A lot of times in world football, if you want to progress as a club, you have to make the decision to sell off decent players in order to bring in even better ones who can help you achieve lofty goals of winning real silverware. And that is precisely the transition in mind set that Tottenham Hotspur as a club and even as a fan base have to start embarking on as 2026 approaches.
There has been a lot of hopes of bringing in marquee players like Savinho and Antoine Semenyo this winter period, and even before January 1 has struck, those hopes have been swiftly dashed with Spurs simply not having the right pull as a side stuck in the bottom half of the Premier League, even after a much needed win over Crystal Palace.
As Spurs supporters ponder alternatives for the Omar Marmoushes and Semenyos of the world, they must also prepare to wave goodbye to talented young players who are clearly not of starting quality or even the right fit for Tottenham.
Tottenham will likely sell two talents
The most obvious candidates for a sale are right winger Brennan Johnson and center back Radu Dragusin out of those with a bright future left at the top level. Obviously, Spurs would want to axe Yves Bissouma the most, but given he is on an expiring contract and injured with no real transfer interest outside of Turkey, there is no real hope there.
But Dragusin and Johnson could fetch fair fees on the open market this January. According to Football.London's Alasdair Gold, these two young players could be allowed to leave Tottenham Hotspur at the right price, and given Serie A clubs are all lined up for Dragusin and several Premier League sides want to buy Johnson, it should not be difficult for Spurs to part ways with them and then use that money to sign bigger stars.
That is the name of the game for Tottenham right now. Dragusin, for example, has no real path to playing time at Tottenham with three top center backs in the squad and then Luka Vuskovic shining on loan in Hamburg. Johnson was the hero in Bilbao against Manchester United in the Europa League Final, but he clearly has no role to play under Thomas Frank at Tottenham.
Brennan Johnson and Radu Dragusin are good players who will be better at a smaller club like Roma or Bournemouth than they would at Tottenham, and the fact that Spurs realize that and are looking to sell this January is a very positive sign indeed.