The Sun

YVES BISSOUMA is hopeful he can still contribute to Tottenham this season, despite currently being sidelined due to a physical problem, SunSport has been told.

The Malian international is yet to feature this season under new manager Thomas Frank.

And he left out of Spurs' Champions League squad, a surprising move given his key role in last season's Europa League-winning campaign.

Warning signs had already emerged when Bissouma was omitted from the Super Cup clash against PSG due to disciplinary issues, a decision Frank later confirmed.

Now in the final year of his Tottenham contract, Bissouma was strongly linked with a move to Galatasaray.

However, SunSport exclusively reported that he had opted to stay in North London and see out his deal at the club.

Sources have confirmed that a physical issue has kept him out of training, but the midfielder is hopeful of returning soon and forcing his way back into Frank’s plans.

The summer arrival of Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich has pushed Bissouma further down the pecking order, with additional competition from Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, and Lucas Bergvall.

However, this isn’t the first time Bissouma has had to fight his way back.

Last season, he was dropped for an extended period by former boss Ange Postecoglou due to disciplinary concerns.

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Yet he managed to turn things around, regained the manager’s trust, and ended the season on a high, starting in the final and producing a Man of the Match display as Spurs secured their first major trophy in years.

Sources close to the player insist he does not feel his time at the club is over and remains determined to reclaim his place once he's fully fit.

Tottenham have enjoyed a promising start under Frank, narrowly missing out on the Super Cup against PSG before defeating Manchester in their second league fixture.

However, they stumbled with a disappointing loss to Bournemouth just before the international break.

TOTTENHAM have reportedly taken out a £90MILLION loan in a bid to improve their cashflow.

Spurs have borrowed the hefty sum from Australian bank Macquarie, according to Bloomberg.

The loan, which is not uncommon amongst clubs in the Premier League, comes after a summer of heavy spending by the North Londoners.

Tottenham splashed over £173MILLION during the transfer window, seeing the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus come through the door.

They are still managing a number of long-term debts that are understood to be in excess of £750MILLION following the financing of their stadium.

Spurs are said to have borrowed their new £90m loan against future media rights revenues that they are due to receive from the Premier League during the current season.

It comes just one week after the shock decision to oust chairman Daniel Levy from the club after almost 25 years at the helm.

Levy, 63, stepped down following a review initiated by the Lewis family, who are the behind the club's majority owners, ENIC.

That announcement led to rumours that the Premier League outfit could be up for sale, however those claims have now been quashed.

In fact, Spurs announced that they have "received, and unequivocally rejected" two approaches since Levy's exit, one of which was from former Newcastle chief Amanda Staveley.

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The club added in a statement: "The Board of the Club and Enic confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and Enic has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the Club".

Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham doubled down on that stance in an interview on Monday, explaining that it has been made "unambiguously clear that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale”.

However, the former Arsenal chief admitted that the club is looking for investment.

He continued: "I think it is very fair to say that we have firm backing from the Lewis family against our ambitions to be successful on the pitch, both on the men’s side and women’s side.

“They know that’s going to require investment, and we have their firm backing.”

THOMAS FRANK would like to see football introduce a timeout in each half to give coaches a chance to have a conflab with their players.

The Spurs boss also claims the handball rule must be changed to make the game fairer.

Currently managers are only able to speak to their players during a game by barking orders from the touchline as the action is ongoing - as well as during the half-time break.

But Frank, 51, suggested: “I’d have a timeout in each half.

“From a coaching perspective, I think it would be lovely to have an opportunity during the game to speak to the players and be able to adjust something.”

It would be quite a radical suggestion which would no doubt go down well with fellow managers, as it would give them more influence on their team.

Whether spectators would appreciate matches being further interrupted - in an age where VAR delays are already a bugbear - is a matter of debate.

Spurs chief Frank certainly feels something must be done about the handball law in its current guise to improve the game.

He told BetMGM, Tottenham’s official Front of Training Wear partner: “I would take out the handball rule as for me it’s not right.

“If there’s a handball and it touches your arm in the penalty area, you are giving the biggest chance to the opponent just because it ‘touches’ your arm.

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“Of course, if you’re standing on the goalline and you try to save it like a goalkeeper in the old days, that’s different.

“But I simply don’t understand how if it just touches a player’s arm, and it touches their arm in certain areas, it gives the opportunity for the biggest chance in the game.

“It’s a rule that has to be changed to improve the game and make it fairer.”

Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou as Spurs chief this summer after six-and-a-half years at Brentford.

He has had an encouraging start to life in N17, pushing Paris Saint-Germain all the way in the Super Cup before impressive Premier League wins over Burnley and Manchester City.

But his progress was checked just before the international break with a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.

Yet Frank said: “It’s been a good start to the season so far. I’ve been really pleased with how the players have approached things since I’ve come into the football club.

“We’ve played three games in the Premier League and one in the Uefa Super Cup and I’ve been happy with three of the performances.

“We weren’t good enough against Bournemouth but overall from where we started to where we are now, I’m satisfied.”

Postecoglou, who took over at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, delivered Tottenham their first trophy in 17 years by winning May’s Europa League.

But he paid the price for a record 22 defeats in the league which saw Spurs end up in 17th.

His successor Frank, who has been backed with four experienced signing in Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons and Kolo Muani, is hoping to show more consistency across all competitions this season.

Frank, whose side are back in action at West Ham on Saturday, added: “Success this season is building something that is sustainable and strong.

“I want us to consistently perform at our highest level each and every game.”

If the Nottingham Forest players are still feeling dizzy, you wouldn’t blame them.

They have spent the last 21 months playing risk-averse, counter-attack Nuno-ball.

Suddenly, overnight, they have now discovered the approach is defence-averse, “it’s who we are mate”, Ange-ball.

It feels like the footballing equivalent of reversing the polarity of the planet.

A total culture and attitude shift in the space of a few hours.

And given so much of Forest’s success is down to the strategy deployed by Nuno Espirito Santo, who galvanised his players into believing they added up to far more than the sum of their collective parts, even Evangelos Marinakis might accept it’s a roll of the dice.

Ange Postecoglou, of course, returns to English football just 95 days after being sacked by Spurs - and, ironically, barely 100 hours after the man who sent him packing, Daniel Levy, was himself given the boot in N17.

The Greek-Australian left Tottenham hailed by almost as many fans as those who wanted him gone.

He was, after all, the man who broke Spurs’ 17 trophy drought, that Europa League win over Manchester United in Bilbao unlocking nearly two decades of frustration, joy overflowing down the Tottenham High Road.

Yet he was also the man who took Spurs to 17th in the Prem, 10 places and 27 points adrift of the Forest side he has now inherited.

Even the Spurs supporters who mourned his forced departure did not hide from the mess of his second season, a midfield muddle, chaotic set-piece defending, a one-dimensional approach that was seemingly found out by all his domestic rivals - except Ruben Amorim.

Those early days of “I’m loving Ange-ball instead” transformed into a catalogue of jeers and demands for a change. And Postecoglou does not change.

Neither did Nuno, of course. He brought the same tactical approach that initially served him so well at Wolves, and less well i n his own short-lived spell at the Tottenham helm, to the City Ground.

Replacing Steve Cooper just before Christmas 2023 - in the aftermath of a 2-0 home defeat by Ange’s Spurs - he turned a side that looked set for relegation into one that should have been playing Champions league football this season.

His overall record of 26 wins in 62 Prem matches, securing 91 points, may not look spectacular.

But last season, sticking to his mantra, utilising a defensive blanket in front of Matz Sels, the guile of Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson, transition pace of Anthony Elanga and the campaign of Chris Wood’s career, Forest were the ultimate Nuno side.

They took four points off Liverpool, drew with Arsenal and Chelsea and beat both Spurs and United twice, only to fall away with just five points in their final five games, including the last day defeat to Enzo Maresca’s Blues which cost them that elusive place in the European elite.

That Ange, just a few days later, somehow steered Tottenham into the Champions League, delivering to Levy the prize Marinakis coveted, may have just been a further element in his appointment in Nuno’s place.

Yet where going for another available former Spurs man in the form of Jose Mourinho would have been more of the same, giving the gig to Postecoglou means a complete philosophical and tactical change.

Postecoglou sides cannot sit back and strike like a cobra. He wants them to dominate possession, press high, sprint like demons.

As for defending, especially at set-pieces - one of Forest’s strengths under Nuno - that’s not in the equation.

Last year, Forest were almost the best Prem fairy-story since Leicester’s title exploits a decade ago.

Now some fans may wonder if Marinakis is the wicked witch.

They might enjoy a loosening of the shackles under Ange. But perhaps clubs with limited resources have to play in a certain way. And that is not the Postecoglou way.

TOTTENHAM star Mathys Tel has admitted his disappointment at missing out on Thomas Frank's Champions League squad.

Spurs forked out £30million in June to make the Frenchman's initial loan from Bayern Munich permanent.

Despite the significant outlay, Tel was not selected in Frank's depleted Champions League squad, which was submitted to Uefa on Tuesday.

Having since reported for international duty with France's Under-21s, Tel has spoken out on the situation.

Quizzed by French outlet Le Telegramme about how his snub felt, the forward said: "It's clear that when you're not on a list, it definitely hurts, but I'm someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I've worked a lot on the mental aspect.

"Today it's definitely a disappointment, I would have liked to be there.

"But the coach's choice is the coach's choice, we can only respect it and we're going to work to come back in the best possible way."

On how Frank informed him of the news, Tel added: "Quite simply, with respect. He called me, he simply told me his choice and then you could see the list appear on the networks."

Further quizzed if he is seeking revenge, or whether he could even be looking to leave Spurs already, Tel said: "No matter, even if I was on the list, I would have had this desire, to be revengeful, to be able to be effective this season, to be able to start my season in the Premier League.

"Because now, it's a first long season that begins because last year it was in the form of a six-month loan.

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"A desire elsewhere? I am under contract with Tottenham, so I am a Tottenham player and I will do my best to be able to play quite simply."

The Europa League winners were only able to name 22 players, rather than 25, due to squad issues.

Of the customary 25 players that can be named for the Champions League, four must be eligible as club trained.

To be deemed club trained, a player must have spent three years on that team's books between the ages of 15 and 21.

Third choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin is Tottenham's only club trained player.

In addition to Tel, injured stars James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have also missed out - as well as summer signing Kota Takai and forgotten man Yves Bissouma.

New boys Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus have been included, as well as Tel's fellow attackers Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

'ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT'

Asked to rate his first six months with Spurs, Tel said: "Knowing what I'm capable of, knowing all the abilities I have, I think I could have done better.

"In any case, we can all do better. But I would say that it's an encouraging setup. Why? Because it forces me to know the weak points, the things to improve, so there's always room for improvement that we have to aim for.

"Whether in life in London or on the pitch, I think it can be better, everything can be better, absolutely everything."

Tel made 13 Premier League appearances during his loan spell last term, scoring twice and laying on two assists - while he also made five appearances during Spurs' run to Europa League glory.

IN a grudge match for the ages, a former Arsenal and Tottenham star will be squaring off with an ex-Chelsea ace in the RING for a historic charity event.

David Bentley, formerly of North London's Arsenal and Tottenham, and Jody Morris, formerly of West London's Chelsea, will step back into the public eye.

Only this time, instead of wearing football boots, they will don a pair of boxing gloves.

The pair are headlining a remarkable charity event created by Pro Project Promotions and spearheaded by ex-Gunners goalkeeper Graham Stack.

As many as TEN former footballers will be stepping into the ring on October 18 at the Grosvenor Hotel in Mayfair, London, for a night of intriguing action.

It is hoped this boxing gala will raise £500,000 for various charities, including Playskill, Sport In Mind, Willow Foundation, and Helping Hands.

The other names on the list include: Curtis Davies v Paddy Kenny, Leroy Lita v David Noble, Lee Trundle v Anthony Gardner and Greg Halford v Marvin Elliott.

Speaking on the project, Stack, 43, said: "Pro Project Promotions is where football’s fiercest rivalries meet boxing’s raw intensity.

"These legends are stepping out of their comfort zones to throw punches for a purpose.

"With a star-studded crowd, world-class entertainment, and a mission to change lives, this night will be etched in history."

Pro Project Promotions is backed by a catalogue of major stars.

Among them are former Premier League footballers Peter Crouch, Joe Cole and Ray Parlour, as well as former boxing world champion Darren Barker.

DELE ALLI has been linked with three clubs amid his efforts to rekindle his struggling career - and could end up at Wrexham.

Dele, 29, was at one stage among the Premier League's top players after bursting onto the scene with Tottenham in 2015.

The midfielder went on to amass 269 appearances during an impressive seven-year stint at Spurs, for whom he played in the Champions League final six years ago.

However, the former England international fell out of favour during the latter stages of his time with the North Londoners.

That led to his departure in 2022 and three unsuccessful stints at Everton, Besiktas and most recently Como.

Dele left Serie A after Cesc Fabregas's side confirmed last Monday that the versatile midfielder's 18-month contract was terminated following a mutual agreement.

The ex-Tottenham star managed a mere nine minutes of football at Como.

That took place in a Serie A match at AC Milan in March that saw him get sent off after a challenge on former England team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Those are the only minutes of football Dele has played in the last two-and-a-half years.

But despite his lack of game time, the once football prodigy is looking for a dramatic comeback.

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According to The Mail, there is interest for the fallen star that could lead to a return to the Premier League.

Championship sides Wrexham, Birmingham City and West Brom have all been linked with Dele.

The Dragons could help him regain his star value thanks to Hollywood celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The same goes for Birmingham as minority owner and NFL legend Tom Brady's star value could rub off on Dele.

And both teams have been enjoying tremendous success the last few years as they climbed up the ranks in the EFL and pose as legitimate contenders for Premier League promotion this season.

And West Brom are currently second in the Championship, which means they can wreck Wrexham and Birmingham's plans.

The Baggies are also coached by Dele's former Tottenham team-mate Ryan Mason, who brought him back in from the cold during his interim stint in charge of Spurs back in 2021.

TOTTENHAM have rejected two takeover approaches already since Daniel Levy's shock exit.

And one of those came from former Newcastle chief Amanda Staveley.

Levy's surprise departure as executive chairman last week fuelled speculation over a possible takeover.

ENIC - who hold 87 per cent of Tottenham - insist the club is not for sale and Spurs' statement on Thursday said there would be no changes to the ownership.

But Staveley submitted a "preliminary expression of interest" in the North London club through her PCP International Finance Limited company.

A second attempt - also coming since the Levy news - was made by a consortium led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng.

Tottenham confirmed both approaches with a statement on Sunday night - and revealed they had been "unequivocally rejected".

Spurs said: “The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited is aware of recent media speculation and confirms that its majority shareholder, Enic Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, has received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of Enic from (i) PCP International Finance Limited and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited (the consortium).

“As a consequence of Enic’s majority ownership interest in Tottenham Hotspur, were any offer made to acquire Enic and complete, a mandatory offer would be required under Rule 9 of the code to acquire the shares of Tottenham Hotspur not already held by Enic.

“The Board of the Club and Enic confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and Enic has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the club.

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“In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the code, each of PCP and the consortium is separately required, by not later than 5pm on 5 October 2025, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for the company, in which case their respective announcements will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies."

The Times report that UK takeover laws mean Staveley's PCP will need to put out of a statement on Monday to confirm whether or not they plan to submit a formal offer for Tottenham.

Staveley helped broker Manchester City's 2008 sale to Sheikh Mansour before playing a key role in the Saudi's £305million takeover from Mike Ashley at Newcastle in 2021.

Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi had a six per cent stake in the Magpies as the Public Investment Fund and Reuben family took the majority of the shares.

However, it was claimed the couple were pushed out of Newcastle last summer, with Staveley describing her exit as "painful".

Now she is evidently keen to get involved in another Premier League takeover at Tottenham.

ENIC used to be run by British billionaire Joe Lewis but is now headed up by his children Vivienne and Charles.

They have been the pair behind the shake-up at Spurs in recent months, which also saw former Arsenal chief Vinai Venkatesham brought in as CEO, before pushing Levy out.

However, ENIC is owned by the Tavistock Group, of which Levy's son Joshua is the co-chief executive, leading to comparisons to TV show Succession due to the family power and dynamics at play.

Rather than look to sell, though, SunSport understands the Lewis family are weighing up putting in more cash themselves.

Spurs are now believed to be worth around £4BILLION, thanks in part to the building of their £1.2bn stadium which Levy oversaw during the 2010s.

They were valued by football number-crunchers Deloitte in January as the ninth richest club in the world, making £520m in the 2023-24 campaign.

Tottenham also made the most profit of any Premier League club over the course of Levy's 25 years in charge, £167m up.

Levy handled the transition to one of the world's best football stadiums and earned a reputation as a tough negotiator when it came to transfers.

But his hard-line approach was arguably his undoing, refusing to spend big on transfer fees or wages.

GUS POYET has lifted the lid on his brutal Tottenham sacking, revealing Daniel Levy booted him at 10.30pm the night BEFORE a game.

The former Premier League star, 57, spent one year as Spurs’ assistant boss under Juande Ramos between October 2007 and 2008.

Poyet, who also played for Spurs between 2001 and 2004 after achieving cult status at rivals Chelsea, helped the north Londoners to League Cup glory over the Blues.

He also oversaw the arrival of fan favourite and future Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric.

But Poyet and Ramos were given the boot after Tottenham picked up two points from eight Premier League matches.

And the Uruguayan has now opened up over the brutal decision made by Levy, whose time as Spurs’ executive chairman came to an end on Thursday.

Speaking exclusively to Oddspedia, Poyet revealed that Levy dumped him and Ramos at 10.30pm ahead of the next day’s game against Bolton before hiring Harry Redknapp.

The FA Cup and Copa America winner admits the decision came as a major shock.

But Poyet believes it showed just how ruthless Levy was.

And he feels Spurs may live to regret his exit after the ex-chief gave them a shiny new stadium, a stunning training ground and a first-ever European trophy in May.

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Poyet, now manager of South Korean side Jeonbuk, said: “My relationship (with Levy) was professional, very respectful. We didn't have any issues. From day one to the last, he was very honest with me.

“It was a little bit strange how we left. We were sacked the night before a game. We were at the hotel.

“We were ready to sleep and play a game the next day, to manage the game, and we were called down after 10 o'clock to be informed that we were leaving.

“It was quite a strange feeling leaving that hotel at 10.30 at night. Which means he was ruthless, proper.

“I felt miserable when I was leaving the hotel with my luggage. I was supposed to be thinking about tomorrow and going home. It was strange.

“If it was Monday morning after a game and you get a phone call from the chairman, you're thinking, oh, oh, oh… Maybe we'll get in the sack.

“But you have a phone call in your room. You're thinking, oh, something happened, you know, maybe the game is called off or maybe something, but you will never expect to get sacked the night before a game at the hotel.”

On Spurs’ future without Levy, Poyet added: “The real Spurs fans, the ones that go every two weeks to the magnificent new stadium - they know what he did for the club.

“They complained and they were trying to change the chairman. I think they know deep inside them that he did terrific things.

“You have to be proud when you go to the best stadium in the country. You have to be proud that your players are training in one of the best training grounds in world football. So there are plenty of things that have been done and you have to give him credit.

“Let's give the new people two or three years to see if they can really do what the fans think Daniel Levy didn’t do.

“So I would say to the fans, say thank you for what you've done and move on. Nothing else.”

DANIEL LEVY'S Tottenham exit was like a plot from hit TV show Succession with his SON the co-chief executive of the company that forced his father out of the club.

Levy, 63, announced he was leaving Spurs on Thursday in a shock decision that was initiated by the Lewis family, who are behind the club’s majority owners, ENIC.

British billionaire Joe Lewis, 88, used to be at the head of ENIC but now it is his children Vivienne and Charles who are calling the shots.

They are understood to have driven a number of changes at Tottenham in recent months, in a bid to improve results on the pitch.

ENIC is majority owned by private investment company, the Tavistock Group, of which Levy's son Josh is the co-chief exec.

Levy Jr works alongside fellow CEO Nick Beucher at the company, which is controlled by the Lewis family trust and has Vivienne and Charles Lewis in place as managing directors.

Beucher is the son-in-law to Vivienne Lewis.

According to The Telegraph, insiders have compared Levy's exit to HBO show Succession due to the heavy family involvement at the top of a successful business empire, with one saying the similarities are "uncanny".

It's been claimed that Tavistock were part of the operational and sporting review carried out by American consultants Gibb River that got things moving for Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit.

While Vivienne and Charles are understood to have been big figures in decisions that have seen the likes of head coach Ange Postecoglou, chief football officer Scott Munn and long-serving director Donna Cullen all leave North London.

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Josh Levy is expected to continue in his role at Tavistock where he oversees various other parts of the group’s wide-ranging portfolio away from Tottenham Hotspur.

Levy Jr has regularly been seen sitting next to his father at Spurs matches but has no involvement with the club - and is believed to have played no role in his old man’s exit.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Spurs are still searching for extra investment despite Daniel Levy’s exit - with the Lewis family considering the option of pumping more money into the North Londoners.

Talk of a takeover following Levy’s shock departure has been quashed by sources close to Vivienne and Charles.

They are believed to be committed to the long-term future of the club and not looking to sell.

But it has not altered the long-running desire to source an investment boost.

That could come externally but SunSport understands the Lewis family are weighing up putting in more cash themselves.

ENIC already own 86.91 per cent of the North Londoners.

That percentage is a considerable rise from the 27 per cent they originally purchased for £22million from Sir Alan Sugar in 2000, which took their ownership of the club back then to 29.9 per cent.

Spurs are now believed to be worth around £4BILLION, thanks in part to the building of their £1.2bn stadium which Levy oversaw during the 2010s.

They were valued by football number-crunchers Deloitte in January as the ninth richest club in the world, making £520m in the 2023-24 campaign.

Speaking at last season’s fans’ forum a year ago, Levy said: “Some form of minority investment is what we’re looking for.

"We’ve got nothing to announce at the moment but we are in the market.”