TOTTENHAM LAUNCH £52M BID FOR FELIX NMECHA AFTER DOMINANT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCOUTING
Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a £52m move for Felix Nmecha to replace the injured Rodrigo Bentancur this January.
Tottenham Hotspur are gearing up for a big move to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, with the German side reportedly valuing him at around £52 million this January. That’s according to BILD, and it sounds like Spurs are serious.
So far, Tottenham have only managed to bring in one senior player this window—Conor Gallagher, who came over from Atletico Madrid. At the same time, Brennan Johnson left for Crystal Palace, so it’s been a straight swap. Not exactly a squad overhaul.
Tottenham’s start to the season has been rough. They need fresh faces, especially now. Thomas Frank is definitely feeling the pressure, even if the 2-0 win over Dortmund in the Champions League bought him some breathing room. He knows the results in the Premier League have to pick up.
Now, back to Nmecha. Spurs watched him closely when Dortmund faced them in the Champions League this week. The club seems determined to push for a deal, but Dortmund won’t let him go for less than £52 million. Multiple Premier League clubs are circling, so it sounds like there could be a bidding war. Nuri Sahin called Nmecha “exceptional”, and when reporters asked Nmecha about a return to England, he dodged the question. “Whether I want to play in the Premier League or not, I’m not going to say right now. I think for me it’s simply important that we win this game [against Tottenham] and that I hopefully enjoy this special day,” he said.
Even after signing Gallagher, Tottenham aren’t done looking for midfielders. Rodrigo Bentancur faces a long layoff with injury, and Frank just confirmed Joao Palhinha is out too. With the midfield looking thin, it’s pretty clear Spurs need another option. The rest of the window might get hectic as they try to build a squad that can actually compete in the top half of the table. Nmecha would add something different—Como scout Ben Mattinson even claimed he’s good enough to “replace Rodri” at Manchester City. That’s a big compliment, and it shows just how highly people rate him.
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.