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There have been plenty of problems at Tottenham Hotspur this season, but scoring goals hasn't really been one of them.

Ange Postecoglou's side have found the back of the net on 53 occasions in the Premier League, joint with Manchester City and second only to runaway leaders Liverpool.

However, while that sounds brilliant, and to some extent it is, the North Londoners have had a habit of scoring a lot in some games and then, as many of their fans will attest, losing others by a single goal.

So, even though it's one of their strengths, Spurs would be further improved by more goalscorers, and it just so happens the club sold one in the summer for a pittance, who's now worth significantly more.

How Tottenham's attack has fared in 2024/25

Before getting to the player in question, it's worth first looking at Spurs' top scorers across all competitions, starting with Brennan Johnson.

The Welsh international endured a rough start to the campaign and has only just returned from injury, yet he's still the club's top scorer this season, with an impressive 14 strikes to his name in 35 games, and he's provided three assists for good measure.

Not far behind is summer and record signing Dominic Solanke, who's certainly not buckled under his £65m price tag this year, as, following a middling start of his own, has raced to 11 goals in 29 appearances, and he's even chipped in with six assists to boot.

There are three players hot on the coattails of the Englishman, as Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min, and James Maddison have all found the back of the net ten times this season, doing so in 42, 36 and 34 games, respectively.

It's quite a drop-down to Pape Matar Sarr after that, who has five goals to his name in 39 games, and then rounding out the list it's Richarlison, who has racked up a tally of just three goals in 14 appearances this season.

In short, while Tottenham haven't had a brilliant campaign by any stretch of the imagination, the fans have seen their side score plenty of goals. With that said, an academy player sold in the summer has outscored everyone on this list and has seen his valuation soar because of it.

The ex-Spurs ace worth millions more today

When it comes to goalscoring academy stars, Tottenham have quite a track record with Peter Crouch and Harry Kane, but in this case, the striker in question is plying his trade away from the Premier League.

After spending last season on loan in the Netherlands with Excelsior, where he racked up a reasonable enough tally of 17 goals and five assists in 32 games, Troy Parrott finally left the Lilywhites after joining the club as a 15-year-old back in the summer of 2017.

However, instead of moving to another club in England, the Irishman opted to remain in the Eredivisie and joined Dutch giants AZ Alkmaar for a fee of around €8m, which converts to about £7m.

While that might have seemed like a decent enough fee for an academy graduate at the time, we reckon Daniel Levy and Co will wish they had asked for more now.

For example, since moving to De Kaasboeren, the "phenomenal" marksman, as dubbed by former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, has racked up a sensational tally of 17 goals and three assists in 36 appearances, totalling 2642 minutes.

That means the Dublin-born poacher is outscoring everyone in the Tottenham squad and averaging a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 132.1 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this has seen the 23-year-old's valuation soar, with the CIES Football Observatory now pricing him at around €31m, which converts to about £25.5m, or a staggering 193% increase on the fee AZ paid in the summer.

Ultimately, selling Parrott was probably the right thing to do for his own career, but with how well he's played this season, we can't help imagining he'd have been a brilliant bench option for Postecoglou this year.

They might not get the same attention as some of their rivals for it, but Tottenham Hotspur have an incredible academy.

In the here and now, Hotspur Way has produced some incredibly exciting talents who will surely be future stars like Mikey Moore and Luca Williams-Barnett.

Moreover, some of the best players in Premier League history have come through the North Londoners' youth set-up, such as Harry Kane, Ledley King and even he who shan't be named.

However, as well as the international superstars, the Lilywhites have produced several underrated players currently plying their trade around Europe, including one centre-back who's one comparison to an incredibly valuable superstar.

Hotspur Way's underrated stars

One of Spurs' former academy gems, who some might not know played for the club's academy, is Noni Madueke.

The Barnet-born winger was a part of the club's youth set-up for quite some time, but despite efforts to keep him in the capital, he decided to take a leap of faith in the summer of 2018 and moved to Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven.

It didn't take long for the Englishman to establish himself in the Netherlands, and by the time he moved to Chelsea for £30m in January 2023, he had racked up a haul of 20 goals and 14 assists in just 80 first-team appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.35 games.

Since returning to England, the dynamic attacker has scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 74 games for the Blues.

However, a hamstring injury he picked up a couple of weeks ago has put a halt to what was looking like a promising campaign.

Another academy gem who left N17 for the Netherlands is Irish striker Troy Parrott, who, after spending last season on loan with Dutch side Excelsior, decided to make his move to the country permanent, signing with AZ Alkmaar.

The former Lilywhites' gem has already found the back of the net on 17 occasions in just 36 appearances this season and has provided three assists to boot.

So when Ange Postecoglou's side lineup against him in the Europa League knockout rounds next week, they'll have to be on top form, even if he failed to score in their league phase encounter.

However, it's not just attacking talents who have gone on to have brilliant careers since leaving Spurs' academy, as an international centre-back is thriving north of the border and has been compared to a Premier League titan worth an increible amount of money.

The Spurs academy gem who's a £69m star in the making

It's been a brilliant campaign for Celtic this season, as they pushed Bayern Munich all the way in the Champions League play-offs and have a commanding lead over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

One of the Hoops' most important players this year, and in the seasons prior, has been Cameron Carter-Vickers, who joined Tottenham as an 11-year-old in 2009.

The American international would go out on several loan moves over the years, including one to Celtic in 2021, before agreeing a permanent move to Parkhead a year later for around £6m.

In all, the 27-year-old titan has made 148 appearances for the Glaswegian giants, scoring seven goals, providing two assists, and winning three league titles, three league cups, and two Scottish Cups.

During his time north of the border, the 18-capped international has won plenty of plaudits for his sensational displays, with The Athletic's Alex Barker going as far as describing him as "the best centre-back outside of the top five leagues" last week.

On top of that, he's also been likened to Manchester City's Rúben Dias by FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Champions League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Portuguese ace is the third most similar centre-back to the American.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, passing accuracy, key passes, carries, dribblers challenged, interceptions and more, all per 90.

On top of the prestige that should come with such a comparison, it could also potentially reflect Carter-Vivkers' future price tag should he leave Scotland.

For example, according to Football Transfers, the City ace is worth up to €83m, which converts to about £69m, and if the former Lilywhites ace is so statistically similar, why shouldn't his price tag also increase?

Ultimately, it was probably the right decision for his future at the time to sell Carter-Vickers, but we can't help imagining just how useful he would have been to Postecoglou this season.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou could suffer a potential Harry Kane repeat, as one Spurs star considers joining the England international at Bayern Munich.

Players who could leave Tottenham this summer

Spurs face a small exodus of certain players in the summer, with a few out of contract and others out of favour under Postecoglou.

Richarlison is the first nominee for a potential Spurs exit this summer, after the Brazilian was subject to interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer, but instead chose to remain at N17 to battle his way into Postecoglou's first-team.

Unfortunately, it's been a very dismal campaign for the striker when it comes to injuries and general availability. As a result, reports have claimed that Tottenham are open to selling Richarlison this summer.

Meanwhile, following an unsuccessful second campaign on loan, it is highly likely that Spurs won't take up the £8.5 million option to buy in Timo Werner's temporary deal from RB Leipzig.

Tottenham are keen to keep Mathys Tel beyond his loan spell, but there is no guarantee that the Frenchman will choose to stay at the club, even if Spurs do want to trigger the £45 million option to buy in his contract.

Sergio Reguilon, Alfie Whiteman and Fraser Forster are all out of contract and free to leave Spurs in July, and while Ben Davies is in the same boat, credible media sources have reported that the Welshman is set for an extended one-year stay (The Athletic).

Club captain and star winger Son Heung-min was also set to leave at the end of this season on a free deal at one stage, but Spurs triggered the one-year extension clause in his contract to stop the South Korean departing at zero cost.

Son is said to be attracting interest from Saudi Arabia ahead of the summer, with certain Pro League sides willing to shell out around £42 million, but if clubs are determined to strike a deal this summer, then they may have to pay as much as £50 million, according to ex-Tottenham scout Bryan King.

Son considering move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich

Now, according to a report from Spain, it is believed that Son is actually considering a move to Bayern, where he would link up with ex-teammate Kane at the Allianz Arena.

Vincent Kompany's side are said to be attracting the 32-year-old, who are also keen on the winger themselves as they seek to solidify their status as Germany's top side after losing out on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen last season.

While Son's form has taken a dip since his excellent 2023/2024 campaign, he's displayed flashes of brilliance, and the forward's leadership would be irreplaceable.

“Son will have a year left on his contract and he is in his early thirties,” King said. “I think Tottenham would want a minimum of £50 million to sell him. He brings plenty of value to the club off the pitch, think about how many people travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch him.

“I’m not sure exactly how many people come every week. However, there always seems to be plenty of people travelling in from South Korea to see Son play.”

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy could offer an "attractive contract" to a Spain international, with the Lilywhites making transfer plans ahead of the summer window.

Tottenham suffer fourteenth Premier League defeat with Man City loss

Spurs are beginning to slowly turn a corner under Ange Postecoglou, thanks to the return of key squad members from injury, but Premier League champions Man City still inflicted their fourteenth top flight loss of the campaign on Wednesday evening.

Erling Haaland's winner proved the difference for Pep Guardiola as Spurs maintain their uphill battle to try and climb out of the bottom ten, but Postecoglou used the match to experiment in attack.

Wilson Odobert was handed his first start since September against City, with club captain Son Heung-min dropping to the bench, as Tottenham's manager does his best to cope without star striker Dominic Solanke.

"I thought he was great," said Postecoglou on Odobert's display against Man City. "It was important tonight that him, Destiny and Brennan got some minutes. Again, it’s one thing to get guys back from injury but we have got to get them up to speed as quick as we possibly can.

"You could see Wilson hasn’t played for a while but you could also see the quality that he has. I think he grew into the game in the second half. I thought he was a big catalyst at the beginning of the second half when he was running at the opposition. He is an exciting player and if we can manage him through this period and get him to a really decent level of fitness, I’m sure he will help us finish the season strong."

Mathys Tel has come in as a quality alternative to Solanke alongside Postecoglou's rotated wide players. However, the 19-year-old is only there on a temporary deal and there is no guarantee that Tel will remain at Spurs for 2025/2026, even despite the £45 million buy-option in his contract.

The final decision will rest on his shoulders, and if the Frenchman doesn't wish to extend his stay at N17, then Spurs will need to think of other potential transfer options.

Tottenham could offer Ayoze Perez an "attractive contract"

According to a Spanish media source, former Newcastle United and Leicester City striker Ayoze Perez is attracting interest from Hotspur Way.

The four-cap Spain international, who's enjoying a fine season at Villarreal right now with 14 goals in 20 appearances this season, could be subject to an approach from Spurs in the summer.

Indeed, it is believed that Tottenham could offer Perez an "attractive contract" to join Postecoglou, but the details of this are unclear. The 31-year-old has also caught Eintracht Frankfurt's attention, and Villarreal are fearful they're going to lose their star striker amid all of this interest in his services.

The report describes Spurs' interest as a "problem" for Villarreal, but it remains to be seen whether they take the plunge considering his age and previously undewhelming Premier League stints.

Tottenham Hotspur will attempt to sign an England star who Real Madrid were pushing to sign last year, with chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange showcasing some ambition already before the summer transfer window.

Ange Postecoglou praises Tottenham players despite Man City loss

Spurs' brief winning streak came to an abrupt end against Premier League champions Man City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Erling Haaland's eventual winner proved the difference between Ange Postecoglou and Pep Guardiola's sides, but the former still found positives to take away from the 90 minutes, despite it being their fourteenth top flight loss of the campaign.

"Yeah I think so. First half we were just a little bit too eager to get forward with the ball," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's positive second-half against Man City.

"I thought we were really wasteful and when you are (like that) against City it allows them to get into a rhythm of their game. They can pick you off at different times and we just didn’t handle that part of the game well. They scored and had a couple of good chances to get further ahead.

"I certainly felt second half we dominated the game and territory. We were pretty relentless. Much better with the ball and a lot calmer but just missing a goal and ultimately fell short.

"It did look more like us today. At least from my perspective. We were really relentless. We played aggressive football. We took it to a very good opponent. We never tapered off at all. If anything, like you said, bringing the guys on made us stronger towards the end of the game. Disappointing to lose but I think you see the benefit of us being refreshed and going into a game well prepared. That level of performance in the second half, if we can begin to get consistent with that then we will be able to push on."

Overall, it's been a disappointing second campaign in charge for Postecoglou, who is relying on a good run in the Europa League to end Tottenham's 17-year trophy drought.

Preparations are already underway to bolster the squad ahead of next campaign, with Tottenham believed to be targeting a new centre-back this summer.

Tottenham set to attempt move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite

According to CaughtOffside, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is on their transfer shortlist in that regard, following the Lilywhites' repeated shortages at centre-half throughout 2024/2025.

Tottenham are ready to rival Man United in the race for Branthwaite this summer, as per this report, and it is believed even Real Madrid were once pushing to land the England international, though a move failed to materialise.

The 22-year-old will apparently command a price tag of around £70 million, though, so Levy will need to invest heavily in his acquisition. That being said, he currently stands out as one of the country's most promising centre-backs.

It might be a tired cliché, but last night felt like a game of two halves for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou's side played host to Manchester City, and set out to pick up their fourth Premier League win on the bounce.

Unfortunately, a goal from the recently returned Erling Haaland made sure that didn't happen, and while the visitors could have been three or four up in the first half, the Lilywhites had bountiful chances of their own in the second 45.

However, while there were several players who put in solid shifts for the North Londoners, there were still some who let themselves down, such as Pedro Porro, who the manager should never have started.'

Why Postecoglou shouldn't have started Porro

After starting the game against Ipswich Town over the weekend on the bench, there would've been hope among some of the Spurs faithful that Postecoglou would keep Porro there for last night's game.

Unfortunately, the Australian decided to start him at right-back, and to the surprise of very few, it turned out to be a sizeable mistake, as even while he might have a great pass on him, time after time this season, he has proven himself incapable of defending.

It might sound harsh, but it's an opinion shared by journalist Mitch Fretton, who described him as a "familiar" problem while football.london's Alasdair Gold gave him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he 'had a tough night' against Jeremy Doku, which is quite the understatement.

The Belgian turned the former Sporting CP ace inside out all night, and if it wasn't the tricky winger giving him problems, he was creating them himself.

For example, in his 90-plus minutes of action, the 25-year-old endeavoured to give the ball away 12 times and did so for Haaland's disallowed goal at the end of the game.

Overall, it was another horror show for the error-prone full-back, and it's clear that Postecoglou made a massive mistake in starting him over the player who started there on the weekend.

The Spurs star who should've started against City

With Archie Gray starting at centre-back alongside Kevin Danso and the lack of other defensive options, it will come as no surprise that the player Postecoglou should have started over Porro last night was Djed Spence.

The former Middlesbrough full-back has been a revelation since breaking into the first team this season - as evidenced by the crowd's roar upon his arrival last night - and considering how dismal the Spaniard has been for much of the campaign, he should have been in from the first whistle.

Not only can he help out in the final third - he already has four goal involvements in 20 appearances this year - but he's also far more secure and reliable when it comes to the defensive side of the game, which, even in the modern game, is incredibly important for a full-back.

For example, when we compare their underlying numbers, the "unbelievable" Englishman, as dubbed by Ian Wright, comes out ahead in the majority of relevant defensive metrics, including but not limited to tackles, tackles won, all blocks, shots blocked, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Lastly, on top of having the better defensive numbers on paper, the £20m titan also appears to be far better at anticipating the movements of opposition wingers, as unlike Porro, he rarely seems to find himself on the floor after mistiming a tackle.

Ultimately, while the team certainly weren't dreadful last night, Postecoglou got it very wrong not starting Spence, and we can't see him making the same decision in the Europa League next week.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 1-0 defeat against Manchester City last night, putting an end to their three-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Erling Haaland’s first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for Pep Guardiola’s side, with Ange Postecoglou needing to pick his side up after a 14th league defeat of the campaign.

The result leaves the Lilywhites down in 13th place with just 11 games remaining, needing a miracle to restore any pride after what has been a year to forget in North London.

Over recent weeks, Ange has seen numerous players return to first-team action after their respective injury lay-offs, offering the Aussie the squad depth he’s so desperately been craving.

However, he rotated his side for the visit of the defending champions, with numerous players failing to impress during the defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs’ disappointing performers against Man City

Winger Brennan Johnson started the clash with Pep’s men last night, maintaining his place in the eleven after making his first start in a month against Ipswich Town at the weekend.

However, the Welshman would fail to build on his two-goal display against the Tractor Boys, lucky to feature for the entirety of the contest after his ineffective display which saw him register just a single effort on goal.

He also only completed 50% of his attempted dribbles, creating just one chance for his teammates, in what was a toothless showing from the 23-year-old.

Pedro Porro was also handed a recall against City, but like Johnson, failed to capitalise on the opportunity handed his way unable to back Postecoglou’s call of starting him over Djed Spence.

The 25-year-old often struggled to get to grips with winger Jeremy Doku, easily getting shrugged off by the Belgian at one stage and unable to offer a real threat in attacking areas, completing just a single dribble.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one other player failed to deliver last night, potentially putting his place in the side at risk ahead of the club’s next outing.

The Spurs player who dropped a 4/10 against City

After such an injury crisis over the last few months, it was inevitable that Spurs would have to bolster in January, with Ange doing just that with centre-back Kevin Danso joining from Lens.

The Austrian has since started every game at the heart of the backline, completing 81 passes in the defeat last night, the most of any player on the pitch - showcasing his positive impact after his move.

However, another January addition in the form of Mathys Tel was unable to produce a performance to remember against City, struggling in large periods to make an impact.

The Frenchman featured for 66 minutes of the meeting, only managing to register a total of 12 touches, a tally fewer than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who achieved a total of 39.

The 19-year-old also only completed four passes, whilst failing to complete any of his two attempted dribbles - coming out on the losing side of 75% of the duels he entered.

Tel was subsequently replaced by Dejan Kulusevski with just over 20 minutes to go as the hosts looked to restore parity, but the lack of attacking threat was evident throughout, with the manager making the right call in withdrawing the loanee.

As a result of his dismal showing, Tel was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by journalist Dan Kilpatrick, with one analyst dubbing his showing as “anonymous”.

Given his lack of impact, Ange could look to replace the youngster ahead of next week’s Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar, which appears to be the Lilywhites’ final shot of securing a trophy this season.

If they are to stand a chance of getting through to the next stage, a win in the away leg will be vital, with Postecoglou needing to consider other options after Tel’s struggles last night.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou could see Spurs sign a highly-rated forward at a substantial summer discount, according to a former Lilywhites employee.

Johan Lange shortlisting Tottenham forward targets for this summer

While Spurs sealed an option to buy in their loan deal for Bayern Munich sensation Mathys Tel, which stands at around £45 million, there is no guarantee the 19-year-old will commit his future to N17.

A return to Bayern remains possible, while some sources believe that Tel would still like to join Man United instead of Spurs for the 2025/2026 season. The versatile attacker has agreed a six-year contract if he does choose to stay in north London (David Ornstein), but the final decision will rest on his shoulders.

With Timo Werner looking set to return to RB Leipzig and Tottenham open to selling Richarlison (GiveMeSport), not to mention Son Heung-min facing his final season and a half at Spurs, technical director Johan Lange is planning for the future.

Tottenham are shortlisting summer forward targets to bolster Postecolgou's squad for next campaign, and as per usual, chairman Daniel Levy, Lange and the recruitment team appear set to pull focus on signing world-class young talent.

Spurs are targeting Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens, who has reportedly been told he's free to find a new club this summer (Graeme Bailey), while it is also believed that Southampton starlet Tyler Dibling remains on their radar.

The 19-year-old has been an impressive ever-present in Southampton's team throughout this term, bagging four goals and two assists, with clubs taking note of his serious potential.

Spurs are one of the clubs monitoring Dibling ahead of this summer, but reports suggest that the Saints could demand as much as £55 million for him.

Tottenham tipped to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton for just £25m

However, if Southampton were to be relegated, which is a very distinct possibility, then they could be forced to accept a cut-price offer, especially if the winger pushes for a return to the Premier League.

That is according to former Tottenham chief scout Mick Brown, who told Football Insider that he expects Spurs to sign Dibling for just £25 million.

“Somebody will come along for Dibling at the end of the season,” he said. “I can’t see Southampton doing much about that if they’re relegated. They’re going to have to make sales, and he’s the outstanding candidate for that given his value and the level of interest there is in him.

“I think an offer of around £25million would be enough to get that done. I can see him making the move to Tottenham because they’re aiming to buy that sort of player.

“They’ve got Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mikey Moore all coming into the team. So there are quite a few young players in that team and I think they’ll want to add Dibling to that group.

“I imagine Tottenham will be preparing to make an offer for him at the end of the season. And I think it’s a certainty that he will leave Southampton, I can’t see him staying there if there are offers coming in for him.”

Tottenham Hotspur look like a team reborn at the moment.

Just a month ago, Ange Postecoglou's side looked utterly bereft of ideas on the pitch, and there was a real sense that the Australian would soon be out of a job.

The return of injured stars has undoubtedly helped the North Londoners' cause, but the manager has also been able to extract some brilliant performances out of those who've remained fit.

In fact, one of his now regular starting full-backs has been so impressive that he's now being compared to one of the leading players in his position, who is worth a king's ransom.

Spurs' options at full-back

In Spurs' first game of the season, a 1-1 draw away to newly-promoted Leicester City, Postecoglou opted to start Pedro Porro at right-back, who scored, and Destiny Udogie at left-back.

The result was undoubtedly a disappointing way to kick off the campaign for the Lilywhites, but neither full-back was disastrously poor nor to blame, as reflected by journalist Alasdair Gold's decision to award the Italian a 6/10 match rating at full-time and the Spaniard a 7/10.

The pair have since started the majority of league games that they have been fit for since then.

However, summer signing Archie Gray has massively stepped up for the League Cup and Europa League games, as well as occasionally covering for the pair when they've been sidelined in the league.

Interestingly, while Sergio Reguilon is still a part of the squad, he has been limited to just 242 minutes of action across five cameo appearances this term, and with his contract expiring in the summer, his exit looks all but guaranteed.

Fortunately, Postecoglou probably won't miss him, as his final full-back option has arguably been the most impressive this year and has won comparisons to some of the most valuable defenders in the country despite looking like he was on his way out of N17 only a few months ago.

Spurs' £79m star in the making

Now, Ben Davies and even Micky van de Ven can and have played as full-backs for Spurs before, but when it comes to the club's future, there is one player who looks set to make the position their own for years to come: Djed Spence.

The incredible 24-year-old joined the club from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 for around £20m, but until this season, he was rarely a part of the first team, instead going out on loan or, as he did for the start of this campaign, sitting on the sidelines.

His future was so uncertain that just five months ago, Postecoglou decided to leave him out of the club's Europa League squad, a mistake he has since corrected.

The Englishman began to show his immense quality in the early League Cup games before coming in as cover in the league games from mid-December, and since then, he's been practically undroppable.

In fact, while he might not have quite the same ability to whip balls into dangerous areas as Porro, the "swashbuckling" defender, as dubbed by Ian Wright, is much more secure on the ball, has a real ability to maraud up the touchline, and perhaps most importantly, is far more secure in defensive situations than the Spanish ace.

The 6 foot dynamo has been so brilliant for the Lilywhites this season, that he has been likened to some of the most exciting full-backs in England, including Manchester City's incredible Josko Gvardiol.

The comparison primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Croatian is the tenth most similar full-back to the Spurs star.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, goals per shot and shot on target, expected assists, goal-creating actions, interceptions and more, all per 90.

While being compared to one of the most exciting full-backs in the Premier League is already encouraging enough for the Lilywhites ace's potential ability, it could also be very good news for his future price tag.

For example, according to Football Transfers, the former RB Leipzig star is now worth up to a whopping €95m, which converts to about £79m.

So, if the Englishman is so statistically similar to the City star, then there is no reason to think he won't be worth as much a few years down the line, especially if he keeps his current form up.

Ultimately, Spurs have a few talented full-backs at their disposal, but at the moment, it appears that Spence is the pick of the bunch and could be one of the very best in the country in time.

Tottenham Hotspur face the prospect of Real Madrid poaching key players in Ange Postecoglou's squad, with a well-connected former Spurs employee now sharing what he's heard about that possibility this summer.

Tottenham face Man City after three consecutive Premier League wins

The Lilywhites are gearing up to face Man City in the Premier League this evening, off the back of three consecutive top flight wins for the first time this season, with Postecoglou's side in much better spirits after a torrid last few months.

James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert have all returned from injury and are available for selection, providing a real boost for Postecoglou, even if some key players remain out of action.

Spurs' head coach predicts a host of other noteworthy squad members to return to action in the next 10 days, with the north Londoners aiming to finish this domestic season on a high as they also put plenty of focus into their Europa League campaign - which comes as Postecoglou's only chance to win a major piece of silverware before the end of 2024/2025.

"It will be the same as the weekend squad-wise," said Postecoglou on team news ahead of Man City.

"Everyone got through the weekend well, no issues from it. We could obviously protect a few guys — Pedro (Porro) and (James) Maddison, didn’t start. Everyone is good.

"With the injured guys, nothing has really changed. They are still progressing and training on and off with us. Hopefully over the next 7-10 days reintroduction."

Their new winter arrivals have also bolstered Postecoglou's options, with defender Kevin Danso slowly emerging as a leader at Tottenham after he put pen to paper on a January loan move from RC Lens.

Ex-Tottenham chief shares what he's heard on Real Madrid signing Micky van de Ven

Spurs' backline is often a subject of real debate. Star defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are vital for Postecoglou, but the Australian's been forced to cope without the centre-back partnership for most of this season.

Reports have suggested that Real Madrid are targeting van de Ven and Romero as well, with ex-Tottenham chief scout Mick Brown now explaining what he believes about Carlo Ancelotti's side potentially striking a deal for the former.

“Real Madrid are in the market for a left-sided centre-back,” he told Football Insider. “There have been links to Jarrad Branthwaite, but I hear they’ve been looking at the Tottenham defender, Van de Ven. I think he stands out as the better option between those two.

“He’s quicker than most, he’s technically impressive on the ball, he reads the game well. He’s got experience at a high level now as well.

“Obviously a lot will depend on how he recovers from this injury, so they’ll be keeping an eye on that. But I think they’d be more likely to go for him rather than Branthwaite at the moment.”