Tottenham Hotspur fans went into the 2025/26 season with high expectations, especially after their Europa League victory over Manchester United at the end of May.
The Lilywhites have ended their 17-year wait for a trophy in Bilbao, but there is no doubt that the pressure has increased on Thomas Frank, who took over the reins from Ange Postecoglou during the off-season.
He completed four deals himself in the early summer in North London, taking the amount spent to increase the options at the Dane’s disposal to over £100m.
Mohamed Kudus and Xavi Simons have moved to the Lilywhites, and the team is currently in 5th place in the Premier League thanks to the performances of these two players.
However, Frank will no doubt be looking to further strengthen his squad in the upcoming January transfer window to increase the club’s chances of finishing in the Champions League again.
A number of players have been strongly recommended for a move to north London, but there is one player whose name has continued to come up in recent weeks.
Latest information on Semenyo’s move to Spurs in January
In recent days, Spurs have been named as one of a number of Premier League clubs looking to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in January.
The 25-year-old is one of the biggest talents in the division for the 2025/26 season, having already scored six goals and provided three assists in 11 appearances.
His total of nine goals and assists is the second most of all players in this division, with only Erling Haaland having more at this stage of the season.
In recent days, it has emerged that the winger could be available in the next transfer window, as the Cherries could be left helpless without their star man.
Semenyo reportedly has a release clause of £65m, which will be activated in the winter market, and Spurs are currently the only team interested in signing him.
The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool also remain keen to sign the attacker, but it is unclear who is leading the race.
But this will be another huge investment by Frank, especially after spending more than £50m on two different additions in recent summers.
Semenyo’s contract is also a joint record for the club, with the amount equaling the amount paid for Dominic Solanke, who moved to north London from Bournemouth in 2024.
If the club can afford to make such a deal in the coming months, it is likely that the club will have to offload a number of first-team players to make ends meet in the process.
How can Spurs spend money on Semenyo transfer?
Over the years, Spurs have invested heavily in a number of players in different areas of the pitch as they battle for Premier League supremacy.
The organization has spent over £400 million supporting various managers over the past few years, but that investment has often been wasted on a number of players who failed to meet the demands of the North London side.
Tanguy Ndombele is perhaps the biggest example of this, after the Frenchman paid a reported £63 million to sign the Frenchman in the summer of 2019.
He only made 91 appearances in five years with the Lilywhites, before being released and returning to his home country, before rejoining Nice in the summer of 2024.
Frank’s current squad also boasts a number of big-ticket additions, including the centre-back partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, which together cost nearly £100m.
However, the pair are worth every penny in North London, and the partnership has helped the Dane side maintain the fourth-best defensive record in the division at the moment.
However, not all of the club’s huge investments in recent years have paid off, and Richarlison is one of the players who has struggled to live up to the club’s expectations.
The Brazilian joined the Lilywhites in the summer of 2022 for a reported £60 million, but such a move would have raised the eyebrows of many supporters given the nature of the transfer fee.
In the three-and-a-half years since his move, the 28-year-old has made a total of 108 appearances for the first team, but has found the back of the net just 24 times.
This season alone, Richarlison has struggled mightily to reach the level many expected, and the club are in desperate need of a move on the former Everton man in the near future.
He has often been ineffective in many matches, as evidenced by his average of 22.3 touches per 90 this season, with just 10 touches in 90 minutes against Bodo Grimt in the Champions League.
Other figures such as his 50% dribble success rate and just 42% aerial success rate in the Premier League so far also point to his poor all-round quality at the top end of the pitch.
Following his disappointing performance in recent months, manager Gabriel Agbonlahor said he believed the Brazilian was “one of the worst signings in the history of the Premier League”.
Richarlison – PL Statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 11 |
Number of points | 4 |
Pass accuracy | 63% |
dribbling success | 50% |
aerial won | 42% |
missed a big opportunity | 5 |
Number of fouls committed | 1.5 |
Touches per 90 | twenty two |
Statistics by FotMob | |
There is no doubt that the manager wants to improve the quality of his final third, as seen with the transfer of Semenyo, but he will need to move Richarlison in order to generate the funds needed to sign the Ghanaian.
However, Richarlison has attracted interest in recent months, with MLS side Orlando City FC already showing interest in a potential move for Richarlison.
Frank and his executives will no doubt have to jump on the rumored interest, as this is one of their last chances to recoup some of their £60m investment.
If the club want to sign Semenyo, they would desperately need to sell the Brazilian and give everyone involved a fresh start, potentially helping to secure a move for the Bournemouth star in the process.
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