Tottenham Hotspur are on the lookout for new players in January and Ange Postecoglou is believed to be targeting a new player who could help to add depth to a key area in N17.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer updates…
Spurs have made some really encouraging inroads towards being a side that can compete at the top end of the Premier League table under Postecoglou's tutelage; however, the Australian will be keen to ensure his side add sufficient quality in January to maintain their push for a top-four finish.
Midfield looks to be an area of concern for Tottenham and recent reports suggest that Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton is on the radar in north London amid a spate of impressive performances from the youngster in the Championship.
Nevertheless, there will be plenty of competition for his signature, with Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton all making regular checks on his progress. Following the sale of Ashley Phillips from Blackburn Rovers to the Lilywhites in the summer, both clubs are said to be on good terms, which could give Tottenham an advantage in negotiations.
On the flip side, Rodrigo Bentancur's long-term injury looks to have had an adverse impact regarding the futures of both Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, who will be kept around in January amid Spurs' lack of options to complement their engine room, as per Football Insider.
Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Richarlison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Pape Sarr and Uruguay international Bentancur are all on the sidelines due to various injury concerns, leaving Postecoglou short of options in multiple key areas amid a congested fixture schedule.
Now, one position where Spurs are keen to strengthen has become clearer as the January transfer window approaches, according to a report.
Tottenham Hotspur eye Koki Machida
According to reports from Belgium via Sport Witness, Tottenham are eyeing a swoop for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise defender Koki Machida and discussions have been held over the Japan international.
Koki Machida statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
18
Goals
0
Assists
0
No official bid has been made by Spurs; however, it is believed that Royale Union Saint-Gilloise would be open to letting the 26-year-old go for a fee of €15 million (£12.8m). Nevertheless, the ideal scenario for the Jupiler Pro League side would be to sell Machida and then re-sign him on a loan basis until the end of the season.
Being a lucrative option on the market due to the rarity of available left-footed central defenders around Europe, Machida has excelled in the Belgian top flight this term, recording 2.1 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 2.4 clearances per match (Machida statistics – WhoScored).
Unusually, Machida also provides a relatively strong offensive threat and can create chances with regularity from deep, evidenced in the fact he has successfully carried out 21 shot-creating actions this season in the Jupiler Pro League (Machida statistics – FBRef).
Looking ahead, Tottenham could do a lot worse than to target the Japanese defender in January as a potential solution to their injury crisis.
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BySean Markus Clifford