The January transfer window is just around the corner and it will be interesting to see what decisions Tottenham Hotspur make for their team.
Winger seems to be one of the positions on the agenda for Fabio Paratici. RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande and Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz are two players who have been linked with a move to the club in recent weeks.
However, the moves Spurs need to make to strengthen their attack for the second half of the season are not just about signing a new winger, but also needing to enter into the signing of a new number nine.
Why Spurs need to sign a new centre-forward
Center forward has been a problem position for the club since the £86.4m sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, which is no surprise given that Tottenham’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals is consistently difficult to chase.
Dominic Solanke was signed from Bournemouth for £65 million last year, but the English striker only scored nine goals from 10.97xG in the Premier League last season, according to SofaScore, and has been out this season since August with an ankle injury.
Richarlison was Tottenham’s first choice center forward for the 2025/26 season due to Solanke’s injury, but he has scored just seven goals in 25 games in all competitions, according to Sofascore.
The Brazil international has scored some great goals, including the one above and his overhead kick against Burnley on the opening day, but as the image below shows, he has not been consistent on the pitch and a new striker should be signed.
Richarlison, despite his inconsistency in front of goal, has not been Tottenham’s most frustrating player this season, with another failure to be sold in January.
Spurs’ loser should finally be sold in January
With the January transfer window just around the corner, Spurs need to finally sign Pedro Polo, but his form leaves a lot to be desired for the 2025/26 season.
Only Tottenham podcaster Seb Martin claimed late last month that the Spain international had been “absolutely diabolical”, and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment of his performances this season.
Polo suffered a miserable 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend, losing five of their eight on-ground encounters and conceding the ball 22 times, according to Sofascore, the latest in a string of disappointing performances from the full-backs this season.
Pedro Polo – Premier League | 24/25 | 25/26 |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 33 | 16 |
Possessions lost per game | 17.5 | 19 |
Key paths per game | 1.7 | 1.3 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 10 | 3 |
assist | 6 | 1 |
Ground duel success rate | 53% | 49% |
Pass accuracy | 76% | 75% |
cross accuracy | 31% | 18% |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, the former Sporting defender was far more wasteful in possession and lacked creativity compared to last season in the top flight with Spurs.
Polo was also the third most successful dribble defender in his division as of a few weeks ago, indicating that his defensive work is lacking as well.
As evidenced by these statistics, his performances have declined under manager Thomas Frank, and the January transfer window presents an opportunity for the club to part ways with him.
Earlier this month, TEAMtalk reported that Manchester City were monitoring the defender’s situation in north London ahead of a potential swoop, suggesting that Spurs would be interested in the full-back if they decide to sign him.
Polo has performed even worse this season than Richarlison, who has at least provided some big moments in goal, which is why Tottenham should finally cash in on him after almost three years at the club.
City may be hoping he can return to the form he once showed at Spurs, but there is no guarantee he won’t continue to underperform or regress on the pitch.
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Tottenham need to make one or two signings in the January transfer window.
Spurs therefore need to cut their losses and sign him to fund the signing of a new right-back amid interest from their Premier League rivals.
