Tottenham to rectify glaring transfer mistake with spectacular £70m January signing, despite alarming red flag

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to launch a big-money offer for a top Premier League left-sided attacker in the January transfer window, although TEAMtalk explains why a swoop could prove hazardous.

It’s been a decent start to the Thomas Frank era for Spurs, although there has been a glaring issue that almost certainly needs a January fix when it comes to the left-wing position.

The failure to truly replace legendary trophy-winning skipper Son Heung-min is growing ever more obvious, with a feeling that Frank is using summer signing Xavi Simons out there because his other options are simply not good enough.

Simons was signed off the back of what he was doing in the No.10 position at RB Leipzig, but he has so far mainly been eased into his new environment playing out wide in the problem left-wing role.

Brennan Johnson started the new campaign in Son’s old position, while Wilson Odobert has also been given a shot at making a mark there, with neither convincing.

To that end, Tottenham are expected to add to Frank’s attack and give him a more natural left-sided option to balance out his attack.

One player who continues to be linked wth a witch to north London is Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, who has the ability to play on the left and right flanks.

And now a fresh report from TBR Football has detailed how the likes of Spurs, Manchester City and Aston Villa could all make moves for the player in the new year – although they may end up disappointed.

The 25-year-old only signed a new deal with the Cherries back in July, penning a contract that will go through to 2030, although it’s been reported that there is no release clause attached – sparking rumours of a potential bidding war as a result.

Semenyo has started the new campaign in spectacular fashion, scoring four goals and laying on two assists so far for a Bournemouth side currently sitting in the top six in the Premier League table.

In a caveat to those transfer links, however, the report adds that Adoni Iraola’s men are expected to resist any offers for a player who could cost as much as £70million (€80m / $94m). Money talks, though, and Bournemouth have shown in the past that they will cash in on their top stars at the right price.

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Literal Semenyo red flag for Tottenham

One major thing that Tottenham will have to take into account, if they do indeed launch a concrete offer for Semenyo, is his affiliation to Arsenal.

Spurs learned an incredibly harsh lesson over the summer when they thought they had a deal signed, sealed and delivered for Eberechi Eze, only for the Gunners to jump in at the 11th hour and snatch the England attacker.

When everything came to light, it was no real shock as to why Eze changed his mind and snubbed a move to the white half of north London, given that he was discarded by Arsenal as a youngster but remained a huge fan of the club.

Similar concerns are also there with Semenyo, although not quite to the same extent.

Speaking to The Athletic previously, the 25-year-old openly admitted his dream is to eventually play for a club in the Champions League or Europa League – and that he is an Arsenal supporter.

“I am an Arsenal fan,” Semenyo said last October. “I don’t conflict the two with my job.

“It is great to play against Arsenal, a team I have watched all my life and I want to play for the top clubs as well. In order for that to happen I need to prove it.”

While not exactly an admission that he wants to join an Arsenal side who arguably don’t need him anyway, Spurs need to be careful that Semenyo does not use them in any way to secure a better deal elsewhere – whether that is in January or potentially next summer instead.

Indeed, something similar happened when it came to Morgan Gibbs-White securing his new contract at Nottingham Forest, while Savinho, who Spurs bid for more than once last summer, is set for a new contract at Manchester City too.

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