GIVEMESPORT

Tottenham Hotspur are expecting admirers to test their resolve by lodging loan bids for Archie Gray when the transfer window reopens for business at the turn of the year after the summer recruit has struggled to secure regular game time under boss Ange Postecoglou, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

Having seen Leeds United miss out on promotion to the Premier League, thanks to a Championship play-off final defeat to Southampton in May, Spurs took advantage by forking out a £30million fee to win the race for the Whites' academy graduate as they aimed to upgrade their squad.

Dominic Solanke also became Tottenham's club-record signing after completing a £65million switch from Bournemouth during a busy recruitment period, but interested parties have been put on red alert due to Gray being unable to make himself one of the first names on the team sheet in north London.

Spurs Anticipating Winter Proposals for Gray

Premier League and Championship outfits keeping tabs on teenager

Tottenham are bracing themselves for Gray to be the subject of loan offers in January, according to GMS sources, with Premier League and Championship suitors contemplating whether to test the waters with a proposal which would see him spend the second half of the season in new surroundings.

Ahead of Spurs' Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, the England under-21 international has been limited to just 393 minutes of action in all competitions since his summer arrival and has not been handed any starts in his preferred midfield role.

GMS sources have been informed that key figures within Tottenham are anticipating being forced to make a decision on whether to consider letting Gray leave on a temporary basis as intermediaries have warned that admirers are putting plans in place to ask about his availability after finding himself behind the likes of Yves Bissouma in the pecking order.

Spurs are in a strong negotiating position ahead of potentially having to contend with offers as the teenager committed his long-term future to the club when he penned a six-year contract worth £75,000-per-week upon his switch from Leeds, but a loan departure could be seen as a suitable option for all parties to build his experience.

The amount of game time Gray can expect in the second half of the season if he remains at Tottenham beyond the winter transfer window remains unclear, GMS sources have learned, which comes as a significant blow as he was hopeful of making a telling impact after becoming a big-money recruit.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Archie Gray boasted 92 per cent accuracy when Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to knock Coventry City out of the Carabao Cup in the third round

Gray Remaining Highly-Rated by Postecoglou

North Londoners have not made final decision on midfielder's future

GMS sources have been told that Gray is still highly-rated by Tottenham despite being regularly overlooked by Postecoglou, and there is no suggestion that they will be open to him embarking on a fresh challenge if interested parties offer a route out of his current surroundings during the January transfer window.

The 18-year-old headed to the capital following a breakthrough season at Leeds, where he showcased his versatility over the course of 52 outings in all competitions, and Spurs are adamant he will prove to be a shrewd investment as he looks to highlight that he deserves to be among the first names on the team sheet.

Tottenham have been keen for Gray to rediscover his best form after being delighted at fighting off stiff competition for his signature during the summer, GMS sources recently revealed, and he may be handed an opportunity to impress in a Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur star Timo Werner is in the frame to return to the starting line-up for the Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Manchester City despite boss Ange Postecoglou leaning towards offloading him at the end of the season instead of taking advantage of keeping him at Hotspur Way on a permanent basis, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

Having not been afraid to splash the cash during the summer transfer window, with Dominic Solanke becoming the north Londoners' club-record signing thanks to completing a £65million switch from Bournemouth, Spurs are heading into the contest against the Sky Blues looking to aid their push to end a long-term wait for silverware.

But Tottenham are preparing for the meeting with Manchester City after a setback at the hands of Crystal Palace, who notched their first win of the domestic campaign after initially equalling their worst start to a Premier League season, and Postecoglou is poised to make alterations to his side.

Postecoglou Keen to Give Werner Opportunity

Spurs preparing to face Manchester City in Carabao Cup

Postecoglou is keen to hand Werner an opportunity to impress from the start as Tottenham aim to overcome Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, according to GMS sources, despite it appearing increasingly likely that his long-term future lies away from the north Londoners.

Having made a quickfire return to the capital after spending the second half of last season on loan with Spurs, thanks to a fresh loan agreement which includes a buy option worth close to £9million being agreed with RB Leipzig in the summer, the Germany international has been forced to contend with restricted game time.

But GMS sources have been informed that Werner is on course to regain a starting berth when Manchester City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with him on track to profit after captain Heung-min Son and fellow winger Wilson Odobert have been ruled out of the contest through injury.

The 28-year-old Champions League winner is preparing to face Pep Guardiola's Sky Blues having been limited to just 445 minutes of action in all competitions this season, while one of his five starts came when Spurs sealed a late comeback victory over Championship outfit Coventry City in the last round of the competition.

Although Werner is on track to be deployed on the left flank, it is a shock twist as GMS sources recently revealed that he is in line to return to parent club Leipzig instead of his move being made permanent at the end of the season as Tottenham are actively scouting alternative options after Postecoglou has gone in search of adding further firepower.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Timo Werner only made nine passes when he played the final 28 minutes after coming on as a substitute during Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend

Moore to Miss Out on Third Consecutive Start

Teenager could be rested after breaking into first-team picture

GMS sources have been told that there are doubts over whether academy graduate Mikey Moore will be handed the chance to make a third consecutive start for Tottenham even though he built on an eye-catching performance against AZ Alkmaar when they headed to Crystal Palace last weekend.

The teenager was compared to Neymar by teammate James Maddison after making a telling impact as Spurs maintained their 100 per cent winning record in the Europa League earlier this month, but Postecoglou is desperate to ensure that he is not under too much pressure at this early stage of his career.

Moore's absence from the starting line-up will play into Werner's hands, particularly with Son and Odobert not being available for the Manchester City encounter, and GMS sources understand that there is determination to progress as the Carabao Cup is being viewed as one of Tottenham's best chances to clinch silverware.

Even though there are significant doubts over whether the former Chelsea man will still be in north London beyond the end of the season, having racked up six goal contributions over the course of his two spells on Spurs' books, he is preparing to get the nod as Postecoglou is unlikely to take major risks when selecting who to bring into the fray.

Everton icon Leon Osman noted that Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou seemed 'frosty' after his side's loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League - with the loss recording Spurs' fourth defeat of the top-flight campaign in just nine games to put a dent in their Champions League hopes.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's first-half strike was enough to hand Palace their first win of the campaign and down Tottenham, who had just three shots on target throughout the entire game. Postecoglou is usually a talkative character when it comes to post-match interviews, however, the loss saw his side fail to make ground in the league table and Osman noticed something about his demeanour.

Osman: Postecoglou 'Looked Frosty' After Tottenham Loss

The Australian boss ses his side sit four points off the Champions League spots

Speaking on Optus Sport, Everton hero Osman questioned where Postecoglou's head was at following the loss in south London, stating that the Spurs gaffer has 'never been as frosty' after a game before - stating that the potential lack of effort and fight shown by Spurs may be the reason as to why he had his guard up.

Osman said:

“You show character in those moments, and I’ve never seen him as frosty as that in interviews.

"You can be outplayed at times, the opposition can show more quality, but they better not outwork us or show more bottle, and that seems like where he’s very disappointed with his team."

It wasn't Tottenham's best performance by all means, and as an attack-minded coach, Postecoglou will have been disappointed that Tottenham didn't score in the game for just the second time this season in all competitions, with their previous blank coming against Arsenal.

The result leaves Tottenham in eighth place in the Premier League table, five points away from the top four which will be their desired goal come the end of the season - but also just four points from 16th.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Tottenham have only qualified for the Champions League in one of their previous five seasons.

With tricky ties against Aston Villa and Manchester City coming in November in the top-flight, alongside tough Europa League clashes against Galatasaray and Roma, the pressure will be on Postecoglou to pick up a positive result in one of those four games - and especially against the home clash against Ipswich Town, which is sandwiched in the middle of those, they will need to pick up a win to keep their Champions League qualification hopes moving.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that forward Wilson Odobert has suffered a serious injury setback after struggling with fitness over the last few months.

The tricky attacker arrived at Hotspur Way during the summer transfer window, joining the club from Championship side Burnley. It's been a difficult start to life in north London due to injuries, and Postecoglou has now provided a worrying update.

Speaking to the press on Tuesday afternoon, Postecoglou has confirmed that Odobert has suffered an injury setback and it's looking like a serious one. The Australian manager has also added that Heung-min Son is set to miss the Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City, but they are aiming to have him back in time for the weekend...

"Son is almost fit but probably from our perspective we'll aim for the weekend. We're quite confident he'll be right for the weekend. The only other one missing out which is a bit of a disappointment is Wilson, who has had a setback during the week and it seems like it is a serious one so we're just waiting for more information. From the weekend everybody is ok and Djed is back training."

Although Spurs are desperate to achieve trophy success, Postecoglou understandably has one eye on the Premier League at the weekend. The north London outfit face Aston Villa on Sunday before a trip to Galatasaray in the Europa League next week. For Postecoglou, it's imperative that they can get Son back fit for the hectic schedule upcoming.

Odobert is yet to make a real impact at Tottenham, but it will be a major disappointment for Postecoglou and his team. The former Burnley man was brought in to be an additional option in attack, but he's barely been seen by Tottenham supporters.

Last time out with both Son and Odobert out injured, Tottenham started with a front three of Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson. Richarlison has also recently returned from injury, while Timo Werner is another option for Postecoglou in the forward line.

Tottenham Hotspur star Timo Werner is on course to bring the curtain down on his Hotspur Way career at the end of the season as boss Ange Postecoglou has set his sights on signing a fresh attacking influence instead of keeping the RB Leipzig loanee on a permanent basis, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

The Germany international made a quickfire return to north London when Spurs negotiated a fresh temporary agreement with his parent club during the early stages of the summer transfer window, with the deal including an option to retain his services beyond the remainder of the campaign if they fork out £8.5million.

But Werner has been facing stiff competition as he bids to make himself one of the first names on the team sheet, with teenager Mikey Moore being handed the first Premier League start of his career in Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, and it is increasingly likely that he does not have a long-term future in his current surroundings.

Werner Poised to Miss Out on Permanent Deal

North Londoners scouring market for alternative wide options

Werner is set to return to Bundesliga outfit Leipzig in the summer instead of becoming a permanent member of Tottenham's squad, according to GMS sources, as the capital club are actively scouting alternative options after Postecoglou has gone in search of adding further firepower from wide areas.

The 28-year-old Champions League winner has been guilty of missing a number of presentable opportunities for Spurs and, having failed to get his name on the scoresheet, has only registered one assist over the course of 11 appearances in all competitions since the campaign got underway.

GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham are seriously assessing the market and challenging members of the recruitment department to seek an attack-minded winger who is capable of being deployed on the left and right flank, resulting in Werner being on track to walk away at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea man is on an agreement which allows him to pocket £200,000-per-week when bonuses are triggered, but his lack of end product since technical director Johan Lange and chairman Daniel Levy oversaw fresh negotiations with Leipzig has resulted in Postecoglou aiming to head in an alternative direction in the coming months.

Although the Greek-Australian tactician is an admirer of Werner's all-round profile, which resulted in him being keen to extend his time at Tottenham after initially spending the second half of last term on loan in north London, GMS sources have learned that there is determination to land a wide-man who boasts more versatility.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Timo Werner only made nine passes when he played the final 28 minutes after coming on as a substitute during Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend

Spurs are Expected to Keep Werner in January

Loan will only be cut short if admirers make suitable proposal

GMS sources have been told that Tottenham will only have the opportunity to cut Werner's loan short if an interested party emerges during the January transfer window and puts forward a proposal which suits all parties, resulting in it being likely that he will stay on board for the remainder of the season instead of jumping ship.

Leipzig were prepared to sanction his departure during the summer due to not having a route back into the forefront of head coach Marco Rose's plans, despite getting his name on the scoresheet twice and registering a further three assists in 905 minutes of action for Spurs last term, but he has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth.

Tottenham have been making regular checks on Andreas Skov Olsen ahead of potentially offering a route into the Premier League for the first time in the Club Brugge talisman's career, GMS sources recently revealed, highlighting that Werner's days with the capital club are numbered.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss away at Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, and Sky Sports pundit Jamie O'Hara has questioned manager Ange Postecoglou’s team selection for such a difficult game.

Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game just after the half hour mark to clinch the host’s first Premier League win of the campaign. For Spurs, the result puts them eighth in the standings, and they remain above Brentford only on goal difference.

Postecoglou called upon 17-year-old Mikey Moore to start in the front three alongside Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson at Selhurst Park, but O’Hara believes the manager should have stuck with the more experienced Timo Werner, as he told Sky Sports:

“I think Ange [Postecoglou] got it wrong. I think he picked the wrong team. Starting a 17-year-old away from home against Crystal Palace is a big, big ask. He [Moore] did alright but it’s a big ask to come in for that game and make something happen.

“Use him for 20 or 25 minutes, but the damning indictment of that is that Timo Werner has been so poor he [Postecouglou] has had to start Mikey Moore. But, I would have stuck with Werner and given him another game, especially away from home as he’s experienced.”

Moore is a product of the Spurs academy and he made his senior debut at the end of last season in the defeat against Manchester City. He now has eight senior appearances to his name, seven of which have come this season.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Tottenham have won an average of 1.63 points per game in the Premier League this season

Werner, on the other hand, made his name in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig. He made the move to Chelsea in 2020, but returned to his former club in Germany two years later. The striker is now a little over halfway through a loan spell with Spurs.

The North London club return to action midweek with the visit of Manchester City in the round of 16 of the Carabao Cup. They will then host Aston Villa in the Premier League next weekend.

Tottenham and Newcastle are both said to have joined the race to land Serbian teenage sensation Andrija Maksimovic, according to a report from TBR Football.

Maksimovic, who is just 17-years-old, has been highly touted as one of the ‘top young prospects in world football’, having already broken into the first team with FK Crvena Zvezda – also referred to as Red Star Belgrade - which has put a plethora of European teams on notice, including that of Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, among others.

Furthermore, TBR’s report has also suggested that ‘more than half’ of teams in the Premier League have ‘checked’ on him, including those of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Tottenham and Newcastle Have Joined the Race

Both Premier League clubs have good track records of signing, and developing, young talent

Maksimovic operates as an attacking midfielder for Crvena Zvezda, and has already made seven first team appearances – two of which have come in the UEFA Champions League - in which he has recorded two assists. This saw him handed his international debut earlier this month, with him having earned two caps, totaling 42 minutes played.

Spurs have developed quite the track record of identifying young talent and giving them opportunities, with Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Will Lankshear all seeing some minutes under Ange Postecoglou this season, while not forgetting to mention 17-year-old Mikey Moore, who was likened to Neymar Jr. by teammate James Maddison after his stellar display in the Europa League last week.

Similarly, Newcastle have a plethora of talent under the age of 21 that feature regularly for Eddie Howe, with Lewis Miley, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall having all come up the ranks over the last few seasons, while they added to their pool with the signing of William Osula from Sheffield United over the summer.

As such, both Premier League clubs could be seen as a good fit for Maksimovic, unlike that of some other interested parties like Chelsea, who have a big squad already, and thus, would likely struggle to carve out some minutes for him.

Regardless of the abundance of interest in the teenager, should Maksimovic strike a deal with a new club, he is not able to leave Serbia until next summer, after he turns 18.

Crystal Palace will look to pick up vital points in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon when they host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Eagles fell to another defeat on Monday in their last fixture as they took on Nottingham Forest to make it three consecutive losses, while Tottenham bounced back from a disappointing loss against Brighton before the international break by defeat West Ham and AZ Alkmaar in comfortable fashion this week.

Both sides will see three points as vital going forward so decisions must be made, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expects both teams to line up.

Crystal Palace Team News

Doucoure still out injured

In a blow to Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace won't be able to welcome any of their injured players back for this game. Cheick Doucoure has returned to training but only completed one session so won't be considered for selection, while Chadi Riad, Chris Richards, Rob Holding and Matheus Franca are still injured.

Back-up goalkeeper Matt Turner is available for selection again after being ineligible against his parent club last time out.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Glasner shared an update on his squad's availability for the game.

“The same squad is available as on Monday at Nottingham. There are no more injuries, but also nobody is coming back. Cheick Doucouré has had just one training session with us this week, but it will still take time, so it is the same squad.

“We are discussing [whether to send Wharton for surgery], and when we take the final decision we will inform you.

“At the moment he will be with us for at least the next week. We have three games: we play on Sunday against Tottenham, we play on Wednesday against Aston Villa and then the Wolves away game.

“He will be with us for the next three games and then we will see what happens."

Crystal Palace Predicted XI

Glasner to stick with back five

Crystal Palace Predicted XI: Henderson; Chalobah, Guehi, Lacroix; Munhoz, Lerma, Wharton, Mitchell; Eze, Mateta, Nketiah.

Crystal Palace Predicted Substitutes: Turner (GK), Clyne (DEF), Ward (DEF), Hughes (MID), Schlupp (MID), Kamada (MID), Kporha (MID), Sarr (FWD), Agbinone (FWD).

Despite coming under pressure for his job, Glasner is likely to stick with his preferred back-five system with minimal changes to be made. Adam Wharton could come back into midfield ahead of Will Hughes, while Jean-Philippe Mateta could return to the attack in place of the disappointing Daichi Kamada.

Tottenham Team News

Heung-Min Son ruled out

After claiming a big win over West Ham last weekend, Spurs followed up with a 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League and come into this game in good spirits. But Ange Postecoglou will be without his captain Heung-Min Son once again after he had a bad reaction in his return, while defender Djed Spence is also still unavailable.

Lucas Bergvall came off in the midweek win but the manager has dispelled concerns by revealing it was just cramp and he should be available for the game.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Posteocglou shared an injury update ahead of the game.

"Sonny is still not right or feeling 100 per cent. He won't train today and unlikely for the weekend. Djed's getting closer. Hopefully, next week, he’ll be joining up with [team] training.

Tottenham Predicted XI

Mikey Moore to start

Tottenham Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Maddison, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Moore.

Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Forster (GK), Gray (DEF), Dragusin (DEF), Davies (DEF), Bissouma (MID), Sarr (MID), Bergvall (MID), Richarlison (FWD), Werner (FWD).

With Son out of contention, Postecoglou could hand a first Premier League start to teenage sensation Mikey Moore after his excellent performance in midweek. Timo Werner struggled from the left and the manager admitted he is low on confidence, so a start would seem unlikely.

Ange Postecoglou must make the brutal decision to drop James Maddison from the Tottenham starting lineup when they face off with Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs have been a team in form of late, winning seven of their last eight contests in all competitions, though they still currently sit eighth in the Premier League table having won four, drawn one and lost three, including a 3-2 defeat to Brighton having led by two goals at the half.

But one of their standout performers, Dejan Kulusevski, has looked far more comfortable when operating in the No. 10 position currently held by Maddison, bringing a greater balance to the team when deployed in that role.

Kulusevski Should Start Over Maddison

The Swede has been one of Spurs' standouts this season

While both Maddison and Kulusevski are players who have hit the ground running this season, an argument can be made that only one should be on the pitch at any given time.

The Swede has impressed more to start the 2024/25 campaign, where he was hailed as 'outstanding' by former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor after his performance in their 3-0 thumping of Manchester United earlier in the season.

Having been deployed in both the centre of midfield and as the team's centre-forward when both Dominic Solanke and Richarlison were absent, Kulusevski has been far more effective when sitting behind the striker and dictating the attacking play, which has seen him rated a 7.77, per WhoScored, when in the No. 10 role. In comparison, Maddison has registered a 6.73 rating in the same position.

Furthermore, when Kulusevski is playing in the middle of the park, he brings more stability and balance to the midfield, as exemplified by last weekend's 4-1 destruction of West Ham, when Spurs went on to score three second-half goals after Maddison was subbed off at the half with Kulusevski in a midfield three with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr behind him.

With Kulusevski's fine form, Postecoglou faces a tough decision on who to select, and where, in his starting lineup, but he would much rather have competition for places than none at all.

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Lucas Bergvall has been advised to remain patient for further Premier League opportunities after clocking up just 46 minutes of top-flight action under Ange Postecoglou this term.

A summer arrival in North London, the 18-year-old has had limited chances to impress since joining Spurs in a £8.5m deal from Djurgarden, making four short cameos off the bench so far.

However, according to Swedish journalist Olof Lundh, things at Tottenham are ‘pointing in the right direction’ for Bergvall, who needs to have ‘a little patience’ for any further opportunities in the top flight:

“It is so unusual for players to go from Allsvenskan to the Premier League and take a place.

“If you are so young, even if he has taken huge steps, and hasn’t played very many at the highest level even in Sweden – then you have to have a little patience.

“If you are his age, you get to see all the minutes in the first season as a bonus. Everything still points in the right direction.”

The 18-year-old was handed his fourth start in a Spurs shirt on Thursday night, as Postecoglou’s men beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at home to secure their third win of the Europa League campaign.

It was Richarlison who netted the winner from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute after Bergvall had been fouled inside the box.

The Swedish starlet, however, was forced off the pitch 20 minutes later after he was seen clutching his leg. Postecoglou later revealed the 18-year-old was ‘just cramping up’, having not played a lot of first-team football this season.

The Australian tactician suggested the continental games ‘are a great foundation’ for Spurs youngsters, including Mikey Moore, who stood out on the left wing in the narrow victory.

Bergvall, who made his ninth appearance of the season on Thursday, completed 91% of his passes and contributed defensively, winning four of his seven ground duels and making three tackles.