The January transfer window has now opened and Tottenham Hotspur are eager to bolster the ranks with several signings that can make a real difference during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
While Spurs finished eighth in the Premier League last season and lost club-record scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in August, Ange Postecoglou has been a revelation in the dugout since joining in the summer and is fighting for success.
The Australian manager has revealed that his side's defence – currently without star figures Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero due to injury – will receive priority, but the club are expected to conduct business across multiple positions.
Currently fifth in the table and just one point away from fourth-placed Arsenal, a positive transfer window could make all the difference going forward, with Spurs performing admirably this term despite numerous injuries and suspensions that have threatened to derail the progress.
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Once the backline has been shored up, focus must turn further up the pitch, with recent reports suggesting that a move for Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is being lined up.
Spurs transfer targets – Morgan Gibbs-White
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs sent scouts to observe Gibbs-White in action at the City Ground against Manchester United last week, and after such a talismanic effort as the Tricky Trees won, it's hard to imagine the London club would now be dissuaded in their interest.
But with Spurs eager to improve and close the gap on those at the forefront of the English top-flight with permanence, it's one to keep an eye on, with the 23-year-old one of Forest's most impressive players since the start of last season.
Forest signed Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022 in a deal that could rise to £42.5m, so to snatch him from Nuno Espirito Santo's side, a mammoth fee may well be required.
Morgan Gibbs-White's Nottingham Forest career in numbers
Hailed for his "magic tricks" by Nottingham Forest correspondent Jamie Martin, Gibbs-White was crucial in his side's fight for survival last season, scoring five goals and supplying eight assists across 34 starts in the Premier League for Steve Cooper's side.
Creating 1.9 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, Gibbs-White established himself as one of his team's main creative outlets and in what proved to be the perfect move for him after spending years as a prospect at Wolves, showing flashes of quality but failing to cement a prominent role in the Molineux side.
Crossing
Short passing
Key passes
Direct set-pieces
Dribbling
*Sourced via WhoScored
This season, the 18-cap former England U21 international might have only posted two goals and three assists across 20 outings, but he has been far more influential and refined across the different facets of his midfield game, averaging 1.8 key passes, 1.3 tackles and 4.3 ball recoveries per game while winning 52% of his ground duels.
Known to be a risk taker for Forest, always looking to prise open the opposition defence with defence-splitting passes and darting runs to drag defenders out wide, the £80k-per-week ace could be the dynamic midfielder Postecoglou needs to improve his midfield at Tottenham, but such an acquisition could harm Giovani Lo Celso, who has played himself into some fine form recently.
Giovani Lo Celso's season in numbers
Lo Celso signed for Tottenham from Spanish side Real Betis for £55m back in 2019, and while the Argentinian maestro has long been admired for his ball-playing skills, he failed to impress and was even branded a "flop" by The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke before spending a season-and-a-half on loan with Villarreal.
Joining back up with the Lilywhites last summer, Lo Celso has made an impression across the past few months, called upon after star playmaker James Maddison picked up an injury and remains on the sidelines to date.
Scoring in successive matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City and recently supplying two assists during Spurs' big victory over Bournemouth, the 27-year-old has been a valuable tool but has only started four times all term, suggesting that Postecoglou is disinclined to hand him a starring role.
Passing
Crossing
Defensive contribution
Dribbling
Ball retention
*Sourced via WhoScored
In fairness, he has completed 91% of his passes in the Premier League, averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 3.7 recoveries each outing, but whether he will truly live up to the price tag is dubious.
Why Spurs should sign Morgan Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White is versatile and can play well across a range of roles, though his favoured position is No. 10 where he can pull the strings from the centre; the main thing is that his creativity does not fade wherever he is placed.
Highlighting his best attributes, journalist Antonio Mango said in 2023: "Absolute menace inside the final third, extremely forward thinking with the ability to strike fear into opponents with his aggressive and arrogant style."
Spurs boss Postecoglou's decision to send scouts out to observe the player in action obviously confirms the interest, and the audition against Manchester United really must have done him some favours, should he desire a transfer to Tottenham in the future.
Handed an 8.5/10 match rating by Nottinghamshire Live, Gibbs-White now needs to sustain his performances under his old boss for the remainder of the campaign, and in doing so, will edge high-placed suitors closer to further advances for his signature.
Gibbs-White also ranks among the top 5% of positional peers for aerial wins per 90, further showcasing his tenacity and willingness to get stuck in and win battles against opponents.
Lo Celso, in comparison, ranks among the bottom 4% for the same metric, and while this is not a big part of his game, both players are 5 foot 9 and perhaps this hints at the Forest man's superiority in desire and determination.
Lo Celso's improved form under Postecoglou's wing this season has been impressive, there's no doubt about that, but when Maddison returns he might find himself restricted to a peripheral role once again.
While some might assume the same could be said for Gibbs-White, the Nottingham Forest star is more dynamic and combative and could slot right into the system, playing across different roles and leading with expansive performances from the centre.
Altogether, he would be an upgrade, and with age on his side in this particular comparison too, Postecoglou could mould him to his own creation over the coming years.
