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In the wake of Rodrigo Bentancur‘s ankle injury, Tottenham Hotspur are allegedly intensifying their search for a new midfield player during the January transfer window.
The Uruguayan international, a vital component of Antonio Conte’s squad, had to recover for more than eight months after suffering a devastating ACL injury against Leicester City in February.
Both Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma, who were passed over by Conte, had their Tottenham careers started under Ange Postecoglou during his absence; nevertheless, the Australian’s first-choice midfield pair have both been out at different times in recent weeks.
After receiving five yellow cards and being sent off against Luton Town, Bissouma was recently ordered to serve two suspensions, while Sarr returned from Senegal duty this month with an undisclosed ailment.
Bentancur earned his first start since his ACL injury last season because both men were sidelined for the match against Aston Villa last weekend; nevertheless, the South American’s afternoon was brutally cut short by an ankle problem.
It’s verified by Postecoglou that Bentancur will miss a few more months due to his new issue, and it’s yet unknown how long Sarr’s illness will last to go away.
For Sunday’s matchup against champions Manchester City, Spurs’ main central alternatives are Bissouma, Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Giovani Lo Celso. James Maddison is also sidelined until 2024 due to an ankle injury.
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Since Sarr and Bissouma are both scheduled to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Spurs were already expected to bolster their engine room. According to a report from Football Insider, the Lilywhites will now step up their efforts to bring in additional engine room personnel.
The North London giants are rumoured to have discussed midfield recruits internally over the past few days, and a deal for Kalvin Phillips, the outcast of Manchester City, has been seriously considered.
The former Leeds United player has had a forgettable time at the Etihad since joining the champions in 2022, and it is thought that all sides are eager for Phillips to leave Pep Guardiola’s team in January in order to increase his chances of being called up to the Euro 2024 squad.
Midway through the season, a few current Tottenham midfielders have also been linked to departures, with Hojbjerg rumoured to be on Juventus’ short list of possible Paul Pogba successors.
Although the Argentine isn’t in a rush to leave Tottenham, Barcelona is reportedly holding out hope of landing Lo Celso, who will get a run of starts while Maddison is recovering in the locker room.
Spurs shouldn’t make any more cuts to their roster without adding at least one replacement during the winter, and Postecoglou’s team is also expected to be looking to add a new centre back and winger the following month.
Prior to their matchup with Man City on Sunday, the Lilywhites have dropped to sixth place in the Premier League standings, putting them in danger of losing four straight games in the league for the first time since 2004.
