Tottenham Hotspur were at a turning point when they faced Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, but Thomas Frank’s side earned a much-needed reprieve with a 2-0 win.
Of course, that will be null and void if Spurs lose to Burnley in the Premier League at the weekend. There have already been many false dawns this season.
A lot of criticism has been leveled at Tottenham’s attacking struggles, but in their 2-0 win against Dortmund they produced an equivalent xG of 1.97.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability that a shot will result in a goal.
After parting ways with Son Heung-min last summer and then losing Mohamed Kudus to a long-term muscle injury, it’s clear the fan base is hoping for an arrival before the January market closes.
Spurs spy late window opportunity
Tottenham have already signed Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid this month and are recovering from an injury to Rodrigo Bentancur. The England international will bring grit and experience to the center of the park.
But with Kudus and Richarlison sidelined, Brennan Johnson sold to Crystal Palace and Matthijs Tell unhappy at being left out of Frank’s Champions League squad, the Londoners need more attacking fuel. The 20-year-old French forward is attracting interest from Paris FC.
All of this shows that Spurs’ insensitive front line needs a new, dynamic attacker, something technical director Johan Lange has in mind.
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham are considering a move for West Ham United’s Chrisencio Somerville and are prepared to make a £25m bid for the Dutch winger.
West Ham are in an awkward position under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, but Spurs are in need of a left winger and needed to strengthen their relationship with their London rivals when they signed Kudus for £55m last year.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, negotiations have already begun, but no formal offer has been made yet.
If the possibility of Tell’s departure accelerates by the end of this month, this could be something to watch.
Why the Spurs want Somerville
Dominic Solanke played well as a centre-forward on Tuesday night, providing a strong and progressive focus for his teammates.
It was a glimpse of greener pastures for the under-pressure Frank, but he needs support as he delicately attempts to spin a comeback at N17, and Somerville could indeed prove the perfect astute signing.
The Dutchman has a lot to learn, having scored just three goals and provided six assists since joining West Ham from Leeds United, but context is key and the Hammers’ attack has slowed since parting ways with manager David Moyes, with Somerville still offering much with his fleet-footed, electric dribbling.
Could Spurs sign a new son here? Somerville certainly needs to improve in front of goal, but the left winger, who scored 19 goals and provided nine assists for Leeds and was named Player of the Year in 23/24, has that potential in his locker.
After all, Son did not begin life in London at the prolific level he had anticipated at the height of his career.
Skipper Son, who won the Europa League last season before leaving the club, is certainly invaluable, but Somerville’s athletic and straightforward style of play will at least give Frank an echo of his former talent, and it’s anyone’s guess what kind of player Somerville will develop into.
Somerville boasts blazing speed. He is direct and deft on the ball, while showing tenacity through defense. In the words of statistician David O’Brien, also known as Statman Dave, it’s easy to see why Frank likes “unstoppable” wide forwards.
Somerville is yet to master the physical side of the game and develop the necessary grit to succeed as a flashy winger in the Premier League, but he is extremely talented and showed through his goal-scoring performance at Tottenham last week that he is a dangerous player.
It would be foolish to sign a player based on one performance alone, but Somerville’s potential has been clear for some time and it is perhaps appropriate to draw attention to Son’s £22m move to London in 2015. The South Korean was 23 years old and had only scored 41 goals in 131 Bundesliga games.
Crisencio Somerville vs Tottenham | |
|---|---|
statistics | # |
Play time (minutes) | 90 minutes |
the goal | 1 |
assist | 0 |
touch* | 35 |
Number of shots (on target) | 5(1) |
exact path | 10/11 (91%) |
An opportunity has arisen | 3 |
cross | 1/2 |
dribble | 2/5 |
Number of balls collected | 4 |
Tackle + Interception | 2 |
won a duel | 5/11 |
Data via Sofascore | |
Spurs now know Somerville is the real deal, and after locking down Kudus’ signing last summer, this could be a masterstroke for a team looking to reignite the wow factor that was missing in their frontline that has gone from strength to strength.
Better than Simmons: Spurs set to sign ‘world-class’ £60m star
Tottenham are set to make another bid for the player they missed out on in 2025.

