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A supercomputer has predicted Tottenham Hotspur to reach the semi-final of the Europa League before being dumped out by Manchester United.

This season's competition, like the Champions League, includes an additional two group games within a singular league table, with fixtures against teams of varying co-efficient rankings. The final league standings will dictate the play-off and last-16 pairings, and all the way through to the final.

AI technology from Grosvenor Sport has been utilised to predict potential match-ups and likely scorelines for each game, taking into account form, team strength and betting odds. A 'level of randomness' has also been incorporated to account for potential upsets, ensuring that the top seed doesn't always necessarily win every game.

The process is repeated 1,000 times using current knowledge, resulting in a final league table for the initial round of group fixtures. In the league phase, Tottenham first host Qarabag at the end of this month before a visit to Ferencvaros in Hungary and the home tie to AZ Alkmaar.

A trip to Galatasaray then follows before Roma come to town prior to the journey to Scotland to take on Rangers at Ibrox. Hoffenheim makes for the last group away day in Germany while the final matchweek sees Swedish outfit Elfsborg come to London.

In the supercomputer's league table forecast, Tottenham have been ranked 11th, which means they would need to navigate through the two-legged Europa League play-off round. Lyon are predicted to top the table, with Porto and Lazio in second and third respectively.

Spurs are tipped to meet and beat Rangers in the play-offs before then brushing off Midtjylland and Union SG. However, the supercomputer has them falling short in the semi-finals against United - who were placed within the top eight of the initial league and thereby advanced straight to the last-16.

Regardless of whether Erik ten Hag remains at the helm, the supercomputer predicts United will be crowned champions, defeating Athletic Club on penalties after a 2-2 draw following extra time.

The revamped format has eliminated the practice of teams dropping from the Champions League to the Europa League, thus simplifying predictions - although the seeded draw based on final league standings does create numerous knockout possibilities.

Arsenal may be handed a big injury boost ahead of the return of the Premier League after the international break, with Kieran Tierney stepping up his recovery.

The full-back has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury while on duty for Scotland at Euro 2024 in the summer. The problem has seen him miss all of pre-season and the first three Premier League games of the campaign.

Tierney spent last season on loan with Spanish club Real Sociedad but saw his campaign disrupted by three separate injuries throughout the campaign. He will hope to put his injury set-backs behind him when he makes a comeback from his latest absence.

It seems that may not be too far away. Posting on his Instagram stories, the Scotsman has shared two pictures that show him running and doing work out on the grass.

That usually indicates a significant step in a player’s recovery as they work back from injury. Speaking last month Mikel Arteta confirmed that Tierney will be ‘a few weeks’ before making his comeback.

Given that he has missed pre-season, it probably makes it unlikely that the full-back will make his return to action in time for the weekend’s North London Derby against Tottenham. Arsenal travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a week on Sunday (15 September) with kick-off at 2pm.

However, the fact he is out on the grass does hint that he will continue to step up his recovery and a return may not be too far away. After the trip to Spurs Arsenal are in Champions League action for the first time this season as they face Atalanta away before travelling to the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League the following weekend.

There has been a huge overhaul of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad since he arrived and we've decided to take a look at how the 16 players who have left the club permanently this year alone have got on since.

It has been the biggest turnover of players in the club's recent history with both huge numbers of Postecoglou's first team players leaving, some after years of service to the north London outfit, while Spurs' U21s have also seen some notable departures in the past year as the academy undergoes its own overhaul.

football.london has taken a look across England and Europe to see exactly how the first team players and a couple of notable U21s have done since leaving through the Tottenham Hotspur exit door on a permanent basis in 2024. Here's what's happened to them since they departed N17.

Giovani Lo Celso

The most recent player to leave Spurs permanently, unless Sergio Reguilon joins him. Lo Celso returned to Real Betis on transfer deadline day in a deal that will net Tottenham £8.4million plus add-ons and a sell-on clause as well as that agreement to sign midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a cheaper fee in the future.

Five years on from when he left for north London, Lo Celso is yet to make his second debut for Real Betis after arriving so late in the window, but he will likely do so following his international duty with Argentina over the next fortnight.

Oliver Skipp

Oliver Skipp left Tottenham this summer after 18 years and more than 100 first team appearances to join up with fellow academy product Harry Winks at Leicester City. The 23-year-old's career had stalled at Spurs and the club got more than £20million for his sale plus a sell-on clause as part of the deal.

The young midfielder came off the bench in his first game for the Foxes at Fulham but has started both of the matches since, against Aston Villa in the 2-1 defeat in the Premier League and then the 4-0 win against Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup second round in midweek, getting around an hour of action in both.

In Leicester Live's player ratings from the weekend's match against Villa, they handed Skipp a six, saying: "He was combative, busy, read play well, and definitely added more balance to the team, helping Kristiansen out on the left. But his touch was sloppy at times, and so he couldn’t make best use of his moments in possession."

Emerson Royal

It's fair to say it hasn't been the best start in Italy for Emerson Royal, who moved to AC Milan this summer in a deal worth £12.6million plus add-ons.

The Brazilian came on as a substitute for the final 23 minutes of the 2-1 defeat at Parma in Serie A and then started and played 70 minutes of the 2-2 draw at Lazio.

Italian football expert James Horncastle went in hard on the 25-year-old when he said this week: "Milan keep conceding the same goal too, down Emerson Royal’s side. His €15million signing from Tottenham Hotspur looks like the biggest donation in the history of Fondazione Milan as the club charitably tries to make his wish to become a footballer come true."

Tanguy Ndombele

Spurs came to an agreement with Tanguy Ndombele to end his contract a year early to bring his time as an employee of the club to an end half a decade after he became Spurs' record signing.

The Frenchman soon found a new club and went back to Ligue 1 to play for Nice. The 27-year-old has got exactly what he needed after some difficult years - plenty of game time. He's started all three matches so far for his new club, playing 87 minutes against Auxerre, 79 against Toulouse and then 88 minutes in a dominant performance, complete with an assist, against Angers on Sunday.

Look out for the highlights compilation of his most recent performance which has been doing the rounds on social media with all the tricks and flicks and forward passing and movement. It makes you remember what he could have been for Tottenham if he'd truly wanted it.

Ryan Sessegnon

The third member of that 2019 summer transfer window to leave the club this summer after Spurs decided not to take up the option of the additional year on his contract.

Like Lo Celso, Sessegnon also went back to the club he originally joined Tottenham from - all of the arrivals in that 2019 window went back to their previous side at some point after joining Spurs. For 24-year-old Sessegnon, he signed for Fulham on a free transfer and there was a big moment for him last week when he played the full 90 minutes of the 2-0 win at Birmingham in the Carabao Cup second round.

It was the first time he had started a match since January 2023, before the hamstring problems really began to take hold. With operations on both legs, Sessegnon will be hoping for more fortune in his career from now on.

Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon has carried on where he left off with Leeds on loan last season and has played every minute of their five matches so far, four in the Championship and one in the Carabao Cup. He moved to the Elland Road club permanently as part of the deal that brought Archie Gray in the opposite direction to N17.

The Wales international is set to be a key player for Leeds this season as they look to make up for their promotion race disappointment last time out. Rodon has a Tottenham team-mate to look after this campaign after Manor Solomon joined up on loan for the season ahead.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

We're including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg even though he's on loan at Marseille as he technically joined with an obligation to buy last month.

The 29-year-old midfielder was captain for the French side in their 3-1 victory at Toulouse on Saturday, just days after being named as the new skipper of Denmark, taking on the armband from Simon Kjaer ahead of previous vice-captains Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel.

Hojbjerg is yet to taste defeat as a Marseille player with two victories and a draw in his first three matches with the Ligue 1 side under Roberto De Zerbi.

Troy Parrott

The young striker left Tottenham for Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar in July in a £6.7million deal which also includes a 20% sell-on clause for the north London side.

After impressing with goals in pre-season for his new club, Parrott has started the first four matches of Alkmaar's season, playing the majority of minutes in their unbeaten start with three wins and a draw. He is yet to get off the mark though with a competitive goal for AZ.

Parrott will have a reunion with Spurs quickly as Alkmaar will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 24 in the Europa League group stages and the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international will no doubt be eager to impress.

Japhet Tanganga

As with Sessegnon, Spurs did not take up the option to extend Japhet Tanganga's contract. Instead the 25-year-old signed on a free transfer for Millwall after impressing for the Championship side on loan last season.

The centre-back's career has got the boost it desperately needed and he's played every minute of their first two league games against Hull and Sheffield Wednesday, helping Millwall to keep clean sheets in both. Tanganga did not play in the Carabao Cup defeat at home against Leyton Orient and Millwall duly lost.

Ivan Perisic

Ivan Perisic stopped being a Tottenham employee this summer, having already joined Hajduk Split in January on loan until the end of his contract and he agreed a deal to then play for the Croatian side this season.

However, the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso appeared to change the outlook on his future at the club and the 35-year-old's contract was mutually terminated last week. There were links with a move back to Serie A but as of this moment Perisic remains a free agent.

Eric Dier

Dier joined Harry Kane at Bayern Munich on a loan deal with an option for the Bundesliga club to sign him permanently, which was triggered before last season ended and he moved officially when his contract ended this summer.

The 29-year-old has settled in well at the Bavarian giants, also becoming a father for the first time while out there, and he's now played 21 times for the Munich club across 2024, including some big Champions League nights but ultimately tasted disappointment in the Bundesliga with a second-placed finish behind Bayer Leverkusen.

This season has started slowly though for Dier under new boss Vincent Kompany and he's only got nine minutes from the bench so far in the Bundesliga in the opening 3-2 win at Wolfsburg. He's been an unused substitute in both matches since in the Bundesliga and German Cup and Bayern have kept a clean sheet in each game which won't help his chances of returning to the team.

Jude Soonsup-Bell

Jude Soonsup-Bell was one of Spurs U21s' top performing players last season and helped them win the Premier League 2 title and play-off trophy. However, a first team breakthrough wasn't on the cards and the 20-year-old departed for Spanish second division side Cordoba in a deal with no fee but a 40% sell-on clause instead.

The attacker is yet to make his debut in La Liga 2, having been an unused substitute in both of Cordoba's opening two games. They are yet to win a match so that could help the former Spurs and Chelsea man get game time in the weeks ahead.

Yago Santiago

Another Tottenham player now in the Spanish second tier is Yago Santiago. The 21-year-old winger left Spurs after half a decade at the club and returned home to Spain to sign for Elche.

His start to life in senior football has begun well with three starts and a goal on Monday against Soonsup-Bell's Cordoba side. It was the opening strike of the game in the 32nd minute as the young winger bravely slid in to score at the back post, colliding with the woodwork in the process.

He seemed to show no ill-effects though and leapt up to celebrate his first senior goal and played on until the 81st minute before coming off.

Nile John

Nile John left Tottenham after eight years at the club, coming through the academy to make two first team appearances, before joining Portuguese second tier side Feirense last month.

The midfielder has been thrown straight into the action and made two starts in Liga Portugal 2 in two draws for his new side, before coming off the bench in Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Benfica B.

The 21-year-old will be hoping to get plenty of further minutes under his belt in the busy season ahead in Portugal in the latest chapter of his young career.

Charlie Sayers

The 20-year-old defender left Tottenham and signed for Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle this summer. Sayers, who can play as a left-back or centre-back, joined Spurs from Southend in 2021 and was involved in a first team pre-season tour to South Korea two years ago.

However, an eye injury and then further injury woes interrupted his progress and he was released by the club this summer.

Sayers made his debut in the 2-1 defeat at Falkirk last month and was an unused substitute in the 3-0 victory at home against Queen's Park on Saturday.

Hugo Lloris

The former Tottenham captain left back in January for a new adventure in MLS with LAFC after 11 years in north London. The 37-year-old World Cup has since played 33 times for the Los Angeles side across league and cup matches, keeping 14 clean sheets and conceding 37 goals in the other games.

Lloris lost out on another trophy for his career last month when LAFC went down 3-1 to Columbus Crew in the final of the Leagues Cup, which is a knockout competition featuring teams from the USA, Canada and Mexico. On Sunday, he was back in MLS action as the Los Angeles side lost 2-0 at home to Houston Dynamo.

LAFC also exited the US Open Cup last week at the semi-final stage to Seattle Sounders with a 1-0 defeat on the road, with Lloris in goal.

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

Alfie Devine has completed a season-long loan move from Tottenham to Belgian side KVC Westerlo.

The 20-year-old, Tottenham's youngest ever goalscorer, will link up there with young centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who joins Spurs next year after he turns 18. Devine spent last season on loan at first League One side Port Vale and then stepped up to the Championship in January for a half-season spell at Plymouth Argyle.

Devine impressed this summer during pre-season under Ange Postecoglou, making a positive impact across a string of performances for Tottenham in five of their six pre-season friendlies.

A string of interested Championship clubs were initially told that the England U20 midfielder was not available for loan this summer, only for that stance to change later into the window when many had moved on to other targets. Despite plenty of interest remaining from other clubs, nothing concrete came to fruition and Devine was named on the bench for Spurs' Premier League defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.

However, with the Belgium transfer window one of those remaining open so Devine is now going to play for a season with regular senior game time in the Juliper Pro League in what is a straight loan without any option to buy. Some clubs are believed to have approached Tottenham this summer with such offers for the young midfielder.

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

Ange Postecoglou has left Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon out of his Europa League squad for the coming group stages.

Spurs had to submit their squad to UEFA for the competition by the end of play on Wednesday and in doing so they had to comply with the various regulations that are placed upon the numbers that can be selected. While Ange Postecoglou's Premier League squad is straight forward with everyone able to be registered within the squad, the Europa League requirements are far more awkward.

The first immediate difference from the Premier League rules is that the under-21s list is called the B list and in UEFA's eyes it only applies to players who have spent two years at the club, so that means new summer signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall do not apply so have to be registered in the main bunch instead.

The other major difference comes in the classification of homegrown players, which in European competition falls into two different categories. Of the squad, the rules then say that "as a minimum, eight of those 25 places are reserved exclusively for 'locally trained players' and no club may have more than four 'association-trained players' listed among those eight places. If a club has fewer than eight locally trained players in their squad, then the maximum number of players on List A is reduced accordingly".

There are two types of locally-trained player. One is 'club-trained players', who were on the club's books for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. The other is 'association-trained players', who were on another club's books in the same association for three entire seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21.

Spurs have only two of the four required club-trained players in Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, so had to reduce their squad to 23 players. They also had seven association-trained players, of which only four can go in their own category, meaning the other three had to be placed into the main group. Unfortunately there was only one spot left in that group.

That meant that not only did Reguilon miss out but also Spence, who joined the club in 2022 from Middlesbrough and has worked his way back into Postecoglou's thoughts this summer. That suggest summer arrival Gray will be called upon to play as a right-back when required in the competition.

A new squad list can be submitted with a handful of permitted changes if Spurs advance past the group stages where they will face Qarabag, Ferencvaros, AZ Alkmaar, Galatasaray, Roma, Rangers, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg over the coming months.

Here is Tottenham's group stage main squad list in full, starting with the goalkeepers:

Guglielmo Vicario

Fraser Forster

Brandon Austin

Alfie Whiteman

Defenders

Radu Drăgușin

Destiny Udogie

Cristian Romero

Pedro Porro

Ben Davies

Micky van de Ven

Midfielders

Yves Bissouma

James Maddison

Archie Gray

Lucas Bergvall

Dejan Kulusevski

Brennan Johnson

Wilson Odobert

Pape Sarr

Rodrigo Bentancur

Forwards

Son Heung-min

Richarlison

Timo Werner

Dominic Solanke

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham, where Spurs' Europa League prospects are discussed!Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Mesut Ozil has already given Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United the green light to sign Yusuf Yazici. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League following the expiration of his contract at Lille in the summer.

Last season, Yazici featured 27 times in Ligue 1, scoring five goals and providing two assists. Playing a key role in Paulo Fonseca's lineup, the Turkey international helped Les Dogues finish fourth and secure Europa League qualification.

Yazici also enjoyed a brilliant campaign in the Conference League, finding the net five times in 10 games. Despite firing Lille ahead against Aston Villa in the quarter-final second-leg, the Premier League outfit came out on top and reached the semi-final.

The Turkish playmaker predominantly operated as a number 10, though he often slotted on the right wing and up top. According to HITC, Galatasaray are currently leading the race to sign Yazici, who's attracted plenty of interest this summer.

The report states that Fonesca is eager to reunite with the midfielder at AC Milan, Lazio are also said to be keen. HITC add that several Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Manchester United, have been offered the chance to sign Yazici.

It's said that the Red Devils would have to offload Christian Eriksen before making an offer. In 2018, Ozil described Yazici as an 'incredible talent' who will join a 'big European club in the near future'.

"I really like Trabzonspor duo Yusuf Yazici and Abdulkadir Omur. They are incredible talents," the former Arsenal midfielder told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet six-years ago. "Yusuf Yazici is an amazing No 10.

"We have a lot of similarities; his left foot, his position, his passing, and calmness on the ball. We will see Yusuf at a big European club in the near future."

If Tottenham were to get their hands on Yazici, he'd likely arrive as an understudy to James Maddison. With that being said, at the start of the season, Ange Postecoglou backed the England international to have a 'big season'.

"I’ve sensed in Madders that he’s come back," said the Spurs boss in August. "He’s really determined to have a big season and hopefully that gets him back in the England frame, but more importantly for us hopefully gets him back to the form we know he can have."

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – as well as every other English top-flight club – could miss out on millions in funding following the Premier League's case against Manchester City. In February 2023, the competition charged its champions with 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations.

These include accusations that the club failed to provide accurate financial information and failed to cooperate with investigations spanning nine seasons (2009/10 to 2017/18). Manchester City strongly deny any wrongdoing and the case shall be heard, in private, later this month.

With the inquest just around the corner, it has been speculated how much the investigation, from start to finish, could cost clubs in the English top-flight. According to The Telegraph, the Premier League was awarded £1.7m in costs after successfully prosecuting Everton for breaching its profit and sustainability rules (PSR) last year.

The Toffees incurred a 10-point deduction, which was later reduced to six on appeal in February. The report states that the legal resources in the case were equivalent to almost five months' worth of 24-hour days.

The Telegraph outline that the Manchester City case has taken far longer for the Premier League to juggle following the club's objections. For context, during the Everton case, it was revealed that the Premier League spent £26,638 per document while the Toffees spent just £515.

It was also noted that the Premier League paid an hourly rate of £940 to partners from its external legal firm, Linklaters, which was nearly twice as much as the £550 paid by Everton to its equivalent. So, both the English top-flight and Manchester City are expected to be given a hefty bill – win or lose.

The Telegraph adds that all costs for governance are covered by the Premier League's 20 shareholders, and the final fee will be deducted from broadcast and commercial funding that would otherwise be distributed to its clubs. Therefore, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs – as well as every other English top-flight club – could miss out on millions.

In an interview with The Times in May, Richard Masters provided a brief update on the hearing. The Premier League CEO said: "All we have said is that a date has been set for the hearing. We haven't said when that is. Our rulebook requires these commissions to be held in private, and everything to be confidential."

Then, speaking to the Evening Standard, Dan Chapman, head of employment and sports at Leathes Prior, claimed no punishment should be ruled out – from fines to expulsion from the Premier League. The solicitor said: "Considerable uncertainty remains on the current status of the Premier League proceedings against Manchester City.

"It would appear that these charges are far more serious, if they are proven, than the charges which Everton and Nottingham Forest recently admitted. Those clubs were charged with a breach of spending rules that they admitted.

"This case is entirely different, 115 charges which relate, it would appear, to serious impropriety which Manchester City robustly deny. The number and complexity of the charges will present huge challenges to all involved and it is not unlikely that the hearing could be delayed in full or in part.

"The independent commission that will hear the case will have almost limitless powers, and sanctions could range from fines to points deductions to expulsion from the Premier League. Manchester City will of course be aiming to be cleared of all charges, and nothing should be ruled out in this quite extraordinary case."

Tottenham return from their international break with a huge fixture: the North London Derby against Arsenal. Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to return to winning ways after a mixed start to the Premier League season.

Spurs began with a draw away to newly-promoted Leicester City having taken the lead and thoroughly dominated proceedings, only to concede a second-half equaliser to Jamie Vardy. They followed this with a 4-0 thumping of Everton to add plenty of encouragement to the start of the season.

However, after once again dominating on their away trip to Newcastle, Spurs fans made the long trip back to London with no points to show for it after a late winner from Alexander Isak.

A large chunk of the Spurs squad have since joined up with their respective national teams, with Spurs in action after the international break on Sunday, September 15. A lot could happen between now and then so football.london has taken a look at what a nightmare international break could look like for Tottenham.

Key trio still not back

It's not been an ideal start, but a win against Arsenal would go a long way to changing perceptions about the beginning of their season. To do that, Postecoglou will need all resources at his disposal.

But new signing Dominic Solanke missed the last two games due to an ankle injury, while Micky van de Ven and Richarlison were both absent from the trip to Newcastle with their own issues. Postecoglou will be hoping all are available for the huge clash against Arsenal.

The absence of a recognised striker has arguably already cost Spurs, with a number of chances missed in the away game at Newcastle. Solanke and Richarlison both being absent for the clash against Arsenal would undoubtedly be a massive loss for Spurs.

More injuries

An unfortunate reality of the international break is that some players will develop injuries while away with their countries. Be it pushing themselves to the max in a new setup or travelling thousands of miles, players are put under stress and fatigue in a short period of time - which could be especially relevant just weeks after starting a brand new season.

One man Spurs are always wary about is captain Son Heung-min, who regularly traverses the globe to represent South Korea. The 32-year-old has managed to keep himself relatively injury-free over the last few years despite a huge volume of minutes played, but it will only be a growing concern as he advances in years.

Elsewhere, there will be concern in the unlikely event that Guglielmo Vicario picks up an issue while away with Italy. More injuries for Spurs would certainly be a problem ahead of the clash against Arsenal.

No deal

While the English transfer window has closed, there are a few remaining open as Spurs look to seal any more departures - with Alfie Devine recently leaving on a short-term deal for Westerlo.

The club also want to move on Sergio Reguilon for the rest of the season, with the Spanish international seemingly having no part in Postecoglou's plan for the season. The defender stayed away from the pre-season tour to try and secure a move, but it still has not come to pass.

Spurs should be fine to meet financial obligations for the season, but with a keen eye on the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules they'll be keen to move on a player unlikely to feature who is currently earning first-team wages.

If a deal can't be agreed for Reguilon's exit, it helps nobody: a player knowing he stands little chance of featuring will be an issue to manage at the training ground, and will become a talking point for the manager should performances of other players dip at all.

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

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is already being forced to deal with injury concerns in the early weeks of the season.

Spurs have now entered the first international break of the campaign and have four points to their name in the Premier League.

Postecoglou's side fell to a 2-1 defeat away at Newcastle United on Sunday before the hiatus began, and some star players missed the fixture due to injury.

Micky van de Ven was not involved in the game due to a fitness concern. Instead, Postecoglou started January signing Radu Dragusin alongside Cristian Romero at the heart of the Tottenham defence at St James' Park.

Postecoglou confirmed before the match why Van de Van was left out, and was hopeful that, after the international break, the centre-back would have recovered from the fitness issue.

"Micky was close in training this week but with the international break he's not quite 100 per cent," Postecoglou told the media before Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle on Sunday "Part of me was keen to give Radu [Dragusin] a run, especially at this venue, so yeah we're going with Radu today."

"No, not really," Postecoglou added, when asked if he was disappointed by Van de Ven's absence. "It's nothing serious. We've got a heaped programme straight after the international break so we're going to need all our back four. So getting Radu a game today I think is a positive thing for us."

Dominic Solanke also missed the defeat to Newcastle as he was sidelined with a foot injury. The summer signing from Bournemouth also missed the win over Everton the previous week, but Postecoglou stated in his latest press conference that he hopes Solanke will return after the international break.

"Dom is close but we're going to be a bit cautious with him, we've got a big programme post the international break, so he'll miss out on Sunday," Postecoglou told SPURSPLAY on August 30.

Richarlison is another player that has been added to Tottenham's injury list. Postecoglou revealed last week that the Brazil international had suffered an injury during training in the build-up to the trip to Newcastle, and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

"The only other one we got midweek is Richarlison, who unfortunately picked up an injury in training, so he'll probably miss the next few weeks," said Postecoglou last week.

Spurs will return after the international break on Sunday, September 15 in the North London Derby against Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur have been in discussions with prospective investors this year, reputedly regarding selling some, but not all, of the club.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy acknowledged that in the club's latest set of financial results, released in April. Reports in late July claimed talks were taking place to sell a minority stake in the club, expected to be around 10 per cent.

The former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley and her fund, PCP Capital, have reputedly expressed an interest in Tottenham, something she did not deny when asked about it during an interview around the same time. The prospective Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim and American investors MSP Sports Capital and 777 Partners were once credited with an interest.

football.london has the latest on a potential takeover or sale of a stake in the club.

Rothschild 'talks'

Bloomberg reported in mid-July that Spurs are one of multiple clubs, including Monaco, that Staveley is possibly looking at as she searches for another football investment after selling her stake in Newcastle that same month, with talks already said to have taken place with the club's advisors Rothschild and Co. Later in July, The Sunday Times claimed that Staveley had expressed an interest in a stake in Tottenham after reputedly raising £500million through her firm PCP Capital Partners.

The financier helped the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund purchase Newcastle in 2021, taking on six per cent of the club and had been a public-facing figure of the consortium until she left. Staveley, 51, has been spotted at Spurs matches over the past few years, watching on at Stamford Bridge and St James' Park during matches involving the club.

Staveley's stance

Asked by The Athletic what she could say about the potential investment in Tottenham, Stavely said: “Not much, I’m afraid. My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn’t always work out exactly how you want it to.

"Nothing is going to replicate that. I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people, and that can’t change, but I didn’t want to get in Newcastle’s way. It’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.

“Mehrdad [Ghodoussi, her husband and fellow financier who was also a Newcastle co-owner] and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people; I love to be very busy and to engage, and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects, and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club, and that’s difficult. But it’s possible.

“I don’t know what my future holds, but you can never move on from the love I have for Newcastle, and I would love to come back for matches. I’m a Geordie now. I’m a Yorkshire Geordie, but I will always have that chemistry and that love.”

Chelsea comparison

Kieran Maguire believes Spurs could command a record-breaking fee if the club's owners decide to cash in. In an interview with TBR, Maguire claimed Spurs could use their rivals' sale as leverage in takeover talks. The football finance expert said: "Chelsea was £2.5bn and they were a distressed asset.

"If you are looking at Chelsea and Spurs, it’s a bit like if you’re buying a house. If I’m looking at two houses side by side and one needs a new kitchen, the windows done etc, whereas the other one has been fully refurbished by the owner, that second property looks more attractive.

"For Spurs, the infrastructure commitment has already been undertaken by the owners, both in terms of the stadium and the training facilities. With Chelsea, there is still a question about that. They can’t stand still if they want to be competitive in the Premier League.

"They either need to move to a new site or do a very substantial rebuild of Stamford Bridge. The problem is that at Chelsea, the location of the ground means that you are going to be dealing with millionaire property owners who wouldn’t like the idea of construction work for two or three years. That would be a very litigious and complicated arrangement. All of that makes Spurs look very attractive."

Valuation verdict

The former Aston Villa and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness believes Tottenham is worth around the reported £3.75billion valuation they are said to be seeking. “I think it is a realistic valuation, given the stadium," Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast in late July.

“Daniel Levy has been known over the years as one of the best negotiators, always pushing for the highest valuations – whether that’s sponsorships or player sales. He’s a good operator, and £3.75billion is not far away. I can see how that can happen.

“It’s interesting to watch. What they’re really after is a minority investor, not a full takeover for the full amount. They want someone to take around 10-15%.”

Levy's stance

In the club's latest set of financial results, which were released in April, Levy acknowledged: "the board and its advisors, Rothschild & Co, are in discussions with prospective investors" as they need to "continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the club requires a significant increase in its equity base".