Tottenham Hotspur ended 2025 with a victory. Victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park has reignited hopes of securing a Champions League place next season, but there is still a very long way to go.
Thomas Frank said he was delighted with its dynamic and resilient performance, but of course he knows improvements are needed.
The Lewis family must welcome investment in the January transfer window, adding new technical quality to Frank’s central midfield.
Spurs’ plan to recruit a midfielder
Last season’s winter transfer market was busy and this trend is expected to continue next month. Tottenham must ensure they are among the big spenders, with tactical imbalances and unimpressive players hampering Frank’s plan.
It’s worth remembering that James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are expected back in the new year after battling long-term issues. Neither featured under Frank’s leadership.
Tottenham need more control though. An anchor in a deeper berth. Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha flattered to deceive in the middle of the park.
Adam Wharton would be a significant upgrade, with TEAMtalk insider Dean Jones claiming the north Londoners are ready to increase their long-standing interest in the Crystal Palace midfielder.
Palace value Wharton, 21, at up to £100million, but with a host of elite suitors surrounding him, Tottenham might be wise to pay that figure in 2026. It would improve Frank’s system and then some.
Why Wharton would be an upgrade over Bentancur
In Bentancur’s defense, he spent much of his time at Tottenham battling injuries. But Bentancur’s defense is shaping up to be the only positive attribute this season, leaving much to be desired on the ball, multiplying his team’s offensive efforts.
Analyst Raj Chohan even went so far as to claim that the 28-year-old is a “candidate for worst central midfielder at a big six club”. Wharton, on the fast track at Selhurst Park, would add youth and energy to a midfield that desperately needs all of the above.
Bentancur is an established and technically gifted international. He has a wealth of experience at the highest level. It’s not too much to ask him to pass the ball every now and then.
Wharton surpasses him in this regard. The “passing machine,” as eminent journalist Henry Winter described it, has been instrumental in Oliver Glasner’s success over the past year, thus composed and collected at the heart of the Eagles’ system.
|
Premier League 25/26 – Bentancur v Wharton |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (by 90) |
Bentancur |
Wharton |
|
Goals scored |
0.08 |
0.00 |
|
Aids |
0.08 |
0.14 |
|
Keys |
58.64 |
55.69 |
|
Success (%) |
84.6 |
75.2 |
|
Progressive passes |
2.75 |
5.83 |
|
Progressive ports |
0.55 |
1.25 |
|
Plan Creation Actions |
1.34 |
3.47 |
|
Ball recoveries |
6.05 |
5.76 |
|
Tackles + interceptions |
3.62 |
3.26 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.89 |
0.83 |
|
Data via FBref |
||
Wharton, moreover, is a capable defender. Sofascore shows he has won 56% of his ground battles in the Premier League this season, averaging 1.9 tackles per game.
And it’s only getting better. The England international has much more to play for than Bentancur, who has become stodgy and uninspiring alongside a Palhinha partner whose defining attribute is his fierce combativeness.
There isn’t enough variation and nuance.
To give birth to Tottenham’s sleeping brilliance, Wharton must be signed. Although Palace would play hardball on a winter signing, Spurs could be richly rewarded for biding their time and striking out during the summer, having perhaps filled a number of different positions in January.
Tottenham’s new hierarchy must show their ambition by adding quality to Frank’s squad next month. Bentancur is limited in what he can do, and placing Wharton as the core would only strengthen the bench, tuck away the center, and add new dimensions to the Spurs’ creative efforts.
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