts of their career, which he did from 2022-24. Leganés signed him in late November 2024 and brought him into the first team following the March international break. His three goals and assists from 10 La Liga appearances (6 starts) was a solid return when also accounting for his age.
RB Leipzig saw enough and spent roughly €20m over the summer to acquire the Ivorian, and the early results look promising. 8.6 90s is not a robust sample, but he fits the profile of a high volume dribbler with some promise as a playmaker.
The obvious appeal with Diomandé is how gifted of a dribbler and carrier he is. So far in 2025-26, he’s tied for 11th in the Bundesliga for carries which led to a chance or a shot according to Opta Analyst. Among wingers and attacking midfielders in the big 5 leagues, on a per 90 basis he’s in the 98th percentile for progressive carries, carries into the final third, and carries into the penalty box via FBref. Any metric which tries to quantify dribbling and carry prowess, he’s been among the best in Europe.
Those stats help illustrate how versatile Diomandé is off the dribble. In deeper areas, he can string together quick dribbles to evade opponents. It’s been the case on either flank due to him comfortably utilizing either foot. Even when dealing with contact, he can absorb those blows and not lose possession so often to be a hindrance. The level of functional strength he’s shown is impressive for a teenager. Once he gets to his 2nd and 3rd step when facing forward, the opposition has a hard time catching up to him, which has been the case in both Spanish and German football.
Higher up the pitch, he’s already shown the ability to consistently beat his marker using a quick burst. You’ll see him almost lull his opponent into a false sense of security before getting separation by attacking the defender’s hips. Because of his comfort utilizing both feet, it allows him to be less predictable on when he’ll try to attack the byline. His strength allows him to duck and power through gaps to get into the wide areas of the box. You can argue that maybe he relies on his gifts so much that he slows the tempo down too often into static 1v1s, but it’s understandable given how successful he’s been so far.
It’s all well and good to be a high volume dribbler, but reliably making the correct read afterwards is what separates the good from the great. In Diomandé’s case, the building blocks are there. During progressive carries, he’s looking to try and hit teammates into space which can turn into dangerous sequences. This occurred twice vs Stuttgart, with one registering as a key pass. He’s quite active at looking for quick 1-2’s to get forward, with a good example being his goal vs Augsburg. While very simple, his square passes have so far shown to be consistently weighted which helps his teammates prepare their next action. The majority of his created chances so far this season have been laterals from around the box, rather than throughballs or crosses (a weakness of his at the moment).
Off the ball is the biggest concern with Diomandé’s skill-set at the moment. Interestingly, this is more to do with the lack of off-ball movement rather than out of possession. Defensively, he’s willing to track back and help his full-backs, and is active in counterpressing situations. You wouldn’t classify him as a liability compared to others of a similar archetype.
Higher up the pitch, he’s most likely to make something happen through those quick combinations previously mentioned. Other than that, you’ll see him regularly be idle on either flank for stretches of play. Maybe he’ll jog into the box to provide an option, but not done so with authority. Those underlapping runs into the box for cut-backs can be quite powerful in the final third. Some of the best attackers in the world profit heavily from those cuts, but at the moment, it’s not something in Diomandé’s repertoire.
In general, Diomandé rarely surveys the pitch to look for forward space through movement, including losing out on opportunities at attacking the back post when teammates are attempting crosses. Perhaps some of it is done by design tactically, but even still, he could stand to be more adventurous in this area because there are goal scoring looks being left on the table. While an xG/shot of 0.12 is pretty decent for a non-striker, some of this is fuelled by him being able to benefit from clear looks during transitions.
Diomandé’s profile currently is the prototypical 1v1 winger, someone you often give the ball to in different match scenarios and he can help move you into valuable areas. The ability to absorb contact without breaking too much of his stride, in addition to elite burst, makes him a handful to deal with as a dribbler and progressive carrier of the ball. There’s some optimism with his passing and playmaking, although I think the numbers are maybe a bit too rosy at the moment. Off-ball movement is decidedly a weakness of his, and if that continues, there becomes a hard limit on how many goals and assists he can produce over the course of a season.
Such an archetype has a narrower pathway towards stardom since almost all of their value comes from what they can do on the ball. If one was to add further skepticism, they’d remark on the lack of fullbacks in the Bundesliga who can capably defend in 1v1s. As well, higher end athletes in La Liga can noticeably stand out compared to the rest of the pack. That said, even with the small sample size available, there’s enough in the tape to suggest he will remain tough to contain no matter which league he next moves to. Having either foot to rely on makes it a little easier as an on-ball initiator. If the off-ball stuff doesn’t change markedly, Diomandé has to become a high-end chance creator or risk topping out as a fun winger who resides a couple levels below the best at his position.
There’s an obvious comparison to be made with Jérémy Doku during his early years with Stade Rennais, and it has some merit. Both Diomandé and Doku as teenage talents showed the capacity to handle a ton of 1v1 situations because of a first step that could help them regularly blow by their marker. In addition, strong two-footedness helped amplify their on-ball gifts to make them less predictable from wide areas. Their statistical profiles have some similarities, although Diomandé has the edge with both shot volume and locations.
For their similarities, there are differences between the two. For one, Diomandé is stronger than Doku was at the same age. Despite the former’s better shot profile, the latter was arguably more active off the ball. While not a strength of either, Doku would try to make off-ball runs along the flanks to potentially help set up teammates in the box. Crossing is an area where Doku, even at that age, had a notable advantage. Doku probably had the edge in burst over short distances, but Diomandé is arguably faster over longer distances.
Without any improvements off the ball, could Diomandé eventually reach the level of creator Doku has ascended to? It’s possible, although not guaranteed. It took several years of reps, along with some positional tweaking, for the Belgian star to become the fearsome play driver he currently is. His performance vs Liverpool was illustrative of how terrifying he’s become, and with him now regularly providing assists in matches, this season is shaping to be his best by a considerable distance. Diomandé is already producing goals and assists at a higher rate than Doku when both were teenagers, but it remains to be seen whether the Ivorian can become the kind of attacker with strong underlying numbers.
Despite Diomandé’s limited resume in European football so far, it’s easy to see why people are excited about him. There’s the outline of a future star with the skill-set he’s flashed, although considerable development is needed to reach such a lofty level. If he can become the kind of winger who torches fullbacks all the time and regularly creates chances for others, then it might not be too long before Yan Diomandé is considered a star in European football.
One of the young electric wingers who might break out soon is Yan Diomandé.
His career arc is quite fascinating for someone who turned 19 less than a month ago. You don’t often see players within the big 5 leagues train in Florida’s DME Academy during the early parts of their career, which he did from 2022-24. Leganés signed him in late November 2024 and brought him into the first team following the March international break. His three goals and assists from 10 La Liga appearances (6 starts) was a solid return when also accounting for his age.
RB Leipzig saw enough and spent roughly €20m over the summer to acquire the Ivorian, and the early results look promising. 8.6 90s is not a robust sample, but he fits the profile of a high volume dribbler with some promise as a playmaker.
The obvious appeal with Diomandé is how gifted of a dribbler and carrier he is. So far in 2025-26, he’s tied for 11th in the Bundesliga for carries which led to a chance or a shot according to Opta Analyst. Among wingers and attacking midfielders in the big 5 leagues, on a per 90 basis he’s in the 98th percentile for progressive carries, carries into the final third, and carries into the penalty box via FBref. Any metric which tries to quantify dribbling and carry prowess, he’s been among the best in Europe.
Those stats help illustrate how versatile Diomandé is off the dribble. In deeper areas, he can string together quick dribbles to evade opponents. It’s been the case on either flank due to him comfortably utilizing either foot. Even when dealing with contact, he can absorb those blows and not lose possession so often to be a hindrance. The level of functional strength he’s shown is impressive for a teenager. Once he gets to his 2nd and 3rd step when facing forward, the opposition has a hard time catching up to him, which has been the case in both Spanish and German football.
Higher up the pitch, he’s already shown the ability to consistently beat his marker using a quick burst. You’ll see him almost lull his opponent into a false sense of security before getting separation by attacking the defender’s hips. Because of his comfort utilizing both feet, it allows him to be less predictable on when he’ll try to attack the byline. His strength allows him to duck and power through gaps to get into the wide areas of the box. You can argue that maybe he relies on his gifts so much that he slows the tempo down too often into static 1v1s, but it’s understandable given how successful he’s been so far.
It’s all well and good to be a high volume dribbler, but reliably making the correct read afterwards is what separates the good from the great. In Diomandé’s case, the building blocks are there. During progressive carries, he’s looking to try and hit teammates into space which can turn into dangerous sequences. This occurred twice vs Stuttgart, with one registering as a key pass. He’s quite active at looking for quick 1-2’s to get forward, with a good example being his goal vs Augsburg. While very simple, his square passes have so far shown to be consistently weighted which helps his teammates prepare their next action. The majority of his created chances so far this season have been laterals from around the box, rather than throughballs or crosses (a weakness of his at the moment).
Off the ball is the biggest concern with Diomandé’s skill-set at the moment. Interestingly, this is more to do with the lack of off-ball movement rather than out of possession. Defensively, he’s willing to track back and help his full-backs, and is active in counterpressing situations. You wouldn’t classify him as a liability compared to others of a similar archetype.
Higher up the pitch, he’s most likely to make something happen through those quick combinations previously mentioned. Other than that, you’ll see him regularly be idle on either flank for stretches of play. Maybe he’ll jog into the box to provide an option, but not done so with authority. Those underlapping runs into the box for cut-backs can be quite powerful in the final third. Some of the best attackers in the world profit heavily from those cuts, but at the moment, it’s not something in Diomandé’s repertoire.
In general, Diomandé rarely surveys the pitch to look for forward space through movement, including losing out on opportunities at attacking the back post when teammates are attempting crosses. Perhaps some of it is done by design tactically, but even still, he could stand to be more adventurous in this area because there are goal scoring looks being left on the table. While an xG/shot of 0.12 is pretty decent for a non-striker, some of this is fuelled by him being able to benefit from clear looks during transitions.
Diomandé’s profile currently is the prototypical 1v1 winger, someone you often give the ball to in different match scenarios and he can help move you into valuable areas. The ability to absorb contact without breaking too much of his stride, in addition to elite burst, makes him a handful to deal with as a dribbler and progressive carrier of the ball. There’s some optimism with his passing and playmaking, although I think the numbers are maybe a bit too rosy at the moment. Off-ball movement is decidedly a weakness of his, and if that continues, there becomes a hard limit on how many goals and assists he can produce over the course of a season.
Such an archetype has a narrower pathway towards stardom since almost all of their value comes from what they can do on the ball. If one was to add further skepticism, they’d remark on the lack of fullbacks in the Bundesliga who can capably defend in 1v1s. As well, higher end athletes in La Liga can noticeably stand out compared to the rest of the pack. That said, even with the small sample size available, there’s enough in the tape to suggest he will remain tough to contain no matter which league he next moves to. Having either foot to rely on makes it a little easier as an on-ball initiator. If the off-ball stuff doesn’t change markedly, Diomandé has to become a high-end chance creator or risk topping out as a fun winger who resides a couple levels below the best at his position.
There’s an obvious comparison to be made with Jérémy Doku during his early years with Stade Rennais, and it has some merit. Both Diomandé and Doku as teenage talents showed the capacity to handle a ton of 1v1 situations because of a first step that could help them regularly blow by their marker. In addition, strong two-footedness helped amplify their on-ball gifts to make them less predictable from wide areas. Their statistical profiles have some similarities, although Diomandé has the edge with both shot volume and locations.
For their similarities, there are differences between the two. For one, Diomandé is stronger than Doku was at the same age. Despite the former’s better shot profile, the latter was arguably more active off the ball. While not a strength of either, Doku would try to make off-ball runs along the flanks to potentially help set up teammates in the box. Crossing is an area where Doku, even at that age, had a notable advantage. Doku probably had the edge in burst over short distances, but Diomandé is arguably faster over longer distances.
Without any improvements off the ball, could Diomandé eventually reach the level of creator Doku has ascended to? It’s possible, although not guaranteed. It took several years of reps, along with some positional tweaking, for the Belgian star to become the fearsome play driver he currently is. His performance vs Liverpool was illustrative of how terrifying he’s become, and with him now regularly providing assists in matches, this season is shaping to be his best by a considerable distance. Diomandé is already producing goals and assists at a higher rate than Doku when both were teenagers, but it remains to be seen whether the Ivorian can become the kind of attacker with strong underlying numbers.
Despite Diomandé’s limited resume in European football so far, it’s easy to see why people are excited about him. There’s the outline of a future star with the skill-set he’s flashed, although considerable development is needed to reach such a lofty level. If he can become the kind of winger who torches fullbacks all the time and regularly creates chances for others, then it might not be too long before Yan Diomandé is considered a star in European football.
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Verbruggen has the potential to be a truly elite keeper. He’s 23 and could be our GK for the next 10 years. His shot stopping is improving all the time, he’s excellent with his feet, and he has multiple PL seasons experience.Tottenham's being liked with James Trafford and Bart Verbruggen.
Verbruggen will cost a small fortune.
Tottenham eye Bart Verbruggen as Guglielmo Vicario replacement
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing 23-year-old goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Brighton & Hove Albion.thehardtackle.com
James Trafford Transfer from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
Follow the latest news on the transfer of James Trafford from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur.www.transferfeed.com
He would be worth the money.
Trafford is a liability and we would be wise to steer well clear of him. Not good enough to be first choice.
Lewises OUT!
Same ol fucking shite.
I'm NOT going through Baldcunt-tier gaslighting again and teen-prospect project bullshit.
You fucking bring in a couple of proper quality fucking players you fucking cretin cunts, or fuck off!!!
Not doing this again!!!
Sell up and fuck off!
Fucking bloodsuckers.
Same ol fucking shite.
I'm NOT going through Baldcunt-tier gaslighting again and teen-prospect project bullshit.
You fucking bring in a couple of proper quality fucking players you fucking cretin cunts, or fuck off!!!
Not doing this again!!!
Sell up and fuck off!
Fucking bloodsuckers.
I would never tire of punching that face.
Mate we here this every year...it's only such and such a date, let's judge at the end of window.
It will be very obvious if there's a clear shift in our recruitment MO
If there isn't, Thinky is right, they need to fuck off.
Oh I agree but we need experienced first 11 players now - along with talented youngsters.
This is one window where I’d like to see us use World Cup leverage to move on a couple of internationals and fringe internationals that I don’t think are good enough.
I’d like to see upgrades at 6, LW, LB and ST as well as a better choice at 8. Obviously, most of this won’t happen (and probably won’t even in the summer). If we get two of these positions upgraded in January then I’ll be shocked and happy. Incoming without sales is just going to mean more headache loans to sort out.
I’d like to see upgrades at 6, LW, LB and ST as well as a better choice at 8. Obviously, most of this won’t happen (and probably won’t even in the summer). If we get two of these positions upgraded in January then I’ll be shocked and happy. Incoming without sales is just going to mean more headache loans to sort out.
People expecting some mass clear out in January, or even this summer are setting themselves up for disappointment.
Levy being gone won't have any material impact on our recruitment, the Lewis' are the ones with the purse, and really can't see them start splashing cash. Just expect more the same, in other words not quite enough.
Levy being gone won't have any material impact on our recruitment, the Lewis' are the ones with the purse, and really can't see them start splashing cash. Just expect more the same, in other words not quite enough.
Indeed.
The only business Spurs will do in Jan is to give a new contract to Bentencur.
Dragusin, Kulu, Solanke, Takai coming back from injury will be our January additions. And looking forward to our big summer signing - Madisson.