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Micky van de Ven missed Tottenham’s Premier League clash at Brentford on Sunday – but Ange Postecoglou says he hasn’t suffered a new injury.

Spurs take on the Bees at the G-tech Community Stadium in desperate need of a win having picked up just one point from their last seven league games.

It’ll be a tough task against Brentford who boast one of the best home records in the top-flight this season, so Spurs fans were delighted when Van de Ven returned from injury a few days ago.

The centre-back played 45 minutes of the Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday night and was expected to start on Sunday.

But when the lineups were announced, the Dutchman’s name was nowhere to be seen, leading to fears that he’d sustained yet another painful hamstring injury.

That would be especially bad news with Spurs set to take on Liverpool this Thursday in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

After that they face Aston Villa in the FA Cup and Manchester United in the Premier League.

Thankfully for Tottenham, that does not appear to be the case, with Postecoglou revealing that Van de Ven is just being rested for this match.

‘Just trying to manage his minutes. It’s a quick turnaround,’ the Australian manager said ahead of kick-off.

‘We spoke with the medical team and Micky himself and we’ll give him another week training and hopefully he’ll be ready for the end of the week.’

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With Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin also sidelined, Spurs’ have been forced to once again play left-back Ben Davies and young midfielder Archie Gray as their centre-back pairing.

In better news, they were able to hijack Wolves’ deal to sign central defender Kevin Danso from Lens and he’ll now move to north London on loan with an obligation to buy.

‘I think Kevin will be a great fit for us. Obviously we’re a bit short at the back and have been for a while,’ Postecoglou added.

‘He’s experienced, a good one-on-one defender and new players give us energy. We’re looking forward to him being part of the group.’

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Tottenham have reached an agreement to sign Kevin Danso after hijacking Wolves’ move for the Lens centre-back.

The 26-year-old appeared to be on course to join Wolves on loan for the remainder of the season after the club reached an agreement with the Ligue 1 side this weekend.

Danso was due to undergo a medical on Sunday, however, the Austria international has now pulled out, which opened the door for Tottenham to make a move.

Spurs have now agreed a €25 million (£20.9m) transfer fee with Lens to sign Danso, who has also agreed personal terms.

Earlier this month, Lens had rejected rejected multiple offers from Wolves, including a bid of £16m, but the French club accepted a straight loan deal with no option to buy on Saturday.

Danso had come close to leaving Lens last summer but his exit fell through after he failed a medical with Roma.

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So far this season, the 26-year-old has started 12 games in Ligue 1 but has missed their last three games, including their 2-0 win over Montpellier on Friday night.

Spurs have been pushing to sign a new central defender before the January transfer window closes on Monday.

A €30 million (£25m) deal was agreed with AC Milan for Fikayo Tomori but the former Chelsea defender turned down a move to Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Spurs have also been rejected by Mathys Tel this week after a €60 m (£50.2m) deal was agreed with Bayern Munich on Thursday.

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AC Milan star Fikayo Tomori has reportedly turned down the chance to join Tottenham in another huge transfer blow for Ange Postecoglou.

It was reported on Friday evening that Tottenham had made a shock bid for the former Chelsea centre-back as they looked to fix their injury crisis in defence.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have struggled for fitness this season and now Radu Dragusin is expected to be sidelined for a while after picking up a knee issue.

Spurs quickly agreed a deal in principle with Milan for Tomori who was also attracting interest from Juventus and Aston Villa.

The deal was worth £25m, the same fee that the Serie A giants paid when they signed the 27-year-old from Stamford Bridge in 2021.

But Sky Italy now report that after holding talks with the Lilywhites, the England international has decided he wants to stay at the San Siro.

This marks the second time in less than 24 hours that a player has snubbed a transfer to Postecoglou’s team, with Mathys Tel rejecting a £50m move in order to stay at Bayern Munich.

With the January transfer window closing on Monday night, Spurs are now desperately searching for centre-back cover and another shock name is at the top of their shortlist.

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Various sources including the Telegraph report that Chelsea’s Axel Disasi could move across London as he appears to have no future under Enzo Maresca.

The 26-year-old has failed to deliver since his move to the Blues in 2023 and the club are ready to sell him after recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace.

It is said Villa have agreed personal terms with the Frenchman but Spurs could still hijack the deal and Chelsea are willing to let him leave on loan.

However, any short-term deal would be reliant on an obligation to buy being included or at the very least a significant loan fee.

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Tottenham have made a shock enquiry into the availability of Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho after Mathys Tel turned down a move to north London.

United are willing to listen to realistic offers for Garnacho as they aim to stay in line with the Premier League’s PSR rules. Chelsea are thought to be preparing a bid ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline while interest from Napoli remains.

Spurs meanwhile are eager to bring in another attacking option with injuries continue to mount for the side currently slumped 15th in the Premier League.

A £50m bid for Tel was accepted by Bayern Munich on Thursday with chairman Daniel Levy flying out to Germany for talks with the forward and his representative. Tel however rejected the move.

Spurs have now turned their attention to Garnacho but it is not yet clear whether the winger would be interested in a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Argentina international is however thought to be keen to remain in the Premier League should United cash in this month with the club ready to sell for around £60million.

The Daily Mail report Tottenham’s initial enquiry was for a loan deal.

Garnacho struggled in the early stages of Ruben Amorim’s reign and looked ill-fitted for the Portuguese coach’s new system.

But the 20-year-old was named in the starting XI for back-to-back games against Rangers and Fulham before impressing off the bench in the 2-0 victory over FCSB on Thursday night.

After that Europa League win, Amorim hailed Garnacho’s determination and drive to adapt with the winger firmly in his plans again after being dropped from the squad for the Manchester derby in December.

‘The way he understands things and understands that I just want to help him, I just want to win games,’ Amorim said. ‘He changed in everything, the approach when I talk with him, the way he recovers.

‘He understands sometimes that I’m a different coach, that I’m demanding in my way, sometimes it’s hard the first impact. It’s a different kind of coach and he understands that it’s never in a bad way, it’s always for him, but I’m a different person.

‘I think all the merit is from Garnacho and he is improving, and we want to continue to improve with Garnacho. I think he’s improving a lot.’

Amorim’s comments on Garnacho are a stark contrast to those on Marcus Rashford, insisting the England star ‘has to change’ if he ever wants to force his way back into the United squad.

Rashford remains keen to leave Old Trafford before the transfer window closes but a move to Barcelona remains extremely complicated. Aston Villa have made an enquiry but it remains o be seen if Rashford would be interested in a move to Villa Park.

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Tottenham are close to reaching an agreement to signing AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori, according to reports in Italy.

Spurs have been dealt a late blow in the January transfer window after Bayern Munich winger, Mathys Tel, turned down a move to Ange Postecoglou’s side on Friday.

A €60 million (£50.2m) deal between Spurs and Bayern was agreed on Thursday, and Daniel Levy travelled to Munich on Friday in order to convince Tel over a move.

However, Tel has opted to reject Tottenham and is holding out for another club with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa all interested in a deal.

According to Sky Sport Italy, Tottenham have now moved quickly to agree a deal with Milan for Tomori and the two clubs are close to completing a deal.

The report claims that Spurs have presented a €30 million (£25m) offer to Milan, who are open to selling the defender.

The 27-year-old has been at Milan for the past four years having initially joined the Serie A side on loan from Chelsea in January 2021.

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Milan made the move permanent the following summer for £25m and Tomori has been a regular in the team for the past three-and-a-half seasons.

During his time at Milan, Tomori helped the club win Serie A in 2022. He was also named in Serie A’s Team of the Year that same season.

When asked about Tomori’s potential exit earlier this month, Milan’s advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic said: ‘Tomori is our player, he is happy at Milan, played well both under Fonseca, but also Conceicao really likes him. He is a Milan player.’

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Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers have all learned who they could play in the next stage of the Europa League following the conclusion of the league phase.

United and Tottenham both started the gameweek within the top-eight and made sure of their automatic progression to the last 16 by winning their respective games on Thursday evening.

Goals from Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo saw Ruben Amorim’s side negotiate a tricky away fixture and claim a 2-0 win against Romanian opposition FCSB.

Tottenham, meanwhile, were not at their fluent best but edged past Elfsborg with a 3-0 home win courtesy of second-half goals from academy graduates Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi and Mikey Moore.

Rangers, meanwhile, began the night in 13th place and on course for a spot in the playoffs.

However, after a 2-1 home win against Union Saint-Gilloise and with other results going their way, the Scottish side ended the night in eigth place and will now join United and Spurs in the last 16.

Looking ahead to the next stage of the Europa League, here is who Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers could face.

Who could Manchester United play next in the Europa League?

United’s win against FCSB saw them make it four wins from four in Europe under Amorim and three in a row in all competitions.

The Red Devils end the league phase in third place and therefore, go straight through to the last-16 where they will face one of Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Alkmaar or Midtjylland.

Who could Tottenham play next in the Europa League?

With injury troubles still hampering Tottenham, Postecoglou’s youngsters came to the rescue to provide a couple of much-needed feel-good moments for the home fans.

Spurs join United automatically in the last-16 where they will also face one of Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Alkmaar or Midtjylland.

Who could Rangers play next in the Europa League?

Despite their disappointing performances in the league, Rangers have lost just two of their eight games in this season’s Europa League.

And the Scottish side were the beneficiaries of other results going their way on Thursday night, securing the last spot in the top eight meaning they avoided the playoffs and progressed automatically into the last 16.

In that knockout stage, Philippe Clement will face one of Bodo/Glimt, Anderlecht, Twente or Fenerbahce.

When is the draw for the Europa League knockout phase play-offs?

The draw to finalise the Champions League knockout phase play-offs will be held on January 31.

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The draw will take place 12pm GMT and will be streamed live on UEFA’s website and on their official YouTube channel. It will also be live on TNT Sports 2.

When are the Europa League knockout phase play-offs?

The first legs of the knockout phase play-offs will be played on February 13.

The return legs will be played the following week on February 20.

When is the Europa League round-of-16 draw?

The draws for the round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final will all take place on February 21.

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Jamie Redknapp has revealed Harry Kane’s assessment of his Bayern Munich teammate Mathys Tel as Tottenham close in on a move for the young forward.

Tel put a host of top European clubs on red alert when he told Bayern that he would like to leave the club before the end of the January transfer window.

The Frenchman has started just four games in all competitions this season and has found regular minutes hard to come by in Vincent Kompany’s side, in part due to the goalscoring exploits of former Spurs captain Kane.

However, his former side may now be the beneficiary of Tel’s desire to move, with reports suggesting that the north London club have agreed a €60 million (£50.2m) deal to sign the 19-year-old.

The versatile forward has also attracted interest from Manchester and Chelsea but has not made a final decision on which club he will join.

However, if Tel does choose to join Spurs then Kane believes his former club will have picked up a great talent, according to Redknapp.

‘He’s a very talented player, that’s for sure,’ Redknapp said when asked about Tel on Sky Sports News.

’19 years of age and Tottenham have obviously signed a lot of good young playuers in the las few years. That seems to be the profile of what they are trying to get.

‘I messaged Harry Kane earlier on and he was very complimentary about him.

‘First of all, he said he was a great guy; wants to work, good trainer, a good finisher and has a lot of potential.’

Redknapp, however, did raise a concern about the sizeable fee that Tottenham have agreed to pay for Tel and questioned whether the Frenchman will get the regular minutes he craves in Ange Postecoglou’s side.

‘It’s a lot of money, 50 million, for a 19 year old,’ he added. ‘You can’t think of too many others players at that age that have cost much more.

‘He can play across the line… but there’s still Son (Heung-Min), there’s still (Dejan) Kulusevski and (Dominic) Solanke when he is fit.

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‘So there’s probably not a guarantee that he’ll come in as a regular starter but trying to get in front of Harry Kane at Bayern Munich is not easy as we know.’

Tel, however, will likely provide some immediate respite and cover for Spurs’ squad which remains ravaged by injury.

James Maddison was the latest key player to be ruled out due to injury, meaning Tottenham are without eight senior first-team players due to various knocks.

There was some positive news, though, with centre-back Micky van de Ven able to make his return having played just once since late October due to two separate hamstring injuries.

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Tottenham have agreed a €60 million (£50.2m) deal with Bayern Munich to sign Mathys Tel, according to reports in France.

Tel has put several Premier League clubs on alert by informing Bayern that he wants to leave before the end of the January transfer window.

Spurs, who have signed Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky for £12.5m earlier this month, have moved quickly to sign Tel as the club’s sporting director, Johan Lange, travelled to Germany to hold direct talks with Bayern on Wednesday.

According to L’Equipe, Spurs have now agreed a fee for Tel worth €60 million (£50.2m).

However, the report adds that Tel is yet to make a final decision over his next club.

Earlier this month, Chelsea made an approach to sign Tel but it’s understood that the 19-year-old is reluctant to move to Stamford Bridge due to the strong competition for a place in Enzo Maresca’s attack.

Manchester United have also expressed an interest but would need to offload Alejandro Garnacho first before making a move for Tel. Both Chelsea and Napoli have held talks over a deal for Garnacho this month but United are holding out for a £55m transfer fee.

Arsenal were also linked with Tel this week but Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be prioritising a move for Ollie Watkins after their £60m bid was rejected by Aston Villa this week.

Tel, who was signed in a €28.5 million (£24.4m) deal from Rennes in July 2022, has started just three games for Bayern this season.

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, revealed that Tel had asked to leave the club as he is unhappy with his lack of playing time.

‘Mathys decided at the time [in December] that he wanted to stay, that he wanted to assert himself. Now Mathys comes along and says that he can imagine doing something,’ Eberl said.

‘And now we have to think about what we are going to do, whether we are going to do it.

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‘The playing time is not satisfactory for him, and that is understandable.

‘It is now the end of January. And now it is more difficult for everyone involved. We have to see what is ultimately best for everyone involved, for Mathys and for Bayern Munich.’

Asked whether Tel will leave on loan or a permanent transfer, Eberl replied: ‘We will assess all the options.

‘It was very rare that so many clubs called.’

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Tottenham have stepped up their efforts to sign Bayern Munich winger Mathys Tel ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Several Premier League clubs are on alert after Tel informed Bayern that he is keen to leave before the end of the January transfer window in order to secure more playing time.

The 19-year-old was handed only his third start of the season on Wednesday evening and played just over an hour in Bayern’s 3-1 victory against Slovan Bratislava in the final Champions League match before the play-offs.

Chelsea, United and Arsenal are all considering a move for Tel but L’Equipe reports that Spurs’ technical director, Johan Lange, travelled to Germany to hold direct talks with Bayern and to convince the French winger about joining Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The report adds that Tel has not made a final decision over his next club, although it’s understood that the winger is reluctant to join Chelsea due to the strong competition for a starting role in Enzo Maresca’s side.

Speaking on Wednesday night, Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, revealed that Tel had changed his mind about his future at Bayern.

‘Mathys decided at the time [in December] that he wanted to stay, that he wanted to assert himself. Now Mathys comes along and says that he can imagine doing something,’ Eberl said.

‘And now we have to think about what we are going to do, whether we are going to do it.

‘The playing time is not satisfactory for him, and that is understandable.

‘It is now the end of January. And now it is more difficult for everyone involved. We have to see what is ultimately best for everyone involved, for Mathys and for Bayern Munich.’

Asked whether Tel will leave on loan or a permanent transfer, Eberl replied: ‘We will assess all the options.

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‘It was very rare that so many clubs called.’

Speaking after his side’s win on Wednesday night, Bayern goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was asked about Tel’s desire to leave before the end of the window.

‘It is definitely important for young players to gain match practice,’ Neuer said.

‘He didn’t get enough of that with us. Maybe it’s the right step for him.’

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Tottenham look set to keep faith with manager Ange Postecoglou despite their latest bruising defeat to Leicester City at the weekend.

A dramatic five-minute turnaround at the start of the second half saw relegation-threatened Leicester claim a shock 2-1 away win to end their eight-match Premier League winless run.

In turn, the Foxes condemmed Spurs to their fourth league defeat on the bounce to intensy the pressure on Postecoglou and his injury-stricken squad.

The north London side were without ten senior first-team players for Sunday’s game after James Maddison missed out due to a knock, while Richarlison and Pape Matar Sarr were forced off early due to a lack of fitness.

Regardless of the squad’s injury crisis, there is now mounting pressure on the club to relieve Postecoglou of his duties with key Carabao Cup and FA Cup games on the horizon.

However, football.london are reporting that the club will still standing by the under-pressure Australian for the time being as the club navigate the end of the transfer window and an ongoing injury crisis.

Tottenham have made just one signing this window, Czechia goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, but are said to be hopeful of signing at least one more player before the deadline closes in a week’s time.

Spurs’ hectic schedule shows no signs of abating, with the club facing a four-day turnaround before they host Elfsborg in the Europa League on Thursday.

The north London side then face a tricky visit to Brentford in the league on the weekend before their midweek Carabao Cup second-leg tie against Liverpool at Anfield.

When asked on Sunday about his job security, Posteoclou conceded that he doesn’t know if he will still be in charge by the end of that mini-run of crucial fixtures.

‘Who knows. I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say no,’ he said.

‘When you are the manager of a football club you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that.

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‘I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.

‘My role within that is to try and support these players. I can even see in training when the guys who are coming back come back in it is going to give everybody a lift.

‘As I keep saying to the players, there is a fantastic opportunity this season to really make an impact and I know we can.

‘But in terms of your question, is there anything I can say about that that is going to change anything that I need to do tomorrow morning? Nothing.’

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