Tottenham have now turned their attentions to a new signing in January as they look to fix a problem area for manager Ange Postecoglou in a bid to deliver silverware to north London.
Tottenham continue inconsistent start to the season
Following their 4-0 statement win over Manchester City, Spurs have been held to two draws in six days. Conceding in stoppage time to Roma, they were then held to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League by Fulham, who played the final minutes of the game with 10 men.
After the game, Postecoglou was quick to point out the problems that faced the Lilywhites as their mixed form continued, claiming that his second choice defenders would naturally see a drop off in performance.
“I’ve seen so much violin-playing over [other teams having] one centre-back out, but we’re just supposed to get on with it,” Postecoglou told reporters.
“Benny and Radu have been outstanding throughout this spell. I mean there aren’t too many teams in the league who have both their centre-backs out.
“I love the characters they’re showing. I love the fact that they’re not seeking excuses or wanting me to make allowances for it. But at some point, I need to also acknowledge the massive effort that all these guys are putting in. Radu and Ben were outstanding again today.”
It is not the first time that Spurs have found themselves in this position in Postecoglou’s reign, with both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missing chunks of last season too but Spurs opting not to add another defender to their ranks over the summer.
Now just a point ahead of Manchester United, Spurs are turning their attentions to the January transfer window, and have reportedly identified a potential solution to their defensive issues.
Tottenham eyeing £25m signing
That comes according to reliable journalist Mike McGrath, who reports that Tottenham are one of as many as seven sides keeping tabs on Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov ahead of a potential January swoop.
The Uzbek defender, who joined Lens in 2023 for just €100,000, has quickly risen through the ranks to become a key man for Will Still’s side, and has drawn no shortage of praise in the process.
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Taking to X, Football Analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him an “absolute unit” and a “warrior” who “just loves to defend”, adding that he has been “really impressed” by his performances so far this season.
So have Tottenham, according to the report, with the Lilywhites and Newcastle United both “chasing” the 20-year-old, who is set to “fetch more than £25 million in the current market”, a fee that would put him among Lens’ biggest ever sales.
Player
Year
Fee
Lois Openda
2023
€40m
Elye Wahi
2024
€25m
Seko Fofana
2023
€25m
Cheick Doucoure
2022
€22.3m
Loic Bade
2021
€17m
Spurs have made a point of signing younger talent in recent transfer windows, with both Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert being examples of that in the most recent summer window. In Khusanov, they could have found another future star to add to Postecoglou’s ranks, while he may well come in useful across the second half of the season thanks to his ability to play on either side of defence, which could allow the Spurs boss to rotate his first choice options more regularly.