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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."

Manchester City take on Tottenham this weekend in another early season Premier League blockbuster, and it's live on talkSPORT.

Both sides got off to winning starts on the opening weekend, and it is all set up for a great encounter.

Pep Guardiola introduced several new players into his side, and they thrashed Wolves 4-0.

Erling Haaland scored twice, but it was Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki who bagged on their Premier League debuts.

Spurs also impressed their home fans with a strong 3-0 win over Burnley, with Richarlison scoring twice, including an outrageous goal in the second half.

So, we are all set to see if either of these results were just a flash in the pan.

Both managers are likely to have some selection dilemmas as well.

Man City

With Ederson appearing to be heading for the exit door, James Trafford made his Man City Premier League debut last time out.

The young English goalkeeper was solid in all areas of his game and kept a clean sheet.

However, with talk of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Trafford might have a big fight on his hands to keep the number one spot.

Rico Lewis got the nod over Matheus Nunes at right-back and will likely keep his spot with a new contract set to be signed.

At left-back, Josko Gvardiol is injured, so Rayan Ait-Nouri should continue there.

John Stones and Ruben Dias were reunited in the heart of the back four at the weekend, and though there are plenty of options, it would be a surprise if Guardiola opted for anyone else.

In midfield, Rodri has a chance of being involved, which could see him partner Reijnders.

As far as Premier League debuts go, the Dutchman's was up there with the best as he scored and assisted as well as playing a key role in the first goal.

It was a top performance from the midfielder, and the Etihad faithful will be looking forward to seeing more from him.

We all know Haaland will lead the line, but behind him, there is competition for places.

Jeremy Doku could find Cherki taking his place after the Frenchman's debut goal.

If that were the case, expect to see Oscar Bobb switch to the left with Cherki on the right.

Phil Foden could be fit, but it would be a surprise if Bernardo Silva doesn't start instead.

Man City predicted XI to face Tottenham

GK: Trafford

RB: Lewis

CB Stones

CB: Dias

LB: Ait-Nouri

CM: Rodri

CM: Reijnders

RW: Cherki

CAM: Bernardo

LW: Bobb

ST: Haaland

Tottenham

Thomas Frank is an adaptable manager, and as a result, he is likely to shift to a back five for this game.

Of course, Guglielmo Vicario will be in goal.

Frank only really has three first-team centre-backs fit, with Radu Dragusin still recovering from an ACL injury.

That means we are likely to see Kevin Danso come into the side and the defender also has a good long throw, which could prove to be a valuable weapon.

He will join Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as Spurs will look to sure up his side.

At wing-back, there is only one option for either side.

Pedro Porro used to play the role for Sporting Lisbon, so should be accustomed to it on the right.

And on the left, Djed Spence will play as Destiny Udogie is injured.

With one more centre-back in the team, one of the central midfielders will have to come out.

Pape Mate Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray all started at home against Burnley.

However, it would be no surprise to see Sarr start alongside new man Joao Palhinha.

Further forward, Frank will more than likely want pace.

Therefore, expect to see Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson on either wing.

Both were involved heavily at the weekend, with Kudus looking good on his debut.

Up front, there is a choice between Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

But after Richarlison scored twice, it would be very harsh to drop him, meaning we will most likely see the Brazilian start.

Tottenham predicted XI to face Man City

GK: Vicario

CB: Romero

CB: Danso

CB: Van de Ven

RWB: Porro

LWB: Spence

CM: Palhinha

CM: Sarr

RW: Kudus

LW: Johnson

ST: Richarlison

Man City vs Tottenham: Date and how to follow

This Premier League match will take place on Saturday, August 23 and kick-off at the Etihad is scheduled for 12:30pm.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage of the match, with Reshmin Chowdhury serving as your presenter.

Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and former West Ham striker Dean Ashton.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Jamie O'Hara couldn't contain his anger as he furiously reacted to Arsenal hijacking Tottenham's move for Eberechi Eze.

On Wednesday night's Sports Bar, the ex-Spurs man launched a furious rant at the club and owner Daniel Levy.

Only a few minutes before O'Hara took to the airwaves, bombshell news broke.

Tottenham, who were on the verge of signing Eze from Crystal Palace, saw their deal hijacked by their bitter rivals.

Arsenal have now agreed a deal to sign the England international in a deal worth in excess of £60million, a club record sale for Palace, in a major twist.

The Gunners accelerated talks on Wednesday with Kai Havertz picking up a knee injury, and the deal is almost complete.

Spurs have officially pulled out of the running and they are looking at alternative targets.

But their ex-midfielder couldn't compute how his former side had managed to let the Eze deal slip through to their north London rivals.

Launching into a rant about Spurs alongside co-host Jason Cundy, O'Hara said: "I'm going to lose my head...

"I'm disappointed in Tottenham, we should have had this deal done weeks ago, we should have had it over the line and got it done.

"As soon as we started the season, we should have had Eze in the team, and do you know what, it serves us right.

"It serves Daniel Levy right, it serves Spurs right, it's the same old Tottenham, it happens every single season, we're penny-pinchers!"

He continued: "It happened again, and we're going to miss out on a top-quality player who's proven in the Premier League.

"Just pay the money and get the player over the line!

"We got rid of [Heung-min] Son, [James] Maddison has done his ACL, we needed Eze, we needed him.

"It's an absolute joke that we're going to lose him to Arsenal of all teams, who are going to waltz in and pay and get it over the line in a couple of hours, it's a joke!"

After that opening rant ended, Cundy then went on to ask O'Hara whether he'd rather join Tottenham or Arsenal if he were Eze.

During the question, O'Hara continued to interrupt, saying: "Shut up, shut up, Jason."

He added: "I get it, Arsenal are a better team than us, they're in a better position, I wouldn't say they're bigger.

"They're doing well and that's why Tottenham needed to get the deal done, so you can't get hijacked.

"This is what happens, the bigger clubs come in and get the players, you don't get the deal done, this is what's going to happen."

O'Hara left raging

Things then got overheated for O'Hara as he got lost in his anger at Levy and Tottenham.

"Levy is a penny-pincher," he shouted. "Maddison did his ACL a month ago, he could have got the deal done.

"Maddison is out for the season, he's done, Son's gone, he knew Son was going, he knew that a month ago.

"He knew those players were done and he still hasn't got it over the line, he still hasn't got it over the line knowing this was coming.

"How have you not got this done? Honestly, it's a joke and I'm f******..."

O'Hara then had to catch himself out but thankfully the team behind the glass managed to dump it from talkSPORT's live stream on YouTube as well as the airwaves, but he was still left with his head in his hands.

As coverage returned, Cundy exclaimed: "Oh my word!"

"He had to dump himself, he swore, he dropped an F-bomb!"

Red-faced O'Hara then calmed himself down and admitted: "I don't think I've ever done that before..."

Ready for a fight

O'Hara then turned on Cundy as the ex-Chelsea man continued to wind his co-host up about the situation.

"I'm not doing three hours with you, Jason," O'Hara resumed.

"I'll iron you out, I will. You see that picture of Eze, it will go right through your massive forehead."

He continued: "I'm angry because I feel like I have to talk about Tottenham, we did well at the weekend...

"You're just a patronising little weasel, if you're going to sit here at patronise me, I don't expect anything less from you."

Fortunately though, things stayed friendly in the studio...

Tottenham believed they were about to sign France midfielder Emmanuel Petit, but Arsenal had other ideas.

It was 1997 when Gunners bosses hatched a plan to pull off the mother of all transfer hijacks - and it would not be the last time as fans are realising almost 30 years later with Eberechi Eze having a late change of heart.

This was a period of great success for Arsenal - Dennis Bergkamp and David Platt were added to the squad that summer, while Arsene Wenger was appointed manager in 1996 and completely transformed them.

So when it was put to France international Petit, then of Monaco: Do you want to fight relegation or challenge for Premier League titles, it was a no-brainer.

What happened?

He was in north London, talking to Spurs chairman Alan Sugar about moving to the capital. Arsenal heard about the meeting and got word to him not to sign anything until he had at least heard Wenger's pitch about this new era that was about to unfold down the road.

That seemed fair enough considering Wenger was the man who brought him through at Monaco, so Petit asked Tottenham bosses for time to think about the offer at his hotel.

Spurs even paid for the taxi to drive him there, but the cab was instead diverted to Wenger's house where he was joined by vice-chairman David Dein and a £3.5m deal was sealed.

Speaking to talkSPORT Drive, Petit recalled: “I had meetings on the same day with Tottenham and Arsenal," he said, stressing that the north London divide was unknown to him. "I met Tottenham in the morning, but when I came to England I didn’t know about the rivalry between the two clubs.

"When I left the Spurs stadium, they booked me a cab and the cab driver asked me for directions, so I gave him the Arsenal address and I didn’t realise that the cab was pre-paid by Spurs, so they knew where I was going!

"I told Spurs that I needed time to think about it but knew that I had to see Arsenal, as well as other clubs in Italy and Spain.

“I told everyone that I’d make my mind up and when I knew the answer I would give it, but after a couple of days I signed for Arsenal and it went into newspapers and all of a sudden the story came.

“I realised the pressure of the rivalry then.”

Speaking about it in 2018, Petit said: "It’s part of the legend now. David Dein still loves that story - and [more than] 20 years later he’s still telling it!”

His transfer began Wenger's revolution, with Gilles Grimandi and Nicolas Anelka also arriving at Highbury.

And Petit was a very busy man.

Midfield Powerhouse

Having moved from defence in France into the heart of midfield in England, Petit's reading of the game to break up attacks was second to none, whilst his passing cut open opposition defences.

In the summer he won the 1998 World Cup, setting up Zinedine Zidane for his first goal in the final against Brazil and then scoring late on to make it 3-0. He even found time to help Sun Hill's finest with an appearance on a Christmas episode of former ITV drama, The Bill.

Petit played himself delivering a signed ball to an ill child in hospital. "I didn't realise it was so popular at the time," he laughed at his appearance on the popular TV show that ended in 2010 after 27 years.

But those long blond locks fans loved him for may never have been seen by British fans, as his teammates threatened to cut them off owing to an apparent rudeness.

“When the French lads came over, the atmosphere was a little different," former teammate Ray Parlour once told talkSPORT.

“Us British guys had a little bit more fun.

“Dennis Bergkamp was another one, they were a little more bit serious and we tried to get a bit of fun out of them.

“They did change quickly and they did really enjoy the banter, but every now again, for example, Manu Petit sometimes would walk straight past you.

“You’d say, ‘morning, Manu’, and he’d walk straight past you.

"He did it to all the players. He did it to [captain] Tony Adams, he did it to [goalkeeper] David Seaman and that’s not acceptable.

“Whatever problems you have, you say good morning to somebody, don’t you? It’s very rude if you just walk past someone. It’s just having that respect for other people.

“So, one morning we nailed him against the wall and told him: ‘Make sure you say good morning to everybody because, if you don’t, we’ll cut your ponytail off!’

“We even had scissors.

“After that, he was good as gold!"

Petit, though, would have been more worried by Martin Keown telling him to behave.

He once joked football saved Keown from a stretch in jail. "Martin is such a nice guy but all of a sudden, in the space of one second, he can change," he said recalling his teammate's combative nature.

Both were fierce competitors and both have enjoyed Arsenal's ascent in recent years and Tottenham's struggles.

It's happened again

Poor Spurs. It seems they have been embarrassed in the transfer market again.

In addition to Petit, Chelsea did it with Willian and now the Gunners have moved to beat their rivals to the signing of Eze from Crystal Palace.

Spurs had been closing in on a deal to sign the England star in a deal worth £60m, with Arsenal emerging at the final hour to show their hand.

For boyhood Gooner Eze it is a dream move and for Tottenham manager Thomas Frank it's back to the drawing board.

When news of the hijacking broke, the talkSPORT phone lines were flooded with angry Tottenham fans and gloating Arsenal supporters.

Chairman Daniel Levy bore the brunt of criticism on the Sports Bar, while one Gooner mocked host Jamie O'Hara, a former Tottenham midfielder, by telling him the club don't even want Eze.

The next north London derby should be interesting.

Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle to sign Eberechi Eze after hijacking rivals Tottenham's £60million, plus add-ons move for the star.

The Gunners made a late swoop for Crystal Palace's Eze, after rivals Spurs had been closing in on securing a deal to sign him.

Spurs were on the verge of completing a deal to sign the England international in a deal worth around £60m, but Arsenal accelerated their negotiations on Wednesday, with Palace delaying.

It's understood that boyhood Gunners fan Eze, who also played in the club's academy, went back on his agreement with Spurs in order to seal a switch to the Emirates Stadium.

And talkSPORT can confirm that the Gunners and Palace have now agreed a deal in principle that will see Eze join for £60m, a club-record sale for the Eagles.

Spurs have now officially withdrawn their interest in Eze, with Thomas Frank's side forced to consider alternatives.

Arsenal stepped up their interest in Eze after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury that is expected to rule him out for several weeks.

They held talks with Eze earlier in the summer window, and they have now returned, with things moving quickly.

The Gunners have met the conditions set by Palace, as the 27-year-old nears a late change in destination.

Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are understood to have met with the England international in early July.

They pitched the Arsenal project before Spurs came in with their bid for him, which was close to being completed.

Eze was sold on joining the Gunners over a month ago, but no formal offer came in from the club; however, it has come now and Eze is ready to join, with the previous talks crucial to the move.

Why have Arsenal bid for Eze now?

As mentioned, Arsenal have made their late approach to sign Eze after Havertz picked up an injury.

Havertz, who came off the bench in their season opener against Manchester United, is said to have suffered a knee injury.

The severity of the German's knock is unknown as things stand, but it is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.

He was absent from the Gunners' training session on Wednesday.

Arteta now moving for Eze is an indication that Havertz is set for a significant spell out, as the manager looks for more attacking options to cover for him.

Viktor Gyokeres is now the only fit striker in the squad, leaving Leandro Trossard potentially having to fill the void.

It means the Gunners could also put Mikel Merino up front, with that opening gaps that Eze could be set to fill.

Eze can play in midfield or out wide on the left, which could suit Arsenal and their often fluid approach with positions.

Noni Madueke still has to win over fans at the Emirates, while Gabriel Martinelli has come under criticism too.

So, Eze may be a perfect option to upgrade on the left flank.

That's if he doesn't cover in midfield along with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and new summer arrival Martin Zubimendi.

Last season, Eze netted eight goals and provided eight assists in the Premier League, playing inside off the left wing.

Eze to play in Europe

Earlier on Wednesday, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Eze will start their opening European clash.

Palace take on Fredrikstad FK on Thursday in what is the club's first match in their Conference League campaign.

Glasner said at his press conference: "The player gives 100 per cent because he is under contract. We don't have to say thank you every day, he is getting a few pounds every week.

"Many of you were surprised he and Marc [Guehi] started against Chelsea, you may be surprised they start tomorrow, but they are committed to the team.

"They will play a crucial part for as long as they are here they are committed to the team. If they leave, they want to leave as the guys who gave 100 per cent to Crystal Palace."

But Eze's move to Arsenal may have already wrapped up by then.

INEOS have launched legal action against Tottenham Hotspur over sponsorship talks to Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich.

It follows Spurs' decision to sue Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company in June over allegations INEOS had attempted to walk away from their deal.

The club previously agreed a five-year partnership with the chemical firm in 2022.

Their relationship now appears fractured, though, with INEOS reportedly counter-suing the Premier League side.

According to The Telegraph, Spurs have been accused of holding talks with Audi over a potential sponsorship deal.

The discussions are said to have been linked with Kane's sale to Bayern during the summer of 2023.

Spurs are alleged to have held the talks whilst a deal to promote INEOS' Grenadier car was in place.

The legal action is seeking more than £1million with the claim the club's deal with INEOS was exclusive.

A statement from the firm read: "The particulars of claim make no mention of a highly significant series of events by which the club, unbeknown to INEOS, started negotiating with a major competitor to INEOS with the intention of granting rights to that competitor which were exclusive to INEOS under the agreement."

Spurs first started working with INEOS five years ago after the company became their official hand sanitiser provider.

The pair later penned a five-year sponsorship agreement in 2022.

As a result, the logo of the INEOS Grenadier was displayed on seats in the dugouts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Their deal was agreed prior to Ratcliffe buying a minority stake in Manchester United.

The British billionaire's purchase of a 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils was finalised in February last year, with Ratcliffe now overseeing football operations at the club.

Why are Spurs suing Ineos?

Spurs launched their own legal action against INEOS back in June.

Their case relates to the cancellation of their sponsorship agreement with the company.

The club allege that INEOS had attempted to walk away from the deal, which was not due to expire until 2027.

However, INEOS responded by stating they had a 'contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right'.

Back on the football pitch, Spurs continue their campaign away to Manchester City on Saturday, live on talkSPORT.

Thomas Frank's side are fresh from beating newly-promoted Burnley 3-0 on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.

Eberechi Eze may be inching closer towards an exit from Crystal Palace, but Adam Wharton won't be going any time soon.

Well, that's if a small gesture on live television is to be believed.

Sky Sports cameras were at Palace's training ground in Beckenham and captured their players being put though their paces during a warm-up exercise.

Reporter Gary Cotterill, who was in remarkably close proximity to Eze and Wharton, was asked by the Sky Sports host to enquire with Wharton about his future.

In response, Cotterill said within earshot of the Palace duo: "I'm not going to ask Adam Wharton about his future, no."

Cotterill's reply prompted Eze to turn around and sport a wry smile.

As for Wharton, he pulled up his sports vest and pointed to the Palace badge in an indication he seemingly plans to remain at Selhurst Park for the foreseeable future.

Which Premier League club was linked with Wharton?

talkSPORT reported last Sunday Manchester United had cast their eye towards Wharton after they were told Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba was not for sale.

The Red Devils had taken a liking to Wharton given the 21-year-old's impressive rise since he joined from Blackburn in January 2024.

Since his arrival, Wharton has won the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace and been capped for England at senior level.

It's not just United who have kept tabs on Wharton in recent months.

The Eagles rejected Bayern Munich's advances for their prized asset last summer while Spanish giants Real Madrid had their scouts cast their eyes over the midfielder in person.

Spanish giants Real Madrid sent scouts to watch the midfielder while Palace rejected Bayern Munich's advances for their prized asset last summer.

Although the south London side stand a strong chance of keeping Wharton, it is increasingly likely Eze's time at the club is nearing its end.

Eberechi Eze's future

talkSPORT understands Tottenham Hotspur is on the brink of striking an agreement with Palace for Eze.

Palace are set to net approximately £60million as part of the deal, a figure £8m lower than his release clause which expired last Friday.

Tottenham's need for a new attacking midfielder was exarcebated after James Maddison sustained an ACL injury in a pre-season clash against Newcastle.

The injury is expected to sideline Maddison for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign.

Who could Palace sign as an Eze replacement?

As Eze inches closer towards a Selhurst Park exit, Palace have wasted little time in procuring a replacement.

talkSPORT understands the Eagles have a verbal agreement in place with Leicester City for 21-year-old talent Bilal El Khanouss.

The Moroccan ace, who has featured three times and registered two assists for the Foxes this season, will cost Palace a cool £32m.