Football.London

Tottenham started their 2024/25 Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday night. Following an active couple of months in the transfer market, Ange Postecoglou started new signing Dominic Solanke as fellow summer arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall had to settle for a place on the bench.

It was very much one-way traffic in the first half with Solanke, Brennan Johnson and Cristian Romero all going close to the opener. The goal finally arrived for the visitors in the 29th minute, with Pedro Porro in the box to nod home James Maddison's inviting cross.

Tottenham passed up a glut of chances to add to their goal and they were made to pay just before the hour mark with Jamie Vardy heading in Abdul Fatawu's cross from point-blank range. That proved to be the final goal of the contest as it finished 1-1 in Spurs' Premier League opener.

Here are five things we spotted in the game at the King Power Stadium.

Absent players

Postecoglou was always going to have to leave players out of his matchday squad at Leicester with all of his squad fit and available. Very much a rarity for the Australian due to the amount of injuries his team suffered last campaign, it was a selection dilemma he was no doubt happy to have and one he will want week in, week out across the campaign.

Missing Yves Bissouma after the club decided to ban him for the Leicester match for posting footage on social media of himself inhaling laughing gas, Postecoglou also no longer had Oliver Skipp to call upon after the midfielder departed the club earlier in the day to join their opponents on a permanent basis. Players missing for the game at the King Power Stadium included Fraser Forster, Manor Solomon, Giovani Lo Celso, Alfie Devine, Ashley Phillips, Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear.

There was also to be no place for new signing Wilson Odobert, who only signed on the dotted line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium early on Friday morning. The Frenchman's omission was perhaps not that much of a shock due to extremely limited time with the playing squad since making the move from Turf Moor.

Kulusevski benched and Bergvall berated

Postecoglou sprung a big surprise in regards to his Tottenham team after naming Dejan Kulusevski on the substitutes' bench. The Swede was undoubtedly the club's best player in pre-season by some distance, notably catching the eye in a central role and also when playing as a striker due to a lack of numbers in the position.

Not continuing in the role with Solanke given a debut following his move from Bournemouth, Johnson was preferred to Kulusevski on the right flank and Maddison also got the nod over the Swede in midfield. The ex-Juventus man's omission very much highlighted the current strength in depth at Tottenham and that nobody is guaranteed a place in the team.

Kulusevski was one of a quadruple substitution in the closing stages of the contest but he couldn't help Tottenham get three points on the board. Bergvall was one of the four to be introduced and he sparked an angry reaction from Guglielmo Vicario in the first minute of stoppage time after losing the ball down Leicester's left side up against two players which almost culminated with Wilfred Ndidi heading home.

Vicario was on hand to stop the midfielder's header finding the far corner and he ran straight over to Bergvall and angrily waved his arms at the new arrival for putting Spurs in trouble. Thankfully it didn't come to anything.

Maddison influence

Maddison was in electric form in the first few months of his Tottenham career before injury struck last November. Unable to recapture his previous form following his return to the team at the end of January, the attacking midfielder was dropped from Postecoglou's starting XI on a couple of occasions in the final few games of last term.

Not exactly making his case in pre-season with some poor displays after his England Euro 2024 omission, question marks surrounded the 27-year-old heading into the 2024/25 campaign. Up against his former club Leicester, Maddison looked more like his old self as he had a telling influence on the game.

Tottenham's No.10 used the ball incredibly well and always looked to make things happen when in possession as he toyed with his opponents. He deservedly got an assist to his name on 29 minutes with such a clever ball into the area that Porro converted.

Maddison was that impressive during the first half that he even fooled the linesman on one occasion. Lining up to take a corner and shaping to take a quick kick before throwing in a dummy, the match official fell for it and duly started to move, with the clip duly going on to do the rounds on social media.

Good to bad inside 10 seconds

Johnson was given the nod on the right wing and he went very close to the opening goal of the contest with a stinging volley that was saved inside the first couple of minutes. Unable to have that much of an impact down his side of the pitch, there was one moment midway through the first half that summed up his struggles.

Producing a sublime tackle on Victor Kristiansen to come away with the ball and move forward, the youngster dallied on the ball rather than sprinting away and that allowed the Dane to come in and regain possession.

Not only that, Johnson then fouled his marker in what was a rather mixed 10 seconds for the player. In what remained of his playing time before his substitution later in the second half, the 23-year-old just couldn't influence proceedings.

Vardy's Romero exchange

Vardy does have quite a decent record when it comes to playing Tottenham after scoring against them in the past. The experienced striker once again proved to be a thorn in their side after cancelling out Porro's goal by scoring in the 57th minute.

An injury doubt coming into the game, the former England international made way late on and had a message for Tottenham fans as he left the field. Pointing to the Premier League badge on his sleeve, Vardy held one finger in the air to indicate Leicester's one title win and then also indicate how many times Tottenham had won the Premier League title.

Romero had clearly had enough of Vardy's antics and wanted him off the pitch, with the striker then caught on camera turning to the World Cup winner and telling him to '(swear word) off' a couple of times as he departed.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is holding his first Premier League post-match press conference of the new season following the 1-1 draw at Leicester City.

Postecoglou had named new £65million striker Dominic Solanke in his first team of the campaign with fellow summer arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall on a strong bench. Spurs' most recent signing, 19-year-old winger Wilson Odobert, was not available follpwing his £30million move from Burnley, as the club await his work permit.

Ahead of the match at the King Power Stadium, the two clubs agreed the transfer of Oliver Skipp in a deal worth more than £20million and including a sell-on clause. The 23-year-old, who played more than 100 times for Tottenham after coming through the academy, was signed too late to play in the game but was in attendance.

The visitors opened the scoring around the half hour mark when former Leicester man James Maddison curled in a lovely ball and Pedro Porro flicked a header past the keeper.

However, Spurs did not take their chances in both halves and Jamie Vardy found an equaliser for the hosts from their one real chance before the hour mark, left alone at the back post to head home Abdul Fatawu's cross.

Neither side could find a winning goal and midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off in the second half with what appeared to be a nasty injury and seemingly concussion after a collision from a Spurs corner.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou after the match. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the King Power Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur began their Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at Leicester City on Monday evening.

Ahead of the game, the two clubs agreed the transfer of Oliver Skipp in a deal worth more than £20million and including a sell-on clause. The 23-year-old, who played more than 100 times for Tottenham after coming through the academy, was signed too late to play in the game but was in attendance.

Spurs' latest signing, 19-year-old winger Wilson Odobert, was not available yet after his £30million move from Burnley, as the club await his work permit. However, Ange Postecoglou named £65million new striker Dominic Solanke in his first team of the season with fellow summer arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall on a strong bench.

Tottenham took the lead on the half hour mark with former Leicester man James Maddison curling in a lovely ball and Pedro Porro, in a striker's position, headed it past the keeper.

Spurs had chances galore in both halves but did not take them and Jamie Vardy found a leveller for the hosts from their one real chance before the hour mark. He was left all alone at the back post to head in Abdul Fatawu's cross.

Neither side could find a winner and Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off in the second half with what appeared to be a nasty injury and seemingly concussion after a collision from a Spurs corner.

Here are our Tottenham player ratings:

Guglielmo Vicario

Made a couple of important saves in either half. Couldn't get to Vardy's header but denied him in a one vs one not long after. 8

Pedro Porro

Put in a couple of dangerous early crosses and took up a great position to head home Maddison's cross on the half-hour mark. Didn't read the danger posed by Vardy for the equaliser. Picked up a late knock. 7

Cristian Romero

Sent an early header not too far wide of the right-hand post. Didn't have much to do until he wandered away from Vardy and Porro did not fill the space, leaving the Foxes striker to head home all alone. Did make a good interception to stop Vardy soon after though. 6

Micky van de Ven

Used that trademark pace on plenty of occasions and didn't do much wrong on his side. 7

Destiny Udogie

Worked hard, but struggled at times with Fatawu, who got the assist for the Foxes' equaliser. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Strong mobile game from the young midfielder before tiring in the second half, although he did thread a good ball through to Solanke for a chance. 7

Rodrigo Bentancur

The anchor man in the midfield and he worked hard without shining. Stretchered off in the second half after a collision from a corner with plenty of concern from his team-mates, although he was thankfully sitting up before going off. 6

James Maddison

Looked up for it from the start against his old club and fired in a string of dangerous balls, including the cross Porro headed home in the first half. Faded a bit in the second half with the rest of the midfield but this was more like the old Maddison. 8

Brennan Johnson

Sent an early volley at the keeper after chesting down Porro's flick-on. Fired another volley across the six-yard box that nobody could touch home. Not decisive enough in his play or looking to beat his man with that pace he has. 4

Dominic Solanke

Worked himself a couple of early opportunities with headers at the keeper. Sent another shot at Hermansen from a Sarr pass. Got around the pitch with good movement as well as pressing. He'll find his sharpness after his first game in about three weeks. 6

Son Heung-min

Curled in a lovely early cross for Solanke but the striker sent his diving header at Hermansen. Had a couple of bright moments but not enough from the skipper and faded from the game as it wore on. 5

Subs

Archie Gray

Came on and put in an important shift on his Premier League debut. 6

Lucas Bergvall

Started brightly before giving the ball away on the edge of his box and getting a rocket from Vicario after the keeper had to make a save. That made him play safer after that but could have got a late assist if Richarlison had headed his free-kick home. 6

Dejan Kulusevski

Made a big tackle in his own box after sprinting the length of the pitch. Tried to make things happen for Tottenham with his movement and touches. 6

Timo Werner

Came on down the right and struggled to make an impact. 5

Richarlison

Had a big late chance from Bergvall's free-kick but headed it over unmarked. N/A

Djed Spence

Showed plenty of desire to get up and down the right in his late cameo. N/A

Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur has suffered a horror injury in the Premier League clash against Leicester City, appearing to be knocked unconscious.

Pedro Porro opened the scoring after Spurs dominated the first half, but the Foxes struck back after the interval with Jamie Vardy heading home a cross at the back post. The veteran striker then forced Guglielmo Vicario into a superb save after being played through on goal.

With the game level at 1-1, the Uruguay international went up for a header before colliding with Abdul Fatawu which left him still on the ground. Medical staff were quickly called over with a stretcher shortly following as the midfielder looked to be unconscious.

Thankfully, Bentancur was spotted sat up and but required oxygen before he was stretchered off with Archie Gray replacing him as a concussion substitution. The last time Bentancur played at the King Power Stadium he picked up a serious knee injury which saw him miss nine months of action.

Moments after his withdrawal, Sky Sports revealed, having spoken to Tottenham's team doctor, that Bentancur was conscious and talking but that he would be monitored in line with concussion protocols.

With Bentancur likely to miss Tottenham's next game at the very least, Yves Bissouma could be set for an immediate return to the starting XI after being suspended for the game against Leicester for being captured inhaling laughing gas.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has named his opening Premier League team of the season to take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The two clubs agreed a transfer on Monday with Oliver Skipp heading to the Foxes in a deal worth more than £20million and also including a sell-on clause. The 23-year-old, who played more than 100 times for Tottenham after coming through the academy, is expected to be in attendance at the game.

Spurs' latest signing, 19-year-old winger Wilson Odobert, is not available yet after his £30million move from Burnley, as the club await his work permit.

Postecoglou has named £65million new striker Dominic Solanke in his first team of the season with fellow summer arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall on what is now a strong bench, with the likes of Radu Dragusin, the returning Timo Werner and Richarlison. Despite his strong pre-season, Dejan Kulusevski starts on the bench as well.

With Yves Bissouma suspended by the club following his laughing gas incident, Rodrigo Bentancur starts in the midfield with Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison, returning to the King Power Stadium for the first time since his move to Spurs.

Here's the team Postecoglou has selected:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son. Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Spence, Davies, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Kulusevski, Richarlison.

Tottenham have officially confirmed their squad numbers for the 2024/25 Premier League season. Heading into Monday's Premier League opener against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, a few players will be wearing new shirt numbers for the campaign.

Tottenham had already confirmed prior to their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea that Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie would take on new numbers in 2024/25. Vicario has swapped No.13 for No.1 after Hugo Lloris' departure at the start of the year to the United States, with Udogie taking on his preferred No.13 after wearing No.38 in his debut season in north London.

Ahead of the tour it was also confirmed that new signing Archie Gray would inherit the No.14 jersey following his switch from Leeds United. Fellow new arrival Lucas Bergvall, who has joined from Swedish side Djurgarden, will wear No.15 in his debut campaign in the capital.

On Friday, Dominic Solanke's shirt number was finally revealed after his big-money move from Bournemouth. Amid question marks over what jersey he would take on with Richarlison already occupying No.9, the 26-year-old opted for No.19 that had been vacated by Ryan Sessegnon following his Spurs exit.

Tanguy Ndombele was also another to leave Tottenham in the summer, with fellow countryman Wilson Odobert immediately claiming the No.28 after sealing a surprise move from Burnley. The winger's move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium certainly came out of the blue when confirmation arrived at 10.30am on Friday morning following no talk of a switch to Ange Postecoglou's side beforehand.

Ahead of Monday night's game at Leicester, Tottenham have now revealed their full list of squad numbers for the 2024/25 season. Mikey Moore has been handed a squad number upgrade after becoming part of Postecoglou's first-team plans following his senior bow at the end of last term.

Moore is now Tottenham's No.47 after previously wearing No.59. Jamie Donley has also changed number despite joining Leyton Orient on a season-long loan deal, with the player swapping No.63 for No.43.

Tottenham have also confirmed that Pape Matar Sarr will have his name displayed as "P.M. Sarr" on the reverse of his match shirt moving forward. The Senegal international continues with No.29.

Here are the Tottenham shirt numbers for the 2024/25 campaign:

Tottenham 2024/25 shirt numbers

*On loan for 2024/25

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Tottenham's 2024/25 Premier League opener against Leicester City.

It is the start of Ange Postecoglou's second season in charge of the Lilywhites and the head coach is targeting a big year in north London as he looks to guide the club to some much-needed silverware after a long drought.

Tottenham have added to their squad for the new campaign, with players such as Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert potentially making their debut for the club later this evening at the King Power Stadium.

It is also a big match for the Foxes, who have former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper in charge for the first time since replacing Enzo Maresca in the hotseat earlier in the summer.

You can follow all the build-up and the action live from the King Power Stadium with Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest right here.

Key Events

Pedro Porro scores!20:30

Confirmed Tottenham XI18:46

Wide

De Cordova Reid tries his luck from about 40 yards out after Vicario had rushed out of his goal to head the ball away.

The Leicester man's effort goes wide of the target, though.

So close

Should have been a second for Spurs as Maddison's free-kick finds Johnson at the back post and he volleys the ball across the six-yard box but nobody can touch it in.

Pedro Porro scores!

Spurs open the scoring. It's been coming. James Maddison curls in a lovely ball and Pedro Porro, in a striker's position, heads it past the keeper.

All Spurs

Tottenham in total control at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester unable to create any chances on goal so far with the visitors dominating the ball.

Solanke opportunity

Another Solanke effort as he gets up well but heads Porro's cross towards the keeper.

Romero header

Romero heads not too far wide of the right-hand post.

Spurs chances

Chances for Spurs. First a Bentancur flick-on from a corner is cleared superbly from under the Foxes' bar. Then Johnson tests the keeper with a fierce half-volley before Solanke sends a diving header at the keeper.

Peep

We're up and running at the King Power Stadium.

Almost time

We're ten minutes away from kick-off here at Leicester.

Stay tuned for all the action.

Tottenham loan latest

We have seen plenty of movement at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer with incomings and outgoings taking place.

So far six players have departed on loan, with five of them playing for their new club over the weekend.

You can find out how they got on by clicking here.

Odobert impact

The signing of Wilson Odobert could potentially have a big impact on a future Tottenham deal.

Spurs are certainly well stocked in the wide areas following the summer additions of Odobert and Yang Min-hyeok, with the exciting Mikey Moore also emerging as a first-team option for Ange Postecoglou now.

Read here.

Every word from Ange

Ange Postecoglou was in front of the media on Thursday afternoon to preview the Leicester City game.

Quizzed on the club's transfer business, his hopes for the new campaign and so much more, the Spurs boss also discussed Yves Bissouma's suspension and the latest on the injury front.

You can read a full transcript of the press conference by clicking here.

Confirmed Leicester XI

Here is tonight's Leicester City team:

Leicester XI: Hermansen, Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen, Winks, Buonanotte, Ndidi, De Cordova-Reid, Fatawu, Vardy.

Subs: Ward, Ricardo, Okoli, Nelson, Choudhury, Soumare, McAteer, Mavididi, Cannon.

Confirmed Tottenham XI

Here is tonight's Tottenham XI to take on Leicester City:

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Spence, Davies, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Kulusevski, Richarlison.

Spurs reporters pick Tottenham XI

Our Tottenham Hotspur reporters at football.london have also had a go at naming their Spurs XI to take on Leicester City.

So does Rodrigo Bentancur start or does Archie Gray come in for his senior debut? And is there a place in the XI for Lucas Bergvall?

Click here.

Shirt numbers confirmed

Tottenham have finally confirmed their squad numbers for the new campaign.

Mikey Moore and Jamie Donley have both received upgrades after becoming part of Ange Postecoglou's plans.

Read here.

Match odds

Odds for tonight's game, courtesy of Betway, are below:

Leicester - 7/2

Draw - 3/1

Spurs - 7/10

Why Tottenham have signed Odobert

The signing of Wilson Odobert was very much a surprise with the transfer going completely under the radar.

A regular in his first season with Burnley, the Frenchman was on the scoresheet for the Clarets last Monday as they started their Championship campaign with a big win at Luton.

Odobert came in for praise from head coach Vincent Kompany last season, which perhaps explains why Tottenham were so keen on signing the youngster.

Read here.

Predicted team

So who exactly will be in Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham XI to take on Leicester City?

Our man Alasdair Gold has named his predicted team right here.

Agree?

Brand new Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Have some spare time ahead of this evening's game at the King Power Stadium? Well, the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham is out now.

On the latest episode of the podcast, Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discuss the signing of Wilson Odobert, Yves Bissouma's suspension and plenty more.

The duo also have their say on their 2024/25 campaign by making their predictions in the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

You can listen to the latest episode of the podcast by clicking here or you can watch on YouTube right here.

Skipp Leicester transfer explained

Oliver Skipp has departed Tottenham Hotspur to seal a move to tonight's opponents Leicester City.

The midfielder joins Steve Cooper's side in a deal worth over £20million but he will not be able to make his debut against Spurs later this evening.

Skipp's exit will certainly give the club a headache as he was Spurs' only senior club-trained outfield player for their Europa League squad.

Read here.

TV channel and live stream

Tottenham fans not attending this evening's game at Leicester City will be able to watch all the action live on TV in the UK.

Sky Sports main event and Sky Sports Premier League is the place to be, with coverage commencing from 6.30pm.

Alternatively, you can stick with us right here in our live match blog for all the latest over the 90 minutes at the King Power Stadium.

Rob Guest

Welcome

Hello and welcome to football.london's live coverage of Tottenham's Premier League match against Leicester City.

It is the start of the 2024/25 season for Ange Postecoglou's men and they will be targeting a big performance and three points under the lights at the King Power Stadium.

Stay tuned over the next few hours as we bring you all the latest ahead of the 8pm kick-off here in Leicester.

New Tottenham signing Dominic Solanke is ready to set north London alight - and he comes with high praise from Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp.

The 26-year-old joined Spurs from Bournemouth in a £65million deal following an eye-catching season, convincing Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou to plump for his signature. And his remarkable scoring streak has once again put him in the frame to succeed for a major outfit.

Tasked with the challenge of giving Spurs their successor to Harry Kane, Solanke is poised to carve his own path to stardom at Tottenham. His potential has been noted since his formative footballing days, having been tipped for success under Mourinho during his Chelsea tenure and with Klopp as his Liverpool boss, per The Mirror.

Despite limited opportunities at Anfield and Stamford Bridge, it appears Solanke made an impression on both Mourinho and Klopp. 'The Special One' once took responsibility for the development of Solanke and other young players, suggesting he would hold himself accountable if they didn't feature for England in the coming years.

"My conscience tells me that if, for example, Baker, Brown, and Solanke are not national team players in a few years, I should blame myself," said Mourinho in 2014. "They are part of a process the club started without me.

"In this moment, we have players who will be Chelsea players. And when they become Chelsea players, they will become England players, almost for sure. At 16 or 17 I don't think it's good for them to go somewhere else to play, like in the Championship. At 17 they have to train with us and they have to learn with us. They will learn a lot."

Despite Mourinho's glowing praise, Solanke made a solitary senior appearance under Mourinho - a 17-minute cameo in a 6-0 Champions League victory over Maribor. In the summer of 2017, he surprisingly signed for Liverpool in a deal worth around £3m.

While he was handed 27 appearances by Klopp, Solanke was far from becoming a regular starter. He only managed to grab one goal and one assist over the course of his Liverpool career before moving on once more.

But similarly to Mourinho, Klopp was still impressed by the player during his time with the Merseysiders. In a press conference last year, Klopp said: "I'm so happy for Dom, because when we signed him we were all so excited about the talent he had. He had so much potential, but it is Liverpool, and we had other good strikers as well.

"He was probably not the most clinical yet, but the talent was obvious. It was the right decision to go to Bournemouth, last season he scored enough goals, but this season he is up there with the greatest. He is a really talented kid, I'm very happy for him."

Solanke could make his debut in Monday's clash away to Leicester City. After notching 19 Premier League goals and three assists last season, he'll be a lot more confident about becoming a big name at another regular top-six contender.

After narrowly missing out on a spot in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad, a summer of rest will put him in fine stead to do just that. And it all starts with a tense first trip to the King Power Stadium, where Spurs can send an early signal of intent as they look to make another fast start.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the sale of midfielder Oliver Skipp who has joined Leicester City on a permanent basis ahead of Monday night's Premier League clash between the two sides.

The 23-year-old has been with the club since the age of five, making his senior debut in 2018. He went on to make a further 105 appearances for the club. But he will now continue his career with the Foxes.

Skipp has put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the King Power Stadium, with Spurs receiving a fee of £25 million with add-ons and football.london understands that Tottenham also have a sell-on clause as part of the deal. The transfer comes just hours before the two teams meet in the season opener in Leicester with kick-off at 8pm, the first time that Skipp will get to see his new teammates in action.

Speaking to Leicester's official website, Skipp outlined his excitement for the new challenge ahead of him. "I’m really excited to sign. I’ve got the feeling that it’s a good group of people and a good group of players," he said.

"I’m sure that we’ve got a squad capable of challenging in every game. You look around the squad and there’s lots of exciting players who have played in the Premier League and I’m really excited to see what this group can achieve.

"I had conversations with the people here and they gave me a feeling of warmth and that they were excited to have me on board. As a player, when you feel that excitement, that’s something you can use to develop your game. The staff here know me as well - Steve [Cooper], I have worked with at England so there’s definitely a good relationship there and I’m keen to push on and show what I can do."

Despite making the move before the game, Skipp won't be eligible to play for Leicester against Spurs on Monday night, with the deadline to register new signings at 12pm on the Friday before the weekend's fixtures. It means his debut could come in next weekend's Premier League match against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Gary Lineker has admitted that he "made an error" with his season prediction for Tottenham Hotspur and has moved them back into the top-four.

The ex-Spurs striker had initially tipped Ange Postecoglou's side to come fifth, but has confessed that this was a mistake on his part. Lineker has revealed that he actually meant to put Tottenham in the top-four, and in contention for Europe.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, the 63-year-old said: "Just a quick one on Leicester and Tottenham while I think about it. When we did our predictions, I made an error.

"It's okay to change it now, because they haven't played yet. But I was meant to put Tottenham in the top four. I only had three Champions League spots. I am just going to correct myself there and put Tottenham in the top four."

Lineker also explained how he accidentally came to this conclusion, adding: "It's myself. I listen to the podcast, to check that we don’t mess up too much and I thought, 'hang on a minute? Why did I put Tottenham fifth when I was meant to put them third or fourth, battling with Liverpool'. I even said 'batting with Liverpool'. So, just to be clear."

Spurs had a perfect start to their season last year and some had even tipped them as contenders for the title. However, a run of bad results had them in fifth by the end of the campaign - with Lineker stating they will improve this time around.

Postecoglou's side have been active in the transfer market this summer, signing 19-year-old Wilson Odebert from Burnley for £25million and also securing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for £65m. Spurs have also snapped up teenage sensation Archie Gray from Leeds for £30m, as well as two other young prospects in Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden and Yang Min-hyeok from Gangwon FC.

Ahead of their Premier League opener against Leicester City on Monday evening, the Australian coach has praised his team for being "better prepared" for the upcoming campaign.

In an interview with the Men in Blazers YouTube channel, the 58-year-old said: "We’ll have grown a lot from last year of understanding about ourselves. When we were good we were exciting, I think we had everyone talking about us.

"When we had to grind, we found a way to get there. But there was obviously a space in there when we didn't cope well with disruptions, which I think is only natural because when things are going well it’s a lot easier to stay on board with something.

"We had some disruptions in terms of injuries, in terms of suspensions - some lack of discipline there for sure, which happens with young players. We didn't cope well with that but we learnt a lot through that."