ToTheLaneAndBack - Tottenham Fan Site

Viktor Gyökeres’ fortunes have not stopped soaring since he left the humbling grounds of the Football League for the Primeira Liga.

In just over a year, the 26-year-old has amassed 72 goal contributions in 60 appearances for Sporting.

A big-money move seems inevitable, and we have fresh updates on the English front-runners for his signature.

Tottenham part of Premier League cabal pursuing Viktor Gyökeres

As reported by Fichajes, Tottenham currently lead the array of Premier League clubs looking to land Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres.

The Sweden international has been in red-hot form ever since moving to Portugal from Coventry City last summer. He was subject to interest from all over Europe this summer, though no club approached Sporting willing to activate his €100m release clause during what was a rather conservative transfer window.

That may change in the coming transfer windows, however, given that Gyökeres has picked things up exactly where he left off last season, having already registered 11 goals and three assists in ten games across all competitions this term.

Gyökeres’ current €2.4m-per-year Sporting contract is set to run until June 2028.

A pursuit that may go nowhere

Given Daniel Levy’s track record, and the fact that Spurs broke their transfer record only recently, it is very unlikely to see them make a three-figure offer for any player regardless how good he may be in the near future.

Add to the fact that Spurs’ new record signing is also a striker, a move to Gyökeres seems even more unlikely.

That said, Spurs are in the market for new investors, and if an investment or a takeover were to happen before next summer, one could expect the new owners to make a statement of intent…

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Tottenham player ratings vs Ferencvaros

Vicario – 6.5/10 – A third straight clean sheet for Guglielmo Vicario came without too much effort. Ferencvaros had a goal ruled out in the first half but otherwise the Italian was a spectator for much of the match. He made a handful of easy saves and distributed the ball well but that’s about it.

Porro – 7.5/10 – Pedro Porro unexpectedly started the game in spite of being in contention to rest. The Spaniard was great going forward and also hit the woodwork. His performance did not have much to write home about as he failed creatively, but the right back showed glimpses of his quality and contributed to an important win.

Romero – 8/10 – Cristian Romero, as always, put in a superb display in the heart of defence. The World Cup winner was all over Barnabas Varga as he kept the Ferencvaros striker at bay for much of the match. He was even helpful when progressing the ball higher up the pitch, a characteristic which Spurs benefitted from against a disciplined opponent.

Gray – 7.5/10 – Archie Gray was expected to start as the right back but replaced Micky van de Ven in the starting eleven next to Romero in the backline. He performed at a decent level, completed a respectable number of passes and was instrumental in the team’s clean sheet.

Davies – 6.5/10 – Ben Davies had a rare outing at left back. The Welshman did not do much going forward, primarily because Porro was venturing higher up the pitch more often than not. Nevertheless, he kept Adama Traore at bay and did not allow the right winger to do much.

Bergvall – 8/10 – Lucas Bergvall was not in the thick of the action many times during the game but had a decent performance nevertheless. He completed 90% of his passes and was also credited with the assist for Sarr’s goal, although it was a fairly innocuous touch off the Swede.

Bissouma – 8/10 – Yves Bissouma held the fort well from his deep lying midfield role. The former Brighton star kept the team’s defensive shape and provided much-needed security to the backline while winning a number of duels too.

Sarr – 8.5/10 – Papa Mata Sarr opened the scoring for Tottenham and was effectively their best midfielder. The Senegalese played his box-to-box role to perfection as he contributed to equal and good measure on both ends of the pitch, especially on transitions either way for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Moore – 6.5/10 – Mikey Moore failed to cover himself in too much glory. The youngster started for the very first time this season but looked a bit lost and failed to produce any eye-catching moments in spite of being on the pitch for the whole game. His work rate was respectable, however.

Lankshear – 7/10 – Will Lankshear had a big role to play in the first Tottenham goal as his neat dribble led to the creation of the chance, which eventually found the back of the net through a hysterical sequence. He had two shots on goal, though none troubled the opposition too much.

Werner – 6.5/10 – Timo Werner displayed a good work ethic and looked determined to make things happen. However, the German international lacked a cutting edge this time around like he did against Manchester United before being withdrawn on the 65th minute mark itself.

Substitutes

The substitutes did a decent job, particularly James Maddison and Brennan Johnson. The duo came on and played 30 odd minutes, including stoppage time in the second half, and combined with the latter finding the back of the net to seal the deal.

Dejan Kulusevski also played as much of the game as Maddison and Johnson did but failed to do much. Dominic Solanke, meanwhile, came for the last 10 minutes, during which time Spurs comfortably defended their lead before being caught out by Varga’s strike.

What’s the verdict on Ange Postecoglou?

The Tottenham Hotspur boss managed to clinch a crucial win away from home to keep his side’s 100% start to the season intact in the Europa League. It is also for the first time since Jose Mourinho’s time at the club that the team has won five straight matches in a row in all competitions.

Ange Postecoglou did his job well today as he rested a number of key players, provided opportunities to a number of young prospects and still managed to bring back all the points to London with him.

After Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, Qatar was the latest Middle East player in recent months reported to enter the Premier League.

A takeover of Man United, considered all but done for months, did not materialise ultimately, much to the dismay of the Old Trafford faithful.

That said, another club may be set to benefit from United’s loss.

Sheikh Jassim linked with Tottenham takeover

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani of Qatar has returned to the English football scene, as reported by TBR Football, as he is one of many contenders to put in a bid for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy admitted in a recent fan forum that the club were actively looking for new investors.

“We announced with our last results that we believe this club needs a bigger capital base because we’ve got a lot of exciting projects on the horizon and we want to make further investment in the teams.

“Some form of minority investment is what we’re looking for. We’ve got nothing to announce at the moment but we are in the market.”

Levy on the Tottenham takeover situation, as quoted by Evening Standard.

Amanda Staveley, recently of Newcastle United who brought not only the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to Tyneside but also brokered the Abu Dhabi Group deal for Man City back in 2008, is also in the market for investment in another Premier League club and is expected to work towards forming a bid for the North London club.

ENIC, the British investment company that owns Spurs, values the club at £3.75 billion.

A move Spurs fans would want

As the recent examples of Man City and Newcastle (even Man United when the Qatari bid was actively pursuing the club) have shown us, any and all moral dilemmas a club’s fanbase may have regarding the geo-political implications of sports-washing undertaken by nation-states disappear overnight and into thin air as soon as it’s their club linked with a takeover by one such state or one with close links to one.

That’s the reality of modern-day football. As long as an incessant stream of mind-boggling money is available to turn the fortunes of your club around, no one really cares about the beyond-football implications. So one can understand why, of all the possible bidders, Spurs fans would want a prospective Qatari bid to succeed.

Daniel Levy is a shrewd businessman, above all, and he has also previously been in talks with PSG-owning Qatari Sports Investment (QSI) for a stake in Spurs. Make no mistake: if Qatar can be brought on board, he will do whatever it takes for the betterment of Tottenham.

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Glenn Hoddle slams Guglielmo Vicario for his inability to command the Tottenham Hotspur penalty area

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has pointed out a crucial weakness in Guglielmo Vicario’s game following Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby. The loss came after a second-half header from Gabriel Magalhaes secured Arsenal’s victory, capitalizing on a set-piece—a recurring problem for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side this season.

Arsenal, despite missing key players Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, managed to secure a vital win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, their third consecutive victory at Spurs’ home ground. The game further highlighted Tottenham’s struggles in defending set pieces, with only Nottingham Forest conceding more goals from dead-ball situations since Postecoglou took charge.

Hoddle’s Criticism of Vicario

Speaking on Premier League Productions via The Metro, Hoddle did not hold back in his criticism of Tottenham’s goalkeeper Vicario, focusing on the Italian’s inability to command his penalty area during set-piece situations. Hoddle noted that Vicario’s instinct to retreat rather than attack the ball is a significant weakness that other teams have started to exploit.

“The goalkeeper has an Achilles heel. Other clubs have seen it—it’s any ball in that inswinging area into the six-yard box. His instinct is to go backwards. He’s never looking to come out.”

Hoddle continued, highlighting how Vicario needs to be more decisive when dealing with aerial threats.

“He’s got to come and punch some of those balls. Arsenal have played that corner because time and time again he’s conceded from that situation. He flapped at one in the first half, and he wasn’t convincing.”

Set-Piece Woes Continue for Tottenham

Tottenham’s defensive issues from set pieces are becoming a growing concern. Vicario, while proving himself as a solid shot-stopper, has struggled to assert himself during dead-ball situations. Hoddle emphasized that unless the goalkeeper becomes more physical and commanding in the box, Tottenham will continue to leak

goals from similar situations.

“He’s a good shot-stopper, but he has got to come and make himself more physical, come and get more balls, and punch more balls.”

Hoddle added:

“He’s not got to catch it there but clear the area. And until he does, they are going to concede even more goals.”

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Hoddle’s critique of Vicario’s performances highlights a critical area that Tottenham need to address if they want to improve their defensive record, especially from set pieces. Vicario’s shot-stopping ability is not in question, but his reluctance to dominate his area in high-pressure situations is a vulnerability that opponents have started to target.

As Spurs look to push on under Ange Postecoglou this season, solving these defensive frailties will be key to their success. For Vicario, becoming more assertive in his penalty area could be the difference between Tottenham turning these tight games into victories or continuing to drop crucial points.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to compound on their defensive options in the upcoming windows after failing to bring in another central-defender in the recently concluded summer. The North Londoners do have a solid duo at the heart of the defence, although there is a lack of depth in the position.

While the Lilywhites had been linked with multiple defenders from around Europe, nothing materialised and the vacancy remains for the future windows to adhere to.

Tottenham linked with Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah

Spurs have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah. However, any push for the German international’s services would come strenuous as multiple Premier League clubs have expressed interest in landing his signatures in 2025. The 28-year-old has been linked with Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United and a move is probable as the centre-back walks into the final year of his contract at Bay Areana.

Bayer Leverkusen tried to secure his signatures for an extended deal on multiple occasions, however, the centre-back has expressed desires to seek new challenges in his career and a Premier League move peaks his interest.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

Spurs Premier League rivals Liverpool have been tagged favourites to land Tah, as per print edition of SportBild (as relayed by Sport Witness). Arne Slot could use a defender or two especially with Virgil van Dijk linked with a move away from Anfield and signing a veteran invincible might do the job to replace the Dutch defensive monster.

Tottenham hope to secure Tah deal in winter window

For Tottenham, they have Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin, and Ben Davies in the central-defensive options and Ange would look to add quality for the latter.

Tah would be available for a bargain fee in the winter transfer window and knowing Daniel Levy, he will look to take advantage of the situation.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Do you think Tah comes to

Tottenham to play bits and parts role with Romero and Van de Ven, or could he potentially become a starter?

Most of Spurs’ recruitment this transfer window focused on signing up-and-coming talent, indicating at a priority towards long-term squad building.

They did, however, tried to make some senior reinforcements towards the end of the window but didn’t manage to complete their targets.

So we look ahead to the winter transfer window already, and links have started to emerge.

Tottenham monitoring Noah Okafor situation

According to a report from Milan Live, Tottenham are considering making a move in the January transfer window for AC Milan forward Noah Okafor.

The Swiss forward arrived at San Siro only last summer on the back of a €14m move but had a relatively underwhelming first season in terms of returns, having provided six goals and three assists in 36 appearances across all competitions. He does, however, have registered one goal already this season in 164 minutes of football this season.

The 24-year-old has with Milan a €3.46m-per-year contract that runs until June 2028.

Tottenham’s interest in Okafor understandable

Okafor is a forward capable of playing centrally and out on either wing; we know well by now that this is a profile Ange Postecoglou particularly likes.

How much of this Okafor interest materialises in an actual approach, however, depends on where Spurs are by the time January rolls around. Their player availability up

front and their form in the lead-up to the window will play a key role in deciding whether the club back Postecoglou in the market for the rest of the season.

Till then, all Spurs can do is perform on the pitch to the best of their abilities.

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Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a spectacular summer transfer window, and Daniel Levy isn’t stopping; the chiefs at White Hart Lane have already started putting the blueprint together for the upcoming transfer windows, and the Lilywhites have established themselves as front runners to sign Chelsea target Patrick Dorgu.

Spurs were named among the interested parties to sign Dorgu in the recently concluded summer window. However, no move materialised, and the club continued to push forward to bring the 19-year-old to North London.

Could Dorgu be the next Danish sensation in the Premier League?

Patrick Dorgu has been linked with a move away from Lecce all summer. The Italian club did a spectacular job in keeping hold of the Danish sensation, albeit a probable move away could be around the corner with multiple high-profile clubs interested in his signatures.

Dorgu could be on the move in 2025, per La Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness, who suggest that the North Londoners are in a pole position to sign the FC Nordsjaelland academy graduate.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

The Denmark international enjoyed a successful breakthrough season in the previous campaign, where he ended up playing in 34 games, and his consistency, complemented by his ability to feature along both flanks, has increased his popularity. Dorgu also scored on his debut debut off late, which has added to his reputation as one of the most exciting talents in the Italian top tier.

During the summer, Lecce quoted a €30m asking price for Dorgu, although that has now shot up to €40m, which hasn’t stopped Spurs from pushing for his signings.

Tottenham could outbid Chelsea for Dorgu

Spurs have changed their transfer policy to bring highly regarded young players to Tottenham Hotspur stadium, and they might not want to miss out on a highly potential player like Dorgu.

Meanwhile, Lecce are pushing to sign the player on a new contract and have already informed Dorgu’s agents about their intentions.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Premier League side Chelsea have also expressed interest in signing the 19-year-old, who is expected to compete with Marc Cucurella for a starting slot.

It is to be seen if Spurs continue to lead the race for his signatures or would Chelsea pip the North Londoners in the race. Would you bring Patrick Dorgu to N17 in the coming windows? Let us know your thoughts below.

Tottenham keen on signing Leeds United academy starlet Harry Gray

Tottenham Hotspur have spent their money prudently since Ange Postecoglou walked into the club, with several young guns arriving at the club over the last three transfer windows.

Earlier in the summer transfer window, the North Londoners put their big focus on outgoings with 15 players leaving the Hotspur Way—either left on loan, permanently or released. Simultaneously, they continued rebuilding the squad by acquiring the signatures of some highly-rated young talents from England and Europe. And one of those youngsters to arrive at N17 was Archie Gray.

Archie Gray, one of the hottest prospects in English football, joined Tottenham from Leeds United in the region of £30m. Spurs beat competition from Brentford to sign Gray, who is tipped for a bright future in the game.

The early signs have been promising with the England youth international impressing Ange Postecoglou since arriving at the club in July. And Spurs are now looking to continue expanding their exciting pool of young talents by making more additions.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

According to an exclusive report from TBR Football, Tottenham have expressed a keen interest in signing Leeds United youngster Harry Gray—the younger brother of Archie. The Lilywhites are eager to maintain a cordial relationship with Championship side Leeds United to facilitate Gray ‘junior’s transfer.

Harry Gray has courted interest from some of England’s elite clubs after featuring in pre-season for Daniel Farke’s side. The 15-year-old striker, who has represented England at the Under-16 level, has grabbed the eyeballs from multiple Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United.

The highly-rated English talent does not turn 16 until October but is already making waves in the Under-18 Premier League, where he has scored eight goals across his 11 appearances. The aforementioned report adds Spurs have already ‘informed’ Leeds they would like to sign Harry after bringing his elder brother Archie through the door earlier this summer.

Adding Gray to the ranks would strengthen Spurs’ ambitions of forming a strong core of young, dynamic talents with high ceiling. With the North London outfit’s focus on developing the next generation of players, bringing in the Leeds academy starlet would align with the long-term vision and strategy of Ange Postecoglou and the club.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Sergio Reguilon may decide to stay and run down his contract at Tottenham despite Turkey interest

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a productive summer transfer window, as Ange Postecoglou reshaped his squad.

The North London outfit splashed £124m on five new signings, including breaking the transfer record for former Bournemouth star Dominic Solanke. They also did extremely well in clearing the deck and trimming the wage bill. A few youngsters left on loan as part of the development plan while some experienced players were either released or sold. However, one player Tottenham have failed to offload thus far is Sergio Reguilon.

Sergio Reguilon, who has been with the Lilywhites since 2020, is not a part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans. The rise of Destiny Udogie has more or less shut the door at the Hotspur Way for the Spaniard. As things stand, it is difficult to see him overtake Udogie in the Spurs’ left-back pecking order.

The 2020 Europa League winner spent the last season on loan at Manchester United and Brentford, and while he did well for the former, he didn’t get an offer from the Erik ten Hag-managed club during the past summer transfer window.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Now, former Spurs scout Bryan King claims that Sergio Reguilon is not in any hurry to leave Tottenham, with the opportunity to join the Turkish Super League still available to the player. The Turkish transfer window is open until September 13, but Bryan King doesn’t understand why the 27-year-old should accept a move to a clear where he would be earning less than what he is doing at N17.

Jose Mourinho wants to reunite with Reguilon at Fenerbahce, having signed him at Spurs four years ago. Spurs also have no good reason to keep a player who is not part of their manager’s plans, especially with the left-back position covered by Udogie and Ben Davies. However, King feels the Spaniard now ‘holds the cards’ over his future.

With the transfer window ending in most European countries, only clubs in Greece and Turkey are able to make signings until September 11th and September 13th, respectively. It remains to be seen if those clubs entice Reguilon and whether they can afford his £53,000-per-week wages.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a successful summer transfer window as Daniel Levy not only brought in some ceiling-raising players but also ensured that the surplus in Ange Postecoglou’s dressing room was shown the exit door.

While the club had been subject to links with some of the top players from around Europe, the search for a backup full back to Destiny Udogie led them to Premier League rivals Bournemouth. The North Londoners expressed interest in bringing Milos Kerkez to White Hart Lane in the recently concluded summer transfer window.

Tottenham join race for highly-rated Bournemouth full-back

Kerkez is one of the best players outside the traditional big six. He has made a name for himself since moving to Premiership in 2023. In his full debut season with the Cherries, he made 33 appearances in all competitions and put in an impressive shift in the left-back role.

His performances have attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta’s side explored possibilities to bring the Hungarian international to the Emirates Stadium. Manchester United also expressed interest in signing Kerkez alongside Tottenham Hotspur, per GMS.

Kerkez on the move this winter?

Ange Postecoglou has found an undisputed player in the spot in Italian defender Destiny Udogie, who was exceptional in the previous campaign. The Lilywhites do have Sergio Reguilon in the backup role to the Italian international; however, the former Real Madrid defender is not in plans at Spurs, and the club wanted to bring the 20-year-old as a long-term solution to the depth at LB.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

While Tottenham have registered interest in signing Kerkez, any move to bring the Hungarian wouldn’t come easy as Arsenal, Manchester United, and Aston Villa are lurking around for his potential signatures.

Bournemouth would be ready to negotiate a deal around £42 million for the full back amid interest from some of the biggest names in world football.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Would you take Kerkez at N17 this winter?