Tottenham January transfer priority now perfectly clear after unexpected £6m twist

Absences in key positions have been a common occurrence for Tottenham during the first four months of the 2024/25 campaign. Son Heung-min, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero have all missed at least four games each with it becoming brutally clear how badly Ange Postecoglou needs depth in his squad.

Romero and Van de Ven are both currently absent despite the fact they returned just last weekend in the Premier League defeat to Chelsea. Neither managed to complete the full 90 minutes because of injury however, and it is now unlikely the duo feature again in 2024.

Despite the fact his two first-choice central defenders were out of action, Spurs secured a historic 4-0 win at Etihad Stadium in late November.

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Guglielmo Vicario played a huge role in keeping the likes of Erling Haaland and Phil Foden off the score sheet and his display was made even more impressive by the fact he played over an hour with a fractured ankle. Just a few days after the victory, a club statement confirmed he had undergone surgery to fix the issue.

With the Italy international set to miss at least two months, talk of Tottenham signing a new goalkeeper in January arose but to Postecoglou that was never an obvious option with Fraser Forster more than ready to fill in.

"That’s why he’s here," the Tottenham boss said. "He’s already played in the Carabao Cup and a couple of European games. That’s the reason we’ve played him and why he’s in the squad. He’s ready to go." With Hugo Lloris picking up a number of injuries as well, the 36-year-old has been required a lot since joining the club as a free agent in 2022.

Though Spurs did not pay a fee for his services, Forster signed a two-year contract in 2023 with his yearly wage believed to be around £3million.

Many believed the 2024/2025 was largely over because of Vicario's injury and thus Forster's involvement, but he has since proven a lot of Tottenham supporters wrong. While Spurs have not won since he came into the starting XI, none of the goals conceded could have been prevented by him. If anything, his saves have kept the score down.

That was again the case on Thursday evening as the Lilywhites travelled to Scotland for a Europa League clash against Rangers. Hamza Igamane put the hosts in front with Forster unable to impact the poor defending and well-timed strike, but his superb save to deny Cyriel Dessers helped Postecoglou's side salvage a point.

The Rangers substitute was too strong for Archie Gray as he reacted to a ball over the top before flicking past a weak challenge from Pedro Porro. With the goal at his mercy, Dessers unleashed an effort but it was deflected wide by the sprawling leg of Forster.

While many wanted a new shot-stopper signed in January, with it likely that is something done regardless very soon, Forster has made it clear he can fill Vicario's boots for a bit longer and if anything showed the position that needs recruitment.

After making the save, he bellowed at his defenders with 18-year-old Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin, featuring for the tenth consecutive game, the two centre-backs as Ben Davies is also out injured. Though Croatian wonderkid Luka Vuskovic will join the club soon and Dragusin only joined last January, another centre-back is needed.

A player that can also cover at left-back would be the dream but it will be unlikely to secure a mid-season arrival that possesses those qualities. Nonetheless, a defensive addition is clearly needed in January, just to take the load of those that are playing every three days.

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