Tottenham must bolster attacking options in January, says Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou said Tottenham need to make signings during the transfer window to strengthen their attacking options.

Tottenham are seventh in the Premier League after thirteen games this season, but have failed to find consistency in results so far.

But their form has not been helped by injuries in the forward areas, with Richarlison and Wilson Odobert out of action until next year due to respective hamstring problems.

Dominic Solanke, who missed Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, is expected to feature against former Bournemouth on Thursday.

Despite these injuries, Postecoglou's side top the table this season with 28 goals, but the Spurs boss said he needs reinforcement in attack.

“With Richy it has been frustrating because I see the potential in him and, to be honest, when he has been fit he has always made an impact,” Postecoglou said.

“That's about what you're stuck with, but there's no doubt we'll need some reinforcements in that front third in the coming transfer windows.”

“Dom's arrival was great, but again we can't overload him either because ultimately, even if he stays fit and nothing happens, performance will invariably decline as his energy levels drop. So it is something we are aware of and have to take into account.”

Cristian Romero will also not be available on Thursday, in addition to the absence of Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario and the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur.

Winter work

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Tottenham's squad is likely to be expanded again in December, with eight games scheduled this month.

After their trip to Bournemouth, they will take on Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Wolves in the Premier League.

In between those league games they face Rangers in the Europa League and in the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.

“It's a pretty consistent Thursday-Sunday cycle for us,” he added.

“Monday is recovery day for the boys and yesterday I trained with the boys who didn't play for most of the game.

“They have all recovered well, there are no more problems [Fulham] and we are ready for a big game tomorrow.”

But first Tottenham face a trip to the south coast against Andoni Iraola's in-form Bournemouth team, who defeated Wolves 4-2 in their last Premier League match.

And Postecoglou will be confident of returning to winning ways at the Vitality Stadium given their recent encounters with the Cherries.

Tottenham have won 10 of their 14 Premier League games against Bournemouth (D2 L2). Of the teams they have faced at least ten times in the competition, they only had a higher winning percentage against Swansea (79%).

In addition, each of their last five top-flight victories has been nil, including a 4-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City last time out.

However, Spurs have not won any of their last 14 when conceding on the road (D5 L9) since a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in October 2023, and Postecoglou expects another difficult task away from home.

“A tough challenge, not only recently but also last year. They came here and were very aggressive with their football and especially in their position,” concluded Postecoglou.

“They've beaten City and Arsenal at their place. They're one of those sides where they have real consistency in performance and approach, so you know you're in for a battle. I'm really looking forward to it.”

A trip to the south coast awaits

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— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 3, 2024