Tottenham want to sign Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo in January, but they face competition from the Premier League's best if they're to tempt the Ghanaian to north London.
There are plenty of supporters who hope Thomas Frank doesn't get the chance to bolster his squad in the winter. His Spurs team are winless in five games across all competitions, but they did at least stop their losing run courtesy of some remarkable Cristian Romero heroics at St. James' Park.
Still, it was more of the same at St. James' Park, despite the securing of a result that almost all of us would've taken before kick-off. Frank is now preparing to face former club Brentford in N17 this weekend, and he simply must oversee a victory if he wants to stay in the job.
There have been mitigating circumstances for Spurs' malaise under their new manager, and I'm sure Frank is counting down the days until the new year, when another opportunity to bolster his squad will manifest. He requires greater depth on the left side of his defence, and currently lacks a passer in midfield, but it seems as if adding more firepower in attack is the club's priority.
Tottenham must fight off stiff competition to sign Antoine Semenyo
Tottenham tested the waters for Bournemouth's Semenyo in the summer, but were taken aback by the Cherries' lofty valuation. However, the winger's excellent start to the campaign justified Bournemouth's willingness to sell for only a premium fee, with the two-footed Ghanaian notching nine goal contributions in 13 Premier League appearances.
His production has slowed as of late with Andoni Iraola's side enduring a Spurs-esque slump, but that certainly doesn't mean interest in acquiring his services next month has faded.
We've already learned that Semenyo has a £65m release clause that can be triggered in the first couple of weeks of the January transfer window, so Spurs know exactly that they need to do to sign Mohammed Kudus' international teammate.
According to Sky Sports, the club are "intensifying" their interest in Semenyo and are hoping to get ahead of stiff competition. Liverpool and Manchester City have also been linked with a move, and you wouldn't fancy our chances of landing the 25-year-old should the previous two Premier League champions make serious pushes.
Thus, some proactivity now Spurs' behalf is encouraging.
Semenyo is a versatile attacker who's nothing short of destructive in full flight. His power is his USP, but the Ghanaian is also Son Heung-min-like adept with both feet and a willing worker out of possession. While some would perhaps prefer a superior technician who's a little better at retaining the ball in the final third, Semenyo has game-breaking attributes that could open up a myriad of avenues for this struggling Tottenham team.