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Arsenal legend Lee Dixon fears Tottenham have won major advantage in the race to sign Eberechi Eze.

The England international is wanted by both north London rivals who are looking to add to their squads on the eve of the new Premier League season.

Thomas Frank’s need for reinforcements has been exacerbated by the serious injury sustained by James Maddison in pre-season.

The former Leicester City star will miss the majority of the campaign having undergone knee surgery earlier this week.

Eze is seen as a natural replacement and with Arsenal needing to sell before they can buy again, Spurs have seen a market opportunity and are prepared to pounce.

Although Dixon would love to see the midfield playmaker return to the club that discarded him as a teenager, he believes a move to Spurs would represent a more logical decision for Eze.

‘There’s obviously only one choice!’ Dixon joked, when asked by 10bet which team Eze should sign for.

‘But, from his point of view, he probably knows that he’ll have a better chance of playing every week at Tottenham than he would at Arsenal simply because Arsenal’s squad is better.

‘At Arsenal, he may have to accept more of a squad role. He’s another one that has the ability to play in multiple areas, and that is what he would have to do at Arsenal.

‘I could see him operating off the left, off the right and centrally, but Arsenal have quality players that can play in those areas and he’d be competing with them to get in the team.

‘He’d back himself to get in the team. With the amount of games Arsenal will play, he’d play a lot of football, but he wouldn’t start every week. There’s definitely a place for him at Arsenal, that’s for sure.’

Arsenal were forced to lick their wounds again last season following a third consecutive second place finish.

Asked if Eze could make the difference between another near miss and finally ending the wait for a major trophy, Dixon added: ‘It’s always better to have too many top players than not enough, it’s a nice problem for any manager to have.

‘We’ve seen over the last few years that we’ve just fallen short a little bit in the important parts of the season. Having a player like Eze in your squad might be able to change that a little bit, having someone who is a bit unpredictable and can produce moments of inspiration.

‘It only takes a couple of flashes of genius, and that turns games that Arsenal drew last season into wins. He’s definitely a player that gives you something different to what you have.

‘For Arsenal, it’s about how you improve because finishing second three years on the trot has people questioning your quality.

‘We’re very, very close to being able to win the Premier League title, and maybe Eze could offer that little bit extra that pushes you over the line or gives you an extra five or six points come the end of the season.’

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After a long summer (it’s been a whole 33 days since Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory), football – and more importantly – the Premier League is back and raring to go.

Liverpool surprised many by storming to the title last year under new manager Arne Slot, but how will the Reds cope with being the hunted this time around?

Can Manchester City bounce back after a disappointing campaign? Will Arsenal finally shake their bridesmaid tag after their third successive runners-up finish? And what about Thomas Frank, the new man in the dugout at Tottenham?

After a one-sided title race and an abject attempt at survival from the three promoted teams, fans will be hopeful for a more dramatic season at both ends of the table.

And to mark the return of the action, Metro Sport’s writers have dished out their boldest (and perhaps daft) predictions for what to expect over the course of the season.

Manchester United to bounce back and finish in the top four

There’s absolutely no reason why Manchester United cannot finish in the Premier League top four this season.

Having missed out on any form of European football for the first time in a decade, the Red Devils can fully focus on the domestic campaign while their rivals will be forced to deal with extra fixtures.

United will surely have some fire in their belly after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign saw them finish 15th and head coach Ruben Amorim is more settled in as head coach after replacing Erik ten Hag mid-season last term.

Amorim has made some really smart signings this summer – bringing in two players with bags of Premier League experience – Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo registered 28 goal involvements in 38 top-flight games last season, while Cunha produced 21 goal involvements across 33 Premier League matches.

While there are question marks over how well Benjamin Sesko will settle in English football, he’ll surely be an upgrade on flop striker Rasmus Hojlund.

With Mikel Arteta under pressure at Arsenal, and Newcastle’s nightmare of a summer transfer window, United have a huge chance to join the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the top four.

Liam Grace, Sports Reporter

Arsenal to spearhead return of ‘Big Six’ dominance

This may not seem like a hot take, but the Premier League’s ‘big-six’ – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – haven’t lived up to their name of late.

Only once in the last six years have all the big six actually finished in the top six, with the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa disrupting the establishment. But normal order will resume this season.

For one, it’s hard to see Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea dropping out. United are in the middle of (another) rebuild, but they have assembled a very potent attack and don’t have any European football to distract them.

Spurs are perhaps the biggest question mark. Adjusting to a new manager is always tricky, not least when the outgoing boss was so popular and with two key leaders in the dressing room – Son Heung-min and James Maddison – not there to help. But Thomas Frank worked wonders in his last job and can do so again.

As for those who would challenge the big six, Newcastle’s morale is low following a terrible summer and could yet lose their best player, Alexander Isak. It seems Villa will keep hold of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez but haven’t added much to their squad.

Perhaps Nottingham Forest, Brighton or even FA Cup and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace could give it a go, but the big six look set to have a big season.

Callum McAvoy, Sports Reporter

Thomas Frank fails to last the season at Tottenham

This is a scorching take and I’m ready to get burned alive, but something about Frank and Tottenham doesn’t sit right as a pairing. Ange maintained the backing of so many supporters throughout the club’s darkest times when striving, often to his detriment, to play the so-called ‘Spurs Way’.

The structure-obsessed Frank plays a far more pragmatic brand of football and patience will wear thin amongst the fanbase should results begin to spiral.

I’ve already got one eye on the club’s fixtures heading into a gruelling winter period when they face Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Fulham, Newcastle, Frank’s former side Brentford, Forest and Liverpool… where they’re placed after this nasty little run will be key.

Frank’s Brentford picked up just three league wins between November and January last term and lost seven from eight during that same period in their previous campaign. Will the Dane still be ‘brave’ should he find himself in a similarly tricky situation with Tottenham at the midway stage?

With Maddison out for months and Son gone, I’m not convinced they’ve made the signings or have the necessary experience and firepower to cope.

Tom Olver, Assistant Sports Editor

All three promoted sides to avoid the drop

We’ve had back-to-back seasons which saw all three promoted teams relegated immediately, so it is time for that to change and in spectacular fashion. The trio of promoted sides will survive this time round!

There are a few candidates for the drop from the established top-flight clubs. Brentford have been ravaged this summer, as have Bournemouth, with both facing a slump as a result.

Wolves have lost key players and Vitor Pereira could struggle when the chips are down, while the unimpressive West Ham don’t look up to much.

Burnley have a mean defence, Sunderland have done some nice transfer business and I haven’t got much good to say about Leeds, but fingers crossed for that lot.

The three promoted teams have all survived four times before; it’s time for it to happen again.

Phil Haigh, Sports Reporter

Liam Delap to take home the Golden Boot

Right, I’ll concede, there’s a more-than likely chance that Liam Delap finds himself on the bench against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but it’s called ‘Hot Takes’ for a reason.

Fellow summer signing Joao Pedro looks likely to get the nod at first, but it won’t be long before Delap is banging down the door to start regularly if he continues to build upon his impressive showings in the off-season.

If Pedro isn’t replaced, the Brazilian could be shifted out to the left to accommodate Delap, who will score bucket loads of goals if Chelsea can continue to demonstrate the same attacking prowess that saw them carve open Paris Saint-Germain at will in the Club World Cup final.

Ben Fleming, Sports Reporter

Viktor Gyokeres won’t be all that

Viktor Gyokeres has widely been described as the final piece of the jigsaw for an Arsenal side that have come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League. But the same was said about Romelu Lukaku upon his return to Chelsea in 2021 and we know how that worked out.

Gyokeres’ stats for Sporting were incredible but Darwin Nunez enjoyed similar success in Portugal before underwhelming in the Premier League. It’s taken a fair while for Gyokeres, 27, to earn a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues.

This time two years ago, in fact, he had just spent his fourth successive season in the Championship, scoring a respectable but far from remarkable 21 goals in 46 games.

He’s an upgrade on Kai Havertz but don’t expect mind-blowing returns from a player who has been branded a ‘gamble’ by the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Lineker. ‘I don’t think he’s the guy,’ Rio Ferdinand even said shortly after his £64m move to north London was announced. Mikel Arteta doesn’t get too many signings wrong but it was him, remember, who pushed to sign Raheem Sterling last summer.

Arsenal were torn between signing Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko earlier in the summer. Time will tell if they made the right decision.

Louis Sealey, Deputy Sports Editor

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Thomas Frank confirmed Tottenham were still ‘working very hard’ to strengthen in the transfer market after his side surrendered a two-goal lead to lose to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final.

The Dane appeared on course to steer Spurs to a famous victory in his first competitive game in charge, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero scoring either side of half time in Udine.

But PSG, the Champions League holders, mounted a spirited second-half fightback to force penalties as Lee Kang-in’s arrowed strike reduced the deficit before Goncalo Ramos headed home deep into stoppage time to level.

Vitinha failed with PSG’s opening effort from the spot, but Lucas Chevalier denied Van de Ven before Mathys Tel struck wide from 12 yards to put the Ligue 1 champions within touching distance of a fifth trophy for the year.

Nuno Mendes looked confident and clear-headed as he stepped up to take the decisive spot-kick and Guglielmo Vicario hardly stood a chance as the Portuguese almost burst the back of the net to cue rapturous scenes among PSG’s travelling support.

Despite PSG enjoying 74 per cent of possession across the contest, it was an otherwise encouraging night for Tottenham, especially given the club’s less-than-ideal preparation during what has been a summer of upheaval following Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal.

Romero was announced as Spurs’ new captain just hours before kick-off in Italy and deals have been struck for Mohammed Kudus, Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai and Joao Palhinha across what has been an active transfer window.

But with talks reportedly ongoing for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Manchester City’s Savinho and, Frank told TNT Sports: ‘We would like to strengthen the squad, no doubt about that.

‘We do work very hard to see if we can do that.

‘In general, I’m very happy with the squad, but of course, in every window, you’d like to see if you can make the squad stronger before the window closes. That’s what we’re working hard on.’

Luis Enrique conceded that Tottenham probably ‘deserved’ to win after his PSG side eventually prevailed on penalties – and Frank was ‘proud’ of his players’ overall performance.

‘We played a very good game against one of – maybe the best – teams in the world,’ the Spurs head coach added.

‘I think we had them exactly where we wanted them for 80-something minutes, until the 2-1 goal, which shifted momentum.

‘There are so many positives. I’m so proud of the team, the players, the club, the fans. It’s a lot to be happy with. It’s a coin flip when it goes to a penalty shootout.’

According to Frank, his side’s first-half display was ‘almost perfect’ in every aspect.

‘We showed that we can be adaptable and pragmatic. We needed to do that against a team like PSG,’ he continued.

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‘The way we wanted to defend – both high pressure and low defending – was exceptionally good. The first half was top, almost perfect.’

The former Brentford boss felt his squad had come on leaps and bounds with their set-piece work since he first took over the reins from Postecoglou in June.

‘The set pieces were also very good and very dangerous,’ he went on.

‘It’s key. For any team it should be a weapon. We definitely will focus on that, because it’s a key area.’

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Luis Enrique admitted Tottenham ‘deserved’ to lift the UEFA Super Cup after his Paris Saint-Germain side fought back from two goals down to win on penalties.

Spurs had appeared on course for a shock victory in Thomas Frank’s first competitive match in charge as Micky van de Ven and newly appointed captain Cristian Romero netted either side of half time to stun the Champions League holders.

But PSG enjoyed the lion’s share of possession throughout the contest and the pressure eventually told, with Lee Kang-in arrowing an emphatic strike beyond Guglielmo Vicario in the 85th minute at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli.

The north Londoners were clinging on as the final whistle beckoned and Goncalo Ramos headed home Ousmane Dembele’s pinpoint cross from the right flank to level in the fourth minute of stoppage time

Vitinha missed PSG’s opening effort as the match went straight to penalties, but an inspired Lucas Chevalier denied Van de Ven before Mathys Tel fired wide to put the Parisians on the cusp of a fifth trophy for 2025.

It fell to Nuno Mendes to hold his nerve and the Portugal full-back did just that, making no mistake with the decisive spot-kick to send PSG’s travelling support into raptures.

The triumph capped off a historic few months for the French giants, who became European champions in May to add to their Ligue 1, French Cup and the Trophee des Champions crowns.

Speaking shortly after the clash, a somewhat relieved Enrique asked TNT Sports’ Jules Breach: ‘Do you think we deserved that? For 80 minutes we didn’t deserve that.

‘I think Tottenham deserved winning the match because we can feel that they were in form, we can feel that they have been training for six weeks.

‘They played a great match and we have been training only for six days, but sometimes football is unfair.

‘And I have to say that we were very unlucky. In the last ten minutes, we could have scored two goals.

‘I have to say that my players had faith until the last minute, like our supporters.

‘Football is unpredictable and in that sense, I have to say that we were very lucky.’

Enrique believes his players were likely feeling the effects of such a quick turnaround on the back of a gruelling campaign, with their Club World Cup final defeat to Chelsea falling just a month earlier.

‘Absolutely, from the first minute when the players touched the ball, when the players played without having the time to think about where you have to pass,’ the Spaniard explained.

‘Yeah, a lot of unprecise passes and it’s difficult to play the way we want to play if you don’t train, if you haven’t got the time to train.

‘I have to say that it was like a miracle.’

Enrique singled out new signing Lucas Chevalier for special praise, applauding the former Lille goalkeeper’s ‘personality’ both on and off the pitch.

‘He’s a big personality which is so important to have if you want to stay at a club like PSG, a lot of pressure around us,’ he added.

‘But I’m very happy for him because he shows that personality and also for the players who come from the bench because they are so important.

‘All of them want to play in the starting line-up, but they did great to draw that match and win a penalty shootout.’

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Eberechi Eze still favours a transfer to Arsenal after Tottenham opened talks to sign the Crystal Palace midfielder, according to reports.

Eze has been on Arsenal’s shortlist summer but Mikel Arteta’s side have prioritised deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke.

The 27-year-old has been available this summer due to a £68 million release clause in his deal with Palace, which expires on Friday.

Tottenham have now opened talks to sign the Eze, while the Europa League holders have also made an approach to Manchester City for their 21-year-old Brazilian winger Savinho.

But according to The Guardian, Tottenham do not intend to meet Eze’s £68m release clause.

The report adds that Spurs also have a ‘further complication’ because Eze’s preference would be to join Arsenal.

However, the Gunners must sell before going forward with a move for Eze and are open to offers for Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira, who spent last season on loan at Porto.

Speaking after Palace’s victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield on Sunday, the club’s chairman, Steve Parish, was asked if the intention is to keep both Eze and Marc Guehi, who is wanted by Liverpool.

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‘Yeah of course, but listen, players come and go in football clubs. I mean it’s a life cycle isn’t it?’ Parish replied.

‘Hopefully they’ll still be here, that’s what I’d like. But we’ll see.’

Elsewhere, Liverpool have stepped up talks to sign Guehi and are aiming to sign the England international before the end of the transfer window.

The Premier League champions are aiming to a deal with Palace worth £30m plus add-ons for Guehi, who will be out of contract next summer.

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Manchester City have told Tottenham how much it will cost them to sign Brazil international winger Savinho in the summer transfer window.

City manager Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of the talented 21-year-old star, previously labelling Savinho as a player with ‘incredible individual quality’.

Spurs have held talks with City over a move for Savinho, according to The Times, despite the fact he only joined Guardiola’s side in 2024 from Troyes.

The outlet adds that City have slapped a £50m price tag on Savinho, who Spurs view as the perfect replacement for Son Heung-min this summer.

City paid £30.8m to sign Savinho last year and he’s played a total of 48 games for the club to date, conjuring up three goals and 13 assists.

Savinho has been capped 13 times by Brazil and was named in the La Liga Team of the Season last term after an impressive loan spell at Girona.

City are reluctant to sell Savinho but will let him leave the club if he is keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Why do Spurs want to sign Savinho?

Thomas Frank’s side are keen to recruit a creative midfielder ahead of the new Premier League season after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusveski.

Spurs feel they can offer more regular playing time to Savinho, who only started one of City’s last eight Premier League games last term.

Frank reportedly views Savinho’s versatility as ‘appealing’, with the Brazilian able to play as a right winger, left winger or as an attacking midfielder.

‘Savinho will become an extraordinary player’

Speaking after City’s 5-2 win over Juventus as the Club World Cup in June, Guardiola tipped Savinho to ‘become an extraordinary player’ one day.

‘He is a player with incredible potential,’ the City boss said. ‘We cannot forget he’s so young.

‘He needs to make the final third more decisive in aspects like the goal he has done in the last game. He has to do it more.

‘The last goal is more and more complicated and difficult to score than the previous ones – one against ones, the ‘keeper, that maybe last season he missed.

‘The moment he will make this step, which will come in a natural way because he has incredible individual quality, when it arrives for his commitment to say I want to do it, I want to be decisive, I want to score goals and make more assists, he will become an extraordinary player.

‘He can play on both sides, right and left, he’s so fast, he understands tactically the movements he has so to do so that’s why he can play with us.’

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Jermain Defoe says Eberechi Eze looks like a ‘Tottenham player’ and would be a welcome addition to Thomas Frank’s squad this summer.

Eze enjoyed an excellent Premier League campaign with Crystal Palace last term, racking up eight goals and eight assists for Oliver Glasner’s side in the English top flight.

But it was in the FA Cup final that Eze reached his greatest height yet, with the 27-year-old firing home the only goal in the Eagles’ famous victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

In the intervening weeks and months, though, Eze’s future has been the subject of intense speculation and there are doubts as to whether the England international will still be a Palace player come the start of the season.

Eze has a £68million release clause in his contract at Selhurst Park – which remains valid until August 15 – and Arsenal and Spurs are both considering moves for the former QPR man.

Recent reports suggested Eze was ‘open’ to the prospect of rejoining Arsenal, 14 years after being released by the Gunners’ academy as a teenager.

But confirmation on Thursday that James Maddison had suffered a serious knee injury has amplified calls for Tottenham to step up their pursuit of Eze – and Defoe believes the Palace star would be a great fit.

‘Eze is someone who, if this makes sense, is a Tottenham player. He’s someone that plays with freedom,’ the ex-Spurs and England striker told talkSPORT.

‘You look at the great players over the years that the club have had and technically how good he is, how confident he is, he’s another special footballer.

‘If that can happen then, of course, it’s only good for the team because, obviously, when you get these injuries, especially long-term injuries, you need to replace these players.’

While Spurs have also been credited with an interest in Jack Grealish, Everton have emerged as the frontrunners to secure a deal for the Manchester City outcast in recent days.

‘Everton sort of makes sense for Grealish. He’s got to play football and, obviously, it is close to Manchester so it makes sense for his family and stuff like that,’ Defoe said of Grealish’s options.

‘Everton are an amazing club. They’ve got a new stadium and an amazing and experienced manager in David Moyes. He’ll give him the freedom to go and express himself.’

Defoe has been encouraged by Tottenham’s transfer business across the summer and hopes the club’s new signings ‘hit the ground running’ under new manager Frank.

‘Joao Palhinha is a top, top player. He’s only going to improve the squad and the team,’ he added.

‘[Mohammed] Kudus is someone I’ve liked for a long time, even before he went to West Ham and you’ve seen in pre-season already what he brings in terms of how dynamic he is, how strong he is.

‘Even when he was at West Ham, I still believed he could do a lot more in terms of goals and assists so hopefully he’ll bring that this season.

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‘But we’ll see. I think it’s important to start well. I know sometimes you can start slow and end up doing well.

‘We started well when Nuno [Espirito Santo] was there and with Ange [Postecoglou], I think in the first ten games when he first came in people were talking about Tottenham winning the league.

‘You have to start well and try to maintain it, but with the new signings hitting the ground running, that’s really important.

‘The new manager will demand that anyway and he’ll drive those messages with the staff that are there every single day.’

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Ian Wright has brushed off concerns over Viktor Gyokeres’ lack of experience in a top league and is giving Arsenal’s marquee summer signing the ‘benefit of the doubt’ because of his ‘attitude’ and ‘mentality’.

The Gunners faced criticism from fans and pundits alike for their failure to bring in an out-and-out centre-forward last term as the club finished a fifth straight season without any major silverware.

While Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino both enjoyed some success in the false nine role, Arsenal’s hierarchy were in agreement that signing a striker should be their priority heading into the summer transfer window.

And after weeks of talk and speculation, the north Londoners officially announced that they had beaten Manchester United to the signing of Gyokeres last month, in a deal worth £55million plus £8.5m in add-ons.

Gyokeres netted 54 times in 52 games to help Sporting win a domestic double last season and there are hopes the 27-year-old can have transformative effect on Mikel Arteta’s squad by bringring his extraordinary goalscoring exploits to the Premier League arena.

But there has also been some skepticism surrounding Gyokeres’ ability to make the step up when against defences of genuine quality, with the Sweden international yet to test himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Legendary ex-Arsenal striker Wright said he was reminded of his early days at Arsenal when discussing Gyokeres on the SDS podcast, with similar questions asked following his then club-record transfer from Crystal Palace in 1991.

‘I spent five seasons in the First Division scoring goals and obviously there’s a lot of people looking at you all the time. There was a lot of talk around me and a lot of interest,’ Wright explained.

‘People start to say, “It’s going to happen”, and then Arsenal came. Obviously, everybody knows the link with David Rocastle, we grew up on the same estate.

‘But I remember when I went to sign, I went home and watched the six o’clock news and they flicked to the streets and they’re saying, “What are we signing him for? We’ve got [Paul] Merson, we’ve got [Kevin] Campbell, we’ve got [Alan] Smith and we’ve got a young guy, Andy Cole, there as well. Why are we signing him? He’s only played in the First Division!”, and bro, I was watching it and you just get hot.

‘I was petrified and when I went there. They were champions two out of the last three years, but what I realised more than anything else was I had gone to a place where I’d gone to another level.’

Wright added: ‘I was playing in games, I’d score two goals and I must have had a maximum of five touches because people are making runs, people are doing different things, I’m not making as much work as I did at Palace.

‘What you realise is that it’s the same thing with Gyokeres, it’s the same thing.’

Wright has been encouraged by what previous managers have had to say about Gyokeres’ work ethic and insists the Swede’s limited experience at the very top ‘doesn’t matter’.

‘I heard Mark Robins from Coventry say that every time Gyokeres trained, he looked like somebody in a rush, in a hurry, he needs to make up time and I totally got that because once I got to Arsenal I realised I was in a place where I could make up time,’ Wright continued.

‘People are talking about the league Gyokeres played in and the fact he doesn’t score against this kind of team, he only scores penalties, this and that… it doesn’t matter.

‘What I’ve heard and what I loved that I heard from Gyokeres is that man wants to be there. I wanted to be there because I knew once I got in amongst these guys and they create these chances, I’m going to take them. All I was focussed on was hitting targets and taking chances.’

Wright is confident Gyokeres will score goals for Arsenal, even if it takes time for the forward to find his feet on his return to English football.

‘If he starts the season and he doesn’t score for a couple of games, it’s going to come,’ he went on.

‘With Gyokeres, I can see the mentality and if he’s anything like I was, he himself can’t wait because he knows what he’s going into.

‘The thing is that he’s got competition. He’s got competition which is important with Kai. I had it with Smith, I mentioned them.

‘He’s a guy that has initiated the move, his agent took a cut of the pay, the man has done everything to try and get there… that’s enough for me to say: I’m putting my marker on him. I have to, he’s travelling the same path.

‘He’s somebody that I’m thinking to myself: if it happens for him, brilliant.

‘You can look at [Rasmus] Hojlund, you can look at [Darwin] Nunez and I’m not being negative about them, but you’re taking a chance. It’s a lot of money, but there are question marks over everybody.’

According to Wright, it will be a ‘different kind of scenario’ at Arsenal should Gyokeres hit the ground running and translate his form from Portugal into Premier League football.

‘We were 17 goals behind Liverpool last season and seven behind Manchester City the season before, but in both seasons, defensively, we conceded less, so we need goals,’ he said.

‘If you get an actual striker, when you look at the goals, seven goals, it’s so close. It’s so close.

‘So we’ve now got a striker. Whatever he cost, the fact is that you are taking a chance on that, you’re hoping this is going to work out.

‘The only thing you can look at is his attitude towards where he’s going into and what he’s trying to do now and I like it. I like what I see from him.

‘That’s why I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt because once it starts happening, we’re talking about a different kind of scenario with Arsenal.’

Wright sees no reason why a ‘monster’ like Gyokeres cannot be an instant hit at Arsenal when remembering the immediate success Erling Haaland enjoyed at Manchester City.

‘What you have to have faith in his your work ethic and what you’re capable of doing,’ he said.

‘I’ve watched him take chances. People talk about penalties, whatever they want to talk about… but I’ve watched him take chances and the goal doesn’t change.

‘Obviously, goalkeepers might be better, but the goal doesn’t change, the diameters of the goal, the angles you’re coming to shoot at don’t change.

‘Once you tighten all that up, we’ve seen what can happen when you get a striker who is a monster who wants to score, we saw what happened with Erling Haaland.’

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Son Heung-min has agreed to join a new club after making ‘the most difficult decision’ of his career by leaving Tottenham.

The 33-year-old announced in an emotional press conference on Saturday that he had decided to leave Spurs this summer.

Son has spent a decade at the north London club, making 454 appearances for Tottenham since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

He captained the club to their Europa League win last season as Tottenham clinched their first trophy in 17 years.

‘I came to north London as a kid – a very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English,’ Son said.

‘Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.’

Son has agreed to join MLS side Los Angeles FC since deciding to leave Tottenham, who hired Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement in June.

LAFC are now in advanced talks with Tottenham over a fee for Son, with a £15m deal in the works.

Son’s former Spurs teammate Hugo Lloris already plays for Los Angeles, who are managed by former USA defender Steve Cherundolo.

New Tottenham boss Frank described Son as a ‘true Spurs legend’ and ‘one of the greatest players to play in the Premier League’.

‘If that is the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it here in front of his home fans,’ the ex-Brentford manager said. ‘It could be a beautiful ending.’

Tottenham face Newcastle United in Seoul on Sunday afternoon as they continue their preparations for the 2025-26 season.

Discussing his imminent exit from Spurs, Son added: ‘Before we start the press conference, I just want to share the information that I’ve decided to leave the club in the summer.

‘And respectfully, the club is helping me with my decision. So I just want to share this information before we start the press conference.

‘It was the most difficult decision of my football career. I’ve been here ten years at a beautiful club with beautiful fans and having such amazing memories.

‘And after all that, it was so hard to make this decision. But as I said, I feel like I need a new environment and to push myself.

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‘And to get more of me, I feel like I need a little bit of change. Ten years is a lot of time when you’re thinking about it.

‘So and I came to London as a kid. 23 years old, a very young age [and] a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English.

‘And [I’m] leaving this club as a grown man. This is a very, very proud moment. So I just want to say thank you to all of the Spurs fans that gave me so much love.

‘I felt like it was my home. But yeah, it was, it was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made.’

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Son Heung-min looks set to continue his career in MLS after announcing his intention to leave Tottenham this summer.

The 33-year-old has spent the last decade at Spurs and achieved his goal of silverware in May when he helped the Premier League team to Europa League success with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

It ended a 17-year trophy drought for the club and South Korea captain Son explained his decision to target a ‘fresh challenge’ during a press conference in his home country ahead of Tottenham’s pre-season friendly with Newcastle on Sunday.

After Spurs arrived in Seoul on Friday, Son – following a remarkable 454 appearances and 173 goals for the north London club – confirmed his desire to depart this summer, with Los Angeles FC leading the race for his signature.

Son told a press conference: ‘Before we start, I wanted to say I have decided to leave the club this summer.

‘Respectfully, the club is helping me with this decision.

‘It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career, such amazing memories. It was so hard to make this decision.’

Why is Son leaving Tottenham?

On why he is now leaving the club, Son said: ‘I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change – 10 years is a long time.

‘I came to north London as a kid, 23-years-old, such a young age. I leave the club as a grown man, a very proud man.

‘I want to say thanks to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope the goodbye is also good timing and this is the right time to make that decision. I hope everyone can accept and respect that.’

New Tottenham head coach Frank confirmed Son would start and be captain in Sunday’s friendly with Newcastle at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium.

It could be Son’s final appearance for Spurs, despite the UEFA Super Cup fixture with Paris St Germain in Udine on the horizon on August 13.

Frank said: ‘It’s very clear that Sonny will start and lead the team out as captain. If that is the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it here in front of his home fans. It could be a beautiful ending.’

Son joined Tottenham in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen and after a tricky debut campaign, he quickly became a fan favourite and subsequently a modern-day Premier League great due to his consistency and personality, clinching the golden boot award in the 2022-23 season, but he is now set to exit after 10 years in north London

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