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Tottenham Hotspur defender Christian Romero will be out of action for up to five weeks due to injury, manager Anze Postecoglou has confirmed.
Worsening selection issues for the north London side, the Australian manager confirmed the defender ‘had a scan’ and was found to have a ‘hamstring strain’ in Spurs’ 2-1 win against Everton on Saturday.
The defender recently returned from a three-match ban on December 7.
And losing the centre-half again when other first-choice defender Micky van de Ven is injured could force Spurs into the January market.
Tottenham have been dealt a blow as Christian Romero is set to miss the next few weeks due to injury.
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It arguably couldn’t have come at a worse time for Tottenham, with playmaker James Maddison sidelined along with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic.
Tottenham’s troubles will be further compounded with Spurs losing Heung Min Son to South Korea at the Asian Cup in January for five Premier League matches, as well as Yves Bissouma and Pep Matar Sarr to the AFCON.
This means that Tottenham now face a crisis that they will want to avoid as they look to maintain their quest for Champions League football.
Before looking to the market, Spurs will look to inspire youth forward.
Argentinian striker Alejo Veliz joined in the summer and only featured in the last minutes of a few games this campaign.
With Son out, Veliz could be relied upon to start a few games next month, including the home FA Cup match against Burnley.
The club have recalled 19-year-old striker Dane Scarlett from Ipswich, but are unlikely to rely on the player, having failed to score throughout his loan spell at Portman Road.
Spurs also signed Blackburn youngster Ashley Phillips in the summer window and, with the core of Spurs’ defence, the 18-year-old could be called upon for cover or as a replacement more often next year.
The speedy 6ft 4in centre-back was heavily praised by former Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray, who branded the Welsh defender ‘phenomenal’.
However, Phillips has yet to make his presence felt with Postecoglou showing signs of being externally strong in January.
Spurs outcasts Brian Gill and Giovani Lo Celso have been called up recently, but only the latter has made an impact in an attacking midfield role, and with nowhere else to look, Tottenham will likely be looking for external additions.
According to The Evening Standard, Spurs have held talks with OGC Nice over 23-year-old right-sided centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo.
The Nice defender is said to be worth £35 million, and with confident ball-playing attributes, and playing for a high-flying Ligue 1 team that has conceded the fewest goals ever (9), It’s clear why Spurs are keen.
Closer to home, Spurs have a long-standing interest in Bournemouth centre-half Lloyd Kelly, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reporting on Tottenham’s pursuit in the summer window.
It could be viable for Spurs to try again for a left-footed centre-back who, like Tobido, has strong passing ability for his position.
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Reports have also spoken of Spurs’ interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, who is in the Premier League’s top 20 in terms of passes made this campaign (789) despite playing for the Palace team, whose The average is 44.7 percent.
Moving towards the middle of the pitch, The Athletic have reported Chelsea and Spurs’ interest in England international Conor Gallagher.
The main reason for the summer transfer failing to materialize was valuation differences, but with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg rumored to be seeking a January transfer after falling out of favor in north London, Spurs could pay the expected price of £45 million .
Manchester City’s scrappy midfielder Kelvin Phillips will demand game time ahead of Euro 2024, and the Daily Telegraph report the move is possible with Spurs’ technical director, Johan Lang, being a big fan of the player looking to revive his career. Can do. North London.
With the in-form Richarlison and players like Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Veliz in attack, this is an area Spurs will probably pay the least attention to.
Tottenham could swoop for Jean-Clair Tobido when the January transfer window opens
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However, Spurs have always had an affinity for wingers, so it would be no surprise to see Tottenham linked with a move to former Celtic winger, Jota, who could reunite with Postecoglou in north London.
The Benfica academy graduate has had a nightmare start to life in Saudi Arabia as Al-Ittihad decided not to register him for the Saudi Pro League team, leaving him open to a move away.
Wolves are also reportedly interested.
Tottenham have made a great start to life under Anze Postecoglou but with recurring injury problems, the January window could be crucial for their hopes of trophies or European football.
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