Opinion: Three World Cup stars Tottenham should sign this January

With the World Cup ending just weeks before January’s transfer window, this tournament’s breakout stars will be on the radars of many of the world’s top clubs, but here are three targets Tottenham and Antonio Conte should be focusing on.

Dominik Livakovic

At 35, it’s no secret Hugo Lloris will soon need replacing as Tottenham’s number one with the Frenchman well into the twilight of his career.

Throughout his time at Spurs, Lloris has been a loyal servant and excellent club captain, however, his eventual successor must now be on Daniel Levy’s mind with one such option being Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic.

Having been the bedrock in a solid Croatian backline, Livakovic has kept two clean sheets in four appearances, finding himself as the ninth highest-ranked player of the tournament (Sofascore).

Moreover, the keeper’s knockout stage heroics haven’t gone unnoticed, stopping three penalties in the shootout against Japan before making a string of important saves in the quarter-final against Brazil and saving Rodriygo’s first spot-kick in yet another penalty shootout as Croatia progressed (Talksport).

Even at club level, the shot-stopper stands out, ranking in the top 2% compared to goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues for post-shot xG minus goals allowed (FB Ref) showing he operates amongst the elite in terms of goal prevention.

Currently playing at Dynamo Zagreb, the Croatian is valued at €8.5m (Transfermarkt) and at 27 looks primed for a move to a bigger club.

Given his performances at the World Cup, Livakovic looks a fine candidate to become Tottenham’s next long-term number one, but we could face stern competition for his signature following his successes in Qatar.

Sofian Amrabat

Morocco has certainly been the surprise package of Qatar 2022, becoming the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final beating Belgium, Canada, Spain and Portugal in the process.

Their success has been built on a near impenetrable defence, keeping clean sheets in all but one game and still yet to concede a goal to an opposition player.  

Defensive midfielder Sofian Amrabat has been at the heart of Morocco’s robustness, putting up an impressive 2.6 tackles per game and being one of the standout performers as his side advanced despite being underdogs against Spain and Portugal.

Amrabat has been on Tottenham’s radar in the past, with the Fiorentina man coming close on a switch to North London last January only for Spurs to sign Bentancur instead – a wise decision in hindsight (Football London).

However, with his performances this winter, Conte’s interest in the Moroccan is rumoured to be reinvigorated, looking to add further midfield reinforcements for what may prove to be a tightly packed post-Qatar schedule.

Still just 26, Amrabat looks to be in his prime, but akin to Livakovic his performances at the World Cup have certainly seen his stock rise, likely making him a target for some of Europe’s top clubs.

Fiorentina will be desperate to hold onto their breakout star, however, Conte should certainly push for another Serie A swoop this January.

Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus has been a growing presence in the football world for the last season and a half, with his performances with Ghana this tournament further cementing his place amongst the game’s most promising talents.

At 22, Kudus is already a mainstay in the Ajax team, scoring five times in 14 Eredivisie appearances and boasting a further four goals and two assists in six Champions League games this season.

Despite failing to pass the group stages of the World Cup with Ghana, Kudus’ performances have garnered some attention, especially in his side’s 3-2 win over South Korea where he netted twice.

As a versatile attacking midfielder come forward, Kudus looks a particularly attractive target for Spurs and Conte given the lack or even outright absence of a central creative hub in the side out with Kane.

However, Kudus will almost certainly be the subject of interest from a host of Europe’s top clubs with Liverpool also supposedly keen on signing the Ghanian (Liverpool Echo).

Nevertheless, if attainable, Tottenham should push hard for Kudus’ signature this January as recruiting a player in his mould at such a young age could help shape the squad for years to come.

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