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Tottenham Hotspur skipper Son Heung-min facing fresh fitness concern

Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on matchday 12 of the Premier League. However, all was not merry for the Lilywhites as Guglielmo Vicario confirmed that he had undergone surgery for a broken ankle shortly thereafter while recently, another fitness concern has emerged about Son Heung-min following the match.

The South Korean international has played the full 90 minutes just once in his last four appearances for the club and looked a bit unhappy as he was taken off against the defending Premier League champions at the weekend. Former Tottenham scout Bryan King offered his verdict on the situation and had the following to say on the matter (h/t Tottenham Hotspur News).

“Son should be controlling the left-wing position. Spurs’ play is often disrupted with Son being substituted so frequently. I’m not sure he is 100 per cent fit at the moment. There is obviously something in question here. There was a period toward the end of the game against Manchester City where Son didn’t look entirely happy, while he was on the bench.”

Son has had a troubled start to the campaign and missed a few weeks of action earlier on. Ange Postecoglou has seemed reluctant in putting him back into the thick of action and it is perhaps right to understand the manager’s side given that Tottenham cannot afford to lose him again, especially with a busy run of fixtures coming up.

Muscular injuries can easily aggravate if a player and his manager does not pay close attention during recovery, which is particularly important for Spurs as Richarlison and Wilson Odobert have already struggled with similar issues for much of 2024/25. Son also played a couple of matches for South Korea on international duty and they have certainly not taken enough precaution before using the Tottenham talisman.

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With 10 fixtures coming the team’s way between now and the end of the campaign, it would be far from a surprise if Son is withdrawn from games if the situation is looking comfortably in Tottenham Hotspur’s favour. That has seemed to be the case in recent weeks, even against Man City as they were 3-0 up when Son was taken off.

Tottenham trio were excellent in the 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City

Tottenham Hotspur delivered a fantastic performance last weekend to beat Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites dismantled Pep Guardiola’s men, stretching Man City’s incredible losing run to five games across all competitions. For Ange Postecoglou, a reaction to the shock Ipswich Town defeat was required and he got it from his boys on Saturday. It would not be a stretch to claim it was arguably one of the North Londoners’ top three performances under Ange Postecoglou.

Several stars stepped up to the plate and helped Spurs destroy the Sky Blues. Chief among them were James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min, while others also impressed.

Three Tottenham players particularly captured the attention of BBC Sports pundit Troy Deeney. Former the former Watford striker, it was extremely difficult to overlook the contributions of Ben Davies, Pedro Porro and James Maddison in Spurs’ 4-0 win over City.

Picking his Premier League Team of the Week for BBC Sports, Deeney lavished praises on the Spurs trio, highlighting their impact on the game.

Indeed, the aforementioned Tottenham players essayed a chief role at the Etihad Stadium. Without first-choice centre-back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Big Ange had no option but to trust Radu Dragusin and Davies. And the duo were excellent throughout the game, keeping the deadly Haaland quiet.

As for Porro, he picked up some important positions in midfield and final third and was duly rewarded with a goal. The Spaniard was excellent defensively too, making a couple of key interceptions and blocks in the Spurs box. It was indeed a complete performance from the full-back.

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Turning to Maddison, the creative midfielder has been criticised for his performances of late, leading to him being dropped from the team on one occasion. So, it was always going to be about taking the chance when it came his way and against City, he grabbed it with both hands. Not only did the England international score two quality goals, but the 27-year-old also worked extremely hard off the ball.

Big Ange’s side showed on Saturday that they are capable of beating any team on their day, and if they can keep that up, Spurs will be challenging for a place in the Champions League this season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s lack of consistency have hampered their progress this season

Tottenham Hotspur stunned the Etihad Stadium faithful last weekend by thrashing Manchester City 4-0. By doing so, Ange Postecoglou’s side reignited their season with the busy festive period to follow.

Spurs came into the game at Manchester City sitting 10th in the Premier League table after a terrible result against Ipswich Town before the international break. Of course, after such an inconsistent start to the season, questions are starting to be asked at Tottenham, and many are beginning to wonder what the future holds for Ange Postecoglou.

However, the 59-year-old proved that he is the right man for the job at the Hotspur Way, and with his side beating City, they climbed up to sixth in the Premier League table.

TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has urged Tottenham to show more consistency in performances and results. He wants Ange Postecoglou to take more responsibility and beat the perceived lesser opposition in the upcoming weeks to make the win at Man City meaningful.

Inconsistency has been Tottenham’s biggest enemy this season. They have blown hot and cold, falling to a shock defeat at the hands of Ipswich before smashing City last weekend. Injuries to key players such as Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Son Heung-min and Richarlison at different intervals certainly have had an impact on Big Ange’s side, restricting them from achieving the desired stability.

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Jordan is absolutely bang on when he says the win over City would hold no meaning if the Lilywhites don’t beat the lesser-perceived teams in the forthcoming games. Indeed, the North Londoners have a few games coming up that are very winnable on paper, and they need to make sure they’re picking up three points in those matches.

Apart from the tough challenges against Chelsea and Liverpool, the fixtures against Fulham, Bournemouth and Southampton could end up determining how Spurs’ season goes.

Tottenham put Man City to the sword last week in a shocking 4-0 rout, during which the former’s midfielders Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison shone in particular.

Gary Neville spoke on Sky Sports after the game, suggesting one of those players won’t be at the club for long if his current form continues.

Gary Neville backs Dejan Kulusevski for big-money move

After Tottenham’s 4-0 victory over Man City last week, Gary Neville praised in particular Dejan Kulusevski and backed him for a move up the footballing ladder.

“He was brilliant. He was as good as James Maddison. Kulusevski was special out there. The way he ran past players, with his quality and strength, it was an absolutely fantastic performance.

“Kulusevski was and looks a serious player. He has become a hell of a player. His strength and running power is getting better, but he has a subtlety in beating players. He has a variation to his game now. He is a different player now.

“This is a player that the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid begin to look at. I am not being disrespectful to Spurs, but that was the level of his performance and he has been like that for a while now. He was outstanding.”

Neville on Kulusevski after the game, as quoted by Football London.

Kulusevski’s tally for the season now stands at two goals and six assists in 18 appearances across all competitions.

The 24-year-old Sweden international is valued by Transfermarkt at €55 million and has at Spurs a £110k-per-week contract set to run until June 2028.

Only a matter of time

Amidst all the upheaval going on at Spurs in recent seasons, Kulusevski has been one of the most consistent players at the club. Under Ange Postecoglou, he has also demonstrated his ability to not only play centrally, but also deeper in midfield.

Kulusevski’s consistency and versatility make him ready for the next step. It’s a matter of “when”, not “if”. He’s entering his prime years, and spots will open up for him at many a big European side.

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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is merely months into his Chelsea career, but already he finds himself on the fringe on the Blues squad and linked with moves away from the club.

Tottenham is one destination many are considering for the late-blooming midfielder, though not everyone thinks a move will materialise.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall unlikely to move to Tottenham, thinks John Wenham

John Wenham, owner of the Lilywhite Rose podcast, does not believe Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will move to the club in the near future.

“The club really wanted Conor Gallagher.

“However, as has been the case historically, Spurs and Chelsea weren’t able to do a deal. Therefore, I don’t see Tottenham going to their rivals Chelsea and saving somebody who has been a disappointing signing from their point of view.

“I just can’t see Spurs saying we will take Dewsbury-Hall off your hands, pay you a fee, pay his wages. I just can’t see that happening at all.”

Wenham, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News.

The 26-year-old midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer gone by on the back of a £30m move, having played a key role in Leicester City’s title charge in the Championship under Enzo Maresca.

However, despite having been reunited with the Italian coach at Chelsea, Dewsbury-Hall has seen opportunities hard to come by, having made just 11 appearances across all competitions, only four of which have been in the Premier League, that too spread across 44 minutes of game time in total.

The lack of game time has resulted in Dewsbury-Hall already being linked to a move away from West London, with Tottenham mooted as one of the possible destinations.

The Englishman has at Chelsea an £80k-per-week contract set to run until June 2029.

Never say never

Dewsbury-Hall is not the first player to arrive at Chelsea and find himself immediately lost and devoid of regular game time, and he most certainly will not be the last. His transfer made scarce sense in the first place even with the Maresca connection, so it’s understandable why he may want to look elsewhere for playing time, at least temporarily.

A January exit most certainly cannot be ruled out, and Tottenham do need legs in midfield going into the second half of the season if they are to bring any kind of stability to their results. A marriage here, even a short-term one, would not be the worst idea ever.

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James Maddison was Tottenham’s standout hero against Man CIty at the weekend as his brace helped his side hand Pep Guardiola a career-first fifth consecutive defeat.

After the 4-0 drubbing of the Premier League champions, the England international discussed his heroics.

James Maddison talks about brace after running riot against Man City

After handing Man City a 4-0 drubbing, Tottenham midfielder James Maddison discussed his game with the club’s in-house media team.

“Different goals, in a way. I actually said to Kulu before the game… he hadn’t played on the wing as much, lately, so being left footed on the right wing, with his ability, I said when you cut in, I can make that run from that space, that pocket in midfield, and as I’m running from deep, it’s hard for the back line to pick me up.

“I’ve done it a few times this season from passes from Cuti Romero and deeper, where I make that run, but I’ve not actually scored. I’ve been getting chances, so I knew one would come soon. It was a brilliant ball in, I didn’t even have to break stride, so credit to Kulu.

“The second one, good link up with Sonny, I passed it to him and thought it would be cleverer to run around him rather than underneath him, which we do a quite a lot. I saw Kyle Walker quite high and found a tiny bit of space in the box, and just managed to execute a nice, delicate one over Ederson. I’m really happy with the two finishes. I always judge myself on goals and assists as an attacking player so, yes, happy.”

Maddison on his performance against City, as quoted by the official Tottenham media team.

Incidentally, Maddison also turned 28 on Saturday.

His overall tally for the season now stands at five goals and four assists in 16 appearances across all competitions.

Up next for Maddison and Spurs is a midweek UEFA Europa League fixture as they host Roma on Thursday.

A statement performance at the right time

Last week, we posited that Maddison needed to increase his off-ball industry. Against City, that was one of many things that were on display from the Englishman.

The weekend performance from Maddison was one Ange Postecoglou would be proud of—something he will keep coming back to to remind not only himself but Maddison too if his performances waver again.

All in all, this was a statement display from Spurs that should stay with them for the remainder of the season if they are to achieve something special.

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Sergio Reguilón has been ostracised from the Tottenham first team by Ange Postecoglou right from the start of pre-season.

The situation keeps getting more and more desperate for the Spaniard, as another team he was linked with have been confirmed to not be interested in his services.

Osasuna sources rule out January move for Sergio Reguilón

As reported by Estadio Deportivo, LaLiga side Osasuna will not be moving for Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilón in January.

The 27-year-old has been away from first-team action since pre-season, having been told by Ange Postecoglou to find a new club. However, an exit did not come about in summer.

The Spain international has reportedly been ready to rip up his £53k-per-week Spurs contract for a while, which enters its final six months in January, in hopes of finding a new employer for the second half of the season.

Osasuna had emerged as a possible January destination in recent weeks, but according to the aforementioned report, sources close to Los Rojillos state the club are happy with the options they have at left-back and therefore see no point in moving for Reguilón.

Reguilón has also been linked with moves to Sevilla and Fenerbahçe.

“Somewhere I belong”

One just has to feel sad for Reguilón at this point. A coming-together of really ill-opportune mishaps has resulted in a player of his calibre having to go half a season without senior professional football in his prime years.

But, given the number of clubs linked with him and the desperate nature of his predicament, it’s hard to see Reguilón still remaining at Spurs after January. He may even need to terminate his contract at the end, but he will end up at a new club.

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Perryman hails Son Heung-min as the ‘ideal’ Tottenham Hotspur captain

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min is by far the fan favourite among the current group of players. The South Korean international has been a brilliant player for the better part of the last decade and having been in Harry Kane’s shadow for much of his career in north London, he has started receiving the recognition his personality and performances deserve.

After Kane’s and Hugo Lloris’ departures, Ange Postecoglou bestowed Son with the honour of leading Tottenham. There has been little argument over his selection as the captain given the amount of respect he commands from each of the club’s stakeholders, beyond just the fans. A former Spurs captain Steve Perryman believes Son is the ‘ideal’ captain.

Perryman had the following to say about Son in a recent interaction on talkSPORT.

“I think captaincy is a very old-fashioned word now. And I think Son is the ideal club captain. How you live your life etcetera.”

Son Heung-min is far from a Roy Keane or a Sergio Ramos type of personality but he has his own charm, which lies in his calm and respectful demeanour on and off the pitch. Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane, two of his predecessors, were also of a similar persona which is why there has always been a good relationship between the club’s fans and their captain.

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Tottenham have a difficult task at hand when it comes to replacing Son as their captain, a decision that could be due in 2026, given that he is now aged 33 and does not have a very long career ahead of him. Off the back of his current form and his image amongst the fans, it would be far from a surprise if the armband is eventually passed on to Dejan Kulusevski while the likes of James Maddison and Cristian Romero might also be worthy enough successors for Son.

After weeks of speculation, it was recently confirmed that South Korean sensation Yang Min-hyeok is set to join Tottenham earlier than expected.

And now the club have received news of another player they have already signed that they could see at Houtspur Way earlier than anticipated.

After Yang Min-hyeok, Luka Vušković set to arrive at Tottenham earlier than planned

As reported by Football London, Croatian defender Luka Vušković will be able to join Tottenham on the first day of pre-season next summer.

The 17-year-old was part of the Croatia U21 side that lost to Georgia U21 in the Euro U21 qualifying round in the recent international break and will therefore not play in the tournament proper in the summer. He will thus be free to join Tottenham on day one.

Currently on loan at Belgian side Westerlo for the season, Vušković was signed by Tottenham from parent club Hajduk Split last year for €11 million.

The teenager’s performances for De Kemphanen have already brought him plaudits this season. Likened to future teammate Micky van de Ven, Vušković has made 15 club appearances this season, registering four goals and an assist.

Few days ago, it was confirmed that Yang Min-hyeok, another teenage signing that was secured beforehand, would move to North London a month before his previously agreed-upon joining date.

The sooner, the better

Next season, Spurs are likely to lose at least one of Cristian Romero and Van de Ven given how the rest of the season goes. With the likes of Ben Davies and Radu Drăgușin also exit-linked, it’s all the better that Vušković can now join earlier, barring any injury issues, of course.

The 17-year-old already looks like a sensational piece of business on the Lilywhites’ end, and one can’t wait to see how he adapts to life in the Premier League.

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Tottenham’s Odobert likely to miss action until 2025

Wilson Odobert has been out of action for the majority of the ongoing season through a couple of injuries, the latter of which required him to undergo a surgical procedure earlier this month. Tottenham confirmed that the player went under the knife in a tweet but did not provide any timeframe over his estimated return to first team action.

In an interview with Tottenham Hotspur News, Dr. Rajpal Brar, a well-renowned sports scientist and physiotherapist said that he does not expect Odobert to return to action until 2025. He was quoted saying the following words.

“Sounds like another hamstring injury but not the same hamstring which was injured before. Not uncommon since the hamstrings are a group of different muscles so having injury to one can put more strain on the rest. As he’s had surgery, I do not see him returning before the end of the year and will be out for several weeks.“

Odobert’s absence from action has basically meant that there is no natural back-up behind Brennan Johnson, while Tottenham Hotspur’s overall offensive depth has already been compromised by successive injuries suffered by Richarlison. Timo Werner has stepped up over the last few weeks, much to Ange Postecoglou’s relief, but there still remains a dearth of attacking players.

When Odobert is able to return to training and subsequently match action, it may be several weeks until he can play at the expected intensity and so, Spurs may actually be looking at some time in February or March for the French teenager’s full return to fitness. Having said that and dependent on Richarlison’s form, it may be high time that Tottenham explore the market for newer options, possibly in January itself.

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Daniel Levy will definitely discuss the issue with Tottenham’s coaching staff in the upcoming weeks, especially given that the defensive department is also severely understaffed following injuries to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.