£70m midfield gem among five players Spurs could still sign before transfer deadline - and five they won’t

To suggest that Tottenham have had a mixed transfer window would be something of an understatement. Ordinarily, any summer in which a club bids farewell to a player as influential and talismanic as Harry Kane would be deemed a sore regression, and yet, Spurs have started the new campaign with a renewed sense of impetus, largely in part due to the contributions of recent acquisitions such as James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie.

But with deadline day looming large, Ange Postecoglou’s side are by no means done with their business just yet. A whole host of players are still being touted for late potential transfers to north London, and with that in mind, let us sort through the names who could arrive in these dying embers of the window, and those that appear increasingly unlikely to.

Brennan Johnson

A deal that has beeen rumbling on for some time now, Tottenham continue to be linked with a late swoop for Nottingham Forest attacker Brennan Johnson. A fee of around £50 million is touted, and there appears to be some willingness from the player that an agreement is reached before Friday’s 11pm deadline.

Brentford, who have previously had a bid rejected for the Wales international, are also said to be in talks with Forest, but at the time of writing, it feels as if Johnson’s most probable destination - assuming he leaves the City Ground - will be Spurs.

Eberechi Eze

That being said, some reports are of the opinion that talks for Johnson may have stalled a touch over the past day or so, and that Tottenham may be exploring alternatives to the 22-year-old. Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze is a name that has been mentioned in that regard, with claims that a late raid could be in the offing.

Whether Spurs have the financial means to lure Palace into a sale before the window slams shut, however, remains to be seen. It is understood that Eze is valued at around £70 million.

Conor Gallagher

A saga that has endured all summer long, for a while it looked as if Gallagher would be staying put at Chelsea despite a surge of interest earlier in the window. Since then, however, a couple of factors may have changed things somewhat.

For one, the Blues have moved to sign the midfield duo of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, bumping Gallagher down the pecking order a touch. For another, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg continues to be linked with a move away from Tottenham, and his departure could necessitate the signing of a replacement. Perhaps this deal isn’t quite as dead as we initially thought. That said, he did wear the captain’s armband for the Blues in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, which did feel like a bit of a ‘he’s staying’ statement.

Tosin Adarabioyo

It had appeared that Fulham defender Adarabioyo was on his way to AS Monaco, and while that may still be the case, Graeme Bailey has reported that Tottenham are trying to hijack the deal at the eleventh hour. A fee of around £13 million could be enough to convince the Cottagers to sell, but whether the player himself can be lured across the capital, only time will tell.

Pepe

By the looks of things, Tottenham are intent on signing at least one more attacker before the end of the window, and there is still a chance that it could be Porto star Pepe. According to A Bola, Spurs recently submitted a bid of around £51.4 million for the winger, but it is understood that the Portuguese giants have turned down the offer and will only let the player go if his £64.3 million release clause is met.

Admittedly, that makes this one more unlikely than others, but never say never.

Evan Ferguson

One deal that won’t be happening, for the time being at least, is a swoop for Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson. The promising striker is attracting plenty of attention after having broken into Albion’s first team, with Spurs among those interested, but it is understood that Daniel Levy and co are willing to be patient in their attempts to sign him, and will come knocking again in a future window.

Ivan Toney

Likewise, Tottenham are one of several clubs monitoring the situation of Brentford forward Ivan Toney, but may wait until January to make their move for the 27-year-old. The striker is, of course, currently serving a ban for betting-related offences, and will not be available to feature for any club until the new year.

Chelsea could still test the Bees’ resolve before Friday’s deadline, but Spurs will almost certainly not be following suit.

Ansu Fati

Outlined by some as another possible Johnson alternative, Fati looks to be on the cusp of a sensational move to Brighton. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Barcelona attacker will join the Seagulls on a season-long loan with no option to buy included, and looks set to elude the grasp of Tottenham and a whole host of other interested parties.

In fact, by the time you read this article, a deal may already have been confirmed.

Clement Lenglet

Despite spending last season on loan at Tottenham, and in spite of plenty of reported interest this summer too, it would appear that Lenglet could be on his way to Aston Villa. Unai Emery is evidently keen on recruiting a replacement for the injured Tyrone Mings, and if Romano is to be believed, the Spaniard may have nabbed his man from under Spurs’ nose.

Gift Orban

For a while, it seemed as if Orban could be the player Tottenham opted for in their efforts to replace Harry Kane. Indeed, we covered him in an edition of our ongoing Wonderkid Files. Once again we turn to Romano, however, who claims that a formal bid was never actually made for the Gent striker. Factor in comments from the Belgian outfit’s director of football claiming that the Nigerian could be staying put this summer, and the chances of this one happening feel increasingly slim.