Arjun Menon
Aston Villa piled further pressure on Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank by dumping the north London club out of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Lilywhites have endured a turbulent campaign under the Dane and their struggles on home soil continued as Ollie Watkins’ excellent early strike set the tone at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Morgan Rogers doubled Villa’s advantage before the interval and, although Wilson Odobert pulled one back after the break, Unai Emery’s side held firm to secure a third-round victory and deepen Spurs’ woes.
With the January transfer window now in full swing, Tottenham appear ready to respond — and reports suggest they have already made a significant move in the market.
Spurs launch shock bid for Brahim Diaz
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, via TEAMtalk, Tottenham have submitted an initial offer worth around £52 million for Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz.
The report claims the Lilywhites have identified the Moroccan international as a priority target to inject creativity and cutting edge into Frank’s misfiring attack.
Diaz, 26, is currently away on international duty with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations and has been one of the tournament’s standout performers for the host nation.
The winger has scored in each of Morocco’s five matches so far, playing a pivotal role in their run to the semi-finals, where they will face Nigeria on Wednesday.
Formerly capped by Spain — scoring on his only senior appearance — Diaz joined Real Madrid from Manchester City in 2019 and later spent a productive loan spell at AC Milan before re-establishing himself at the Bernabéu.
Across all competitions, Diaz has made 139 appearances for Los Blancos, registering 21 goals and 23 assists.
Read also: Spurs’ FA Cup Exit Piles Pressure on Frank Amid Fan Discontent
Why Spurs need attacking reinforcements
Despite his pedigree, Diaz has started just three La Liga matches this season, a situation that has alerted several clubs — including Tottenham.
Spurs’ interest comes at a time when their attacking options are being stretched. Brennan Johnson’s recent departure to Crystal Palace has reduced depth, while Mohammed Kudus is set to miss action until April after sustaining an injury.
Those absences have left Frank short of reliable attacking solutions, particularly in wide areas, increasing the urgency for January reinforcements.
A move for Diaz would represent a statement of intent from Tottenham and provide a proven, versatile attacker capable of operating across the frontline — something Frank’s system has sorely lacked during a difficult first season in north London.