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Manchester United have struggled at both ends of the field this season, but particularly in attack, as only two teams have netted fewer Premier League goals.

This has put the Red Devils eighth in the league, a huge 14 points behind Liverpool, who are in first.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

With that in mind, Erik ten Hag will surely look to bolster his team in January, with a focus on improving the attack certainly on the agenda.

Man Utd transfers latest – Paulo Dybala

According to Graeme Bailey via mufcMPB, United have the opportunity to sign Paulo Dybala, who has been described as a “little genius” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

The Argentine is keen to leave Roma, with a move to the Premier League potentially on the cards.

Dybala has a £10m release clause in his contract, which makes him an affordable option for plenty of clubs this winter.

Paulo Dybala’s style of play

With Man United not looking to extend Anthony Martial’s contract, according to The Athletic, the club may let go of their French attacker in January in order to gather funds.

The ex-Monaco star boy has had plenty of injury setbacks over the years, and he has only started seven matches for the Red Devils this season.

Therefore, Dybala could be the perfect Martial replacement, as he would provide experience and class to the relatively youthful United front line. The ex-Juventus gem has played as almost a second striker this season alongside Romelu Lukaku in a 3-5-2, and he has proved to be a goal-scoring and goal-creating machine.

The table below shows statistics from the 2023/24 Serie A season, that indicates he would be a hit at Old Trafford.

Dybala is one of the most elite attackers in Italy, as shown by the percentiles above compared to other Serie A forwards, and his creativity – having produced six goals in 12 league games this term – would elevate United to an entirely new level.

The wizard has a wand of a left foot, which he uses to create moments of magic in the attacking third, as shown by the assists, key passes, and shot-creating actions. The Roma forward, alongside Bruno Fernandes, would supply an endless amount of service to Rasmus Hojlund, which would dramatically improve his output.

The World Cup winner is an incredibly intelligent footballer who can identify pockets of space to receive the ball. This isn’t always in the attacking third, however, as he can drop in deeper to progress the play through ball-carrying or passing. On top of that, he is a set-piece specialist who can put the ball in the back of the net.

Dybala can almost do everything with a football at his feet, and it is no surprise that he has been the heartbeat of every club he has been at. The ex-Palermo prospect is instrumental to the way his side plays, taking on responsibility, which is an aspect that United currently lacks.

Signing the Roma ace for a bargain £10m could be the steal of the window, yet the only downside to Dybala is his injury record. However, the United boss could fix that by managing his minutes and not overplaying the Argentine, which means it isn’t a huge concern. Most importantly, what he could bring to the side could just change United’s season entirely.

As Sunderland look to regain their play-off place in the Championship, Michael Beale and co are reportedly looking to bolster their attacking options, with transfer rumours linking the Black Cats to moves for the likes of Kieffer Moore.

Now, however, those at The Stadium of Light have reportedly turned their attention to a new player who is arguably overdue a big move.

Sunderland transfer news

It's no real surprise that Sunderland are looking to add to their frontline, with Championship stats highlighting their difficulties in front of goal. No side has scored less than the Black Cats' 37 goals in the top half in what makes for alarming reading when considering their play-off ambitions. The arrival of a fresh face to lead the line could yet solve that problem, however. According to recent reports, Sunderland have identified Bournemouth's Moore as a top target this month.

If they fail to land the Welshman though, they could turn their attention elsewhere in English football to sign a player who is more than ready for a step up. According to journalist Graeme Bailey for HITC, Sunderland are interested in signing Macaulay Langstaff from Notts County, who only recently lost manager Luke Williams to Swansea City.

Losing Langstaff so soon after would undoubtedly be a major blow, but given their £1.5m price-tag on the forward, it remains to be seen whether he'll be heading for the exit door. If Sunderland are to secure the forward's signature, then they'll reportedly have to fend off interest from Derby County, Peterborough United, Hearts, Wrexham and Birmingham City in a tight race to get a potential deal done.

West Ham desperate to ward off Sunderland interest in "top player"

The Black Cats want to snap him up on loan in January.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 17, 2024

"Special" Langstaff could star in the Championship

After playing a central role in Notts County's promotion from the National League last season, Langstaff and his side have picked up exactly where they left off to compete for a place in the League Two play-offs. It's no real shock to see those at a higher level now linked with the forward, given his rise over the last three seasons.

Langstaff's stats represent a player ready to step up a level or two. The forward has scored a stunning 92 goals since the 2021/22 campaign and already has as many as 20 in just 29 games in all competitions this season. If Sunderland want to solve their goalscoring problem, then Langstaff could be the man that Beale should turn to. Some may have concerns over Langstaff's ability to step up not one but two levels, yet his stats since stepping up to League Two suggest that he has no trouble adjusting and upping his game even more with each season.

The 26-year-old previously earned the deserved praise of former manager Williams, who said:

"He is very special, and we must enjoy the time that we get to see him on the pitch and hopefully it is for a long time to come. You never know, but let’s savour having Macca on the pitch and enjoy what he brings to us.”

Newcastle may be forced to sell their highly-rated teenager Yankuba Minteh to Liverpool as they face pressure to comply with Premier League rules.

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• Newcastle may have to sell Minteh
• Slot worked with 19-year-old at Feyenoord
• Newcastle face pressure to meet PSR rules

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Newcastle's Minteh spent last season on loan at Feyenoord under the guise of Arne Slot, the new Liverpool manager. Despite Minteh not featuring once for the Magpies, the club may have to cash-in on the winger due to their financial problems. Newcastle will look for around £40 million for the teenager,

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Newcastle have to sell before they buy this summer as the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules prevent them from spending freely. Selling Minteh could allow them flexibility to make the purchases they want in the transfer market, having signed him for just £6.5 million last summer. Although, this could mean Liverpool swoop in and steal Minteh for a cut-price deal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Minteh scored 10 goals and registered five assists in 27 games for Feyenoord last season, impressing Slot and his coaching staff. The Gambia international has also already made four appearances for his national side and is just 19-years-old.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MINTEH?

  Minteh's future depends on the departures at Newcastle. Should major departures of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak happen, Minteh may remain at the club. What is for certain, however, is Minteh will be playing at a top level next season.

Tottenham have looked at signing a £15.5 million alternative to the heavily-linked Club Brugge sensation Antonio Nusa, with the Norwegian's transfer saga taking many twists and turns over the last 48 hours.

Brentford deal stalls with Nusa race open

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was thought to have been dealt a serious blow over the weekend when Premier League rivals Brentford unceremoniously hijacked the Lilywhites' deal for Nusa.

Paratici tells Spurs to sign club's "most important player", approach made

There’s been contact.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 28, 2024

The Bees, as reported by reliable sources, were believed to have agreed a deal to sign the 18-year-old ahead of Tottenham, despite the latter side being in rumoured talks for over a week.

It was a transfer twist few saw coming, especially given the plethora of reports suggesting Spurs were firmly in the driving seat to sign Nusa before January deadline day in just a few days time.

However, in yet another unexpected development regarding Nusa's future, Brentford's deal to sign the dazzling teenage winger stalled at the last minute, with Belgian transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri (among others) claiming Nusa failed his medical.

Now, it is believed the race to sign Nusa on a buy-to-loan-back deal before February 1 is open again, and this could open the door for Spurs to make a last-gasp move after all (David Ornstein).

It'll now be interesting to see if Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, technical director Johan Lange and the club's recruitment team opt to resurrect a deal for Nusa, regardless of his reported medical roadblocks.

Tottenham have looked at signing Nusa alternative in Samuel Iling-Junior

If not, there are alternatives to the Scandinavian, as reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold points out in his latest transfer piece. Indeed, it is believed Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior is among the names considered in that regard.

The 20-year-old is struggling for starting places under Massimiliano Allegri, making zero in Serie A this season with all of his 12 appearances coming off the substitutes' bench.

As per Gold, Spurs have looked at signing IIling-Junior among a host of other young wingers as they continue their policy of buying young stars for the future.

Previous reports have claimed he'd cost around £15.5 million to prise away from Turin, with members of the media like Dean Jones calling him an "exciting" player.

Another reporter, Michele Neri, has also likened the "very quick" forward to AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

The FA are unlikely to part ways with manager Gareth Southgate even if England perform poorly at Euro 2024.

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• FA won't sack Southgate
• Contract expires at the end of 2024
• England begin campaign on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Southgate's future as England head coach has been a subject of speculation for some time now. His current deal expires at the end of 2024 and he had earlier hinted that he could leave the job if his team fails to win the European Championship this year.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, according to the , the FA bosses do not have any plan to part ways with their head coach as they want the 53-year-old to lead the Three Lions to the 2026 World Cup in North America. It is unlikely that the manager would lose his job even if England crash out of the group stages of Euro 2024.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The English coach was briefly linked with a move to Manchester United earlier this summer, however, the Red Devils later decided to retain the services of Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARETH SOUTHGATE?

  Southgate's side will begin their Euro 2024 journey on Sunday as they take on Serbia at Veltins Arena in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Throughout the 2023/24 season, Chelsea have been in woeful form, losing 16 Premier League games so far. In recent weeks, however, it felt as if they may be finally finding their feet once again.

Mauricio Pochettino's men have even found themselves in the final of the Carabao Cup following a convincing 6-1 win against Championship side, Middlesbrough, in the semi-finals.

But, just eight days after the clash, they fell back into their lacklustre form and lost 4-1 against fellow Carabao Cup finalists, Liverpool.

To rub even more salt into their wounds, during Sunday's clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the west London club somehow managed to concede four against Gary O'Neil's men, which resulted in a 4-2 win for the Midlands-based club.

The Blues currently sit in 11th place, 15 points adrift of the top four spots which they were supposedly gunning for at the start of the season.

Why Malo Gusto needs to be benched

Although none of Chelsea's players received a rating of over 7/10 courtesy of The Evening Standard, Malo Gusto in particular had a poor day in the office.

The France international received the joint lowest rating of 3/10 with record British transfer signing, Moises Caicedo. The pair were never really in the game and Gusto's passing was near catastrophic.

Not only was his passing below par, the defender also lost 10/12 of the duels he faced throughout the game, according to Sofascore. These numbers are simply woeful and outline how poorly the youngster played during the game. To make matters worse, the full-back was even to blame for the late penalty Chelsea conceded, bringing down Matheus Cunha who sealed his hat-trick.

When compared to Nelson Semedo of Wolves, the Portugal international managed to win over half of his 11 duels as he came out on top six times. So, with Gusto losing out on 10 of the 12 duels he faced, it shows that his head was really not in the game.

In the case of Caicedo, despite setting up Cole Palmers' 14th goal of the season, it was yet another defensive calamity from the Ecuador international.

He lost possession eight times throughout the game, with one of those times leading to Matheus Cunha equalising for Wolves. His poor performance even resulted in him being removed from the game in the 63rd minute.

Who could replace Malo Gusto

One of the main reasons why Gusto is starting for Chelsea in the first place is because of the recent injuries Chelsea's star man, Reece James has been through.

As per Transfermarkt, the England international has missed a total of 28 games across the season thus far and is set to be sidelined until at least the 11th of March.

Without James in the squad, Chelsea have few options for the right-back role. Before he was also injured, Trevoh Chalobah had been deployed in the full-back position.

Since then, however, the position has been shared by Axel Disasi and Gusto. With that in mind, Disasi is the clear option to replace the youngster at right-back for the time being.

Although the former Monaco man is naturally a centre-back, his defensive abilities would help sure-up Pochettino's defence.

During the game against Wolves, Disasi was deployed at centre-back and, as per Sofascore he won 100% of his ground duels.

That means he would likely be a much safer option at this moment in time, as Gusto may still need time to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League.

However, once James has returned from injury, he will likely be slotted into Chelsea's first-team sooner rather than later.

The abject Azzurri suffered an embarrassingly meek exit at Euro 2024, losing 2-0 in Berlin to a vastly superior Switzerland side

Italy's reign as champions of Europe is over – and about time too. The Azzurri may have illuminated Euro 2020 with their uncharacteristically adventurous style of play but their title defence in Germany has been seriously tough to watch.

Indeed, the one good thing about their Euro 2024 campaign is that it was brought to a mercifully premature end by Switzerland on Saturday evening, with Murat Yakin's side sealing a fully deserved spot in the quarter-finals with a shockingly comfortable 2-0 win.

Remo Frueler took advantage of some non-existent Italian tracking to give the Swiss the lead just eight minutes before the break, as the defending champions fell behind the fourth time in four games in this tournament.

The Swiss struck again immediately after the interval, with the impressive Ruben Vargas given all the time in the world to pick his spot before bending the ball past the completely unprotected Gigi Donnarumma and into the top corner of the Azzurri net.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Italy players on show as Luciano Spalletti's side were dumped out of the Euros with embarrassing ease by the Swiss, who will now face the winners of England's last-16 meeting with Slovakia…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  The only Italy player that could leave the field with his head held high. Made a good save from Breel Embolo before being twice betrayed by those in front of him.

  Giovanni Di Lorenzo (3/10):

  His lack of pace was once again brutally exposed. Genuinely remarkable how steeply he's declined since captaining Napoli to the Serie A title in 2022-23.

  Gianluca Mancini (2/10):

  Riccardo Calafiori's stock has only risen after seeing how his replacement struggled in his stead. Completely out of his depth – against Switzerland.

  Alessandro Bastoni (4/10):

  Hard not to feel sorry for the Inter man. Not at his very best but deserves to have much better players around him.

  Matteo Darmian (4/10):

  Offered nothing like the same threat as an in-form Federico Dimarco (which we didn't see in Germany, in fairness) but was solid enough, winning a fair bit of possession. By no means the worst Italy player on show, which is not saying much obviously.

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  Midfield

  Bryan Cristante (2/10):

  Italy fans feared the worst when they saw the Roma man included in the starting line-up – and rightly so. His passing accuracy was decent but only because he took zero risks. May as well have not been on the pitch.

  Nicolo Fagioli (3/10):

  Strange that he even made the squad after missing most of the season because of a betting ban. Why he was selected here is anyone's guess. Made a couple of tackles but his awareness of midfield runners around him was non-existent and he consistently gave the ball away.

  Nicolo Barella (2/10):

  If we're being kind, we could say that he was hindered by injury coming into this tournament, and he picked up an early knock here, but he's made a mockery of his reputation as a world-class midfielder in the last few games. Meant to be the one Italy midfielder capable of picking a pass and causing problems in the opposition box but offered nothing going forward. Picked up a booking borne of pure frustration before being hooked midway through the second half.

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  Attack

  Federico Chiesa (4/10):

  Always wanted the ball but did very little with it. Depressing to see how much he's regressed since Euro 2020.

  Gianluca Scamacca (3/10):

  Once again horribly isolated up front but failed dismally to prove a decent out-ball for his side. Italy's lack of striking options is truly shocking.

  Stephan El Shaarawy (2/10):

  Hadn't kicked a ball in the group stage yet inexplicably selected to start here with predictably disastrous results. Subbed at half-time after 45 painfully ineffective minutes.

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  Subs & Manager

  Mattia Zaccagni (5/10):

  Entitled to ask why El Shaaraway started ahead of him after his crucial goal against Croatia. Brought on during the break and at least showed some energy and enthusiasm.

  Mateo Rategui (5/10):

  Thrown on in place of Barella in the 64th minute but never looked like scoring.

  Lorenzo Pellegrini (N/A):

  Only came on for the last 15 minutes.

  Andrea Cambiaso (N/A):

  Part of a double substitution with Pellegrini, replacing Darmian. Not enough time to make an impact.

  Davide Frattessi (N/A):

  Came on for Fagioli with seconds to go.

  Luciano Spalletti (3/10):

  It has to be acknowledged that the former Napoli boss is working with a terribly weak group of players but even still, this was the worst performance of a seriously underwhelming campaign from the Azzurri – and by some distance. Some of Spalletti's selections were utterly bizarre and his formation didn't work at all, meaning the notoriously combustible coach is going to come under serious scrutiny in the coming days. An acrimonious exit cannot be ruled out, particularly when one considers Italy only made the last 16 thanks to a 98th-minute equaliser against Croatia.

To put it diplomatically, Crystal Palace fans have endured some mixed results of late – including close-fought wins over Sheffield United and Brentford. However, they have also been subjected to some terrible losses, including a 5-0 thumping at the hands of Arsenal.

That said, one area the club have excelled over the last month is the transfer market, as not only have they managed to keep their most important players, but they have also added to the squad with some intelligent acquisitions in Adam Wharton and Daniel Muñoz.

The latter may have only cost £7m, but his impact could be significant, especially for a player who is already struggling to nail down a starting role in Roy Hodgson's side, Nathaniel Clyne.

The former Liverpool ace has only started 32% of the Eagles' Premier League games this season. Still, he could be about to see that number drop significantly if the Colombian international hits the ground running.

Clyne's season in numbers

The former Liverpool ace, who Dejan Lovren once described as like "a sports car – he's quick, strong and an intelligent guy", has been a Palace player since moving to the club for free in October 2020, and while he has been more than useful in his time in south London, it's clear that his importance is waning.

He is firmly behind club captain Joel Ward in the pecking order – who has started 73% of league games this term – and based on his output this season, it's not hard to see why.

The Englishman has not registered a single goal or assist in his 14 appearances, and his underlying numbers are even worse.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the 32-year-old ranks in the bottom 45% for full-backs for blocks, the bottom 39% for clearances, the bottom 32% for tackles, the bottom 29% for interceptions, the bottom 22% for non-penalty goals and the bottom 20% for successful take ons, all per 90.

Worse yet, those are some of his best statistics, according to FBref, so it seems practically guaranteed that he will see minimal – if any – action from now until the end of the season.

Why Muñoz will usurp Clyne

Fans should definitely be excited about the arrival of Muñoz, as while he might be a relative unknown to fans of the Premier League, he has been an incredibly effective full-back for Belgian giants Genk for years.

In his 17 Jupiler Pro League starts for the side before completing his move this week, he scored five goals and provided one assist, meaning he was averaging a goal involvement once every 2.83 games.

He was just as effective the season prior, scoring seven and providing seven assists in 30 appearances, so it is easy to understand why South American football expert Tim Vickery told Sky Sports that Muñoz has "plenty of goals in him."

In sharp contrast to Clyne's underlying numbers, FBref has placed the Colombian international in the top 1% of full-backs for non-penalty goals, non-penalty expected goals, touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 6% for passes attempted and he ranks incredibly highly for many other metrics.

Granted, in his case, FBref use the next best 14 competitions instead of Europe's top five leagues for comparison, but even if Muñoz were to see those numbers half in the Premier League, then he would still be a far more useful player than Clyne.

Munoz starts alongside “complete” ace in predicted Palace lineup vs Brighton

Roy Hodgson could make four changes on Saturday afternoon.

By
Tom Lever

Feb 2, 2024

Ultimately, this is a transfer that will help improve the Eagles' attacking impetus and finally call an end to Clyne's time at the club.

The Seleccao skipper's frustration very nearly got the better of him as he was forced to play second fiddle to another No.7

Cristiano Ronaldo was meant to be the star of the show in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, but he was completely upstaged by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who illuminated a stunning 2-0 win for Georgia over Portugal. Indeed, the two No.7s couldn't have had more contrasting nights.

A raging Ronaldo was withdrawn after only 65 minutes of play, and just seconds after one of Kvaratskhelia's team-mates had given him a little kiss on the head for drawing a foul at the end of another wondrous dribble.

When the Napoli winger eventually came off himself, he did so to a rapturous round of applause. Kvaratskhelia hadn't just opened the scoring with a well-taken finish, he'd also repeatedly run rings around Portugal in much the same way that Ronaldo used to torment opponents.

In fairness, 'Kvaradona' as he’s known in Naples had been ably supported by Georges Mikautadze, who secured Georgia's place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 – their very first major international tournament – with a penalty awarded for a foul on Luka Lochoshvili by the atrocious Antonio Silva, who was also at fault for Kvaratskhelia's second-minute opener.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Portugal players involved in a bitterly frustrating defeat for Ronaldo & Co. that casts considerable doubt on their title hopes…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Diogo Costa (5/10):

  Nothing he could have done about either goal.

  Antonio Silva (1/10):

  An absolute horror show! First, his dreadful pass was ruthlessly punished by Kvaratskhelia, who left the highly-rated defender trailing in his wake after being released by Mikautadze. Then he gave away a penalty for a reckless swipe at Lochoshvili. Looked a broken man when he came off.

  Danilo Pereira (6/10):

  Passed the ball well, and recovered it several times, too. A solid showing.

  Goncalo Inacio (5/10):

  Won a lot of duels but also misjudged two long balls forwards, thus putting Portugal in unnecessary peril.

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  Midfield

  Diogo Dalot (7/10):

  One of the few Portuguese players to play with the requisite urgency and determination. Also drew a couple of great saves out of Mamardashvili.

  Joao Palhinha (4/10):

  Taken off at half-time for the second game in a row, with Martinez electing to introduce the more attack-minded Ruben Neves with Portugal trailing at the break.

  Joao Neves (5/10):

  Won plenty of possession and kept the ball moving, but the talented youngster didn't really advance his claim for a starting spot. No surprise to see him eventually taken off.

  Pedro Neto (4/10):

  Full of running but booked for a truly embarrassing attempt to con the referee into giving him a free-kick on the edge of the area.

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  Attack

  Francisco Conceicao (4/10):

  Always willing to take on his man to try make something happen but he was woefully wasteful in possession.

  Cristiano Ronaldo (3/10):

  Taken off before he got himself sent off. Ronaldo obviously started because he wanted to break his Euros duck, but he ended up looking the picture of frustration after seeing all his best efforts blocked, and his penalty appeals waved away. For the first time in his career, he's failed to score in the group stage of a Euros or World Cup.

  Joao Felix (4/10):

  Threatened with a couple of decent efforts from distance and picked out Semedo with a nice cross late on – but there was no end product. Story of his career, really.

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  Subs & Goalkeeper

  Ruben Neves (4/10):

  Introduced during the break but his most notable contribution was getting booked just seven minutes after coming on.

  Goncalo Ramos (5/10):

  Replaced Ronaldo midway through the second half but didn't get a single chance.

  Nelson Semedo (5/10):

  Came on for the hapless Antonio Silva shortly after the hour mark and very nearly scored in injury-time.

  Diogo Jota (N/A):

  Should be absolutely outraged that he didn't start – and that he only saw 15 minutes of action.

  Matheus Nunes (N/A):

  Part of a double substitution with Jota and was predictably ineffective.

  Roberto Martinez (3/10):

  Portugal were obviously already assured of top spot but the Spaniard got his team selection all wrong. The decision not to rest a clearly jaded Ronaldo was both ridiculous and spineless, and his much-changed line-up showed a predictable lack of cohesion. This was a game that prompted more questions than answers. The main one: is Martinez capable of getting the best out of this brilliant group of players? Based on what we've seen so far, you'd have to say no.

Ah, just when it seemed like Tottenham Hotspur were gaining momentum, Gary O'Neil painted north London in Old Gold to pull Ange Postecoglou's side back out of the top four.

It was been a campaign that has tantalised progress but still threatened to stamp the same old inconsistency that has marred Spurs over recent years.

Heung-min Son, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are back from international tournaments and while Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie picked up injuries recently, the spark and fluidity within this side should now be starting to coalesce into one system.

And, moreover, Wolverhampton Wanderers' unexpected victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has only allowed Aston Villa to take a two-point lead in fourth place, so Postecoglou will have a firm belief in his team's ability to craft a sequence of positive results, with the new signings combining to charge the efforts.

These new additions – players such as James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Gugliemo Vicario and Brennan Johnson – are all expected to keep leading roles within a Tottenham team challenging for prominence in the Champions League in the years to come.

Spurs already have the dream Harry Kane replacement in teen "superstar"

The north London side is chock-full of prodigious youth talent right now.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 18, 2024

This refreshing approach in the market must now be sustained to filter away the transfer discordance under chairman Daniel Levy, ensuring deals for flops such as Djed Spence do not occur again.

The fee Spurs paid for Djed Spence

In July 2022, Tottenham completed the £20m signing of Spence from Championship side Middlesbrough, with the dynamic right-back a hot prospect after an excellent loan spell with Nottingham Forest.

Brian Laws provided unreserved praise for the rising star after his short-term stint at the City Ground, where he scored three goals and provided five assists across 50 appearances in all competitions, aiding the Tricky Trees in their successful promotion push.

The former Forest star said: "He has been the standout player in the Forest side and we are talking about a full-back. Full-backs do not tend to get many headlines. He grabs them by the handful. In every single game, he has a positive impact.

"He has power going forward, he has electric pace, he has an abundance of skill, he can drop his shoulder, step over, go inside or outside — he is a major threat. I’ve been impressed with his one-to-one defending. He is decent on the back post, he is strong in the air. There is nothing I have seen that you could call a weakness.”

Effusive praise, but not without merit. Spence had indeed produced some complete performances down the right flank and looked like the player to dominate at right-back for Tottenham over the coming years.

£20m was no small sum though, and given that then Spurs boss Antonio Conte expressed that the acquisition was not actually his idea, more that he greenlit it after Levy and co pushed for an agreement, there was always the risk that it would go wrong.

Djed Spence's Spurs career

Spence, now aged 23, has failed to make his mark at Tottenham, having been loaned out to Serie A side Genoa for the 2023/24 campaign.

Once hailed for his “swashbuckling” style by pundit Ian Wright, the £25k-per-week whiz only completed six showings for the Lilywhites before completing a loan move to Rennes on January deadline day last year, and despite some flashes of ability in France, completing 89% of his passes and succeeding with 63% of his dribbles and 61% of his duels, as per Sofascore, Postecoglou was not convinced.

In fairness, the full-back wasn't really given much of a chance and failed to receive more than three minutes of Premier League action under Conte, underscoring the fact that the Italian gaffer simply didn't agree with the purchase.

But he has absolutely nothing positive to show from his time at Tottenham and may well be an even worse signing than Bryan Gil, who is widely accepted to be a disappointment at the club after making the move from Sevilla for £21m in 2021, with Erik Lamela heading the other way too.

Gil, also 23 years old, has not done anything of note this term but at least he has been a part of Postecoglou's plans, earning 11 displays and showing glimpses of fleet-footed quality.

Blighted by injuries once more this season, Spence's loan spell with Leeds United was cut short last month and he has since moved to Italy. The fact he keeps getting shipped out on loan would lend itself to the very fact that he has been a more pointless acquisition than Gil.

Of course, there will still be hope that Spence can turn the tide but it certainly doesn't look like he will take Porro's place in Spurs' starting line-up any time soon, and after being left as an unused substitute for Genoa's past two league encounters, there will be heightened concerns that he is set to endure further months of disgruntlement.

Djed Spence's current market value in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory's valuation model, Spence is currently valued at just £4m, which marks a £16m depreciation in less than two years, at a stage of his career when the trajectory should only be pointing skyward.

This 80% decrease in value is not the nail-on-the-coffin tag that could end his hopes of flourishing, but he will need to sort out fitness issues and stabilise his form so that the figure starts to rise once again.

As the table above shows, Spence has much natural quality and Tottenham were not exactly foolish to push for his signature, but Neil Warnock once famously said: "You could be playing for Bromley next year, or you could be in the Premier League."

Only time will tell if Spence will rise to the task and cement himself at the highest level, but it's unlikely that he will find a fruitful career down N17.

No club will hit the mark with every transfer venture but Tottenham can mitigate the inaccuracy by maintaining this new method that has, in theory, worked so well under Postecoglou so far.

Levy engineered the transfer of Porro from Sporting Lisbon just over one year ago and there is little question that the Spaniard's performances have eclipsed anything that Spence mustered for Tottenham.

Ultimately, Spence's signing hasn't worked out and when summer comes around all parties must accept this fact candidly and work on a solution to end Spence's stay and allow him to build his career up elsewhere.