Postecoglou and Spurs hatch transfer plan for Sebastian Szymanski
Unlike a lot of teams in the Premier League, Spurs were active during the January transfer window. Their near-£27m move for Genoa's Radu Dragusin was the most expensive deal done by any side last month, and they also signed Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on loan.
If Ange Postecoglou had got his way, though, there would have been another new face arriving in North London too. Spurs were keen on a deal to sign attacking midfielder Sebastian Szymanski from Fenerbahce and were prepared to "push" to get a deal done before the deadline. Postecoglou dispatched scouts to watch the £30m-rated Pole in action, but in the end no deal materialised.
Spurs ready to revive Szymanski move
Based on a report from Turkish outlet Fanatik, though, this matter is far from closed. There's a feeling that Szymanski won't be staying at Fenerbahce for long, with interested clubs queuing up.
Journalist says Spurs could re-sign "beautiful" player ahead of Pochettino
Chelsea are believed to have looked at signing him as well.
ByEmilio Galantini Feb 23, 2024
Ange and Spurs have been "watching" for a "while" now and "may make a move in the summer", while Italian giants Milan have identified him as a "primary" target for the off-season. Elsewhere, Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen want to build from a position of strength by striking a deal.
Spurs could sign a "gem" who's ready to press
Fenerbahce only paid around £8.3m to sign Szymanski from Dynamo Moscow last summer, and that's now looking like one of the bargains of the window. The 30-cap Poland international has scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 39 games across all competitions, which makes him one of the most productive players in European football this season.
Rank
Player
Club
Goals
Assists
Total
1
Viktor Gyokeres
Sporting
29
11
40
=2
Kylian Mbappe
PSG
32
7
39
=2
Luuk de Jong
PSV Eindhoven
28
11
39
4
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
29
8
37
=5
Igor Thiago
Club Brugge
26
4
30
=5
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa
18
12
30
=7
Edin Dzeko
Fenerbahce
22
7
29
=7
Mauro Icardi
Galatasaray
20
9
29
=7
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
19
10
29
=10
Vangelis Pavlidis
AZ Alkmaar
25
3
28
=10
Lautaro Martinez
Inter
23
5
28
=10
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
22
6
28
=13
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid
20
8
28
=13
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal
15
13
28
=13
Rafa
Benfica
15
13
28
=16
Santiago Gimenez
Feyenoord
22
5
27
=16
Andreas Skov Olsen
Club Brugge
19
8
27
=18
Pedro Goncalves
Sporting
13
13
26
=18
Sebastian Szymanski
Fenerbahce
12
14
16
=18
Cameron Puertas
Union SG
8
18
26
He's inevitably won plenty of plaudits for his exploits this term, with under-23 scout Antonio Mango describing him as a "gem" and sports journalist Josh Bunting raving about his "wonderful" technique.
Crucially, in addition to his headline attacking output, he also works tirelessly out of possession. Indeed, according to StatsBomb, he'd averaged more pressures per 90 minutes (31.3) than anybody else in the Turkish top-flight in the first phase of the season, and that may be a big part of his appeal for Postecoglou.
