Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market in the last few months has been a huge success, with the board completing deals for numerous top-level talents.
Thomas Frank will no doubt have been hoping the hierarchy would have given him the opportunity to improve the options at his disposal ahead of his debut campaign in North London.
The biggest deal came in the form of Mohammed Kudus, with the winger costing a total of £55m from Premier League rivals West Ham United – a fee that already looks to be a bargain.
He’s already registered four assists in his first two league outings for the Lilywhites, with the Ghanaian currently the joint highest goal creator in the entire division.
However, with January rapidly approaching, the Dane will no doubt be eying up further deals to help his side be competitive in England’s top-flight and in the closing stages of the Champions League group stage.
Spurs’ hunt for added attacking reinforcements in January
Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been named as just one Premier League club currently in the race to sign Brentford forward Kevin Schade in January.
The German has caught the eye of Frank once more, after the 51-year-old previously signed the attacker during his stint in charge at the GTEC Community Stadium.
It’s been reported that the Lilywhites are already working on a winter deal for the 23-year-old, with a fee in the region of £48m mooted for his signature at present.
However, he’s not the only forward-minded player on their radar, with the hierarchy also currently considering a move to sign Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo.
The latest report from one Spanish outlet states that the board see the Japanese international as a priority target for the upcoming window, with a £52m price tag, the ballpark figure right now.
It also states that the 24-year-old is keen on a switch to the Premier League in the coming months, seeing such an opportunity as a chance to take his career to the next level.
Why Spurs’ £52m target would be a huge upgrade on Johnson
Spurs haven’t been alien to a big-money attacking signing, as seen by Kudus’ arrival in the summer, but Brennan Johnson is another player who falls into such a category.
The Welsh international cost a staggering £47.5m back in the summer of 2023, joining the Lilywhites from Nottingham Forest in an attempt to improve the right-wing position.
His time in North London over recent years has certainly been topsy-turvy, with numerous highs often being overshadowed by various moments to forget for the 24-year-old.
He’s previously been subject to vile online abuse from his own supporters on social media, but it’s safe to say he proved all of them wrong with his Europa League-winning goal last season.
Frank’s arrival gave the winger the chance to build on his success in 2024/25, but it’s been a couple of months to forget for Johnson, as he’s dropped down the pecking order – whilst being sent off in Kudus’ absence against FC Copenhagen.
It could be about to get a whole lot worse for the forward should Kubo arrive, with the Japanese star certainly pushing last campaign’s top-goalscorer down the order further.
He may be an unknown quantity to many, but when comparing his stats to those of Johnson from 2025/26, they highlight how much of an upgrade he would be on the current winger.
Games played
9
10
Goals & assists
1
2
Progressive carries
3.8
2.3
Progressive passes
2.9
1.4
Pass accuracy
72%
66%
Key passes per 90
1.8
0.7
Take-ons completed
33%
25%
Carries into final third
1.6
0.7
Crosses completed
3.7
3.5
Kubo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by former Barcelona star Xavi, has completed more progressive carries and passes per 90 – numbers which showcase his desire to get balls into dangerous areas whenever possible.
He’s also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst notching more key passes per 90 – which could allow him to add a more creative presence to Frank’s first-team squad.
Other tallies, such as more take-ons completed and more carries into the final third per 9,0 reaffirm his ability with the ball at his feet, which could take some of the responsibility off Kudus in the process.
£52m would be yet another huge statement of intent from the board after the summer deal to land the Ghanaian, but it showcases the ambition they do have to take the Lilywhites to the next level.
As for Johnson, such a deal would all but end his career in North London, with the board desperately needing to offload him to avoid losing a small fortune on their investment.
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