TEAMtalk

Tottenham skipper Son Heung-min has been told by one pundit that ‘proper’ Spurs fans want him gone and that Ange Postecoglou needs a new left-winger.

Postecoglou’s men got back to winning ways on Saturday as they came from a very early goal down to beat Brentford 3-1 with Son, ironically, bagging two assists in the game.

The South Korean set up strikes for Brennan Johnson and James Maddison to ease the pressure that was starting to build a little on Postecoglou after a poor start to this season bookended a disappointing finish last term.

But despite Son getting his name on the stats sheet twice, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara thinks the 32-year-old forward is now a spent force and feels fans are also in agreement.

Speaking to a Spurs fan on talkSPORT after the game, O’Hara said: “How do you feel about Sonny? I feel like I am over the hill with him now. I just think the fans and everyone is finished with him. The proper fans. He’s not doing it.

“The quality in the final third (has gone). He is 32, is he going to go past people? Listen, he has been a great player and an unbelievable player. A Tottenham great.

“But I just feel like when I am watching him now, have you got that sharpness and edge to your game? I don’t think he has. He has gone clean through there one-v-one. The old Sonny, that’s a guaranteed goal.

“You can’t take him out of the team because there isn’t anyone better than him, but we have to start looking at a new left-winger.”

Son still has a part to play at Tottenham

O’Hara does have a tendency to go over the top a bit when it comes to his old club, although there is no denying that Son is not the same player he was three or four years ago.

Having signed for an absolute bargain £22million in the summer of 2015, the hugely popular attacker has gone on to score 164 goals in 414 appearances for Tottenham, although there has been a clear decline since the 24-goal campaign of 2021/22 – his best in a Spurs shirt.

He did manage to notch 17 Premier League goals last season as he looked to take on the burden of Harry Kane’s exit, having also been captain after Hugo Lloris’ exit.

However, the lightning pace and finishing ability are not quite what they once were, although he remains a clever player who still has an important role to play as a leader in a young squad.

The current alternative options to play on the left wing are on-loan forward Timo Werner and the injured Wilson Odobert, while Johnson, Richarlison and Maddison could also play there at a push.

To that end, Son remains the best option for Postecoglou in the foreseeable future.

Tottenham still keen on striker move as United join Gomes hunt

In other Tottenham news, TT has provided an update on the future of prolific Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres, who remains on the radars of four Premier League clubs as well as French giants PSG.

Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal are all still monitoring the Swedish hotshot, as confirmed by Rudy Galetti, although Chelsea are starting to distance themselves from a move of their own.

The £83million (€100m, $111m) release clause included in his contract makes him an enticing prospect for English clubs, especially since he has scored 52 times in 57 games in all competitions in Portugal.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly in the mix to bring Lille and England midfielder Angel Goms back to the Premier League.

Latest reports suggest that his old club Manchester United have also entered the frame, although Spurs and Newcastle are also keen on a player who performed so well for the Three Lions during the recent international break.

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IN FOCUS – Son stats since 2019/20

While Son’s stats do not necessarily show a massive drop-off in the last five seasons, the eye test tells a different story.

The South Korean does not take on defenders as much as in the past, having seemingly lost that yard of pace and his finishing ability is not quite as clinical.

But, after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, Son bounced back last season with 27 goal involvements and has two goals and two assists from five games this term.

Although he is up and running in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Ahli, this season could have looked very different for Ivan Toney as Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou considered signing him.

Toney, 28, left Brentford in the summer and was heavily linked with a number of Premier League clubs including Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

It was surprising to see him move to Saudi, but no deal could be struck with any English side. Postecoglou, though, admitted he was considered, but they opted to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

“We did look at him [Toney] but Dom was the one we wanted that fitted the profile we were looking for at the time,” said Postecoglou.

It has been a slow start for Solanke, who scored 19 Premier League goals last season and cost £65m, with injuries hampering his progress.

“We don’t have to rush to make a judgement all the time because the alternative is he may have got off to a great start, he is fit, scored in all four games, is flying and then he goes through a patch like all strikers where he doesn’t score.

“I just don’t look at those things. What I look at is he has come in, fitted really well and quite logically has picked up an injury that has disrupted the way he wanted to start his career, but he’s still got plenty of time for that.”

Why didn’t a Premier League side go for Toney?

Toney had made it clear he wanted to leave Brentford this summer with his contract set to expire next year. An impressive Euro 2024 campaign wasn’t enough to generate enough interest in the player.

He has scored twice in the Pro League since joining his new club, where he plays alongside former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and ex-Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez.

Sky Sports looked into why Toney wasn’t high on Premier League teams’ lists this summer despite his obvious credentials and reputation, and his age, value and general slow pace of the transfer market were considered key factors.

Other clubs looked elsewhere, too, with Joshua Zirkzee joining Manchester United and Federico Chiesa signing for Liverpool, as well as Spurs opting for Solanke.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have been linked with moves for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Romero a Real Madrid target?

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are plotting a move to sign Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, with the Spanish giants aiming to make a statement signing in defence. Arsenal defender William Saliba is also said to be a target.

Postecoglou is said to be under pressure to deliver trophies at Spurs in order to keep Romero, with Madrid having signed both Luka Modric and Gareth Bale from the North London club over the years,

Tottenham are reportedly preparing to make a formal offer to sign highly-rated Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra when the transfer window reopens in January.

Ange Postecoglou remains on the hunt for new players for his engine room, having struggled to find the right midfield balance through four Premier League outings so far this season.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall did arrive during the summer, offsetting the loss of the likes of Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (loan), Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.

With Hojbjerg on loan at Marseille, Yves Bissouma is the only true defensive midfielder available to Postecoglou, although both Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur can fill that role if needed.

To that end, it’s no great surprise to see Tottenham being tipped to make a January move to add more depth to that position, and that’s where Guerra comes in.

Fichajes states that the north London are prepping an offer for the 21-year-old, although it remains to be seen whether they are ready to pay the asking price for him.

Valencia are holding out for a fee of around £29million (€35m, €39m) for the young midfielder but Spurs are pushing to land the player for a more reasonable price tag. Indeed, the report adds that the north London outfit are wary of paying that much for a player who is still relatively inexperienced.

Guerra would add Tottenham midfield depth

The Spain Under-21 international has made just over 50 appearances for Valencia’s first team, scoring five goals in that time.

Guerra is described as a player with great tackling skills who is capable of playing multiple positions across midfield and, standing at 6ft 2in, has the physical capabilities of coping with the demands of English football.

Indeed, TT took an in-depth look at Guerra’s strengths and weaknesses when it first emerged that he was on the radars of a number of top clubs.

Manchester United were previously credited with a major interest in the player, although that has since cooled off after the deal for Manuel Ugarte was struck.

Real reeling in Romero as Rabiot’s mum scuppers move

In other Tottenham news, further reports have talked up Real Madrid moving for centre-back Cristian Romero, and what will determine whether the Argentine stays or goes has been revealed.

Los Blancos are seeking a ‘blockbuster’ signing at centre-back next summer and the two players rising to the top of their shortlist are William Saliba at Arsenal and Romero.

Per the latest from Football Insider, Real Madrid are ‘watching Romero closely’ and whether the centre-back will stick or twist will reportedly hinge on the level of ambition Tottenham show.

Meanwhile, it’s emerged that the mother and agent of Adrien Rabiot has been harshly criticised for ‘incompetence’ amid fresh claims she failed to secure the France midfielder a move to Tottenham or Manchester United shortly before his switch to Marseille.

Rabiot was unable to agree terms over a move to the Premier League – which TEAMtalk had previously confirmed was very much the player’s preference – instead joining Marseille on a two-year deal.

Now French agent Bruno Satin has hit out at the failure to secure Rabiot a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs, pointing the finger of blame firmly at his mother and agent, Veronique.

IN FOCUS – Guerra v Bissouma stats

TT has taken a look at a comparison between how Guerra and Bissouma fared last season and it makes for some interesting reading.

The more experienced Bissouma clearly has the edge in most areas but one thing that stands out is the passing accuracy, with stakes up against the comments about Guerra being a much better player in possession than the Mali international.

And, with Postecoglou wanting his deep-lying midfielder to get heavily involved in playing out from the back, Guerra could end up being a better long-term fit in north London going forward.

Ange Postecoglou is reportedly under pressure just five games into the new season, with his Tottenham team selections and tactics being questioned by fans and the media alike, so TT has looked at changes he could make to give his XI better balance.

The north London club have won only one of the opening four Premier League outings to currently sit 13th in table and, going back to the end of last season, they have lost seven of their last 11 games.

There was a welcome win in the Carabao Cup at Coventry on Wednesday night, although the result did not match what was a disjointed display that produced yet more defensive errors while there was als no cutting edge to the attack. Yes, Postecoglou made eight changes to the side that lost at Arsenal but there was still enough quality on the pitch that Spurs should not have been relying on two very late goals to see off the Championship side.

Four of the back five were changed which led to some shambolic communication times and individual errors which could have ended up costing Postecoglou if the Sky Blues had not been so wasteful.

Dominic Solanke remains without a goal after his big-money switch, although Tottenham are not yet playing to the former Bournemouth man’s strengths, while skipper Son Heung-min is looking a shadow of the player who has been so reliable for so long.

But it’s in the midfield where the balance is seemingly all wrong and that was evidenced in the loss to Arsenal, where Spurs were fine when in possession but out of it they left the two centre-backs continually exposed with the full-backs pushing on.

To that end, it’s time for Postecoglou to go back to basics a bit and have a more solid foundation to launch attacks from and give Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven the protection they need in the process.

The centre-back duo will also benefit from another change at the back when it comes to the issue of defending set-pieces (as highlighted below), an issue that has plagued the team for a number of years.

So here is our take on how Tottenham should line up for the foreseeable future…

Best Tottenham XI (4-2-1-3)

Guglielmo Vicario

The Italian still has a big issue when it comes to commanding his area, especially from set-pieces, but the other option is 36-year-old veteran Fraser Forster and he looked all at sea in the Carabao Cup win at Coventry.

Vicario remains an outstanding shot-stopper but also needs to work on his distribution, with his feet getting Tottenham’s defence into sticky situations a bit too often.

Pedro Porro

One of the real plus points last season has started the new campaign in a similar fashion. His ability to get forward and be a real threat in the box is a real plus point and the defensive side of his game is steadily improving.

Going back to last season the Spaniard has 12 goal involvements in his last 41 games, including five goals and seven assists, and has emerged as one of Postecoglou’s most consistent performers.

Cristian Romero

The Argentine remains an unstoppable force for his country but can be a slight enigma at Tottenham, with lapses in concentration often leading to goals.

Just this season, he lost Jamie Vardy for Leicester’s equaliser in the opening game of the season and was then outmuscled in the box by Gabriel for Arsenal’s set-piece winner last weekend.

Despite that, links to Real Madrid refuse to go away for the World Cup and Copa America winner – although Spurs have other ideas on that front are keen to offer the player a new deal.

Radu Dragusin

The big Romania international has looked good in his rare starts for the club and bringing him in alongside Romero should have a massive benefit in terms of resolving the set-piece issue.

Having the former Genoa man alongside Romero (6ft 1in) and Van de Ven (6ft 4in) at the back should go some way to alleviating what has become a major problem for Postecoglou – despite the Australian admitting he is not overly concerned with the set-piece problems.

Micky van de Ven

Another of the more consistent performers at Spurs and his electric pace often gets the team out of trouble when their aggressive attacking play is hit on the transition.

The Netherlands international filled in superbly at left-back towards the end of last season due to Destiny Udogie’s injury and playing him gives that extra height to deal with those set-piece issues.

That is tough on Udogie, who looked so good through the first half of last season, but his form dropped off and he still does not look fully fit or back to the level that wowed many observers during his early days at the club.

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Archie Gray

The summer signing is the beneficiary of Yves Bissouma’s continued struggles to replicate the outstanding form he showed at Brighton and also in the first 10 games of last season.

Gray was bought off the back of his tremendous showings for Leeds in the heart of their engine room, playing well above his years and earning a £30million switch to north London in the process.

His game intelligence was also on show in pre-season, with Postecoglou often playing him in central defence and it’s time the Australian threw him in – especially with the lack of other quality options to protect the back four.

Rodrigo Bentancur

The Uruguay international is still not the player he was before his ACL injury suffered in February 2023 but he remains the club’s best box-to-box midfielder.

Having Gray alongside him to offer a bit more defensive stability would at least allow Bentancur to play a bit further forward and utilise his creativity a bit more.

That was on show late in the game at Coventry when he broke up play on the halfway line, drove forward and played a perfect through ball for Brennan Johnson to score the winner.

James Maddison

The England man was quiet in the loss to Arsenal but has otherwise started the new season brightly and looked more like the Maddison who was so good in that 10-match unbeaten run to start last term.

There is no denying the former Leicester man’s creativity but he needs to add more goals to his game, with only four in 34 appearances for the club so far.

Dejan Kulusevski

The Swede needs to be pushed back to the right wing for the foreseeable future as the experiment of playing him deeper leaves Spurs too open when out of possession.

Kulusevski lacks the pace to be a genuine winger but getting him in and around the box more where he does all his best work makes far more sense.

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Dominic Solanke

The club-record signing has had a difficult start to life in north London but he has at least looked a threat, without so far taking the chances on offer.

Solanke thrives on crosses and through-balls to utilise his pace and Tottenham have not really played to those strengths yet. However, there is a feeling that once the first one goes in, more will follow.

Son Heung-min

The South Korean remains a threat but that electric pace and finishing power does appear to have deserted him to a certain extent.

Son has been used out wide and through the middle so far this season, as he was last campaign, but has been perhaps overburdened by the captaincy.

After Harry Kane’s departure, Tottenham have become so reliant on their other superstar attacker and that weight of responsibility is potentially starting to have an impact – that and the fact he is now 32 years of age.

Further reports have talked up Real Madrid moving for Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, and what will determine whether the Argentine stays or goes has been revealed.

Romero is a guaranteed starter with both Tottenham and Argentina and losing the 26-year-old would be a bitter pill to swallow for the north London club.

However, according to numerous reports including the latest from Football Insider, Tottenham are at risk of losing Romero to Real Madrid in 2025.

Los Blancos are seeking a ‘blockbuster’ signing at centre-back next summer and the two players rising to the top of their shortlist are William Saliba (Arsenal) and Romero.

Per the latest from FI, Real Madrid are ‘watching Romero closely’. What’s more, whether the centre-back will stick or twist will reportedly hinge on the level of ambition Tottenham show.

It’s clarified Romero wishes to play at the highest level and compete for – and ultimately win – major trophies. Tottenham haven’t won a major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008 and are competing in the Europa League this term – not the Champions League.

As such, the pressure is seemingly on Postecoglou to deliver trophies and chairman Levy to spare no expense on high quality additions in the transfer market. Failure to do so could result in Romero angling for an exit if Real Madrid do come calling.

Tottenham’s plan to thwart Real Madrid

A recent report from the Independent stated Saliba is Real Madrid’s favoured option between he and Romero.

However, they also stressed Real Madrid believe prising Saliba out of the Emirates would be a difficult undertaking. As such, Romero may well be the player Carlo Ancelotti’s side wind up pursuing.

A separate update from Football Insider recently revealed Tottenham’s plan to fend off interest in Romero.

Spurs reportedly plan to sit down with the defender next summer in the hopes of ironing out a new contract extension. His current deal expires in the summer of 2027.

The newest update from FI stressed that if Tottenham are backed into a corner and reluctantly green light a sale, they will ‘demand a huge fee.’

Precisely how high Tottenham would aim is open to debate, though journalist Paul O’Keefe previously cited a monstrous £150m (€178m / $199m) price tag.

If Tottenham were to stick to their guns and demand such a lofty fee, they would almost certainly force Real Madrid into moving for an alternative.

Perisic signs / Tottenham eye Boca Juniors midfielder

In other news, former Spurs star Ivan Perisic has joined PSV Eindhoven as a free agent.

Perisic re-joined boyhood club Hajduk Split upon leaving Spurs earlier in 2024, though has returned to a bigger league through signing with Eredivisie champions PSV. The move also allows Perisic to play Champions League football once again.

Elsewhere, Tottenham are reportedly ‘determined’ to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Kevin Zenon.

The 23-year-old’s current deal with the Argentine giant contains a modest £13m release clause.

Finally, former Spurs winger Erik Lamela has been surpassed in the salary stakes at AEK Athens.

Lamela became the Greek side’s highest paid player ever when joining over the summer. But following confirmation of Anthony Martial’s signing as a free agent, the former Man Utd striker has now taken top spot.

Romero next? Every player to play for Tottenham and Real Madrid

Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate made just 14 appearances in all competitions during an injury-plagued two-year spell at Real Madrid and was sold to Middlesbrough in 2007.

He joined Tottenham in January 2008 and made a brilliant start to his Spurs career, scoring and producing a Man of the Match performance in their 2008 League Cup final win over Chelsea.

But the centre-back spent a lot of time on the sidelines due to his recurring injury problems and was released in 2011.

Sergio Reguilon

A Madrid academy graduate, Reguilon made just 22 appearances for their first team before joining Tottenham in a £27.5million deal in 2020.

The left-back failed to cement a place in the starting line-up and has spent the last two seasons out on loan, playing for Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford.

Roberto Soldado

Soldado also came through the academy at Real Madrid, and he had successful spells at Getafe and Valencia before joining Tottenham in a £26million deal in 2013.

But the striker failed to live up to expectations during a two-year stint in north London, scoring just 16 goals in 76 appearances in all competitions.

Emmanuel Adebayor

After falling out of favour at Manchester City, Adebayor joined Real Madrid on a six-month loan deal in January 2011 and scored eight goals in 22 appearances.

He spent the following season on loan at Tottenham and his 18 goals earned him a permanent move to White Hart Lane.

The former Arsenal striker netted another 24 goals for the club before being released from his contract in September 2015.

Rafael van der Vaart

Van der Vaart was deemed surplus to requirements by Real Madrid following the arrival of Mesut Ozil in 2010, and he joined Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

The former Netherlands international became a fan favourite during his two years at White Hart Lane and registered 28 goals and 18 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions.

Luka Modric

One of two players that Madrid have bought from Tottenham, Modric completed a £30million move to the Spanish side in 2012 after a four-year stint in north London.

He has since made over 500 appearances for Madrid and has established himself as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

Gareth Bale

After winning the Premier League Player of the Year award in 2012/13, Bale left Tottenham and joined Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £85.1million.

He registered 106 goals and 67 assists in 258 appearances for Madrid, helping them win three La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues, a Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA World Club Cups.

The former Wales international re-joined Spurs on a season-long loan deal in 2020 and scored 16 goals during his second spell in north London.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has given his signature ‘here we go’ confirmation to a former Tottenham star’s return to the big time in European football.

Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic joined Tottenham at the ripe old age of 33 back when Antonio Conte was at the helm. The pair had previously worked wonders together at Inter Milan.

After a change of manager, tumbling down the pecking order and suffering an ACL injury, Perisic was loaned to boyhood club Hajduk Split in the winter window of 2024.

The loan agreement took Perisic to the end of his Spurs contract and came with an understanding he would spend the 2024/25 season with Hajduk Split too.

However, Perisic parted ways with the Croatian side on August 30 via mutual consent. The left-footer went in search of a fresh challenge and per Fabrizio Romano, he’s agreed to join reigning Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven.

Taking to X, Romano stated: “Ivan Perisic to PSV Eindhoven, exclusive story confirmed and here we go!

“Medical completed today and contract set to be signed, it will be valid until June 2025. Croatian winger joins PSV as free agent.”

Perisic can help PSV make Champions League dent

PSV romped to the Dutch title last term at the expense of Arne Slot’s Feyenoord. PSV finished with a record of 29 wins, four draws and just one defeat. Even more incredible was their mind-boggling goal difference of plus 90 in just 34 matches.

Perisic will now get the chance to help PSV defend their Eredivisie crown. The Eindhoven club have picked up where they left off last season, winning five from five with an aggregate scoreline of 20-3.

Perisic will also get another crack at the Champions League – a competition he previously won with Bayern Munich in 2020. Had he stayed with Hajduk Split, Perisic would have missed out on European football altogether after the club bowed out of the Conference League in the third qualifying round.

PSV suffered a 3-1 defeat in their UCL opener with Juventus in Turin on Tuesday evening, though that was unquestionably one of the club’s more difficult fixtures.

Liverpool and PSG will also provide PSV with stern challenges, though there are winnable games to come against Sporting CP, Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Brest and Red Star Belgrade.

More free agent moves / Cristian Romero plan

In other news, fellow free agent Adrien Rabiot is also off the market having signed with Marseille. Another high profile free agent – former Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip – is courting interest from three Premier League sides.

Tottenham have hatched a plan to keep Cristian Romero out of the clutches of Real Madrid. Spurs intend to sit down with the Argentine next summer and iron out a long-term contract extension.

Romero is one of four players Real Madrid are targeting in the summer of 2025. If Tottenham successfully retain Romero, Arsenal’s chances of losing William Saliba will increase.

Elsewhere, Ange Postecoglou has been told his position as Spurs manager could come under serious threat if he cannot solve the club’s defensive woes.

Ivan Perisic’s glittering career in numbers

Perisic’s extensive career has seen the left-footer operate in all manner of positions. Much of his early career was spent in more advanced roles, leading to Perisic incredibly breaking the 100 barrier in both goals and assists despite subsequently being known for becoming a specialist at left wing-back.

How and when Tottenham plan to thwart Real Madrid’s attempts to sign Cristian Romero has been revealed, and success for Spurs would enhance the chances of Arsenal losing William Saliba instead, according to reports.

Real Madrid sent super scout Juni Calafat to north London to observe the derby clash between Tottenham and Arsenal on Sunday. The two players who came under Calafat’s watchful eye are understood to be Cristian Romero and William Saliba.

The Independent recently confirmed both centre-backs are on Real Madrid’s radar for 2025, though the plan is to sign one and not both. Per the report, Saliba is Real Madrid’s favoured option.

According to online outlet Football Insider, Tottenham have hatched a plan to ensure Romero stays put.

If successful, Real Madrid’s back-up plan would be removed from the equation, thus enhancing the chances they spare no expense for No 1 target Saliba.

FI stated Spurs plan to sit down with Romero next summer and discuss a bumper new contract extension.

The Argentine’s deal doesn’t expire until 2027, though Tottenham will offer a new deal next summer in an effort to quash exit speculation once and for all.

Romero’s alleged stance on joining Real Madrid

A recent report claimed Romero would be ‘willing’ to join Real Madrid if they came calling. However, it’s important to note the reliability of the source of that claim is not particularly high.

Of course, a move for Romero would only come into focus if Real Madrid admit defeat on signing Saliba first.

Per the Independent, Real Madrid are aiming to revamp their backline next summer with moves for Trent Alexander-Arnold and either Saliba or Romero. Los Blancos also want Manchester City ace Rodri to anchor their midfield.

But per the report, Real Madrid actually believe prising Saliba out of Arsenal would be the most difficult deal of the three to pull off.

Explaining why, Arsenal’s re-emergence as a genuine footballing power was cited. The Gunners came close to winning the Premier League title in each of the last two seasons and the bulk of their best players are either in their primes now or are still to reach the peak of their powers.

Indeed, the average age of Arsenal’s starting elevens across the first four Premier League matches this season is just 26.25.

Losing Saliba at a time when Arsenal look ready to win major trophies would be the bitterest of pills to swallow for Mikel Arteta.

Tottenham eyeing Argentine / Postecoglou pressure building

In other news, Tottenham are reportedly ‘determined’ to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Kevin Zenon.

The 23-year-old’s current deal with the Argentine giant contains a modest £13m release clause.

Elsewhere, former Spurs winger Erik Lamela has been surpassed in the salary stakes at AEK Athens.

Lamela became the Greek side’s highest paid player ever when joining over the summer. But following confirmation of Anthony Martial’s signing as a free agent, the former Man Utd striker has now taken top spot.

Closer to home, Ange Postecoglou has been told his position as Spurs manager could come under serious threat if he cannot solve the club’s defensive woes.

Romero next? Every player to play for Tottenham and Real Madrid

Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate made just 14 appearances in all competitions during an injury-plagued two-year spell at Real Madrid and was sold to Middlesbrough in 2007.

He joined Tottenham in January 2008 and made a brilliant start to his Spurs career, scoring and producing a Man of the Match performance in their 2008 League Cup final win over Chelsea.

But the centre-back spent a lot of time on the sidelines due to his recurring injury problems and was released in 2011.

Sergio Reguilon

A Madrid academy graduate, Reguilon made just 22 appearances for their first team before joining Tottenham in a £27.5million deal in 2020.

The left-back failed to cement a place in the starting line-up and has spent the last two seasons out on loan, playing for Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford.

Roberto Soldado

Soldado also came through the academy at Real Madrid, and he had successful spells at Getafe and Valencia before joining Tottenham in a £26million deal in 2013.

But the striker failed to live up to expectations during a two-year stint in north London, scoring just 16 goals in 76 appearances in all competitions.

Emmanuel Adebayor

After falling out of favour at Manchester City, Adebayor joined Real Madrid on a six-month loan deal in January 2011 and scored eight goals in 22 appearances.

He spent the following season on loan at Tottenham and his 18 goals earned him a permanent move to White Hart Lane.

The former Arsenal striker netted another 24 goals for the club before being released from his contract in September 2015.

Rafael van der Vaart

Van der Vaart was deemed surplus to requirements by Real Madrid following the arrival of Mesut Ozil in 2010, and he joined Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

The former Netherlands international became a fan favourite during his two years at White Hart Lane and registered 28 goals and 18 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions.

Luka Modric

One of two players that Madrid have bought from Tottenham, Modric completed a £30million move to the Spanish side in 2012 after a four-year stint in north London.

He has since made over 500 appearances for Madrid and has established himself as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.

Gareth Bale

After winning the Premier League Player of the Year award in 2012/13, Bale left Tottenham and joined Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £85.1million.

He registered 106 goals and 67 assists in 258 appearances for Madrid, helping them win three La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues, a Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA World Club Cups.

The former Wales international re-joined Spurs on a season-long loan deal in 2020 and scored 16 goals during his second spell in north London.

Tottenham are reportedly considering making a move to sign Boca Juniors midfielder Kevin Zenon but could face competition from Newcastle for his services.

Midfield is certainly an area Ange Postecoglou still wants to address come the January transfer window, having offloaded Tanguy Ndombele (released), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (loan), Oliver Skipp and Giovani Lo Celso, while only Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were added to the Australian’s engine room.

And now a fresh report from Spain suggests that the north London outfit are pushing to sign Zenon, with the 23-year-old having a £13million release clause in his contract.

Spanish outlet Fichajes states that Tottenham ‘determined’ to secure the player’s signature, although they might have to overcome strong opposition from St James’ Park to get their man.

In 34 appearances, the South American has made 11 goal contributions this season for Boca Juniors, scoring four goals and registering seven assists.

If he did arrive in north London, Zenon could be joined in the Spurs midfield by USA international Johnny Cardoso.

In selling Lo Celso back to Real Betis, Tottenham secured a deal to sign Cardoso in the future that can be triggered with a £21m (€25m / $27.7m) fee. However, The Telegraph reports that the window for Spurs’ option lasts for just two weeks during 2025, with other teams able to compete for him when it expires.

Adding both Cardoso and Zenon would bring even more young talent to Postecoglou’s midfield, although Tottenham fans have been ruing not seeing a more established name come in after a tough start to the season so far.

Zenon adaptability a plus point for Postecoglou

Zenon is a versatile midfielder as he can play in the engine room but is also comfortable playing out wide.

The Argentine is excellent technically, strong in tight areas, capable of making defence-splitting passes between the lines and can produce quality from set-pieces.

He is considered a shrewd bargain acquisition, if Tottenham do indeed make a concrete offer for his services in the January window.

Zenon has scored 10 goals in 143 career appearances, although he has only featured 28 times for Boca so far after joining them in January of this year.

The Argentina Under-23 international’s contract runs out in December 2028, which leaves Boca in a strong position if his release clause figure is not met going forward.

Barca target emerges for Tottenham as Romero fears grow

Another midfielder on the club’s radar, meanwhile, is reported to be Barcelona star Fermin Lopez after a report revealed they made an approach in the summer.

As revealed by Relevo, Tottenham were at the front of the queue for Lopez this summer after making an approach to Barca.

However, Lopez’s current club closed the door by pointing to the player’s €400m (£337.8m/$443.3m) release clause, which was obviously never expected to be activated.

And Barcelona are now actitvely working on upgrading Lopez’s contract to end Tottenham’s hopes once and for all.

In other Totttenham news, as the club continue to weigh up the players they can try and bring in next, a damaging report suggests they could end up losing Cristian Romero to Real Madrid.

Transfer insider Ekrem Konur has stated that Real are ‘planning to make a move’ for the Argentine centre-back in January and that they have been given confidence that they can get him.

That’s as Romero is said to be ‘willing to join’ the Spanish giants if an offer comes his way.

Midfield conundrum causing problems for Postecoglou

There is a growing feeling that Postecoglou was let down over the summer by Tottenham not making a move to sign a world class central midfielder capable of running games.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are top young talents who are likely to have successful careers, but that is in the future and it’s painfully obvious that Spurs are missing a midfield general in a team full of talented individuals.

Yves Bissouma has been nothing like the player he was at Brighton, while Rodrigo Bentancur is still not at his best after his ACL injury in early 2023.

Pape Sarr remains another promising talent but while Postecoglou playing Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison centrally alongside Bentancur against Arsenal worked well in possession, without it Tottenham were so vulnerable to the transition and need to provide more cover for the over-worked central defensive pairing of Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Now might be the time to give Gray his chance to show the qualities he did in pre-season and prove why he was a generational talent at Leeds United.

Playing the England Under-21 alongside Bentancur would give more of a solid base for Spurs to work from and allow the attacking players to do their thing without making life a nightmare for the back two when the ball is lost.

AC Milan have been linked with a move for Tottenham target and Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso, but Ange Postecoglou’s side hold a telling advantage over their Italian rivals.

Tottenham agreed to sell attacking midfielder Giovani Lo Celso to Betis late last month for a fee in the region of £8.4m (€9.9m / $11m), with the Argentina international returning to the club he left permanently in January 2020.

This deal was partly done to secure the services of United States international Cardoso, but according to Italian publication Calciomercato, Tottenham could risk ‘losing out’ on the 22-year-old to Milan.

The report claims the Serie A side have ‘every intention of initiating’ contact with Cardoso, especially after losing defensive midfielder Ismael Bennacer for four months due to a calf injury.

Milan recruited full-back Emerson Royal from Spurs earlier this summer and he and Cardoso share the same agent – which, typically, could help in a possible deal. However, this is, seemingly, not a typical transfer.

Earlier this month, Betis president Angel Haro confirmed Tottenham had negotiated an option to buy the former Internacional ace in next summer’s transfer window.

During the talks for the Lo Celso move, the Spanish club accepted an offer on Cardoso that can be triggered with a £21m (€25m / $27.7m) fee.

The Telegraph claim that the window for Spurs’ option lasts for just two weeks during 2025, with other teams able to compete for him when it expires.

“Johnny is a player who is of interest not only to Tottenham, but to many other teams, who has great potential and in this case, within the Gio [Lo Celso] operation, they asked us for an option to buy for a value that was important and interesting for us and we did give them that option,” Haro said.

Milan may try and find a way round this agreement with a move in January but Spurs are likely to hold the upper hand in negotiations.

DON’T MISS: Postecoglou told ‘pressure’ is mounting, with Tottenham ‘so susceptible’ in one area

The United States’ rising star

Cardoso was born to Brazilian parents in New Jersey, United States, but moved to Brazil when he was three months old.

After stints at the academies of Criciuma and Avai, he joined Internacional in 2014 and went onto make his first-team debut just before he turned 18 in September 2021.

The 6ft player went onto make 144 appearances for the Brazilian outfit, scoring seven goals along the way – and that caught the attention of teams in Europe.

In December 2023, Cardoso made the switch from Internacional to Betis on a five-year deal for a fee of approximately £4.7m (€5.6m / $6.3m). But off the back of his performances over the past six months – which have included 23 appearances, one goal, and two assists – he is worth a great deal more than that now.

Back in May, when links with Barcelona began to emerge, Cardoso pledged his future to Betis.

“My head and my goals are in Betis. I arrived a short time ago. I want to continue working and evolving. My head is in Betis and the other things are for my agents,” he said.

How long he stays there remains to be seen.

Postecoglou under pressure

Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday condemned Postecoglou’s team to a second-straight Premier League defeat as they fell to 13th in the table.

Once again, Spurs’ inability to deal with set pieces came back to haunt them as Gabriel Magalhaes’ second-half header settled the contest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After spending more than £350m (€415m/$462m) during his tenure as Tottenham boss, pressure is mounting on Postecoglou to take the team forward and challenge for trophies this season.

Despite only Nottingham Forest (23) conceding more set piece goals than Spurs (18) this season and last, the former Celtic boss downplayed it as an issue in a prickly post-match press conference.

“I know for some reason people think I don’t care about set-pieces, and it’s a narrative that you can keep going on for ages and ages. I understand that,” he said. “Like I said, we work on them all the time, like we do with every other team.

GO DEEPER: Tottenham pushing to sign perfect Solanke foil as cut-price January deal emerges

“It is what it is. It’s my burden to carry and I’m happy to do that. Like I’ve always said, for me there’s a bigger picture that’s at play here that’s much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to. For us, the way forward is to, as I said, try and turn the football we’re playing now into something meaningful.

“We’re a team that’s progressing in many areas. With all that sort of progress, there’s always kind of new challenges and new things that you need to overcome. When I look at the four games in isolation this year, our football’s been more consistent and more compelling than it was in our first four games last year. Obviously the results don’t reflect that.

“I think we’ve made progress in certain areas, but there’s other areas, like I said, we still need to improve on. That’s my job, to kind of fill those gaps as quickly as possible.”

Tottenham ‘getting more creative’ with transfers

Incidentally, according to former Manchester City financial advisor and football finance expert Stefan Borson, Spurs’ priority option to sign Cardoso is an illustration of the north London team’s creativity.

He told Football Insider: “I think clubs are getting more and more creative with the deals. If you are selling to Betis, you know that you are probably not going to maximise your cash inflow from the deal.

“There are going to have to be other bits and pieces, be that sell-on clauses or other pieces like first options on other players you are potentially interested in.

“I think you will see more and more creativity around that when people are selling outside of England. Where it’s an English deal, I think you are going to see more deals where people are focused on the headline amount.

“But where clubs are not going to be able to pay huge headline amounts, then they are going to want some additional value within the deal and I’m sure people will get more and more creative around it.”

Clinton Morrison has revealed he thinks “pressure is going to build” on Ange Postecoglou, given Tottenham are “so susceptible defensively that it’s a real problem”.

Tottenham were handed their second Premier League loss in four games on Sunday, meaning they are now 13th in the Premier League. To make matters worse, it was against local rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners are flying high in second, and were too strong for Spurs in the 1-0 victory.

And while it was only a one-goal swing, Morrison feels in the crucial areas of the pitch, at the back and up top, Tottenham are not offering enough.

“Tottenham are so susceptible defensively that it’s a real problem. They are not being clinical enough either, which is what the real hammer blow is,” Morrison said on BBC Radio 5 Live

“If you’re going to be that offensive and that open and free, you’ve got to bang the ball in the back of the net, and they’re not doing that. Dominic Solanke is having a rough start. He was playing against two of the best today.”

As a result, he feels Spurs boss Postecoglou could be in some danger.

“The pressure is going to start to build a bit on the manager,” Morrison added.

DON’T MISS: Tantalising Tottenham XI to lead Postecoglou to promised land and end 16-year trophy wait

Postecoglou is convinced he can bring success

But Postecoglou himself does not feel that he is currently under any pressure.

In fact, he is eager to replicate a feat he has achieved at many of his other clubs, such as Celtic, Yokohama F Marinos and Brisbane Roar, in achieving silverware in his second campaign.

“I will correct myself: I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed,” he said after the loss to Arsenal.

That pressure will begin to ramp up if he does not string a run of form together, though.

New signings can help ease pressure

If by January things are not looking up, Postecoglou will almost certainly look to improve his side in the transfer market.

He has eyes on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who could help to get the best out of Dominic Solanke, by giving him competition.

Another striker on the radar is 15-year-old Harry Gray, whose brother Archie is already at Spurs. The former bagged eight goals for Leeds under-18s last season.

Further to those pursuits, Tottenham are keen on Eberechi Eze and Noah Okafor.

Postecoglou’s side feel that another Premier League giant may have budged in front of them for the former, but a move for the latter is being planned for January.

How does Postecoglou compare with Conte

Postecoglou was the first permanent Spurs manager to follow Antonio Conte, when he left the club.

The Italian had essentially a year and a half at the helm, and managed 76 games in that time.

He won 41, drew 12 and lost 23. That means his Tottenham side achieved an average of 1.78 points per game, and they also achieved a fourth-placed finish in his first season.

Postecoglou has managed just 45 Tottenham games so far, winning 21, drawing seven and losing 16. His points-per-game tally is 1.62.

In his one full season so far, he guided Spurs to fifth in the Premier League. But he’s currently performing worse than how Conte did, and he did not last all of his second season, so Postecoglou will hope he can go one better.

He clearly feels it’s possible, but there needs to be change from how the season has started for that to be true.