Football.London

Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's opening game of the Premier League season at Leicester City.

Spurs take on the Foxes at the King Power Stadium on Monday evening to start their campaign and Postecoglou has had to prepare for that match along with dealing with experienced midfielder Yves Bissouma uploading footage of himself inhaling laughing gas from a balloon on social media, a substance that the possession of is now deemed illegal.

Here's the full transcript of everything the Tottenham head coach said on Bissouma, his suspension, new signing Dominic Solanke and the season ahead at his press conference at Hotspur Way.

How has Dominic Solanke been in training?

Thankfully it is what we expected, he is a top pro, a good guy, he has sort of settled into the dressing room really well. Footballing wise you can see he has the attributes that kind of fit into what we want to do really well. There is still an adjustment period there as we play a little bit differently and train differently and we have seen that with every new signing that comes in. So far he has fit in really well with the group and training. We still have a couple of sessions to go but so far, so good.

Will he be good to go on Monday?

Yeah, he should be.

How different does this season feel to your first year? What demands are you putting on the players and many of them are your players now?

They are always my players, from the day I took over they were all my players. It’s been a different pre-season it’s fair to say. We feel a lot more settled and better prepared for what’s ahead. This time last year there were still a lot of unknowns for us. Having said all that it didn’t stop us from having a great start to the season. It’s one of these things where just because we are more settled and prepared doesn’t guarantee anything we still have to go out there and produce.

We had a solid pre-season and for the most part everybody sort of contributed to that. We obviously had some guys in late last week and guys who are just coming back from long-term injuries Destiny and Richy, Fraser Forster. I think this last seven days when we have had everyone in you can see the level of training has gone up again from what it was on pre-season and on tour. That’s really created a really good environment for us.

We still have a couple of sessions to go but the pleasing thing is is pretty much everyone on the list is available and that’s going to be important for us. Pretty much right until the international break we know the fixtures but after that Europe starts, Carabao Cup, we are going to have a lot of games and we are going to need a strong squad. The next sort of three weeks still gives us time to put some work into the guys to get them ready.

What did you make of the Yves Bissouma laughing gas incident?

I’ve been in the game for a long time and every time situations like this arise and they do happen I always try to look at them in a couple of different ways. One there is a person involved and in this case it’s Biss and he has made a really poor decision. You want to understand that and try to help him through that and as a club what we can do to make sure he doesn’t make those kinds of choices and decisions in the future. Within that context there are still sanctions that are involved and some of those sanctions include education and giving him a clearer understanding of why he did what he did and how wrong it was. Hopefully through that he comes out of it — you always want to give people the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

The second part of that is he also a footballer. He has responsibilities, responsibility to the club, his team-mates, to our supporters and everyone associated with the club and he failed in those duties. There have got to be sanctions for that. He won’t be available for Monday. We have suspended him for Monday’s game. Beyond that there is also some trust building that needs to happen between Biss and me and Biss and the group. That’s what he needs to work hard at from now on to try and win that back and that has nothing to do with just one game. He may be suspended for one game but he is going to have to earn that. The door is open for him and hopefully we can help him to realise the decisions he makes impacts more than just him and hopefully allows him to make better decisions going forward.

You were fifth last season, what are your targets this time?

I go into every season with the same kind of target of trying to be successful. The starting point for us is improvement. Improvement in our football, improvement in the consistency of our football. As you said, we had a decent season last year. We certainly improved on the season last year in terms of results alone. Obviously, we changed the football and we had some really good moments and some moments where we had to work really hard to get some results and probably the back end of last season was disappointing for us. There’s a lot in there but for us if we can get improvement in that then more consistency gives us an opportunity and a platform to try to achieve something which is what you go into every season trying to do.

What are you expecting from Leicester?

I saw a fair bit of them. Enzo did a fantastic job with them. I kind of knew he would get them playing a fairly attractive kind of football and you always look at those kind of teams. I knew they’d bounce straight back up. They are a strong team who have obviously had a change of manager. Coops is in and he is a good guy. I’ve got to know him over the last couple of years. He is a top manager and it is always difficult when you lose your job but I think he will do well with Leicester. He knows what the Premier League is all about.

When you play a promoted side on the opening day of the season at their place - it isn’t going to be an easy game. Their crowd will be up for it and there will be plenty of excitement for them being back in the Premier League. It’s going to be a tough test for us but at the same time over the last year we’ve known how important it is to get off to a good start in the Premier League and that’s what we will try to do.

Harry Winks was sold by you, what have you made of him at Leicester?

Yes, to be fair to Harry, that decision was kind of made before I got here. It is part of the process of change, as I said last week, it is not about a quality of a footballer because he doesn’t fit. There is no point in me coming in and tinkering around the edges. We needed to make significant changes, that’s what the club wanted and that’s what I’ve done. The squad has changed fairly dramatically from 12/13 months ago but that’s the reason I’ve came in. At the same time, it doesn’t diminish Harry’s career. He has had a fantastic season and is back in the Premier League this year. He is an outstanding footballer. These decisions are often not a reflection of a player’s ability, it is just timing of things and things moving on.

This is your second season, what did you learn from your first campaign?

I didn’t really, sort of look at it that way. The biggest thing for us is that we laid a decent platform and foundation for the team we want to be. I was disappointed after last season, but it wasn’t just the results the club wanted to change, they wanted to change the way the club plays its football. I think we endeavour to do that. We kind of changed the course of the way we play and that’s given us a platform to improve on that. If we improve on what we have done last year, it gives us a chance to have some success.

At the Euros, with what you saw of semi-automated offsides, what did you make of that? And it seems we're not going to get the mic'ing up of the referees, is that a backwards step for you?

We've had meetings with the Premier League and they've come out and spoken about the changes. I welcome those changes. For me the key thing is the less disruptions to the game we have, the better. That's always been my biggest gripe around VAR, has been materially changing the game with not a great deal of benefit in terms of decisions in my opinion, because there's still conjecture around even those decisions.

But think that the the changes they're looking to make are positive ones. I think the semi-automated will help because it helps speed up the process of those decisions. They're looking for less intrusion from VAR, which again, I'd much rather leave it in the hands of the referee most of the time, the majority of the time, apart from exceptional circumstances.

So I think with VAR. it's here to stay and whether I like it or not, the reality of it is now it's an opportunity to to improve that process. I think whenever you bring in something new, there's an opportunity to improve and, you know, I embrace that. I need to temper my comments a little bit because I've gone pretty hard on VAR, but, I also understand that that's an extension of the officials, and I've always been big on not criticising officials.

So I've got to have a think about the way I kind of talk about VAR now because it is an extension of of us abiding by the rules. I'm hoping that the the changes are positive because my belief around that was I don't want the game to change. I still want joy around goals or I want less interruptions, less disruption so that we can love what we love about the game.

One of your predecessors Mauricio Pochettino is going to be named the manager of the United States, you've done both club and international football, what are the differences and frustrations?

It's a different job. It's a different role, different skill set. International football when you're together, everything's really intense. The highs are high, the lows are lows because every win means you get closer to to doing something special and every loss usually means the end of a tournament.

So it's a different experience, but I I've loved that. I have experienced that. If that happens and Poch will, I mean the US, they're emerging as a nation, and I think they want to take the next step where they can make an impact at a World Cup. There's definitely talent there, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

What are you looking for from the end of the transfer window, will that be an unsettling factor or do you think it might be an exciting end for Tottenham?

Look, I think while it's open there's always kind of a little bit uncertainty about because there are so many moving parts to it, you know, it's not just, there's outgoings and incomings. As opposed to last year where there was a lot more moving parts, you're working within a sort of smaller spectrum of uncertainty, certainly for me, anyway, that I can plan for the season knowing that the bulk of the work's been done.

Whatever we get from here on in is not going to disrupt us too much, both incoming and outgoing. So from that perspective, I think I said after the weekend I still expect there will be activity, but I think the uncertainty factor is a lot less than last year.

Was Dominic Solanke coming in a major piece that you've added in and and do you expect any more major pieces of that sort of level?

Yeah, I said last week, I don't like speculating around this stuff, but Dom was important. Yeah, because even though it was settled, it was a tricky pre-season for us because we had the majority of our back four missing, and we didn't have a striker because Richy was injured as well.

We only had young Will, so when you don't have those key elements, you're trying to build a team but I thought we managed that really well. But I was super pleased to obviously get Dom in, and that's coincided with Richie coming back, so from that perspective, it does give us a little bit more of a settled look of what the team's going to look like moving forward.

But, as I said, there are still, you know, at least, two press conferences before the window shuts mate. That's how I count them, by the way.

How is Richy?

Yeah, Richy is good. Obviously, he hasn't played at all, so that's the match minutes, we're gonna have to try to get that into him over the next few weeks, but he's trained fully. He doesn't feel any effects of the injury, which is really positive for us. As I said, everyone else is in a really good place.

Obviously, a few of the guys came in later last week, but even those guys, I think it's probably benefiting us playing on Monday, still another couple of sessions. We had a really sort of strong session today for a Thursday, if we were playing Saturday, nowhere near as as strong as we did.

So we could put some little meaningful work into the guys today. So I think having the Monday game helps us so I think most of our guys should be in decent shape on Monday evening.

You've used Archie Gray in various positions in pre-season, is he a contender for the number six role with Bissouma out or is it too soon?

Yeah, Archie has settled in really well. Again, great kid but a really, strong mindset. We’ve asked him to play different positions, but he’s handled it really well. Part of the attraction of bringing someone like Archie to our club, and it is the case for a number of players we’ve brought in, is he can play more than one position, so when it’s required, we can use him in those areas. He is going really well, I am really happy with him and he has every chance to play on Monday.

Emerson Royal has left, can I get your thoughts on him?

Yeah, Emi super guy, great pro again. It is one of those decisions you have to make when you are trying to change squads. Really popular amongst the group and not just because he is a great guy. He didn’t play a lot last year in his preferred position, but you wouldn’t know it the way he trained every day. He is the hardest worker at training and really top guy. He is a guy you would want to spend time with. A big heart, loved by all and I think it is a fantastic move for him. He will love Milan, it is a big club he has gone to and it is one of those things that happen in football where it is not really an aspersion on him that he is not part of this. It is just other things aligned. I think it is a win for him and it allows us to continue rebuilding the squad in the way we want.

You've got to register a Europa League squad in a few weeks, that seems difficult, does that play on your mind with who to keep or move on, or is it a bridge you cross when you come to it?

I think you spend far more time trying to work that out than I do, mate. I think we’ll be fine, we’ll have enough players to play. With those things, if you get caught up in numbers… the idea is to have a strong enough squad to compete in everything we want to. You do have to balance it off but with the squad we have at the moment and balance of what we’re trying to do, I still feel we are in a good place to be able to field a strong team and abide by the guidelines.

What can Bissouma do to rebuild that trust?

Behaviour, mate. It is quite simple. It is him making better choices moving forward and behaviour. He is obviously disappointed and was very apologetic, not just to me but to the club and everyone involved. That is just the first part of the process. The next part is behaviour now. Making sure, like I said, he does the things he needs to do, like all of us. We all make mistakes and it is how you fight your way back from those mistakes and what you do is far more important than what you say.

Rodrigo Bentancur had a difficult summer off the field but over injuries now, how excited are you to work with real version of him?

Yeah, Rodri last year was very much, a bit like our season, it was very much stop-start at times. At times he looked really good, got some rhythm and then something would happen whether it was an injury or another disruption. For him and the other guys, he went away with Uruguay and got game time there. In terms of his mindset, he is in a much better place of knowing that from an injury perspective he is free of that. He is 12 months down the track after a significant injury, which always takes a bit of time and it's been great to have him back part of the group. He came on in the second half last week and I thought he looked really good, has looked good in training, so hopefully that is where some of our improvement comes from. Guys who last year for one reason or another couldn’t get to the levels we know they can and if we can do that with guys like him and the ones who had good seasons last year, if we can improve them as well, that improvement I am looking for will be there.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has been suspended from the opening Premier League game of the season after the 27-year-old posted a video of himself on social media last weekend, appearing to inhale laughing gas from a balloon.

Since 2023, possession of nitrous oxide - also known as NOS - for recreational use has been a criminal offence in the UK and can result in a two-year prison sentence.

"I want to apologise for these videos," Bissouma said in a statement. "This was a severe lack of judgment. I understand how serious this is and the health risks involved, and I also take my responsibility as a footballer and role model very seriously."

Despite Bissouma's apology, Spurs have taken the decision to remove him from selection for the opening game of the season following an internal investigation this week.

"I've been in the game a long time and every time situations like this arise, and they do happen, I've always tried to look at them in a couple of different ways," Postecoglou told reporters.

"One is there's a person involved, in this case it's Biss, and he's made a really poor decision. You want to understand that and want to try to help him through that and as a club what we can do to make sure he doesn't make those kind of choices and decisions in the future.

"With that context, there's still sanctions involved and some of those sanctions are education and giving him a clear understanding of how wrong it was. You always want to give people an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

"The second part of that is he is a footballer for this club. He has responsibilities.

"He has responsibilities to the club, he has responsibilities to his teammates, he has responsibilities to supporters and everyone associated with the club and he's failed in those duties. There's got to be sanctions for that.

"He won't be available for Monday. We've suspended him from Monday's game. Beyond that, there's some trust building that has to happen between Biss and me, and Biss and the group.

"That's what he needs to work hard at from now on, to win that back.

"That's got nothing to do with one game. He may be suspended for one game but he has to earn that. The door is open for him and hopefully we can help him to realise that the decisions he makes impacts more than just him and allows him to make better decisions moving forward.

When asked what Bissouma has to do to build that trust again, Postecoglou replied: "Behaviour, mate. It’s quite simple. It’s him making better choices moving forward and behaviour.

"He’s obviously disappointed and he was very apologetic, not just to me but to the club and to everyone involved. But that’s just the first part of the process, the next part is behaviour now.

"Making sure that he does the things he needs to do, like for all of us. We all make mistakes. It is how you find your way back from those mistakes and what you do is far more important than what you say."

Ange Postecoglou is holding his first Premier League press conference of the 2024/25 season on Thursday ahead of the opening match at Leicester City.

The Spurs boss has been preparing his team all summer for the return of the Premier League and they will return to action on Monday night at the King Power Stadium. They will do so with new arrivals in Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and the returning Timo Werner, with another summer signing in Yang Min-hyeok set to join the club in January from Gangwon.

Postecoglou will be asked about further potential transfers in and out of the club with Emerson Royal having left for AC Milan this week, with Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon also set to depart while football.london reported on Thursday that teenage talent Jamie Donley is about to head out on loan to Leyton Orient after signing a new contract with Spurs.

The Tottenham boss will also be asked about Yves Bissouma, with the midfielder having to apologise publicly this week after putting up videos on social media of what appeared to be him inhaling laughing gas from a balloon. Since 2023, possession of nitrous oxide - also known as NOS - for recreational use has been a criminal offence in the UK.

Postecoglou will also be asked about the fitness of Richarlison as the Brazilian makes his first steps back from a calf injury and the sharpness of new £65million striker Solanke and his chances of starting against Leicester.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham youngster Jamie Donley is set to move on loan to League One side Leyton Orient and is expected to be handed a new contract, football.london understands.

The 19-year-old has made big strides in the past year at the club with Ange Postecoglou handing him three appearances in the Premier League last season from the bench against Manchester City, Newcastle and Brentford as well as a cameo in the FA Cup against Burnley. Donley also had a starring role for Spurs' U21s as they topped the Premier League 2 table and triumphed in the competition's play-offs.

Postecoglou has used Donley heavily during Tottenham's pre-season, trusting the teenager, who has become an attacking midfielder in recent years, to play at left-back and it is a role he has handled well across the summer, including during the club's tour to Japan and South Korea.

Now the versatile academy product will get his first taste of prolonged first team involvement and hopefully plenty of minutes with an imminent loan move to Leyton Orient. Donley had interest from a string of clubs across the Championship and League One, but Orient are felt to be the best fit in order to get him the consistent game time he needs to continue his impressive development.

The teenager's efforts over the past year are also expected to be rewarded with a new contract to replace his current deal which ends in 2027.

football.london also understands that Orient are among the clubs looking at 21-year-old Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley this summer.

Donley earned plenty of praise during pre-season from Postecoglou as well as Spurs left-back Destiny Udogie, who he was filling in for during his injury recovery.

"Honestly, he's been great, he's been great. I know Jamie really well. He's an incredible player with a lot of quality so I know what he can do and he can be good in any position," the Italian told football.london. "I think what he's doing is good. I saw him [against Team K League] as well, so he's performing well and he's doing great."

Spurs have added a combined £50million in teenage talent in summer arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall and that has made Donley's chances of breaking through this season into a midfield role all the more difficult. However, last month, when football.londonspoke to him out in South Korea, he was philosophical about it all.

"I think that's just the way football is. People are going to be buying players and it's for me to to push harder and try to get ahead of them really, then when I get ahead of them, stay ahead of them. because that's just the way the game is," he admitted.

"I haven't been told anything [about what's next for me]. I'm obviously here at the minute and on tour, so I'll just keep doing the best I can and then when I come back [to England], I'll probably find out a bit more of what's happening. "I'm not sure [what I prefer], whatever the coaches think is best for me to be honest, and I trust what they think is right."

Now Donley will get the chance to impress and develop at Leyton Orient and the London club will have a few more fans this season as the Tottenham supporters keep a close eye on the talented teenager.

Time is starting to run out for clubs in the summer transfer window. Now at the halfway stage of the month, any sides still wanting to complete transfers have until 11pm on Friday, August 30 to do so.

Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham have been rather active in the market ahead of the 2024/25 season, signing Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Dominic Solanke on permanent deals. Timo Werner has also returned to the club on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig.

Plenty more still needs to be done at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when it comes to shaping the squad for the new season, with outgoings a must for Johan Lange as there are players who need to leave permanently and some require loan moves. So what deals could actually take place in N17 before the month is out? football.london takes a look below.

Outgoings

Giovani Lo Celso

Giovani Lo Celso will be hoping to secure a permanent move away from the club sooner rather than later. The Argentina international played limited minutes under Postecoglou last season and it's best for all parties to go their separate ways.

Aston Villa and former club Real Betis have been linked with the midfielder so far this summer.

Sergio Reguilon

Sergio Reguilon is clearly not in Postecoglou's thinking and he requires a move for the sake of his career. Tottenham will be hoping to part with him permanently and also that it's not something that drags on until the final few hours of the window and he only leaves on loan.

Manor Solomon

It's hard to see where Manor Solomon is going to get minutes from this term due to his lack of action in pre-season. The winger did not feature in the team's last three friendlies and he appears to be now behind Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

If another attacking option does arrive before the end of the month, Solomon could head elsewhere as he needs to be playing after his injury struggles last term.

Ashley Phillips

Ashley Phillips also barely played in pre-season and a loan move looks likely. The youngster fared well at Plymouth Argyle in the second half of last term and another temporary switch could do wonders for his development.

Alfie Devine

Alfie Devine has really impressed Postecoglou for the second successive summer but it will be limited opportunities for him if he remains in north London this season. A loan move is best for all concerned right now and Tottenham should not be short on options for the attacking midfielder.

Devine could do with having another crack at the Championship after finding himself in and out of the Plymouth team in the final few months of last season.

Jamie Donley

Jamie Donley may well get his first taste of loan football before the month is out. The academy ace is too good to be playing in Premier League 2 now and he needs to get experience of playing senior football on a regular basis.

Like a number of other youngsters at the club, the versatile player should have plenty of suitors given his performances last campaign.

Will Lankshear

Tottenham are going to have a big decision to make over Will Lankshear after scoring for the first team in pre-season. Opportunities will be limited following the signing of Solanke and Richarlison's return from injury but there could be a chance for him in the squad for Europa League games.

Tottenham need to do what's best for the player's development right now, though. It could be a late decision over the striker or they opt to keep him for the first part of the season before loaning him out in January.

Incomings

New centre-back

After strengthening a priority position by bringing in Solanke from Bournemouth, the Lilywhites ideally need to look at signing a centre-back before the transfer deadline. Speaking towards the end of last term, Postecoglou did admit that he would like another centre-back in his squad for the new season.

Tottenham do have three excellent options in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin, with Ben Davies able to play as a centre-back if required. However, as Tottenham have European football on the calendar and as the usual injuries and suspensions will likely strike, an alternative option there is required to ensure they have sufficient cover.

Udogie alternative

A Destiny Udogie alternative would also be a nice bonus in this transfer window if Tottenham can find their man. Davies can cover for his teammate but he unfortunately does not bring the same attacking qualities as Udogie in the final third.

Djed Spence coped well as a left-back in the two Bayern Munich games and he can be an option there for Postecoglou if required. However, he is not a natural left-back and that's what Tottenham are crying out for so they don't suffer the same issues like they did last term when Udogie was absent.

Extra attacking option

All Tottenham fans will be hoping that the club can bring in a further attacking option before the summer draws to a close. Just adding that bit more quality in the attacking areas could make a huge difference in where exactly Tottenham finish in the Premier League table come the end of May.

It would be a real statement of intent if Spurs can bring in a top quality player to add to some very good options currently at the club.

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

Arsenal only have a few more days to wrap up any final business before the new Premier League season kicks off. Mikel Arteta has already welcomed a couple of new faces to the Emirates Stadium this summer, tying David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori down to long-term deals.

Last summer, the Gunners spent over £200m on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. Having invested heavily in his midfield and backline, Arteta might finally decide to sign a new striker – especially with Eddie Nketiah facing an uncertain future at the club.

The 25-year-old striker isn't the only player who could leave London Colney in the coming days; Reiss Nelson and Aaron Ramsdale have both been linked with exits too. So, with that being said, football.london have taken a look at the latest Arsenal news and transfer gossip.

Edu steps up Merino pursuit

According to The Athletic, Arsenal have stepped up their efforts to sign Mikel Merino. The Real Sociedad maestro has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

The report states that the Gunners boss has wanted Merino for some time, and the two clubs are now in talks to negotiate a deal. It's said that Edu has been in Spain this week to broker an agreement for the 28-year-old.

The Athletic add Arsenal are confident that they can wrap up a deal for the Spain international, with personal terms thought to be a formality. Regardless of whether or not Merino leaves Real Sociedad this summer, he'll continue to face an uncertain future at the club, with his contract set to expire next year.

football.london says: "Merino could be exactly what the north Londoners need to finally dethrone Man City in the Premier League title race. Not only does the Real Sociedad maestro offer experience and technical prowess, but also brings physicality – he's as well-rounded as anyone available on the current market."

Spurs trigger £25m plan

According to TeamTalk, Bournemouth are ready to submit a £25m bid for Eddie Nketiah. The 25-year-old striker continues to be linked with an exit from Arsenal this summer after failing to force himself into Mikel Arteta's plans.

The report claims that the Cherries have held initial talks over signing Nketiah as Andoni Iraola looks to replace Dominic Solanke, who's recently joined Tottenham Hotspur. It's said that Bournemouth have emerged as the most likely suitor for the Hale End graduate's signature after a move to Marseille collapsed.

football.london says: "Eddie Nketiah would be a good signing for Bournemouth, although, if I were Andoni Iraola, I wouldn't pay more than £25m for his signature. Ironically, by signing Dominic Solanke, Tottenham Hotspur look set to help their north London rivals finally cash in on homegrown player."

Arsenal urged to sign Toney

Speaking to onlinepoker.ltd, Teddy Sheringham said: "For me, I still think they need a centre forward who can finish things off. A player like Ivan Toney would be a massive addition for Arsenal and I think if they signed him, they would be even stronger title contenders.

"If they had a player like Toney, who is something a bit different to what they have, a big presence who can lead the line, then Arsenal would be the finished article. I'm very surprised that they're going for more defenders and not signing a striker.

"I like Gabriel Jesus, I think he's a very good player, but he's not going to score you 25 goals a season, which is what you need if you want to win a title. Arsenal need a number nine of they are going to go the distance in the title race."

While the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month, Tottenham Hotspur only have a few more days to wrap up any final business before the new Premier League season kicks off. Ange Postecoglou has already welcomed numerous new faces to the club this summer, forking out just over £100m.

The Lilywhites began by signing Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall at the start of July before wrapping up a deal for Yang Min-hyuk, who will join the first-team squad in January. Then, with the Spurs boss eager to bolster his frontline, Daniel Levy pulled out all the stops and brought Dominic Solanke to north London.

Speaking to reporters following Tottenham final pre-season friendly, Postecoglou was asked whether he expects anymore signings. The Australian said: "You know our budget do you mate? Look, we'll see, there's still time in the window and I think there'll still be some activity."

So, with that being said, football.london have taken a look three transfers Spurs could complete this week.

Conor Gallagher

According to The Telegraph, Postecoglou was hoping to partner Solanke with Gallagher, but Chelsea never quoted Tottenham less than £45m, despite agreeing a £33m deal with Atletico Madrid. The 24-year-old midfielder's switch to the Spanish capital has since stalled, leaving the door wide open for the Spurs boss to finally land his dream signing.

Eberechi Eze

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham have been monitoring Eze's situation at Crystal Palace. The report states that Chelsea and Manchester City have also been keeping on eye on the 26-year-old attacking midfielder, who has a £68m release clause – which includes add-ons – in his contract at Selhurst Park.

Eze would be an excellent addition to the Spurs squad, though the north Londoners appear to face tough competition from the Premier League champions.

Wilfried Zaha

According to HITC earlier this month, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle United have all been made aware of Zaha's availability this summer. For now, it remains to be seen whether or not the Premier League clubs are interested in launching bids for the 31-year-old winger, but he's certainly eyeing a return to the English top flight.

After Zaha was left out of the matchday squad for Galatasaray's 2-1 win over Hatayspor on Friday, Okan Buruk provided an update on the player's future. The Turkish outfit's manager told Sporx: "There were transfer talks with Wilfried Zaha recently.

"He is a player who wants to return to the Premier League. The player does not want to risk himself. We talked with him and decided he would not be in the squad."

Tottenham's midfield was undoubtedly their strength in the opening weeks of the 2023/24 season but it would later become their weakness in the second half of the campaign. Seeing James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma flourish alongside each other as Ange Postecoglou's team made an incredible start to the term, the trio unfortunately couldn't maintain their levels after the turn of the calendar year.

The ankle injury Maddison sustained in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea certainly impacted his form upon his return in January and Bissouma wasn't helped by a stop-start campaign due to various suspensions and his Africa Cup of Nations appearance. Sarr's performance levels were not quite the same after his comeback from AFCON, with the midfielder perhaps feeling the effects of consistent Premier League football for the first time in his young career.

Tottenham also didn't quite see the best of Rodrigo Bentancur in the 2023/24 season, which was perhaps no surprise after so long on the sidelines working his way back to fitness from the ACL injury he suffered at Leicester City in February 2023. The 2024/25 campaign was always viewed as the season when the Uruguayan would hit his stride once again and prove to be a pivotal figure in the middle of the park.

Bentancur has certainly given Tottenham fans something to look forward to after a very positive display in the second half of last Saturday's 3-2 pre-season defeat against Bayern Munich. Only linking up with the rest of the Tottenham squad at the beginning of the week following his time at the Copa America this summer, the ex-Juventus man looked like he had not been away with a strong showing.

Certainly sharp and there with his fitness following his time with his international teammates in the United States in June and early July, the fact he only started two of his country's six games means he is also relatively fresh and raring to go heading into the new campaign. In the defeat to Bayern, the 27-year-old utilised the ball extremely well and was a calming influence in the middle as he ensured Tottenham kept possession after their first-half troubles.

Bentancur looked sharper than he has done for a long time in a Tottenham shirt, which perhaps bodes well for the season ahead. Tottenham fans certainly picked up on his performance and no doubt Postecoglou did as well.

Postecoglou knows exactly what he has in Bentancur but he unfortunately never really saw it last season with the Uruguay international working his way back to full fitness following two different spells on the sidelines. Speaking after 2-2 draw at Manchester United in January where Bentancur scored seconds after half-time, Postecoglou stated that his player will be a "fantastic asset" for the team once he gets back to the levels he wants to be at.

"He came to me a couple of weeks ago and said, 'look, I want to help, I need to play, I need to help these guys'. He could see we were going through a rough time. It is a testament to his character. He is an outstanding person," explained the 58-year-old.

"Part of the reason I made him skipper in the last game was just to reward him for the person he is more than anything else, and again he was outstanding today, when we needed to get on the ball and show some composure, he was outstanding and again he's nowhere near the fitness levels or the level he wants to be, but he will get there, I know he'll get there, and when he does he'll be a fantastic asset for us to have in the team."

Having a selection dilemma in the second half of last season as he tried a number of different combinations in his quest to get his midfield back to their very best, it remains to be seen what exactly will be Postecoglou's midfield of choice heading into the new term. Maddison, Sarr and Bissouma may have been undroppables for the vast majority of last season but that certainly isn't the case now.

Bentancur is an option for the Premier League opener at Leicester City and so are new arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. The young duo may only be 18 years of age but they have so far proved that they are very good players after standout pre-seasons alongside their new teammates.

Postecoglou certainly won't have any qualms about throwing either of them into a Premier League game going on the performances they have so far delivered. There could also be Dejan Kulusevski to consider for a midfield position after demonstrating over the course of pre-season just how devastating he can be when played centrally rather than on the right wing.

Postecoglou has options galore to choose from and hopefully the midfield struggles from January onwards are now a thing of the past. Prior to his ACL injury at Leicester, Bentancur was such an integral player in Antonio Conte's system due to the excellent performances he delivered on an weekly basis and also because of his ability to chip in with big moments in the final third when the Tottenham needed him most.

The club's best and most important midfielder when at the top of his game and someone who just makes the team tick, Postecoglou will be praying that he sees the real Rodrigo Bentancur in the 2024/25 campaign. If this is indeed the case, Tottenham's midfield may well become their main strength once again.

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Tottenham may now have the perfect opportunity to sign Chelsea's Conor Gallagher after a transfer update on the midfielder emerged.

Spurs have been interested in signing the 24-year-old this summer as they look to bolster their midfield options according to The Athletic. A move to Atletico Madrid has appeared to be the more likely scenario with the Chelsea academy graduate flying to Spain to complete a move.

Gallagher spent five days in a hotel in Madrid but news emerged on Wednesday that he has now landed back in London. His move was halted due to Samu Omorodion's collapsed transfer to Chelsea on Sunday over personal terms.

BBC Sport reports that Atletico cannot now complete a move for Gallagher unless they raise more funds after splashing £82million to sign Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez. And that could play into Tottenham's hands.

Ange Postecoglou's team may now have a clear run to sign Gallagher with it being unclear whether Atletico will now be able to fund a deal before the transfer window closes on August 30. Of course, Spurs themselves may need to raise funds as well having spent heavily this summer.

Dominic Solanke has arrived from Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £65m whilst Archie Gray has joined from Leeds United for around £30m. Atletico had agreed a £34m fee for Gallagher which would take Tottenham's summer spending to over £100m.

But if a move can be completed then Spurs will have secured another shrewd signing. Gallagher was a key player in midfield for Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino and would strengthen their London rivals by giving Postecoglou plenty of options to choose from.

Ange Postecoglou may benefit from a cash boost due to a transfer sell-on clause put in place in Marcus Edwards' contract.

In 2019, Edwards was sold to Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes from Tottenham Hotspur for just over £1million, with a 50 per cent sell-on clause inserted into the deal. Thanks to his impressive performance for his new club, he was then sold to Sporting CP in 2022 in a deal worth £6.6m - with Spurs retaining half of the money due to their crafty clause.

The club then reduced their sell-on clause to 35 per cent in order to facilitate a transfer for Pedro Porro in January 2023, as we reported at the beginning of the year. This means that Spurs have a claim of 35 per cent for any sale that Sporting makes in terms of Edwards.

With the summer transfer window in full swing, Juventus have begun considering a move for Edwards. The Italians were planning to go for Manchester United's Jadon Sancho, but Football Italia reports that no deal has been agreed, and The Independent now suggest he is closing in on a switch to PSG.

Due to the developments with Sancho, Serie A giants Juve have lined up other options – including 25-year-old Edwards. According to Fabrizio Romano, the English winger is on Juventus' wish-list and could move for a price of around €25m (£21.4m).

This would mean that Spurs would be entitled to 35 per cent of whatever profit was made on Edwards for Sporting – so if Juventus matched his club's value then Spurs could pocket up to £4m from the sale of a player that left in 2019.

While Edwards is an interest for the Italians, Portugese outlet A Bola reports that there have yet to be any official proposals for the player. Should the winger be sold this summer, then the money made from his sell-on clause could be reinvested into the Spurs squad.

Postecoglou insists that his team are going to be better prepared going into the 2024/25 season. Speaking in an interview with Men in Blazers, the 58-year-old, who has already seen striker Dominic Solanke arrive in north London, said: "I think 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 it was obviously a space in there where we didn't cope too well with disruptions, which I think is only natural because when things are going well it's a lot easier to stay on board something.

"We had some disruptions in terms of injuries and in terms of suspensions, and some lack of discipline there for sure which happens with young players, and we didn't cope well with that but we learnt a lot through that. I think without saying we're going to be a more mature squad, we're a better prepared squad this year than we were last year."