Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday highlighted the scale of the issues Thomas Frank faces at the club. While conceding four goals naturally raises questions about defensive solidity, the real concern lies higher up the pitch.
Spurs’ inability to create meaningful chances and progress the ball effectively has been painfully obvious, and it explains why the club may be considering a major January signing to address their attacking problems.
The statistics for Tottenham in the Premier League so far this season tell a troubling story:
| Metric | Spurs 25/26 | League Rank |
|---|---|---|
| xG | 11.0 | 17th |
| Non-penalty xG | 11.0 | 16th |
| Progressive passes | 413 | 12th |
| Shots | 110 | 19th |
| Shots on target | 40 | 15th |
| Average shot distance (yards) | 15.6 | 17th |
The Lilywhites managed just three shots on goal against Arsenal, registering a mere 0.07 xG according to Sofascore, with their only score coming from Richarlison’s remarkable long-range lob.
Their lack of creativity and high-quality opportunities highlights why Spurs are reportedly eyeing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghanaian international has a £65m release clause that can be activated at the start of January. With his pace, power, ball control, and eye for goal, Semenyo offers the kind of attacking threat Tottenham desperately need.
His goal against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season perfectly demonstrates his ability to create opportunities for himself and finish under pressure skills that Frank’s side lack in abundance.
Semenyo is versatile, capable of playing on either wing or through the center, and his form this season has been impressive across multiple attacking metrics:
| Metric | Value | Percentile vs Wingers |
|---|---|---|
| xG | 4.58 | Top 1% |
| Goals | 6 | Top 1% |
| Shots | 23 | Top 10% |
| Shots on target | 14 | Top 1% |
| Assists | 3 | Top 6% |
| Successful dribbles | 21 | Top 5% |
| Touches in opposition box | 45 | Top 12% |
These numbers highlight why Spurs could benefit enormously from acquiring Semenyo. He offers not just finishing ability but also the kind of dynamic movement and creativity the current squad lacks.
The Ghanaian forward’s arrival could provide the spark needed to make Tottenham’s attacks more dangerous and less predictable, giving Frank a weapon to complement his tactical setup.
However, activating Semenyo’s release clause would tie Spurs to a £65m outlay, matching their joint-record signing for Dominic Solanke.
To make this feasible, sporting director Fabio Paratici may need to offload players who are underperforming or surplus to requirements. One obvious candidate is right-back Pedro Porro.
Porro, once highly rated and attracting attention from top clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, has struggled this season.
His output and reliability have declined sharply, as shown in the following comparison of his 2024/25 and 2025/26 campaigns:
| Metric | 24/25 | 25/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 33 | 12 |
| Possession lost per game | 17.5 | 18.5 |
| Key passes per game | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Big chances created | 10 | 2 |
| Assists | 6 | 1 |
| Pass accuracy | 76% | 73% |
| Cross accuracy | 31% | 17% |
Porro’s crossing has been described as a “disaster” by Polish journalist Michał Okoński, and his current Premier League output underlines the claim. He has lost possession 222 times in just 12 matches while contributing only one assist.
Defensively, he has seen his tackles and interceptions drop from an average of 3.1 per game to 1.7, and he has made four errors leading directly to shots this season double his total from 33 matches in 2024/25.
Given these figures, selling Porro in January could provide the funds necessary to pursue Semenyo. Clubs across Europe have shown interest in the Spain international, and a successful sale would allow Spurs to reinvest in a player who can genuinely make a difference in the attacking third.
By combining the acquisition of a game-changing forward like Semenyo with the sale of underperforming players such as Porro, Tottenham could begin to address both the creativity and output issues that have plagued them this season.
Frank would gain a versatile weapon capable of producing goals and creating chances independently, while Paratici would demonstrate decisive management in reshaping the squad. In the modern Premier League, a forward of Semenyo’s quality could be the key to transforming Spurs’ season.
