Inside Futbol

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has revealed that Lucas Bergvall has so much energy that he sometimes has to instruct the midfielder to stop running when Spurs are in possession of the ball.

The 19-year-old Swedish talent joined Spurs from Djurgarden in the summer of 2024 and in his first campaign with Tottenham, he racked up 45 appearances in all competitions.

Bergvall has made a good start to the ongoing season, making seven appearances while contributing one goal and an assist in last weekend’s game against West Ham United.

Frank gave Bergvall a start in Spurs’ Champions League opener against Villarreal in midweek and it was a move in which he was involved that brought out the only goal of the game, which ended 1-0.

In the wake of that match, Bergvall’s brother admitted he no longer gets nervous watching Lucas play for Spurs.

Now Tottenham boss Frank has revealed that Bergvall is so energetic that sometimes during the game he asks the midfielder to stop running when Spurs are in possession of the ball.

Frank also stated that he wants Bergvall to make deep runs to get into dangerous positions like he did during the games against West Ham and Villarreal.

“I think the coaches and I have been working with him on a couple of things”, Frank said at press conference.

“He has got so much energy that sometimes you need to say, pause, stop, don’t run when we have the ball and find the higher, the more dangerous positions.

“For example, the deep run where he scored the goal against West Ham was a big thing.

“The deep run where he was involved in the own goal against Villarreal.

“So those deep runs and arriving in a higher position up the pitch is key, I think and then he is learning to be more and more clever in the pressure.”

Last season, Bergvall played a key role in helping Tottenham lift their first major trophy in a long time, winning the Europa League.

The 19-year-old started in Saturday’s 2-2 draw away at Brighton and clocked 89 minutes in the Premier League clash.

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Fixture: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 15:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has picked his starting lineup and substitutes to go up against Brighton on the south coast this afternoon.

Frank takes his Spurs side into the Premier League clash on the back of a 1-0 win over Villarreal in the Champions League in midweek.

That could well add to the pressure for Spurs to show they can handle the demands of the Champions League, with Brighton the fresher side, having not featured since last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Bournemouth.

In the run-up to the Brighton clash, Frank admitted he sees Archie Gray more as a central midfielder and sometimes centre-back than a full-back.

Frank also admitted he is keeping his eyes away from the Premier League table as he seeks to fully focus on Spurs’ performances.

Spurs lost both of their meetings with Brighton last season, going down 3-2 on the south coast and then being turned over 4-1 in north London.

Guglielmo Vicario is between the sticks for Tottenham this afternoon, while in front of him Frank selects a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.

Midfield could be a key battleground in the game and Tottenham go with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall, while Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus support Richarlison.

Frank can shuffle his pack during the 90 minutes by using his substitutes and options available to him include Xavi Simons and Mathys Tel.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs Brighton

Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van den Ven, Udogie, Palhinha, Bentancur, Bergvall, Odobert, Kudus, Richarlison

Substitutes: Kinsky, Danso, Simons, Tel, Gray, Johnson, Spence, Sarr, Scarlett

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Djurgarden star Theo Bergvall has revealed that he does not feel nervous while seeing his brother Lucas Bergvall play for Tottenham Hotspur anymore, as he knows what the Spurs star is capable of.

The 19-year-old midfielder joined Tottenham last summer from Swedish side Djurgarden, with Spurs seeing off competition from Barcelona for him, and in his first season made 45 appearances for them.

Bergvall played a key role in the early part of Tottenham’s Europa League campaign, featuring 12 times while registering three assists, as Spurs ended the club’s trophy drought by winning the competition.

The young Swedish midfielder has begun the season under new boss Thomas Frank in good fashion and at the weekend scored a goal while assisting one against West Ham United to inspire Tottenham to a 3-0 victory.

Bergvall also played a crucial role in Spurs’ Champions League opener midweek as Tottenham sealed a 1-0 win against Villarreal where he was named man of the match.

His brother Theo admitted that he does not feel as nervous as he used to feel when watching Lucas play for Tottenham because he knows that he is an incredible player.

The Djurgarden star is not surprised to see his brother flourish at Tottenham and he added that he knows exactly what his brother is capable of doing, admitting that it is fun for him to watch him play.

When asked about Lucas’ performance against Villarreal, his brother told Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt: “I am not as nervous anymore [while watching him play].

“He is absolutely incredible, there are no words to describe him.

“At the same time, I know what he is capable of, so I am not really surprised.

“But of course, it is great fun [to watch him play].”

Frank has given Lucas back-to-back starts and all eyes will remain on the Spurs boss to see whether he will give the Swede the nod against their game with Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

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Tottenham Hotspur talent Alfie Devine has ‘done really well’ for Preston North End so far this season, Ali McCann feels.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder spent last season on loan with Belgian side Westerlo, where he made 30 appearances for them while making seven goal contributions.

This summer Preston were keen to bring him to Deepdale and they managed to agree a loan deal with Tottenham to sign him.

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom mentioned that Devine’s flexibility is something that attracted his attention and he has featured four times for North End in the league so far.

He played a key part in helping his team snatch a point against Middlesbrough, where Aston Villa loanee Lewis Dobbin scored a goal.

McCann thinks that Preston lacked individual flair last season, but this season players coming on loan like Devine and Dobbin have done really well so far for them to add that quality they needed.

When asked about whether the new signings have improved them this season, McCann told Preston’s in-house media (4:40): “Yes, maybe at times last season we lacked some sort of individual flair at times.

Loan club League Port Vale League One Plymouth Argyle Championship Westerlo Belgian Pro League Preston North End Championship Alfie Devine’s loan spells

“Where this season you have seen so far, you saw Lewis’ [Dobbin] goal at the weekend, Alfie has come in and done really well and the likes of Pol [Valentin] and Smudge [Michael Smith] coming in have added experience and that quality as well.

“So I think the squad is in a really good place and like I said, going forward, it can be only good for us.”

Devine has featured in a total of six games in all competitions and he has made a good start of his career at Deepdale with one goal and one assist already in his bag.

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Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero has claimed that he never came out and said that he wanted to leave the London outfit and stressed that Spurs feel like a family to him.

During the recently closed transfer window, Romero’s future came under the scanner as he was linked with a move to Atletico Madrid and it was suggested that the Spanish giants held talks with Spurs for the Argentinian.

Spurs were insistent on keeping him at the club, but it was said that Romero was looking for a new challenge and wanted to join the Spanish giants managed by former Argentina international Diego Simeone.

However, in August, the Tottenham captain signed a new long-term deal with Spurs which will keep him at the club until 2029 and put all the news regarding his departure to bed.

Romero stressed that he never personally said that he wants to leave Tottenham this summer and the Argentinian international added that he likes new boss Thomas Frank.

The defender also added that he likes the way Frank works and highlighted that the club feels like a family to him.

When asked about the transfer claims regarding him in summer, Romero said at a press conference: “I never said I wanted to leave the club.

Club Belgrano Genoa Juventus Atalanta Tottenham Hotspur Clubs Cristian Romero has played for

“Nothing came from me in that effect.

“It is important what the manager and president say.

“I am very happy here, it is like a family.

“I like the manager. I like the way we work, the way we train.

“Things can always improve but I think everyone here at all levels are taking the right steps to improve.

“I am very happy here.”

Romero has featured in all four league games for Tottenham so far this season, helping them to keep three clean sheets in the process.

Tottenham are set to face Villarreal on Tuesday to begin their Champions League campaign in front of the home crowd and it will be Frank’s first game in Europe’s premier competition.

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Fixture: West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 17:30 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has picked his starting lineup and substitutes to face West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League this evening, with new boy Xavi Simons given a debut.

Spurs went into the international break on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home at the hands of Bournemouth, which halted their momentum.

Frank will want his side to show that was just a blip and to resume their progress this evening against a West Ham team whose campaign has gone the opposite way.

The Hammers had a disastrous start to the campaign, but then ended before the break on a bright note as they thrashed Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground.

Tottenham will have to flip recent history on its head to claim the win here though as they have not won at the London Stadium in their last five visits, with two of those ending in defeat for Spurs.

Spurs did manage to add striker Radal Kolo Muani before the transfer window closed in an eye-catching move, which does boost the feel-good factor for the visitors.

In goal for Tottenham this evening is Guglielmo Vicario, while at the back Frank picks Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

The engine room sees Spurs go with Pape Matar Sarr and Joao Palhinha, while Lucas Bergvall also plays. Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons support Mathys Tel in attack.

If Frank needs to make changes to try to influence the game then he has options on the bench available to him and they include Kolo Muani and Richarlison.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs West Ham United

Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Palhinha, Sarr, Bergvall, Simons, Kudus, Tel

Substitutes: Kinsky, Danso, Richarlison, Udogie, Johnson, Odobert, Bentancur, Davies, Kolo Munai

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RB Leipzig star Christoph Baumgartner has admitted that Xavi Simons’ departure to Tottenham Hotspur gave him a good feeling as he knew he would be required to step up.

Following a relatively slow start to the transfer window, the north Londoners accelerated their way towards signing creative attacking players.

Eberchi Eze was their first choice, but their bitter rivals Arsenal hijacked a proposed swoop and Spurs turned to Simons, pushing through a deal with Leipzig for his services.

The Netherlands international was signed from Die Roten Bullen for €60m fee, with the Bundesliga side having been ready to cash in on him.

Austrian international Baumgartner was also linked with a move away in the summer, with Crystal Palace keen on him.

He stayed put though and admits that seeing Simons go did give him a good feeling as he now needs to step up.

Baumgartner also insisted that he enjoyed playing alongside Simons, wishing him luck for his journey ahead in England.

“When a player [like Simons] who was a fixture leaves and then his place becomes vacant, you suddenly realise that the team needs you, and that gives you a good feeling”, the RB Leipzig star was quoted as saying by German outlet RB Live.

Competition Details Bundesliga 31 apps, 2 goals, 1 assist Champions League 8 apps, 2 goals German Cup 4 apps, 1 goal, 1 assist Chistoph Baumgartner last season

“I realised that pretty quickly.

“I wish Xavi all the best; I enjoyed playing with him, too.

“But of course, it’s always the case when a position becomes vacant, someone has to step into that role.

“I’ll try to implement that as best I can.”

The Austria international started in RB Leipzig’s first league game last weekend against Heidenheim and he also scored a goal in their 2-0 win.

Baumgartner will look to quickly cement his spot in the side and show Leipzig are missing nothing by having sold Simons to Tottenham.

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Portuguese giants FC Porto are keen on Tottenham Hotspur winger Manor Solomon, who Crystal Palace tried to sign, with Villarreal now also in talks with Spurs for him.

The north Londoners have secured a transfer fee for the departure of club legend Heung-min Son, and Bryan Gil’s departure to Spanish outfit Girona will also bring in cash.

The transfer window in England is now slammed shut until January now, but English clubs can sell players to the leagues where they are still open for business.

Solomon is a player Tottenham have been keen on listening to offers for, but so far, he has not found a club to go to yet.

Fellow Premier League club Crystal Palace explored a deal for the Israeli winger, but a deal did not materialise.

Now, according to Italian journalist Luca Bendoni, Portuguese side Porto are considering a deal for the 26-year-old.

The transfer window in Portugal stays open for longer today, which gives Porto the chance to do a deal, albeit they need to be quick if they want him.

Club Years Maccabi Petah Tikva 2016-2019 Shakhtar Donetsk 2019-2023 Fulham (loan) 2022-2023 Tottenham Hotspur 2023- Leeds United (loan) 2024-2025 Manor Solomon’s career history

It has also been suggested that Solomon staying at the north London club has not been ruled out, but Villarreal are in discussions with Spurs to sign the 26-year-old, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Spanish transfer window remains open for one more hour, but if he stays could look to fight for his place in Thomas Frank’s side.

Last season, Solomon was on loan at Leeds United, and he impressed with 22 goal contributions for the Elland Road outfit.

His agent suggested earlier this summer that staying in the Premier League was the winger’s preference.

All eyes will be on Porto and the Yellow Submarine to see if either side will be able to land Solomon in time.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton star Dele Alli has terminated his contract with Serie A club Como.

The Italian club picked him up in the January window on an 18-month deal after he left Toffees.

However, the former England international could not turn his fortunes around under Cesc Fabregas, as he suffered from injuries and clocked a total of nine minutes of football.

Danish side FC Midtjylland looked to explore a move for the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, but it was suggested that a move was not on the cards.

Fabregas’ side spent heavily in the summer window and Alli’s chances of getting game time looked grim.

And now, according to Italian broadcaster Sky Italia, the ex-Tottenham star has terminated his contract with the Serie A club.

Alli’s contract would have run until next summer, but ending it now before the English window ends means he can return to the country as a free agent.

Club Years MK Dons 2012-2015 Tottenham Hotspur 2015-2022 Everton 2022-2024 Besiktas (loan) 2022-2023 Como 2025 Dele Alli’s career history

When Alli joined Spurs ten years ago from MK Dons, he looked like one of the best talents in the country, and delivered for a while as well.

Alli scored 67 times and made 59 assists in 269 games for the north Londoners before Everton gave him a chance.

His time at Everton was also very forgettable, and he left them after making 13 appearances for them without making a mark.

Now it remains to be seen if Alli will find a new club after his contract termination at Como and he can take his time picking his next destination.

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Randal Kolo Muani is set to undergo a medical with Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, with ‘no agreement with Aston Villa‘ having been put in place.

The striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus from Paris Saint-Germain and made a big impact in Serie A.

Juventus wanted him back and Muani was ready to make the move once again, but no agreement could be found between the two clubs.

Aston Villa were mooted as a late option, with Unai Emery desperately looking for extra firepower.

However, Muani is heading to Tottenham on a loan deal, according to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins.

Tottenham are also paying a €5m loan fee.

He is set to undergo a medical with Tottenham this afternoon ahead of joining the club from PSG on a loan deal.

Tottenham will have an option to buy included in the agreement, it is claimed, despite suggestions elsewhere they will not, but what level it is set at is unclear.

There was ‘no agreement with Aston Villa’ for Muani, with it appearing the Villa Park side were substantially behind the curve in the race.

At Tottenham, Muani will have the chance to play in the Champions League and shine brightly, in a World Cup year.

He will give Thomas Frank another source of goals in attack, as Spurs bid to challenge for the Champions League spots in the Premier League this season.

The development leaves Aston Villa exploring other avenues as they try to boost their attacking options.

Villa have been walking a financial tightrope this summer which has hamstrung what they can do and they are battling on several fronts to try to make signings.