Sky: AC Milan interested in Japhet Tanganga loan

With a couple of weeks left in the January transfer window, now’s the time when you’d expect the rumors to start flying out of bat country in flocks like murmurations of starlings. And look what we have here! *checks binoculars* ...It’s a Japhet Tanganga rumor taking flight!

According to the Sky Sports Transfer Centre, AC Milan is interested in signing TangGang on loan for the rest of the season, as Japhet has some concerns about his playing time with the imminent return from injury of Eric Dier and Cuti Romero.

Now look, that’s almost literally all the rumor mill says about this particular move. Just that — AC Milan, loan, Japhy wants minutes. Not much to go on, but also not exactly a crazy or even a bad thing to happen. Japhet has had... let’s just call it an “eventful” couple of weeks, and although he’s a young player who can undoubtedly improve, he’s probably at the stage where he needs regular minutes, as well as the time and patience to make and play through mistakes. He probably doesn’t get that at Spurs this spring under Conte. (Certainly not the patience part, if Spurs fan reactions are anything to go by.)

Tanganga and Joe Rodon are both being mentioned for potential loans (a spurious one I saw this morning has Newcastle interested in Joe), but even if Dier and Romero come back soon, if either of them manifest themselves into being that leaves Tottenham perilously thin at the back. If, however, Spurs are able to bring in a left-footed central defender the way Conte wants this month, that does open the door for Tanganga to be loaned out.

It’s not much to go on, and I can already see the frustrated comments (ffs why haven’t we signed anyone yet Levy) but it’s not nothing. Let’s see where this leads.