Football365

Tottenham have made a ‘new proposal’ to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The north Londoners made loan deals for Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel into permanent transfers this summer, while Mohammed Kudus, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai and Joao Palhinha have also joined.

Tottenham have excelled so far this season with two wins from two against Burnley and Manchester City with Spurs impressing under Thomas Frank.

And Spurs are looking to build on their positive start to the new campaign by bringing in more talent to compliment the players already at Frank’s disposal.

One player they are now pushing to sign is Leverkusen defender Hincapie, who can play at left-back and centre-back, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing a ‘new proposal’ from Tottenham for the Bundesliga star.

Romano wrote on X: ‘EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham approach Bayer Leverkusen for Piero Hincapié with new proposal. Loan deal with obligation to buy around €60m, same value as the release clause but to be paid from 2026. Hincapié wants to leave Bayer and #THFC also started discussing personal terms.’

READ: Tottenham enter five-way title race as Frank scrubs away all traces of Postecoglou in record time

Tottenham are still looking at ways to cope without James Maddison after the England international picked up an ACL injury that is likely to rule him out for the majority of the 2025/26 season.

After losing out to Arsenal for Eberechi Eze, Tottenham have had bids turned down for Nico Paz with Romano revealing that the Como attacking midfielder has chosen to stay in Italy before “likely” moving to Real Madrid next year.

And now Football Insider claim that Tottenham are ‘readying a sensational late-window move’ for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers.

Spurs ‘have held preliminary discussions over a potential deal for the attacking midfielder’ and Tottenham ‘will test Villa’s resolve to keep their prize asset and hope they can be forced into a big sale to allow them to reinvest in the squad.’.

One potential stumbling block is that Aston Villa ‘value Rogers at around the £100million mark’ and Tottenham ‘will look to negotiate their rivals down in order to secure a stunning late coup’.

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Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was impressed by Tottenham’s performance in their 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Neville said on Sky Sports: “I thought Tottenham ran all over them; they looked a little bit like an old team, City, which was worrying.

“Tottenham pressed and hurried really well. Thomas Frank has come in and done a really good job in the first couple of weeks, but yeah, worrying signs for City, because that was a strong team they had out.

“We’ve seen [Frank] in three games, big games in the last couple of weeks, and what he’s done is adapt his style to each game and, obviously, a big criticism of Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou was that they never changed, they were always the same, and that you could predict exactly what they were going to do, and in the end, it was a sorry state for them.

“But what you’ve seen with Thomas Frank: he’ll go five at the back, he’s gone four at the back, they’ll press high, sometimes they’ll sit deep, and we’re seeing a little bit more, I think, of a change in this last 12 to 18 months, where we’re seeing the old style of football return.

“It’s been this way for a few years that you’ve got to have a philosophy, you’ve got to have a way of playing, and now it seems we’ve got a few managers near the top end who are adapting from game to game. I think Thomas Frank is adapting from game to game, he’s getting the best out of the players that he’s got.”

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists that Nico Paz’s potential transfer to Tottenham “is over for now” because of Real Madrid.

Spurs were seemingly in the driving seat to seal a deal for Eberechi Eze but north London rivals Arsenal swooped at the last minute to hijack a deal.

Eze moved to the Emirates Stadium last week in a major blow to Tottenham, who are still reeling from news that James Maddison is likely to miss the majority of the 2025/26 season after rupturing his ACL.

Tottenham are looking to sign more attacking players with their interest in Manchester City winger Savinho remaining despite having bids turned down.

While there was news on Sunday that Spurs have made an offer of €70m for Como attacking midfielder Paz after already improving it to €50m earlier that week.

But transfer expert Romano is convinced that Paz “wants to stay at Como this season” with Tottenham now set to move onto other targets.

READ: Tottenham enter five-way title race as Frank scrubs away all traces of Postecoglou in record time

Paz to Spurs is understood to be “over for now” and it is “very likely” that the Argentina international signs for Real Madrid next summer.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Nico Paz on the pitch is wonderful. He’s a special player and scored a wonderful free kick against Lazio, but Real Madrid have control of the player.

“Officially, he’s a Como player but Real Madrid have matching rights, 50% sell-on clause and a buy-back clause for 2026 for €10 million. He’s probably worth €50,60,70m.

“Tottenham Hotspur, after missing out on Eberechi Eze in midweek, presented an official bid to Como via intermediaries. That was worth more than €70m package, add-ons included.

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“Real Madrid sources tell me the answer was very clear. The player wants to stay at Como this season. Como want to keep the player, even if the opportunity was there for big money – but remember, they’d only take 50%. So it was going to be €30-35m add-ons included.

“But Nico Paz wants to stay with Como and work with Cesc Fabregas. Although the opportunity to play in the Champions League with Tottenham was a big chance but Como, Cesc Fabregas and the chance to play on a regular basis was perfect for him. So he decides to stay but also because Real Madrid have told Como that they will compensate them in the player.

“The relationship between the clubs is excellent. It’s very likely that Nico Paz will join Real Madrid in 2026. They told Como they would match any bid for Paz. So the Nico Paz to Tottenham is over for now.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have ‘raised their offer’ for a ‘top target’ after being beaten in the race to sign Arsenal newbie Eberechi Eze.

Spurs have made a perfect start to the 2025/26 Premier League season as they have beaten Burnley and Manchester City in their opening two games.

This proves that new boss Thomas Frank has made a great impact since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, though they have had difficulties in the transfer market.

The north London outfit have been elbowed out of our ranking of this summer’s biggest spenders in Europe after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze.

Tottenham’s move for Gibbs-White fell through amid tapping-up allegations, while Eze decided to choose Arsenal after the Gunners stepped up their interest following Kai Havertz’s knee injury.

This leaves Spurs scouring the market for alternatives and Como star Nico Paz is among their targets.

READ: Tottenham enter five-way title race as Frank scrubs away all traces of Postecoglou in record time

The 20-year-old progressed through the ranks at Real Madrid, but he left to join Como for around £5m during the 2024 summer window.

The talented attacking midfielder enjoyed a breakout season in 2024/25, grabbing six goals and eight assists in all competitions.

His form for Como did not go unnoticed, with Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claiming Spurs have ‘raised their offer’ for their ‘top target’ after failing with a bid worth around 40 million euros ‘at the beginning of August’.

Tottenham have ‘not given up’ and have submitted a proposal worth 50 million euros to Como, though it is also noted that they value him at 70 million euros.

The report adds:

‘Nico Paz remains a top target for Tottenham, who have made their intentions clear. However, despite an improved offer of ten million, Spurs have not yet received approval for the transfer.

‘Como, who rejected the first offer, have not yet accepted the second, while the player hasn’t yet made any moves. In fact, his plan might be to stay in Serie A for another year with Fabregas’ team, then play his cards next season with Real Madrid, who could decide to bring him back to Spain.’

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Xavi Simons is another potential option for Spurs as he is yet to secure a move to Chelsea, with former Manchester United assistant Rene Meulensteen telling Frank’s side to move for the Netherlands international for four reasons.

“It’s interesting to see, but he has to be in one of those top teams to succeed in the Premier League,” Meulensteen said.

“He’s mobile, he’s really a player that drifts between the lines, behind the pockets, he can be the man.

“But where he ends up, if he ends up in the Premier League, is yet to be seen.

“Tottenham? That could be a really good option. With James Maddison out, that could be a really good option.

“Manchester United? He is somebody that plays in the position that Matheus Cunha or Mason Mount will be playing in. Bryan Mbeumo is probably going to play in that position. Bruno Fernandes plays in that position.

“At Liverpool, no, because they brought Florian Wirtz in. Arsenal have got their player in that position with Martin Odegaard.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a transfer hijack of their own, while they could ‘trigger a domino effect’ involving Manchester City.

Spurs have made a perfect start in the Premier League this season, beating Burnley and Manchester City in their opening two games of the 2025/26 campaign.

This is despite the north London outfit having troubles in the transfer market, as they have missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

Deals for each player looked likely until they collapsed at the final hurdle, with Arsenal swooping in at the last-minute to steal Eze after the Gibbs-White deal fell through amid tapping up allegations.

READ: Tottenham enter five-way title race as Frank scrubs away all traces of Postecoglou in record time

Following Tottenham’s failure to land Eze, they reportedly remain in the market for attacking additions, with Africa Foot claiming that they have ‘entered the race’ to sign Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.

The talented attacking midfielder has been on Crystal Palace’s radar as a potential replacement for Eze, though the report claims their ‘deal is in jeopardy’ due to Tottenham’s interest.

The report claims:

‘Crystal Palace had convinced the player with their sporting project and reached an agreement in principle on personal terms. The latest discussions between the Eagles and Leicester City revolved around the payment terms of a transfer estimated at around 35 million euros.

‘However, the north London club has relaunched the El Khannouss trail. This relaunch, initiated directly by president Daniel Levy, could change everything just days before the end of the transfer window.’

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Spurs have also been plotting an audacious move for Man City winger Savinho and they had a bid rejected for him earlier this month.

It has been reported that Man City are against selling Savinho in this window, though a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims they are making an effort to ‘revive’ the deal and are ‘willing’ to offer 85 million euros (£73m) to their Premier League rivals.

The report claims:

‘Until now, Spurs had approached City with lower offers, such as around 50 million euros , which were firmly rejected. The English club appears willing to raise the figure to convince the Sky Blues and change the market outlook in this final stretch.

‘From Manchester City’s perspective, the desire to keep Savinho is clear. Pep Guardiola has made it clear he doesn’t want to part with a key player, and the club is demanding a fee that is truly irresistible.

‘This could trigger a domino effect: Tottenham would pay that high fee, and Manchester City would go all out for Rodrygo , seen as their attacking alternative. That move was always part of the City’s plan if they opened the door for Savinho.’

Manchester City reverted to their 2024-2025 selves in defeat to their title rivals at the Etihad. Title rivals, you say? Thomas Frank is very, very good for Tottenham.

A lot was made ahead of the game about this being the youngest Manchester City starting lineup since a 22-year-old Micah Richards and a 23-year-old Joe Hart were playing in 2010. With no Rodri, no Bernardo Silva, no Ederson, no Ilkay Gundogan, and – obviously – no Kevin De Bruyne, the team-sheet had a very New Manchester City feel.

And actually, there was a verve and vitality to them initially. The press was dynamic having looked laboured for much of last season, and there was also a hunger that appeared to be missing at times last term, as was also clearly evident in their opening day victory over Wolves. But a suspicious 2024/2025-ness creeped in for City after that positive start.

Pep Guardiola seemed to spend most of the first half pushing and pulling full debutant Rayan Cherki into position, growing increasingly frustrated by a tendency to wander which he’s yet to drum out of him, while the lack of connection between him, the other midfielders and forwards will have been of particular concern. Last week’s hero Tiijani Reijnders did nothing.

The City boss was also left pondering his decision not to reinstate Ederson as his No.1 despite the Brazilian’s return to fitness, and his call not to rush Rodri into the starting lineup, as their replacements combined (or rather didn’t) to give Spurs a healthy half-time advantage.

Ederson may well have played a similar pass to James Trafford, but he wouldn’t have telegraphed it in the same way or directed it to Nico Gonzalez’s right foot on the side Pape Matar Sarr was closing him down. And Rodri probably wouldn’t have offered himself as an option in that position – roughly ten yards from his own goal with four opposition players in the City box – and if he had, we’re confident he would have seen Sarr off and asked what everyone was worried about.

It’s no slight on Trafford or Gonzalez to suggest the goal doesn’t happen if the more experienced pair had been playing ahead of them; it’s exactly the sort of error that can be brushed off as an example of their relative inexperience. But in what we expect – or at least hope – will be a nip and tuck title race, a defeat at home to your title rivals is a serious misstep.

What was that? Title rivals? Until we see evidence to suggest otherwise, Spurs are in what is now a five-way title race along with Liverpool, Arsenal, City, and Chelsea after Enzo Maresca’s side swatted West Ham side with consummate ease on Friday night.

We know what you’re thinking – Sunderland could make it six if they beat Burnley and a draw for Leeds at the Emirates would surely see them enter the early running. But we’re only half joking about Tottenham.

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The second goal was thanks to the City errors, but it was also thanks to some great pressing from Sarr, who had already played a crucial role in the opener and has been outstanding so far under Thomas Frank, operating as a kind of attacking midfield version of N’Golo Kante, such is his everywhere-ness in that more advanced role.

It was Sarr’s flicked header from the touchline which saw Richarlison race clear having beaten the offside trap before squaring the ball for Brennan Johnson. Everyone’s part in the goal was excellent, but the most notable thing about it was just how Thomas Frank and how not Ange Postecoglou it was. It really is remarkable how quickly Frank has erased all traces of Big Ange-ness from Spurs’ football.

City had a few chances – Erling Haaland most culpable with a fluffed header – but Tottenham (Tottenham?!) were largely untroubled at the back. Having dropped 29 points from winning positions under Postecoglou last season, Spurs looked very, very comfortable in seeing out this game.

And at no point were we decrying a lack of attacking intent. It’s more direct, with the midfield often tasked with supporting the forwards after the ball is played long from the back, rather than playing it though the lines. But guys, that’s fine.

There was more of the tippy-tippy stuff in the win over Burnley – a team against whom they’re expected to dominate the ball. But here against City, as was the case against PSG in the Super Cup, Spurs looked genuinely happy to defend having viewed it as little more than a nuisance under Frank’s predecessor, perhaps because they’re now content in the knowledge that there is a clear and effective plan to turn defence into attack.

The adaptability is both impressive and refreshing, with Frank illustrating perfectly in just three competitive games as Spurs boss the difference between a philosophy – which he does have – and sticking rigidly to a style, which cost them consistently and dramatically under Postecoglou before he reneged on it entirely to win them the Europa League.

Tottenham are preparing a fresh bid for an alternative to Eberechi Eze, while they’ve opened ‘talks’ a Paris Saint-Germain star as another option.

Spurs were dealt a huge blow on Wednesday night as Arsenal swooped in to beat them to the signing of Crystal Palace star Eze, with chairman Daniel Levy forced back to the drawing board in his bid to replace the injured James Maddison.

They’ve been heavily linked with Manchester City’s Savinho, but little progress has been made, with Duncan Castles providing an update on other attacking options they’re considering.

“If it isn’t Savinho, who will be expensive, there’s also interest in Maghnes Akliouche at Monaco,” Castles said on The Transfers Podcast.

“He’s a 23-year-old, very skilful and quick left-footed forward, who tends to play off the right wing, but can also play centrally. Like Eze, he’s an excellent dribbler of the ball.

“Complications in that deal are the agent, who has a reputation of being extremely difficult to deal with, and the asking price of Monaco, which was set at €70 million this summer.

“Another player that they’ve definitely had talks over signing is Lee Kang-in at Paris Saint-Germain. This dates back to earlier in the summer – conversations asking about what the cost would be to extract him from PSG, where he was one of the bench players last season.

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“He is one of the players in PSG’s squad they are happy to retain, but they are conscious that if the player receives an offer that is appealing and the financial terms of the transfer fee are correct, they would be ready to sell assuming they have enough time to buy a replacement.

“You can understand why Daniel Levy is interested in signing Lee, having allowed Son Heung-min to move to LAFC. That was a significant commercial loss in terms of interest they built up among Koreans.

“To have another star name Korean player in the squad, as a replacement immediately after Son left, makes sense. I understand the asking price is €50m, meaning he would be a cheaper option than either Akliouche or Savinho.

“I think it’s pretty clear that Tottenham will do something in this area of the field before the window concludes.”

Spurs are also preparing a new and improved bid for Como’s Nico Paz according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

They already had a €40m [£35] bid rejected for the 20-year-old, with the Serie A side wanting €70m [£61m] for their playmaker.

The report adds:

‘The Londoners want to move forward again for the class of 2003, with a higher offer than the one presented a couple of weeks ago. To be seen if we will approach the required figure, also remembering that the last word always belongs to Real Madrid who would have the opportunity to match the offer and secure Nico Paz’s performance.’

“I’m actually torn between Arsenal, Liverpool and City. I cannot separate them in my mind, I can’t, it’s a guess!” Gary Neville said on Monday Night Football as a caveat to his title prediction, before plumping for Arsenal.

It will be a widely shared sentiment after an opening weekend in which all three sides displayed at least one of the cliched traits of a Premier League champion: Manchester City swatted aside a lesser opponent in Wolves; Liverpool won it late against Bournemouth; Arsenal dug in to beat Manchester United while not playing well.

We don’t know if Arsenal coming second for three seasons on the trot is an indication of how only minor adjustments are required for them to go all the way or a sign that they are forever doomed to fall just short under Mikel Arteta.

We don’t know if Pep Guardiola still has it in him to go again with a very different set of players, plus Rodri, or if there’s a limit to his genius and the number of times he can reinvent and rejuvenate Manchester City.

We don’t know if the runaway champions last season have actually had that good a transfer window or if it’s flattered to deceive to pile the pressure on Liverpool and the unflappable Arne Slot.

But we do know that each of them would become the standout Premier League favourites in the minds of the vast majority if they made a move for a world-class footballer who is very available and would win a spot in all of their starting XIs to move the needle in their favour.

Rodrygo has been linked with a move to the Premier League for much of this summer, with his lack of minutes at the Club World Cup encouraging interest from all three title-chasers, but not to the same extent as Tottenham, who reportedly upped the ante on Thursday having been dealt the crushing blow of Arsenal’s swoop for Eberechi Eze the day before.

Unfortunately for Spurs, upon hearing about a pinch-of-salt report claiming Real Madrid had ‘accepted’ their loan bid for the Brazilian, our immediate impulse was to speculate as to which of their Premier League rivals would hijack this particular deal. There should be attempts from all of them.

Our second consideration – and provoking grief-stricken Spurs fans is no more than a happy consequence here – was just how bad things must be at Real Madrid for Rodrygo to be open to joining the 17th-best team in the Premier League. He’s an £80m winger who’s won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues whom Jude Bellingham described as “the most talented and most gifted player” at Real Madrid earlier this year.

Xabi Alonso has consistently said he’s “counting” on the 24-year-old in his debut season at the Bernabeu, but counted on him for just 93 minutes at the Club World Cup and left him on the bench for their league opener against Osasuna on Tuesday.

His actions have spoken far louder than his words and in a World Cup year no-one can blame Rodrygo for wanting out. If ‘the only possibility is Tottenham’, then it will have to be Tottenham. It could be worse than playing in The Most Competitive League In The World and the Champions League.

But he could be doing that at Liverpool, Arsenal or City, all of whom would be improved to the point of being clear title favourites if they landed him this summer.

As Jamie Carragher says, “Slot will not defend the crown with only three out-and-out attackers in Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike.” Arsenal’s growing concerns over Gabriel Martinelli have only been eased slightly by Eberechi Eze, who would be playing out of position in Rodrygo’s favoured left wing position if he was pushed into that role. And no sane City fan wouldn’t be in favour of selling Savinho to Tottenham and replacing him with Rodrygo.

He’s at worst a vast improvement on playing personnel and at best a perfect plug for a hole in a squad ill-prepared to challenge for the title. He’s a game-changer; a 2025/2026 Premier League winner.

Manchester City and Tottenham got off to flying starts to the new Premier League campaign, though they can thank the fixture computer for serving them up two sides that are going to be in for a tough season.

City walloped four past Wolves, while Spurs netted three against Burnley on Thomas Frank’s first Premier League game wearing clothing that didn’t have a bee on it.

Both sides will definitely have to move into a higher gear for this match, and it allows the pundits to see if Frank has already managed to put his stamp on his new Tottenham side in arguably one of their toughest games of the season.

Tottenham have been a bit of a bad luck charm for City recently, with the Citizens only winning four of their last 12 encounters between the two sides in all competitions.

City were surprisingly slapped 4-0 by Tottenham last November, and also lost 2-1 in the Carabao Cup in October.

However, both those matches fell in that period where City came totally off the rails, going on an alarming run of six defeats from seven across all competitions.

City restored some pride with a 1-0 win in February, but by then both teams’ league seasons were done and dusted.

That 4-0 win was a rare highlight in a truly disappointing league campaign for Spurs, but they’ll still be aiming to collect their first consecutive away win at City for the first time since May 2010 this Saturday.

Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison really impressed against Burnley, and could do a lot more damage if City’s defence can’t get to grips with them.

At the other end, Erling Haaland is already off the mark with a brace against Wolves, but it was Tijjani Reijnders that caught the eye with a goal and an assist in his Premier League debut.

The Saturday lunch time kick-off is usually a quiet affair, but this match has plenty of potential to be an early season cracker.

Man City vs Tottenham: Where to watch and listen

The match will be live on TNT Sports 1 on Saturday, August 23 with a 12:30pm kick-off. The match can also be streamed through the Discovery+app. Meanwhile, radio commentary is available on talkSPORT.

Man City team news

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is likely to stick with the same side that beat Wolves, though goalscorer Rayan Cherki will be pushing for a start.

Mateo Kovacic and Rodri are still out, while Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden are both injury doubts.

Manuel Akanji, Savinho and Ederson could all be missing from the squad with reported moves on the cards.

Man City predicted line-up

Tottenham team news

Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Radu Dragusin are all still out, while Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie are doubtful with knocks.

Joao Palhinha is pushing for a start after impressing on his Tottenham debut off the bench. He would add a lot more steel to Spurs’ midfield in a much tougher game.

Tottenham predicted line-up

Man City vs Tottenham stats

– Tottenham have won just two of their last 11 visits to the Etihad Stadium

– Tottenham have scored 12 goals on their last four visits to the Etihad

– Over 2.5 goals has landed in five of City’s last seven games

– Manchester City have won four of their last 12 Premier League games against Spurs

– There has been 21 goals in the last four Premier League matches between the two sides (City 9, Spurs 12)

Thomas Frank (Tottenham) quotes

On whether his squad his stronger after recent transfers:

“You can say that’s two players in, two players out, so probably pretty similar I would say, but also, as I said, I think in my first press conference, was that I think it’s a good squad. I think there’s some talented players. I think there’s some quality players in there as well so probably the same level, but I think that’s good. Then it’s up to me together with the players and the staff to make sure we can compete, and then as I said, we do what we can to strengthen it.”

On Richarlison:

“Right now he is my starting nine. He scored two top goals. Richy wants to stay, I want to keep him and there’s been no talks about anything else.”

Pep Guardiola (Man City) quotes

On Thomas Frank’s impact at Spurs:

“It’s too early to know (how they have changed) but I have no doubt that Thomas will do an incredible job at a big, big club, just like he did at Brentford. He is a top class manager and he offers a different alternative to how they can play. Going in to a new club is always funny and a different challenge but you have to wait.”

On City’s fear factor:

“I like a lot of things I am seeing on a daily basis in training and in behaviours but I would be a magician to know what is going to happen, I don’t know.”

Man City vs Tottenham referee stats

Peter Bankes gets the nod for this clash after overseeing Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Brentford last weekend.

He showed three yellow cards on Sunday, which is roughly in line with his average of 3.74 yellows a game last season.

He averaged 20.09 fouls from 23 Premier League games in the 2024/25 campaign, showing 86 yellows and just three reds, making him one of the less card happy refs in the top flight.

Man City vs Tottenham prediction

Tottenham’s price for consecutive wins at the Etihad is incredibly appealing.

Bookies aren’t taking much stock in Spurs sweeping aside Burnley but perhaps they are ignoring their impressive display in the Super Cup defeat to PSG.

Kudus was very ordinary at West Ham last year and didn’t appear to be interested at times, but one game into his Tottenham career and he appears a new man already. City might struggle to cope with Spurs’ new look attack and might find it hard to break down a better organised defence under Frank.

Our other selection comes from one of City’s new faces. Tijjani Reijnders could play a vital role for City this season and the former AC Milan man will be keen to impress the fans on his home debut.

He had three shots, a goal and an assist against Wolves, plus he averaged 1.67 shots a game at the Club World Cup. Chalk him down for two shots at the Etihad.

According to reports, the ‘door is ajar’ for Tottenham Hotspur to hijack a Chelsea transfer after missing out on Arsenal-bound Eberechi Eze.

Earlier this week, Tottenham were dealt a major transfer blow as Arsenal hijacked their move for England international Eze.

Spurs moved to the front of the queue for the talented attacking midfielder and had a deal in place with Crystal Palace, though Arsenal swooped to complete a well-coordinated hijack after news emerged concerning Kai Havertz’s knee injury.

So, this leaves Spurs scouring the market for alternatives and a report from journalist Fraser Fletcher for our pals at TEAMtalk claims the ‘door is ajar’ for the north London club to sign Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku and they have ‘explored’ a move in the final few days of this summer’s transfer window.

Nkunku desperately needs a fresh start as his move to Chelsea is yet to get off the ground, as he’s been a bit-part player since missing most of his debut season due to injury.

READ: Transfer rumour ranking: New midfield target for Man Utd, trio in Rodrygo race

Earlier this week, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca confirmed that he would like Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to leave the club before this summer window closes.

He said: “We’ll see. If they are going to be here, they will be with us. If not, it means they found a solution. I think it’s better if they find a solution because they are going to be more happy.”

Nkunku has also been heavily linked with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in recent months, with a return to the Bundesliga more likely than a move to Spurs.

Como star Nico Paz is another player on Tottenham’s radar, with The Boot Room claiming they have made ‘fresh contact’ with the Serie A side after missing out on Eze.

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Spanish outlet Fichajes, meanwhile, claims Spurs are ‘preparing an 80 million euro (£69m) offer’ for Paz in the coming days.

Regarding the ‘biggest obstacle, the report adds:

‘Tottenham are preparing an €80 million bid to sign Como playmaker Nico Paz in a bid to bolster their attacking side ahead of the current Premier League and UEFA Champions League season.

‘After the failed signings of Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, Thomas Frank’s team is looking to sign a playmaker to replace James Maddison, who suffered a serious injury during preseason. However, Real Madrid appears to be the biggest obstacle in this deal, as it maintains control clauses over the Argentine’s future.’

According to reports, Liverpool have ‘burst onto the scene’ to challenge Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in the race to sign Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Liverpool have made a statement in this transfer window, investing around £290m on signings as this summer’s biggest spenders in Europe.

Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are among Liverpool‘s most notable additions, but they remain in the market for at least one more signing before this window closes.

The Reds still have money to spend as they have offloaded Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah to raise funds, while it has been reported that Harvey Elliott could be the next to move elsewhere.

If Liverpool are to strengthen, they have a couple of priorities in mind as they look for a new centre-back and striker amid interest in Marc Guehi and Alexander Isak.

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It has also been suggested that the Reds could strengthen in wide areas after letting Diaz join Bayern Munich, with Rodrygo mooted as a possible addition.

The Real Madrid star has been heavily linked with an exit and move to the Premier League throughout this summer as he has dropped in the pecking order following Kylian Mbappe’s move to the Spanish giants.

The appointment of new head coach Xabi Alonso has not changed his position at Real Madrid, with the winger an unused substitute in last weekend’s 1-0 win against Osasuna.

While Liverpool and Man City remain linked with Rodrygo, a recent report claimed Spurs have had a loan offer ‘accepted’, with ‘the only doubt whether or not a purchase clause is included’ in the deal.

However, you have to feel that Rodrygo would choose Liverpool or Man City if they stepped up their interest and Spanish outlet Fichajes claims the Reds have ‘burst onto the scene’ to ‘enter the bidding’ for the talented winger.

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The report adds:

‘Arne Slot’s project includes an ambitious attacking front line. The idea is to combine Florian Wirtz as a central midfielder, Mohamed Salah on the right, Rodrygo Goes on the left, and Hugo Ekitike as a key player.

‘The Dutch coach gave his approval and the English club sees Rodrygo as a reliable replacement for Luis Díaz , who left Anfield to sign for Bayern Munich.’

Football Insider, meanwhile, claims Rodrygo’s representatives have ‘jetted into the UK as they look to finalise a move to the Premier League.

‘Real Madrid are willing to listen to offers for the Brazil megastar in the final 10 days of the summer window. Rodrygo is believed to be keen on a move to a Premier League giant who are competing in the Champions League.

‘Football Insider revealed that Man City have already agreed terms with Rodrygo ahead of a possible move, and they remain in talks over a move. Liverpool are also among the clubs who have registered their interest in a deal for the 24-year-old, particularly following Luis Diaz’s exit earlier this summer.’