Tottenham look set to seal their first signing of the January transfer window with Arnaut Danjuma expected to sign on the dotted line in N17. Appearing on course to link up with Everton on a loan deal until the end of the campaign with his medical, media and agreements all reportedly complete, Spurs have come from nowhere to entice the Dutch international to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The arrival of the talented 25-year-old will boost Antonio Conte's options going into the second half of the season, with Danjuma able to play from either the left flank or up front as a striker or support striker. The Netherlands international will also add some Champions League experience to the Spurs squad after netting six goals in the competition for Villarreal last season.
Having scored four goals in the group stage, Danjuma then contributed when it mattered most as he scored important goals against Juventus and Bayern Munich in the knockout phase as the Spanish side progressed through to the final four of the competition. Providing of course that Tottenham do complete a deal for the Lagos-born player as expected, that means he will be able to feature for Spurs in the next phase of the Champions League as they can make amendments to their squad.
READ MORE: Arnaut Danjuma Everton transfer hijack hands Antonio Conte big Tottenham Champions League boost
Having topped Group D following a last-minute win in Marseille at the start of November, the Lilywhites will go head-to-head with AC Milan in the Round of 16, with the first leg taking place at the San Siro on Tuesday, February 14. So what exactly does the imminent arrival of Danjuma mean for Tottenham's Champions League squad as things stand? football.london takes a look.
Champions League squad
Tottenham know all about the difference between Champions League and Premier League squad regulations having had registration issues in Europe in recent seasons. Similar in terms of the Premier League where a club can name a 25-man squad but have no more than 17 non-homegrown players on the list, the main issue Tottenham have had is with the definition of a foreign player in UEFA competition.
Whereas Matt Doherty is down as a homegrown player in the Premier League, he is classed as non-homegrown in Europe after learning his trade outside of England. England international Eric Dier also remains a non-homegrown player after coming through the system in Portugal as a youngster.
Ben Davies was previously classed as non-homegrown but is now deemed homegrown by UEFA after they altered their position on Welsh players who trained at clubs affiliated with the English league system. The change did help Tottenham out in September as they were on course to be one over the non-homegrown rule until UEFA's stance changed.
In the UEFA competition, clubs also submit a B list for those born on or after January 1, 2001, and registered at the club for an uninterrupted period of two seasons. Bryan Gil and Pape Matar Sarr are young enough to be included on the B list, but unfortunately for Tottenham, they haven't been at the club for an uninterrupted period of two seasons, meaning they are instead on the non-homegrown player list.
Tottenham are now on the limit of 17 non-homegrown players in Europe, meaning any new foreign addition would only be able to be added to the squad if a current foreign player was left out. Possible outgoings in what remains of the transfer window could help Conte and Fabio Paratici out, but a big decision will then have to be made if not.
That could in turn leave players such as Gil and Sarr at risk, with Lucas Moura possibly also in the same boat as he has spent the vast majority of the season injured and the arrival of Danjuma will only push him further down the pecking order.
Champions League non-homegrown players: Hugo Lloris, Matt Doherty, Davinson Sanchez, Emerson Royal, Eric Dier, Cristian Romero, Clement Lenglet, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Son Heung-min, Ivan Perisic, Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Bryan Gil, Lucas Moura (17)
Champions League homegrown players: Brandon Austin, Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon, Djed Spence, Japhet Tanganga, Ben Davies, Oliver Skipp, Harry Kane (8)
B list: Harvey White
READ NEXT:
Tottenham player ratings vs Fulham: Harry Kane hits record goal but Son and Perisic quiet
Romero handed tricky challenge, Kane's classy moment - 5 things spotted in Fulham vs Tottenham
Every word Antonio Conte said on Harry Kane playing with fever and his meeting with his players
Harry Winks hailed by Sampdoria boss as Tottenham man handed full Serie A debut vs Udinese
Find the footballs on the football.london website to win cash prize, vouchers and TV worth £3,000
