Tottenham enter the race to sign £50m star with four Champions League goals this season
Tottenham Hotspur have now entered the race to sign a £50m “phenomenon”, who has caught the eye in the Champions League this season.
Indeed, Tottenham are considering making further additions to the squad, despite turning things around over the past few weeks, with a run of three Premier League victories on the spin catapulting them to eighth in the table.
Having returned from a lengthy injury lay-off, James Maddison has started to rediscover his form, bagging a goal in the 3-1 victory against Coventry City, and Roberto De Zerbi has stressed the importance of having the attacking midfielder available.
De Zerbi said: “James is a different player. He feels football, he understands football. It is easier for me when you have a player of his talent. Anyone who loves football, loves James Maddison.
“He is a special player. I said in the dressing room James let me know the problem because we need you. Gallagher played well when he came into the side, we have many, many great players. It depends on his physical condition. Maddison is an unbelievable player.”
With Xavi Simons also targeting a return from injury before the end of the year, De Zerbi should soon be blessed with options in attacking midfield, and players in a number of different areas have been sharing the burden of creating chances during the early stages of the campaign.
|
Ranking |
Tottenham’s top playmakers (Premier League) |
Big chances created |
|
1. |
Andy Robertson |
4 |
|
2. |
Mohammed Kudus |
3 |
|
2. |
Mateus Fernandes |
3 |
|
2. |
Savio |
3 |
|
5. |
Sandro Tonali |
2 |
As a result, signing another playmaker may not need to be a priority for Spurs, but an attacking midfielder is now in their sights ahead of the January transfer window.
Tottenham join the race to sign Aleksey Batrakov
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham have now entered contention to sign Galatasaray star Aleksey Batrakov, who is attracting plenty of attention from the Premier League, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool also keen.
In fact, a number of Europe’s top clubs are now tracking the Russian, who has been in inspired form in the Champions League this season, chipping in with four goals in four matches.
A January move away from Galatasaray is deemed unlikely, but a transfer could be on the cards in 2027, given that the 21-year-old has a £50m release clause included in his contract with the Turkish side.
Sergei Bregovskiy, editor-in-chief of Sovetsky Sport, has praised the Galatasaray attacker, and suggested he would have a lot to offer De Zerbi’s side, saying: “Batrakov is a phenomenon. He can do everything in attack.”
The youngster only signed for Galatasaray in the summer, but he is making a real name for himself, scoring against FC Barcelona in the Champions League, and he amassed 34 goals and 23 assists in 84 appearances for previous employers Lokomotiv Moscow.
Batrakov’s performances in Europe’s top competition suggest he may soon be ready to test himself at one of the continent’s top clubs, but he remains under contract at Galatasaray until 2031, so Spurs may need to fork out the £50m release clause to secure his signature.
