The duality of Tottenham Hotspur’s current season is enough to give any supporter a sense of whiplash. On one hand, the club has been a revelation in Europe, storming through the Champions League group phase to secure a top-eight finish. By doing so, they have bypassed the exhaustion of an extra knockout round and firmly planted their flag among the continental elite.
On the other hand, the domestic picture is nothing short of bleak. Thomas Frank’s side has already been unceremoniously dumped out of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and their Premier League form is genuinely alarming. Sitting in 14th place after 23 matches, the North Londoners are closer to a relegation scrap than they are to the European spots they usually inhabit.
While the club’s ownership, the ENIC Group, has already sanctioned moves for midfielder Conor Gallagher and the promising left-back Souza this January, there is a loud and growing demand for more firepower on the wings.
For a long time, the name swirling around the rumor mill was Raheem Sterling. The 31-year-old is a free agent after his contract with Chelsea was terminated, but his recent loan spell at Arsenal left much to be desired.
Furthermore, his previous wage demands reportedly around £325,000 per week make him a risky and expensive gamble for a player whose best years seem to be behind him.
Instead of opting for a veteran on the decline, Tottenham appears to be pivoting toward a far more exciting and “fearless” prospect. Reports suggest that Spurs are exploring a late-window hijack for Moussa Diaby, the Al Ittihad winger who is reportedly open to a return to European football.
Diaby only left Aston Villa for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2024 for a staggering £50 million, but his stint in the Middle East has not dampened his desire to compete at the highest level. While Italian giants Inter Milan are also in the race, Tottenham’s technical director Johan Lange is reportedly rolling up his sleeves to bring the 26-year-old Frenchman to N17 before the February 2nd deadline.
The argument for Diaby over Sterling is backed by more than just age. During his final season in the Premier League with Aston Villa, Diaby was a vital cog in the machine that secured Champions League football for the Midlands club.
He racked up ten goals and eleven assists across all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, proving he can handle the physical and tactical demands of the English game. Talent scouts have long described him as having a “deadly” instinct in the final third, and unlike Sterling, who has often struggled to recreate his Manchester City form in different systems, Diaby has shown he can be productive in a variety of setups.
The need for a player like Diaby has become even more urgent following the news that Mohammed Kudus will be sidelined for several months with a hamstring injury. Kudus was a primary source of creative inspiration for Thomas Frank, and his absence has left a gaping hole on the flank.
Diaby’s ability to play on either side, combined with his impressive link-up play and blistering pace, makes him the ideal candidate to resurrect Tottenham’s domestic campaign. In Saudi Arabia, while his goal-scoring has slowed, his playmaking has reached new heights, with 27 assists in just over 50 matches. This evolution into a more creative force could be exactly what a striker like Dominic Solanke needs to find his scoring touch again.
When you compare the statistics from Diaby’s last Premier League season to Sterling’s more recent outings, the gap in impact becomes clear. Diaby averaged significantly more shots on target, created far more “big chances,” and was a much more active participant in the team’s passing play.
Sterling, while still a technical player, has seen his dribbling success and recovery numbers dip. He no longer seems to be the “slippery” menace that won multiple titles under Pep Guardiola. Diaby, however, still has plenty of mileage in the tank and possesses the hunger of a player who feels he has unfinished business in Europe.
For Thomas Frank, this transfer window represents a critical turning point. If the club settles for a short-term fix like Sterling, they risk continuing the cycle of mediocre performances that has led them to the bottom half of the table.
But if they can successfully hijack the move for Moussa Diaby, they secure a player who could become a talisman for the club for years to come. Diaby brings a sense of “fearless” directness that the Tottenham faithful have been craving a player who isn’t afraid to take on his marker and make things happen in the danger area.
As the clock ticks toward the deadline, the pressure is on the Tottenham hierarchy to prove they are serious about competing. The Europa League win last year feels like a lifetime ago, and the goodwill from that trophy is rapidly disappearing.
A marquee signing like Diaby wouldn’t just improve the team on the pitch; it would send a message to the rest of the league that Spurs are not content with 14th place. It is a high-stakes game of transfer chess, and if Lange and Frank play their cards right, they could secure a player who is quite simply levels above the alternatives.
