Tottenham Hotspur’s 2026/27 season has swung between alarm and optimism, and Roberto De Zerbi has spent most of it chasing balance. Spurs sit 10th in the Premier League after a winless opening run of six matches that echoed the inconsistency of previous campaigns. Any Tottenham transfer news this winter has to start with what changed afterwards.

De Zerbi’s principles finally took hold, and Tottenham won three in a row, including statement results against Chelsea and Crystal Palace. A tight 1-0 defeat at Leeds United ended the run.

That change came from the summer, when the club rebuilt its double pivot. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle as the proactive ball-winner, while Mateus Fernandes brought progression, creative passing range and press resistance. They sit close together, play short, precise passes to draw the opposition press and then release incisive vertical balls, a template that mirrors De Zerbi’s old Brighton pairing of Moisés Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.

James Maddison offers the fluid link to the forwards, and Rodrigo Bentancur provides experienced rotation. Conor Gallagher, signed in January 2026, has become the odd man out. The 26-year-old England international has made four starts in all competitions and played only 26 minutes off the bench at Leeds.

Tottenham transfer news: De Zerbi rewrites his January plans

Football Insider, via CaughtOffside, reports that Spurs have changed their January plans for 18-year-old academy graduate Luca Williams-Barnett. Several clubs tracked him for a temporary move, but De Zerbi will keep him, with coaches integrating him into the regular first-team setup. The call follows his Premier League debut cameo in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, and the manager believes he can make an immediate impact.

Gallagher’s issue is tactical, not a lack of quality. His pressing and tackling match De Zerbi’s defensive demands, but the system needs composure inside Spurs’ own box, and he tends to rush vertical passes. In 323 Premier League minutes, he has lost possession 11 times and committed seven fouls.

Should Tottenham sell Conor Gallagher in January?

Yes, and in January. Tonali and Fernandes have modernised the midfield, and Gallagher’s pressing, tackling and box-to-box energy now sit outside De Zerbi’s primary system. The club claims he remains part of its long-term plans to protect his market value, but a high-wage specialist stuck on the bench loses value month by month. Palace, Leeds and Everton all monitor his situation, so a bidding war looks viable, with a fee of roughly £30m to £35m realistic.

The teenager’s retention shows De Zerbi gives minutes to players he trusts, and Gallagher currently isn’t one of them. Spurs should spend that money on the frontline, the true weakness, which has underperformed. Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier or Alex Scott would add goals and fluid depth, and either would help De Zerbi more than a surplus midfielder.