Tottenham are closing in on their first January deal after opening £25 million transfer talks with Manchester United

Tottenham want a new center-back in place for Ange Postecoglou as soon as next week, while a new midfielder and attacker will be examined in January.

Spurs are ready to complete the acquisition of 21-year-old Genoa central defender Radu Dragusin after talks with Nice over Jean-Clair Todibo fell through.

There has also been interest from Newcastle, AC Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta, but Spurs are said to be ahead of the pack because Dragusin has already given the move his blessing.

Dragusin’s agent Florin Manea has also stated publicly that a move to a top-six Premier League team would be very appealing, however they are also willing to extend the player’s contract at Genoa if his exit does not happen.

“In my opinion, if he leaves Genoa, he must do so for a very important team,” Manea told Sportitalia. I’m talking about one of the top five or six teams in the Premier League, or one of the top teams in Italy, such as Inter or Milan. I bring up these names as samples, not to imply that they are interesting. They are both quite strong teams, and we would be delighted if they were interested in him. Let’s see, we’re presently considering working.”

Manchester United may now have a free run at Todibo, and any transaction would be facilitated by INEOS’ new arrival at Old Trafford, who also owns French club Nice.

Meanwhile, despite reports that the two clubs were in talks about a trade for Conor Gallagher, Tottenham have yet to contact Chelsea.

Chelsea will consider bids ahead of the January transfer window as Gallagher approaches the end of his contract, although the England international is valued at £50 million. The 23-year-old played the full 3-2 victory over Luton Town for Chelsea, and while Spurs remain interested in him, they have yet to make a move.

Postecoglou will be left short in midfield next month when Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr represent Mali and Senegal, respectively, at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Because of his lack of playing time this season, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s future is also in doubt, although the Dane will only be permitted to leave Spurs if the correct price is paid and a successor is found. Barcelona is also interested in Giovani Lo Celso, but there are questions about whether he would be permitted to leave the club when Postecoglou is already short of choices.