Tottenham star now back from injury in December after training return.
A member of Ange Postecoglou’s squad is expected back in December after a return to light training at Tottenham, according to reports.
Postecoglou’s injury problems at Spurs
A fortnight ago, Spurs’ lack of options behind their traditional starting eleven was laid bare for all to see with the injuries to both James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.
The star summer signings were hauled off against Chelsea, with Maddison suffering ankle ligament damage and van de Ven pulling his hamstring. The diagnosis for both men was an absence till after the new year, with Postecoglou now having to cope without two players who are crucial to his Spurs system.
Maddison’s provides real ingenuity in the midfield area, while van de Ven’s pace alongside Cristian Romero allows Spurs to succeed with Postecogloiu’s bold high line.
The pair join Ivan Perisic, who is expected to miss most of the Premier League season with an ACL injury, and fellow summer recruit Manor Solomon on the treatment table.
Another player currently sidelined is left-back Ryan Sessegnon, who is actually yet to feature for Postecoglou since the Australian took charge in June.
Signed by Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, the defender has been very unlucky with injuries throughout his Tottenham career, and it will be interesting to see whether Sessegnon can eventually fight his way into Postecoglou’s plans.
When the Englishman does return, he will be set for a battle with the in-form Destiny Udogie at left-back, but it appears that’s a match up which could actually take place pretty soon.
Sessegnon expected back in December
The former Fulham star, according to The Evening Standard, could return to the Spurs squad next month. Indeed, Sessegnon is expected back from injury in December after a return to light training, with the 23-year-old undergoing surgery on his hamstring over the summer.
Still pretty young, we believe he could still have a future at Spurs and there are hardly any better managers to nurture his development than Postecoglou.
Tottenham’s boss has shown real faith in his crop of young players since joining from Celtic, and perhaps he could hand Sessegnon a fresh opportunity to prove himself. Fitness issues are big point of contention, but the defender has displayed quality on various occasions. Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, once speaking to Football Insider, even tipped the “outstanding” ace to become a £50 million player.
“I saw a lot of him at Fulham and he was outstanding for them, probably the best player in the Championship a few years ago,” he said in 2020.
“He’s young and has time on his side. I expected him to make a quicker impact at Spurs, but you often get these teething troubles with young players, especially when they’re competing with top internationals.
“Once he has a run of matches under his belt and gets his confidence, there’s no doubt he’s an outstanding player. I think he is a £50million player in the making, and Spurs and Mourinho will, too.”
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Emilio is an experienced football content writer and journalist with nearly four years under his belt at Snack Media.
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Arsenal could hand Jesus a new role by signing £50m “goal machine”
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Mikel Arteta could utilise Gabriel Jesus’ strengths to form a new front line in January…
Arsenal are reportedly ready to embrace the January transfer window, as Mikel Arteta aims to deliver the Gunners their first Premier League title since 2004.
The north Londoners came agonisingly close to winning the league last season, however battles with injury and lack of squad depth exposed the weaknesses of Arteta’s side, blemishes that are already showing this term.
The January transfer window will be fundamental for the manager to bolster his squad and combat injury scares without fear, with another title race there for Arsenal to be a part of if form can be maintained for the entirety of the season.
Aside from building depth around the first team, the Gunners could also look to improve their current favoured XI, with a range of positions speculated to be targeted for improvements in the near future.
A report from the Mirror explained that the midfield is Arteta and Edu’s first port of call to strengthen in January, with links also made to a number of forwards to add more of a prolific presence to the already dazzling front line.
Arsenal transfer targets – forwards
One forward that has been named as a potential target at the Emirates is Brentford talisman Ivan Toney, who admitted his admiration for the Gunners during the Diary of a CEO podcast.
The Englishman is claimed to be valued at £100m by the Bees, with a report from the Mirror stating that the west Londoners’ valuation of their striker comes in an attempt to ward off Arsenal’s interest.
Last season, the 27-year-old finished third in the Premier League scoring charts behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane with 20 goals, reinforcing how potent he could be in Arteta’s attack.
Away from England, Football Insider have now suggested another leading target alongside Toney, with the north Londoners having been named as a party interested in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Earlier this month, Football Transfers claimed that the 23-year-old remains as Arteta’s preferred number nine target, following on from the Gunners’ interest in the forward last January prior to his move to Turin.
In a refreshed report from Italy, as relayed by The Sun, it’s claimed that the Premier League outfit look ‘set to beat’ the likes of Real Madrid to the 6 foot 3 dynamo, with the forward’s price tag said to be in the region of £50m.
With a current market value of €80m (£70m), Arsenal could capture a bargain in signing the Serbian for a lesser price than his value, with Vlahovic possessing a host of attributes that could take the squad to the next level.
Dusan Vlahovic’s career in numbers
With 116 domestic goal contributions in 230 appearances, the Juventus hitman has cemented himself as one of the most potent forwards in Europe following his rise at Fiorentina.
The 2000-born gem scored 44 Serie A goals while with La Viola, with his magnificent 17 goals in 21 appearances by January 2022 luring Juventus to capture his signature last year.
In 45 appearances in 2021/22 representing both Fiorentina and Juve, Vlahovic contributed to 35 goals, scoring 29 and assisting six to announce himself to the European stage.
Despite struggling to hit such levels since that season, the 23-year-old would undoubtedly be a strong signing for the Gunners, with his ability to convert far greater than the current options on show at the Emirates.
Why Dusan Vlahovic would be a good signing for Arsenal
Once lauded as a “goal machine” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Vlahovic’s 2022/23 campaign was disappointing by his standard, scoring only 14 goals in 42 appearances for the Bianconeri.
Former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi explained how the reason for the Serbia international’s dip in scoring form is attributed to Juve’s playing style, saying that the team don’t “put him in a position to score” or “create chances”, as relayed by Football Italia.
In the instance that the 23-year-old signed for Arsenal, the issue surrounding the Serie A giant’s negative playing style would dissolve, with the Gunners creating 73 big chances last season in the Premier League.
What the notorious goalscorer could bring to north London is a more reliable presence to lead the line, as communicated in the table below.
