Tottenham Hotspur can register up to three new players for the Champions League knockout stages following the January transfer window. Manager Thomas Frank faces key decisions amid injuries and recent signings. The deadline for submissions is February 5, 2026.
The January transfer window closed on a subdued note for Tottenham Hotspur, with the club adding just two players to its first-team squad amid an ongoing injury crisis affecting over ten players. Conor Gallagher joined from Atletico Madrid for £35 million and has already made three Premier League starts, while teenage full-back Souza arrived from Santos for £15 million but is yet to debut, though he was named on the bench against Manchester City.
Under UEFA regulations for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, clubs may register a maximum of three new eligible players after the league phase and before the knockout stage. This change, in place since the 2018-19 season, allows players like Gallagher and Souza—who were ineligible in January—to represent Tottenham in Europe. The window for updates runs until midnight on Thursday, February 5, 2026, after which revised squad lists will appear on the UEFA website.
Thomas Frank must navigate a tight squad limit of 21 players, reduced from the standard 25 due to insufficient homegrown talent, despite having 27 first-team options. Departures include Brennan Johnson, and long-term absentees like Ben Davies are out for the season. Potential returns around late February or March include Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Mohammed Kudus, complicating selections.
One analysis suggests removing Davies, Johnson, and Bentancur (or Kevin Danso, depending on injury severity) to include Gallagher, Radu Dragusin, and Kulusevski. However, rules bar adding non-homegrown player Mathys Tel without further exclusions, and injured prospects like Lucas Bergvall pose risks for later rounds. With Tottenham eliminated from domestic cups, focus shifts to Europe, where Frank aims to bolster options for the round-of-16 ties.
