Tottenham Hotspur made headlines last week after unexpected reports revealed the club was accelerating plans to sign experienced left-back Andrew Robertson. The move reflects Spurs\u2019 apparent strategy this January of injecting more experience into the squad. While Conor Gallagher is not yet a veteran, his time at the top level brings valuable technical ability and mental maturity to the dressing room.<\/p>\n
Robertson would represent a different calibre of signing altogether. Having won major honours at Liverpool, he would arrive with leadership credentials and could even emerge as a future captain should he complete a switch from Anfield.<\/p>\n
However, defensive reinforcements are not the only focus as the club continues to strengthen Thomas Frank\u2019s squad. Spurs are also monitoring options in attack.<\/p>\n
Following the arrivals of teenage full-back Souza and Gallagher, Tottenham have been among the busiest clubs in the winter window so far. Recruitment plans remain active, with Robertson still under consideration and further attacking additions being explored.<\/p>\n
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen has been tracked in recent weeks, although competition is strong, particularly from Leeds, who submitted an opening offer earlier this week. Larsen is not the only forward being assessed, as Tottenham are also showing interest in Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.<\/p>\n
Mateta has reportedly expressed his desire to leave Selhurst Park at the earliest opportunity. Aston Villa had also been monitoring the Frenchman before completing their deal for Tammy Abraham. According to TEAMtalk, Spurs remain interested in pursuing Mateta, though several factors could influence whether a deal progresses.<\/p>\n
Newcastle United are also keeping tabs on the striker, while Tottenham\u2019s decision may depend on whether Juventus opt to recall Randal Kolo Muani from his loan spell. Previous reports suggest Palace value Mateta at approximately \u00a340 million during the current window.<\/p>\n
Thomas Frank\u2019s work at Brentford was widely praised, guiding the club from the Championship into established Premier League status. Much of that success was driven by key attacking figures, notably Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, with Toney finishing as Frank\u2019s most reliable goalscorer before departing for Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Since arriving at Tottenham, Frank has lacked a consistent forward presence of that profile. Dominic Solanke has struggled with fitness issues despite scoring in midweek against Borussia Dortmund, while Richarlison and Kolo Muani have not delivered consistently in his absence.<\/p>\n
Securing Mateta could help address that gap. Although the striker has missed a high number of big chances this season \u2014 second only to Erling Haaland \u2014 he remains a proven Premier League forward capable of adapting quickly. Statistical data shows Mateta ranking among the league\u2019s higher expected-goals performers despite modest conversion.<\/p>\n
After a slow start to his Palace career, the 28-year-old has improved significantly, scoring 36 goals across his last two full seasons. In the current campaign, he has registered ten goals in all competitions, including eight in league matches.<\/p>\n
While his scoring rate is not prolific, regular contributions could prove valuable for a Tottenham side searching for consistency in front of goal. Stylistically, Mateta mirrors aspects of Toney\u2019s game, offering physical presence, strong hold-up play, and the ability to bring teammates into attacking phases. This provides tactical flexibility and allows Spurs to progress play more directly when required.<\/p>\n
Although some may argue that Solanke offers similar qualities, his ongoing injury concerns continue to raise questions. As Frank looks to stabilise his position in north London, Mateta could emerge as a decisive figure capable of driving improved attacking output, much as Toney once did under his management at Brentford.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tottenham Hotspur made headlines last week after unexpected reports revealed the club was accelerating plans to sign experienced left-back Andrew Robertson. The move reflects Spurs\u2019 apparent strategy this January of injecting more experience into the squad. While Conor Gallagher is not yet a veteran, his time at the top level brings valuable technical ability and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":57963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/brentford-striker-ivan-toney.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57964,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57962\/revisions\/57964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/57963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplbanter.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}