TEAMtalk

Tottenham will reportedly not put any obstacles in the way of Timo Werner if he wants to leave in the January transfer window.

After spending the second half of last season at Tottenham, the German international headed back to the north London side this summer for a season-long loan – with an option to buy for around £8.5m (€10.1m, $11m).

Werner contributed two goals and three assists last term over 14 appearances, but this season he has just one assist in nine matches in all competitions.

The 28-year-old has started a paltry two of Spurs’ eight Premier League matches in 2024/25, with manager Ange Postecoglou preferring Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, and Son Heung-min on the flanks.

Although the Australian defended Werner from recent criticism, saying he’s “not hopeless” and is a “very good footballer”, German publication Kicker claims Tottenham will let him go in January if an opportunity arises.

The report adds that parent club RB Leipzig would sanction another loan deal or a sale if they could find any potential suitors.

Conflicting Werner reports

Earlier this month, fellow German publication SportBILD stated Werner would not be going anywhere in the coming months despite his lack of game time.

Regardless of that, Postecoglou is still backing the former Chelsea player. He compared the criticism Werner has received and the flack that Johnson and Dominic Solanke took – both of whom have been in good form of late after slow starts to the season.

In early October, the ex-Celtic boss said: “It was 14 days ago those questions were asked of Brennan. It’s where we’re at in this world. We just think, ‘he’s missed two chances, so he’s hopeless’. No, he’s not hopeless. All footballers at this level are very, very good footballers.

“Fourteen days ago I was sitting her answering questions about Dom Solanke and Brennan. Now we’re talking about [Solanke] in the England team and Brennan’s scoring, so it’s that fine balance.

“I think [Werner’s] performances in the last two games have been better for us in terms of doing his role as a winger in our team. Yes, a goal would be great for him but [that’s] not to say I expect more from him in that position.”

Spurs youngster wanted by ex-Leeds director

Sevilla sporting director Victor Orta is reportedly considering an ambitious approach to sign Archie Gray from Tottenham in January.

The 18-year-old swapped Leeds United for Spurs this summer and now the Whites’ ex-director of football is keen to bring him to the Spanish side in 2025.

Elsewhere, Manchester City and Real Madrid are said to be interested in Spurs’ Pedro Porro, but the 25-year-old could cost up to £80m (€95.8m, $103.7m).

City are keen to find a long-term successor for 34-year-old right-back Kyle Walker while Madrid may turn to him if they can’t land Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The agent of rarely-seen Tottenham centre-back Radu Dragusin has lifted the lid on both the player and club’s stance on a January transfer.

Tottenham paid £21.5m to sign Dragusin from Genoa in the winter window of 2023. The Romania international has provided adequate cover in the rearguard, though has found it difficult to break into Ange Postecoglou’s starting eleven.

Dragusin’s lack of action has prompted speculation he and/or Tottenham would be willing to part ways in the not too distant future.

Indeed, links to Napoli have been widespread, with a move to the table-topping Serie A side potentially offering Dragusin an opportunity to compete for league titles.

But when speaking to Italian outlet Gonfialarete.com, Dragusin’s agent, Florin Manea, has insisted both Dragusin and Tottenham intend to continue their relationship.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone (potential suitors) and I don’t think Tottenham want to let him go,” explained Manea. “Radu is focused and wants to play his chances with Spurs. I’ve seen the news too, but – I repeat – I haven’t heard from anyone.

“We like that so many teams are following him, but I’ve also told the others who have called me that – as of today – we’re not interested.”

The agent added: “No player is happy if he doesn’t play a lot, but he wants to fight for his place. We’ll see later how many games he’ll play and we’ll evaluate, at this moment it’s premature to think about a transfer.”

Dragusin agent responds to Napoli links

Manea was also asked about the links to Napoli in particular, and while he praised the Italian side, he doubled down on the claims Dragusin’s future remains in north London.

When asked if he and his client will explore the market if opportunities don’t come, Manea concluded: “There is this possibility. If he doesn’t play any games until this winter, it’s normal to look around. But I don’t think it will happen, Tottenham also believes a lot in him and we don’t intend to leave.

“Napoli is certainly a great team, first in the Italian league (a championship that Radu knows) and would be a valid alternative.

“He only thinks about Tottenham and I deny the rumours that have been circulating: no offer has arrived.”

InterLive also raised eyebrows recently when touting a potential swap deal involving Dragusin and Inter Milan centre-back, Yann Bisseck.

Manea’s comments suggest those rumours are pure speculation and will not come true.

Latest Tottenham transfer news – Porro eyed / Archie Gray exit?

In other news, Football Insider state Pedro Porro has been identified by Manchester City as a worthy replacement for the declining Kyle Walker.

Porro is also on Real Madrid’s radar in the event they fail to lure Trent Alexander-Arnold over to The Bernabeu.

Elsewhere, Sevilla are reportedly enquiring about the possibility of signing Tottenham midfielder, Archie Gray, on loan in January.

Sevilla’s sporting director is Victor Orta who was previously in charge at Leeds – the club Spurs signed Gray from.

Finally, Tottenham are understood to be favourites to sign ex-Man City striker, Liam Delap. The 21-year-old has shone since leaving City for Ipswich Town over the summer and is valued around the £33m mark.

Dragusin’s career has stalled since joining Tottenham

Per year, Dragusin’s minutes in league football are only going one way. He was clearly a vital asset at Genoa having played all 38 league games in their 2022/23 campaign in Serie B.

He racked up 19 appearances in the first half of the 2023/24 season before joining Tottenham mid-season where he made a further nine appearances.

This term, however, he remains firmly behind Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the pecking order, with the pair clearly earning Postecoglou’s favour and trust.

Barring injury, it’s difficult to see where Dragusin will be given further opportunities to add to his two appearances in the Premier League this season.

Sevilla sporting director Victor Orta is reportedly considering an ambitious approach to sign Archie Gray from Tottenham in January – and reports in the Spanish media believe the deal is not quite as unlikely as it may initially seem.

The 18-year-old is considered one of the best young stars in English football, having made 52 appearances for Leeds United last season as they narrowly missed out on an instant return to the Premier League. That failure to secure promotion, though, was to ultimately cost the Whites dear, with Gray the first of three big-name sacrifices the club were forced into making to balance the books.

Leeds’ loss proved Tottenham‘s gain and Ange Postecoglou’s side pounced to bring the England Under-21s star to north London in a £40m deal, beating fellow suitors Brentford to his signature.

However, while Gray has made seven appearances so far for his new club, he has only racked up 304 minutes in that time, with just three of them coming as starts in the Europa League (two) and the Carabao Cup.

Now, Spanish outlet Mucho Deporte outrageously claims Sevilla’s sporting director Orta is ‘already asking about’ signing Gray in the January transfer window, albeit on a loan basis.

They explain that Sevilla are already positioning themselves as an option for a possible deal if Spurs decide they are open to the idea of sending the teenager out over the second half of the season to further his experience. Having already registered their interest with Tottenham over a possible deal, they have also made clear that they have a loan space ready to use on Gray.

Somewhat sycophantly, the article claims Orta was the man mainly responsible for Gray’s rise at Leeds, though quite how they come to that conclusion given the Spaniard worked as director of football at Elland Road and had no role to play in either his coaching or his first-team involvement, with his senior debut not coming until Orta’s exit at the West Yorkshire club.

Spurs unlikely to be willing to loan out Archie Gray

So far for Spurs, Gray has shown his versatility by covering a variety of roles for Postecoglou. So far, Gray has appeared as both a right-back and a central midfielder for Tottenham, started at centre-half in the Europa League clash against Ferencvaros in Hungary and has also come on at left-back to cover for Destiny Udogie on a couple of occasions.

And given his tender years, it is easy to understand why the Aussie boss has taken a softly, softly approach to bedding the 18-year-old into their first-team plans this season.

However, his game-time will surely increase as the season unfolds and Spurs will also hope to still be alive in at least three competitions by the time the January window rolls around, meaning any sort of exit – even if only on loan – would be highly unlikely.

Furthermore, Sevilla do not have a great track record when it comes to the temporary capture of players from Spurs, with Argentine youngster Alejo Veliz being sparingly used and only appearing six times for the Andalusians after signing on loan in January.

Latest Tottenham transfer news – Ange eyes powerful striker / Serie A tipped

Meanwhile, Tottenham are being linked with a surprise move to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap with the England Under-21 man showing a rich vein of form for the Premier League new boys so far this season.

TEAMtalk revealed earlier this month that Delap’s form has also alerted Chelsea to his future possible signing, but now a report has revealed Postecoglou is also an admirer and keeping tabs on the powerful striker’s progress with regards a future move.

Elsewhere, Spurs’ need for left-back cover has been highlighted by the fact Gray has covered there for Udogie on more than one occasion. According to recent reports in Italy, the Spurs boss is keen to bring in specialist cover and has set his sights on a move for Denmark starlet Patrick Dorgu, who is now ‘very likely’ to leave Italian club Lecce next summer.

Another Serie A star Spurs are tracking is Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck.

Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to sign Ipswich Town ace Liam Delap despite the centre-forward also being eyed by several other Premier League clubs including Chelsea, it has been claimed.

On October 3, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that Chelsea are considering a January move for Delap as they look to add another option to their striker ranks. But the Blues are not alone in admiring the England U21 international, as the transfer race is intensifying.

As per CaughtOffside, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Delap’s former club Manchester City are all keeping tabs on the player following his excellent start to life in the Premier League with Ipswich.

Delap has managed four goals in eight league appearances so far, which includes a great brace during the 2-2 draw with Villa on September 29.

CaughtOffside state that Tottenham are ‘leading the race’ for the 21-year-old as things stand. Ange Postecoglou’s side are ‘particularly keen to snap him up’, and they will have to act fast if they are to keep the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and City at bay.

It is claimed that Ipswich will consider offers worth around €40million (£33m / $43m), despite Delap’s importance to them potentially staying in the top flight. The report suggests Ipswich may cash in and sell their prized attacker this winter, having captured him from City for an initial £15m rising to £20m (up to €24m / $26m) in the summer.

Delap could replace Tottenham flop

Spurs look set to continue revamping their striker ranks even after the summer addition of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

Signing Delap would push fellow striker Richarlison further down the pecking order. Spurs spent £60m (€72m / $78m) to sign Richarlison in summer 2022 but he has not lived up to expectations.

It was recently claimed that Spurs will slowly integrate Richarlison back into the team following his injury with a view to selling him in January.

Delap could be a great option to provide Solanke with cover and competition up front, as he is a rising star who already possesses a small amount of top-flight experience.

England U21 coach Ben Futcher recently sung Delap’s praises after he caused Ukraine all sorts of problems during the international break.

“He’s given their centre-halves a real rough night,” Futcher said.

“Liam was an absolute handful. If you want to go and fight him, he’ll match you. If you want to race him, he’ll win the race.

“He’s very difficult to deal with, he’s quick, he’s powerful, he’s in good form in the Premier League. Liam’s a top number nine and he’s going to keep developing.”

Futcher added that Ipswich ‘are very lucky to have such a good striker on their hands’, though Premier League rivals are beginning to circle.

DON’T MISS – Premier League Signings of the Season Power Ranking: Arsenal star 6th, Tottenham striker 7th…

Tottenham news: Serie A raid; player-plus-cash offer

Meanwhile, Spurs are best-placed to sign Denmark starlet Patrick Dorgu, who is now ‘very likely’ to leave Italian club Lecce next summer.

Spurs remain interested in capturing the left winger – who can also play as a left-back – after previously missing out on him during the last summer transfer window.

Lecce have managed to tie down the 19-year-old to a long-term contract which runs until June 2029, but that is simply to protect his transfer value.

Spurs can beat other clubs such as Chelsea to Dorgu by offering Lecce €35m (£29.5m / $39m) for the versatile wide man.

Another Serie A star Spurs are tracking is Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck.

The Italian press have claimed that Spurs could send Inter a player-plus-cash bid for the centre-half. Surprisingly, January arrival Radu Dragusin is named as the player who could be involved in that proposal.

TIMELINE: Liam Delap’s journey to Portman Road

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is being tipped to make some tough decisions when it comes to James Maddison’s place in the starting line-up going forward.

Saturday’s superb come-from-behind win over London rivals West Ham did not come without a little controversy after the Spurs boss revealed that Maddison’s substitution at half-time of that game was purely tactical.

Despite providing the assist for Dejan Kulusevski’s first-half equaliser, Maddison was replaced by Pape Matar Sarr at the break with the score level at 1-1.

That decision proved a correct one as Tottenham dominated in the second period, with Sarr outstanding as the home side netted three times in eight minutes to secure all three points and a return to winning ways after the debacle at Brighton last time out.

And, speaking about Maddison’s situation ahead of upcoming games against AZ in the Europa League and Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, former Spurs scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “I appreciate what James Maddison can do. But it’s almost as if the game has to be run for his benefit, whereas the elite players in his position put their stamp on the game and dictate the way it’s played.

“If it’s a 50/50 battle of a game, he can go missing. From what I’ve heard, the manager could look to drop him from the starting XI from time to time. He won’t be afraid of making big calls and that is one that he may have to make.

“Postecoglou will be looking at who they’re playing against, and will change his system to suit the game. Maddison might be able to take advantage of teams that are weaker in midfield, for example, but in games like the one at the weekend they can leave him out.

“We saw against West Ham the difference that dropping him out of the side can make, and I’d expect to see that on a more regular basis now.”

Latest Tottenham transfer news: Spurs still eyeing Udogie competition / Inter man on Ange’s radar

Tottenham Hotspur are once again leading the race to sign a Destiny Udogie left-back alternative after failing with a move for the player during the summer transfer window.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed how the north London outfit tried to bring in Lecce star Patrick Dorgu during the last window, only for the Serie A outfit to scare off clubs with their £29.5m (€35m, $39m) valuation of the player who recently signed a new deal.

However, FiorentinaNews reports that Dorgu’s new contract does not rule out an exit from the club and that Lecce are confident it will, instead, drive up his transfer fee next summer.

Meanwhile, Spurs are keen on landing Inter Milan star Yann Bisseck and could even offer a recent signing as part of a player-plus-cash deal, it has been claimed.

Tottenham Hotspur are once again leading the race to sign a Destiny Udogie left-back alternative after failing with a move for the player during the summer transfer window.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed how the north London outfit tried to bring in Lecce star Patrick Dorgu during the last window, only for the Serie A outfit to scare off clubs with their £29.5m (€35m, $39m) valuation of the player.

Dorgu has emerged as one of the most exciting young wing-backs in Italy over the past 18 months, sparking interest from across Europe for the talented 19-year-old.

Gazzetta dello Sport revealed recently that Tottenham remain keen on securing Dorgu’s services, while TuttoJuve confirmed significant Chelsea interest as they look to replace the outgoing Ben Chilwell in their squad.

For their part, Lecce are thought to be doing all they can to keep the defender on board, having announced a new deal for the player until 2029.

However, FiorentinaNews now reports that even though Dorgu has extended his stay at Stadio Via del mare, that does not rule out an exit from the club.

Indeed, they state that Lecce offered the defender a new contract so that they could get a bigger fee for him when he departs and that Dorgu is expected to see out the remainder of the season at Lecce but he is ‘very likely’ to depart the club in the summer of 2025.

The Serie A side certainly look primed to make a massive profit on the player, having signed the Denmark international for just €200k from Nordsjælland in 2022. Indeed, it’s reported that Lecce are hoping that a bidding war ensues for the exciting full-back to recoup an even bigger profit.

How Dorgu fits in at Tottenham

If he did arrive at Tottenham next summer, Dorgu would likely replace veteran Wales defender Ben Davies in Ange Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

The 31-year-old has plied his trade in north London for the last decade but will be out of contract next summer and it’s highly unlikely he will be offered an extension if a younger alternative is brought in.

Davies does offer the versatility of playing at centre-back too but that role now appears to have gone to summer Archie Gray, who has already played right-back, left-back, centre-back and central midfield for Tottenham in pre-season and since the regular campaign started.

At 19, Dorgu is two years younger than Spurs’ current first-choice Udogie but the former Udinese man will have had two full seasons playing in England by the time the Dane eventually arrives.

However, it will be good for Udogie to have strong competition on his heels as he’s not quite showed the same level of performance as he did during Tottenham’s stunning start to last season when they led the league after 10 games.

Udogie has had his injury issues and is currently being eased in and out of the side by Postecoglou so as not to risk any further issues, but he is still regarded as one of the best attacking left-backs in England on his day.

Latest Tottenham transfer news: Spurs eye Inter ace / Porro Real concern

Tottenham are keen on landing Inter Milan star Yann Bisseck and could even offer a recent signing as part of a player-plus-cash deal, it has been claimed.

According to Italian source Inter Live, Tottenham hold ‘strong interest’ in the defender amid his rise at Inter and could – surprisingly – offer Radu Dragusin as part of the deal.

Meanwhile, Tottenham would consider selling Real Madrid target Pedro Porro if bids of roughly £60m are tabled, and whether a move is made will hinge on what happens with Trent Alexander-Arnold up at Liverpool, according to reports.

In the event Liverpool manage to keep Alexander-Arnold in situ, Real Madrid will simply turn to an alternative. Per the latest from Give Me Sport, Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) is on their radar, as is Tottenham ace Porro.

IN FOCUS – Dorgu v Udogie stats last season

Those stats give a clear indication of who the more experienced player is on the defensive side of things, but a telling one is how many completed crosses Dorgu was able to get in compared to Udogie – despite the latter having three assists and Dorgu none.

That conversion rate of goals and assists suggests Udogie has more end product, but Dorgu is still a teenager and clearly a huge talent who is on the rise and would be a potential threat to Italy star Udogie going forward.

It just remains to be seen whether or not Tottenham win any transfer war that potentially erupts for the Lecce man next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on landing Inter Milan star Yann Bisseck and could even offer a recent signing as part of a player-plus-cash deal, it has been claimed.

According to Italian source Inter Live, Tottenham hold ‘strong interest’ in the defender amid his rise at Inter. Bisseck joined the Nerazzurri from Danish club Aarhus in July 2023, and after being slowly integrated into the team last season he is now emerging as an important member of the starting eleven.

The centre-half, who can also operate as a right-back, played 75 minutes as Inter held Manchester City to a goalless draw in the Champions League on September 18.

It is these kind of performances against top strikers such as Erling Haaland which have alerted Tottenham to Bisseck’s ability.

Inter Live suggest that Tottenham will launch a bid for the 23-year-old next summer. It could be a player-plus-cash proposal involving current Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin, too.

The report adds that Spurs will have to offer big money to convince Inter on selling Bisseck, as he is one of the best young talents in their squad and is very much liked by manager Simone Inzaghi.

Dragusin exit would be a surprise

Dragusin joined Spurs in January when they paid Genoa £25million (€30m / $32.5m) for his signature. However, the centre-back has largely had to sit on the bench when first-choice defensive pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been fit.

This has prompted the Italian media to claim on several occasions that Dragusin might head back to Serie A, where he would likely start more often.

Inter will be aware of the Romanian’s ability after coming up against him during his time at Genoa, but a transfer back to Italy would still raise eyebrows.

Ange Postecoglou only sanctioned Dragusin’s arrival earlier this year and Spurs must therefore give the player more time to adapt to the English game and try to establish himself as a key player.

According to recent reports from the English press, Dragusin is looking to stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium beyond the January transfer window, despite rumours linking him with a winter exit.

DON’T MISS: Mourinho ready to rescue Tottenham misfit as January transfer window raid being prepped

Tottenham news: Semenyo price, Porro exit claim

Meanwhile, Bournemouth have reportedly named their price for in-form winger Antoine Semenyo, who is attracting interest from several clubs.

Spurs are battling Arsenal and Newcastle United for Semenyo, and he has now been given a £40-50m (up to €60m / $65m) price tag by Bournemouth.

The 24-year-old recently admitted to being an Arsenal fan, though he insists he does not let this ‘conflict’ with his job.

While Semenyo could arrive at Spurs in the future, right-back Pedro Porro has been tipped to leave amid interest from Real Madrid.

It was claimed on Sunday that Spurs would be open to selling Porro if a bid of £60m (€72m / $78m) came in, despite him being a pivotal asset for Postecoglou.

Madrid are eyeing both the Spaniard and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong amid uncertainty over whether they will be able to capture Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

IN FOCUS: Who is Yann Bisseck?

Born in Cologne in November 2000, Bisseck initially played for SV Adler Dellbruck before joining FC Koln at the age of seven.

The centre-back represented Germany at the 2017 Under-17 World Cup and scored in a 4-0 win over Colombia in the round of 16.

He made his first-team debut in November 2017 at the age of 16 years and 11 months, making him the youngest player in Koln’s history and the eighth-youngest player to appear in the Bundesliga.

The German had loan spells at Holstein Kiel, Roda JC, Vitoria de Guimaraes and Aarhus before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2021.

After impressing in the Danish top-flight and captaining Germany at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, he completed a €7million move to Inter Milan.

The 23-year-old made 21 appearances in all competitions in his debut season in Italy as Inter won the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2023/24.

“He’s a young guy who’s growing very well,” Inter manager Simone Inzaghi said. “He trains very well every day, and that’s what he has to keep doing.”

“We’re fortunate to have players like that, and we’re very happy to have him.”

Standing at 6ft 5in tall, Bisseck possesses pace and power in abundance and has been compared to former Real Madrid and Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane.

Ange Postecoglou Tottenham signing Radu Dragusin has reportedly decided that he won’t leave the club in January despite interest in him from the Serie A amid a lack of game time.

The centre-back has struggled to find consistent minutes since his move to Spurs last January. He played just nine Premier League games last term, starting on four occasions.

So far this season, he’s played four times in all competitions, and his Europa League appearance was cut wildly short when he was sent off seven minutes into the game against Qarabag.

There has been interest from sides in his previous home of Italy in him returning there, with Napoli – coached by former Spur boss Antonio Conte – one of the clubs said to be keen on him.

But according to the Daily Mirror, Dragusin will not push to leave the club.

Indeed, he remains committed to Tottenham and will not seek a mid-season exit even if he remains out of the side.

There is said to be confidence that Dragusin will receive his fair share of minutes in the defence in the coming weeks and months.

Napoli told to forget Dragusin

One of the potential routes back to Italy for Dragusin may have been wiped out anyway.

Indeed, Napoli have been advised by Italian journalist Enrico Fedele not to go after the Romanian as he is “too young”.

They have instead been told to move for Sergio Ramos.

Dragusin was clearly a vital asset at Genoa prior to his move to Spurs, and he is still only 22, so still has a lot of time to break into the best side at the club and perform consistently.

Tottenham round-up: Exits likely

Though Dragusin doesn’t seem as though he’ll be going anywhere, that will not be the case for some Spurs players.

Jose Mourinho is said to be eager to take Sergio Reguilon to Fenerbahce in the winter.

Meanwhile, Richarlison could finally be cut loose after a few underwhelming seasons in a Tottenham shirt. Report state the club will not rush him back from injury, partially because they want to keep him fit so that he might be sold in the summer.

Spurs know exactly what they need to do to secure an inbound transfer, though. Forward target Antoine Semenyo has reportedly been valued at £40-50million by Bournemouth.

Though Tottenham do have competition for his signature from some more of the Premier League’s biggest sides.

Dragusin minutes diminishing

Per year, Dragusin’s minutes in league football have diminished. He was clearly a vital asset at Genoa, and played 19 games for them in the first half of last season – after playing every game the prior campaign – before Tottenham offered him nine games after he moved there.

This term, he remains behind Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the pecking order, with the pair clearly the best options at the moment, but Dragusin could change that with a few good performances when he’s given the chance.

Radu Dragusin’s league appearances per season

Tottenham would consider selling Real Madrid target Pedro Porro if bids of roughly £60m are tabled, and whether a move is made will hinge on what happens up at Liverpool, according to reports.

Real Madrid intend to sign a right-back and centre-back in 2025. Per The Athletic, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is their primary target to fill the right-back role and the LaLiga giants are hopeful of signing the 26-year-old as a free agent. Alexander-Arnold’s contract is due to expire next summer, though Liverpool are hopeful of ironing out a long-term extension.

In the event Liverpool manage to keep Alexander-Arnold in situ, Real Madrid will simply turn to an alternative. Per the latest from Give Me Sport, Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) is on their radar, as is Tottenham ace Pedro Porro.

And in alarming news for Spurs fans, GMS state Tottenham would surprisingly be open to selling the right-back if Real Madrid serve up a bid in the £60m range.

It’s clarified Spurs will by no means force Porro out. However, given he was signed for £39m, a sale at £60m could be regarded as a ‘smart move’ within the club.

Of course, any such move for Porro would only come if Real Madrid fail to lure Alexander-Arnold to The Bernabeu.

As such, all eyes in north London will be on how Liverpool’s contract negotiations with Alexander-Arnold fare.

Pedro Porro flirts with Real Madrid

A prior report from Caught Offside delivered a similar story when claiming a bid of roughly £55m could be enough to bring Tottenham to the negotiating table.

What’s more, Porro is well aware of Real Madrid’s interest and has done little to dissuade Carlo Ancelotti’s side from acting.

“Of course I’m proud with these links [to Real Madrid], it means I’m doing things well,” said Porro. “If that happens one day, it happens. Now I’m fully focused on my club, Tottenham.”

Real Madrid’s pursuit of a new right-back has intensified on the back of losing Dani Carvajal to an ACL injury.

The club responded by extending the long-serving star’s contract until 2026. But given he’s aged 32, will be coming off the back of a serious knee injury and Real Madrid are targeting a high profile signing in his position, there’s no guarantee Carvajal will be the starter once returning to fitness at the back end of 2024.

Latest Tottenham news

In other news, Tottenham have been told it’ll take between £40m-£50m before Bournemouth will consider selling livewire winger Antoine Semenyo.

Elsewhere, 90min state Jose Mourinho is ready to rescue Sergio Reguilon from his ongoing Tottenham nightmare.

Finally, Dejan Kulusevski has received high praise for his part in Tottenham’s 4-1 demolition of West Ham on Saturday.

“They came out all guns blazing [in the second half],” Glenn Hoddle said of his former side Spurs. “West Ham couldn’t control Kulusevski in that further role.

“It was a big call to take off [James] Maddison at half time but it really worked, it freed up Kulusevski who was the best player on the pitch by a mile.”

Bournemouth have reportedly named their price for exciting attacker Antoine Semenyo, as the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle all line up to sign the player.

The south coast club could be powerless in the efforts to keep the talented 24-year-old as bigger clubs circle, although they are determined to recoup the best possible price for services.

Semenyo has been in impressive form for the Cherries so far this season, having scored eight goals and provided two assists during the 2023/24 campaign.

Indeed, in eight outings for Bournemouth this term he has notched three goals and added an assist for a Bournemouth side who jumped to 10th in the table after beating 10-man Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Semenyo has handled the step up to the Premier League brilliantly since signing from Championship outfit Bristol City for £10million in January 2023.

And now Football Insider reports that Bournemouth are ready to demand £40-50million (up to €60m, $65m) in the wake of interest from the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle.

The chances of a January move appear highly unlikely though as Bournemouth look to preserve their Premier League status, meaning a deal next summer is more achievable.

Semenyo is not the only Cherries star on the radar of top clubs though, with Milos Kerkez also being linked with a move away from the club.

Where does Semenyo fit at Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle?

With Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle all operating 4-3-3 systems under Mikel Arteta, Ange Postecoglou and Eddie Howe respectively, having numerous quality wide options is pivotal to that formation being effective.

The Gunners have Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as first choice, with Leandro Trossard and the on-loan Raheem Sterling as other options for Arteta – although both Sterling and Trossard started that loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have skipper Son Heung-min and the free-scoring Brennan Johnson on either flank but can also fill in with Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert – when fit – and young starlet Mikey Moore. Dejan Kulusevski is also in that mix despite being converted to midfield this season.

In terms of Howe’s options at Newcastle, Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy have been the regular starters this term, backed up by the likes of Harvey Barnes and Miguel Almiron. TT have previously revealed their interest in Semenyo though.

Semenyo tends to operate mainly from the right wing but can also play on the left and through the middle a central striker at a push.

Quite whether the three clubs mentioned are willing to pay up to £50m for his services remains to be seen, although that appears to now be the going rate for an international player in his early 20s who is a regular in the Premier League.

IN FOCUS – Semenyo career stats v Saka, Johnson, Murphy

We’ve totaled up the numbers from Semenyo’s career so far (inc. international games) and compared him with the regular right-wing starters at Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle.

A brief glance at the figures suggests Newcastle would benefit most from getting Semenyo on board, with Saka a shoo-in starter on the right for Arsenal and Johnson, who has been sensational for Tottenham in recent weeks, firmly established in Ange Posteecoglou’s side.

Murphy has been in and out of the Magpies side since signing back in 2017 but has been more of a regular starter since Eddie Howe was appointed boss in 2021.