Tottenham Hotspur are currently fifth in the Premier League with a lot of room for improvement. Thomas Frank has helped Spurs make strides in the 2025/26 season, but when looking at the overall balance of the squad, there is still a serious dearth of talent, particularly in the attacking side of things, even after adding Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus in the summer transfer window.
What might Tottenham's 2026 dream lineup look like?
Simons and Kudus are obviously building blocks, but are they in the right positions? And who else is needed to help Tottenham build a more comprehensive squad that can control games and score goals? Let's build a dream lineup for Spurs with the new year- and next transfer window - just a couple of months away
Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario
Although James Trafford is a potential option to replace Guglielmo Vicario due to a disgruntled start at Manchester City after the Citizens also signed Italian superstar keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Spurs already have a great Italian shot stopper of their own.
Vicario has been, statistically speaking, just as good as Donnarumma this season with the second most post shot expected goals prevented behind only Dean Henderson. There is literally no need to replace Vicario at this point in time.
Left back: Destiny Udogie
Because of Destiny Udogie's injury history, Tottenham are going to have to sign a new left back to cover the Italian international, but from a talent stand point, there is no need to even think about finding a replacement for the versatile and highly underrated left back.
Tottenham are so so much better with Udogie in the starting XI than they are when that imposter Djed Spence starts at left back. Udogie adds a ton to the Spurs attack with his technical quality and underappreciated range of passing.
Center backs: Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven
Luka Vuskovic is the next big thing at the center back position, and third choice central defender Kevin Danso would easily start for the majority of teams in the Premier League. But make no mistake, this Spurs team runs through the world class pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
Romero and Van de Ven are quite honestly the No. 1 and 2 best players on Tottenham Hotspur, and they are so good both technically and athletically that they are better passers than half the midfielders and better scoring threats than half the forwards.
Right back: Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro is, just like his left back partner Destiny Udogie, criminally underrated and a tireless workhorse who progresses the ball, wins most of his one on ones on both ends, and can score the occasional goal while providing plenty of deliveries into the box. There is not a single right back Spurs would rather have than the Spanish international.
Center midfielders: Adam Wharton, Xavi Simons, and Lucas Bergvall
So while Spurs maintain the same course with their personnel defensively, Tottenham do get one more player to beef up their midfield in Adam Wharton, who is the best young deep lying playmaker in English football and so coveted that even Europe's elite like Real Madrid are after him as a dream target.
Every top Premier League side wants to get their hands on Wharton as an anchoring player, and you could only imagine the upgrade he'd provide in terms of overall ball progression and stability, as well as playmaking, if he were to replace the mediocre (at best) Rodrigo Bentancur.
Xavi Simons has been utilized as a No. 10 by Tottenham to this point, but his dynamism would be better suited as a No. 8 so that he can be more of a carrier rather than a stagnant playmaker dependent on getting fed the ball.
Finally, Lucas Bergvall is the dream. Tottenham were able to sign him over Barcelona, and that's not something they should take lightly. He was arguably their best player in the back end of the 2024/25 season before his injury, and Spurs absolutely have to harness his athletic threat. He and Simons as dual No. 8's with Wharton playmaking behind them would be an insane young trio of midfield stars.
Left winger: Antoine Semenyo
There is no bigger need for Tottenham Hotspur to address as immediately as possible as the left wing, which has been a huge void since Son Heung-min started to decline with injuries last season, eventually riding off into the sunset with the Europa League trophy as a newly minted MLS player.
Antoine Semenyo was already on the Tottenham transfer radar after a great 2024/25 season, but he's broken out even more in 2025/26 for Bournemouth as a legitimate Premier League Player of the Season candidate. He's been even better on the left this season, and Spurs would be wise to sign him.
Striker: Harry Kane
The ultimate dream transfer target, Harry Kane has been the best player in world football this season, scoring goals for fun for Bayern Munich while playmaking literally better than any midfielder on this planet. A true Tottenham legend, Kane is only getting better with age, so, at 32, he still has enough left in the tank to be of use to Spurs for the next several years.
Tottenham do have two legitimate striker options in Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, but RKm doesn't have a long term future at the club as a loanee from PSG. And neither have been healthy enough or even impressive enough. Kane would be an upgrade times 100.
Right winger: Mohammed Kudus
Finally, the only Tottenham forward who sticks around in the dream lineup is right winger Mohammed Kudus, who has been exactly the game changer Spurs envisioned when they signed him from local rivals West Ham. Kudus is one of the world's premier one on one threats on the wing, and with two better forwards up front to help him out, he'd explode in goals and assists.