Football.London

Archie Gray has told football.london that his family played a big part in his decision to join Tottenham Hotspur and his new captain Son Heung-min was handed a key role in helping him settle in by a former team-mate.

The 18-year-old Spurs signing is one of the most exciting young talents in English football and was being chased by clubs across Europe this summer after Leeds' play-off final defeat ended their hopes of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Gray played 52 times for his hometown club across that campaign, the young midfielder filling in at right-back for plenty of those games.

His performances were so impressive across the pitch that he earned the Championship Young Player of the Season award and was namechecked by then England boss Gareth Southgate as one for the future, while others compared his ability to the likes of Premier League legend Steven Gerrard.

He only turned 17 towards the end of last season but ask most of his Leeds and England youth team-mates who the best player they have played with is and they will say Archie Gray.

Leeds' financial needs following their missed promotion and a release clause in Gray's contract because of that failure meant his exit suddenly became more likely than not. Brentford looked to have tied up a deal ahead of everyone with a medical scheduled and a more gradual ascent for Gray from the Championship, only for their attempts to collapse as they could not agree the structure of the financial payments. Tottenham swooped in and quickly sealed a £40million package deal for the talented teenager with Joe Rodon heading in the opposite direction.

Gray comes from great footballing stock. His father Andy came through at Leeds and played for Nottingham Forest, Bradford, Sheffield United and Burnley among others, while his Glaswegian grandfather Frank was a legend at both Leeds and Forest, winning the European Cup with the latter and was a finalist in the same competition with the former while winning silverware galore across his career. To boot, Archie is also the great nephew of former Leeds legend Eddie Gray.

So when Tottenham became involved in the transfer race, the decision very much became a family affair and there was only going to be one winning club.

"At the start of the window I didn’t really know anything about [a potential transfer anywhere] and I was content to stay at Leeds, but as soon as I heard Tottenham were coming in I was like ‘I need to go there', Gray told football.london. "It’s a huge club and my dad said that too. He came to my room one morning and said 'look, you’ve got to go to Spurs. It’s a massive club'.

"My grandad was saying it as well, he’s obviously done pretty well in his career, and he said at some point you've got to go to one of the biggest clubs in England and he thinks now is the right time and he thinks Spurs is a massive club as well. So, with people who have been advising me my whole life, I have to listen to them and I also wanted to do it too, so that was definitely a massive thing and since then I’ve enjoyed every second of it. So, definitely happy that I made that decision."

The Ange Postecoglou factor was also there with Gray enjoying one of the Australian's famous pre-signing chats which often seem to do the trick for prospective new arrivals.

"It was just really positive and most of it was football, but he was getting to know what I was like as a person," said the teenager. "Hopefully I came across really well but it’s a massive factor that the manager's here and I've been following him for a while, since he was at Celtic and one of my U21 managers went to the Australian league so even since then I’ve been following him so, yeah, he’s a massive factor."

The Gray family have two loves, Leeds but also Celtic thanks to Frank's upbringing, so Postecoglou was already a very well known name within the household.

"Obviously I’ve got a Leeds family and I support them too, but yeah my grandad and dad played for Scotland and supported Celtic. When Ange was there I enjoyed watching them and I still do now," said Gray.

When football.london meets the teenager he has been greeting and playing with children and families from Yokohama Children’s Hospice, alongside fellow new Spurs arrival Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Alejo Veliz.

There's something very disarming about Gray. He's very tall and without doubt, he is probably the nicest 18-year-old you'll ever meet, confident, enthusiastic and always grinning yet incredibly polite and he relished playing with the Japanese children as if they were part of his own family.

It's that bubbly, polite personality that helped him settle quickly into life inside the Tottenham camp and while all of the buzz inside the club has been about how good he's going to be this season, let alone for the years to come, it is Gray himself who has quickly made a positive impression on his team-mates and all of them appear to have taken to the teenager.

"I’m really enjoying it and everyone’s been brilliant with me so far. I wouldn’t say I’m the hardest guy to get along with, I’m pretty laid back and pretty easy to speak to, but everyone’s been amazing with me and I’m enjoying the first few weeks," he said.

One player in particular was set a special task to look after Gray by a former Tottenham defender and it just so happened that task fell to Gray's favourite current Spurs star and skipper Son.

"On the pitch and off the pitch, he's been helping me, it’s just little things. He is really good friends with Joe Rodon and last year when Joe was at Leeds I was probably the closest with Joe when he joined and I think when I came here Joe told Sonny to look after me a little bit," he said. "He’s making me feel really welcome and just with little things like helping me speak to everyone and helping me into the group."

Gray also counts Gareth Bale and Harry Kane among his favourite Spurs players of the past but he is a massive admirer of Son and he's got no qualms about saying so.

"There’s nothing that he could improve on. Every day he sets the standard in training and I look up to him and I feel like I’m lucky to have a player like that in the team and for him to be captain is just incredible," said the youngster. "I can’t speak highly enough of him. You know his quality in games, he’s been showing it for ten years now and internationally he’s been amazing. I don’t usually like speaking that highly of people in the same team as me, because it feels weird, but he's incredible."

The early days of pre-season have been an eye-opener for the youngster when it comes to the step up to the pace and power of the Premier League and on top of that Postecoglou's relentless, attacking brand of football. Gray has also had to take that on board while dealing with the heat and humidity of Tokyo during the club's pre-season tour, which will move on to South Korea and Seoul next.

"Yeah, definitely [it's a step up]. It’s the manager’s style of play. Just end to end stuff and it’s been really intense training and I think it’s been really good for everyone, you know, to get the fitness levels up, but for me to get used to the style of football has been a big thing and I’ve been enjoying it so far," he said. "On the first day [the heat in Tokyo] was pretty tough but I think I’m used to it now so it’s alright."

The big question for many is where Gray will end up playing on the pitch because he will play plenty of minutes this season. Most believe he will end up in midfield, some predict as a number six and others as a box-to-box midfielder such is the wide spread of his abilities. He also starred as a right-back last season for Leeds, completing more tackles than any other player aged 21 and under in the Championship across the campaign.

Just to show off his versatility even further, the teen has been playing at centre-back for the first time in his career this pre-season due to the unavailability of some players who have been at international tournaments. He could also be seen filling in as a left-back during open training in Tokyo on Friday evening.

So has Postecoglou told him which position he sees him playing the most in this season for Tottenham?

"No and to be honest with you I’m not bothered and while I think it’s good to think of where I’m going to end up playing, I don’t really care. I think I’ve got a best position, but I probably don’t and in my head I can play anywhere except for goalkeeper," he said with a laugh. "I’m just enjoying it. Wherever he puts me on the pitch, I’ll do that to the best of my ability and I don’t really care where I play."

So where is his best position in his head?

"Somewhere in midfield, but last year I played right-back and I’d probably say there as well. From the two games I’ve played so far it’s probably centre-back at the moment! I don’t really know," he admitted.

Last season a remarkable midfield display against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup, while still just 17, showed exactly how good Gray already is as he dominated the ball against the Blues' £100million midfielders and it showed everyone that he will be absolutely fine in the surroundings of the Premier League and up against the big boys.

Thinking back on that game and what it means for him going forward, he said: "To be honest, I’m just excited. It will obviously be different to the Championship. In some ways it will be harder and that Chelsea game was really good and unfortunately we didn’t win, but I thought we did really well. Individually, I thought I did pretty well and hopefully showed that I can play in the Premier League and against teams like that."

Gray is looking forward to hearing one of Postecoglou's famed, inspirational team talks, having only heard the pre-season versions thus far.

"I've probably not experienced them in full effect yet, as it’s pre-season, but I’m definitely very excited to experience one of those and hopefully I can experience many of them," he said.

The Durham-born midfielder has high hopes for the future and among those is to follow in his famous family's footsteps and start racking up the silverware.

"Well, my grandad and dad did the same thing [in stepping out of the family legacy at Leeds]. My grandad, Eddie, created the Leeds legacy and it’s incredible what he did for them, but my grandad and my dad both left Leeds at an early age and my grandad went on to achieve unbelievable things," he explained.

"What now is the Champions League, he won that with Nottingham Forest, who were competing for titles and hopefully I can do a similar thing and that’s what I want to do – I want to try to get the most trophies in my family and hopefully that can be with Spurs."

Gray believes Tottenham this season should be and will be aiming high.

"Definitely competing for titles. They’re in the Europa League and in the Premier League, we’ve got a good chance to go at that this season. We’ve got a really good squad and we’ve been working really hard in pre-season but we’ve just got to take it game-by-game," he said.

"Last year I was lucky enough to be competing for a title, so I know what it’s like to be competing with teams at the top of a league and you’ve just got to focus on every game and you can’t be looking too far ahead. Obviously you've got to set goals, but you've got to take it game-by-game and, now, we're just focusing on the next pre-season game."

On his own personal goals, he added: "For next season it's just to improve as much as I can as an 18-year-old and play as many games this year, and try to help the squad push for things, in whatever way that is - if it’s training or in games. My long term goal is to win titles for Tottenham."

The now £40million midfield is being modest about his game time this season. He might only be 18-years-old but write Gray off as simply 'one for the future' at your peril. Ask anyone that has played alongside the youngster or coached him and the response is always the same - 'incredible'.

Archie Gray is a player for the now and Tottenham are going to quickly see the benefits of what is likely to be one of their biggest transfer coups of recent years.

Vissel Kobe are Tottenham's opponents on Saturday as Ange Postecoglou's side play their third pre-season game. Starting off with victories over Hearts and QPR, J.League side Vissel Kobe are now on the agenda after Spurs made the trip to Japan at the beginning of the week.

Whereas both Hearts and QPR are perhaps a week or two ahead of Tottenham in terms of their summer preparations with their league campaigns starting before the Premier League, the Lilywhites will now be coming up against a team who are over halfway through the J.League season. It will be a big test for the north London club but one Postecoglou will be hoping to take a number of positives from.

So what exactly can Tottenham fans look forward to in the game at Tokyo's National Stadium? football.london takes a look below.

Moore and youngsters take chance

Tottenham's talented youngsters could be handed more playing time against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Saturday. Spurs' young guns have made a real impression in the first two friendlies, most notably 16-year-old Mikey Moore who supporters are desperate to see more of in the first team.

Fresh from scoring in the 5-1 win at Hearts, the academy ace then got an assist to his name as Dane Scarlett converted his low cross at QPR. Will Lankshear will also be looking to make a big impact after his recent goal at Hearts as he was once again picked ahead of Scarlett and Alejo Veliz at Loftus Road.

Alfie Devine impressed on the club's summer tour 12 months ago and he has done likewise this time around. Maybe becoming a bit of a forgotten figure due the amount of talent coming through the academy at present, the attacking midfielder has reminded everyone what he is about this summer and he could well go on to play a starring role against Vissel Kobe.

Having 29 players to select from for this weekend's match as Destiny Udogie and Richarlison are not ready to feature just yet, some players will very likely not play at all or either get a small amount of minutes in the tank. For that reason, it's imperative that Spurs' youngsters take their opportunity if it comes their way.

Son and strikers after goals

Son Heung-min will be determined to get off the mark in pre-season after so far drawing a blank in the Hearts and QPR games. The South Korean has led the line due to a lack of available striker options at present but things just haven't quite gone his way in front of goal.

Veliz is someone else who desperately needs a goal following his return to Tottenham this summer. The Argentine is working hard for the team but is just lacking the goal that could give him a confidence boost, especially with fellow strikers Scarlett and Lankshear scoring recently.

Scarlett really did need his goal against QPR last Saturday and that could possibly work in his favour going into the Vissel Kobe encounter as he bids to make a big impression on Postecoglou this summer. Opportunities on goal will be there but they just need taking.

Spence continuing to excel

Djed Spence's Tottenham future appeared to be in serious doubt after spending the past 18 months away from the club on loan. Given a chance in the Hearts friendly, the right-back took it with both hands and registered a goal and an assist in a dazzling cameo.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee followed it up with another strong showing at QPR and it has opened the door to a potential place in Postecoglou's plans going forward. All Spence can do right now is continue to shine when given the chance by the head coach and that could possibly see him remain at the club beyond August.

In Friday's open training session at the National Stadium in Tokyo, the 23-year-old was going through some individual work with senior assistant coach Matt Wells at a time when others were practising free-kicks or shooting.

Spence was being put through his paces with an emphasis on trying to deal with Wells running alongside him as a winger, with the right-back then having to work on his body shape in order to prevent the Spurs coach from getting a cross away or moving past him. The Tottenham ace looks to be in a good position to get some more minutes in the tank.

Davies' fitness

Udogie and Richarlison will play no part for Tottenham this weekend as they aren't quite ready to feature just yet but there is a chance Ben Davies returns to the pitch. Not involved since April's defeat to Arsenal due to a calf issue, the Welshman has trained with the squad this week and that could now result in his first appearance of the pre-season campaign.

If indeed he does play, it will certainly give everyone a good idea of where exactly he is in regards to his current fitness levels. The return of Davies will certainly give Postecoglou options as he could either be utilised at the heart of defence due to the lack of numbers there at present or either be played in his natural role at left-back.

Bergvall to make up for lost time

Lucas Bergvall will hopefully be able to make up for lost time after his outing in last weekend's QPR friendly was cut short due to injury. The Swede made a confident start to proceedings but unfortunately made way after 24 minutes and looked gutted when leaving the field.

Involved in training this week, Bergvall looks a certainty to feature against Vissel Kobe and Postecoglou has a decision to make over whether he starts the youngster or introduces him off the bench. Only playing 70 minutes worth of pre-season action so far and not playing on the pitch with all of his Tottenham teammates just yet, giving the midfielder playing time is vital as he looks to develop a good understanding with the rest of the squad.

Having impressed in pre-season so far and with his influence on the game continuing to grow with the more minutes he plays, the ex-Djurgarden man could be a key figure for Tottenham once again this weekend.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Vissel Kobe are Tottenham's opponents on Saturday as Ange Postecoglou's side play their third pre-season game. Starting off with victories over Hearts and QPR, J.League side Vissel Kobe are now on the agenda after Spurs made the trip to Japan at the beginning of the week.

Whereas both Hearts and QPR are perhaps a week or two ahead of Tottenham in terms of their summer preparations with their league campaigns starting before the Premier League, the Lilywhites will now be coming up against a team who are over halfway through the J.League season. It will be a big test for the north London club but one Postecoglou will be hoping to take a number of positives from.

So what exactly can Tottenham fans look forward to in the game at Tokyo's National Stadium? football.london takes a look below.

Moore and youngsters take chance

Tottenham's talented youngsters could be handed more playing time against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo on Saturday. Spurs' young guns have made a real impression in the first two friendlies, most notably 16-year-old Mikey Moore who supporters are desperate to see more of in the first team.

Fresh from scoring in the 5-1 win at Hearts, the academy ace then got an assist to his name as Dane Scarlett converted his low cross at QPR. Will Lankshear will also be looking to make a big impact after his recent goal at Hearts as he was once again picked ahead of Scarlett and Alejo Veliz at Loftus Road.

Alfie Devine impressed on the club's summer tour 12 months ago and he has done likewise this time around. Maybe becoming a bit of a forgotten figure due the amount of talent coming through the academy at present, the attacking midfielder has reminded everyone what he is about this summer and he could well go on to play a starring role against Vissel Kobe.

Having 29 players to select from for this weekend's match as Destiny Udogie and Richarlison are not ready to feature just yet, some players will very likely not play at all or either get a small amount of minutes in the tank. For that reason, it's imperative that Spurs' youngsters take their opportunity if it comes their way.

Son and strikers after goals

Son Heung-min will be determined to get off the mark in pre-season after so far drawing a blank in the Hearts and QPR games. The South Korean has led the line due to a lack of available striker options at present but things just haven't quite gone his way in front of goal.

Veliz is someone else who desperately needs a goal following his return to Tottenham this summer. The Argentine is working hard for the team but is just lacking the goal that could give him a confidence boost, especially with fellow strikers Scarlett and Lankshear scoring recently.

Scarlett really did need his goal against QPR last Saturday and that could possibly work in his favour going into the Vissel Kobe encounter as he bids to make a big impression on Postecoglou this summer. Opportunities on goal will be there but they just need taking.

Spence continuing to excel

Djed Spence's Tottenham future appeared to be in serious doubt after spending the past 18 months away from the club on loan. Given a chance in the Hearts friendly, the right-back took it with both hands and registered a goal and an assist in a dazzling cameo.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee followed it up with another strong showing at QPR and it has opened the door to a potential place in Postecoglou's plans going forward. All Spence can do right now is continue to shine when given the chance by the head coach and that could possibly see him remain at the club beyond August.

In Friday's open training session at the National Stadium in Tokyo, the 23-year-old was going through some individual work with senior assistant coach Matt Wells at a time when others were practising free-kicks or shooting.

Spence was being put through his paces with an emphasis on trying to deal with Wells running alongside him as a winger, with the right-back then having to work on his body shape in order to prevent the Spurs coach from getting a cross away or moving past him. The Tottenham ace looks to be in a good position to get some more minutes in the tank.

Davies' fitness

Udogie and Richarlison will play no part for Tottenham this weekend as they aren't quite ready to feature just yet but there is a chance Ben Davies returns to the pitch. Not involved since April's defeat to Arsenal due to a calf issue, the Welshman has trained with the squad this week and that could now result in his first appearance of the pre-season campaign.

If indeed he does play, it will certainly give everyone a good idea of where exactly he is in regards to his current fitness levels. The return of Davies will certainly give Postecoglou options as he could either be utilised at the heart of defence due to the lack of numbers there at present or either be played in his natural role at left-back.

Bergvall to make up for lost time

Lucas Bergvall will hopefully be able to make up for lost time after his outing in last weekend's QPR friendly was cut short due to injury. The Swede made a confident start to proceedings but unfortunately made way after 24 minutes and looked gutted when leaving the field.

Involved in training this week, Bergvall looks a certainty to feature against Vissel Kobe and Postecoglou has a decision to make over whether he starts the youngster or introduces him off the bench. Only playing 70 minutes worth of pre-season action so far and not playing on the pitch with all of his Tottenham teammates just yet, giving the midfielder playing time is vital as he looks to develop a good understanding with the rest of the squad.

Having impressed in pre-season so far and with his influence on the game continuing to grow with the more minutes he plays, the ex-Djurgarden man could be a key figure for Tottenham once again this weekend.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou is expected to start increasing the minutes of his senior Tottenham players as they take on Vissel Kobe in Japan on Saturday.

Spurs will face the J League side in Tokyo's National Stadium (11am kick-off UK time) and after three friendlies with players getting 45 minutes each, with different starting XIs in each half, it could well be the time for Postecoglou to start stretching some players' minutes to the hour mark. That theory would seem to be supported by another match played on Thursday night.

For Tottenham played a behind-closed-doors friendly on Thursday night with their youngers U21 players - with a couple of slightly older players sprinkled in - against Japan U20s. Tottenham won 5-2 on the night in a game that was only an hour long due to the incredible heat and humidity of 35 degrees Celsius at the 5pm kick-off.

The thinking behind the extra encounter was to give some players minutes this week who might not get as much game time in the match against Vissel Kobe as Postecoglou starts to increase the load on the senior players.

Guglielmo Vicario could make his first start in goal of this pre-season, while Pedro Porro is likely to start as the senior right-back and Emerson Royal potentially could come in at centre-back alongside either Ashley Phillips or Oliver Skipp.

Left-back is an interesting one because Jamie Donley has been playing there during pre-season so far. However, the 19-year-old is believed to be one of the many youngsters playing a big part in Thursday night's tough game in the heat and it's worth noting that Archie Gray was alternating with Ben Davies on the left during the open training session on Friday night in an overloaded 11 vs 8 mini-game.

Davies is yet to play any minutes due to injury so that might mean midfielder and right-back Gray further showing his versatility on the left, after a few weeks spent at centre-back. In the midfield there are plenty of senior options with the likes of Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr as well as Lucas Bergvall back from the injury he suffered at QPR. Postecoglou will have to decide whether he's ready to start after those few days off before returning to training after landing in Tokyo.

Among the attacking options, Timo Werner was unwell on Friday and the German will need to be assessed on matchday ahead of the match in the humidity. Richarlison, Destiny Udogie and Alfie Whiteman were all unable to take part in training as well on Friday, with the former two still recovering from their long-term injuries.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon could start against Vissel Kobe: Vicario; Porro, Emerson, Skipp, Gray; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Johnson.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou is expected to start increasing the minutes of his senior Tottenham players as they take on Vissel Kobe in Japan on Saturday.

Spurs will face the J League side in Tokyo's National Stadium (11am kick-off UK time) and after three friendlies with players getting 45 minutes each, with different starting XIs in each half, it could well be the time for Postecoglou to start stretching some players' minutes to the hour mark. That theory would seem to be supported by another match played on Thursday night.

For Tottenham played a behind-closed-doors friendly on Thursday night with their youngers U21 players - with a couple of slightly older players sprinkled in - against Japan U20s. Tottenham won 5-2 on the night in a game that was only an hour long due to the incredible heat and humidity of 35 degrees Celsius at the 5pm kick-off.

The thinking behind the extra encounter was to give some players minutes this week who might not get as much game time in the match against Vissel Kobe as Postecoglou starts to increase the load on the senior players.

Guglielmo Vicario could make his first start in goal of this pre-season, while Pedro Porro is likely to start as the senior right-back and Emerson Royal potentially could come in at centre-back alongside either Ashley Phillips or Oliver Skipp.

Left-back is an interesting one because Jamie Donley has been playing there during pre-season so far. However, the 19-year-old is believed to be one of the many youngsters playing a big part in Thursday night's tough game in the heat and it's worth noting that Archie Gray was alternating with Ben Davies on the left during the open training session on Friday night in an overloaded 11 vs 8 mini-game.

Davies is yet to play any minutes due to injury so that might mean midfielder and right-back Gray further showing his versatility on the left, after a few weeks spent at centre-back. In the midfield there are plenty of senior options with the likes of Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr as well as Lucas Bergvall back from the injury he suffered at QPR. Postecoglou will have to decide whether he's ready to start after those few days off before returning to training after landing in Tokyo.

Among the attacking options, Timo Werner was unwell on Friday and the German will need to be assessed on matchday ahead of the match in the humidity. Richarlison, Destiny Udogie and Alfie Whiteman were all unable to take part in training as well on Friday, with the former two still recovering from their long-term injuries.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon could start against Vissel Kobe: Vicario; Porro, Emerson, Skipp, Gray; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Johnson.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Cristiano Ronaldo is said to think very highly of former Juventus teammate Federico Chiesa amid transfer links to Tottenham. The 26-year-old has endured a challenging few seasons which has seen the Italian club make him available for transfer at just £25million with a number of Premier League clubs mooted as a potential destination.

Liverpool are long-term admirers of Chiesa with Aston Villa and Chelsea also having been linked. And now the Lilywhites look to be the firm favourites for his signature with Italian outlet SportMediaSet stating that "Chiesa will say goodbye to Italy, he is close to Tottenham for €30million to €35million".

With Spurs potentially able to pay as little as £25million for his signature, it will certainly be a deal considered by Ange Postecoglou and Johan Lange. Having two former Juventus stars in his squad, in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, Spurs could hold the advantage over any other clubs.

Ronaldo also played alongside Chiesa during his stint in Italy with it clear the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is a huge admirer. "I think there are very serious and important foreign pressures on him [Chiesa],” said Ivan Reggiani, a football agent, to CalciomercatoTV back in late 2021.

"Chiesa is the second or third best player as a talent in Italy. Appreciated across the channel, he is heavily sponsored by Cristiano Ronaldo. I think Federico can leave Juventus very soon.

"He can easily exceed one hundred million. There is not only United: there are two or three clubs that could reach $130m (£105m/€120m)." Considering the comments of Reggiani, Tottenham could be saving £80million by purchasing Chiesa now, three years on from when his stock was incredibly high if they decide to make him their next transfer arrival.

There is no doubt that Chiesa, on his day, is an excellent footballer however finding consistency has been a challenge. With that being said, he appeared to place the bulk of those plaguing injury issues behind him during the 2023/24 campaign with 37 appearances made and 13 goal contributions.

Tottenham are being linked with a move for Juventus forward Federico Chiesa in the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old scored 10 goals and bagged three assists last season.

He was one of the few to come out of Italy's Euro 2024 campaign with any credit too. With one year remaining on his Juventus contract, he could be a bargain signing for someone this summer, with Spurs the most interested of the Premier League clubs, according to reports in Italy.

SportMediaSet have claimed that Spurs are on the verge of tying up a deal to sign Chiesa, saying: "Chiesa will say goodbye to Italy, he is close to Tottenham for €30million to €35million." football.london, however understands Chiesa not on the club's radar for a deal this summer.

Spurs are looking to improve the forward line for Ange Postecoglou this summer, having already brought in reinforcements in the midfield through Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. Timo Werner has signed on again for another season on loan, but he was part of the Australian's squad in the second half of the last campgin.

Chiesa would represent a top-quality piece of business and his versatility to play anywhere across the frontline would be an asset. So should Spurs change their mind and try to complete a deal? We asked our football.london writers to have their say.

Lee Wilmot

Federico Chiesa has shown he has the quality and excitement to get fans off their seats. Italy looked so much more dangerous when he was on the pitch during Euro 2024.

In an interview in 2021 he said "intensity is part of my game" which will be music to Ange Postecoglou's ears. he would fit in perfectly at Spurs and with only ojne year left on his contract, a deal could be done for less than £30million.

Chiesa ticks all the boxes and it would seem to be a no-brainer transfer. My only concern would be what it would mean for any other transfer business.

Tottenham need an out-and-out striker. Son Heung-min is wasted in that role, having deputised for Richarlison a number of times last season. We cannot go into another season with just Richarlison as the centre-forward.

If it's Chiesa and no one else, I'd prefer to go out and sign a number nine as Chiesa is better off the wings. If we can have both, then let's get both.

Sam Truelove

Federico Chiesa is a good player. There is no question about that. The Italian has just one year remaining on his contract and will be available for a decent fee this summer, which most probably explains Tottenham's interest as we all know Daniel Levy loves a bargain.

The 26-year-old has had his injury troubles, however. He tore his ACL in the 2021/22 season and has struggled with a mixture of issues ever since, but he did feature 37 times for Juventus last campaign which is not bad going at all.

For me, though, I'm not sure Chiesa is the type of player Spurs need right now. The Lilywhites are blessed with a number of wide forwards and really need to sign an out and out striker instead. I would spend the money on someone like Jonathan David or Ivan Toney.

Rob Guest

The priority for Tottenham in the transfer market right now has to be signing a new striker rather than making a move for another winger. In regards to Federico Chiesa, I would perhaps be looking elsewhere instead of possibly going all out for the Italian international.

The 26-year-old is an extremely talented player but injuries have hit him hard since he suffered an ACL injury while playing for Juventus against Roma at the beginning of 2022. He was a shining light in Italy's Euro 2020 success only a few months prior to the injury but he has really struggled to recapture his form since returning, thus possibly explaining why a Juventus exit is now on the cards.

You would perhaps also have concerns over how he would cope as part of Ange Postecoglou's team considering the amount of muscle injuries his players pick up in their first year working under the Australian.

There is then Tottenham ace Mikey Moore to consider in all of this as potential first-team minutes for the 16-year-old could be limited if Chiesa is to sign. Rather than move for Chiesa, I would prefer to see Postecoglou give Moore regular opportunities as he has all the qualities to be a star in this Tottenham team for years to come.

Yang Min-hyuk is still starring in the K-League this summer as a transfer to Tottenham moves ever closer.

Yang, 18, continues playing for league leaders Gangwon despite a deal between the two clubs already being at an advanced stage for a January move. The winger has shown no signs that the interest is impacting his performances. Instead, it is quite the opposite.

In the last week, Yang has scored three goals and assisted another. Two strikes against Jeju United last Saturday ended the teenager's longest run of games without directly contributing to a goal, illustrating the remarkable consistency he has shown throughout this debut season.

Yang now has eight goals on the year, and the latest against Jeonbuk was one of his best. Receiving a pass from Gangwon forward Jin-hyuk Cho in the right half-space with only the opposition left-back Jin-su Kim in front of him, Yang let the ball run across his body onto his right foot and takes a touch to create space between him and the onrushing defender closing him down.

The touch takes Yang just inside the penalty area, and he then hits the ball early to evade an incoming challenge and fires a strike high into the top corner at the near post past Jun-hong Kim. Jeonbuk's goalkeeper is considered one of the league's best after keeping ten clean sheets in 19 matches this season, but he stood no chance of keeping the effort out.

After giving his team the lead with that opening goal, Yang turned provider ten minutes into the second half by playing in Kyeong-min Kim to double Gangwong's lead and crown a man-of-the-match performance. Attention now turns to next week's Spurs pre-season friendly against Team K League, with Yang part of the squad after being voted by fans as the league's best young player.

Attacking reinforcements are very much needed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Johan Lange and Ange Postecoglou plan for the upcoming campaign. Signing a new striker features very highly on Spurs' transfer priority list and the hope is that they will be able to lure one to N17 sooner rather than later.

Tottenham may also have a decision to make in the wide areas if Bryan Gil departs on a permanent basis as expected. However, they may already have sufficient cover on the wings heading into the new season due to the options already at the club, Manor Solomon's return from injury and also the emergence of 16-year-old Mikey Moore.

Juventus ace Federico Chiesa has already been linked with a move to Spurs this summer but talk of him swapping Turin for Tottenham has only grown louder over the past 24 hours. Italian outlet SportMediaSet have stated that "Chiesa will say goodbye to Italy, he is close to Tottenham for €30million to €35million".

Chiesa's future is a big talking point at present with a Juventus exit appearing to be on the cards now that he is the final 11 months of his contract. Just where he is playing his football after the transfer window has closed for business will become clear in the weeks ahead.

Tottenham fans are desperate for a statement signing this summer after so far re-signing Timo Werner on loan and striking deals for teenagers Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, with South Korean starlet Yang Min-hyuk the latest youngster on course to seal a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The addition of Chiesa would undoubtedly get people off their seats due to what he has achieved in his career so far with Fiorentina, Juventus and the Italian national team.

Perhaps a transfer no-brainer for Europe's top clubs three years ago when Chiesa was at the peak of his powers after playing a pivotal role in the Azzurri's Euro 2020 success, the 26-year-old's stock has unfortunately fallen since then. Injuries have hit the player hard, with an ACL injury sustained against Roma in January 2022 leaving him on the sidelines for a lengthy spell.

Since returning to action at the end of 2022, Chiesa has endured a stop-start time of it with other injuries keeping him out of action. The Genoa-born player did manage to keep himself free from injury in the final few months of the 2023/24 season as he played every game for Juventus from the beginning of February onwards, finishing the term with ten goals and three assists from his 37 appearances in all competitions.

Chiesa's form has undoubtedly dipped since that serious ACL injury just over two years ago and he has quite the task on his hands in trying to get back to exceptionally high levels he was producing prior to the setback. A fresh start and a new club this summer could just be what is needed to recapture his previous highs.

Due to Chiesa's standing in the game, you certainly have to question why Thiago Motta and Juventus would be happy to allow him to leave this summer rather than do everything in their power to make him stay. For Tottenham, there is no doubt that the Italy ace would be an astute piece of business for "€30million to €35million" if it is the Chiesa of pre-2022 who comes in through the door at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, his recent injury issues, struggles in terms of his form and Juventus' supposed willingness to allow him to leave strongly suggest that won't be the case. You would also perhaps have concerns for Chiesa at Tottenham when it comes to those injuries.

Postecoglou has tended to have a lot of muscular issues in his squad during his first season at a club, with Tottenham's high number of injuries in 2023/24 very much proving that point. The way Postecoglou's team train and play does have an impact on the players until their bodies eventually adjust and become more resilient to it.

Signing Chiesa could also potentially have an impact on Moore's development and the amount of playing time he gets under Postecoglou in the 2024/25 season and beyond. Tottenham already have a host of option on the left-wing before you even consider adding to Chiesa to the numbers, with Son Heung-min, Werner, Solomon, Richarlison and Moore all capable of playing there.

Moore quite clearly made an impression on Postecoglou towards the end of last season and playing time duly came his way with late cameo appearances against Man City and Sheffield United. With the first team on a full-time basis now and scoring in the recent friendly away at Hearts, the 16-year-old star looks destined to get ample opportunities in the first team over the course of the season if he continues to progress at his current rate.

Tottenham fans are desperate to see more of the exciting teenager in action and many would rather see him feature on a regular basis rather than making a move for Chiesa. On the opposite flank, Spurs have Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Solomon as options and Moore could also be utilised there after playing from the right in pre-season.

There is no doubting that Chiesa is an extremely talented player but the injuries he has sustained over the past two years have had an impact on his game and form. Maybe an easy transfer decision for Tottenham to make three or four years ago, it certainly isn't as straightforward now when it comes to the attacking ace.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

What have you made of your time in Japan?

I'm really happy to be here. It's my first time in Japan. Tokyo seems a wonderful city. We've been very well received at the hotel and at the training complex, so excited to see the stadium. I've only just arrived but looking forward to that and of course looking forward to the game because that's why we're here.

Last season was a good one for the team, but for future development what do you want to achieve this season?

Obviously it was our first season working with the new manager. It was a good season. I think we learned a new way of playing, a new philosophy, but I think we've got to strive to have more than just a good season. We've got to be achieving big things and making history and getting our hands on silverware really. We only do that by keeping on improving as a squad, as players, looking to be better and that's the beauty of starting a new season. We're starting fresh, we've come back with the benefits of having a year under the manager and really kicking on and striving to achieve more than we did last year.

Before you joined Tottenham, you spent a year at Leicester with Shinji Okazaki, do you still have contact with him or coming over to Japan have you exchanged any messages?

No, we haven't exchanged any messages recently. I'm still in contact with Shinji Okazaki, that's one of the beauties of social media these days and one of the positives is that you can keep relationships with a lot of people who are part of your life. You're correct in saying we had one year together, my first year in the Premier League, which feels a long time ago now, and Shinji almost played like the number 10 for Leicester, so I took a lot from his game, Premier League winner and a really nice, humble guy.

To be honest, I get that feeling from Japanese people in general, so humble and so polite and Shinju epitomised that really. So yes, we're still in contact, he's a good friend, he's great player and a brilliant dancer as well on the team nights out. So really good.

What kind of influence have you received from Ange Postecoglou and what do you think is special about this manager?

We’ve had one full year together now. It’s definitely a philosophy and a type of football that’s not too similar to anything I have played with other managers. But I think it’s brilliant. It’s very attacking, it's very front-foot, as we say in England. You have to work very hard, extremely hard in every session and every game. But that’s ultimately what we love and I think we can be successful. I'm not saying it because he's sat next to me, but I believe that this way of playing and if we follow it how we should, it can bring success to the football club.

I genuinely believe that, but we’re only one year in and we're still building and we’re still learning and still adapting to his style. We’re obviously a year better off in knowing what he wants from us and the messages are very clear and there and we debrief a lot on what we should be doing and how we want to play and the philosophy that is Tottenham Hotspur and our way. We talk about that a lot and hopefully that can bring us success and we'll all be very happy then.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click herefor in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.