Tottenham Hotspur manager Enze Postecoglou’s plans for the January transfer window are clear. His top priority is a center back. Wingers and central midfielders are next.
Tottenham have been impressive this season under Postecoglou with their up-the-line, attacking soccer. They try to press hard from the front and then create goals with sharp attacks from Son Heung-min and James Maddison. Then, they pulled up the defense to create space and create chances.
The result was the icing on the cake. Unbeaten since the start of the season, and at one point leading the league, they lost the core of their defense against Chelsea when Cristian Romero and Mickey van der Vaart were sent off and injured, respectively. This, coupled with injuries to the likes of Maddison and Michy Batshuayi, led to back-to-back defeats to Wolverhampton and Aston Villa and a third consecutive league loss. A draw at Man City turned things around somewhat, and they’ve recently gotten back on track with three straight league wins.
However, the crisis is far from over. In order to implement Postecoglou’s style of football, reinforcements are still needed in the January transfer window, most notably to fill the gaps left by Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, and Pape Sarr, who are away at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
Postecoglou is preparing a midfield reshuffle to fill the void left by Bissouma and Sarr. Spurs plan to sell Joivier and Eric Dier, who have not been given a chance under Postecoglou, and bring in the players the manager wants.
One of those players is Chelsea midfielder Gallagher. “Tottenham are still interested in Gallagher and Chelsea will consider any offer that comes in for him in January,” according to Sky Sports in the UK.
The report goes on to explain how Tottenham became interested in Gallagher. “Spurs are understood to have drawn up an offer for Gallagher during the summer transfer window, but Chelsea ultimately decided not to sell him, citing his impressive performances in the closing stages of the transfer window and the lack of a replacement,” the publication said, noting that Spurs had been interested in Gallagher since the summer transfer window.
“Gallagher continued to impress under Mauricio Pochettino, captaining the team on several occasions. However, with 18 months to go until his contract expires, there is no sign of Gallagher signing a new deal and Tottenham are monitoring the situation closely.”
Gallagher, who has played for Chelsea since childhood, came through the ranks during his loan spell at Crystal Palace in the 2021-22 season. He reached career highs in an attacking role in the second line and returned to Chelsea after a successful loan spell. After a brief dip in form in 2022-23, he’s been a key player for Chelsea this season, making an impact in the second and third lines.
It is this aspect of Gallagher’s game that has caught the eye of Postecoglou. According to the Express, “Postecoglou is understood to want a new central midfielder to complete his midfield overhaul. Gallagher is a player Tottenham are interested in. However, they must sell Hojbjerg and make a move for him.”
However, Postecoglou’s top priority in the January transfer window is not a central midfielder, but a center back.
According to the Telegraph, “Postecoglou is prioritizing a new center back. In an ideal world, he would also like a new winger and a No.8 midfielder, but it remains to be seen if all of that can be achieved in January. Jota, who worked with the manager at Celtic, could join, and Gallagher is also interested, but it is doubtful that Chelsea will have the £40-50 million they want.”
In the center back position, Genoa’s Leroy Deulofeuille is the leading candidate. “Tottenham are monitoring Dragucin and are keen on Lille’s Claire-Todibeau,” the outlet says. However, Lille do not want Todibo to leave in January.”