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Jamie Carragher is growing increasingly concerned for Ange Postecoglou’s chances of remaining in the Tottenham hotseat by describing Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Chelsea as a “nightmare” and admitting his excuses are “starting to wear a little thin” – though the under-fire Spurs manager has hit back with a strong response of his own.

Tottenham were cruising early on against the Blues on Sunday when goals from Dominik Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski put them 2-0 to the good after just 11 minutes. But with Jadon Sancho then pulling a goal back, a spectacular second-half collapse saw Chelsea run out 4-3 winners to thrust Enzo Maresca’s side into the heat of the title battle and leave Tottenham in a dire situation.

It now means Spurs have won just one of their last seven games, while the capitulation to the Blues was their seventh in the Premier League already this season – to leave them seven points adrift of the top four – Postecoglou‘s target for the season – and down in 11th place.

Carragher quickly expressed his concerns about Postecoglou’s future at full-time, revealing he ‘does not expect Postecoglou to be here next season’.

Now his opinions from his in-game commentary have also come to the surface, with the Sky Sports pundit suggesting his excuses will no longer work with the Tottenham fans.

“A match that sums up the Big Ange reign! They’ve seen this movie before, it’s starting to wear a little bit thin,” Carragher said on Sky Sports‘ commentary of the match after Cole Palmer had scored his second penalty to make it 4-2.

“I’ve said before how naive this Tottenham side is: they want to play pure football, but it’s just not working. What started out as a really good day for Tottenham has turned into an absolute nightmare.”

Carragher continued: “This is a real bad one for Ange Postecoglou. I don’t know how he explains this one… whatever he says I doubt it’s going to go down well with the Tottenham supporters.

“They’re so close to being a good side but it’s just not happening for them.”

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Postecoglou responds to Carragher’s comments and Merson weighs in

With Carragher also hitting out at the Spurs boss over his failure to adapt his tactics and change his approach, the 59-year-old insists he is not prepared to alter the style that has served him so well in his career so far.

And he insists his high-pressing style remains the right way to go about things.

“It was good enough to get us ahead in the game so I am not sure why we should change our approach,” Postecoglou told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It was a game of big moments. If we score at 2-2 and go 3-2 ahead then the pressure is on them and they have to open up like we did when we conceded. But like I said, disappointing that we let them get the advantage in a self-inflicted way.”

He added: “Their penalties were poor on our behalf. We didn’t need to make those challenges and it was hard for us to claw it back. I think sometimes when you are in this position we are, you are desperate to do the right thing. You probably need a calmer approach. The guys are desperate to do the right thing and unfortunately, it cost us.”

Paul Merson, though, also expressed his concerns for Postecoglou’s future and suggested he may be out of his depth.

“I don’t mean to sound disrespectful but I’m watching the game, Spurs are 2-0 up against Chelsea and it’s like they are playing against Kilmarnock or St Mirren and he’s the Celtic manager and got the best players,” he said on Sky Sports.

“They haven’t got the best players at Tottenham, so they have to change it. You can’t go, you have a shot, we have a shot and we can destroy you like they have over the years. You’ve got to be cute and say, ‘we’re 2-0 up here, let’s counter-attack’.”

Latest Tottenham news: Manager linked with Postecoglou job; Son’s Barcelona link

Meanwhile, with pressure building all the time on Postecoglou, a report over the weekend claims Spurs have already started to look at possible replacements – and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is seemingly figuring highly at the very top of their wishlist.

McKenna rejected the chance to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea over the summer, signing a new contract at Portman Road instead, and his links to Spurs make him a fairly obvious candidate.

Elsewhere, speculation over the future of Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has also risen again over the weekend. Linked with a move to Manchester United last week, the 32-year-old, who looked visibly distraught at full-time on Sunday, has reportedly now offered himself to Barcelona.

On the incoming front, Tottenham are said to be readying an offer to land Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi who could be sold by the Italian champions owing to financial pressures.

Jamie Carragher criticised Yves Bissouma and Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham Hotspur were beaten by Chelsea in a seven-goal thriller on Sunday.

Tottenham got off to a fantastic start, with Dominic Solanke giving the home side the lead in just the fifth minute. A Marc Cucurella slip allowed Brennan Johnson to steal before crossing into the box, and Solanke did brilliantly to poke into the net.

Another Cucurella slip cost Chelsea in the 11th minute. Dejan Kulusevski dribbled into the box unchallenged and proceeded to send a low left-footed drive into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Jadon Sancho gave Chelsea a lifeline by making it 2-1 before Pape Sarr headed onto the crossbar.

Following half time, a clumsy Bissouma tackle on Moises Caicedo in the box saw the referee give a penalty and Cole Palmer stepped up to convert and put Chelsea on level terms.

Palmer was instrumental to Chelsea taking the lead too. He turned Destiny Udogie inside out and had his shot blocked, which saw the ball fall to Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine smashed home on his left foot to send the travelling Chelsea fans wild.

Chelsea had another spot-kick in the 83rd minute after Sarr had a rush of blood to the head and tackled Palmer from behind in the penalty area.

Palmer continued his fantastic record from the spot by chipping Fraser Forster with a delightful Panenka penalty. Son Heung-min netted late on for Spurs, but it was not enough as Postecoglou’s side fell to a 4-3 defeat to their London rivals.

On commentary, Carragher was stunned by Bissouma’s decision to slide in and give Chelsea their first penalty, labelling it ‘braindead’ from the midfielder.

Pundits stunned by Tottenham decision-making

After the match, fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp questioned Sarr’s decision-making when handing Chelsea their second spot-kick.

“You know how skilful he [Palmer] is. That is so clumsy, that is so bad because this was the moment that cost them the game. Ridiculous challenge, you just cost your team,” Redknapp said.

“That’s two ill-disciplined [tackles] from your two defensive midfield players.”

It wasn’t just the Spurs players who came in for criticism, as Carragher also tore into Postecoglou.

“Unless he makes this team hard to beat, he won’t win anything,” the former Liverpool defender added.

“When I hear a manager say, ‘we play the same way [no matter what]’, it’s nonsense, it’s absolute rubbish.”

Carragher continued: “He [Postecoglou] said something in his interview there about how well they played. He said, ‘when we’re at our best we cause teams problems’.

“I can’t imagine any manager I played for for Liverpool, if we conceded four in a game, would say in the interview that we played well.

“I’ve never been able to get my head around certain managers who say, ‘we play a certain way and we will never change’.

“There’s this idea, this pure game, the Tottenham fans saying they’ve got their Tottenham back. You won’t win anything. You won’t challenge, [or] do anything.

“If it doesn’t change, he won’t be here next season.”

Tottenham superstar Heung-min Son has reportedly ‘offered to join’ Barcelona, and he’d be able to do so for free at the end of the season given his contract situation.

Son has been one of the very best players in the modern era for Spurs. Playing over 400 games, the South Korean has been directly involved in over 250 goals for the club.

He has been relied upon even more since striker partner Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich in 2023.

But it was recently reported that Son’s entourage were unhappy that Tottenham were not to offer him a new contract, and would merely trigger the one-year extension available in his current deal.

It was thought that could push him away, and as per recent reports cited in Spain, that’s what has happened.

El Nacional references reports that Son has ‘offered to join’ Barcelona, where he could of course go for free if he does not agree to the one-year extension, with his current deal expiring in the summer.

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Son talks with Spurs opened

There are conflicting reports on Son’s future at the moment, though.

Of late, it was suggested that Tottenham were in the process of handing the forward his extra year.

Since then, though, it’s been suggested that Manchester United and Real Madrid are interested in him.

While interest from some sides may seem farfetched, Barcelona are a club who have struggled financially of late, and taking a quality player like Son for no fee is something they would likely be keen on if possible.

Tottenham round-up: Next manager eyed

If they are to get rid of current boss Ange Postecoglou at any point, Spurs will reportedly look to replace him with Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

Meanwhile, it’s believed Tottenham are ready to speak to Wolves forward Matheus Cunha about a move.

They’re also said to be readying an offer to land Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.

And it’s believed Chelsea had scouts present to watch Illia Zabarnyi keep Spurs’ attackers at bay in Bournemouth’s 1-0 victory of late, and the Blues were impressed by the defender who is also being watched by Postecoglou’s men.

Former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand is unconvinced that Ange Postecoglou did the right thing by going to the away section at the Vitality Stadium after the hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat on Thursday.

The travelling Tottenham contingent on the south coast were understandably in an unforgiving mood after witnessing an awful performance from their side, following on from the 1-1 home draw against 10-man Fulham last weekend.

They jeered Postecoglou when he walked over to them to applaud supporting the team, with several abusing the Australian, who stood his ground and accepted responsibility for the defeat.

And speaking to the media before Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, Postecoglou explained his actions to reporters again, saying: “They felt like they needed to give me feedback, so I thought I’d get close enough for them to make sure they were heard.

“Hopefully after 18 months, you’ve realised that I am who I am. I don’t really care. Whether people think I’m an easy target or, soft target. I’m going to shy away from it. I’ve fought my whole life and I’m not going to race down the tunnel because some people feel like they need to give me some direction.”

Ferdinand, however, is not convinced that Postecoglou should have engaged with te Tottenham fans in the first place.

The former Tottenham striker told Amazon Prime: “I’m always sceptical about the managers going onto the pitch and walking around.

“When you win it’s great and I know you want to appreciate the supporters, but when you lose games it’s difficult. You’re always going to get what he had there.

“Sometimes when a run of results go the wrong way, a manager heads straight down the tunnel, I think that’s what you’ve got to do at the end of the game.”

Pressure building on Postecoglou

After a poor run of results, sandwiched by an incredible 4-0 win at reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, the pressure is mounting on the 59-year-old.

Indeed, a report from Football Transfers claims that Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has emerged as a potential replacement for Postecoglou should he be shown the door.

McKenna rejected the chance to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea over the summer, signing a new contract at Portman Road instead, and his links to Spurs as a former Under-18s coach make him a fairly obvious candidate.

The Northern Irishman also masterminded a famous Ipswich win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November as he looks to keep his side in the Premier League after securing successive promotions since taking charge back in December 2021.

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs learn cost of Ligue 1 target / January Reguilon exit

Tottenham have been told how much it will cost to sign rising Lens star Abdukodir Khusanov amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, it has been claimed.

Tottenham need defensive reinforcements as they usually struggle when starting centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are out injured.

Khusanov is the latest centre-half to emerge on Tottenham’s radar. According to new reports, Tottenham are ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old’s exciting development and have scouted him on several occasions this year.

The report, which comes from CaughtOffside, states that Khusanov’s solid performances in Ligue 1 – despite his tender age – have alerted a host of top clubs to his potential.

Meanwhile, a struggling La Liga side is reportedly willing to take a Tottenham outcast off of Ange Postecoglou’s hands by offering him a January transfer exit.

Super Deporte claims Getafe are willing to ‘negotiate hard’ with Spurs to sign out-of-favour left-back Sergio Reguilon in early 2025.

Chelsea reportedly sent scouts to watch Illia Zabarnyi in action against Tottenham of late, and continue to be impressed by the Ukraine international.

The Blues have performed well defensively this season. After 14 Premier League games, they have conceded 15 goals, a total only bettered by Liverpool (first in the league) and Arsenal (third).

With that said, it’s believed Chelsea are still ‘unconvinced’ by first-choice pairing Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill.

That’s according to TBRFootball, who state the Blues are making sure they have a ‘clear picture’ of the best available centre-backs in the Premier League.

According to the report, they had scouts in attendance to watch Bournemouth centre-back Zabarnyi play against Tottenham on December 5.

The Cherries beat Chelsea’s rivals 1-0, Zabarnyi part of a shutout for the home side.

It’s reported the Blues are impressed with the centre-back as a result, having regularly watched him prior to that game, too.

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Chelsea have Zabarnyi competition

TEAMtalk is aware that the Blues do indeed have an interest in Zabarnyi.

But Enzo Maresca’s side will have competition of they want to sign him.

His performances have also caught the eye of Tottenham and Premier League champions Manchester City.

That he performed aptly against Spurs, it would not be a surprise if the north London club’s interest in Zabarnyi was stoked.

In any case, we are aware that Bournemouth are reluctant to lose the Ukrainian.

Chelsea round-up: Dewsbury-Hall shown door

Maresca’s signing of his former Leicester star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is clearly not working out, and the midfielder is now said to be available in January for around £30million.

Though Mykhailo Mudryk is also being tipped to exit, his agent has revealed the winger is only thinking of breaking into Chelsea’s best starting XI.

Meanwhile, the Blues have been given hope of landing long-term target Victor Osimhen, as he “wants to use this season as an opportunity to let the Premier League clubs decide whether to make an offer to Napoli.”

And, Emmanuel Petit feels unless current Arsenal loanee Raheem Sterling drops wage demands once he gets back to Chelsea, he’ll not “ever” be seen at the club again, as he won’t be able to get a move but won’t be picked by Maresca.

The pressure on Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is growing at an exponential rate after two massively below-par performances, with a Premier League manager who rejected Chelsea over the summer now being linked with his position.

After a woeful end to last season, Spurs have had an incredibly inconsistent start to the current campaign and sit 10th in the Premier League table with six wins and six defeats from their 14 games so far.

The awful performance during the midweek loss at Bournemouth led to a confrontation between Postecoglou and the travelling Tottenham support, sparking a debate over whether the Australian is now on borrowed time in north London.

Indeed, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara claims that Daniel Leevy will sack Postecoglou if his old club are still in the same position on even lower at Christmas.

To that end, a report has revealed who Tottenham are considering as Postecoglou’s successor if they decide to sack him in the coming weeks, with Football Transfers stating that the club have shortlisted Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as a possible replacement.

The report claims that the 38-year-old is the first choice if the Australian is shown the door, having previously been an Under-18s coach at the club.

McKenna rejected the chance to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea over the summer, signing a new contract at Portman Road instead, and his links to Spurs make him a fairly obvious candidate.

The Northern Irishman also masterminded a famous Ipswich win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November as he looks to keep his side in the Premier League after securing successive promotions since taking charge back in December 2021.

O’Hara fears for Postecoglou future

As mentioned earlier, Jamie O’Hara believes Postecoglou could only be a few matches from the sack unless a major improvement is made and they start climbing the table.

“Daniel Levy won’t stand for this. I’m telling you now, he will sack him,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“If he thinks he can go this all the way through the season and keep defending like this, keep having set pieces like this, he will get sacked.

“Daniel Levy is all about Champions League football, Europa League minimum. If Spurs are tenth in the table after Christmas, they’ll sack Ange.

“I’m telling you, they’ll sack him. This can’t continue.

“I know everyone loves Ange, you know, in terms of like the attacking football. I can’t, I’m getting bored of watching this.”

Things don’t get any easier for Postecoglou and Tottenham as they prepare to face an in-form Chelsea side in north London on Sunday still missing several first-team stars.

In fairness to the Australian, he has been incredibly unlucky with key players suffering from injuries, with key centre-back duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven the obvious standouts, along with keeper Guglielmo Vicario.

However, his stubbornness to continue trying to play out from the back with inferior players has led to multiple mistakes that could have cost Tottenham far more than the 15 goals they have conceded in the league this season.

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs learn centre-back target asking price / Inter midfielder wanted

Tottenham have been told how much it will cost to sign rising Lens star Abdukodir Khusanov amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, it has been claimed.

Tottenham need defensive reinforcements as they usually struggle when starting centre-backs Van de Ven and Romero are out injured, as showcased in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are Ange Postecoglou’s backup options, though the latter is now 31 years old and may soon need to be replaced.

Khusanov is the latest centre-half to emerge on Tottenham’s radar. According to new reports, Tottenham are ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old’s exciting development and have scouted him on several occasions this year, with his asking price now emerging.

Meanwhile, Spurs are ready to bid €35m for a goalscoring midfielder and Inter Milan’s surprise stance on a January sale has been revealed by a report.

Tottenham have found Serie A fertile ground for signing new players in recent years. Indeed, Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were all bought from Italian clubs.

And according to a fresh update from SpazioInter.it, Spurs have once again fixed their gaze on Serie A.

It’s claimed the north London outfit are ‘ready to offer 35 million euros’ for an Inter star.

Ange Postecoglou has been told that Tottenham’s form is not good enough and he could be sacked as manager before new year unless major improvements are made to their current form with one pundit branding a popular tactic of theirs as “painful”.

Pressure is building on the Aussie following Thursday night’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth that leaves Spurs 10th in the Premier League and now six points adrift of the top four places. As a result, Tottenham now have just one win in their last six games in a run of form that includes four defeats, including miserable losses to the Cherries and Ipswich Town.

The 59-year-old quickly endeared himself to Tottenham fans last season with his entertaining football which had them top of the Premier League after 10 games. But having since failed to recapture those heights consistently, Postecoglou now finds himself coming under increased scrutiny and he was subject to a chorus of boos from the travelling Spurs supporters after the final whistle at the Vitality Stadium.

Now former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes Postecoglou could only be a few matches from the sack unless a major improvement is made and they start climbing the table.

“Daniel Levy won’t stand for this. I’m telling you now, he will sack him,” O’Hara told talkSPORT.

“If he thinks he can go this all the way through the season and keep defending like this, keep having set pieces like this, he will get sacked.

“Daniel Levy is all about Champions League football, Europa League minimum. If Spurs are tenth in the table after Christmas, they’ll sack Ange.

“I’m telling you, they’ll sack him. This can’t continue.

“I know everyone loves Ange, you know, in terms of like the attacking football. I can’t, I’m getting bored of watching this.”

O’Hara is ‘bored’ by ‘painful’ Tottenham amid Postecoglou sack talk

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Tottenham would be unlikely to do anything about the managerial situation midway through the season and any judgement of his reign would be reserved until the season’s end.

Postecoglou has made clear his ambitions to win a trophy for a club that last lifted silverware back in 2008, though we’ve been told in no uncertain terms that it is his league placing for which he is judged by and with Levy making clear that his target is a position in the top four.

O’Hara though is fed up with talking about the club’s inconsistencies and feels the axe could fall if Levy feels their top-four chances are slipping away.

“I’m going to be honest, I’m getting tired of talking about Tottenham.

“I don’t know what to say. You know, at the end of the day, I come in here and I can talk about Spurs all day long and you clip stuff up and it does my head in.

“I’m tired of being a Spurs fan. It’s hard work. One minute you’re up, then you’re down, then you’re up, then you’re down.

“And you know what? It’s just, it’s painful. We are painful to watch because you know there’s a big performance in there because we’ve seen it.

“Aston Villa. Man City. You go away from home, then you get beat by Bournemouth.”

O’Hara also thinks Spurs should stop playing the ball around at the back and claims he is pained by the tactic.

“It should be banned! “The straight ball playing out from the back should be banned in football. It is never on. Spurs do it every game.

“We are painful to watch.”

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs eye Wolves ace; Lens star’s price tag emerges

Tottenham, meanwhile, have learned what fee it would take for the club to prise Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille.

Spurs’ defensive resources have been stretched in recent weeks with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Now it’s claimed that Postecoglou is eyeing the impressive 20-year-old as a long-term replacement for the club’s longest-serving player.

Elsewhere, reports in Italy claim Spurs are ‘ready to offer’ big money to land an Inter Milan ace.

Midfielder Davide Frattesi is the player in question, and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is understood to be a big fan of his.

But ‘budgetary needs’ may force the Italian giants to sell and this would play into Spurs’ hands.

And finally, Postecoglou is reported to have stepped up his interest in signing Wolves forward Matheus Cunha amid claims they are set to hold talks with his agents over a potential move.

Per an ambitious report, Spurs have set their sights on the Brazilian and believe the high-earning Wolves player could be the man to kickstart their season and signal a march up the table with proactive talks beginning over his potential signing.

Spurs have gone backwards over last 12 months

Spurs are a pretty concerning seven points worse off than they were at the same time last season.

Whereas in the 2023/24 season they were currently nestled nicely in fifth, just two points adrift of the top four, they are currently 10th, some six points adrift of that target.

But it’s the inconsistencies that are doing him so far. Tottenham have shown what they are capable of by winning handsomely at both Manchester United and Manchester City, but also then suffered losses at home to Ipswich and away at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.

He’ll need to get it sorted as it’s easy to see why the screw is being turned and questions are now being asked about his reign.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told how much it will cost to sign rising Lens star Abdukodir Khusanov amid competition for his services from Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, it has been claimed.

Tottenham need defensive reinforcements as they usually struggle when starting centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are out injured, as showcased in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are Ange Postecoglou’s backup options, though the latter is now 31 years old and may soon need to be replaced.

Khusanov is the latest centre-half to emerge on Tottenham’s radar. According to new reports, Tottenham are ‘monitoring’ the 20-year-old’s exciting development and have scouted him on several occasions this year.

The report, which comes from CaughtOffside, states that Khusanov’s solid performances in Ligue 1 – despite his tender age – have alerted a host of top clubs to his potential.

Spurs are at the front of the queue to snap him up, though they will face competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle and Marseille.

The report has also revealed Khusanov’s price tag. Lens want €15-20million (up to £16.6m / $21.2m) before selling the right-footed defender in January.

Spurs need to move quickly to land Khusanov as Lens have been tipped to increase their asking price if the Uzbekistan international enjoys even better form during the second half of the campaign.

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Tottenham eye left-field signing

Spurs’ interest in Khusanov was first revealed in October. Chelsea were also backed to enter talks for him, though they are now targeting different players.

It also emerged that Lens players have been describing him as a ‘monster’ as the 6ft 1in starlet does not seem to be scared of any challenge.

On November 28, French reports stated that Spurs are battling PSG to land Khusanov. PSG view him as a possible successor for club captain Marquinhos, who is now 30 years old.

At that point, Khusanov was rated at just €5m (£4.1m / $5.3m). However, his value has quadrupled as more and more sides declare their interest.

Tottenham transfers: Inter raid advances; flop’s La Liga exit

Meanwhile, reports in Italy claim Spurs are ‘ready to offer’ €35m to snare an Inter Milan ace.

Midfielder Davide Frattesi is the player in question, and Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is understood to be a big fan of his.

But ‘budgetary needs’ may force the Italian giants to sell and this would play into Spurs’ hands.

While Frattesi might arrive in North London in 2025, left-back Sergio Reguilon is gunning to leave.

Reguilon has been cast aside by Postecoglou, while his Spurs contract expires in June.

The Spanish media state Getafe are ready to hold negotiations over the prospective signing of Reguilon in January.

Tottenham are ready to bid €35m for a goal-scoring midfielder and Inter Milan’s surprise stance on a January sale has been revealed by a report.

Tottenham have found Serie A fertile ground for signing new players in recent years. Indeed, Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were all bought from Italian clubs.

And according to a fresh update from SpazioInter.it, Spurs have once again fixed their gaze on Serie A.

It’s claimed Tottenham are ‘ready to offer 35 million euros’ to secure the signing of Inter Milan midfielder, Davide Frattesi.

The 25-year-old joined Inter from Sassuolo for a season-long loan last year. The deal contained an obligation to buy worth €29m that was activated ahead of the current campaign.

Manager Simone Inzaghi is said to ‘highly value’ Frattesi, though his protestations might not prevent Inter’s hierarchy from sanctioning a sale.

Inter are reportedly not in the healthiest place financially and ‘budgetary needs could push the management to seriously evaluate an offer of this magnitude.’

That isn’t likely to go down well with Inzaghi whose side are in a title race in Serie A and remain unbeaten in the Champions League group phase without conceding a goal.

Nonetheless, the club’s overarching needs will come first and if Tottenham do launch a bid, it may well succeed.

Why Frattesi starts for Italy but not Inter

Frattesi operates primarily as an attack-minded central midfielder and has been a regular scorer of goals throughout his career.

The Italian notched seven goals in Serie A for Sassuolo during the 2022/23 campaign. That was followed up by a return of six league goals in his loan season at Inter. Frattesi has scored three more for Inter in Serie A this time around and that’s despite starting just five out of a possible 13 league matches.

Inzaghi can call upon a cluster of high calibre players for the three positions in his midfield. Aside from Frattesi, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are also on the books.

As such, Frattesi has actually emerged as more of a guaranteed starter for Italy when compared to his playing time at club level over the last few years.

Since making his senior debut in 2022, Frattesi has made 25 appearances for Italy, scoring eight goals along the way.

A prior report from InterLive in November – that also detailed Tottenham’s interest – claimed Frattesi was growing unhappy at not being an automatic pick at Inter.

His apparent dissatisfaction combined with a hefty Tottenham bid and Inter’s willingness to cash in could prove the perfect storm for Spurs in January.

Latest Tottenham news – Reguilon, Son, Romero

In other news, reports in Spain claim Getafe are ready to rescue Sergio Reguilon from his never-ending nightmare at Tottenham.

Reguilon – who hasn’t played a match for Spurs since the 2021/22 season – is not in Postecoglou’s plans and could secure a return to LaLiga in January by joining Getafe.

Elsewhere, GiveMeSport remarkably claim Man Utd and Ruben Amorim view Son Heung-min as a viable transfer target.

However, the chances of United securing a deal look slim at best, not least because Tottenham have already set about extending Son’s contract.

Finally, talkSPORT reported: ‘Tottenham risk losing defender Cristian Romero if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.’

The Argentine is on Real Madrid’s radar and the suggestion is Romero could push to leave Spurs if they fail to qualify for Europe’s premier competition once again.

Real Madrid have four alternative right-back targets to Trent Alexander-Arnold in case they fail to sign the Liverpool star, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Alexander-Arnold’s contract with Liverpool is set to expire at the end of the season and Real Madrid have made him their top transfer target for 2025.

As things stand, the England full-back will be able to open pre-contract talks with foreign clubs ahead of a potential free transfer next summer – something Liverpool are desperate to avoid.

However, as we reported on Tuesday, the Reds are still confident Alexander-Arnold will sign an extension before January, with the club willing to offer him a significant pay rise.

Madrid’s recruitment chiefs are set to meet with Carlo Ancelotti in the coming days to discuss the next steps in regards to Alexander-Arnold. Nothing has been decided yet, but they have drawn up a shortlist of right-back targets in anticipation of missing out on the 26-year-old.

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong is being eyed by the LaLiga giants. Ironically, he’s one of the players Liverpool could sign if they lose Alexander-Arnold.

Frimpong, 23, is one of the best attacking full-backs in Europe. He’s under contract with Leverkusen until 2028 and is happy with the Bundesliga club. However, it’s thought he would find it difficult to turn down the likes of Real Madrid or Liverpool if they come calling.

Real Madrid target Man Utd man, Tottenham star

In addition to Frimpong, TEAMtalk can reveal that Real Madrid consider Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot as a ‘valid alternative’ to Alexander-Arnold.

He has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu recently and while Real Madrid do appreciate Dalot, we can confirm that there has been no contact made with his agents, yet.

Dalot’s contract with the Red Devils is valid until 2028 and Ruben Amorim is keen to keep the full-back despite Madrid sniffing after him.

Also on the shortlist is Tottenham star Pedro Porro. However, they are aware that Spurs are in a strong negotiating position given he’s under contract until 2028 and will demand a hefty fee for his signature. In all likelihood, he’ll be too expensive to sign next year.

Rayo Vallecano right-back Andrej Ratiu is also an option for Real Madrid. He would be significantly cheaper than Frimpong, Dalot and Porro and is those behind the scenes at Madrid believe he’s of ‘high quality.’

Whoever is brought in by Ancelotti’s side will have to fill the boots of Dani Carvajal, who has been Madrid’s first choice right-back since 2013, up until he picked up a serious knee injury this season.

Real Madrid round-up: Gravenberch wanted / Romero linked again

Meanwhile, recent reports suggest that Real Madrid are considering a surprise move for Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, as well as Alexander-Arnold.

The Dutch centre-mid has been one of the standout performers under Arne Slot this season and is a key reason why the Reds sit top of the Premier League table.

The report claims they have been impressed with Gravenberch’s performances for Liverpool this term and while a move for him will be difficult, they are monitoring his situation.

In other news, Real Madrid continue to keep close tabs on Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero as they eye replacements for aging duo Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba.

Eder Militao is also sidelined with a serious injury, so Ancelotti wants more reinforcements at the back.

Romero is a key player for Tottenham and they will demand a huge fee for his sale. There have been rumours, however, that Romero is very interested in making the switch to the Bernabeu.