Hotspur HQ

They all laughed at us, didn't they?

Xavi Simons was Chelsea-bound, right? All he wanted was Chelsea, we were told. But let me tell you, when Thomas Frank gets whispering those sweet Danish nothings into your ears, he's a hard man to resist.

Eberechi Eze was blinded by an emotional connection. Morgan Gibbs-White denied by a dictator.

It looked like Spurs would be doing their gifted new manager a disservice, but they've somehow fallen into a deal that may well trump the two we all got so hung up about. Simons is a superstar in the making, and his majestic talent will be ours to enjoy for the next however many years.

Here's what our strongest XI currently looks like with Simons in the picture.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario (GK) - Eze isn't going to have any bearing on the starting goalkeeper, with Vicario retaining his status as No. 1. Antonin Kinsky will get opportunities to impress, and I wouldn't be surprised if the young Czech mounts a serious challenge for the Italian's spot.

Pedro Porro (RB) - It became clear in pre-season that Porro had an important role to play in Frank's framework, and the Spaniard has started the season brightly. The manager's flexibility means Porro could perform as a deep-lying playmaker one week, and a marauder into the final third the next.

Cristian Romero (CB) - El Capitan. Romero's contract extension is the most important news of Tottenham's summer.

Micky van de Ven (CB) - The Dutchman's hamstrings should be preserved by the change in manager, but he will run really fast when called upon. Van de Ven has a superb partnership with Romero.

Destiny Udogie (LB) - Djed Spence has been excellent in 2025, and is fully deserving of his new deal (and spot in the England squad). However, Udogie proved during our Europa League run that he's our guy at left-back. For balance, the Italian should play over Spence, but the Englishman is a more than handy deputy.

Midfielders

Joao Palhinha (CM) - Palhinha has been absolutely superb in his first two competitive starts for the club, and will be the lynchpin of this midfield. His defensive brilliance should offer Simons greater license to shine further upfield.

Pape Matar Sarr (CM) - This is where it gets interesting. Frank utilised a youthful midfield at the weekend, and you could argue that any one of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall or Sarr should make this team. Not to mention Rodrigo Bentancur. However, I have to put Sarr in given how well he's performed since the new manager come in. He's more than just an unrelenting runner.

Xavi Simons (AM) - This is the most exciting Tottenham signing since, I don't know... when Gareth Bale made his return? We were all pretty pumped about Tanguy Ndombele in 2019, too.

Forwards

Mohammed Kudus (RW) - £55m is already proving to be a snip. Kudus has lit up north London early, and supporters are getting a little giddy over the maverick Ghanaian teaming-up with the free-spirited (potential) new arrival.

Dominic Solanke (ST) - Richarlison has saved his Spurs career, but I'm still taking Solanke as my first-choice striker. The Brazilian may have a superior sniff for goal, but I love the Englishman's channel-running. He's better as a facilitator, and more reliable technically.

Tottenham are hoping to enter the first international break of the 2025/26 season with their 100% record still in tact when Bournemouth visit N17 on Saturday.

Thomas Frank's showtime Lilywhites were at it again at the Etihad last weekend, upsetting Manchester City in an impressive 2-0 victory. The week before, Spurs' campaign started with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over the newly promoted Burnley.

Andoni Iraola's Cherries are up next for Frank's men, and the visitors enter the contest having been beaten 2-0 by Brentford in the second round of the Carabao Cup in midweek. Bournemouth's personnel has changed considerably from last season, when they finished ninth in the top flight and took four points from our two head-to-head meetings.

The Cherries earned plenty of plaudits for their performance in defeat at Anfield on opening night, and they got their season rolling with a 1-0 win at home to Wolves last Saturday.

Here's our preview of Saturday's Premier League clash.

Tottenham vs Bournemouth: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

What time does Tottenham vs Bournemouth kick off?

Tottenham vs Bournemouth kicks off on Saturday 23 August at 15:00 BST.

When is kick off? Saturday 23 August, 2025

What time is kick off? 15:00 BST

Where is it played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Referee:Â Simon Hooper

Tottenham vs Bournemouth head-to-head record (last five games)

How to watch Tottenham vs Bournemouth on TV & live stream

Tottenham team news

Destiny Udogie is seemingly edging closer to a return from a knee injury, but the Italian is likely to make his comeback after the international break. Djed Spence will continue at left-back.

Richarlison's fine start to the season means Dominic Solanke will once again be limited to a role off the bench against his former club.

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are all long-term absentees, while Yves Bissouma is firmly out of favour and likely to move on before the transfer deadline. Frank's midfield selection will be interesting, with Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray earning starts against Burnley before Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha returned for the trip to the Etihad.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs Bournemouth: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Sarr, Johnson; Richarlison.

Bournemouth team news

Bournemouth's stellar defence from last season has been gutted over the summer, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Hujisen, Illya Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez all leaving the club. The Cherries have brought in Djorde Petrovic, Bafode Diakite and Adrien Truffert as mitigation.

They've started well in the Premier League despite the squad turnaround, and Iraola will make plenty of changes from the midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Brentford.

Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert, two stars of the 2024/25 season for the visitors, are fit again, but may be limited to cameos on Saturday. Julian Araujo is suspended after he was sent off in the cup, while Enes Unal and Lewis Cook are out injured.

Bournemouth predicted lineup vs Tottenham: Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Tavernier, Brooks; Evanilson.

Tottenham vs Bournemouth score prediction

Bournemouth outplayed us twice last season, but the Cherries have undeniably been weakened over the summer, and the appointment of Frank means this Spurs team is considerably tougher to play against.

The visitors remain premier pressers and are fairly unique in how they play with the ball, so I expect them to give a confident Lilywhites outfit plenty to think about in N17, where they've had success in recent outings.

However, I think we're capable of mitigating the challenges Iraola's side pose, especially out of possession, and I'm projecting a very competitive fixture to end with Spurs maintaining their perfect start to the season.

The 2025/26 Champions League league phase draw offered supporters a brief respite from the relentless timeline refreshing in a bid for transfer updates.

Instead, we were subject to the typically pain-staking pre-draw 'show' from Monaco, which, this time, involved far too much Zlatan Ibrahimovic and not enough of Kaka.

As is usually the way, the stuff nobody really cared about, not even the most ardent Milan fans who wonder in perpetuity how the aforementioned superstars would've combined at San Siro, went on for far too long.

Following the arrival of Claudio Ranieri's doppelganger and a handy draw explainer, it was time to get underway. The introduction of a 'Swiss Model' for the league phase meant opponents, instead of groups, were drawn for all 36 competing teams on Thursday, with AI software doing the hard work. Thanks again, robots.

We don't know all the details just yet, with full schedules dropping on Saturday, but here are four initial takeaways from Tottenham's draw.

Europa League nostalgia

They told us our run to the Europa League final was a fugazi. Cannon fodder who'd never compete amog Europe's elite, apparently.

Well, two of our victims on the way to Bilbao have the chance to enact revenge during the league phase, as we were paired against Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt.

We faced the now-transitioning German club during our ill-fated Champions League campaign under Antonio Conte in 2022/23, winning 3-2 at home and playing out the most forgettable of goalless draws away. I think Clement Lenglet played well that day. Anyway, we're travelling to Frankfurt this time around, having ground out a 1-0 win at Deutsche Bank Park in April. The Bundesliga side, of course, no longer have Hugo Ekitike at their disposal.

We're also returning to the Arctic Circle to face the competition debutants, with Bodo emphatically prevailing over Sturm Graz to reach the league phase. It's hard not to already feel nostalgic about this fixture, and those who travel will be subject to an utterly unique fan experience. Expect even colder temperatures.

More rematches

Thomas Frank's reign kicked off with an agonising defeat on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain, and the Dane's side have the chance to avenge their UEFA Super Cup heartbreak when they visit the Parc des Princes for the very first time.

The current holders are our glamour tie of the league phase, with Borussia Dortmund the other team we were paired against from Pot 1. BVB will travel to north London, having twice visited Wembley in back-to-back seasons when Mauricio Pochettino was still at the helm.

Our 3-1 and 3-0 victories over Lucien Favre's side bring back wonderful memories.

Overall, there's undoubtedly a sense of familiarity with this league phase draw, but we'll also be taking on Villarreal and Copenhagen for the first time ever, while our previous meeting with Slavia Prague arrived 17 years ago.

Avoidance of nasty away days

A hectic schedule beckons for Frank's squad, which makes the club's inability to get deals over the line this summer all the more infuriating.

However, they have been aided somewhat by the league phase draw, as we're unlikely to be affected by long travel days.

This could've been much nastier for Spurs, with the likes of Galatasaray (Turkiye), Olympiacos (Greece), Pafos (Cyprus), Qarabag (Azerbaijan) and Kairat (Kazakhstan) among our potential opponents. Bodo is just shy of a five-hour trip, and the Arctic Circle will offer daunting physical challenges—assuming we play the Norwegian champions in the bleak mid-winter—but Spurs are otherwise travelling to Germany, France and Monaco.

These games will take it out of us no matter what, but the shorter flight times will aid recovery ahead of Premier League clashes at the weekend.

Top eight expectation?

The eight-game league phase is a proper slog, starting in mid-September and drawing to a close in January.

Only 12 teams are eliminated to begin with, but only eight qualify automatically for the round of 16. Those that finish between and including ninth and 24th will compete in a two-legged play-off in a bid to reach the last 16.

After this draw, the goal has to be a top-eight finish for Spurs. Admittedly, this could alter depending on how we conclude the transfer window, and whether Frank has the majority of his squad in tact throughout the autumn and winter.

On the surface, though, this is a kind draw. PSG, away, yeah, they can have it, but the remaining seven fixtures are all winnable games, especially the home ties. There's no such thing as an 'easy' fixture in this competition, but I think we're all currently boasting a quiet confidence after Thursday's draw.

Last season, 16 points was enough to secure a top-eight finish. Win the home games and nick one away.

Tottenham Hotspur have missed out on so many dream targets this transfer window that Spurs supporters were just about giving up hope that their beloved club would be able to land another big upgrade to the attack besides Mohammed Kudus.

Frustration has been mounting after Eberechi Eze spurned Spurs for North London rivals Arsenal, leaving Tottenham fans to expect nothing and no incoming upgrades to back manager Thomas Frank, who just cemented his status as the solution at manager by pitching another shutout over Manchester City this past weekend,

But now, it looks like Tottenham have done the unthinkable and are mere hours away from securing the transfer of an arguably bigger playmaking deal than any of the ones that fell through, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze.

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, it is an "official bid accepted" response for Tottenham after Spurs submitted a 60 million euro transfer bid to RB Leipzig for midfield star Xavi Simons, who had been pursued by Chelsea for weeks.

Tottenham get their dream signing

Well, Tottenham have followed through on their quiet aim to hijack the deal, moving in silence like Arsenal did to them on the Eze deal to steal a different top attacking midfield target from their other Big Six rivals in London.

Simons is younger and better than Eze, and he's also more versatile. Per Fab, there is a "green light" for a Simons to Tottenham transfer, and all that is left for Spurs now is to complete the deal with Simons and his medical in the coming "hours" in order for the deal to be official.

Considering Tottenham sent their official 60 million euro transfer offer to Leipzig after getting encouragement from the 22-year-old Simons that he'd take their deal, it shouldn't be too difficult for Tottenham to bag Simons now.

Of course, Tottenham fans have been burned so badly by Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and others this summer transfer window that they won't take even this bombshell of a report from Fabrizio Romano at face value until they see an official announcement - or even Simons himself in a Spurs kit.

But if this deal does come to fruition, it will be a huge get for Tottenham, and at a slightly cheaper price than Eze, Spurs definitely got the better deal out of all this in the end, which is not usual. And by the way, if the deal does happen, there are a lot of Tottenham fans who owe Fabrizio an apology for saying he is only "Tier 2" or even "Tier 3". This man is in his own tier, and that's why he has such a target on his back.

Time is ticking for Tottenham Hotspur to make a vital signing before the summer transfer window closes, because it would be an absolute travesty if Spurs were to enter the 2025/26 Premier League season without a single healthy No. 10 in light of James Maddison's injury and Dejan Kulusevski's ongoing recovery from his own knee injury.

Tottenham currently don't have a true attacking playmaker - or even a deeper lying one, for that matter. Everything is manufactured off the wide players like Mohammed Kudus or the pressing system enforced by Thomas Frank, and while Manchester City can certainly attest to the efficacy of that, not signing a real creative force could hold Spurs back from their true potential of competing for the Premier League title.

Spurs showed against Manchester City and even the loss to PSG that they can compete against anyone, so imagine what they can do over the course of a full season with a top No. 10. One of the targets Tottenham have been eyeing over the course of the summer is Xavi Simons, but they haven't reallly been bold enough to go for him, given his preference to join rivals Chelsea despite the Blues own lack of movement on the Dutchman.

However, Simons could soon be going to Chelsea, as the Blues have found a landing spot for Christopher Nkunku, who, in truth, should also be on the Tottenham transfer radar as a former RB Leipzig Bundesliga Player of the Year winner.

Tottenham are about to lose two birds with one stone

According to a new report from Fabrizio Romano, AC Milan and Chelsea are in transfer negotiations regarding an Nkunku move. With "talks on" between the two sides regarding a transfer fee, it looks like Nkunku could soon be a member of the Rossoneri to fill the shoes of current Manchester City star Tijjani Reijnders.

Nkunku didn't make the most of his time at Chelsea due to a combination of injuries and Cole Palmer's breakout, but there is no questioning his all-around quality. Spurs could have used him, but they could really use Xavi Simons as a half 8 and 10.

With Nkunku getting closer to a Milan move, it's only a matter of time before Chelsea finally get the Simons deal over the line. That would leave Tottenham down two proven playmaking options, and, at this point in the transfer window, West Ham star Lucas Paqueta might be the only valid and available option for Tottenham Hotspur at the 10.

Tottenham Hotspur have to sign a No. 10 this summer before the clock strikes midnight on Aug. 31. With James Maddison out for the foreseeable future with a torn ACL and Dejan Kulusevski still a way's away from returning to action, Spurs absolutely have to sign a new playmaker to their squad, as if that wasn't already a transfer need for the Lilywhites.

Remember, Tottenham had their fans reacting with glee over the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, only to be strong-armed by their ghoulish top-five rivals into watching MGW sign a contract extension anyway, tossing the whole deal into the rubbish bin.

But what really belongs in the bin is Tottenham's transfer endeavors as a whole if they can't sign at least one No. 10 for Thomas Frank, who has already proven that he is worth backing to the nth degree after a third coaching masterclass in Tottenham's 2-0 demolition of Manchester City at the Emptyhad.

Tottenham have been wading through the muck of playmaking transfer targets after the Eberechi Eze snub in favor of Arsenal, but they have settled on one transfer target actually worth pursuing - and one who isn't being chased by a big club that Daniel Levy is scared to battle.

Tottenham could reunite two stars

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, Tottenham have made fresh new contacts with West Ham star attacking midfielder (and winger) Lucas Paqueta. Not only are Spurs considering Paqueta as a No. 10 candidate in the final week of the summer transfer window, but the former Lyon standout is reportedly open to leaving the Hammers this year.

And well, who wouldn't leave a relegation-threatened West Ham and the dysfunction of Graham Potter for Thomas Frank and Tottenham? Spurs are the reigning Europa League champions and in the Champions League, and if they can add Paqueta and another quality attacker before September begins, then they will be favorites to sew up a top five spot in the Premier League and maybe even compete for the title all together.

Paqueta is in the prime of his career at 26 and is one hard worker. Even when West Ham look terrible, which is most games, the Brazilian international manages to stand out positively for his technical ability, creativity, quickness on the ball, agility off the dribble, and work rate.

Frank would love a player like Paqueta who comes up with creative solutions, finishes off chances, feasts in transition or against low blocks, and, yes, of course, presses like there is no tomorrow. Reuniting Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus in Tottenham's attack would be a cheat code.

It has been a few days since Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Manchester City. We do have a surprisingly good record in this fixture, but it was still a surprise to see such a comfortable win, particularly given the investment levels of the two teams in 2025. It has been a frustrating summer so far for Tottenham, and while there is still hope that changes before the end of the window, our start to the season has been impressive. In particular, Pape Matar Sarr has stepped up his performances several levels.

Signed from Metz in 2021, Sarr was immediately loaned back for the whole of the 2021-22 season. Those are the kind of transfers that are often greeted at the time with a bit of a shrug. It’s good that we have signed a promising young player, but the season has just started, and we won’t see him until next season, so it will be forgotten for a while.

Sarr’s transfer is looking increasingly like one of those where the initial slightly longer wait is paying off. After a few appearances in his first season, Sarr has played consistently for the previous 2 years. He was a mainstay in our league and Europa cup games last season, culminating in an excellent performance in the final and an assist for the only goal of the game. That final against Man United was not won due to attacking dominance but by organized defending and a very solid midfield.

The performance on Saturday vs. Man City was similar but a vastly improved version. Although it is always true that the only stat that matters is the final score, it is also worth pointing out that while City had more possession, we had more shots on goal and more on target. Also, very few of City’s chances really felt threatening. There were many good performances that provided the reason for that, but Sarr stood out.

A big key to Tottenham's press

He put in the classic “covered every blade of grass” performance, but more than that his tackling and positioning were outstanding. Whether it was being in a position to receive the ball to dribble out of our half or putting himself in a position to stop an opposition attack, Sarr was consistently in the right place. Our pressing as a team has been great so far under Thomas Frank, too, and Sarr typified that as well, constantly putting pressure on City’s players. Our hosts had lots of possession, lots of passes, but very little opportunity to hurt us.

We saw a noticeable progression in Sarr’s play in pre-season, adding goals to his game as well. His pre-season goal vs. Arsenal is good to mention here, not only because it’s always welcome to bring up goals and wins vs. Arsenal but also because it came about from Sarr’s running, positioning, and pressing (all followed up of course by an excellent finish).

Sarr is still young and should develop further, but with the number of games he has played for Tottenham and Senegal, he does have a fair amount of experience already. Last year he extended his contract with us until 2030, showing the club believe in his ability, too. The dominant box-to-box midfielder has generally not been as much in recent years for any team (due to the popularity of attempting possession-based football), but Sarr has the potential to be that force for us. While Tottenham lately don’t often sign ready-established stars, we have seen them develop with us. It looks like Pape Matar Sarr will do just that.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a dream start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, running riot over Burnley 3-0 in the opener before shutting down business at the Etihad this past Saturday with a commanding 2-0 victory over perennial Premier League title contenders Manchester City.

So many players have been central to Spurs resurgence under Thomas Frank, including new signing Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha, but one of the biggest individual difference-makers has been new starting striker Richarlison, who has taken Frank's trust and run with it.

Richarlison went from being a near sure-fire exit at the start of the transfer window to being the goal-scoring solution Tottenham were looking for up top, completely discarding their need for a new No. 9. After two brilliant goals in the opener against Burnley, the Brazilian international continued to push and press his way into Tottenham hearts with an assist, two fouls drawn, and three combined tackles and interceptions in a vintage well-rounded performance vs. Man City.

Now, Richarlison is reaping his just rewards, as he is finally back in the official Brazil national team squad under manager Carlo Ancelotti, who used to coach him at Everton and has always favored the 28-year-old forward.

Tottenham don't need any more bad luck

What makes this triumph even sweeter for Richarlison is who he beat out for a spot in this competitive group. Neymar, Rodrygo Goes, and Vinicius Junior are three of the biggest stars in the country, yet all were left off the list. Richarlison, therefore, made it over two other beloved ex-teammates of Ancelotti's.

It's deserved, but it also leads to some trepidation from Tottenham supporters. See, the biggest impediment to Richarlison living up to his billing as a 60 million pound signing from Everton and one of the Premier League's best forwards hasn't been quality but rather health. Richarlison simply wasn't available enough and thus could not get the momentum he needed to shine.

Playing in the World Cup qualifiers is huge for Brazil and Richarlison, but it's a liability and a risk to Tottenham, even as Richarlison's achievements for the Selecao will raise the profile and value of Spurs as a club, even if just tacitly. But that's not worth the cost of losing, right now, their best scorer in what will be a slog of a season between the Premier League and Champions League.

So big ups to Richarlison for getting back into the Brazil squad, but, please, Don Carlo, take it easy with the guy.

Tottenham Hotspur made one of the best moves of the summer 2025 transfer window in the Premier League by bringing Joao Palhinha back to England after a doomed one-year spell with Bayern Munich. Although Spurs have an option to buy Palhinha, the transfer comes with no obligation, as Palhinha is, effectively, a free stopgap to upgrade a midfield that badly needed steel.

With strong displays against PSG and Burnley followed by legitimate Man of the Match level dominance at the Etihad against Manchester City, Palhinha has been a revelation for Spurs alongside Pape Sarr, who could very well end up being the breakout midfield star of the 2025/26 Premier League season under Thomas Frank.

Though Tottenham are currently after attacking midfield talents to upgrade their playmaking in light of James Maddison's torn ACL and multiple high-profile transfer snubs at the position, there is opening for one more deeper-lying midfielder to make Spurs a true Premier League powerhouse.

According to a report from Alex Crook and Anton Stanley of talkSPORT, Manchester United star defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo remains unsettled at the club and is open to leaving Old Trafford in the final week of the summer transfer window.

Tottenham need to compete with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool in midfield

Tottenham have been loosely linked to Mainoo before this window, and if they send Manchester United a legitimate offer, he could be theirs. Mainoo and Man United have not made headway over the last several months on a new contract, and the talented young player barely seems to be on the mind of manager Ruben Amorim's dysfunctional midfield "system" that continues to yield no tangible results for the Red Devils.

Spurs could be the ones to rescue Mainoo and play him in a dynamic, top-class midfield. At least, they would be top-class with the 2023/24 verion of Mainoo, who took the Premier League by storm as a teenager, won the FA Cup for Man United, and immediately became an England national team starter.

Imagine a Tottenham midfield with Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr, and Kobbie Mainoo all rotating in it behind a shiny new playmaker. Even Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool would have to reckon with Tottenham, and if Spurs want to reach that level of being a Premier League title contender, then these are the midfields they need to compete with.

Signing the young and energetic Mainoo would put Tottenham in that bracket, and if there's any chance that Amorim and Manchester United are foolish enough to entertain offers for him this transfer window, then Spurs had better jump up and make an offer.

Tottenham Hotspur have to be livid with the way they lost out on the Eberechi Eze transfer battle to rivals Arsenal, who swooped in at the last second to sign one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

Arsenal's latest slick transfer move over Tottenham has left Spurs reeling, as they already had a need for another playmaking talent before starting No. 10 James Maddison tore his ACL. With Maddison injured and Dejan Kulusevski still recovering from his own knee issue last season, Tottenham are desperate for attacking midfield help.

Instead of Eze, Tottenham could actually pivot to the player Crystal Palace are trying to sign to replace the England international, exacting revenge on a local London rival in the process for waiting on Eze and secretly negotiating with Arsenal before selling to the Gunners instead.

According to a report from the Daily Mail's Simon Jones, Bilal El Khannouss, who is Palace's main transfer target right now, is actually being pushed towards Tottenham's direction as an alternative landing spot for the Belgian international. Per Jones, Crystal Palace had two bids rejected by Leicester City, who could now be looking to sell to Spurs instead.

Tottenham have vengeance on their minds this summer

Tottenham weren't linked strongly to El Khannouss because Eze was their priority, but they have indeed been linked to the playmaker before. And with no better options available after Como roundly rejected their approach for star man Nico Paz, whose ultimate future is in Real Madrid's hands, El Khannouss could be the move.

Spurs have revenge against other Premier League clubs on their minds right now, as Crystal Palace, Arsenal, and even Nottingham Forest have stymied them at least once on the market this year. Tottenham's only big attacking signing was Mohammed Kudus from another local rival, West Ham United.

El Khannouss is just 21 years old and more than good enough to stay in the Premier League. Even on a dysfunctional Leicester City side last season, El Khannouss managed to distinguish himself as one to watch for the future, averaging a solid 1.3 key passes and 1.1 dribbles completed per game.

Ideally, Tottenham would sign someone more experienced and proven in terms of production alongside El Khannouss as more of a high-upside backup option, but, at this point in the market, if they don't have any other options, El Khannouss would be better than nothing and come at the added bonus of burning a pesky Palace side coming off an FA Cup triumph.