Football365

With so many unknowns and almost half the Premier League under new management, it’s hard to know where to look on this opening weekend.

It’s massive beyond the Barclays and these borders too, with must-see matches in the Championship and La Liga too.

Just cancel your plans, ignore your obligations, and gorge on it all…

Game to watch – Newcastle v Liverpool

One of three opening games to feature new managers in both dug-outs, we winced when the fixture computer pitted Newcastle, in such a delicate state, against Liverpool.

Even before the Magpies had been pillaged of their best players and shorn of their most popular manager since Sir Bobby Robson, they had not managed to beat the Reds at St James’ Park in their last nine attempts. In the Premier League, home or away, Liverpool are 19 unbeaten against Newcastle.

So Matthias Jaissle could have few tougher tests to begin his Newcastle reign before we all rush to judgement on the new manager.

But the Reds seem no more optimistic for the new season under Andoni Iraola than their Geordie hosts.

At least Jaissle is spared the expectation carried by Iraola. Both clubs may claim to be in transition, but circumstances mean the Newcastle manager has more licence to fail early than his Liverpool counterpart.

Not that many would blame Iraola if Liverpool get off to anything less than a flying start. The Reds’ problems are not of his making, but his to navigate.

Liverpool have been slow to plug the holes in their squad and even if they do so by the deadline, here is a window of opportunity for Newcastle to exploit.

Team to watch – Tottenham Hotspur

Two thirds of the brand new, surely-not-sh*t-anymore Spurs kick off their campaign on Saturday evening with a revamped defence, overhauled midfield and the same old attack.

Around their London derby at Brentford, where they haven’t lost in their last five, Tottenham will be spending the rest of their weekend trying to tie up a double deal with Manchester City while egging on Liverpool to get their business done so they can take Cody Gakpo off their hands.

So most of the focus of the inevitable kneejerk-ery will be on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. Brentford’s record signing, Mamadou Sangare, will certainly have the £185million pair in his sights, desperate to highlight why so many think the Bees have got a bargain.

But even if Tonali and Fernandes pull the strings, Spurs have to find a way to score goals until they get their new forwards through the door.

Player to watch – Enzo Fernandez

So many debutants to watch excitedly this weekend, but just as fascinating will be the players still hoping to get their moves.

Chief among them is Chelsea’s vice-captain.

Fernandez is the focus of interest from Manchester City with the Argentina midfielder keen to follow Enzo Maresca up to the Etihad – a desire he’s not too shy to hide.

Which prompted a mixed reaction from Chelsea supporters when Fernandez featured in their last pre-season friendly last weekend. Those dissenters were perhaps the Blues fans stared down by Fernandez at the AmEx last season, when it seemed clear he would be away this summer if he could.

With City and Chelsea still someway apart in their valuations, the former ignoring the latter’s deadline last week, Fernandez will be fascinating to watch.

How much is he prepared to push for a move? How will that affect his demeanour and performance at Fulham on Monday night? Fernandez seems the sort to overegg it, either performatively proving his commitment to his current club, or not-so-subtly hinting at his preference to join a new one.

Manager to watch – Enzo Maresca

The new Manchester City manager has had a rough week.

It began with a pummelling at the hands of Arsenal in the Community Shield and continued with the release of Pep Guardiola’s searingly-honest documentary, reminding City fans of the manager and the love they lost this summer.

The new fella already had a tall task to win over those wary that City have replaced Pep with Diet Pep. Those sceptics will feel emboldened by the startling difference last week in Cardiff between the champions and the runners-up.

Arsenal did not have to play particularly well to pummel a City side that seemed to exist of many more strangers than the single new signing – their new £115million midfielder – on show.

In all aspects of their play, City seemed a long way from being ready for their first post-Pep season. How much can Maresca remedy in one week?

European game to watch – Espanyol v Real Madrid

Four of the big five leagues kick off this weekend, with Inter v Monza on Saturday evening worth keeping an eye on around Spurs’ trip to Brentford with a couple of England defenders due their Serie A debuts.

As ever, though, it’ll be all eyes on Jose Mourinho on Saturday night when he kicks off his second stint as Real Madrid boss at Espanyol.

It’s been an oddly low-key return to the Bernabeu from Mourinho so far. Actually, he seems to avoided the limelight which, from everything we know of Jose, cannot possibly be a long-term arrangement.

With Mourinho having avoided media duties after Real’s pre-season friendlies and the club swerving from tradition by not staging an unveiling of any sort, we know very little of how he intends to begin the rebuild at the Bernabeu.

Real have also taken a similar approach with their new signings, including £115million Yan Diomande, perhaps to demonstrate a single-minded focus on performance, rather than indulging in the usual bluster Mourinho and Florentino Perez have rarely ever previously shunned.

Which makes their opener at Espanyol our first opportunity to gauge the scale of Mourinho’s task and what he’s been able to achieve so far.

EFL game to watch – West Ham v Charlton

Lincoln’s first home game against Portsmouth is one of three Championship games on the box on Saturday lunchtime, but we’re more intrigued to get a look at West Ham back at the London Stadium in a London derby.

The Hammers are favourites to secure promotion back to the Premier League but much may depend on how they handle those expectations.

The pressure from outside the club will pale in comparison to that from within their own fanbase. If the team can get the London Stadium onside, then this season could be a successful, fun excursion in the second tier.

But if they don’t… oh, boy. And West Ham are already on the backfoot somewhat after chucking in a two-goal lead at Burnley last week.

The Hammers also have to deal with the burden of being seen as the Championship’s biggest scalp. Charlton supporters, coming six miles across London, will occupy the first of a few sold-out away ends at the London Stadium, and visiting players will relish the opportunity as much as the fans.

West Ham can’t allow their stadium to again become more hostile for themselves than visitors. A positive start to the home campaign is essential.

Manchester United have overtaken Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba, a report has revealed.

German outlet Fussball Daten reported on Monday that Man Utd, Spurs and Newcastle had all contacted Tapsoba’s entourage to tee up possible moves. The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the German Bundesliga and could soon earn a big transfer to the Premier League as a result.

Our friends at TEAMtalk provided an update on Tapsoba’s situation on Thursday afternoon, revealing that Man Utd are ‘leading the race’ as their discussions with his agents are the ‘most advanced’ as things stand.

TEAMtalk’s report confirms that Man Utd, Spurs and Newcastle have all opened dialogue with the defender’s camp.

‘Leverkusen have set a firm valuation of €50million (£42.8m / $58.4m), for their key defender,’ TEAMtalk state.

‘Although the German club would prefer to retain Tapsoba, who signed a contract extension until 2031 earlier this year, they have left the door open to a suitable financial offer.

READ – Ranking all 78 Man Utd signings since Sir Alex retired: Tielemans in below Ronaldo, above Mbeumo

‘He is regarded as one of the most complete centre-backs in the Bundesliga, combining physical strength with the ability to build play from the back and cover large distances.’

Man Utd are currently looking to wrap up a deal for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, while they are also spying a move for a new left-back.

But INEOS may also need to hand head coach Michael Carrick a centre-half amid concerns over Matthijs de Ligt’s long-term fitness.

Plus, United need to prepare for 33-year-old Harry Maguire’s potential departure at the end of the season.

United landing a Bundesliga title-winning centre-back such as Tapsoba would prevent further criticism about their lack of transfer activity defensively.

Jamie O’Hara said on Sky Sports on Tuesday: “I think it’s a disgrace what they’ve done to Carrick.

Man Utd ‘miles off it’ – Jamie O’Hara

“They’ve brought him in. They’ve said, ‘We’re going to back you’. They gave him the opportunity. He [has] done a fantastic job last season to get them back in the Champions League, and they’ve given him two players.

“Youri Tielemans is alright. Great signing. And Andrey Santos, who’s, you know… we’re not convinced that he’s even a decent player yet.

“Manchester United are miles off it, and we’re talking about them being in the Champions League.

“They’ve got the same back four they had maybe three or four years ago.

“Luke Shaw is going to have another season at left-back. Fair play to him. Harry Maguire at centre-back. Come on.

“Like, we’re talking about Manchester United. They’re meant to be trying to get back amongst it.”

After helping Tottenham avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2025-26, Roberto De Zerbi begins his first full season in charge of the club with an away game against Brentford.

Spurs are determined to get back on the right track and have supported the manager in the transfer market, spending £237million on new players this summer.

Brentford had a much more successful 2025-26 campaign as Keith Andrews led them to ninth place, matching their joint-highest Premier League finish.

Brentford v Tottenham kick-off time

Brentford v Tottenham kicks off at 5.30pm BST on Saturday, August 22 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford v Tottenham how to watch

The game will be shown live in the UK via Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 7pm.

BBC Radio 5 Live will provide full match commentary.

Brentford team news

Sepp van den Berg is set to miss the opening two months of the season due to an injury, leaving Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins as the centre-back duo.

Antoni Milambo remains sidelined after suffering a season-ending ACL injury on international duty in October last year.

Club-record signing Mamadou Sangare should go straight into the starting line-up, forming part of a midfield trio alongside Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen.

Fellow new signings Jannik Schuster, Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson will all be in the matchday squad, but may start on the bench.

Tottenham team news

A lot has changed at Tottenham this summer and Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali are all in line to make their competitve debuts for the club against Brentford.

Fellow summer signing Matheus Fernandes has been dealing with a calf issue in pre-season, but should at least be in the matchday squad.

Micky Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie did not feature at all in pre-season and are major doubts for this game, while Pedro Porro may have to settle for a place on the bench as he has only just returned to training his successful World Cup campaign.

James Maddison has had to be managed carefully as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, playing just 45 minutes across pre-season.

Mohammed Kudus has not played since January due to a thigh issue, and while he is close to a return, the Brentford game will come too soon for him.

With Kudus still unavailable and a deal for Manchester City’s Savinho still yet to be agreed, De Zerbi may hand Mikey Moore a start on the right wing.

Dominic Solanke is back in training after recovering from an ankle injury, although Richarlison is still expected to lead the line.

Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski definitely won’t feature and are all still some way from a return to action.

Brentford v Tottenham odds

Brentford are 6/4 to start the 2026/27 season with a win in front of their home fans, while Tottenham are 15/8 to take away all three points away from the Gtech Community Stadium.

The draw can be backed at 11/4.

Brentford v Tottenham predictions

Despite their struggles last season, Tottenham took four points from their two Premier League games against Brentford.

Former Brentford boss Thomas Frank was in charge of Spurs for both of those games, overseeing a 2-0 victory in December and a 0-0 draw on New Year’s Day.

The 0-0 draw was at Brentford and four of their five Premier League meetings at the Gtech Community Stadium have ended all square, including two 2-2 draws.

That leads us to back a draw and both teams to score at 7/2.

Tonali scored just 16 minutes into his Premier League debut for Newcastle and will be looking to do something similar for Tottenham, having scored three goals across five previous appearances against Brentford.

The Italy international impressed in pre-season and is 8/1 to score anytime.

Alongside Tonali, Mathys Tel was another one of Spurs’ best players in pre-season, registering one goal and three assists across five friendlies. He’s 9/5 to score or assist against Brentford.

For Brentford, Igor Thiago may have had an underwhelming World Cup campaign, but he is still coming off the back of a 22-goal Premier League season. The striker is 11/8 to score anytime against Spurs.

Omar Marmoush has said yes to signing for Tottenham, and Manchester City are open to selling both he and Savinho to Spurs, though for more than Roberto De Zerbi’s side are currently offering, per reports.

Tottenham have invested heavily in multiple areas of their squad so far this summer, though as yet, no money has been spent on forwards. That will soon change.

Spurs are determined to sign all three of Cody Gakpo, Omar Marmoush and Savinho, with De Zerbi aiming to field an entirely new front three once the transfer window is done and dusted.

Savinho, 22, agreed personal terms with Tottenham earlier in the summer, and on Wednesday, David Ornstein revealed club-to-club talks with Man City for the double signing of Savinho and Marmoush were ‘advancing‘.

Of course, it’s no use striking a deal between the clubs if the player then refuses to make the jump too.

But according to our colleagues over on TEAMtalk, Egypt international Marmoush has given the green light to joining Spurs.

Omar Marmoush says yes to joining Tottenham

An agreement on personal terms is not yet in place, though forging one won’t be an issue.

Detailing one of the reasons why 27-year-old Marmoush wants Tottenham, TEAMtalk’s insider, Graeme Bailey, revealed the player craves playing centrally again, just as he did at former club Eintracht Frankfurt.

For a very obvious Erling Haaland-shaped reason, Marmoush will never be the regular starter at centre-forward with City.

On the subject of cost, talkSPORT and Ben Jacobs recently claimed Man City are requesting £150m combined for the sale of Savinho and Marmoush.

However, Bailey revealed that as of now, Tottenham are £10m short of that price and only willing to go as high as £140m for the pair.

The reporter stated: ‘The Marmoush discussions are developing alongside Tottenham’s talks with City over Savinho, with Spurs prepared to spend around £140million on the two players combined if they can reach agreement.

‘Personal terms have already been discussed with Marmoush’s representatives and we understand his camp are happy with what they have heard from Tottenham.’

Whether than valuation gap will prove a minor or major hinderance to this double deal, only time will tell.

DON’T MISS: Man City get definitive answer on Adam Wharton transfer amid Champions League dream

Cody Gakpo to complete new Spurs front three

As mentioned, Spurs are also pushing to sign Gakpo who Liverpool value at £70m. The Reds are using Anthony Gordon’s £69m switch to Barcelona earlier this summer as a guide.

Gakpo, 27, has agreed personal terms with Spurs and is desperate to make the move. De Zerbi has convinced him he’ll start regularly and be crucial to the project Tottenham are embarking on.

READ NEXT: Top 10 biggest transfer window spends ever as Tottenham threaten

However, Liverpool won’t give the final green light to Gakpo’s sale until they’ve signed, or at the very least come close to signing, two more wingers.

They’ve already banked Victor Munoz but are pushing to sign Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, both of PSG, too.

Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with Barcola and Mbaye, and talks between they and PSG regarding the respective transfer fees and deal structures are taking place on a daily basis.

Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood has backed a 17-year-old Spurs star to impress in the first team, as he labelled him “one to watch” for the season.

Spurs are coming into this season in a better place than they did last term. After two 17th-placed Premier League finishes in a row, they’ve recruited well, with Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke the big arrivals.

Tottenham are also known to be advancing on deals for Manchester City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Their arrivals would transform the attack and turn the north London club into a very competitive outfit for the season.

But according to Sherwood, there’s a man in Spurs’ academy who could hit the heights this season.

He said on Sky Sports: “I’m hoping we’re talking about this player, Luca Williams-Barnett at Tottenham, the 17-year-old. I know he’s very young.

“I think he deserves the opportunity to play. I think he’s as good as, even though he’s not played at the level, but he’s got the swagger, he’s got the ability enough to play in that team.

“I’m not saying he can play every single week, but I certainly think, like Max Dowman, who we talked about last year, he can play 10-15 games.

“I think Luca Williams-Barnett will be the one to watch.”

READ: Tottenham to spend over £450m with triple signing next after Ornstein, Romano updates

Williams-Barnett’s similarities with Dowman

Dowman is a unicorn in the quality he had since being 15 years old when he made his Arsenal debut. He’s likely in line for more appearances for the Premier League champions this season and won’t look out of place when he makes them.

Williams-Barnett is perhaps not on quite the same level, but having made his senior debut as a 16-year-old and impressed in the under-18s when he was just 15, it seems he could indeed have an impact on the first team.

He’s shown that in Tottenham’s pre-season, when he scored in the 2-2 draw with Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Having played only one competitive game for Spurs’ senior side so far – against League One Doncaster Rovers last season – there’s still a long way until he makes himself a fixture of the first team, but having impressed between the last campaign and this one, there might well be scope for Williams-Barnett to be given more minutes by Roberto De Zerbi.

The stunning amount Tottenham must pay to sign Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Manchester City has come to light, and if adding Cody Gakpo too, Spurs’ summer spend will rocket past £450m.

Tottenham have already spent £237m on the triple signing of Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali so far in this window. But if Roberto De Zerbi gets his way, there’ll be another triple coup before long.

De Zerbi and Spurs are aligned in believing the club needs a radical overhaul in the final third.

Accordingly, Tottenham plan to sign new starters at left wing, right wing and striker. Essentially, they want a brand new front three.

On Wednesday evening, The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke news of Tottenham ‘advancing’ in discussions with Man City for the double signing of Savinho and Marmoush. Personal terms with Savinho are already in place.

Ornstein didn’t mention how much the pair would cost, and of late, Savinho’s price tag has been a hot topic.

Reports throughout the summer claimed Savinho would cost around £65m if joining Spurs. More recently, The Times claimed City are now demanding £85m.

In any case, a fresh update from talkSPORT, which was backed up and promoted by trusted reporter, Ben Jacobs, has revealed the combined asking price for Savinho and Marmoush is £150m.

They explained: ‘Although any potential deal is yet to be finalised, discussions between the clubs are advancing with City prepared to sanction move for both players if the north London side are prepared to stump up around £150million.’

Whether that would mean Savinho is costing £85m and Marmoush £65m, or whether it’s £75m apiece doesn’t really matter given Spurs want both players anyway.

New Tottenham front three – Gakpo, Marmoush, Savinho

The third player in this story, Cody Gakpo, has agreed personal terms with Spurs too. He’s valued by Liverpool at £70m, with the Reds using Anthony Gordon’s £69m transfer to Barcelona as a benchmark.

There had been claims Liverpool might U-turn on selling the Dutchman after his stellar showings in pre-season.

However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano remains adamant Gakpo can leave Liverpool if the Reds get two more wingers in the building. The pair they want both play for PSG – Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.

Romano stated: “For Cody Gakpo, Tottenham remain in conversations. I know in the last 24, 48 hours, the rumours around the story are that the deal is not happening, the deal is off, the deal is not going through.

“But my understanding is that the negotiation for Cody Gakpo to Tottenham is still ongoing. Cody Gakpo is open to joining Tottenham and personal terms are not a problem.

“So the deal remains on. The deal remains underway and Cody Gakpo to Tottenham Hotspur is still absolutely on.

“Then they need to reach a financial agreement, and that’s not a detail. Remember that if Gakpo is going to Tottenham, Liverpool will sign two wingers, top target Bradley Barcola plus one.

DON’T MISS: Harry Kane reaches decision on joining Man Utd or Tottenham – ‘that itch’

“So it’s still a long story in a short time because now there are less than two weeks of the summer transfer window. We’ll be following the situation. These days, anything can happen.

“But what I can guarantee at this time on Tuesday is that nothing has changed yet. There is no deal off. The conversation remains ongoing and we have to follow the situation to understand what’s going to happen.”

If Spurs do add Marmoush, Savinho and Gakpo to Van Hecke, Fernandes and Tonali (£457m combined), they’d be one more half-decent signing away from spending over half a billion pounds in a single window.

Tottenham are ‘advancing’ on deals for a pair of Manchester City stars, per The Athletic, which could send their summer spending past £370million.

Spurs have already spent £230million this summer. Those signings were in midfield and defence, with Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke the big players to join.

In recent weeks, eyes have been firmly fixed on adding to the attack. That seems to be the difference between a solid season and a very competitive one, after two consecutive 17th-placed finishes.

Roberto De Zerbi promised a “bomba” signing in late July, and Spurs fans have been left waiting for who that might be.

But the boss might soon deliver on two fronts, as The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reports the club are ‘advancing’ in talks with City for attacking duo Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

The report notes how Tottenham pursued Savinho last summer, when a package of £43.3million was said to have been discussed.

Tottenham could spend over £370million

But recent reports have suggested City want £85million if they’re to part company with the Brazilian winger.

For Marmoush, who was signed for £59million in January 2025, there are suggestions that he’d cost around £56million – just below what he was signed for.

Together, that makes £141million, and adding that to the figure just shy of £230million already spent in north London this summer, that’s over £370million.

That would be Spurs’ record in a single year, going past the £272.2million they spent in 2023-24.

New signings have been a necessity after two very poor seasons, and De Zerbi appears to on the right track to put his side in a good spot for the coming campaign.

He said in July: “I think two, maybe three [new signings]. We have to see.

“[There is] zero pressure. You know why? Because one day the taxi man in London stopped me to congratulate me on the transfer market.

“He said, ‘Eh, you are spending a lot of money’. I said, ‘But who are you a fan of?’ Arsenal. You have spent the money for a long time in the last three or four years.

“I think Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, to stay at the top of the table, they have spent money.

“If you want to compete now, for the top of the Premier League, and to put Tottenham in the highest level, I think we need to bring top players, like we are doing.”

Harry Kane has explained his reasoning after deciding whether or not to return to the Premier League by way of Manchester United or Tottenham this summer.

Kane is arguably the No 1 striker in world football right now, with only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe capable of disputing that claim.

Since leaving Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane has done exactly what you’d expect – tear Bundesliga defences apart.

However, the 33-year-old has also made light of Champions League defences too, scoring 33 times in 38 UCL appearances for Bayern.

There’s always been a sense Kane could return to the Premier League, with the lure of breaking Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record an obvious one.

Kane left the EPL with 213 goals to his name, much to Shearer’s relief who still holds top spot on 260. Wayne Rooney (208) is the only other player to break the 200-goal barrier in the Premier League era.

Last week, our colleagues over on TEAMtalk revealed that Man Utd and Tottenham were willing to make a move for Kane this summer.

The report stated: ‘Tottenham have also kept the door open to a sensational reunion.

‘The pull of a return to the club will always exist for Kane and Spurs have made it clear that bringing their record goalscorer back remains something they would like to explore, particularly with Roberto De Zerbi now in charge.

‘However, despite the interest from Barcelona and Tottenham and Manchester United’s willingness to consider a deal – with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe known to be an admirer – Kane has not been chasing a move.’

More recently, news broke of Kane’s representatives holding shock talks with Saudi Arabian side, Al-Hilal.

But per Fabrizio Romano, the likeliest outcome is Kane simply pens fresh terms at Bayern Munich.

And according to the player himself, he no longer has any real desire to return to the Premier League, thus ruling out moves to Man Utd and Tottenham.

READ NEXT: Romano drops huge Gakpo to Tottenham update after Liverpool ‘deal off’ claim

Harry Kane explains why he won’t return to England

In quotes carried by journalist Henry Winter, Kane said after receiving his European Golden Shoe award: “When I first left, for sure it was something that I thought I’d definitely be coming back. That itch isn’t there as much anymore.

“I’m extremely happy here in Munich. It’s opened my eyes to a totally different world of football outside of England. It’s made me appreciate European football even more.

“With the team we have here, with the manager (Vincent Kompany). My family are really settled here. It’s just about being in the best place possible.

“I never say never but, for now, I’m concentrating on Bayern Munich and we’ll see what the future holds.”

Tottenham are in ‘close contact’ with the representatives of a Bundesliga centre-back who’s open to a move and has a £43million starting price.

Spurs have already signed two centre-backs this summer, in Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke. With Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso already in the squad, as well as Ben Davies, that’s five options in the heart of defence.

With no European football next season, that seems to be more than enough.

The priority now appears to be attacking signings – none have yet been made this summer, but there are questions over Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, while there are links with Cody Gakpo, Savinho and more forwards.

Yet Tottenham continue to be linked with more centre-back moves.

Fussballdaten reports Spurs are in ‘close contact’ with the agent of Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba to learn about his desires and if a transfer is plausible.

It’s said he has a desire for a new chapter in his career, amid strong interest in the Premier League, not only from Tottenham, but also Manchester United and Newcastle.

From Leverkusen’s perspective, Tapsoba’s exit is not ruled out, providing a suitable offer is made.

A minimum limit of €50million (£43m) is said to have been set, with no offers below that figure to be considered.

More centre-backs on the radar

Rumours that Tottenham could be after another centre-back, despite already having five to choose from, are not unfounded.

There’s no knowledge on whether Van de Ven is fit, having missed all of pre-season, with manager Roberto De Zerbi recently stating he was not ready to play in a recent game.

With the season approaching, Spurs might want to ensure they are covered for if the Dutchman is on the sidelines for a while.

Our friends at TEAMtalk have recently revealed that former Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi could exit from current side Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and interest has emerged from Tottenham as a result.

There has not yet been any serious contact over that transfer, but he is certainly said to be a player of interest for the north London club.

There’s no suggestion of how much he’d cost, and therefore whether Tapsoba or Zabarnyi would be the better option for Tottenham at this stage, if they are to land a new centre-back.

Tottenham already know the three transfers they want to complete before the end of the summer window, according to Sky Sports.

The north Londoners have so far signed Andy Robertson (free, Liverpool), Marcos Senesi (free, Bournemouth), Jan Paul van Hecke (£52m, Brighton), Martin Dubravka (free, Burnley), Mateus Fernandes (£85m, West Ham) and Sandro Tonali (£92.5m, Newcastle United) as they look to give Roberto De Zerbi the tools to be a success this season.

Tottenham avoided relegation on the final day of the Premier League season last term and the Spurs board are doing everything they can to avoid the same situation this coming campaign.

As well as getting players in the door, Spurs are also looking to move several players on with Juventus-bound Guglielmo Vicario the latest to head towards the exit door.

But Tottenham still want to add another three players before the transfer window shuts with Sky Sports insisting that Spurs ‘hope to sign as many as three new forwards before the transfer deadline’.

It is understood that ENIC’s ‘ideal end to the window is to buy Savinho from Manchester City, Cody Gakpo from Liverpool and a new centre-forward’.

READ:Romano drops huge Gakpo to Tottenham update after Liverpool ‘deal off’ claim

Giving an update on Tottenham’s interest in Savinho, Sky Sports adds: ‘Savinho is ready to join Tottenham but City want to sign a replacement and the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders in the last week have dominated proceedings in Manchester.’

Liverpool are wanting to sign at least Bradley Barcola before entertaining the idea of selling Gakpo, while Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has emerged as an alternative.

Using Gakpo as a centre-forward is ‘not their primary plan’ under De Zerbi with the Tottenham head coach wanting a ‘new out-and-out goalscoring centre-forward’.

Man City striker Omar Marmoush is ‘on their list’ of targets as Tottenham look to take their total signings for the summer to nine.

Can Tottenham complete an incredible turnaround to win the title?

Former Tottenham midfielder Victor Wanyama reckons his former club will win the Premier League title this season after almost being relegated last term.

READ: Cristian Romero’s Tottenham exit ‘basically a swap’ as Spurs ‘won’t pay’ for ex-Atletico star – insider

Wanyama predicted on Pulse Sports: “Tottenham Hotspur will be first because they had a rough season last year, and now they know what it takes.

“Now, they are hungrier, and they have signed more players, and they have a new manager. He is a really good manager and has a good reputation in the English Premier League and he will be looking forward to winning it.”

Former Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood reckons Tottenham will finish fifth and claim the final Champions League spot ahead of Manchester United.

Sherwood said: “I think Arsenal win it. I think Man City are still second, just on the history of what I’ve done previously.

“I’ll go Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and then Man Utd just missing out on Champions League in sixth.”