There is no question that Tottenham Hotspur are going to have to add more attacking talent to their roster in 2026, and if it were up to the fans, Spurs would sign a top-class player on the wings in the January transfer window.
That's easier said than done, because most competent clubs with a winger worth acquiring generally aren't interested in selling a key player midway into the season. There's too much on the line for European places and prize money in the current European campaign, while it's just about impossible to sign a replacement on such short notice.
Tottenham are circling back to the transfer targets they weren't able to sign in summer 2025, and one of those targets is young Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche, whom Spurs got an up and close personal look at in their poor performance against Monaco as the young Frenchman tore them to shreds.
Tottenham are scouting closely
Now, they are continuing to take close looks at Akliouche, too. According to a report from Dean Jones of TEAMtalk, Tottenham have sent scouts to watch Akliouche in action at Monaco games and remain heavily interested in the 23-year-old right winger and attacking midfielder in 2026. Per Jones, they most recently scouted him in France's 4-0 win over the Ukraine.
Therein lies an issue with Akliouche as a transfer target, though. While he is a very good young footballer, Akliouche isn't quite world-class, and his best postion isn't the main position Tottenham need, which is the left wing. Tottenham already have signed Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons to man the right wing and attacking midfield positions, respectively, while Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison will be coming back later this season from their injuries to fill those positions, too.
Akliouche has the youth, quality, and dynamism Tottenham are looking for, and many Spurs fans do appreciate him as a transfer target. But Monaco don't sell cheap, and with five goal contributions in another solid start to a Ligue 1 campaign, the Monegasque side have no reason to hand Spurs a discount for their young standout forward.
Tottenham do enjoy their young French forward talents, and they already have two of them in Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert. But those guys are already better fits for the left wing and striker positions - Tel, in the case of the position, that is - than Akliouche. While Akliouche is a worthwhile target, he may not be No. 1 on the list.