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One of Europe’s best young attacking midfielders is going from strength to strength after turning down the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, as TEAMtalk analyses whether Spurs would be able to convince him to join Thomas Frank’s side following the departure of Daniel Levy.

Tottenham were very active in the summer transfer window, as the north London club aimed to enhance the squad that won the Europa League last season. Under new manager Frank, Spurs are aiming to finish in the Premier League top four and also progress from the League Phase of the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign.

Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani were among the major signings that Levy made for Tottenham in the summer before stepping down as the chairman of the Premier League club.

Tottenham also made an ambitious bid for Nico Paz, with trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that Como rejected it, with the former Real Madrid playmaker himself keen on staying at the Italian club.

The Italian transfer guru noted that Paz wants to play for Madrid in the long run, having come through the Spanish and European giants’ youth system before turning out eight times for the first team, scoring one goal in the process.

Paz joined Como from Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, with Los Blancos holding buy-back clauses for 2025 (now expired), 2026, and 2027.

Romano wrote on X at 9:55pm on August 24: “EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham bid worth €70m package for Nico Páz has been turned down tonight. Páz wants to stay at Como with view on Real Madrid future + Real were gonna match any proposal in any case. Real have €10m buy back clause in 2026 but will compensate Como in future.”

Paz made 30 starts and five substitute appearances in Serie A for Como last season, scoring six goals and giving eight assists in the process.

The youngster also made his debut for Argentina in October 2024, with the great Lionel Messi subsequently describing his maturity as “crazy and beyond his age”, adding that the youngster “has an impressive head”.

Paz won the Serie A Best Under-23 player award for the 2024-25 campaign and was included in the Serie A Team of the Season.

The Como playmaker has made a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign and has scored one goal and given one assist in two Serie A matches.

Paz’s goal came in the 2-0 victory over Lazio when he scored from a direct free kick with his left foot.

The Tottenham target’s impressive start to the new Serie A season has led to him being bestowed with the honour of being the Rising Star (Best U23) of the month for August in Serie A.

Paz will receive the award ahead of Como’s Serie A game against Genoa at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia next Monday.

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Tottenham have to move on from Nico Paz

One has to laud former Tottenham chairman Levy for his ambitious bid for Paz, but that ship has sailed now.

Paz has publicly made it clear that his dream is to return to Real Madrid, and it is hard to see him make a U-turn on his stance and switch to Tottenham, should the Premier League club come back for him in January or next summer.

The playmaker told Provincia di Como: “The transfer market? I didn’t listen to anything.

“I stayed focused on preparing for the season. Let’s hope everything goes well and that we can reach the highest possible level.”

Spanish publication, AS, reported in on August 27 that Real Madrid have made a ‘promise’ to Paz to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2026.

Madrid, who appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager at the end of last season following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, have ‘told’ Paz that they are ‘counting on him for 2026’, as Los Blancos aim to exercise their buy-back clause of €9m (£7.7m, $10.5m).

Latest Tottenham news: Thomas Frank instruction, Real Madrid raid

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has told the club to make a bid for a defender in January, after the north London outfit decided not to make an offer for him in the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid have made a Tottenham star a major target, with the Premier League club setting a price-tag on him.

New Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou has been tipped to raid Tottenham for four players, but two of them are no going to swap clubs.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank wants a Premier League star that the north London outfit decided against signing in the summer transfer window when Daniel Levy was the chairman, according to a report, but his club’s stance suggests that Spurs will struggle to get a deal done in January.

Following their success in the Europa League last season, Tottenham were very active in the summer transfer window, as the Premier League club get ready for a Champions League adventure. Under new manager Thomas Frank, Tottenham will also aim to end up in the Premier League top four in the 2025/26 campaign.

Tottenham strengthened their squad with the acquisitions of Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Kota Takai, Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani.

While Luka Vuskovic went out on loan to Hamburg, Tottenham made the loan deals of Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso permanent.

According to TBR, Tottenham were also interested in signing Dennis Cirkin from Sunderland in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham sold Cirkin to Sunderland in 2021 and were keen on bringing him back in the summer.

However, a move never materialised, but with Daniel Levy now having left as the Tottenham chairman, Spurs manager Frank is keen on a deal for the 23-year-old left-back, who missed all of pre-season because of injury and is out of contract at Sunderland at the end of the season.

TBR has reported that Tottenham are ‘considering’ making a bid for Cirkin in the January transfer window, with the left-back said to be ‘frustrated’ at his situation at the Stadium of Light.

Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku joined Sunderland in the summer transfer window, which means Cirkin will have a fight on his hands to regain his place in the starting line-up once he is fully fit and ready to feature.

Not only do Tottenham view Cirkin as a valuable cover option at full-back, but he would also count as a homegrown player for the Premier League club, having come through their youth academy – an important factor for Spurs if they progress from the League Phase of the Champions League.

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Sunderland stance on Dennis Cirkin future

While Tottenham will feel emboldened in their quest to re-sign Cirkin from Sunderland because of his contract situation, last season’s Europa League winners will be disappointed to learn that the Black Cats have no intention of cashing in on him in the January transfer window.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has gone public with the promoted Premier League club’s stance that talks are going on over a new deal for Cirkin.

Like the former Tottenham defender, 23-year-old midfielder Dan Neil is also out of contract at Sunderland at the end of the season.

Speakman told The Northern Echo on September 3: “No, I wouldn’t say it’s a concern. We’ve had similar situations in the past.

“It’s never really been a concern for us because we’re on top of the conversation. So there’s no ambiguity on where it’s at.

“It’s just so difficult over the transfer window to do everything, and we’ve got some outstanding topics to discuss and to resolve, and they’re two of them.

“So we’ll do as we’ve always done. We’ll continue to have those conversations and get to a consensus and a decision on it.”

When asked whether he’s optimistic extensions can be agreed for both players, Speakman responded: “I’m always optimistic!”

Latest Tottenham news: Real Madrid threat, Ange Postecoglou raid

Tottenham have set a price-tag on a top star whose consistent and impressive performances have made him a target for Spanish and European giants Real Madrid.

Newly-appointed Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou has been tipped to raid Tottenham for four players, but two of those stars are unlikely to swap Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the City Ground.

After Michael Owen’s criticism, former Tottenham striker Harry Kane has given four reasons why he left the north London club for Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid have identified Micky van de Ven as a potential target, with Tottenham Hotspur naming their price for the star defender, according to the report, which has also revealed how the Dutchman views a potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu, as TEAMtalk analyses why this is good news for Arsenal.

Madrid have embarked on a new era under Xabi Alonso, who took over at the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of last season following Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to step down and take charge of the Brazil national team.

Los Blancos made three major defensive signings in the summer transfer window, with centre-back Dean Huijsen, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and left-back Alvaro Carreras making the moves from Bournemouth, Liverpool and Benfica, respectively.

The Spanish powerhouse are still on the hunt for another centre-back for the long term, with Liverpool and France international star Ibrahima Konate a key target for Real Madrid.

Konate is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season, and Madrid plan to snap him up on a free transfer next summer.

According to Fichajes, Madrid have taken a shine to another Premier League defender, with Micky van de Ven being viewed as ‘an ideal fit’ for Los Blancos president Florentino Perez’s project under manager Alonso.

The Spanish news outlet has reported that Madrid are ‘closely monitoring’ the development of the Tottenham and Netherlands international centre-back.

Real Madrid have been impressed with the 24-year-old’s consistency, with the Spanish and European giants’ coaching staff admiring ‘his ability to anticipate, his clean ball movement, and his decisive command of his own penalty area’.

The report has noted that Tottenham do not want to sell Van de Ven and hope that he stays part of manager Thomas Frank’s team for years to come.

However, Tottenham have set a price on Van de Ven, which, according to the report, is €80million (£69m, $93.6m).

Fichajes has added that Van de Ven’s ‘entourage’ have welcomed Madrid’s interest in the defender, with the report speculating that the Spurs star would find it hard to turn down the chance of joining arguably the world’s biggest club.

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Why Arsenal will be happy with Real Madrid pursuit of Van de Ven

While Fichajes is not among the most reliable media outlets, it must be noted that this is not the first time that Real Madrid have been linked with Van de Ven, who, according to former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on the Premier League club’s official website in March 2024, has “no ceiling” and is “growing all the time”.

Another Spanish news outlet reported in December 2024 that Van de Ven was on Madrid’s shortlist of targets for January 2025 when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of Los Blancos.

In April 2025, Van de Ven’s agent, Jose Fortes, said that the defender is good enough to play for Madrid and told Marca: “Micky also has the level to play one day in a big club like Real Madrid. In addition, Madrid need a player behind him with his characteristics”.

Van de Ven is just 24 now and can still grow and develop as a footballer, so a move to Real Madrid is not impossible.

While Tottenham fans will be worried about Madrid’s reported interest in Van de Ven, Arsenal will be overjoyed.

Arsenal defender William Saliba is Real Madrid’s ‘dream target’, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Saliba is out of contract at Arsenal in the summer of 2027, and the two parties are in talks over a new deal.

While Arsenal are confident that Saliba will put pen to paper on a new deal, everyone in the industry is aware that the lure of Madrid is hard to resist.

If Madrid sign Van de Ven, then they would not have any need to bring in Saliba, too, especially with Konate looking very likely to move to the Santiago Bernabeu and Huijsen joining Los Blancos in the summer.

Latest Real Madrid news: Arsenal midfielder wanted Los Blancos, Konate boost

A top Arsenal star wanted to join Real Madrid in the summer transfer window before he moved to the north London club in the summer transfer window.

Real Madrid have received a huge boost in their quest to sign Ibrahima Konate as a free agent next summer, with the defender out of contract at defending Premier League champions at the end of the season.

Trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed the name of the Real Madrid playmaker that Arsenal wanted to sign when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge of Los Blancos.

Ange Postecoglou is being tipped to potentially raid his former club Tottenham Hotspur for four first-team stars in the January transfer window, but TEAMtalk can reveal why two of those potential moves will not happen.

Following weeks of speculation, Nottingham Forest finally pulled the plug on Nuno Espirito Santo’s time as manager after the former Spurs boss revealed that his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had soured after just one game of the new season.

It was confirmed on Monday night that Nuno had gone, with Forest announcing Postecoglou as his successor after the Australian was sacked by Tottenham following the club’s Europa League success.

And with Postecoglou back in the Premier League at the first available opportunity, it’s no surprise that he is being linked with raids on his old club.

The Express has named four players who could all be on Postecoglou’s radar come the new year, as he looks to bolster a Forest squad that secured a seventh-placed finish last season.

To that end, TEAMtalk have assessed the players named by the outlet and whether or not they could actually make the move to The City Ground.

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Destiny Udogie ❌

The Italy international played his best football in a Tottenham shirt during Postecoglou’s first 10 games in charge of the club before injuries started to strike.

Udogie has yet to start a game for Thomas Frank early in the campaign and is spot is currently being filled by new England squad member Djed Spence.

However, Udogie showed flashes in pre-season that he was looking more like his old self, being used as more of a conventional full-back rather than pushing into central midfield to cause overloads.

Spence’s emergence has put pressure on Udogie’s spot, but the former is not a natural in that position and it would be a huge shock if Frank let the better left-sided option leave midway through the season.

Ben Davies ✅

This is one that actually makes a fair bit of sense when you factor in Postecoglou’s recent for Davies’ ability to play in multiple positions.

The Wales star can operate as a left-back, a left-sided centre-back in a two or in a three and has always been a consistent performer at Premier League level.

The 32-year-old will be out of contract in the summer of 2026 and could move in a bargain deal this January or even be loaned to Forest ahead of becoming an eventual free agent.

The fact that Tottenham are still looking at bringing in a new left-sided central defender who can also operate as a full-back also appears to have put the nail in Davies’ coffin, and Postecoglou could be willing to strike.

Radu Dragusin ❌

Postecoglou was at the helm when Dragusin arrived in January 2024 in the midst of a Spurs injury defensive crisis.

While he flashed some potential at times, the 23-year-old Romanian international also had his struggles before he suffered an ACL injury in January of this year.

Dragusin is expected to return to light Tottenham training very soon but it would be a huge surprise if the club let him leave so early in his return from a serious injury – an issue that The Express failed to mention as they claimed he was just ‘out of the picture’ under Frank.

Mathys Tel ✅

As TEAMtalk mentioned in our feature on three Tottenham stars who could be on the way out in January, Tel’s exit could very much be on the cards.

Having been brutally left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad, there is every chance that Tel gets a loan move in the new year to find some regular game time – especially if the north London outfit are able to seal the signing of Manchester City’s Savinho.

Whether that is Forest or not remains to be seen, but the fact Postecoglou knows him very well clearly means that could be an option.

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With Tottenham Hotspur in the midst of a significant shift to inject more funds into improving the first-team squad after Daniel Levy’s exit, TEAMtalk has identified three of their top targets that need to be signed in January, as well as a trio of players who need to be offloaded.

Major funds are expected to be at the disposal of Thomas Frank to improve his squad further, after a summer in which they missed on to top targets but still managed to bring in the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani.

While Palhinha and Kolo Muani only arrived on loan, there is every expectation that the former will seal a permanent £27million deal next summer. However, there was no option or obligation to bring in the PSG forward, which will likely leave a gap to fill come 2026.

A new striker will not be the focus for January, though, after Tottenham still left a few of holes that clearly needed filling over the summer – leading to TEAMtalk picking out the players best served to fill them.

And while Frank does need more strength in depth going forward, there are also Spurs players who will be deemed surplus to requirements come the new year – but we’ll look at that later.

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Three to sign for Tottenham

Nathan Ake

Current club: Man City

Position: Centre-back/left-back

Age: 30

Likely cost: £15-20m

Having been linked with the Netherlands international late in the window, when they were also still in the market for Etihad attacker Savinho, Ake fits the exact profile of the player Tottenham have to be looking to sign for Frank.

His ability to cover both centrally and at full-back is priceless, especially with the contract of long-serving Spurs star Ben Davies coming to an end next summer.

Ake has been a serial winner at City and Tottenham are crying out for more players with that kind of mindset, as they look to build on their Europa League win last season.

Much will obviously depend on how much game time Ake gets at City over the next few months, but if that is limited then Spurs transfer chiefs have to strike.

Conor Gallagher

Current club: Atletico Madrid

Position: Midfielder

Age: 25

Likely cost: £40-45m

While this one might not be all that popular with some Tottenham fans, just think of the improvements Gallagher would have made to his game playing under one of the top coaches in European football, Diego Simeone, since he moved to the Spanish capital.

The England midfielder is exactly the type of all-energy No.8 that Spurs are crying out for, especially all the while hugely talented teenager Lucas Bergvall continues to develop his game.

What was hugely evident in the home loss to Bournemouth before the international break was how out-worked Frank’s engine room was, with the Cherries midfield running all over Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr.

Indeed, Tottenham don’t really have a box-to-box midfielder capable of hitting double figures in terms of goals, something Gallagher came close to doing during his season on loan at Crystal Palace in 2021/22.

His game has gone up a level since then, and he would be an incredibly shrewd signing at this stage of his career. In short, he’s just a Thomas Frank-style player.

Savinho

Current club: Man City

Position: Left winger

Age: 21

Likely cost: £70-80m

Tottenham made no secret of their interest in the Brazilian attacker over the summer, having seen at least two offers rebuffed by City for his services.

Frank is a huge fan of Savinho and sees him as the perfect man to replace club legend Son Heung-min wide on the left, despite his stats last season not really aligning with the quality of his overall play.

There is a growing feeling that City will buckle when it comes to the skilful forward, especially if Pep Guardiola is unable to give him the starts he craves.

Expect Spurs to return with a huge club-record offer in the new year, which could even go as high as £80m.

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Trio of Tottenham stars who need to leave

Ben Davies

Position: Left-back

Age: 32

Transfer value: £3.8 (as per Transfermarkt)

The longest-serving player in the current Tottenham squad, having signed in 2014, Davies’ versatility has been valued for a number of years.

However, with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2026, Spurs would be wise to cash in on a player who is two years Ake’s senior and fills that same central and left-sided cover role.

Davies is more suited to playing centrally now but is better in a back three than a two, as has shown to be the case over the last few seasons when he has filled in.

It’s time to thank the Welshman for his service and move on.

Brennan Johnson

Position: Winger

Age: 24

Transfer value: £35m (as per Transfermarkt)

Johnson will end up on the bench once Savinho comes through the door, and with Wilson Odobert and the returning Dejan Kulusevski as backup options out wide, not to mention Simons’ ability to also play on the left, now could be the time to cash in on the Wales international.

There is no arguing with Johnson‘s stats since he arrived in north London in a £47.5m switch from Nottingham Forest, particularly last season when he chalked up 18 goals and seven assists.

However, as many Tottenham observers are fully aware, he offers very little else to the team and often drifts through games delivering nothing to the party.

Yes, he would be a great addition coming off the bench when a goal is needed, but Tottenham are better off trying to cash in on the 24-year-old while he is approaching the peak of his powers.

Indeed, there is every chance that Postecoglou comes calling for a City Ground return when January rolls around, although Spurs will certainly be demanding more than that Transfermarkt valuation.

Mathys Tel

Position: Forward

Age: 20

Transfer value: £30m

Let’s be clear from the off, this is not a sale but a loan, in order for Tel to continue his development for the second half of the season.

Being left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad will have come as a crushing blow to the young French forward and it makes sense for Spurs to give him guaranteed game time elsewhere.

The proposed arrival of Savinho would leave him as third-choice on the left flank, also behind Odobert, while he will not get a look in through the middle either as Kolo Muani, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke all battle for the No.9 spot.

Tel remains a major talent, though, and one that Tottenham still need to look to try and develop, as they play the long game of his future.

It has been revealed that a Manchester City star’s “really bad” situation could see Tottenham attempt to bail him out in the January window.

An injury has kept Savinho sidelined at the start of this season. His last minutes came in the Club World Cup, where he scored one goal and assisted another in three games.

He was since courted by Tottenham, and TEAMtalk were aware that the Brazilian was keen on the move given the lure of more minutes than he might get at City, but Pep Guardiola’s side were adamant against a sale in the summer.

Savinho played 29 Premier League games last season and started 21 of those, but if numbers don’t rise back to that level once he’s fit this season, city expert Steven McInerney has suggested Tottenham might come on the attack.

“If Savinho is not playing an awful lot, at that point the same argument [from the summer] comes in that he’ll want to get into [Brazil’s] World Cup squad and Tottenham might offer him more of a chance to do that because they might play him more,” he told Sports Mole.

“I still think at that point, in mid-season, City will probably just say no. There’s a January tax and they’ll be looking at making over £80million, otherwise come back in the summer and we can talk.

“I think the likelihood of him going in January is small, because I think City would have to still find a replacement and I just don’t see City being fine with that personally.

“Stranger things have happened and it’s definitely possible. To counter myself, Hugo Viana [Man City’s director of football] was very happy to be very active last January. A whole bunch of signings: [Omar] Marmoush, [Abdukodir] Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez – so maybe we could sign a big player in January [to replace Savinho].

“I still would argue that it’s unlikely, because I think it has to be really bad for Savinho to want to move, and even then City would have to find a replacement which feels unlikely to me.”

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Is there a role for Savinho?

McInerney feels there’s an avenue which could see Savinho given few minutes once he is back fit.

“He’s not going to randomly leave in a World Cup year to join Spurs mid-season if he nails down a starting spot (at Man City) and he’s in really good form,” he said.

“The flip side of that is if Oscar Bobb nails down that starting spot [on the right] and [Savinho] doesn’t get any joy playing on the left because Marmoush or [Jeremy] Doku or whoever starts a lot, and then [Phil] Foden starts to get minutes ahead of Savinho.”

But could that happen? Bobb clearly has the faith of Guardiola at the moment, having played 255 of a possible 270 minutes so far this season. His Premier League career has been stop-start given a lengthy injury last season, and given he has just one assist, he’s surely not an absolute certainty to start.

He has more attacking minutes than any other player, which suggests the left wing may have an opening. Marmoush has played 150 minutes, Doku 120 and Foden just 15. Each are yet to score, so if Savinho has an impact when he’s back on the field, he could win a starting spot.

Tottenham round-up: Mayulu move revealed

TEAMtalk sources have revealed that Tottenham made a late move to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Senny Mayulu in the summer, but the hopeful enquiry came to nothing.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk is also aware of Spurs interest in some other talents – Cooper Mason and Anton Robinson are among them.

Both are youngsters who are seen to have a lot of potential.

And, a spectacular report has revealed Daniel Levy was willing to land the historic signing of Rodrygo from Real Madrid before his departure from role as executive chairman – but an offer never materialised.

Daniel Levy wanted to sign one of Europe’s most frightening wingers for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window before his exit, according to a report, with another source suggesting that Spurs manager Thomas Frank could get another chance to bring him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham were very active in the summer, as the north London club aim to build on last season’s Europa League success by finishing in the Premier League top four and making an impact in the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign.

Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani were among the players that Tottenham signed in the summer transfer window.

Rodrygo was also a player that Tottenham looked at signing in the summer transfer window, with TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reporting on August 4 that the Premier League club were targeting the Brazil international as a replacement for Son Heung-min, who left for Los Angeles FC.

Sources told TEAMtalk that Real Madrid were willing to sell Rodrygo for €100million (£86.2m, $116m).

In the end, Rodrygo stayed at Madrid, but it has now emerged in the Spanish media that Daniel Levy was willing to pay the winger’s asking price before he eventually left his role as the Tottenham chairman last week.

According to Defensa Central, a Real Madrid-centric news outlet, Levy tried to make ‘ a historic signing’ for Tottenham and was ‘willing to offer’ €100m (£86.2m, $116m) for Rodrygo.

Although Real Madrid did not receive any offer from Tottenham, Rodrygo was aware of how keen Spurs were to team him up with manager Frank.

If Tottenham had signed Rodrygo for €100m (£86.2m, $116m), then the three-time LaLiga and two-time Champions League winner would have been the Premier League club’s record signing, with Dominic Solanke currently Spurs’ most expensive player at £65m (including add-ons) (€75m, $88m).

Rodrygo has made a total of 272 appearances for Real Madrid so far in his career.

The Brazilian superstar has scored 68 goals and given 51 assists in those games.

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Could Tottenham sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid in January?

Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool were also interested in Rodrygo in the summer transfer window, and it is hard to imagine that their admiration for the Brazilian star would have waned.

According to TBR journalist Graeme Bailey, Rodrygo could leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window, with Arsenal and Man City still keen on him.

The winger wants to see how much playing time he gets in the coming months, with the 24-year-old aware that a place in the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup finals is at stake.

Bailey told TBR: “I was speaking to his camp in Madrid… I’m told that Vinicius and Mbappe, who we did a story about a few weeks ago, encouraging him to stay, played a huge part in his decision.

“His teammates really put their arms around him and said, ‘Look, you’re a massive player here. You don’t need to leave.’

“He’s decided to stay until January, but we’ll need to keep an eye on his situation.

“He’ll probably post on social media when he’s not playing and looks unhappy.

“We’ll see how he progresses because [Carlo] Ancelotti did warn him in the summer, even dropping him from the last [Brazil] squad, about limited game time.

“He’s giving it until January, and if he’s still not getting the minutes he needs, he may move in the January window.

“That said, he could also usurp Arda Güler and work his way back into the starting line-up.

“On deadline day, it was very quiet regarding Rodrygo. I think he just decided to stay, and obviously City and Arsenal were aware of that.

“Madrid were willing to do a deal if he wanted to go, so it was really all on the player — there was no point in bidding because the player had already made his intentions clear.”

The problem that Tottenham could face if they go back for Rodrygo in January is convincing the winger to join Frank’s team.

The Spanish press were adamant that Rodrygo preferred Liverpool to Tottenham.

If the likes of Arsenal and Man City go back for the forward in January, then Spurs could face a similar problem.

Latest Tottenham news: Ambitious PSG raid, star wants out

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, has reported that Tottenham Hotspur made an ambitious move for a Paris Saint-Germain gem late in the summer transfer window.

Sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, the names of the players that Tottenham will track in the coming weeks and months.

A top Tottenham midfielder is ready to leave last season’s Europa League winners, with manager Thomas Frank not having him in his plans.

It’s being reported that Tottenham Hotspur will accept a suitable offer for out-of-favor midfielder Yves Bissouma in the coming days, with TEAMtalk detailing why now is the time for the club to sever ties with the former Brighton standout.

Bissouma was the subject of interest during the summer window after it emerged that he was not in Thomas Frank’s plans, with Spurs upgrading his position with the loan addition of Joao Palhinha.

Indeed, Tottenham look almost certain to snap up the Portugal international in a permanent £27million deal in 2026, leaving the door wide open to Bissouma’s exit.

The likes of Everton and West Ham are both said to have explored moves for the 28-year-old late in the window, but now the focus switches to Turkey and the Saudi Pro League in terms of potential landing spots for Bissouma.

And now Football Insider suggests that a fallout between Bissouma and Frank has seen the former pushing harder for an exit, while he still can.

The Spurs chief left Bissouma out of the UEFA Super Cup squad last month after his repeated lateness for training, and sources have told FI that the north London outfit will now listen to offers for the midfielder.

Speaking on the new Inside Track podcast, Pete O’Rourke stated that with Palhinha ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s the end of the line for Bissouma.

O’Rourke said: “[Bissouma] hasn’t made the best of impressions on Thomas Frank.

“He’ll probably find it hard to get into that Tottenham midfield now, following the signing of [Joao] Palhinha.

“If a suitable offer was to come in for Bissouma, Tottenham would be willing to listen to that, and the player himself might be keen on a move away in search of regular first-team football.”

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Why Bissouma has to go be sold – NOW

With less than a year left on his contract, the timing is now perfect for Tottenham to try and recoup a decent fee for a player who they forked out £25m to sign in the summer of 2022.

Funds are already being put in place for another spend in January as the club seeks new investment to drive them forward and compete at the top end of the Premier League and be regulars in the Champions League.

Bissouma’s signing is certainly a cautionary tale when it comes to chasing a player so hard, getting him and then watching on as he ends up being a flop.

If you did a straw poll of Tottenham fans when they were in the running to sign the Brighton man at the time, probably more than 90% would have given the move a big fat YES.

Bissouma was everything that Spurs needed from a No.6, he was more gifted on the ball and more mobile than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and had shown during his time at The Amex Stadium that he was one of the most gifted players in the country in his position.

Fast forward three years, and the Mali man has largely been a model of inconsistency – only ever emulating what he did on the south coast on very few occasions.

There was a stint at the start of Ange Postecoglou’s reign where it looked like the old Bissouma was back, while he also impressed in the Europa League semi-finals and final.

However, Bissouma has largely been a massive letdown in terms of what the club and fans thought they were getting when he strolled through the door

Add in the disciplinary stuff, and Tottenham have to try and sell while they still can – and the price really doesn’t matter that much.

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Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Daniel Levy’s departure as executive chairman of Tottenham Hotspur after nearly 25 years marks a pivotal moment for the club, signalling a potential shift toward a new era of ambition.

Announced on September 4, 2025, Levy’s exit, driven by the Lewis family’s Tavistock Group, reflects a strategic move to prioritise on-pitch success over the financial and infrastructural stability Levy championed.

His tenure saw Tottenham transform into a financially robust entity, valued at $3.3 billion, with the iconic £1bn Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and elite training facilities. Yet, with only two trophies—the 2008 League Cup and 2025 Europa League—fan frustration over limited sporting achievements fueled the call for change.

Sources indicate that Levy’s departure aligns with growing interest from global investors, including parties from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the USA, who see Spurs as a prime opportunity to build a Premier League powerhouse.

Over the past 18 months, genuine inquiries have surfaced, drawn by the club’s strong financial position and world-class assets. While the Lewis family remains reluctant to sell, they are open to partnerships that could inject significant capital, enabling Spurs to compete with rivals like Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the transfer market for top talent.

The appointment of Peter Charrington as non-executive chairman and Vinai Venkatesham, ex-Arsenal CEO, as chief executive underscores this shift toward a more aggressive, football-focused strategy.

Club insiders describe an “air of change,” with optimism that Spurs could emulate the transformative investments seen at clubs like Newcastle. The belief is that Levy’s exit is the “first domino” in a broader restructuring, with the true impact of his exit to bear fruit within six months to a year.

As Tottenham enters this new chapter, the combination of its financial strength, global appeal, and openness to investment positions it as a tantalizing prospect for billionaires eager to reshape the Premier League landscape. Fans await a bold vision to finally deliver sustained success.

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Details have emerged over why Leeds United missed out on bringing Manor Solomon back to Elland Road this summer and with TEAMtalk analysing how and why Daniel Farke was squeezed out of the transfer picture for the Tottenham Hotspur star.

The Israeli winger moved to West Yorkshire on a season’s loan ahead of the 2024/25 season and, once the Whites managed to get him back up to full fitness, Solomon played a leading role in helping secure their promotion back to the Premier League as Championship title winners. And having contributed towards 23 goals across the season (10 scored, 13 assists), Leeds United were heavily tipped to turn his loan move into a permanent deal over the summer.

Leeds’ interest in re-signing the 26-year-old, though, never really got off the ground and the Whites were informed soon after achieving promotion that Solomon’s first intentions were to impress new Tottenham Hotspur coach Thomas Frank and to play his way into his plans by working hard and trying to catch his manager’s eye during pre-season.

And even when Spurs signed Mohammed Kudus, the 44-times capped Israel winger did not even contemplate a move away, feeling that the addition of Champions League football at Spurs, game-time would still fall his way over the course of the campaign.

Indeed, it was only when Spurs boss Frank failed to name Solomon as a possible option to replace the departing Son Heung-min that the penny finally dropped for the player.

But when it did eventually become clear that Solomon was ready to leave Spurs – in the days leading up to transfer deadline day – Leeds had already brought in Noah Okafor, from AC Milan, while the Israeli star, in the words of a transfer journalist, was formulating his own bigger ambitions…

Manor Solomon wanted European football to leave Spurs

Solomon, himself, has already reflected on a crazy day last day of the transfer window that saw him hold talks with Crystal Palace, before ultimately going on to sign for Villarreal on loan just before the deadline arrived.

The straight loan, which contains no option to buy, will allow the Spanish side to field the star against his parent club when they meet in the Champions League next Tuesday.

Writing on Instagram, Solomon admitted it had been a “crazy 24 hours” but that he now “could not wait to get started” at Villarreal. Another interview had seen the winger revealed he had woken up at 6am on deadline day morning not knowing which club he would be playing for come close of play…

In the meantime, transfer journalist Pete O’Rourke has explained why Solomon had made it clear to his agent that he only wanted to leave Spurs for a side who could offer him European football.

And with Palace able to offer UEFA Conference League football – they were demoted from the Europa League at the expense of Lyon, based on UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules – he held talks over a cross-city switch with them as a first priority.

However, when Villarreal entered the scene late, and given their offer of Champions League football, it soon became apparent that a move there was in his best interests.

“There’s always competition for these players’ signatures”, he told Football Insider.

“[With] Manor Solomon, Palace tried to sign him but he’s gone to Villarreal, he’s got Champions League football – Leeds can’t offer that right now,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.

“Obviously, Palace had money in their pockets to spend following the sale of Eberechi Eze, and the chance of European football as well.

“There’s no regrets from Daniel Farke – he will now move on and work with what he’s got, to try and ensure that Leeds are well-placed come the January window.”

As O’Rouke touched upon, both those sides were able to offer something Leeds United never good – European football – and leaving Farke with no room for negotiation even if they had made a late move for a winger they had gone early into the window with the intention of signing.

Manor Solomon stats at Leeds United

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Meanwhile, Leeds are reportedly prepping a move to sign a talented Manchester City youngster in the January window, with Farke finally hopeful his side can end their long search to sign a new No.10.

Elsewhere, it’s been explained why Leeds believe free-agent summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the player best equipped to fire the club to Premier League safety, with the Whites’ medical team backed to transform his fortunes.