Monday’s deadline looms large and as yet, Tottenham Hotspur’s only senior arrival has been that of 21-year-old goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, having been knocked back in their bid to sign fellow youngster, Mathys Tel.
As Ange Postecoglou said himself last week, the north London side would be “playing with fire” if they did not bring in further reinforcements before the window closes, particularly amid their worsening injury crisis.
Across the park, the Lilywhites appear more depleted with each passing game, having seen Radu Dragusin – who arrived from Genoa a year ago – cruelly struck down by injury after entering the fray at half-time against Elfsborg.
With Spurs still competing on all four fronts, this threadbare squad simply needs help, with Daniel Levy running the risk of letting his club slip further into the mire, if he does not back his manager over the next 48 hours or so.
Latest Tottenham transfer news
The blow of missing out on wantaway Bayern Munich man, Tel, has been somewhat eased amid the news that Tottenham could be looking to land the signing of AC Milan defender, Fikayo Tomori, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Serie A side are keen to move the centre-back on in the coming days.
Interestingly, the Englishman may not be the only player with Chelsea connections to have come onto Levy’s radar, with Caught Offside reporting that the north Londoners are also ‘exploring the possibility’ of signing Axel Disasi from Stamford Bridge on loan.
The report suggests that the Blues are willing to allow the Frenchman to leave the club amid his limited role under Enzo Maresca, with Aston Villa having also been in the race for his signature of late.
As Romano reported early on Saturday, the loss of Dragusin could see Spurs move for two centre-backs, ensuring that there is a chance both Tomori and Disasi could arrive at N17.
Indeed, Romano has also revealed that Spurs have made contact regarding a move for the Chelsea man, even though he has already agreed terms with Villa.
What Disasi would bring to Spurs
It may be somewhat difficult to judge Disasi based on his peripheral role at Chelsea in recent times – having started just four Premier League games this season – yet those of a Spurs persuasion will likely be concerned at the prospect of signing the former Monaco man from their rivals.
|
Werner’s PL season in numbers – 24/25 |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games (starts) |
17 (4) |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Big chances missed |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Key passes* |
0.6 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
74% |
|
Successful dribbles* |
0.6 |
|
Possession lost* |
6.3x |
|
Total duels won* |
43% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
Indeed, have they not learned their lesson from the loan capture of Timo Werner last year, with the German signing from RB Leipzig in January 2024, having previously failed to thrive at Stamford Bridge.
Signed by the Blues for £45m in the summer of 2020, Werner went on to win the Champions League during his time in west London, albeit while scoring just 23 goals in 89 games over the next two seasons.
Now under Postecoglou’s wing at Spurs, the forward’s woes have been replicated in Lilywhite, with just three goals coming his way in 40 games over the last 12 months. The 28-year-old also came under fire from his manager for an “unacceptable” showing against Rangers in the Europa League.
The fear would be that looking to sign another player who has ‘failed’ at Chelsea in the form of Disasi could lead to a similar result, with the 26-year-old having endured a wretched time of it in his current home.
Described as a “disaster” by pundit Andy Jacobs, Disasi’s Chelsea stint has been littered with mistakes, including his wayward own goal against Leicester City in the FA Cup last season, as well as his stray pass in the build-up to Omari Hutchinson’s clincher against Ipswich Town this term.
Equally, his statistics across the last 365 days make for grim reading, as he ranks in the bottom 35% for tackles and the bottom 15% for interceptions among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as in just the top 41% for aerial duels won, as per FBref.
While a 91% pass completion average is encouraging, it is difficult to overlook the £80k-per-week defender’s defensive woes, with it tricky to see just why he’d fare any better in Postecoglou’s struggling side.
The flawed signing of one Chelsea ‘flop’ in Werner should be enough for Levy and co to think again, amid their apparent pursuit of Disasi.
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