Tottenham had a rather disappointing January transfer window.
With the January window shut, it is fair to look back on it with a hint of disappointment, as the chiefs at Hotspur Way left so much on the table going into the second half of the season.
While the Lilywhites have been dealing with a massive injury list complemented by an increasing pressure on Thomas Frank as Spurs continue to endure a difficult 2025/26 season (especially domestically) despite the recent confidence-boosting 2-2 draw against Pep Guardiola’s mighty Man City.
Tottenham made only just two senior incomings while allowing a few of the first-team and fringe players to leave Hotspur Way, and this is what ends up making you feel that it was a window where the Lilywhites chiefs were reacting to things rather than having a blueprint beforehand. And that is exactly how it looks; Spurs have managed to plug holes in one area, but this has ended up opening new ones in other positions on the pitch.
Incomes at Hotspur Way
Conor Gallagher – Signed from Atletico Madrid
TTLB Rating: 7/10
Gallagher is surely one of the highlight transfers of the recently concluded window. The Cobham academy graduate brings that sense of intensity (which produced one of the two goals against Man City last weekend) and a Premier League-proven energy that the North Londoners badly needed in the second phase.
Gallagher has been a long-term target at N17, and his high-intensity, ever-running ability fits Frank’s playing style, given how it replicates a lot of what midfielders at Brentford used to do under the Dane’s tutelage.
He is a good signing. But given that he was the only one, Tottenham did not end up completely solving the midfield problem, leaving his arrival a bit light in terms of impact.
Souza – Signed from Santos
TTLB Rating: 5.5/10
Well, he is another of your high-potential future signings. And while no one among the North Londoners’ supporters minds bringing in a long-term prospect, it is just frustrating when all of the focus and investment by the club is there and not in any immediate impact signings.
While Souza has a lot of potential and athleticism in him, thinking about it from immediate issues does little to address that side of things. And with injuries continuing to mount at N17, bringing in a developmental player instead of a ready-made option feels like another missed opportunity. It may be sensible over the long term, but do you think Tottenham fans care about it when the club is 14th on the table?
Outgoings at N17
Brennan Johnson – Permanent exit to Crystal Palace
TTLB Rating: 3/10
This is the one that stings the most for most of the Lilywhites supporters. While he was not particularly flawless, he did bring that rapid attacking ability from the right.
Now with Kudus injured, Tottenham don’t have any wide forward threat on the right.
Sanctioning his exit without bringing in someone to take up his place in the roster significantly weakens the squad (as we are seeing in most of the recent match days) going into the second half of the season.
Kota Takai – Loan exit to Borussia Mönchengladbach
TTLB Rating: 8/10
Sending him to the German top tier is a big statement of how much Tottenham believe in his abilities. And this works out perfectly; he was not going to get first-team minutes at Tottenham anyway.
Min-Hyeok Yang – Loan exit to Coventry City
TTLB Rating: 7.5/10
This is another masterclass of a move. Sending him from Portsmouth to Coventry means suddenly the young South Korean will be involved with some top-quality players in the Championship.
Dane Scarlett – Loan exit to Hibernian
TTLB Rating: 7/10
There is still a sense of non-understandability with this one. You do understand that Tottenham want to keep the player first and prioritise his developmental minutes, but with Solanke only getting back from his long-term layoff and Richarlison injured already, you’d think Frank would want to keep some depth in his roster when it comes to that number nine role.
Manor Solomon – Loan exit to Fiorentina
TTLB Rating: 6.5/10
This one should be down to Paratici taking the Israeli international with him. He didn’t have much impact in the first half of the season with Villarreal, and maybe he ends up finding his feet at Fiorentina.
Overall Tottenham January transfer window rating – 5/10
Most of the Lilywhites supporters would feel disappointed coming out of that window. While the club failed to address most of the problems, they ended up making one of them worse somehow.
While Gallagher improves the midfield, there are no attacking reinforcements or defensive depth. To add to that, Spurs ended up losing Brennan without anyone coming in for him.
The Premier League is a league with high margins, where all the clubs are striving for that marginal gain, and somehow you don’t see that from one of the big six in Tottenham, especially in a season where the pressure on the gaffer is quite intense.
A 5/10 to me feels generous (but fair).
