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Tottenham are looking to hold onto a slender lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool tonight.

A place in the final at Wembley on 16 March now looms with Newcastle United awaiting the winner after sending Arsenal packing on Wednesday night.

Spurs hold the advantage ahead of kick-off. Lucas Bergvall’s late strike in north London in early January left them in control of the tie but they know full well how Liverpool can punish them having conceded six in their league meeting in December.

After that first leg win, Ange Postecoglou’s side managed just one win in their next four domestic matches – that coming against non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup – before some of the gloom was lifted thanks to an impressive win away to Brentford on Sunday.

January additions have also helped renew optimism with injuries still wreaking havoc on the manager’s plans.

Mathys Tel completed his loan move from Bayern Munich on deadline day and is in contention to make his debut tonight.

Tottenham also bolstered their battered backline with the signing of Kevin Danso from Lens on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. He is another who could come straight into the side.

His arrival follows yet another injury blow at the back with Radu Dragusin set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery.

Cristian Romero is back in training but Spurs are understandably cautious over his return with ‘some work he needs to do’ before he will be considered for a return, Postecoglou said last week.

Micky van de Ven meanwhile made his long awaited return in the Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday but will not be part of the squad on Merseyside.

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke remain on the injured list along with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Liverpool meanwhile tightened their grip on top spot in the Premier League with a win over high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday but were handed an injury scare when Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off.

Arne Slot revealed the right-back asked to be taken off, admitting he would be ‘surprised’ if he played on Thursday night.

But Alexander-Arnold has avoided any serious injury and is unlikely to be ruled out for any significant amount of time.

Conor Bradley is ready to step and replace him tonight.

With Joe Gomez back in training, Slot has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Predicted Liverpool XI to face Tottenham

Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravernberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Diaz

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Liverpool

Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

Where to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham? Kick-off time and TV channel

Liverpool vs Tottenham kicks off at 8pm on Thursday 6 February.

Live coverage is available on ITV 1, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with a live stream available on the Sky Go app and NOW TV.

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Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are in line to make their Tottenham debuts against Liverpool in this week’s Carabao Cup semi-final decider.

In a frantic conclusion to the January transfer window, Tel arrived in north London from Bayern Munich on loan with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Arsenal and Manchester United were both interested in the 19-year-old but it was Spurs who were able to get the deal over the line.

Danso arrived earlier in the week to boost Tottenham’s battered backine, securing the Austria international’s services having beaten Wolves to his signature.

Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory over Arne Slot’s side in the first leg of their semi-final tie early in January but face a daunting trip to Anfield on Thursday.

With injuries at the back and up top severely limiting Ange Postecoglou’s options, the Tottenham boss will have both his new signings available on Merseyside.

Postecoglou said: ‘Kevin [Danso] and Mathys [Tel] are both available, have trained and cleared to play, so they’re all good.’

Spurs are without first choice striker Dominic Solanke who is recovering from a knee injury with Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and James Maddison among the long list of absentees.

Tel, who can play across the front three, will hope to slot straight in.

Danso, who joined on loan from Lens in a deal that includes an obligation to buy this summer, could start with Cristian Romero still working his way back to full fitness and Radu Dragusin this week sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Micky van de Ven made his return from injury in the 3-0 win over Elfsborg in the Europa League on Thursday but was left out of the squad that beat Brentford at the weekend.

The Netherlands international is another who won’t be involved on Thursday but Postecoglou insisted the Netherlands he has not suffered a setback with the club carefully managing his return to action.

‘With Micky, and Romero to a certain extent, I kind of feel we have to be conservative with them, Postecoglou said.

‘Micky got through the game (against Elfsborg last Thursday) alright but I don’t think he feels ready for the step up in intensity to the Premier League.

‘After losing Radu, and this is my view, I don’t want to risk losing them. The other guys are inching closer as well.’

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Tottenham could unleash their new signings as they look to hold onto a slender lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Lucas Bergvall’s late strike in north London in early January put Spurs in control of the tie ahead of this week’s second leg at Anfield.

Ange Postecoglou’s side managed just one win in their next four domestic matches – that coming against non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup – before some of the gloom was lifted thanks to an impressive win away to Brentford on Sunday.

January additions have also helped renew optimism with injuries still wreaking havoc on the manager’s plans.

Mathys Tel completed his loan move from Bayern Munich on deadline day and could be in line to make his debut midweek should Postecoglou deem him fit enough to come right into the side.

Tottenham also bolstered their battered backline with the signing of Kevin Danso from Lens on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. He is another who could come straight into the side.

His arrival follows yet another injury blow at the back with Radu Dragusin set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery.

Cristian Romero is back in training but Spurs are understandably cautious over his return with ‘some work he needs to do’ before he will be considered for a return, Postecoglou said last week.

Micky van de Ven meanwhile made his long awaited return in the Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday but was not in the squad that made the short trip to Brentford at the weekend.

While he is fit again, the Dutchman’s minutes are being managed carefully at this stage.

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke remain on the injured list along with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Liverpool meanwhile tightened their grip on top spot in the Premier League with a win over high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday but were handed an injury scare when Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off.

Arne Slot revealed the right-back asked to be taken off, admitting he would be ‘surprised’ if he played on Thursday night.

But Alexander-Arnold is believed to have avoided any serious injury and is unlikely to be ruled out for any significant amount of time. But Conor Bradley looks likely to step and replace him on Merseyside this week.

With Joe Gomez back in training, Slot has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Predicted Liverpool XI to face Tottenham

Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravernberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Diaz

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Liverpool

Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

Where to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham? Kick-off time and TV channel

Liverpool vs Tottenham kicks off at 8pm on Thursday 6 February.

Live coverage is available on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with a live stream available on the Sky Go app and NOW TV.

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Manchester United passed up the chance to sign Mathys Tel ahead of Tottenham as they considered the deal too expensive, according to reports.

Tel initially rejected a move to Tottenham last Friday after Spurs agreed a €60 million (£50.2m) deal with Bayern Munich.

However, the 19-year-old had a change of heart and ended up joining Spurs on loan on the final day of the January transfer window.

Spurs were also able to include an option to buy Tel this summer for €55m (£45.7m) as part of their agreement with Bayern.

United had held talks to sign Tel in the closing stages of the window but The Telegraph report that the club considered Bayern’s demand for a £5m loan fee to be an ‘expensive risk’ for a player who is ‘largely unproven’.

Tel, who joined Bayern in a €28.5m (£24.4m) deal from Rennes in July 2022, has started just three games for the Bundesliga leaders this season.

Gary Neville has backed Tel to make an impact at Spurs, with Ange Postecoglou’s side still in with a chance of winning the Europa League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this season.

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‘Tottenham are a huge draw, the stadium and the training ground and the manager with his style of football. It’s a thrilling style that creates chances,’ Neville told Sky Sports News.

‘I’m glad Tel is going there after flirting with a couple of other clubs. Tel will improve Spurs.

‘They have a big couple of weeks coming up. Sometimes players like the idea of playing for a club but the important thing is to play football. That’s what Tottenham can provide him.

‘They are an amazing football club with an amazing fanbase and they have some great games coming up that he can contribute in.’

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Tottenham made a shock attempt to sign a top Chelsea and Liverpool target amid their chaotic end to the January transfer window.

With Monday’s transfer deadline fast approaching, Spurs have tried to make a number of big name moves happen as they look to rescue their season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side agreed deals to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan and Axel Disasi from Chelsea – only for all three to turn them down.

Tel continues to court interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, while Disasi could join Aston Villa on loan instead.

Tomori and Disasi were targeted given Tottenham’s injury crisis at centre-back and the club have at the very least been able to sign Kevin Danso after they hijacked Wolves’ move for the Lens defender.

But it has now been reported that Spurs have also made an ambitious move to buy a centre-back from a Premier League rival.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the Lilywhites made a bid for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi over the weekend but it was rejected.

Other reports claim that the offer was worth up to £70million

The England international will stay at Selhurst Park but remains on Tottenham’s shortlist and is set to be the subject of an epic transfer saga this summer.

Guehi has long been on the radar of top clubs around Europe, with interest only growing after his superb performances at Euro 2024.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in his services but only Newcastle attempted to sign him last summer, with their third and final bid worth £65m.

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Palace were holding out for £70m but having failed to tie him down to a new contract, it seems very likely their captain will move on come the end of the season with his current deal expiring in 2026.

It is said the Eagles now want at least £40m for the 24-year-old whom they signed from Chelsea in 2021 for £18m, with the Blues are also very keen on bringing the Cobham graduate back to Stamford Bridge.

While Guehi is going nowhere right now, Palace are set to sign Ben Chilwell on loan from Chelsea providing he passes his medical on deadline day.

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Tottenham have had a loan offer for Axel Disasi accepted by Chelsea but the defender is pushing for a move to Aston Villa instead.

The 26-year-old has been short of game time this season, making just six Premier League appearances so far, with only four of those coming in the starting XI.

The Blues are open to the Frenchman leaving this month on loan, but they are not keen on sending him to a club they see as a direct competitior.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Tottenham have agreed a loan deal with Chelsea for the centre-back, but the player does not want to move across London.

Instead Disasi wants to join Aston Villa on a short-term deal, having already agreed terms with the Villains.

However, Chelsea do not want to send him to Villa Park as they see Unai Emery’s team as competition to finish in the Champions League places this season.

The winter transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, so all parties have some time to come to an agreement, but not a lot of time.

Spurs have already completed the signing of one defender this week, bringing in Kevin Danso from Lens.

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 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.

Tottenham got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory at Brentford on Sunday afternoon and manager Ange Postecoglou said he is keen to bring in another signing after Danso, if possible.

‘I think the club is still looking there for opportunities,’ said the Australian. ‘I’ve said all along they’ve been working hard and we don’t want to bring just anyone in, and sometimes that takes a bit longer, which is frustrating for everybody.

‘I guess it’s frustrating for the club, it’s frustrating for the players, it’s frustrating for me, but I’m really pleased we got Kevin in because he’s a good fit and if we can find another one then that’d be great.’

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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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