Despite the positive strides that have been made at Tottenham Hotspur under new boss Ange Postecoglou, the Greek-Aussie is seemingly aware that further reinforcements will be required in the new year if that momentum is to be maintained.
The former Celtic head coach only recently admitted that a new centre-back will be required amid the lack of depth behind the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with long-serving stalwart Eric Dier seemingly not considered a suitable option.
It is not just at the back, however, where improvements could well be made in the winter window, with further additions to help bolster the front line also required, following the loss of Harry Kane over the summer.
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With that in mind – and amid the prior success of landing Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Serie A – the north Londoners could look the way of Italy again in order to snap up Genoa sensation, Albert Gudmundsson.
Spurs transfer news – Albert Gudmundsson
Reports back in early November indicated that Spurs were among the clubs showing an interest in the Icelandic talent, with former Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho also said to be keeping tabs on the player at AS Roma.
The 26-year-old made the move to Italy back in the summer of 2022 and still has just under three years left to run on his existing deal, ensuring that Postecoglou and co may have to fork out a sizeable fee to secure his signature.
Currently valued at just €15m (£13m), however, according to CIES Football Observatory, there could be a case for the Premier League outfit to strike a real bargain next month, if they can reach an agreement for anywhere close to that figure.
Albert Gudmundsson's style of play
The former AZ Alkmaar man may not be the high-profile addition that some of a Spurs persuasion will be craving, yet the 5 foot 10 whiz has proven himself to be a real standout performer for his current side of late.
Typically operating through the middle or on the flanks, the in-demand talent has scored eight goals in just 16 games in all competitions this season, taking his total tally to 23 goals and six assists in 66 games for Genoa to date.
Such explosive form in Italy has even seen Gudmundsson likened to a certain Mohamed Salah by teammate Kevin Strootman, with the latter man previously having played alongside Salah at Roma, prior to the Egyptian's exploits at Liverpool.
While suggesting that Gudmundsson can still be somewhat inconsistent, like Salah was in Rome, Strootman hinted that his colleague could well follow in the Anfield hero's footsteps by exploding in the years to come:
“If he keeps improving, he won’t stay at Genoa for long. He reminds me of Salah when he was at Roma, in that every now and then he disappears. Much like Salah then, he would have four or five chances per match and only score at most one.
“They used to say that if Salah was more clinical, he would be playing for Liverpool, and that is exactly what happened. All joking aside, Gudmundsson is a devastating player and also an exemplary professional.”
Salah – who bagged 34 goals in 83 games at the Stadio Olimpico prior to moving to England – has been a phenomenon on Merseyside over the last six years or so, having only recently reached a landmark of 200 goals for the club.
If Gudmundsson can get anywhere close to such feats, then Spurs could have a real superstar on their hands.
How Gudmundsson compares to Richarlison
If the 35-cap international is to arrive through the door in 2024, it could well spell bad news for one of Postecoglou's current forwards, Richarlison, with the Brazilian still dividing opinion at N17 having scored just five league goals since the start of last season.
By contrast, while Gudmundsson was playing in Serie B last term – Italy's second tier – he does now boast 17 league goals since the start of 2022/23, having mirrored the Tottenham man's flexibility after featuring all across the front line.
Not only evidently more clinical in front of goal, the Genoa ace also has the creative prowess to match, as he ranks in the top 10% among his fellow forwards in Europe's top five leagues for progressive passes, as well as in the top 17% for progressive carries per 90.
Richarlison, by contrast, ranks in just the top 33% and the top 21% for those same two metrics, respectively, as a forward, while he is even seemingly outworked by his potential replacement, with Gudmundsson ranking in the top 1% for interceptions per 90, while the former Toffees man ranks in just the top 5% in that regard.
Not only a possible Salah 2.0 but also an upgrade on Richarlison in attack, Gudmundsson could represent an ideal, left-field acquisition for Postecoglou next month.