“I trust Ange and am ready to sign any player he wishes to have”: Daniel Levy about to ‘explore’ move for £210k-p/w star after Postecoglou declares interest in him.
Tottenham could explore a move for one club’s £210,000-per-week player as Ange Postecoglou wishes to bolster a particular area of the Spurs squad.
Spurs look to January amid squad depth conundrum
The Lilywhites’ gaping lack of squad depth has been seriously exposed of late, coming after a plethora of injuries and suspensions stripped it to the bare bones. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, after their red cards in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea two weeks ago, have been suspended, but that’s just the start of Postecoglou’s issues.
A bigger worry comes in the form of injuries to star summer signings Micky van de Ven and James Maddison, with both men now expected to be out until 2024. Spurs were flying atop the Premier League and unbeaten not so long ago, but their loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea swung the pendulum with Postecoglou’s contrasting fortunes now set to really put him to the test.
Tottenham face off against in-form Aston Villa at the weekend, while an even tougher encounter against league champions Man City awaits them soon afterwards. While both van de Ven and Maddison will be back in January, the transfer window could represent an opportunity to strengthen in key positions for the second half of 2023/2024.
Postecoglou is apparently keen to sign a centre-back, as well as a new winger, given injuries to Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Richarlison.
Spurs could “explore” Raphinha move
The north Londoners have been linked with Al-Ittihad winger Jota as a result, while another player who could come into the frame is Barcelona star Raphinha. The Brazilian could apparently leave Xavi’s side next year, leading to some reports that Tottenham are interested in acquiring his services.
According to Football Insider, and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Tottenham could “explore a move” for Raphinha if he becomes available at the right price.
On a £210,000-per-week wage, as per this report, the former Leeds star has made nine La Liga appearances this season, scoring two goals and adding an assist to boot. Raphinha is also proven in the Premier League, dazzling when at Elland Road, so this swoop could be an intriguing one.
However, some reports suggest that the South American could cost around £61 million, and it remains to be seen whether sporting director Johan Lange will have that kind of money to spend on a wide player – especially given Spurs’ desire to bring in a new defender. There is no doubting his quality, though, with former Leeds striker Noel Whelan calling Raphinha a player capable of “magic”.
“Raphinha is fantastic on the ball, great on the eye and can produce moments of magic that other players simply can’t,” said Whelan to Football Insider.
“But what I really like is his work out of possession. He is not afraid to really work hard, track back and double-up with the full-back. It is an attribute you sometimes don’t get with technically talented players. They do one side of it but not the other. That is not the case with Raphinha, though.”
