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Well it took a little bit of doing, but Ashley Phillips has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur’s U23s to Middlesbrough in the Championship. The club announced the deal on social media this morning.

You might remember that this deal was supposed to be completed earlier, but it was postponed over some details on the deal that had not been fully worked through. The initial deal for Phillips was a five year contract for an initial fee of £7m with clauses that could rise as high as £20m. From what I can gather, it’s the same financial structure now, which tells me that whatever was holding up the deal from going through was extremely detail oriented and possibly nibbling around the edges.

Whatever. Phillips joins BIG WILLY LANKS (Will Lankshear) at Boro now and is theoretically available for their Championship match against Mason Melia and Lincoln City Imps this morning, though I sincerely doubt he’ll play. It’s a shame that match kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET, since the Spurs vs. Hoffenheim friendly starts at 10 a.m. ET. I’d have liked to watch that one.

We’re closing in on the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season! Tottenham Hotspur wrap up their preseason preparations with a double-header against TSG Hoffenheim, the first of which is being held at Tottenham Hotspur stadium. These matches will be Spurs’ final hit-out before the start of the season, and the last chance for Roberto De Zerbi to assess his squad and try out tactical adjustments without consequence before the rubber really hits the road.

While Spurs are coming off an historically poor Premier League campaign, Hoffenheim had the opposite, with a strong fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga under coach Christian Itzer. Hoffenheim will be no pushovers, reflected in the teams’ last encounter, facing off against one another in Spurs’ Europa League title-winning campaign, as the Lilywhites took the spoils in a close-fought 3-2 win.

This match therefore presents itself as a good final litmus test going into the season, as well as put a spotlight on questions still unanswered. One of those will be how De Zerbi treats this double header; does he split his starters across both matches? Or will he come out with a strong team tonight, and then a youth-heavy side at the Hotspur Way Training Centre tomorrow?

Here’s your open thread to jump in and chat.

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. TSG Hoffenheim (friendly)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Time: 10:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. UK

Not televised in USA or UK. Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: SPURSPLAY

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

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Have fun, and COYS!

What’s the best way to get Tottenham Hotspur fans back onside in the aftermath of sacking your second head coach in the course of this absolute disaster of a Premier League season? A tour to the other side of the world, of course!

I wrote around a week ago on a report from New Zealand media stating that Spurs were reportedly planning an additional leg in Auckland on their Antipodean tour, with fixtures already planned in Australia against Chelsea and an A-League A. That report has now been confirmed via an official announcement - score one for the Kiwi media, I guess!

This will be Spurs’ first preseason fixture as the club heads into the 2026/27 season, and will be against A-League side Auckland FC - not, as I mentioned in last week’s piece, Auckland City FC, the semi-professional outfit that was slaughtered by all and sundry at the Club World Cup.

Coming only weeks after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, Spurs are unlikely to have a full squad with them on the tour (and will they even have a new head coach at that point?); nonetheless, it’ll provide a good opportunity for some young prospects and lesser seen players to ply their trade in New Zealand’s largest stadium.

That in and of itself is something of a surprise given Auckland FC typically hold their home matches at the much smaller Mount Smart Stadium; Eden Park has triple the capacity at 50,000, extending up to 60,000 if temporary seating is made available. That seems to indicate that Spurs’ top brass are expecting a bumper crowd, given the cost of using a facility like Eden Park; expectations that could prove costly given Spurs’ precarious status as a Premier League club.

Seemingly, though, the thinking is that no matter what happens in the next couple of months, Spurs will be a significant drawcard. It’s not often a club of Spurs’ stature travels to New Zealand, so it’s a great opportunity for Kiwi fans to see the players they love up close.

And maybe Roberto De Zerbi as well. Hurray.