TEAMtalk

The winners of the battle to sign Rodrygo in 2026 has already been named, with Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez already deciding when a 2026 transfer can be done – and with the move set to hugely boost Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur.

The Brazilian has fallen down the pecking order at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso, where he no longer finds himself first choice. And with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe the previous summer effectively pushing him out of the first-team picture, it was no surprise to see the 24-year-old heavily linked with a move away.

Indeed, strong interest was reported in Rodrygo from the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester City also joined by north London pair Arsenal and Tottenham in tracking his signature.

And while PSG were also credited with an interest, the 24-year-old ultimately ended up staying put at the Bernabeu, where he will continue to fight for his first-team place and try and persuade Alonso to alter his opinion on him.

However, regardless of how many minutes he racks up this season, it’s reported that Perez has already decided that the writing is on the wall for the 87-goal forward and renewed efforts to cash in on him will be made ahead of the 2026 transfer windows.

Indeed, according to Fichajes, the favourites to seal his signing have already been named, with Manchester City said to be already working on a deal to bring the player to the Premier League – and as soon as in the January window.

And they report that Pep Guardiola is ready to follow up his interest in the star, seeing him as the ‘perfect fit’ for his squad and ‘essential’ towards their push for Premier League and UEFA Champions League glory this season.

To that end, the report claims Real Madrid have already named their price for the 33-times capped Brazil winger to move to the Etihad, with a reduced fee of €80m (£69.7m, $94m) likely to be enough to convince Los Blancos to sell.

Man City move for Rodrygo will be music to Tottenham’s ears

While the winter window is often something of a damp squib, City showed earlier this year that they are not immune to splashing the cash to fuel their quest for success in this period.

Indeed, they spent heavily on the likes of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in a combined £190m splurge to bolster Guardiola’s options at the time.

As a result, the report claims City will happily look to bring in Rodrygo in January, as opposed to waiting until next summer and amid fears they could miss out on the dazzling star.

As a consequence of that raid, Tottenham Hotspur are also likely to benefit, with City offsetting the cost of signing Rodrygo by offloading another Brazilian, Savinho, to Frank’s side.

The north London side held extensive talks over a summer deal for the winger, only to ultimately miss out.

However, a report on Friday insisted that a move to bring Savinho to north London is far from dead and that Frank was ready to push through a double £90m raid on City once the winter window opens for business.

Journalist Graeme Bailey claims: “I think there is a real chance Spurs revisit this one, but much will depend on the coming months and how much he features for City.”

Real Madrid transfer news: Strong Guehi links; Erling Haaland ‘desire’

Selling Rodrygo to City could also aid Los Blancos’ quest to land a top Cityzens star in return, per reports, amid fresh claims that Erling Haaland wants to move to the Bernabeu – though Perez will reportedly sell another huge name to fund such a deal.

Meanwhile, one of Real Madrid’s brightest young players has been described as an “enormous talent” by an icon, as Liverpool learn why he was never going to move to Anfield this summer, with his decision to join Xabi Alonso’s side made as soon as Los Blancos came into the frame.

Elsewhere, Real have taken a huge step in their quest to sign Marc Guehi ahead of Liverpool, with the central defender out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are determined to bring a €50million Belgium international winger to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window, according to a report, but his agent has already gone public with the star’s desire to succeed Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.

After winning the Europa League last season and subsequently appointing Thomas Frank as the manager, Tottenham were very active in the summer transfer window.

The north London club made the major signings of Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani, among others, as they aim to finish in the Premier League top four and also make an impact in the Champions League this season.

Tottenham were also trying to sign another attacking player before the summer transfer window closed on September 1.

Malick Fofana was one of the players that Tottenham tried to sign late in the window, and, according to CaughtOffSide, the north London club remain keen on him following Daniel Levy’s decision to step down as the chairman.

Lyon turned down an approach from Tottenham for Fofana on transfer deadline day because they did not have enough time to sign a replacement for the left-winger.

However, Tottenham still consider Fofana ‘a key target’ and are planning an approach once the window opens again in January, with Lyon willing to sell the 20-year-old for €50m (£43.4m, $58.6m).

Inter Milan are also keen on a deal for Fofana, who has scored 16 goals and given eight assists in 65 appearances for Lyon since joining the French club from KAA Gent in January 2024.

Fofana has made a positive start to the new season, scoring one goal and registering one assist in three Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon.

Lyon have won all three of their league games and are level on points with leaders and defending French champions Paris Saint-Germain in second place in the table.

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Malick Fofana dreams of Liverpool transfer

Tottenham might be keen on a January deal for Fofana, but last season’s Europa League winners need to be wary of the threat posed by Liverpool.

TEAMtalk understands that Liverpool are among the clubs that showed interest in Fofana in the summer transfer window.

Sources told TEAMtalk’s Everton correspondent, Harry Watkinson, that along with Everton, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, too, made enquiries about the 20-year-old Belgium international winger.

In the end, Federico Chiesa’s decision to stay at Liverpool saw the defending Premier League champions end their pursuit of the Lyon winger, but his agent has previously gone public with the youngster’s desire to play for the Merseyside club.

Bobo Fofana told Africa Foot in May: “The choice of heart would be Liverpool.

“He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and El Hadji Diouf.

“Now, the choice of reason would be Newcastle, a well-structured club that could be a first step to gain experience before, perhaps, joining a club in the European top five.

“He has the profile to succeed in the Premier League. He possesses qualities similar to those of Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, namely speed, impact, and the ability to create opportunities. There’s no doubt he can make a splash.

“For him, this would be an opportunity to continue his development and, above all, to showcase his talent in a league that favors transitional play.

“However, he’ll have to choose the right club, as competition is fierce across the Channel.”

A potential problem for Fofana in fulfilling his desire to play for Liverpool is the emergence of Rio Ngumoha.

Liverpool have high hopes of Ngumoha and plan to give the 17-year-old valuable playing time at left wing.

Latest Tottenham news: £100m star on radar, Daniel Levy exit theory

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has reported that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to pay £100million for an Aston Villa star that they made contact with in the summer transfer window.

Simon Jordan has given his take on Daniel Levy’s exit from Tottenham, with the former Crystal Palace chairman and talkSPORT pundit sharing his theory on the bombshell decision.

Tottenham will return to the table for two Manchester City stars they tried to sign this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur could re-emerge as more serious contenders for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers, sources have told TEAMtalk, as the Premier League club embark on a new era without long-serving chairman Daniel Levy.

Spurs parted ways with Levy on Thursday, a huge development that insiders believe could pave the way for a fresh vision at the top of the north London club. With that comes the possibility of more ambitious and progressive investment in the transfer market.

Rogers is a player admired greatly within Tottenham’s ranks, with last season’s Europa League winners giving serious thought to signing him in August.

As TEAMtalk reported at the time, Villa made it clear that Rogers was not for sale, underlining how highly he is valued at Villa Park.

Indeed, Tottenham made tentative contact through intermediaries late in the summer window, with former Spurs striker Gary Lineker telling The Rest Is Football podcast that Rogers would ‘be an incredible signing’ for Thomas Frank’s side.

Spurs ultimately withdrew from talks with Villa as they turned their focus towards Randal Kolo Muani, who joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, sources have told TEAMtalk that Villa are expected to slap a valuation of around £100million (€115m, $135m) on Rogers from the New Year onwards, reflecting his growing importance under manager Unai Emery.

While that figure was considered out of reach during Levy’s reign, there is a growing belief that Tottenham could now stretch themselves financially to land a marquee target, with Rogers right at the top of the list should such a deal become feasible.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Chelsea are also interested in Rogers and are monitoring the situation.

Rogers, a versatile player who played in attacking midfield, as a right-winger and as a left-winger last season, has scored 17 goals and given 17 assists in 73 matches in all competitions for Villa so far in his career.

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Latest Tottenham news: Daniel Levy exit theory, Warning about major signing

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has given his theory as to why Levy has left his role as the chairman of Tottenham.

Tottenham have been warned about a major signing that they made in the summer transfer window.

Spurs will return for a winger they had bids turned down for this summer, as the Premier League club have not given up on bringing him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Following Daniel Levy’s decision to walk away from his role as Tottenham chairman, TEAMtalk has ranked what we think are the 10 best and worst signings of his long tenure in north London.

Levy was appointed in March 2001 and leaves nearly 25 years on, although he does so with his head held slightly higher after the Europa League success last season.

The 63-year-old was the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman and earned an estimated £50m-plus during his time in charge, but he was also the target of regular protests from Tottenham fans, especially last season when an ill-equipped squad ended up finishing 17th in the Premier League.

A new dawn could now be on the horizon in north London, but for now, let’s take a look back at Levy’s business over the years…

Top 10 best signings

Transfer fee: £5m

From: MK Dons

Appearances and goals: 269/67

It’s a massive shame the way things have turned out for Dele, but what a player he was during that three-year stint between 2015-2018 when Tottenham were genuinely pushing for the Premier League title.

Considering the peanuts they paid for him, the payoff was a big one – before things sadly started to go downhill.

Transfer fee: £10.9m

From: Bayer Leverkusen

Appearances and goals: 102/46

The silky technician was an incredible player to watch, even if he only had two seasons in north London before Man Utd eventually came calling in 2008.

Levy negotiated a near £20m profit on the sale, with legendary Old Trafford boss famously writing in his autobiography that dealing with the Spurs supremo at the time “was more painful than my hip replacement”.

A Levy special for sure!

Transfer fee: £11.8m

From: Lyon

Appearances and goals: 447/0

Incredible value for money for the France World Cup winner, who spent over a decade in north London and spent eight as captain of the club.

Unfortunately for Lloris, he failed to lead the club to any silverware in that time and his form dropped off badly towards the end. However, he will still go down as one of the best goalkeepers the club ever had.

Transfer fee: £7m and then £16m

From: Leeds, Liverpool

Appearances and goals: 306/122

One of the most popular players ever to pull on a Spurs shirt and Keane has admitted previously that the best spell of his long career came in that first stint in north London.

The former Republic of Ireland international remains a regular at Tottenham legends games and is still a quality performer, even at the age of 45.

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Transfer fee: £7m and then £15.75m

From: West Ham, Portsmouth

Appearances and goals: 362/143

Another legendary striker, so good they signed him twice.

Defoe was a lethal finisher who linked up so well with the likes of Keane and Peter Crouch during his time at the club. He remains a hugely popular figure with the fanbase even now.

Transfer fee: £8m

From: Real Madrid

Appearances and goals: 77/28

Van der Vaart only spent just over two seasons at Tottenham but made a massive impact while he was at the club, having been an absolute bargain signing from Real Madrid.

Considering some of the quality performers he had at his disposal, Harry Redknapp was adamant about the best player he signed during his time as Tottenham boss.

He previously said: “Someone like Rafa van der Vaart was a fantastic signing for me at Tottenham in a last-minute deal. A great player, came in and set the place alight, he was amazing.”

Transfer fee: £11m

From: Ajax

Appearances and goals: 305/69

One of the bargains of the Premier League era for sure, and it’s criminal that Tottenham were unable to win a trophy during his seven seasons at the club.

Eriksen was at his very best when Spurs were flying under Pochettino, supplying the bullets for the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

It’s a shame it all came to a slightly bitter end when he openly admitted that he would run down his contract and leave on a free in the summer of 2020. He ultimately joined Inter with six months left on his deal in that January.

Transfer fee: £16.5m

From: Dinamo Zagreb

Appearances/Goals: 160/17

Many Tottenham fans would agree – especially those who saw him in the flesh – that Modric was an absolute technical marvel and one of the most gifted players to ever pull on the shirt.

When he signed in the summer of 2008, Spurs equalled their club record in a deal that raised plenty of eyebrows, but he goes down as one of the most astute pieces of business that Levy ever did.

Given his smaller frame, his longevity in the game is quite remarkable, with the 39-year-old still turning out at the top level for AC Milan.

Transfer fee: £10m and then a loan

From: Southampton, Real Madrid

Appearances/Goals: 237/71

In terms of the sheer bought and sold aspect, Bale would be the clear No.1, but it’s not all about that when assessing these inclusions – even if that would have been right up Levy’s street!

The ‘Bale curse’ early in his Tottenham career ended up becoming a thing of myth after he transitioned from being a struggling full-back into one of the most explosive wingers in the game.

Brazilian full-back Maicon likely still wakes up in hot sweats over the way Bale demolished him in Champions League clashes with Inter.

And while he is No.1 on many lists that have been done in the wake of Levy’s exit, Bale just misses out on ours.

Transfer fee: £22m

From: Bayer Leverkusen

Appearances/Goals: 454/173

One of the best Premier League forward players of the last decade without a shadow of doubt and a true Tottenham legend.

It was so fitting that Son was the player to lift the club’s first major trophy in 17 years in Bilbao after all the blood, sweat and tears during his time in north London.

His link-up with Harry Kane during their time together saw them become one of the best tandems in Premier League history, while he then took on the captaincy after Lloris and Kane moved on.

A great player, a great guy and an incredible Levy signing.

*Honourable mentions

As always with these types of lists, there are always players that miss out that could easily have been in. To that end, the defensive tandem of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld certainly deserve a bit shout out, as do Mousa Dembele and Kyle Walker amongst others.

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Top 10 worst signings

Transfer fee: £3m

From: Derby County

Appearances/Goals: 9/0

The Poland international was signed in 2005 but offered next to nothing during his short period in north London.

Indeed, Rasiak ended up being loaned out to Southampton and joined them in a permanent deal in the summer of 2006, with Levy suffering a £1m loss on that deal.

Transfer fee: £30m

From: Brighton

Appearances and goals: 100/2

This might be a slightly controversial one for some Tottenham fans, especially given the fact that he is still currently employed by the club, but Bissouma has been a massive disappointment – if truth be told.

He was an incredible talent at Brighton and Spurs looked like they had snapped up an absolute bargain in 2022. However, besides a couple of spells where he came close to that level he had with the Seagulls, the Mali international has been a major letdown.

Yes, he performed well in the Europa League semi-finals and final, but Thomas Frank identified as soon as he walked through the door that he needed to upgrade the No.6 role, hence the arrival of Joao Palhinha.

Transfer fee: £25m

From: Fulham

Appearances and goals: 57/3

A talented player who was so unlucky with injuries, but Sessegnon ultimately ended up being a bust signing.

Transfer fee: £8.3m

From: Marseille

Appearances and goals: 14/0

N’Jie came in from Marseille back in 2015, having earned a reputation as a real emerging talent in French football.

He ended up spending two seasons in north London, the second of which was a loan back to Marseille, before he rejoined them permanently.

Transfer fee: £42m

From: Ajax

Appearances and goals: 207/5

Arriving in 2017, Sanchez was lauded as a huge talent and his signing was viewed as a bit of a coup for Levy at the time.

In truth, he looked like he would be a great addition in his early days, although he was playing in the middle of a back three with Vertonghen and Alderweireld either side of him.

As soon as he was utilised in a back four there were mistakes galore, and he often looked really uncomfortable in possession too.

What looked like good business at that time ended up being a near £35m loss after Sanchez had played under multiple Tottenham coaches.

Transfer fee: £17m

From: AZ Alkmaar

Appearances and goals: 42/6

In their search for a reliable backup for Kane’s ankle troubles at the time, Spurs plucked Janssen from Alkmaar after an impressive scoring stint in Holland.

However, he really struggled to adapt to English and ended up in Mexico with Monterrey just two years later.

Transfer fee: £17m

From: Corinthians

Appearances and goals: 67/10

A Brazilian who came to the club with a big reputation, as Spurs started spending the money they recouped from Gareth Bale’s mega sale to Real Madrid.

However, he lasted just two years before being shipped off to the Chinese Super League.

Transfer fee: £27-55m

From: Reeal Betis

Appearances and goals: 108/11

It’s never actually emerged how much Levy paid to get Lo Celso on board back in 2020 after an initial loan stint, with reports varying from as little as £27m up to over £55m!

Either way, the highly-rated Argentine was a massive disappointment, failing to convince the likes of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou that he was worthy of keeping around.

Transfer fee: £26m

From: Valencia

Appearances and goals: 76/16

The club’s record signing at the time of his arrival in the summer of 2013, off the back of the Bale sale, Soldado was a major flop in north London.

Prior to the breakthrough of Kane, Soldado was tasked with leading the line for Spurs but was not particularly good at it. He lasted just two seasons before heading back to Spain.

Transfer fee: £60m

From: Lyon

Appearances and goals: 91/10

Abundance of talent – check. Bad attitude – double check.

Tottenham spent a new record fee to sign the French playmaker in 2019, off the back of their Champions League final failure months earlier.

Pochettino played a bit part in convincing Ndombele that he could improve his game in north London, but ended up being sacked not long after, and the attacking midfielder never really got his Spurs career going after that.

There was a spell under Mourinho where he started to flourish, but rumours of attitude problems were rife and the club ended up terminating his contract in 2024 – not getting a penny back for his services as a result.

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan feels the Lewis family “pushed” Daniel Levy out at Tottenham, and feels it’s “no secret” that the club will be sold.

Levy spent nearly 25 years in his role as executive chairman at Spurs, but brought a shock when he stepped down from his role on Thursday night. It has been speculated that Levy was told to go rather than making his own decision.

Former Palace owner Jordan feels that was the case, with the Lewis family now wanting to sell Tottenham.

“Probably Joe Lewis or the Lewis family have pushed Daniel. My nose tells me that. The judgement is interesting whether they want to get some new money in the business, whether they’re selling the business,” Jordan said on talkSPORT.

“Daniel may be being moved out of the way to be able to achieve both outcomes.

“The Lewis family are suggesting that they want a new level of success, which then positions them with extra currency with the fans.

“I think it’s no secret that Tottenham probably is for sale. It’s no secret that the Lewis family probably want to extract maximum value.

“There’s been a raft of people conversations, I understand, in terms of people perceiving to be interested. Whether that’s Bahrainians [Bahrainis], Americans.”

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Tottenham valued at £4billion

A report from GIVEMESPORT suggests anyone looking to buy Tottenham would have to part with £4billion.

That figure is based on revenue from the stadium, which hosts NFL games, prize money in the Premier League and Europe and the healthy financial situation the club find themselves in.

Amid suggestions of a Qatari takeover, sources there are said to have distanced themselves, with American interest deemed most likely.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk is aware that the anticipated cash injection to come from Levy’s departure is likely to see big signings made over the next couple of years, leading to Tottenham sitting at the top table in Europe.

Tottenham round-up: Kolo Muani is Richarlison Mk II

Tottenham have essentially been told they’ve signed another Richarlison in the snare of Randal Kolo Muani.

Julien Laurens has labelled the Frenchman “not the most technically gifted” and doesn’t see how bringing him in instead of Richarlison “changes” the fortunes of Spurs after a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, reports suggest Tottenham will return for Manchester City pair Savinho and Nathan Ake in January, with the pair valued together at around £90million.

And, Spurs reportedly made an enquiry for Jean-Philippe Mateta on deadline day, but a bid did not materialise.

French football journalist Julien Laurens has told Tottenham they have essentially signed another Richarlison as their new signing is “not the most technically gifted” and won’t make a huge difference.

Spurs spent the final days of the summer transfer window attempting to improve their attack. Having already signed Mohammed Kudus – who assisted twice on debut – they then added Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani.

Neither were in place for the shock 1-0 loss against Bournemouth, after victories against Burnley and Manchester City in the two games prior.

Current striker Richarlison scored a brace against Burnley, and French football expert Laurens has told Tottenham that new boy Kolo Muani won’t be much different to the Brazilian.

He told ESPN: “It’s not a bad deal for Spurs. He’s a good player, he’s a good kid, really. Not the most clinical, not the most gifted technically too, but he started well at Juventus, he can play in different positions, he runs, he can press, he’s got the right mentality.

“I’m just not sure how much this moves the needle for Spurs in this huge season, where they will be back in the Champions League. As we saw against Bournemouth, they were so inoffensive. I’m not sure Kolo Muani, if you bring him in instead of Richarlison in the team that lost to Bournemouth, changes this.”

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Tottenham wanted other options

Spurs were seemingly aware that Kolo Muani was not the best available option to them.

TEAMtalk was aware that they were pursuing Ademola Lookman, who can play both as a striker and a wide man.

What’s more, news has surfaced over a late enquiry for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored 14 Premier League goals last season.

But Tottenham was also not Kolo Muani’s first choice, as Italian journalist Mirko Di Natale has revealed he “feels sorry” for the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who was “attached” to Juventus after his loan there last season but was unable to make the move.

Tottenham round-up: Double raid drawn up

Spurs tried but failed to land Manchester City pair Savinho and Nathan Ake in the summer.

However, reports have surfaced which suggest the north London club will revive moves for both in January.

Meanwhile, Tottenham could go back in for Morgan Gibbs-White in January, with his future not set in stone after penning a new deal with Nottingham Forest, meaning he could opt to look for the exit as he assesses his options.

And, TEAMtalk is aware Spurs plan to use an expected injection of cash following Daniel Levy stepping down as executive chairman to build a star-studded squad and sit at the top table in Europe over the next couple of seasons.

Tottenham are planning to return for not one but two Manchester City stars who they attempted to sign in the summer transfer window, per reports.

A decent end to the January window saw Spurs land Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani in the final few days. That took their tally of signings for the window up to eight.

However, they also missed some big names. Ademola Lookman, Rafael Leao, Savinho, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji were among the players Tottenham wanted but never got.

But reports have surfaced suggesting Spurs may go back in for BOTH Savinho and Ake.

Caught Offside reports the north London club are ‘considering reopening talks’ for the defender as Thomas Frank is keen to add a versatile player to cover both centre-back and left-back. Ake is valued £20million at most by the report.

Meanwhile, after Tottenham were willing to go past their £65million record transfer to sign Savinho – TEAMtalk was aware they could even go higher than £69million – TBRFootball reports there’s a real chance the deal is picked up in January.

Insider Graeme Bailey said: “I think there is a real chance Spurs revisit this one, but much will depend on the coming months and how much he features for City.”

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Tottenham planning exciting new era

The £90million pair of signings could kick off an exciting new era at Tottenham, after Daniel Levy stepped down as executive chairman.

TEAMtalk sources have stated that the ambitious new era in north London is expected to be kicked off with some new signings.

Tottenham are expected to use an anticipated cash injection to bring elite players to the squad over 2026 and 2027.

Spurs hope a new-look squad full of stars can bring them to Europe’s top table over the next couple of years.

Tottenham round-up: Double rival approach revealed

It’s been revealed that Tottenham made approaches for a pair of Crystal Palace stars in the summer.

At the back end, they were said to have enquired about Jean-Philippe Mateta, but a bid did not materialise.

That was after they had made an approach for Adam Wharton, but he did not want to leave in a World Cup year and Palace did not want to sell.

And, Spurs could make another approach for Morgan Gibbs-White, with his future not ‘set in stone’. The midfielder will make an assessment of his current position – after a new contract with Nottingham Forest – in January.

Former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen has accused a Tottenham Hotspur legend of being ‘nuts’ for quitting the club when he did, as the changing of the guard continues in north London.

The turnover of incredible talent at Spurs since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019 has been pretty remarkable, with a number of top managers also coming and going in that time frame.

Son Heung-min became the latest club legend to walk away from Tottenham when he joined LAFC over the summer, following on from the exits of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, who made the spine of that Pochettino team.

Kane‘s exit is the one that hurt the most, though, with the club’s all-time record goalscorer leaving for Bayern Munich in a deal that eventually reached €110m (£96m, $128m) back in the summer of 2023.

At the time, Kane insisted that his exit was all about winning the silverware that had eluded him in north London, but he was also closing in on Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goalscoring mark.

Having scored 213 goals, Kane remains the second-best goalscorer in the history of the Premier League, some 47 goals shy of Shearer’s record tally of 260.

It would have potentially taken him two seasons to hit 47 league goals, and at the age of 30 at the time he left Tottenham, he felt he didn’t have that time to waste in his search for trophies.

However, Owen still remains baffled by that decision, telling Rio Ferdinand’s podcast: “Well, I mean, Harry Kane, I think, is just lethal. I think he’s a brilliant finisher, a brilliant finisher. I disagreed with him going to Germany.

“I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts.

“You’re on the verge of being the all-time Premier League goal scorer. You’ve got kids that are all in school.

“I mean, I just couldn’t see it. I don’t see it. If you’re that desperate to win something, then, you know, do another year and then go”.

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Latest Tottenham news: Simons reveals Frank warning / January attacker eyed

Meanwhile, one of the new waves of Tottenham talent coming in, Xavi Simons, has spoken about one of the main factors that convinced him to join the club – a veiled threat from his new boss Thomas Frank.

Deadline day signing Ranadal Kolo Muani is also attracting some sympathy over his move to north London, with Italian insider Mirko Di Natale lamenting the France international’s failed permanent switch to Juventus.

And Spurs are already switching their focus to the January window when it comes to bolstering Fran’s squad further.

Having failed to replace the void left by Son’s exit over the summer, a fresh report states they are ready to renew their interest in a £43m Lyon star in the new year.

Xavi Simons has revealed a brutally honest part of his conversation with Tottenham boss Thomas Frank that convinced him a switch to north London was the right one for him at this stage of his career.

London rivals Chelsea spent the majority of the summer tracking Simons, without actually making a formal offer to RB Leipzig, as they waited on offloading the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson before making a concrete move.

That allowed Tottenham to jump in and secure the Netherlands international in a £51.8m (€60m, $69.6m) deal towards the end of the summer, with the talented No.10 arriving after the north London outfit had two near misses with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Simons is expected to fill the void left by James Maddison’s ACL injury and the continued absence of Dejan Kulusevski, although he also has the ability to fill Spurs’ troublesome left-wing spot if required.

And now, speaking about his move to England, Simons has revealed the key role that Frank played in securing his signature and how the Tottenham boss spoke to him about something other managers have been reluctant to do.

Indeed, the 22-year-old admitted that the conversation he had with the Dane convinced him that a move to Tottenham would be the right step for his development.

Speaking to Eindhovens Dagblad, Simons said: “The manager (Frank) told me a lot. Positive things, but also things I need to improve. It’s fantastic how he sees football, how he wants to make players better. Spurs is the right place for me to develop.

“And it’s great that he was honest, that he wants to improve things for me. I always think the coaches are the most important people to base a decision on. As a player, you see a coach more than your family.

“What needs to be improved? I prefer to keep that to myself, but I heard different things from Thomas Frank than from other coaches in the past. That makes sense. When I went to PSV, I was much younger, so you have to work on different things then than you do now.”

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Carragher in major Tottenham, Simons signing claim

Speaking on Sky Sports about Tottenham’s new No.10, Jamie Carragher was full of praise for Simons, having previously seen him play up close for the Netherlands at youth level.

The Liverpool legend revealed that his own son had faced the attacking midfielder, and it was in that moment he felt he was watching a player blessed with outstanding ability.

Carragher said: “Xavi Simons. I watched Xavi Simons play against my son in the summer for Holland, and I was in a seat really close to the pitch, and you really get a good feel for a player.

“He’s got great quality, real good ability, listen, I’m going to say hit. He’s going to Spurs, is that the end for your mate Maddison? (to Roy Keane).”

Tottenham’s move for Simons was also given a big tick by The Athletic, it would seem, after they ranked him as 13th out of all 151 summer signings, while deadline day loan addition Randal Kolo Muani also came in at number 20.

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Italian insider Mirko Di Natale has revealed he “feels very sorry” for a Tottenham new boy given he was “attached” to a different club and wasn’t able to fulfil that.

In the final few days of the summer window, Spurs were busy. They landed Xavi Simons, following Chelsea’s lengthy attempts to secure his transfer, before snapping up Randal Kolo Muani on deadline day.

The interest in the Paris Saint-Germain striker was swift, essentially being picked up on deadline day and going from there to his loan signing for the season within a few days.

But after Kolo Muani’s spell at Juventus in the second half of the 2024/25 season, it was widely reported he wanted to return there.

Insider Di Natale has made it clear that Tottenham were a second choice for the striker.

He told Calciomercato: “If you talk to people close to PSG, they’ll tell you that Juventus changed their formula 100,000 times, so Paris Saint-Germain wanted to break off negotiations.

“If you talk to people close to Juve, they’ll tell you that PSG never really opened up, even to the latest proposals. I feel very sorry for the boy because I read that he was very attached to the environment and hoped to return.

“However, a player like [Lois] Openda is coming to Juventus, who I think can do very well.”

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Why PSG allowed loan terms

PSG were aware of Kolo Muani’s desire to exit the club in the summer window.

Initially, it was reported by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano that the French club were insistent that whoever landed the striker had to include an obligation to buy him in their deal.

But Tottenham landed him on loan only with an option to buy.

Romano stated PSG allowed that as they knew Kolo Muani wanted out. While his preference was to Juventus, he seemingly had eyes for a move anywhere he could get it ahead of staying in France.

Tottenham round-up: Return for Fofana possible

It’s been revealed that Tottenham approached Lyon for Malick Fofana in the dying embers of the summer window, but were turned away as the French side had little time to source a replacement.

It’s said Spurs will consider going back in for the winger in the January window.

Meanwhile, the reasons Tottenham did not pursue a move for Rafael Leao have been revealed, with AC Milan quoting £87million for the late summer transfer.

That saw Spurs instead focus on Kolo Muani who said he will “give everything” for his new side.