Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou reveals promising transfer update and injury boost for Arsenal derby | OneFootball

Spurs boss is hoping that his depleted frontline will be bolstered in the “very near future”

Ange Postecoglou is hopeful that his stretched Tottenham forwards will soon have extra support, confirming that the club would like to sign another attacker this month and earmarking next week's north London derby at Arsenal for Richarlison's return to the squad.

Spurs are among the clubs exploring a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani but face competition from Manchester United and Juventus for the France forward.

Richarlison and Mikey Moore, who is expected to return to the bench for Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool, have been missing through injury and illness, respectively, while Wilson Odobert remains "a fair way off" following hamstring surgery in November.

Asked if he was referring to a new signing or players returning from injury, Postecoglou said: "Both.

"[Signing a forward is] hopefully what we can do but I wouldn't suggest [it will happen] tomorrow.

"Not a centre-forward but I think we need some help in the front half if we can get it. Obviously Wilson's still a fair way off, Richy's coming back but we've got to be really careful with him, we've got to try to keep him back.

Transfer battle: Tottenham are one of several clubs keen to sign PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani this month

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"Again, [any new signing] has got to be the right fit. Is that going to happen this window? I'm not sure but we know that all being well, in seven days, Richy's back and he'll definitely help Dom for sure. We're hoping by Arsenal next week [January 15], he should be available."

Spurs have already added Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, 21, and teenage winger Yang Min-hyeok to Postecoglou's squad this month, while Destiny Udogie's hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for another five weeks, may push them into the market for a left-back.

Postecoglou, though, is wary of recruiting another defender because Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero are all expected to be fit in late January.

"We're in this tricky situation where potentially we could have three very, very good defenders coming back into the fold very, very quickly," Postecoglou said. "Obviously Destiny's going to be a bit longer, so it's a bit of a balancing act of how much we can get through.

"I just don't want to get it [wrong]. You know, the beauty of bringing in somebody like Toni [Kinsky] was that he was part of our plans anyway.

"I'm really reluctant just to bring in another body just for the sake of it. It's got to be somebody who either fits into what we're doing or he's going to help us straightaway. They're the kind of criteria we're looking at."

Kinsky, a £12.5million addition from Slavia Prague, is in contention to go straight into the XI against Liverpool, with No1 Guglielmo Vicario injured and Fraser Forster only returning to training on Tuesday after being laid low by illness.

Brandon Austin could keep his place on his 26th birthday after his long-awaited first Spurs appearance in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle.

Injury boost: Spurs are hopeful that Richarlison will be fit for the north London derby against Arsenal

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"One of the things we look at when signing a player is what kind of person they are," Postecoglou said of Kinsky. "He certainly didn’t strike me, when talking to him, as somebody who is going to shy away from that kind of opportunity should it come his way. I definitely got a sense of, ‘If you throw me in, that’s what I want’.

"But that was a big part of bringing him in and bringing him in now because that was the reality that potentially we might have to throw him in straightaway.

"That was always in our thinking. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to still be a big occasion whenever he does that, whether that’s tomorrow or the weekend or whatever game he plays.

"It’s his first foray out of his home country. But certainly his demeanour and his character is one that you know that whenever that opportunity presents itself, he’s certainly not going to shy away from it."