Ange Postecoglou could make a surprise move to finish the month’s transfer business with a flourish.
Tottenham Hotspur completed their January transfer business with plenty of time to spare and now Ange Postecoglou has the luxury of sealing a final swoop before the window closes if an apt opportunity arises.
In other words, Spurs’ priority of boosting their backline this winter has been achieved through the £27m acquisition of Radu Dragusin from Genoa, with Timo Werner‘s loan arrival adding a layer of mettle to the attacking ranks.
Now, with the window’s culmination just a few days away, Tottenham appear to be targeting a new centre-midfielder, with Chelsea star Conor Gallagher at the top of the shopping list.
However, the Blues have placed a price tag of £80m on the 23-year-old and meeting such a sum is not really feasible at the season’s midpoint, especially after Tottenham’s outlay for Dragusin.
He’s not the only player on Daniel Levy‘s radar though, with a recent update naming Tottenham as one of the possible suitors for a Premier League star.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Spurs are keen admirers of Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, with German giants Bayern Munich also interested and Newcastle United making an approach for his services.
The 22-year-old has been hampered by injury this season but has established himself as a key player under Unai Emery’s leadership and his departure from Villa Park is not what the Spaniard wants.
However, Villa need to stay compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules and they will consider offers of £50m for the dynamic midfielder.
Ramsey has moved up the ranks with Aston Villa after graduating from the club’s academy and has posted 13 goals and ten assists across 115 appearances, announcing himself as a major player last term as Villa commenced their rise.
Ramsey posted a healthy return of six goals and seven assists from 31 starting mathces in the English top-flight, completing 84% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes, 2.0 tackles and 4.6 successful duels per game.
Ramsey ranks among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
It’s still uncertain if Ramsey’s future lies on the left wing or in a more central, orchestrating role, but he has the quality to make his mark in either placement and discover his true calling under Maddison’s wing.
Creating eight big chances in the Premier League last year, the £70k-per-week star certainly has the trappings of a rounded creative threat and while there is a pathway to success at Villa Park, Tottenham could now take advantage of the Midlands side’s quandary to fortify their own ranks.
Of course, he’s spread his time across the wide flank and centre of the park under Emery’s management but such metrics illustrate his cutting edge and efficacy as an offensive force nonetheless.
Predicted to bloom into a “top-class” Premier League player in the future by pundit Jamie Carragher, Ramsey has evidently already enjoyed success at the highest level but has unfortunately played a bit-part role this season, struggling for fitness.
However, he’s already proved the calibre of his skill set and could thrive with a move to the capital to join Postecoglou’s project, especially if Werner’s loan move is not made permanent in the summer.
Incisive with his striking and creative with his passing, Ramsey could serve as Maddison’s understudy upon a prospective transfer to Tottenham, with the England international one of Europe’s finest playmakers.
Tottenham signed Maddison from Leicester City in a £40m deal in June to commence the Postecoglou era with a flourish, and with the 27-year-old clinching three goals and five assists across 11 outings before an ankle injury in November stifled a brilliant first term, he’s one of English football’s golden standards for his position.
Maddison ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.
He has also supplied 2.9 key passes per game in the league this year and completed 85% of his passes, with that crispness in possession something that Ramsey implements in his own game.
Hailed as a “top-class player” by his teammate Ezri Konsa, Ramsey’s dynamism illuminates the worth that Tottenham would find in acquiring his signature, with electric energy and breezy technical skills that could make him the perfect understudy for a star such as Maddison at Tottenham.
Ramsey has sometimes found himself ineffectual when on the left wing and there is a good chance that, wherever he may ply his trade in the future, he will occupy a central No. 10 role, with his positional intelligence and aforementioned technical prowess the perfect ingredients for a career as successful as someone like Maddison’s.

Welcoming Ramsey to the fold is an attractive thought for Postecoglou and co but it’s unlikely that £50m will be paid for his signature over the coming days.
However, it’s also unlikely that Newcastle will meet such demands as Eddie Howe’s side juggle their own issues in meeting PSR regulations.
Therefore, while Tottenham’s interest is genuine it’s unlikely that Ramsey will wind up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by the end of the week.
Though that’s not to say a deal won’t be struck in the summer…
