Last week came the surprising news that Tottenham Hotspur are moving ahead with plans to sign experienced left-back Andrew Robertson.
Spurs’ goal this January appears to be to fill the squad with more experience. Conor Gallagher is not an aging veteran, but he has been in his career for some time and will certainly bring additional technical and mental attributes to the dressing room.
But Robertson would be completely different. He has a lot of signings at Liverpool and believes he could be a future captain at Spurs if he moves from Anfield.
However, another Premier League player has caught their attention as the Lilywhites look to strengthen Thomas Frank’s squad.
Spurs eye Premier League striker
The arrival of teenage left-back Souza and indeed Gallagher has made Spurs one of the busiest teams in the winter transfer window so far.
They haven’t stopped there, with Robertson in the spotlight and plans to strengthen their forward line.
All eyes have been on Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen in recent weeks, with him attracting interest from a number of clubs, particularly Leeds, who made their first bid a few days ago.
Strand Larsen is not the only centre-forward in the Premier League, with reports claiming he is keen on signing Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Frenchman has made it clear he wants to leave Selhurst Park as soon as possible, with Aston Villa also showing an interest in him before finalizing a deal with Tammy Abraham.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are “interested” in signing Mateta, but whether they can get a deal over the line will depend on a number of factors.
The paper notes that Newcastle United are also considering a move for Mateta, but Spurs’ move will largely depend on whether Juventus decide to recall fellow Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani from his loan spell early.
Previous reports said the Eagles striker was valued at around £40m by Oliver Glasner this winter.
Why Mateta could be Frank’s new Ivan Toni
The Danish manager has struggled mightily at Spurs, but his work across London at Brentford has been remarkable. He took them out of the Championship and established himself as a regular in the Premier League.
During my time with the Bees, there were two guys I should be grateful to more than any other for their rise to the top flight. Brian Mbeumo is currently a key asset at Manchester United, with Ivan Toney also providing firepower.
Frank’s spell at Brentford ended with Tony becoming top scorer. Mbeumo came close, but the England international scored with much more regularity. He is currently out in Saudi Arabia, trying to qualify for this summer’s World Cup.
Since his move to Tottenham, the manager has not had someone like Tony to rely on. Dominic Solanke may have scored in midweek’s Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund, but he has spent almost the entirety of the ongoing campaign injured.
Richarlison and the aforementioned Kolo Muani have not been available with the goods in his absence.
Therefore, if Spurs are able to sign Mateta, their goal pursuit will surely end. French people have a tendency to waste money. Only Erling Haaland (20) has missed out on a bigger chance in England’s top flight this season than Mateta (17), but he is a proven striker in the Premier League and an immediate option who will certainly thrive in north London.
Premier League Highest xG – 2025/26 | ||
|---|---|---|
player | xG | Actual target number |
erling haaland | 18.65 | 20 |
Igor Thiago | 13.17 | 16 |
Jean-Philippe Mateta | 11.93 | 8 |
ollie watkins | 9.08 | 8 |
Enzo Fernandez | 8.74 | 5 |
Statistics by Sofascore. | ||
Things started slowly for the 28-year-old at Selhurst Park, but he has now progressed well and has scored 36 goals in the past two seasons.
In the 2025/26 season, he was in good form again, finding the back of the net 10 times in all competitions, eight of them in 22 league games.
Admittedly, he’s not an all-purpose quickie, but any player who can score goals on a regular basis would be valuable to Spurs right now.
Like Tony, he has also been successful at a small club at the top level, and from a stylistic perspective, they share similarities. A thorn in the final third, they both hold the ball skilfully, bring their teammates into play and allow their team to get up the pitch without losing the ball. This gives Spurs more routes to choose from if they wish.
Solanke has a similar job, and while some might argue he needs a different profile, his injury history has become increasingly problematic.
So Mateta could make the difference as Frank tries to save his job in north London. Perhaps the French attacker could be the man to lead his team to even greater heights, just like Tony did at Brentford.
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