talkSPORT

Manchester City may have won six Premier League titles in the last eight years - but their era of dominance has finally come to an end.

That's the view of ex-Arsenal star Perry Groves, who believes Pep Guardiola's men are no longer the ones to beat at the top of the division.

Since Guardiola's arrival at the Etihad in 2016, he has overseen the club scooping a mammoth 18 trophies.

That includes six league titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, three Community Shields, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

City have never gone two years in a row without winning a Premier League title under Guardiola's tutelage - which they could manage come May.

Liverpool are the current holders, and are favourites to once again come out on top having splashed out over £290million on six new signings.

A whopping 13 points separated the two teams last campaign, resulting in City forking out over £150m on new recruits - with that figure set to rise before the window ends.

A 4-0 opening day win away at Wolves had fans - and pundits - believing that another City title challenge was to be on the cards.

But City supporters have had been forced to eat a slice of humble pie following their 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, a result which sent them crashing back down to earth.

It has led to Groves, who won two First Division titles, the League Cup and the Football League Centenary Trophy at Highbury between 1987-1991, to state that City's period of triumph is over.

Following City's tenth defeat to Spurs under Guardiola, Groves highlighted why he believes they are no longer the top dogs.

A loss of experience, a young squad and no fear factor are all reasons why City are not the team of old, Groves has claimed.

What did Perry Groves say about Man City?

Groves told talkSPORT: "I think there's a big issue. Football's cyclical, right?

"This is the end of Man City's cycle, I know their average age was 24 [on Saturday].

"If you look at the team they put out, there's no aura about that team.

"There's no presence or stature, if you look at the treble-winning side, when you had Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, [Riyad] Mahrez as well, they're all players that imposed themselves on the game.

"I'm looking at this Man City side, and I know they're in transition, they haven't got that aura anymore.

"And you know you're in trouble when your away team has more shots than you.

"That very rarely happens at the Etihad, normally, when they're in their pomp, Man City, you'd go to Etihad and knew you had to take maybe one or two of your chances to stand a game on the breakaway.

"That's not happening anymore, so I think the teams that go into Etihad now actually fancy their chances because they know that this isn't the Man City team of old.

"So, I said before, I don't think Man City are in the race for the title because of the age of their team."

As for former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam, the Scotsman is of the opinion that City's new-look team needs time to gel.

He remarked: "I look at Man City's team at the moment, they're trying. Rodri is missing, Bernardo Silva never played, Foden never played [both from kick-off]."

Before adding: "With that midfield [Nico Gonzalez, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders], there's no real Premier League experience in that midfield compared to Tottenham.

"We're talking about [Joao] Paulinha, who's played in the Premier League [at Fulham previously], [Rodrigo] Bentancur and [Pape Matar] Sarr, all played Premier League football, so they've got that experience in there.

"I know they're all good players, good footballers, Reijnders, Gonzalez and Cherki, but it takes time to really get the flow of it.

"And now for Man City, getting their key players back in terms of Foden, Silva, Rodri, I think will make a huge difference to them.

"But they have to find these solutions, and again, I still think, with the window open, Man City will look to do some business."

City will look to return to winning ways away at Brighton next Sunday in their final match before the September international break.

Guardiola failed to beat Fabian Hurzeler during his two encounters with the Seagulls last term - losing at the Amex Stadium before the teams played out a draw later in the season.

Failure to win at Brighton will not only have fans worrying that a title charge is out of the question, but would leave them fearing they are in a battle for a Champions League spot.

Tottenham are still pushing to sign Manchester City winger Savinho, talkSPORT understands.

Spurs have indicated to City they are willing to pay €70million (£60.7m) for the Brazilian, who is keen to make the move.

The player is yet to feature in his club's first two games of the season due to injury.

Still just 21 years old, the winger signed for Man City at £30.8m last summer, making 29 appearances and scoring one goal.

He did, though, make eight assists, as Pep Guardiola's team endured a difficult season with patchy form throughout.

The skilful Brazilian was previously a success out on loan with Girona from Troyes in 2023/24, where he earned plaudits in LaLiga.

He helped them to a stunning third place finish ahead of Atletico Madrid, while also ending the campaign just four points behind Barcelona.

However, his goalscoring didn't carry over in the Premier League with Man City last year.

When asked about Savinho's future, along with Manuel Akanji, prior to losing 2-0 to Tottenham, Guardiola said: "I don't know about that. They are our players, and we'll see what happens. I think a few things are going to happen, and we'll see."

The update comes with eight days remaining in the transfer window, and a day on from the north London side's impressive win over the Citizens at the Etihad Stadium.

Tottenham saw VAR intervene to give Brennan Johnson the opening goal as he slotted home from a Richarlison cross.

And, just before half-time, loanee Joao Palhinha hammered into the back of the net after an error from new City goalkeeper James Trafford.

Tottenham are stepping up their interest in Savinho just hours after seeing former transfer target Eberechi Eze join rivals Arsenal.

Spurs had looked close to a deal for the Crystal Palace star in midweek, but the Gunners swooped in to sign the 27-year-old.

The England international remained a fan of his boyhood club despite crying in his room for a week when Arsenal released him, aged 13.

Eze was paraded at the Emirates on Saturday evening just minutes after the announcement of his signing.

And the night got even better for Gunners fans as they went on to beat Leeds United 5-0.

Fellow new signing Viktor Gyokeres scored his first two goals for the club in the win.

However, injuries to Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have soured the mood to an extent.

Tottenham have seen their summer signings settle in with ease so far this season.

Mohammed Kudus, a £55m signing from West Ham, has put in three fine performances against Paris Saint-Germain, Burnley, and Man City.

Against the Clarets he assisted both goals for Richarlison in a 3-0 victory.

And Palhinha impressed against PSG and the Citizens too with his pressing and defensive duels winning his new fans over instantly.

Fellow new boy Kota Takai, though, has been unable to play since his £5m arrival from Kawasaki Frontale, while Luka Vuskovic looks set to go out on loan.

Ange Postecoglou is keen to return to Premier League management, talkSPORT understands.

Postecoglou is high on Nottingham Forest's wanted list if they decide to sack Nuno Espirito Santo following his public fallout with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

It is understood Marinakis has already held direct conversations with former Tottenham boss Postecoglou, with whom he also enjoys a personal relationship.

The pair were pictured together earlier this summer in Greece at an awards ceremony.

Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham after the club finished 17th in the Premier League last season, despite the Australian boss guiding Spurs to their first major trophy in 17 years with Europa League glory.

talkSPORT understands that Espirito Santo’s position remains unsafe, even though the current expectation is he takes charge of Sunday’s Premier League game against Crystal Palace.

In a dramatic press conference on Friday, Nuno revealed a deteriorating relationship with Marinakis.

The pair are understood to speak less than last season following the arrival of former Arsenal sporting director Edu.

There is also a rift between Nuno and Edu, who are not fully aligned on the club’s recruitment strategy or playing style.

talkSPORT has learned Nuno wanted to sign Fulham’s Adama Traore earlier this summer and believes Edu blocked the move, although club sources insist the player himself was the issue in any potential deal falling through.

Nottingham Forest originally dismissed suggestions Nuno could be sacked, but Friday’s press conference angered Marinakis resulting in emergency meetings by club leadership.

There remains a strong chance Nuno departs after the weekend.

Marinakis is also a long-term admirer of former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp, who is believed to be happy in his new position as head of global soccer at Red Bull.

Edu is working closely with Marinakis to develop a consistent style and recruitment model across Forest, Olympiacos and Portuguese side Rio Avenue, with a further club expected to be added in Brazil.

This requires a more collaborative recruitment model, and there are doubts whether Espirito Santo is the right fit within this new strategy.

Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs last season following their Europa League Final win over Manchester United and has rejected interest from Saudi Arabian clubs this summer.

Those close to Postecoglou insist there has been no formal approach, but talkSPORT has learned Marinakis has directly and informally sounded him out over a potential vacancy.

What did Nuno say on Friday?

There were no doubts over the Nottingham Forest manager's future until a rapidly-accelerating situation developed on Friday.

Forest sealed European football after an excellent 2024/25 campaign and won their opening match of the new season 3-1 against Brentford.

But after surprise reports of tension between Nuno and the Forest hierarchy, the Portuguese boss confirmed the rift in a bombshell press conference.

"I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis," he said.

"This season it is not so well [between us] but I always believe that dialogue is important because my concern is the squad and the season we have ahead of us.

"Our relationship has changed and we are not as close."When pressed to give his feelings on the situation, Espirito Santo added: "No, it is not good. I think everybody at the club should be together but this not the reality."

"I don't know exactly but I'm being honest with you, it is not the same.

"The reason behind it I do not know. What I said last week or two weeks ago was my concern and why I was worried about where we were going [as a club].

"What I said, I said it with respect. The reality is that the relationship is not what is use to be.

"It was a respectful relationship based on trust and sharing opinions but now it is not so good."

If only Simon Hooper could travel back in time.

He would have avoided a comically irate Erling Haaland.

He would have avoided the ire of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and tens of thousands of supporters crammed inside the Etihad Stadium.

Instead, he was left to live with being the centre of controversy during City's Premier League clash against Tottenham in December 2023.

And it was a storm he unwillingly created all on his own.

Deep in second half stoppage time and with the contest level at 3-3, Tottenham defender Emerson Royal attempted to nick the ball off of Haaland in City's half as they looked to launch a counter.

The Brazilian clipped the City superstar and although he fell to his knees, Haaland quickly popped to his feet and played a perfect ball over the top of Tottenham's defence into the path of Jack Grealish.

Hooper signalled City had the advantage upon Haaland falling over, but just as Grealish looked to streak clear and bear down on goal, he blew his whistle to bring the play back to the original spot of the foul.

How did the City players react to Hooper's call?

An utterly perplexed Grealish stood with his arms outstretched, scarcely able to believe the whistle had been blown.

Haaland immediately sprinted over to Hooper and had his hands on his head.

Several other City players soon formed a crowd around Hooper, who pleaded for calm amid the chaos.

At one point, as many as six of City's stars surrounded Hooper.

The 3-3 scoreline ultimately remained intact, but Hooper's decision would be critiqued long into the night by pundits and even players.

On his X account, Haaland reposted a video of the incident and wrote the caption: "Wtf."

Guardiola was less scathing in his analysis of the incident, although he too was left scratching his head.

"It is hard when you review the image, the referee decides to blow the whistle after he has already said to play on.

"After the pass, the whistle, so I do not understand this action."

'He was devastated'

The controversial incident was reviewed just days after on the Match Officials Mic'd Up show, where PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb broke down the major decisions that occurred over the weekend.

The Grealish incident was addressed and Webb stated he could 'understand the disappointment that City felt on this one'.

But what was most notable during the analysis was how Webb lifted the lid on the mental anguish endured by Hooper in the aftermath.

Webb began his explanation by pointing out VAR 'has no part to play', meaning it was squarely Hooper's call.

"We're always looking, as officials, to have that positive influence on the game, by trying to identify occasions when we can allow the game to play through an advantage," Webb said.

"He decides to penalise just at the moment as the ball's about to go, he blows the whistle, and then realises that a wonderful advantage was available.

"He was devastated. He'd refereed the game really well for 93 minutes, but he knew this is going to be the only talking point. It would have been a wonderful advantage."

Luckily for City, the result had little bearing on their run to a remarkable fourth-straight Premier League title that season.

Guardiola's side finished at the top of the heap with 91 points, two more than second-placed Arsenal.

It also had no major effect on Tottenham, as they finished in fifth with 66 points, two behind Aston Villa who took up the final Champions League qualification spot.

As for Hooper, he remains a Premier League referee.

But for a few brief seconds on that night in December 2023, Hooper may have preferred he was in a less public line of work.

Harry Kane proved he has left his August curse back in England after matching a stunning Premier League feat in the opening Bundesliga match of the season.

The England captain netted an incredible 13-minute second half hat-trick in Bayern Munich's 6-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig on Friday night.

Vincent Kompany's men had three former Premier League stars on the score sheet to give his side the perfect start to the season.

Ex-Crystal Palace star Michael Olise scored twice, either side of a first Bundesliga goal from Luis Diaz following his move from Liverpool.

Kane, who is making the first defence of a title in his career, then took home the matchball by finding the net three times in 13 minutes.

But Kane also left a nod to his life back in England with his eighth Bundesliga treble.

It's the same amount he managed during 320 Premier League games with Tottenham Hotspur - but in 256 games fewer.

Unsurprisingly, it was the first time that the striker has scored a hat-trick in his opening league match of the season.

Kane infamously suffered from an August curse throughout his Spurs tenure, hitting 1,000 minutes without a Premier League goal in the opening month of the season.

He failed to find the net in 14 Premier League matches in August - once having eight shots on target in a single game without scoring.

In August 2018, Kane finally broke his barren run in a 3-1 win over Fulham on the second match of the 2018/2019 campaign.

Kane in the Premier League when he broke his August curse

Kane, meanwhile, was making his 64th appearance in the Bundesliga when he helped Bayern down RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena.

His first two goals were both set up by Diaz, who scored two in as many games for his new club following his Super Cup heroics.

Kane set down an opening day marker to defend his Golden Boot trophy, mere days after tipping Diaz to challenge him for it.

However, the forward was keen to toast his new partnership with his former Premier League rival following Bayern's 'statement' victory.

"We wanted to open the season with a statement, and that's exactly what we've done," Kane told Sky.

"We're playing against a good side, but we were on top in all areas and we were clinical when we needed to be, so we can enjoy this."

Kane: 'Great to play' with Olise and Diaz

"I've played a year with Michael now, and I feel the relationship is getting stronger and stronger," Kane continued.

"The first half, he was outstanding, the goals he scored.

"And Lucho (Diaz), it's only been a few weeks, but I feel like it's been an instant connection. He got a couple of assists for me today.

"It's great for the boys, great for the confidence, but as we know it's the whole team that are working and it's a big performance."

Everton have agreed a fee with Southampton for starlet Tyler Dibling, talkSPORT understands.

The Toffees, who have seen two bids for the teenager knocked back this summer, will fork out a £42million package for the 19-year-old.

David Moyes’ side held a long-standing interest in the England Under-21 international, with initial offers of £27m and £35m already turned down.

The Saints had been holding out for a fee closer to £50m for Dibling, who has played just seven Championship minutes this term.

Will Still's men have now finally agreed to part ways with their academy graduate, but are believed to have a 20 per cent sell-on clause inserted in the deal to send him to Merseyside.

Personal terms have been agreed in principle, with plans for Dibling to undergo a medical next week ahead of his move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The winger scored twice in 33 Premier League appearances last season and has been linked with a return to the top-flight for months.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle were among the clubs tracking Dibling, with talkSPORT reporting in January that he was on their radar.

However, neither Champions League outfit formalised their interest in the Southampton star, leading the path clear for Everton.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Toffees boss David Moyes claimed his side were struggling to make signings.

"We have money to spend and we are trying to spend it," said Moyes.

"It is not that we don't have the money to spend, we do have, but we're finding it very difficult to spend the money at the moment."

Moyes: 'Everton have had trouble spending money'

"We've really gone for some top players, but unfortunately, we've not been able to get them, so we might be finding ourselves coming down the ladder to find players because we are short on numbers generally. We are going to have to adjust," Moyes continued.

Asked what was preventing Everton from securing several of their targets, Moyes added: "Absolutely Europe.

"If you have European football, you attract a different level of player, you are more attractive.

"We have got to build an awful lot of trust with players and maybe agents to show we are a club moving in the right direction.

"I think our ownership have come in and helped us, and they will give us a chance to spend more money, but I believe the better players want European football, most of them or a lot of them do."

Who have Everton signed so far?

Everton have spent £75m on six players, while Jack Grealish has also joined on a season-long loan from Manchester City.

Thierno Barry has joined from Villarreal for £27m, while Adam Aznou has completed an £8m switch from Bayern Munich.

Alexander Sorloth is back on the radar of English clubs just five years after ending his Premier League hell.

The towering Norwegian striker - who is on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle - could not get out of Crystal Palace quick enough after signing from Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland in 2018.

His legacy was minimal with his one and only goal for the Eagles coming in a 1–0 EFL Cup win over Swansea City.

And soon enough, he was shipped out on loan at Belgian side Gent and later Trabzonspor.

Most observers were unmoved by his exit, that’s until Sorloth miraculously found his scoring boots in the Turkish Super Lig.

As Palace struggled for goals, Sorloth and Trabzonspor were flourishing.

While Palace were registering a goal-shy total of 24 goals, the Norwegian hammered in his 24th goal of the season for the Turkish outfit.

Few could have predicted such a turnaround and the subject of Sorloth’s upturn in form was famously discussed on an episode of Soccer Saturday.

The show' s host at the time, Jeff Stelling, made reference to Soloth’s impressive stats, however former Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock was having none of it.

What did Neil Warnock say about Alexander Sorloth?

“You can’t blame Palace for that,” Warnock said. “If you’d have seen him, you’d have played yourself.

And when reminded of Sorloth’s record of one goal for Eagles, Warnock joked: “At one stage it was either him or the kitman.”

But it appears that Sorloth is having the last laugh having put his nightmare spell in England behind him to carve out a successful career in Germany and Spain.

LaLiga has brought the best out of the striker with an impressive goal total across the three clubs he has represented.

He netted 24 goals in 90 appearances for Real Sociedad before moving to Villarreal for just £8.6million, where he registered 26 goals in 41 games.

However his biggest move came when he signed for Atletico Madrid in 2024 for £28m.

Playing mostly as back up to Julian Alvarez, Sortloth has netted an impressive 24 goals in 54 games for the Rojiblancos.

But with the Argentine cementing his place as the number one starter under Simeone, Sorloth is unsettled in the Spanish capital.

So much so that he is now considering his options before the end of the transfer window.

Atletico are understood to be open to a departure and they have reportedly set their asking price at around £28m with Villarreal also set to benefit owing to a 20 per cent sell on clause.

That has put both Newcastle and Tottenham on red alert with both clubs the subject of high-profile transfer snubs this summer.

But they may face competition from Istanbul-based duo Besiktas and Fenerbahce for his signature.

Now aged 29, Sorloth may opt for the Premier League to help heal his old wounds and put his past trauma behind him.

Newcastle and Spurs are both desperate for attacking reinforcements before the end of the window, and a move for the 6ft 4in hitman could represent sound business.

And a punt on a tall, Norwegian hitman hasn’t worked out too badly for Manchester City.

Newcastle have seen their advances for Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko eclipsed by Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

While Brentford continue to play hardball over Yoane Wissa and Wolves want to keep hold of Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Thomas Frank says he only wants players to sign to Tottenham if they are committed to playing for the club.

The Tottenham boss was speaking after seeing Arsenal snatch Eberechi Eze out of his grasp despite Spurs having agreed a fee with Crystal Palace for the winger.

Eze is set to undergo a medical on Friday before being unveiled as a new Arsenal player.

And that means it’s back to the drawing board for Tottenham in their pursuit of attacking reinforcements.

However, despite widespread taunts of Spurs and their perceived lack of ambition in the transfer market, Frank was in a bullish mood on Friday.

"To make it very, very clear, I don't want any players who don't want to come to the club and wear this fantastic badge," Frank said.

"We don't want them here, that's very clear. The fans also feel the same. If they don't want to play for the club, really enjoy it, no problem. We don't want them here. That's the message."

He continued: "Whoever the player is, whoever they support I don't care too much about. We all have a past. The main thing is the player wants to come. If they're from Spain, Brazil, Denmark… if they want to come, perfect."

Asked if Spurs will be making further signings before the transfer window shuts, Frank said: "I'm pretty confident that we will sign a player before the end of the window."

talkSPORT understands Tottenham do not feel they could have done more to sign Eze, having agreed terms with both Palace and the player.

It is understood Palace were waiting to finalise the deal so that Eze could feature in their Conference League play-off on Thursday night.

But Arsenal swooped in late on Wednesday following an injury to Kai Havertz, and Spurs sources believe Eze's emotional connection to the Gunners ended up deciding the matter.

The England star ended up sitting out of the 1-0 victory over Fredrikstad on Thursday night.

Asked if Spurs will be making further signings before the transfer window shuts, Frank said: "I'm pretty confident that we will sign a player before the end of the window."

Eze is the second Spurs target to slip out their grasp this summer after Morgan Gibbs-White’s transfer from Nottingham Forest fell through.

Frank was then pressed on whether he would be dipping into the transfer market before the end of the transfer window and gave an overwhelming response.

"I'm pretty confident that we will sign a player before the end of the window,” he said.

Meanwhile the Spurs boss offered an update on injured forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The Swede has been sidelined since May after undergoing knee surgery.

He was initially expected to be out for 'a few months' but recent reports claimed Kulusevski had suffered setback and could ruled out until 2026.

And Frank did little to allay Spurs' fans fear when asked about the forwards return ahead of Saturday's trip to Manchester City.

"No Kulusevski, he's out. That's a longer one, I don't want to put a timeframe on it," Frank told reporters.

The Swede's unavailability comes just as Frank adjusts to life without playmaker James Maddison.

Harry Redknapp knows exactly what it feels like to see a transfer target slip through his fingers.

In a week when Tottenham were hit with an eleventh-hour sucker punch in their quest to land Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, Redknapp had some sympathy for his former employers amid the tough lessons that will undoubtedly be learnt.

Eze is on the cusp of completing his move to bitter rivals Arsenal despite Tottenham having done all the leg work in agreeing a deal with Crystal Palace.

Discussing Tottenham’s failure to secure the winger, Redknapp says that Spurs dragging their heels ultimately cost them in their pursuit.

“It’s a big blow but it took so long,” Redknapp told talkSPORT.

“When transfers drag on and don’t get done, you invite other people in. You’ve got to get them done, get them over the line.”

And the 78-year-old knows all too well the feeling of being pipped at the post.

In 2004, then-Portsmouth boss Redknapp believed he had pulled off the signing of Michael Carrick from West Ham, but ironically it was Spurs chairman Daniel Levy who performed a heist of his own, proving he doesn't always get it wrong.

“I remember the Michael Carrick transfer. He was on his way down to Portsmouth when I managed them,” Redknapp recalled.

“Michael’s on the motorway and suddenly Daniel Levy sees on the TV that he’s coming down for a medical to Portsmouth.

“Daniel thought ‘well Harry knows him, he managed him at West Ham. He’s surely not going to take him to Portsmouth if he doesn’t think he’s good?’

“The manager at Tottenham at the time [Jacques] Santini didn’t even know him. Daniel took a gamble and nicked him off us.

“But that’s how it goes. Until they’re over the line, until they’ve signed on that dotted line, you’re open to this sort of thing happening.”

Ironically, Carrick could have ended up at Arsenal after attending a meeting at Arsene Wenger's house.

But unlike Eze, Carrick had his heart set on Tottenham and rebuffed a scheduled second meeting with the legendary French manager.

How did Spurs let this happen?

Digging deeper into where the Eze deal may have slipped from Tottenham’s grasp, Redknapp believes Arsenal would have likely informed the player of their plan to table an offer in light of Tottenham’s agreement with Crystal Palace.

“There must have been a problem somewhere at the other end or with an agent. If you agree the terms then the first thing you do is meet the player,” Redknapp added.

“The terms are all done before you sign on the dotted line but then for whatever reason they hung about waiting for Arsenal to come in.

“If he’s an Arsenal fan, he maybe sees Arsenal as a team that can win the Premier League this year.

“He’s hung on, maybe he’s had the word from Arsenal saying, ‘don’t dive in, we’re still interested.’

“It’s a shame for Tottenham obviously but it’s a big shame for Crystal Palace, how does their manager feel?

“It will be interesting how it all pans out but Arsenal have signed a good player for sure.”

Eze bid farewell to Crystal Palace on Thursday night and is expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal on Friday ahead of a £67.5million move.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner also confirmed that Eze has played his last game for the club

“I’m responsible for Crystal Palace and I think he won’t play for us again,” Glasner said when asked whether Eze was closing in on a switch to Arsenal.

Tottenham fans' worst fears have been realised after Arsenal hijacked their transfer to sign number one target Eberechi Eze.

Spurs thought they had all-but secured the services of the Crystal Palace star in a deal worth in the region of £60million.

Eze was Thomas Frank's primary target following the injury picked up by attacking midfielder James Maddison, who is expected to miss the majority of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

But Spurs have now been forced to accept defeat after bitter rivals Arsenal swooped in to snatch the 27-year-old away from their clutches - with talkSPORT co-host Jamie O'Hara leading the fan fury.

talkSPORT understands the Gunners accelerated a move to bring the England international to the red half of north London following Kai Havertz's knee knock.

Arsenal have struck an agreement worth £60m plus add-ons for Eze, who has jumped at the chance to return to his boyhood club following his release at Hale End aged 13.

While Gooners across the globe are rejoicing, it's a similar feeling for the Spurs faithful who know all too well of the feeling of a late hijack and deals falling through at the 11th hour.

What players have Tottenham missed out on?

It's not the first time that Arsenal have beaten Tottenham to a player with Spurs famously paying the taxi fare that saw Emmanuel Petit join the Gunners.

High-profile deals meanwhile for Willian and Luis Diaz were hijacked by Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, while they have also missed out on Sadio Mane and Paulo Dybala in the last decade.

And just this summer, they have been dealt blows in their quest to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest and winger Savinho from Manchester City.

Eze has now become the latest player to add to Spurs' woes, with the club to now turn their attention in trying to bring in an alternative with less than two weeks left in the window.

Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at five possible options Spurs could now look at in a last-ditch attempt to add much-needed creativity.

Bilal El Khannouss - Leicester

Spurs could look to deal Palace a double blow in the Eagles' search to find a replacement for outgoing club legend Eze.

talkSPORT reported on Wednesday how Oliver Glasner's side are closing in on a £30m deal to bring in El Khannouss from the King Power Stadium.

But Tottenham may decide that the Morocco international is a good fit for their system, with the 21-year-old starring against them last season.

The youngster completed the Foxes' turnaround away at Spurs by curling in a stunning winner in the 2-1 comeback victory.

It remains to be seen whether El Khannouss would choose Tottenham over Palace if they were to make a move.

But with Champions League football on offer at Spurs, they may feel they could have the edge over their London rivals to complete a hijack of their own.

Morgan Rogers - Aston Villa

If Spurs want to make a statement signing to make it up to fans for failing to get Eze over the line, Rogers would be the perfect player to immediately lift the mood.

The 23-year-old was recently crowned as the PFA Young Player of the Year following a dazzling 2024/25 campaign.

Rogers chipped in with 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 games in all competitions, with his form seeing him make his Three Lions debut in November 2024.

Just like Eze, Rogers can play either as a No.10 or on the left wing, with the Manchester City academy graduate a player that Spurs greatly admire.

However, despite reports suggesting that the Villans would command a fee in excess of £80m, talkSPORT understands he may be seen as an unrealistic target.

That is because the Midlands outfit are adamant they won't part ways with him.

Tyler Dibling - Southampton

There is a chance that Tottenham could rekindle their long-standing interest in the Southampton starlet.

talkSPORT reported at the start of the year how the 19-year-old was on their radar following an impressive start to his Premier League career.

Dibling has been heavily tipped to depart St Mary's this summer after the Saints were unable to beat the drop back into the Championship.

But should Spurs decide to formalise their interest in the teenager, they would face competition from Everton in the race to snap him up.

The Toffees have had two bids rejected for Dibling - the latest being in the region of £40m as Southampton hold firm in their £50m valuation.

And while Everton may have brought in Jack Grealish on loan from City, they remain at the table for the player.

Maghnes Akliouche - Monaco

The 23-year-old is regarded as one of the top talents in Ligue 1 following his breakthrough in the 2021/22 season.

A member of France's Olympic squad that secured a silver medal last year, the 2024/25 term proved to be Akliouche's most productive campaign of his career to date.

Akliouche chipped in with seven goals and 12 assists from his 43 outings as he helped Monaco finish third in the table.

Capable of playing in the middle of the pitch or on the right wing, Akliouche is reportedly an option for Spurs.

Though they could be gazumped by Bayer Leverkusen, who are believed to be eyeing up a move for the player.

Xavi Simons - RB Leipzig

It's no secret that the Dutchman is keen on heading out the door this summer - just seven months after Leipzig turned his loan stay from Paris Saint-Germain into a permanent deal.

The German giants are holding out for a deal close to £60million for the 22-year-old.

talkSPORT reported earlier this month how Chelsea had opened talks to sign Simons, who has agreed personal terms over a switch to Stamford Bridge.

But the two clubs are yet to reach an agreement regarding the player - giving hope to his potential suitors that they could steal a march on the Blues.

And talkSPORT correspondent Ben Jacobs has revealed that Simons in on Spurs' radar - though they look set to come up short in their efforts to nab him.

He said on the White and Jordan show: "I think Tottenham like the idea of Xavi Simons, but he's got his heart set on Chelsea.

"That would be a No. 10 option and a versatile player as well."