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Tottenham Hotspur fans can expect to see one of their newest stars fit and firing - potentially even starting - when they welcome rivals Arsenal to N17 next Sunday.

Tottenham vs Arsenal - team news

Ange Postecoglou and Spurs fans will be watching the dreaded international break from behind the sofa in the hope all their stars return free of injury, with a host of Lilywhites jetting off around the globe just three weeks into the new season.

All eyes will of course be firmly on the north London derby when domestic action returns, in what is no doubt the biggest fixture of the weekend and Premier League season thus far, with Ange looking to bounce back from his frustration at the wasted chances in the defeat at Newcastle before the break.

"It's another sore one unfortunately, where we haven't got the rewards for our play. But it's three strong performances from our first three games. The results don't reflect that," the Aussie said on the 2-1 defeat on Tyneside.

"The positives are that our football is good and has been in the past three games. We just need to get our rewards. If we continue to play like that, I know we will get them."

And he'll hope to capitalise on an injury-hit Arsenal squad to get those rewards, with the Gunners set to be missing Declan Rice through suspension and several players through injury. New signing Mikel Merino faces weeks on the sidelines with shoulder damage, while the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also likely to miss out.

On the Spurs side, the boss can boast a mostly full bill of health outside of Richarlison, and Alasdair Gold has revealed in his latest fan Q&A that there is a big boost on the way as well.

Van de Ven and Solanke set to return from injury

After both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke missed the clash with Newcastle due to injury, Gold expects both to be fit to take part against the Gunners, with Solanke's return to action a particularly big boost given the wastefulness on display at St James' Park.

"We can only go on Ange Postecoglou's words and he said Dominic Solanke will be ready to face Arsenal. He said last Friday that he was close for Newcastle but they wanted to 'err on the side of caution' and had previously dispelled any suggestion he would miss the North London Derby," Gold told Football.London.

"It sounded the same with Micky van de Ven as he said he was 'close in training this week but with the international break he's not quite 100%'. With a further two weeks of recovery and work under their belts you would imagine both will be in a position to face Arsenal, but we'll get the final word on Postecoglou on Friday."

Spurs fans have barely got to see their new goalscorer in action since his £65m move from Bournemouth in the summer, but he looked sharp in his debut at Leicester, firing three shots at goal, completing three dribbles and creating one chance.

Tottenham Hotspur have not quite enjoyed the dream start to the season but Ange Postecoglou is coaching his side well and there is more than enough there to expect promise across the year.

Last season, Tottenham created 90 big chances in the Premier League and only Liverpool (102) Manchester City, and Newcastle United (both 97) created more.

This year, we can read into the opening matches of the term and determine that Spurs still play slick and stylish football and have myriad tools to carve opponents open. Their 48 shots taken are surpassed only by Nottingham Forest (53) at this early stage.

The Lilywhites' 68.3% average possession also underscores the tactical ethos under Postecoglou's wing, with bold ball-playing efforts at the front and centre of the squad's style. Despite all this, Tottenham have collected only four points from nine available.

It's clear that the bar needs to be raised in regard to clinical shooting, and while big bucks were spent on landing a shiny new striker during the summer months, there's one existing centre-forward who's not hitting the mark.

Why Spurs signed Richarlison

The man in question is Richarlison. Tottenham signed the dynamic Brazilian forward from Everton for £60m in July 2022, confident that they had purchased one of the most menacing forwards competing in English football.

His debut campaign was a miserable thing. Tottenham ebbed and flowed but ultimately languished to an eighth-place Premier League finish following the acrimonious departure of Antonio Conte, and the star attacking signing hardly helped matters, scoring one goal across 27 Premier League matches - and that goal came during a sickening late defeat at Anfield.

Last year, he improved, enjoying a brilliant purple patch throughout the winter months that saw him post nine goals from just eight matches in the Premier League, though he then blanked for seven fixtures before scoring in a loss against Liverpool in April, his last appearance that season as he picked up an injury.

Throughout the summer, despite the upturn in fortunes, there was plenty of rumour surrounding the 27-year-old, with GIVEMESPORT even revealing that the north London side were keen on offloading their struggling forward, with Saudi Pro League outfits sniffing around, exploring a deal.

Why Spurs should've sold Richarlison

Once hailed as "relentless" by journalist Joe Strange, Richarlison improved last year but it would be hard to claim that he's lived up to the price tag. Of course, the fee paid for his services lay out of his hands but there is still the point of the Brazilian's overall level under Postecoglou, and whether he's likely to earn a regular starting berth this year.

Dominic Solanke leapt over Tanguy Ndombele to become Tottenham's club-record signing this summer, joining from Bournemouth for a reported £65m, and though he's missed the past few weeks after picking up an injury following his debut, the 27-year-old is the new out-and-out striker.

In his absence, Heung-min Son has reprised his finest displays of the 2023/24 campaign by lingering up top, and while he was subdued at St. James' Park, a two-goal performance against Everton proved his high-class finishing once again.

Richarlison missed out against Newcastle due to injury but he's already stirred the pot of detractors this term after missing an excellent chance off the bench on the opening day. It was an opportunity that, if taken, would have handed Postecoglou the dream start.

You could even make the case for selling Richarlison and bringing another striker in, as well as Solanke. Jonathan David was linked with a move away from Lille (for the fourth year running, it seems), with Tottenham among the suitors.

Football Insider reported in July that Spurs were closing in on the Canadian, who has now entered the final year of his contract and whom Lille's president said could leave the club with negotiations at a standstill.

He'd been transfer-listed for a cut-price £20m fee, and so it's difficult to see why he wasn't purchased by one party or another, especially as he's scored three goals and assisted two more across seven outings so far this season.

David is a sharp goalscorer and an able creator; his playmaking skills are improving year on year. But moreover, he's crisp and intelligent, with link-up play that would see him dovetail into Postecoglou's system, ranking among the top 4% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion (81.4%), as per FBref.

This would have been an excellent way to deepen the dynamism within Spurs' attacking outfit, with the Londoners boasting plenty of pace and electricity down the flanks but not so much at no. 9.

The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare commented that Tottenham had "missed his physical presence" toward the backend of last season, and perhaps they did. However, Solanke is the perfect focal frontman, remarkably winning eight of his ten contested duels against Leicester on the opening day of the term, as per Sofascore.

From a financial standpoint, Richarlison's reduced role does not align with his pay packet either. According to Capology, he earns £90k per week, which is below several of the most prominent figures down N17 but does stretch well beyond the earnings of players such as Yves Bissouma (£55k per week) and Micky van de Ven (£50k per week).

Bissouma has not enjoyed plain sailing at Tottenham either but he is the toughest-tackling and most effective holding midfielder at the club. When at his best, he purrs, keeping the engine room together.

And Van de Ven... well, what is there to say? Signed from Wolfsburg for £43m last summer, the athletic centre-back is breathtaking, offering a unique take on the defensive game that could yet see him establish himself as one of Europe's foremost stars in the backline.

Tottenham Hotspur have work to do. Despite playing well in each of their opening Premier League matches of the season, Ange Postecoglou's side have taken only four points from nine into the September international break.

Improvements were made under the Australian manager's leadership but up-and-down form after a blistering start saw Aston Villa glide into the top four toward the end of the campaign, trumping fifth-finishing Spurs to Champions League qualification.

Various issues across the park contributed toward the ebb and flow, but Postecoglou likes to implement fast and fluent attacking football. They aren't always on their a-game, but Heung-min Son and James Maddison are two of the best and are looking to play talismanic roles this year.

What to make of Tottenham's strikeforce

Dominic Solanke might have been signed for a club-record £65m fee during the summer but Son still stakes a claim to be Tottenham's star striker, having been praised for his "world-class" offensive qualities by his manager.

Not just a first-class goalscorer, the skipper created 20 big chances in the Premier League last season, only two behind first-placed Mohamed Salah.

His interchangeability was evidenced through his frequent deployment as the focal frontman. Following the events of the 2023 summer transfer window, the South Korean's qualities were required away from the left flank with greater regularity, especially with Richarlison foundering.

His blistering start was fuelled in no small part by the playmaking of Maddison, who was crowned the Premier League's Player of the Month for August.

Despite an ankle injury in his first season as a Lilywhite, Maddison ranked among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

The duo have started well this term too, with Son scoring twice and Maddison assisting just as many across the opening three fixtures. Solanke's inclusion and many more talented players suggest that Postecoglou does indeed have the tools to craft success.

It's impressive that he's got the Lilywhites playing to his attacking tune, especially when considering that Harry Kane departed at the start of the era.

The England captain would be an incredible option for Tottenham, quite simply eclipsing the performance level of his former teammates.

Harry Kane's record since leaving Spurs

Kane rose through the ranks at Tottenham to fire his way into legendary standing, with the centre-forward widely considered one of the finest players of his generation, Spurs' all-time top scorer and his nation's too.

Having completed 435 appearances for Tottenham, scoring 280 goals, the 31-year-old completed a deal worth an initial £86m to German giants Bayern Munich last year, where he has obliterated the division.

Last year, while Bayern's long-standing Bundesliga dynasty was toppled by invincible Bayer Leverkusen, he scored 44 goals and added 12 assists across 45 matches in all competitions.

Son might have scored 17 great goals last year, but Kane scored more. Likewise, Maddison enjoyed an excellent creative campaign, but his countryman has 14 assists since moving to Germany last summer, whereas the 27-year-old only has 11.

Tottenham might have hit the jackpot on Kane, enjoying his world-class qualities for the bulk of his career, but what Postecoglou would give to wield him now, for he eclipses any of the talented current options.

TalkSPORT pundit Troy Deeney has explained why he thinks Tottenham Hotspur should've signed a £330,000-per-week striker instead of Dominic Solanke.

Solanke joins Tottenham from Bournemouth in £65 million deal

Over the summer transfer window, Spurs finally ended their year-long wait for Harry Kane's replacement - agreeing a £65 million deal to sign Solanke from Bournemouth after the Englishman's stellar 2023/2024 campaign.

Ange Postecoglou's side will pay an initial £55 million plus a further £10 million in add-ons for Solanke, who made his Premier League debut for them against Leicester City on the opening weekend.

The 26-year-old was Bournemouth's superstar player last term, scoring 21 goals in all competitions for the Cherries, plus an additional five assists. Solanke has been absent for their last two league games, having picked up an ankle injury at Leicester, but there is a chance he could feature against Arsenal in the north London derby right after this international break.

"Dom is close but we're going to be a bit cautious with him," said Postecoglou in an update on Solanke before Spurs' loss to Newcastle.

"We've got a big programme post the international break, so he'll miss out.”

Supporters will be eager to see Solanke kick-on and show the kind of form he did for Bournemouth last season, and at the earliest opportunity, with Tottenham's signing of the forward praised by Jermain Defoe.

“It is not a move that has surprised me," said Defoe on talkSPORT.

"Going off his form last season, the amount of goals he scored and if you look at the way Ange wants to play, he suits that Tottenham role. He’s got a lot of energy, he’s almost an old-school number nine who makes a lot of runs in behind. He also presses high which is one of Ange’s principles. I think he will score a lot of goals in that Tottenham team, I’m happy for him.

“I hope he gets his first goal soon because as a centre-forward, you know, confidence is massive. I hope he doesn’t think about the fee too much, but in terms of his ability, he showed last season that he’s someone that can score goals consistently and I am looking forward to seeing how he does.”

Troy Deeney explains why Tottenham should've signed Ivan Toney

While Solanke's move has been praised by many, there are others like TalkSPORT's Deeney who believe that Tottenham should've gone for Ivan Toney instead.

Toney was heavily linked with a move to Spurs in the summer, but the striker, now on £330,000-per-week at Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, was forced to agree a late switch to the Middle East or stay at Brentford.

However, Deeney is convinced that Toney would've been a better striker for Tottenham than Solanke.

“Ivan Toney was available," said Deeney on the Seaman Says podcast. "Let’s use him as a case in point. Would he add value to Chelsea? Yes, he would score more than Nicolas Jackson. In my opinion he would score more than Solanke at Spurs. Everyone is looking for that mobile, running striker, the goalscoring comes like fifth in the list of attributes."

After a campaign full of ups and downs last season, it appears as if Tottenham Hotspur fans are in for more of the same this year.

Ange Postecoglou's men have kicked off the Premier League in an unconvincing manner so far, dropping two points away to Leicester City and three to Newcastle United.

The North Londoners were able to utterly dominate Everton, but the Toffees have been exceedingly poor thus far, meaning they are hardly the barometer for measuring this Lilywhites side.

Granted, the club's £65m striker, Dominic Solanke, has missed the last two games, and the £60m Richarlison is also out injured. However, it seems unlikely that the Brazilian ever be the player fans were hoping he'd be in North London, especially when he's being outscored by a former Tottenham flop.

Richarlison's Spurs record

Just over two years ago, Spurs spent around £60m to get Richarlison out of Everton after he had scored 11 goals and provided five assists in just 33 games for the Toffees the season prior, and while he's shown glimpses of quality since then, it would be fair to say that they paid too much.

For example, in his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the former Watford ace could only muster a return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances, equating to a poor average of a goal involvement every five games.

To his credit, the Brazilian international did improve last season in Harry Kane's absence, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in just 31 appearances. However, this clearly wasn't enough to convince the club that he could lead the line going forward, as they went out and signed Solanke last month.

In all, Richarlison is a talented player, but he has not been able to establish himself as an essential player for Spurs, and considering he's being outscored by a former flop who left five years ago, it's not looking good for his long-term future in N17.

Georges-Kévin N'Koudou's recent form

The former Spurs flop in question is Cameroon international Georges-Kévin N'Koudou, who joined the club from Marseille in September 2016 for a fee of around £11m.

The left-winger made very little impact in N17 and was sold to Beskitas by Mauricio Pochettino for £4.5m just three years later. He left the Lilywhites with just 27 appearances, one goal, and two assists to his name.

After spending a few years in Turkey, the Versailles-born dynamo made the switch to Saudi Pro League side Damac FC last summer, where he has since been playing very well indeed.

In fact, the 29-year-old wideman outscored Richarlison last season, racking up a respectable tally of 15 goals and five assists in 33 matches, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.65 games for the Middle Eastern club.

Now the important caveat here is that the quality of opposition is obviously far lower in Saudi Arabia. However, we have seen big names make the move over there and struggle, so it's still impressive from the former Spurs flop.

Ultimately, selling N'Koudou in 2019 was the right thing to do for all parties involved, but perhaps his successful departure from the club should give Richarlison some ideas, unless he can dramatically improve his form in the coming months.

It's been an interesting start to the Premier League campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side dominated against Leicester City in the opening game but came away with a single point, decimated Everton at home to claim all three points and then failed to pick up any points away to Newcastle United, despite playing some great football.

However, while the start hasn't been ideal, there is still plenty of time for the North Londoners to get back on track, and with all the signings Daniel Levy and Co made over the summer, this season can only get better.

That said, Levy may rue losing a youngster in the past who is now worth more than summer additions Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert.

Werner and Odebert's valuations in 2024

Yes, after joining Spurs on loan in January, Werner's stay was extended for another year by the club this summer, and while some fans weren't exactly thrilled by the news, he's a useful player to have in the squad.

For example, as wasteful as he was at points last season, the former Chelsea ace did rack up two goals and three assists in just 14 appearances. This means he averaged a goal involvement every 2.8 games for Postecoglou, which isn't too bad for a squad player.

Moreover, considering his current loan deal includes an option to buy him for just £8.5m next summer, there is a good chance he could be sticking around in N17 for a little while longer.

Now, while fans haven't been overly enthused about the German's move, they should be about Odobert, who the club signed last month for around £25m.

That may seem like a lot of money for a teenager who was just relegated with Burnley, and while that might be true at the moment, the Frenchman looks like he could be a serious talent in the future.

For example, despite being just 18 at the start of last season, the Meaux-born gem ended up making 33 appearances across all competitions, in which he scored four goals and provided three assists, equating to a reasonable average - for a winger his age - of a goal involvement every 4.71 games.

However, while both of these players are likely to play a part for the Lilywhites this season and represent decent business, the club may be rueing the fact that one of their former youngsters could soon be worth a lot more than the pair of them.

Armando Broja's valuation in 2024

Yes, while it might not be widely known, Chelsea forward Armando Broja was once on Tottenham's books as a child.

The Albanian international explained to the Players' Tribune how an impressive performance for the Lilywhites' youth teams caught the attention of two Blues scouts, and being a fan of the club himself, he upped sticks and moved to the West London outfit at just seven years old.

The Slough-born poacher struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge and went out on loan to Southampton for the 2021/22 season. While he had been on loan before, it was on the South Coast where he announced himself, scoring nine goals in 38 appearances, which, for a 19/20-year-old wasn't bad going.

However, flash forward to the start of this season, and a poor loan spell with Fulham last year - in which he provided one assist in eight games - combined with persistent injuries have all but scuppered his chances of making it into the Pensioners' first team, so he was sent out on loan to Everton, only this time, like Werner, with an option to buy.

However, unlike the German, the option on the "amazing" 22-year-old's head, as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, is worth considerably more, coming in at a cool £30m, which could've been on its way to N17 had the Chelsea scouts not swiped the striker from the Lilywhites' grasp all those years ago.

That said, while Werner and Odobert are worth less than the former Spurs youth player, they could well have more of an impact than him this season, and ultimately, that's what matters more than anything else.

Key figures at Tottenham are said to be excited by an "underrated" player who's preparing to link up with Ange Postecoglou's side in 2025.

Spurs spend £113 million over productive summer transfer window

While there are some positions which Spurs supporters wanted to see reinforced, like midfield and in central defence, the north Londoners still managed to acquire a few major assets in the summer.

Spending a total of around £113 million, chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team extended Timo Werner's loan deal till the end of the 2024/2025 season, which reportedly includes a more favourable buy-option clause set at around £8.5 million.

Tottenham also sealed a £40 million deal for Archie Gray, who is widely regarded as one of England's biggest up-and-coming talents, with Postecoglou also adding real quality out-wide after moving to sign winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley.

Their most headline-grabbing, marquee transfer of all - a £65 million move for proven Premier League striker Dominic Solanke - is seen as their most crucial piece of business as Postecoglou finally lands an heir to club-record goalscorer Harry Kane.

While strengthening the first team with big-names like Solanke, young midfielder Lucas Bergvall also arrived from Sweden, with the 18-year-old managing just over half an hour of minutes in the top flight this term.

Min-hyeok Yang, who Spurs signed on a £3.4 million buy-to-loan deal from South Korean side Gangwon FC, will fully link up and join the club in January.

Tottenham chiefs excited by Min-hyeok Yang as he prepares to join in January

The South Korea starlet, as per GiveMeSport, is preparing to join Spurs at the turn of the year - and could play a role during the second half of the campaign.

Key Tottenham chiefs believe Min-hyeok Yang could go on to become a special talent, and there is a quiet confidence at N17 that their surprise capture of the teenager could seriously pay-off and come as one of England's bargain transfers of the summer.

Postecoglou is now keeping a close watch on the teenage attacker during his loan back at Gangwon, with South Korean football analyst Joel Kim telling The Boot Room (via TEAMtalk) exactly what the Australian can expect from him.

“If Yang Min-hyuk can be described in two words, it’s power and pace. Add adaptability, and he becomes a versatile asset for Tottenham’s attacking football," said Kim.

“At just 18, Yang brings incredible speed to the attack, running with youthful vigour. His surprising physical strength allows him to dominate veteran defenders in the K-League 1, Asia’s most physical league.

“His greatest asset might be his adaptability; like Son Heung-min, Yang is two-footed and can play on either the left or right wing. Comparisons to Anthony Gordon and Federico Chiesa highlight his potential.

“Yang loves to charge forward with the ball, whether along the flanks or through the middle, overwhelming defenders with his pace. Defensively, he’s underrated, often intercepting passes and reading plays before they unfold.”

A "top class" attacking player from Tottenham Hotspur has just sealed an out-of-window move to Europe, as news comes directly out of N17 in the last 24 hours.

Spurs offload host of players in Postecoglou's summer rebuild

The north Londoners agreed to sell or loan out many players over the summer transfer window, with 14 departing in total as chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange seriously trimmed Ange Postecolgou's squad.

Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Ashley Phillips and Dane Scarlett all left Spurs on permanent or temporary deals, bringing in around £46 million in total, as the majority were free transfers or loans.

Hojbjerg's exit to Marseille will land Tottenham a further £17 million, as the Ligue 1 side have an obligation to buy the Denmark international next summer after his initial loan move. Skipp's switch to Leicester City comes as Levy's most profitable sale of the summer, with the Englishman joining them in a £20 million deal, plus a further £5 million in potential add-ons.

Tottenham also saved plenty of cash on their wage bill in the process, freeing up space for Timo Werner, Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert to join Postecoglou, as the quartet of major signings look to help Spurs compete at the top-end this season.

While the UK transfer window is officially closed, with deadline day this time last week, there is still time for Levy and Lange to facilitate more exits from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Greek and Turkish windows remain open until the end of next week, so it is believed out-of-favour defender Sergio Reguilon could still leave Spurs as Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce register a rumoured interest in the Spaniard.

Regulion has been training with the first team, but is yet to be included in a matchday squad by Postecoglou in the Premier League this season. The Lilywhites could also look to loan out some of their most promising youngsters to further their development, with highly-rated attacking midfielder Alfie Devine now doing just that.

Alfie Devine seals Westerlo switch as Tottenham confirm loan deal

Indeed, Tottenham have now officially confirmed that Devine has joined Westerlo on loan for the remainder of 2024/2025.

The 20-year-old, who Spurs signed from Wigan Athletic four years ago, has made just two senior appearances for the club in that time - with the bulk of his cameos coming for Tottenham's Under-23s.

Devine has enjoyed productive loan spells at Plymouth Argyle and Port Vale as well, but Westerlo will pose a different test for the England Under-20 international who is set to try his hand at top flight European football.

"Watched Alfie for a couple years & he’s top class," said Sky pundit Jamie Carragher after Tottenham first signed Devine in 2020.

"Just gutted Wigan couldn’t keep hold of him after the great work they’ve put into developing him & all their other prospects. Absolute disgrace what them owners have done."

It's still early in the season, but it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur have not got their Premier League campaign off to the greatest of starts.

Ange Postecoglou's side kicked things off with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City, then beat Everton 4-0 before losing 2-1 away at Newcastle United.

Now, there is still plenty of time for the North Londoners to have an excellent year, but they will need their stars like James Maddison to be firing on all cylinders and their squad players like Richarlison fit and ready to contribute when called upon.

However, as talented as those two are, they have actually been shown up by a former Spurs player who left the club last year to little fanfare.

Maddison and Richarlison's recent form

So, let's start with Richarlison, who has been in North London for a season longer, and while he's a talented forward, it would be hard to describe his move as a success at this point in time.

In his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the former Everton ace could only muster up a paltry return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances. He did improve last season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists in 31 games, but when looking at both campaigns together, he maintained an underwhelming average - for a centre-forward - of a goal involvement every 2.86 games.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, this unremarkable rate of return saw the club splash £65m on Dominic Solanke this summer, thus relegating him to a squad role for the foreseeable future.

Now, while the Nova Venécia-born marksman is set to see his minutes limited this season, Maddison certainly isn't, so long as he can stay fit, that is.

The Englishman joined the North Londoners for £40m last summer, and while he had a slightly mediocre end to the year, which was no doubt in part due to his injury issues, he still scored four goals and provided nine assists in 30 matches for Postecoglou, equating to a goal involvement every 2.30 games.

However, even though the former Foxes star was able to show his true quality at points last season, he and Richarlison have been shown up for different reasons by a former Spurs ace who left the club last summer.

Lucas Moura's recent form

Yes, the mystery man is Lucas Moura, who, after spending five and a half seasons with the Lilywhites, moved back home to his first club, São Paulo, on a free transfer last August.

The 32-year-old's final few seasons in North London saw his role in the team reduced to being an option off the bench, as while he played 3173 minutes of football in his first full season with the club, his final campaign saw that number come down to just 394 minutes across 19 appearances.

However, while the Brazilian ace didn't quite live up to the potential he had at the club, he will always be remembered by the fans for his magical hat-trick against Ajax in May 2019, which booked the club a place in their first-ever Champions League final - the less said about the next game, the better.

Since returning to São Paulo, the 5 foot 8 "superhero", as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has become an integral part of the club, outperformed Maddison last season, and while his output matches Richarlison's, he has him beat in another area.

For example, in his 33 appearances last season, the right-footed ace scored nine goals and provided seven assists, comfortably beating out the Englishman's haul of 13 goal involvements and matching his compatriot's tally of 16.

However, he has the former Toffees star beat because while the 27-year-old was dropped by the Brazilian national team back in May, he has just been named in the squad once again.

Ultimately, Moura's exit from Spurs last summer has worked out for him, and while he's outperformed Maddison on the pitch and claimed a spot in the Selecao's squad where Richarlison hasn't, the North Londoners probably aren't interested in bringing him back anytime soon.

The last few years have seen Tottenham Hotspur become far more competent in the transfer window.

Aside from perhaps Richarlison at £60m, the North Londoners have not made too many mistakes in the market, and even then, there were periods of last season in which the Brazilian poacher looked unplayable, racking up 12 goals and four assists in 31 games.

Even with the departure of Harry Kane last summer, the club have managed to remain relatively competitive and exciting to watch, thanks to additions like Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson. However, Ange Postecoglou's arrival and the incredible exploits of club captain Son Heung-min certainly helped last season.

That said, for as outrageously talented as the South Korean international is, one of the manager's own signings is now worth considerably more than him.

Son's valuation in 2024

Spurs completed the £22m signing of Son from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015, and to say it was money well spent would be a mammoth understatement.

In the years since his arrival, the superstar winger has gone on to become one of the best attackers in European football and a modern-day Premier League icon.

For example, in 411 appearances for the Lilywhites, he's scored 164 goals and provided 84 assists, meaning that for the last nine years, he has averaged a goal involvement once every 1.65 games - talk about world-class.

It's not just his raw output that makes him such an incredible player for the North Londoners, though, as after Kane's departure, the Chuncheon-born star has become the club's captain, showing that he can also be a leader when needed.

In all, Son has been an exceptional player for Spurs, and he still is, although at 32 years old, his valuation has started to decrease, with Transfermarkt now pricing him at just €45m, which converts to about £38m, which is lower than one of the stars Postecoglou signed last summer.

James Maddison's valuation in 2024

Yes, the signing in question is former Leicester City ace James Maddison, who joined Spurs for just £40m last summer.

Interestingly, in the year since, his valuation has shot up to €70m, according to Transfermarkt, which converts to around £59m, or about £21m more than Son's, and a couple of reasons might explain why.

The first is that while the Englishman didn't have an incredible campaign last season, he was not as underwhelming as some people seem to think he was.

In the 30 appearances he did make on either side of his injury, he scored four goals and provided nine assists, equating to a reasonable average of a goal involvement every 2.30 games.

So, with this level of output combined with the fact that he produced 19 goal involvements in 32 games for the Foxes the year prior and already has two assists in three matches this season, it's clear that the "incredible" midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is still able to have a significant impact on games.

The second reason his valuation is so much higher than his captain's is simply down to his age.

While he's not a young up-and-comer anymore, at 27 years old, you would expect that he has another three to five seasons left in him at the very top.

Ultimately, Spurs are fortunate to have both Son and Maddison in their squad at the moment, but based on his overall form in the last few years and age, it makes sense to see that the latter is valued more than the former.