Football.London

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad have now arrived safely in Tokyo as their 2024 summer tour of Japan and South Korea gets underway. A total of 31 players have made the trip to Asia, with the head coach having a nice blend of youth and experience to pick from in their three friendly games.

Returning to action on Saturday with a showdown against J.League side Vissel Kobe on the schedule, the Lilywhites then head over to South Korea for matches against Team K League and Bayern Munich. It is a big opportunity for those on the periphery of the first team to make a big impression as the head coach decides on his first-team squad heading into the 2024/25 season.

Spurs youngster Alfie Devine will be one of those intent on catching the eye in Japan and South Korea with question marks over where exactly he will be playing his football from August onwards. Heading out on loan for the first time 12 months ago and starring for Port Vale in the first part of the term, Devine took the step up to the Championship in January as he linked up with Plymouth Argyle.

Not exactly the smoothest of loan spells for the Warrington-born player with the Pilgrims fighting to stay in the division and then Ian Foster, the manager who lured him to Devon, dismissed from his position after only three months in charge, Devine found himself in and out of the team. Set to turn 20 at the beginning of August, the attacking midfielder does face a big couple of years in N17 as he looks to establish himself as a Tottenham regular in the years ahead.

Another loan spell probably is the right option for Devine when you look at it right now but there is still time for him to play his way into Postecoglou's thinking for the 2024/25 season. Hitting the headlines in January 2021 after marking his Spurs senior debut as a 16-year-old with a goal against Marine, Devine probably is at the back of some Tottenham fans' mind now after seeing Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray move to the club this summer, academy stars Jamie Donley and Mikey Moore make their senior debuts, Tyrese Hall feature in the first-team squad against Man City and fellow youngster Will Lankshear score for the team in pre-season.

Perhaps a bit of a forgotten player for some, Devine has ensured that plenty of people are still talking about him after a very impressive start to Tottenham's pre-season campaign. The midfielder has been one of the team's standout performers of the summer so far following excellent cameo displays against Hearts and QPR.

In his pitch time against Hearts last Wednesday, Devine excelled in midfield and played a sumptuous pass to Timo Werner that Djed Spence converted at the back post. He almost had a hand in another goal after a great pass released Dane Scarlett but the young striker was unable to convert from a tight angle after rounding the goalkeeper.

Devine followed up his showing at Tynecastle with another strong second-half display in the 2-0 win over QPR at Loftus Road last weekend. Perhaps operating slightly deeper than usual as he had James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in midfield alongside him, the ex-Wigan Athletic youngster looked right at home and was neat and tidy on the ball with much of Tottenham's play going through him.

Tottenham's past two friendlies have been a reminder to everyone of just what Devine can offer the club in the years ahead. Postecoglou took a real shine to his midfielder 12 months ago as he wowed with a really strong pre-season campaign, most notably in the 3-2 defeat to West Ham.

Even though he did end up departing on loan the following month as he headed to Port Vale, Devine was very much still in Postecoglou's mind as he namechecked him a couple of times in press conferences. Now it is about giving the Australian more to talk about before the club decide on what comes next for the Tottenham youngster.

Despite the additions of Bergvall and Gray, and also with Maddison and Kulusevski as established options in his position, there could still be game time for Devine in a Tottenham shirt if the club opt to initially keep him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first part of the season. Opportunities could be there in the Europa League league phase come September as Spurs will have eight games on the calendar, with the team also having the Carabao Cup to consider as they look to end their long trophy hoodoo.

Right now, Devine's concentration and top priority will be on once again impressing Postecoglou on the club's pre-season tour. Maybe not on the lips of fans just over a week ago given the emergence of Tottenham's other talented youngsters, a lot of people could in fact be talking a lot more about him over the next fortnight and beyond if his strong start to pre-season continues to go from strength to strength.

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

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad have now arrived safely in Tokyo as their 2024 summer tour of Japan and South Korea gets underway. A total of 31 players have made the trip to Asia, with the head coach having a nice blend of youth and experience to pick from in their three friendly games.

Returning to action on Saturday with a showdown against J.League side Vissel Kobe on the schedule, the Lilywhites then head over to South Korea for matches against Team K League and Bayern Munich. It is a big opportunity for those on the periphery of the first team to make a big impression as the head coach decides on his first-team squad heading into the 2024/25 season.

Spurs youngster Alfie Devine will be one of those intent on catching the eye in Japan and South Korea with question marks over where exactly he will be playing his football from August onwards. Heading out on loan for the first time 12 months ago and starring for Port Vale in the first part of the term, Devine took the step up to the Championship in January as he linked up with Plymouth Argyle.

Not exactly the smoothest of loan spells for the Warrington-born player with the Pilgrims fighting to stay in the division and then Ian Foster, the manager who lured him to Devon, dismissed from his position after only three months in charge, Devine found himself in and out of the team. Set to turn 20 at the beginning of August, the attacking midfielder does face a big couple of years in N17 as he looks to establish himself as a Tottenham regular in the years ahead.

Another loan spell probably is the right option for Devine when you look at it right now but there is still time for him to play his way into Postecoglou's thinking for the 2024/25 season. Hitting the headlines in January 2021 after marking his Spurs senior debut as a 16-year-old with a goal against Marine, Devine probably is at the back of some Tottenham fans' mind now after seeing Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray move to the club this summer, academy stars Jamie Donley and Mikey Moore make their senior debuts, Tyrese Hall feature in the first-team squad against Man City and fellow youngster Will Lankshear score for the team in pre-season.

Perhaps a bit of a forgotten player for some, Devine has ensured that plenty of people are still talking about him after a very impressive start to Tottenham's pre-season campaign. The midfielder has been one of the team's standout performers of the summer so far following excellent cameo displays against Hearts and QPR.

In his pitch time against Hearts last Wednesday, Devine excelled in midfield and played a sumptuous pass to Timo Werner that Djed Spence converted at the back post. He almost had a hand in another goal after a great pass released Dane Scarlett but the young striker was unable to convert from a tight angle after rounding the goalkeeper.

Devine followed up his showing at Tynecastle with another strong second-half display in the 2-0 win over QPR at Loftus Road last weekend. Perhaps operating slightly deeper than usual as he had James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in midfield alongside him, the ex-Wigan Athletic youngster looked right at home and was neat and tidy on the ball with much of Tottenham's play going through him.

Tottenham's past two friendlies have been a reminder to everyone of just what Devine can offer the club in the years ahead. Postecoglou took a real shine to his midfielder 12 months ago as he wowed with a really strong pre-season campaign, most notably in the 3-2 defeat to West Ham.

Even though he did end up departing on loan the following month as he headed to Port Vale, Devine was very much still in Postecoglou's mind as he namechecked him a couple of times in press conferences. Now it is about giving the Australian more to talk about before the club decide on what comes next for the Tottenham youngster.

Despite the additions of Bergvall and Gray, and also with Maddison and Kulusevski as established options in his position, there could still be game time for Devine in a Tottenham shirt if the club opt to initially keep him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first part of the season. Opportunities could be there in the Europa League league phase come September as Spurs will have eight games on the calendar, with the team also having the Carabao Cup to consider as they look to end their long trophy hoodoo.

Right now, Devine's concentration and top priority will be on once again impressing Postecoglou on the club's pre-season tour. Maybe not on the lips of fans just over a week ago given the emergence of Tottenham's other talented youngsters, a lot of people could in fact be talking a lot more about him over the next fortnight and beyond if his strong start to pre-season continues to go from strength to strength.

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

Tottenham have kicked off their first day of training in Tokyo after landing in Japan for the first leg of their pre-season tour to Asia.

Spurs touched down in the Japanese capital on Tuesday and after a first afternoon and evening spent trying to adjust to the very different time zone following their long flight from England, Ange Postecoglou and his players were straight out the following morning on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

Tottenham are preparing to face Vissel Kobe at the National Stadium in Tokyo on July 27 (11am UK time), following Saturday's 2-0 win at QPR and 5-1 victory at Hearts last Wednesday. They also recorded a 7-2 scoreline against Cambridge United in a behind-closed doors friendly at Hotspur Way the previous weekend.

After their time in Japan comes to an end this weekend, Son Heung-min will lead his team over to his homeland South Korea to first take on Team K-League at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Then on July 31 (12pm UK time), Tottenham finish off their Asian tour with a game against Bayern Munich in Seoul on August 3 (12pm UK time), before returning to N17 to face Bayern again - this time with Harry Kane - at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10.

Here are five things we noticed from Spurs' first training session in Tokyo.

It's hot

"It's hot," were the first words out of James Maddison's mouth after he stepped on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

He wasn't wrong either. For Spurs' morning session it was roasting and temperatures were touching 36 degrees Celsius and the humidity was around 64%. In the early afternoon, the skies clouded over, the winds whipped up a fair bit and there were little spots of rain at times.

Back in England that would have been an unpleasant regular occurrence at the team's Enfield training complex, but here in Tokyo it would have been a welcome relief from the searing heat.

Postecoglou working them hard

You might be forgiven for thinking that in those high temperatures, Postecoglou and his new bigger coaching staff might have gone easy on the players, especially on their first day amid the jet lag.

You'd be completely wrong of course. That's not how pre-season works and the Australian's system is all about high energy, relentless football and to get the fitness required for the performances the Spurs head coach wants, the players can't afford to have light training days right now.

So it was straight back into double sessions after a day off on Tuesday thanks to their travelling. The players trained at Hotspur Way on Monday morning before their flight to Japan and then got the night off on Tuesday to recover after touching down in the Japanese capital.

With a bigger coaching staff this season with senior assistant coach Matt Wells, assistant coaches Ryan Mason, Mile Jedinak and newcomers Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo, as well as goalkeeping coach Rob Burch, there was no place to hide for the players as the staff all took various parts of the sessions.

Lucas Bergvall returns

The sight of Lucas Bergvall lying on the floor 25 minutes into the win at Loftus Road on Saturday was a worrying sight for Tottenham fans who have had to deal with a lot of injuries as players adjust to the fast and frantic Postecoglou football, both in matches and training sessions.

Postecoglou's first campaign at clubs always bring hamstring problems galore as the players and sports science staff adjust to the heavy load on the players that the fast football brings.

So when Bergvall had to come off in his first start as a Spurs player, following a sparkling display as he dictated Tottenham's tempo in an all-action performance in the centre of the park, there was understandable cause for concern.

However, Postecoglou said after the game that he did not believe it was a significant injury and football.london reported the next day that the 18-year-old was understood to need just two to three days of rest.

That proved to be the case as after a couple of days of taking it easier, the young Swede was back in action on the sun-baked training pitches of Tokyo.

Ben Davies could also be seen back in training following his recent injury. The Welsh left-back celebrated 10 years at the club this week, having signed from Swansea as a 21-year-old all the way back in 2014 as Mauricio Pochettino's first transfer after joining Tottenham himself.

Classic Postecoglou training

You've witness a year of it now so the most seen Postecoglou attacking move should be very well known to Tottenham supporters by this point and anyone who follows the team week in, week out.

Either the winger or full-back races down the flank, gets to the touchline and pulls the ball back low across the six-yard box for either the striker, other winger or full-back on the side to race in and smash or slide home. It's a tactic that brought goals galore last season and it's unpredictability comes from the number of players arriving into the box and the variety of balls that can be played.

In training on Wednesday in Tokyo, those moves were in evidence again as players made pitch long runs to get on the end of the moves.

The likes of Kulusevski - on the left - as well as Son and Solomon - on the right - were among those hitting those low crosses into the box with Archie Gray, Kulusevski and Timo Werner among those sliding them home on the other side. There was no time to celebrate though as the non-stop nature of Postecoglou football ensured they had to sprint straight back to prevent the other side from doing the same.

Postecoglou reunited

There was a reunion for Postecoglou on his first morning back in the country. The former Yokohama F. Marinos coach came out to training and immediately saw Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu there to greet him as he walked through the doors.

The Australian was managing in the J-League when Moriyasu took the international job, having been the assistant coach beforehand, so they know each other from those years as well as the Japan boss coming to Scotland during a European tour a couple of years back. Moriyasu also has a son Keigo, who played in Australia for a spell.

Postecoglou's warm reaction to seeing the former Japan international midfielder once again was there for all to see as they caught up and had photos taken together.

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

Tottenham have kicked off their first day of training in Tokyo after landing in Japan for the first leg of their pre-season tour to Asia.

Spurs touched down in the Japanese capital on Tuesday and after a first afternoon and evening spent trying to adjust to the very different time zone following their long flight from England, Ange Postecoglou and his players were straight out the following morning on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

Tottenham are preparing to face Vissel Kobe at the National Stadium in Tokyo on July 27 (11am UK time), following Saturday's 2-0 win at QPR and 5-1 victory at Hearts last Wednesday. They also recorded a 7-2 scoreline against Cambridge United in a behind-closed doors friendly at Hotspur Way the previous weekend.

After their time in Japan comes to an end this weekend, Son Heung-min will lead his team over to his homeland South Korea to first take on Team K-League at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Then on July 31 (12pm UK time), Tottenham finish off their Asian tour with a game against Bayern Munich in Seoul on August 3 (12pm UK time), before returning to N17 to face Bayern again - this time with Harry Kane - at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10.

Here are five things we noticed from Spurs' first training session in Tokyo.

It's hot

"It's hot," were the first words out of James Maddison's mouth after he stepped on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

He wasn't wrong either. For Spurs' morning session it was roasting and temperatures were touching 36 degrees Celsius and the humidity was around 64%. In the early afternoon, the skies clouded over, the winds whipped up a fair bit and there were little spots of rain at times.

Back in England that would have been an unpleasant regular occurrence at the team's Enfield training complex, but here in Tokyo it would have been a welcome relief from the searing heat.

Postecoglou working them hard

You might be forgiven for thinking that in those high temperatures, Postecoglou and his new bigger coaching staff might have gone easy on the players, especially on their first day amid the jet lag.

You'd be completely wrong of course. That's not how pre-season works and the Australian's system is all about high energy, relentless football and to get the fitness required for the performances the Spurs head coach wants, the players can't afford to have light training days right now.

So it was straight back into double sessions after a day off on Tuesday thanks to their travelling. The players trained at Hotspur Way on Monday morning before their flight to Japan and then got the night off on Tuesday to recover after touching down in the Japanese capital.

With a bigger coaching staff this season with senior assistant coach Matt Wells, assistant coaches Ryan Mason, Mile Jedinak and newcomers Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo, as well as goalkeeping coach Rob Burch, there was no place to hide for the players as the staff all took various parts of the sessions.

Lucas Bergvall returns

The sight of Lucas Bergvall lying on the floor 25 minutes into the win at Loftus Road on Saturday was a worrying sight for Tottenham fans who have had to deal with a lot of injuries as players adjust to the fast and frantic Postecoglou football, both in matches and training sessions.

Postecoglou's first campaign at clubs always bring hamstring problems galore as the players and sports science staff adjust to the heavy load on the players that the fast football brings.

So when Bergvall had to come off in his first start as a Spurs player, following a sparkling display as he dictated Tottenham's tempo in an all-action performance in the centre of the park, there was understandable cause for concern.

However, Postecoglou said after the game that he did not believe it was a significant injury and football.london reported the next day that the 18-year-old was understood to need just two to three days of rest.

That proved to be the case as after a couple of days of taking it easier, the young Swede was back in action on the sun-baked training pitches of Tokyo.

Ben Davies could also be seen back in training following his recent injury. The Welsh left-back celebrated 10 years at the club this week, having signed from Swansea as a 21-year-old all the way back in 2014 as Mauricio Pochettino's first transfer after joining Tottenham himself.

Classic Postecoglou training

You've witness a year of it now so the most seen Postecoglou attacking move should be very well known to Tottenham supporters by this point and anyone who follows the team week in, week out.

Either the winger or full-back races down the flank, gets to the touchline and pulls the ball back low across the six-yard box for either the striker, other winger or full-back on the side to race in and smash or slide home. It's a tactic that brought goals galore last season and it's unpredictability comes from the number of players arriving into the box and the variety of balls that can be played.

In training on Wednesday in Tokyo, those moves were in evidence again as players made pitch long runs to get on the end of the moves.

The likes of Kulusevski - on the left - as well as Son and Solomon - on the right - were among those hitting those low crosses into the box with Archie Gray, Kulusevski and Timo Werner among those sliding them home on the other side. There was no time to celebrate though as the non-stop nature of Postecoglou football ensured they had to sprint straight back to prevent the other side from doing the same.

Postecoglou reunited

There was a reunion for Postecoglou on his first morning back in the country. The former Yokohama F. Marinos coach came out to training and immediately saw Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu there to greet him as he walked through the doors.

The Australian was managing in the J-League when Moriyasu took the international job, having been the assistant coach beforehand, so they know each other from those years as well as the Japan boss coming to Scotland during a European tour a couple of years back. Moriyasu also has a son Keigo, who played in Australia for a spell.

Postecoglou's warm reaction to seeing the former Japan international midfielder once again was there for all to see as they caught up and had photos taken together.

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

Tottenham have kicked off their first day of training in Tokyo after landing in Japan for the first leg of their pre-season tour to Asia.

Spurs touched down in the Japanese capital on Tuesday and after a first afternoon and evening spent trying to adjust to the very different time zone following their long flight from England, Ange Postecoglou and his players were straight out the following morning on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

Tottenham are preparing to face Vissel Kobe at the National Stadium in Tokyo on July 27 (11am UK time), following Saturday's 2-0 win at QPR and 5-1 victory at Hearts last Wednesday. They also recorded a 7-2 scoreline against Cambridge United in a behind-closed doors friendly at Hotspur Way the previous weekend.

After their time in Japan comes to an end this weekend, Son Heung-min will lead his team over to his homeland South Korea to first take on Team K-League at the Seoul World Cup Stadium Then on July 31 (12pm UK time), Tottenham finish off their Asian tour with a game against Bayern Munich in Seoul on August 3 (12pm UK time), before returning to N17 to face Bayern again - this time with Harry Kane - at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10.

Here are five things we noticed from Spurs' first training session in Tokyo.

It's hot

"It's hot," were the first words out of James Maddison's mouth after he stepped on to the training pitches in Tokyo.

He wasn't wrong either. For Spurs' morning session it was roasting and temperatures were touching 36 degrees Celsius and the humidity was around 64%. In the early afternoon, the skies clouded over, the winds whipped up a fair bit and there were little spots of rain at times.

Back in England that would have been an unpleasant regular occurrence at the team's Enfield training complex, but here in Tokyo it would have been a welcome relief from the searing heat.

Postecoglou working them hard

You might be forgiven for thinking that in those high temperatures, Postecoglou and his new bigger coaching staff might have gone easy on the players, especially on their first day amid the jet lag.

You'd be completely wrong of course. That's not how pre-season works and the Australian's system is all about high energy, relentless football and to get the fitness required for the performances the Spurs head coach wants, the players can't afford to have light training days right now.

So it was straight back into double sessions after a day off on Tuesday thanks to their travelling. The players trained at Hotspur Way on Monday morning before their flight to Japan and then got the night off on Tuesday to recover after touching down in the Japanese capital.

With a bigger coaching staff this season with senior assistant coach Matt Wells, assistant coaches Ryan Mason, Mile Jedinak and newcomers Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo, as well as goalkeeping coach Rob Burch, there was no place to hide for the players as the staff all took various parts of the sessions.

Lucas Bergvall returns

The sight of Lucas Bergvall lying on the floor 25 minutes into the win at Loftus Road on Saturday was a worrying sight for Tottenham fans who have had to deal with a lot of injuries as players adjust to the fast and frantic Postecoglou football, both in matches and training sessions.

Postecoglou's first campaign at clubs always bring hamstring problems galore as the players and sports science staff adjust to the heavy load on the players that the fast football brings.

So when Bergvall had to come off in his first start as a Spurs player, following a sparkling display as he dictated Tottenham's tempo in an all-action performance in the centre of the park, there was understandable cause for concern.

However, Postecoglou said after the game that he did not believe it was a significant injury and football.london reported the next day that the 18-year-old was understood to need just two to three days of rest.

That proved to be the case as after a couple of days of taking it easier, the young Swede was back in action on the sun-baked training pitches of Tokyo.

Ben Davies could also be seen back in training following his recent injury. The Welsh left-back celebrated 10 years at the club this week, having signed from Swansea as a 21-year-old all the way back in 2014 as Mauricio Pochettino's first transfer after joining Tottenham himself.

Classic Postecoglou training

You've witness a year of it now so the most seen Postecoglou attacking move should be very well known to Tottenham supporters by this point and anyone who follows the team week in, week out.

Either the winger or full-back races down the flank, gets to the touchline and pulls the ball back low across the six-yard box for either the striker, other winger or full-back on the side to race in and smash or slide home. It's a tactic that brought goals galore last season and it's unpredictability comes from the number of players arriving into the box and the variety of balls that can be played.

In training on Wednesday in Tokyo, those moves were in evidence again as players made pitch long runs to get on the end of the moves.

The likes of Kulusevski - on the left - as well as Son and Solomon - on the right - were among those hitting those low crosses into the box with Archie Gray, Kulusevski and Timo Werner among those sliding them home on the other side. There was no time to celebrate though as the non-stop nature of Postecoglou football ensured they had to sprint straight back to prevent the other side from doing the same.

Postecoglou reunited

There was a reunion for Postecoglou on his first morning back in the country. The former Yokohama F. Marinos coach came out to training and immediately saw Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu there to greet him as he walked through the doors.

The Australian was managing in the J-League when Moriyasu took the international job, having been the assistant coach beforehand, so they know each other from those years as well as the Japan boss coming to Scotland during a European tour a couple of years back. Moriyasu also has a son Keigo, who played in Australia for a spell.

Postecoglou's warm reaction to seeing the former Japan international midfielder once again was there for all to see as they caught up and had photos taken together.

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

Jack Grealish is proof of why Eberechi Eze should join Tottenham over Manchester City in this summer's transfer window. The Crystal Palace star has been linked to Spurs over the last few months with Ange Postecoglou keen to bolster his attacking ranks.

Following a superb end to the season at Selhurst Park, it is perhaps no surprise that Tottenham have been joined in the race for Eze by Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and now Man City, as per the Mirror. Spurs' two London rivals and Liverpool appear to currently be prioritising other areas, though the reigning Premier League champions are now considering a £68million move for Eze.

The Eagles have already lost Michael Olise following his decision to join Bayern Munich but are hopeful of keeping Eze and Marc Guehi for the 2024/25 season. Last summer, the Lilywhites signed James Maddison with Postecoglou now having a plethora of players that can play in his favoured position, which is also Eze's.

Dejan Kulusevski has previously been deployed centrally with Lucas Bergvall, alongside homegrown duo Mickey Moore and Tyrese Hall as others that can play that role. However, in Postecoglou's system, there is a freedom to roam the pitch looking for the ball and opening gaps in opposition defences.

If Eze joins, he will undoubtedly be allowed to fully express himself and show his quality, something that he may not be afforded if he signs for Man City. In August 2021, Grealish joined City in a £100million deal after a stunning season at Aston Villa, however it's completely fair to say that Grealish has not been seen for the last three seasons.

While the 28-year-old has filled his trophy cabinet, he has been tamed to fit into Guardiola's system and the same scenario could play out for Eze in the future if he opts to play his football at Etihad Stadium.

Eze, who has a release clause which could reach £70million including add-ons, may also have to factor Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne into his decision following Guardiola's confirmation the latter will not be leaving this summer. Though Eze can play off the left, his favoured position is in the central areas but Foden and De Bruyne will likely be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Jeremy Doku and Grealish himself are also battling it out for one position on the left, while at Spurs Eze would likely be one of the first names on the team sheet in either position, which perhaps serves as another reason for him to move to north London if he departs Palace.

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

Jack Grealish is proof of why Eberechi Eze should join Tottenham over Manchester City in this summer's transfer window. The Crystal Palace star has been linked to Spurs over the last few months with Ange Postecoglou keen to bolster his attacking ranks.

Following a superb end to the season at Selhurst Park, it is perhaps no surprise that Tottenham have been joined in the race for Eze by Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and now Man City, as per the Mirror. Spurs' two London rivals and Liverpool appear to currently be prioritising other areas, though the reigning Premier League champions are now considering a £68million move for Eze.

The Eagles have already lost Michael Olise following his decision to join Bayern Munich but are hopeful of keeping Eze and Marc Guehi for the 2024/25 season. Last summer, the Lilywhites signed James Maddison with Postecoglou now having a plethora of players that can play in his favoured position, which is also Eze's.

Dejan Kulusevski has previously been deployed centrally with Lucas Bergvall, alongside homegrown duo Mickey Moore and Tyrese Hall as others that can play that role. However, in Postecoglou's system, there is a freedom to roam the pitch looking for the ball and opening gaps in opposition defences.

If Eze joins, he will undoubtedly be allowed to fully express himself and show his quality, something that he may not be afforded if he signs for Man City. In August 2021, Grealish joined City in a £100million deal after a stunning season at Aston Villa, however it's completely fair to say that Grealish has not been seen for the last three seasons.

While the 28-year-old has filled his trophy cabinet, he has been tamed to fit into Guardiola's system and the same scenario could play out for Eze in the future if he opts to play his football at Etihad Stadium.

Eze, who has a release clause which could reach £70million including add-ons, may also have to factor Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne into his decision following Guardiola's confirmation the latter will not be leaving this summer. Though Eze can play off the left, his favoured position is in the central areas but Foden and De Bruyne will likely be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Jeremy Doku and Grealish himself are also battling it out for one position on the left, while at Spurs Eze would likely be one of the first names on the team sheet in either position, which perhaps serves as another reason for him to move to north London if he departs Palace.

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

Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie will wear new shirt numbers for Tottenham in the 2024/25 campaign. Linking up with the squad for the first time 12 months ago, Vicario inherited the No.13 shirt and his fellow Italian took on No.38.

Ahead of Tottenham's summer tour of Japan and South Korea, the club have confirmed that both have new numbers for the upcoming season. The goalkeeper takes on the No.1 shirt vacated by Hugo Lloris following his move to MLS side LAFC at the beginning of the year, with Udogie immediately taking over Vicario's previous No.13 shirt.

It perhaps doesn't come as a surprise to see Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper become the club's new No.1 but Udogie's decision to be No.13 has certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst supporters. Many have questioned why he has not opted for the No.3 jersey with Sergio Reguilon not part of the club's summer tour and set to leave in the weeks ahead.

However, it is perhaps an easy decision for Udogie to make when it comes to his new shirt number. It is one he is very familiar with after previously wearing it in his first season as a Hellas Verona player in the 2020/21 season.

After making the move to Udinese, initially on loan in 2021/22, he again chose the No.13 shirt. Udogie has also had No.13 on his back on the international stage, wearing it when playing for Italy Under-17s and Under-21s.

Signing for Tottenham in the summer of 2022 but joining the first-team squad 12 months later after remaining on loan with Udinese for a further season, No.13 wasn't available as Vicario had already chosen it after joining the Lilywhites last June. As a result, Udogie went for No.38 in his debut campaign in north London.

The Italian international is certainly very pleased to get his hands on his favourite number for the new campaign as he thanked fellow countryman Vicario on his Instagram Stories on Monday evening. Udogie wrote "thank you mate" alongside a smiling emoji and the number 13.

It is maybe a bit of a surprise that Vicario has parted with No.13 after admitting last August that it is his "favourite number" and that he would "keep the number". He said: "Thirteen is my favourite number and I also had it in previous years. It is in my heart and it was free when I signed so I decided to take it and I will keep the number."

However, the fact that the No.1 shirt was available following Lloris' winter exit was perhaps too good an opportunity for the shot-stopper to pass up. The 27-year-old has only worn No.1 a couple of times in his professional career, firstly at Venezia in 2015/16 before doing likewise at Perugia in 2019/20.

Both Vicario and Udogie will wear their new shirt numbers for the first time on Tottenham's pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea. Tottenham have reiterated that the full finalised list of squad numbers will be confirmed when the club submits its final squad list to the Premier League prior to the opening weekend of the 2024/25 campaign.

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Former Newcastle United midfielder turned TV presenter Jermaine Jenas is being tipped as the top contender to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day, should he decide to step down from his long-standing role.

Lineker has been at the helm of the BBC's much-watched Premier League highlights show every Saturday night for years now. However, insiders are predicting an imminent exit, either when his existing contract expires or even before then.

Over the last month, Lineker was the main anchor on the BBC coverage of Euro 2024, although some viewers argued that his colleagues Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman outperformed him when they were given the chance to lead matches.

Betting experts Fair Betting Sites have offered odds of 8/11 that Lineker will step down from his Match of the Day role, with former Newcastle player Jermaine Jenas as the favourite to take over. Jermaine, who has been one of the regular hosts of The One Show over the last few years, as well as being a football pundit, leads the pack on 6/4, with another existing BBC star, former England Lionesses hero Alex Scott, currently second in the odds.

Alex is on 7/2, just ahead of Mark Chapman, after his impressive stint at the Euros, with ITV's Laura Woods, rounding out the top five on 10/1, ahead of the likes of Gabby Logan and Jake Humphrey, reports Chronicle Live.

Fair Betting Sites spokesperson Andy Newton weighed in on the Gary Lineker and Match of the Day situation, stating: "His criticism of Gareth Southgate at the Euros is the latest action to have reportedly riled the BBC and you feel with strained tensions the corporation are closer than ever to replacing Lineker as MOTD host."

He added: "With 25 years at the MOTD helm Lineker's boots will be big ones to fill, but another former Spurs player Jermaine Jenas has impressed in his One Show presenting role for the BBC and it's no shock to see him shortest in the betting to land one of the best presenting football jobs in the land. ".

Tottenham may not like the idea of losing Dejan Kulusevski this summer - but the deal could be worthwhile if Gary Neville's valuation is anything to go by.

The Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United icon has suggested the Swedish star may be worth as much as £100million in the past. And not only that, but even Pep Guardiola has admitted to being blown away by the player when his Manchester City side faced Spurs.

Rumours are swirling that Kulusevski could be leaving north London this summer amid interest from Aston Villa and Napoli, who are now managed by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte. It was the Italian who brought the winger to the Premier League in January 2022, and Calciomercato has reported he wants to bring his former disciple back to Serie A.

Kulusevski, 24, has spoken highly of Conte in the past and even went to bat for the tactician when he publicly criticised his squad shortly before his 2023 exit. He referred to the former Juventus and Inter Milan coach as a "a very important man" in his career, and one whom he respected a lot.

And Conte isn't the only manager who appears to hold 'Deki' in high regard after he also caught the eye of Guardiola last year. Kulusevski played a key role in salvaging a point for Spurs when they drew 3-3 at the Etihad Stadium in December 2023, setting up one goal before netting a last-minute equaliser.

"What a player," said Guardiola of the Swede after watching Kulusevski pull the strings for Tottenham that day. Despite bursting onto the scene as a winger, Kulusevski came to thrive in a makeshift No10 role last winter while James Maddison was sidelined through injury.

Neville went into even greater detail appreciating the player when he again dazzled in a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest less than a fortnight later. And it left the former Red Devil thinking Ange Postecoglou's rising star could one day fetch as much as nine figures.

"Players that play in that role, that take it on the back foot and accept it on the back foot, the attacking midfielders, the No 10s, any player of that ilk, they're very rare to be able to do that," he told Sky Sports. "What we've seen in the last few weeks is him playing that role and become one of the rare players.

"You're talking about him going from a player who might be £50million on the right to being something that if he gets going in that No 10 position, can be really special and then you're pushing it to an £80m or £100m player."

It seems highly unlikely Napoli would be able to fork out such a fee this summer without making some substantial sales of their own. The Italian giants have already spent around £40m on new players in this window without conducting any notable sales thus far.

Conte is backed by former Juventus youth director Giovanni Manna, who left Turin this summer to join him in Naples. He too will be familiar with Kulusevski's quality, but the duo may have to accept this deal is beyond their grasp this summer.