The signing of Conor Gallagher was a surprise for Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder has been on the radar as a long-term target for Spurs since the Daniel Levy era, but it appeared as if transfer radar was turning towards finding a new winger.
Brennan Johnson left at the beginning of the month to join fellow Londoners Crystal Palace, and Mohamed Kudus was subsequently injured.
It was a big win for Thomas Frank that Kudus’ Ghana failed to qualify for AFCON, but in any case, we won’t see much of him in the early stages of 2026.
Frank, who suffered a quadriceps injury, confirmed last week that the former West Ham United man will not play in the rematch until after the first international break of the year, meaning he will be out until April.
How the Spurs upgrade with Kudus
Gallagher’s arrival signals the Lilywhites’ intentions. Last summer, rivals Arsenal famously made an 11th-hour attack and missed out on Eberechi Eze.
This time the Spurs are doing the hijacking. Villa appeared to have agreed a deal to bring the England international to Villa Park, but Tottenham swooped in and made the move themselves. He was officially announced Wednesday afternoon.
Frank and the team are poised to make a splash this winter transfer window, and Gallagher isn’t the only big-money player they’re eyeing.
In fact, according to a report from TEAMtalk, they identified three main targets. Two of them include Monaco winger Magnes Akurios and Club Brugge’s Christos Tzoris.
Another major target is said to be RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande. The Bundesliga winger is one of the big talking points of the winter season, with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool also said to be interested.
However, it was Spurs who had already begun exploring a move for the Ivory Coast international, who had made an excellent start to his campaign in Germany.
It’s unlikely to be available this winter, but it could be available in the summer. However, previous reports suggested Leipzig could demand more than £100m in penalties for the sale, meaning they would have to pay a premium. That would break Spurs’ club record transfer fee of £65m set by Dominic Solanke.
How to compare Yann Diomande and Mohammed Qudus
Spurs missed out on Eze in the summer, but the arrival of Kudus was an exciting one. He is a proven talent in the Premier League and is undoubtedly Frank’s most dangerous player in the 2025/26 season.
The Ghanaian international hasn’t scored many goals, finding the back of the net just three times in all competitions, but he has provided six assists. No Spurs player has achieved better results this term.
So Kudus’ absence will require a replacement, and in Diomande they will find a big upgrade, a proven player compared to former target Antoine Semenyo.
“Diomande reminds me of Semenyo,” The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor said in November. “Physically they’re similar, but their skills and touch are exactly the same. They’re great, great players.”
Isn’t that already pretty exciting? Well, just wait until you see how Diomande and Kudus compare throughout the ongoing season.
Diomande – Select similar players | |
|---|---|
player | club |
Nico Williams | athletic club |
Hvitya Kvaratskheria | P.S.G. |
bradley barcola | P.S.G. |
Matheus Cunha | manchester united |
Magnes Acriosh | monaco |
Provided by FBRef. | |
Kudus was a great signing for Frank’s team, but the Leipzig winger, who can play on either side of the attack, could be an even better addition.
There’s a reason he’s one of the most popular players in Europe, and the numbers show why.
Diomande is much better than his Spurs counterpart in shot accuracy, dribbling and take-on success, which means that he is not only more deadly, but also much more efficient in his actions.
According to data provided by FBref, the 19-year-old has been ranked very highly in the last 365 days compared to players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues.
He ranks in the top 7% of wingers for goals scored, but also in the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 5% for goal-producing actions.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball moves toward the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from the starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Already one of the continent’s most dangerous wide players despite his young age, it would be an all-around coup if Spurs can seal the move. Similar to Semenyo and Kudus upgrades, he ticks a lot of boxes.
Gallagher will love him: ENIC holds talks to upgrade Frank at Spurs
Tottenham are set to replace Thomas Frank in the dugout if results and performances do not improve.
