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Morgan Rogers has brushed off rumours linking him with a big-money move this summer, saying it ‘means everything’ to have the ‘love’ and backing of Unai Emery at Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder enjoyed the most productive season of his career last term after racking up eight goals and ten assists in the Premier League to help Villa secure a sixth-place finish.

But Rogers’ eye-catching performances – which saw him named PFA Young Player of the Year – caught the attention of Chelsea and Tottenham and there was speculation that the England international could be set for the exit door at Villa Park before the transfer deadline.

And while Rogers ultimately stayed put, with Villa reportedly demanding a fee of £100million for the forward, it’s believed the two London clubs remain admirers and could step up their interest again in the future.

For now, though, Rogers remains fully focussed on the task at hand at Villa, with the club enduring a difficult start to the campaign having picked up just one point from their three opening games.

Emery’s side will look to get back to winning ways when they return to top-flight action away to David Moyes’ Everton.

Asked about the support he has from Emery and speculation he could have left Villa this summer, Rogers told talkSPORT: ‘It means everything as a player, when you feel wanted, when you feel loved, when you feel like they want you to be there and they want you to be a key member of the squad.

‘It’s alright having outside noise and fans liking you, that’s one thing, but to have the manager, he’s the one that makes the decisions, picks the teams.

‘To have that real backing and that real love behind you, that means everything to me.

‘He just allows me to play football and express myself and he knows like me, I’m not always going to get it right or be perfect, but he trusts me to this point where he knows that I’m going to give it my all.

‘If it works then great and, if it doesn’t, we move on to the next game and go again and we try even harder.

‘To have that manager behind me is perfect and it’s just what I needed at this time in my career.’

Rogers will be hoping for minutes over the coming days as England continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with a double-header against Andorra and Serbia.

The Villa star has been capped six times at senior level and is desperate to put his hand up for selection ahead of next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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‘It’s a little boy’s dream of representing your country at a World Cup, in a major tournament, and it’s something I’ve thought about since I was a young kid and all the way through the age groups with England,’ Rogers said of his World Cup aspirations.

‘But I think there’s a lot in between that and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.

‘I know what I need to focus on and that will take care of itself and if I start chasing things and thinking too far ahead, that’s when I can get in a bit of trouble and start thinking about the wrong things.

‘Of course it’s a dream and it’s in the back of my mind, but it will stay in the back of mind until the time is here.’

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Tottenham’s £35m summer signing Mathys Tel has not been included in the club’s Champions League squad in a shock decision.

Tel spent time on loan at Spurs from Bayern Munich last season before Tottenham made the move permanent in the summer transfer window.

The France U21 international is yet to start under Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as Spurs head coach in June.

Tel has only played for a total of 19 minutes in the Premier League so far this season across Tottenham’s opening three top-flight matches.

The forward, who can also play as a winger, came off the bench against Burnley and AFC Bournemouth and was an unused substitute in Spurs’ 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Tel will now not feature in the Champions League for Tottenham after UEFA confirmed the 22-player Spurs A list on Wednesday.

Which other players have Spurs omitted?

Tel is not the only player left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad with Yves Bissouma omitted too.

Bissouma has yet to play this term and has been told that he’s not in Frank’s plans with the 29-year-old midfielder very much up for sale.

Saudi teams can make signings until September 23 despite the Premier League transfer deadline on Monday with Spurs hoping to offload him.

Tottenham’s long-term injury absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have not been named in the Champions League squad either.

‘Mathys Tel is an average player’

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes his former club made a mistake by permanently signing Tel in the summer transfer window.

‘I’ve not been convinced by Mathys Tel,’ O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport. ‘He was a ‘try before you buy’ loan signing and I wouldn’t say he impressed on the pitch.

‘I understand that he’s young but he’s an average player in my estimation. It seems like Tottenham have signed him because he might come good in the future.

‘But is Tel really going to make a difference at Spurs? I’m not sure. [His] price tag [was] no meagre fee either.

‘I’d rather Mikey Moore play ahead of Tel! He’s come through the academy and is a great home-grown talent.

‘Giving Moore the experience of playing in the Premier League would be far more rewarding long-term than Tel. Moore’s got a high ceiling and could be a fantastic player for Spurs in the future.’

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Mikel Arteta’s final summer signing Piero Hincapie says it took ‘only one conversation’ to convince him to join Arsenal despite interest from Tottenham.

Spurs were believed to be leading the race to sign Hincapie, who made it clear to Bayer Leverkusen that he wanted to leave before the transfer deadline.

But Arsenal expressed interest in a deal late in the summer window and reports said Hincapie immediately favoured a move to the Gunners.

The Ecuador international completed his move to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day on an initial loan deal which is expected to become a permanent £45m transfer next summer.

Asked about his decision to join Arsenal, Arteta’s eighth signing of the summer said: ‘It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I’m over the moon.

‘I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season.

‘I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that’s the most important thing.’

Hincapie made 166 appearances for his former club Bayer Leverkusen and helped the German side win the Bundesliga title in 2023-24.

Granit Xhaka was also a key member of Leverkusen’s title-winning squad and Hincapie spoke to the ex-Arsenal captain before his move to north London.

‘We’d speak a lot but not about [Arsenal],’ he added. ‘However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point, and I queried him about how things were here.

‘He spoke wonders about the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation that we had at that point, and it wasn’t that recent.

‘He did send me a message recently, though. He always spoke well of the club.’

Hincapie will wear the No. 5 shirt at Arsenal and strengthen Arteta’s defensive options as a player who can play centrally or on the left.

‘I think I can bring a lot of courage,’ he said. ‘I do my job well.

‘I want to show my qualities as I’ve been doing for years. I want to give so much for this club.

‘My best position is centre-back. I’ve played many games at full-back as well, but I think I’m best at centre-back.

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‘As for my qualities, I’m pacey and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.’

Arsenal sanctioned Jakub Kiwior’s move to Porto after agreeing a deal to sign Hincapie.

The Gunners also sent Oleksandr Zinchenko on loan to Nottingham Forest before the summer transfer window shut.

‘I’m so happy to join Nottingham Forest,’ the Ukrainian defender said. ‘So excited for the season ahead. I can’t wait to meet you all in the stadium.’

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Thomas Frank says he understands Tottenham fans who booed the team in the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Frank has now suffered his first Premier League defeat in charge of Spurs as Evanilson’s goal in the fifth minute was enough to secure the victory.

Spurs struggled to create chances throughout the game and registered just one shot on target.

Boos were heard at both half time and full time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Frank admits his side did not ‘hit the level we should’.

‘I would prefer them not to boo,’ Frank said when asked about the reaction from Spurs supporters.

‘But I understand it was not a good performance today and they have high expectations which is absolutely fair.

‘I think, let’s say we’ve performed even better and we still lose the football match, today I don’t feel like we hit the level we should.

‘I think the players gave everything, I think that’s their foundation, they put their heart out there but football-wise we didn’t hit our top level today.’

Frank added: ‘I think it’s fair to say we didn’t defend as well as we should do and we have done in the first three days, that I’m quite confident we’ll come back to defend well again.

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‘I’d say the creativity, that’s why we signed Simons to have an extra offensive player.

‘But I also think on the day, with all due respect to our front four players, none of them hit a high level, and that happens sometimes.

‘I don’t want to say it’s okay but it’s natural.’

Asked what Simons can bring to his Spurs side, Frank replied: ‘I think he can bring on a day where our structure building up and all that, it’s not only about all that, then sometimes you need a player who can do a little bit out of nothing – go past a player, produce a cross, a shot, that extra quality you need on the day.’

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Xavi Simons has completed his £52million transfer to Tottenham and revealed that Thomas Frank convinced him to join Spurs over Chelsea.

All summer, Simons had been linked with a big money move to Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca making the RB Leipzig star one of his top targets.

It was thought the player was desperate to get the deal done, even missing some of pre-season training in an attempt to push through a move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League.

However, Chelsea never made a formal offer for the Netherlands international, instead prioritising a £40m bid for Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho.

That allowed Tottenham to swoop in this week and secure the services of the highly-rated 22-year-old, who has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further two seasons.

The transfer has come as a bit of surprise given it was thought Simons was very keen on joining rivals Chelsea but changed his mind upon speaking to Spurs boss Frank earlier this week.

‘I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time,’ Simons told Tottenham’s official website.

‘It’s a great Club and when I met the Head Coach I knew straight away that this was the right place for me.

‘First of all, the project, I think it suits me. The second thing, I think the most important thing for me, is the coach. I spoke to him, he showed me a presentation that really impacted me and that was the final decision for me.

‘The right coach, the right people and I really believe that we will achieve really good things here.

Xaxi Simons RB Leipzig stats:

Appearances: 78

Goals: 22

Assists: 24

Trophies: DFL-Super Cup (2023)

‘I will bring flair to the team but also hard work and discipline. I want to do everything I can to win, for the team and also for the fans.’

Simons will wear the No.7 shirt, recently vacated by club legend Son Heung-min, but he has not arrived in time to play Bournemouth on Saturday.

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It is a huge win in the transfer market for Tottenham who embarrassingly missed out on their first-choice attacking midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze earlier this summer, with the latter’s transfer hijacked by arch-rivals Arsenal.

‘I’m really pleased we have brought Xavi in – he is a great addition to the squad,’ Frank said on Friday.

‘He is still young, however he already has good experience and, over the past few years, has played a lot of games at the top level.

‘Xavi has proven his ability to get goals and assists, both from the number 10 position and left-wing. He also has a great eye for his team-mates in terms of unlocking defences, and I know he will come in and be part of a good team that is already working hard together.’

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Gary Lineker would love to see Tottenham sign an ‘incredible’ England star who is also a top target for rivals Chelsea.

It has been a frustrating summer for Spurs and new manager Thomas Frank who have long-needed to sign an attacking midfielder after Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison suffered long-term injuries.

They looked set to buy Morgan Gibbs-White but the move was cancelled after Nottingham Forest threatened legal action, believing Tottenham’s approach was illegal, with the player going on to sign a contract extension.

Frank then turned to Eberechi Eze and agreed a deal for the Crystal Palace talisman, only for Arsenal to match their offer at the last minute, with the life-long Gunners fan choosing to move to the Emirates instead.

Fans were annoyed after that embarrassment but they’ve been able to get some revenge by hijacking Chelsea’s £52million transfer for Xavi Simons.

The RB Leipzig star had been linked with Stamford Bridge all summer but the two clubs were unable to agree a transfer fee and instead he is heading to north London to sign a five-year contract with the option of two further seasons.

It’s a big boost for Spurs and there is the possibility of further additions before the transfer window shuts on Monday.

Another attacking player linked with both the Blues and the Lilywhites is Morgan Rogers who was recently named PFA Young Player of the Season after a fantastic campaign at Aston Villa.

Missing out on Simons could prompt Chelsea to make a late move for the Three Lions star who is valued at £80m.

But Lineker believes his former club should go all in for the 23-year-old, telling The Rest is Football podcast: ‘I’ve seen Morgan Rogers linked with Tottenham.

‘I’m sorry Villa fans, I think that’d be an incredible signing for Spurs. I think they [Villa] might have PSR problems.

‘And given the disappointments of missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, I think that would more than make up for things. He’s a player.’

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‘He’s got to stay. He can’t go anywhere. It’d be a great signing, but they can’t,’ fellow pundit and ex-Villa star Micah Richards added.

‘If they were to get rid of him, [Unai] Emery might as well leave. What’s the point selling all the young talent? How is he supposed to build?

‘But if Spurs could get him, it’d be a heck of a signing. He’s a proper player.’

Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Manchester City winger Savinho, while Chelsea are finally set to sign Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho for £40m.

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Tottenham are on the brink of signing Chelsea target Xavi Simons with the Netherlands international competing his medical ahead of a move to north London.

Chelsea have chased a deal for the RB Leipzig star throughout the summer but with no deal agreed, it left the door open for their London rivals to swoop.

Spurs have already been stung in the transfer market this summer, missing out on long-term target Eberechi Eze after Arsenal launched a late swoop for the Crystal Palace star.

But it is now Tottenham’s turn to celebrate beating their rivals to the punch with Simons’ arrival imminent.

The Athletic report personal terms are in place with the attacking midfielder completing his medical on Thursday.

Spurs launched their opening offer yesterday with RB Leipzig granting him permission to travel to London.

Chelsea were believed to be weighing up a late offer but their focus on other business allowed Spurs to get in and get the deal done.

Chelsea had been hoping to sign both Simons and Alejandro Garnacho before the transfer window closes on Monday.

A £40million deal to sign the Manchester United winger is in place with the Blues raising additional funds through the sale of Christopher Nkunku who is set to join AC Milan.

Tottenham meanwhile have been eager to bring in another attacking option with James Maddison sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Dejan Kulusevski also remains sidelined.

In addition to Eze, Spurs also missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White who instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

Simons will become Tottenham’s fourth signing of the summer with Mohammad Kudus also strengthening their attacking options after arriving from West Ham United.

Mathys Tel’s loan move from Bayern Munich was made permanent while Joao Palhinha has joined on loan from the German giants.

Tottenham have until 12pm today to register Simons in time for him to make his debut on Saturday against Bournemouth.

But a more likely date for his first appearance could be away to West Ham United on 13 September following the international break.

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Tottenham have begun talks to sign RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons ahead of Chelsea, according to reports.

Chelsea have held extensive talks to sign Simons before Monday’s transfer deadline but have been unable to agree a fee with RB Leipzig, who are holding out for a deal worth €70 million (£60.4m).

The Bundesliga side have already rejected a swap offer from Chelsea for Simons which would have seen Christopher Nkunku return to his former club.

According to The Telegraph, Spurs have now joined the race for Simons and Thomas Frank’s side are ‘optimistic’ that the 22-year-old would be open to a move.

The report adds that there will also be ‘nervousness’ around Spurs after they saw their move for Eberechi Eze hijacked by Arsenal this month.

Simons appeared to be close to joining Chelsea at the start of the month after he was left out of RB Leipzig’s pre-season friendly against Atalanta but the Netherlands international played a full 90 minutes in the 6-0 defeat to Bayern Munich last Friday.

Speaking after the team’s loss in their opening Bundesliga game of the new campaign, RB Leipzig’s sporting director, Marcel Schafer, maintained the club will not prevent Simons from leaving but insisted the deal must be ‘right for everyone’.

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‘We are generally known for enabling players to take the next step. He has expressed his desire to take the next step,’ Schafer said.

‘Basically, we’re open and won’t block any players. But only if all the parameters are right for everyone involved. And that hasn’t been the case so far.

‘If we notice that things are going in a certain direction, then we’re prepared to take one or two players off.

‘That really hasn’t been the case so far. And that’s why he played today.’

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Tottenham appear to have given Arsenal a free run at signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, according to reports.

Hincapie has been an ever-present figure for Leverkusen in recent years, but has expressed his desire to leave the club before the transfer deadline.

The Ecuador international can play at centre-back or left-back and has a £52million release clause in his current deal.

And despite having already spent heavily this summer, Arsenal are now reportedly eyeing up a deal for Hincapie as they look to add more depth to their defensive options.

Cristhian Mosquera has already joined the Gunners this summer from Valencia, but Mikel Arteta’s side may still move to bring in another centre-back should Jakub Kiwior depart for Porto.

Hincapie is already said to have agreed on personal terms with Arsenal for a long-term deal, and the Gunners are now preparing their first bid for the defender.

Reports last week had also linked Tottenham with a move for Hincapie as they look to add more defensive cover to Thomas Frank’s side.

But Spurs are now said not to be interested in a deal for the 23-year-old, according to The Athletic.

It has already proved a difficult window for Tottenham, who have missed out on several key targets, most notably Eberechi Eze who has now joined arch-rivals Arsenal.

Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai are Spurs’ only permanent signings so far this summer.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have already taken their summer spending beyond the £200m mark after the signing of Eze from Crystal Palace.

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The attacking midfielder became Arteta’s seventh summer signing following Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Mosquera and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

And speaking over the weekend, Arteta hinted that Arsenal’s summer dealings could still continue right up until the deadline.

‘We are all with big smiles on our faces, understanding that we have done really well, but the market is not closed,’ the Spaniard said.

‘We have to stay very alert because there are a lot of things that can happen. But, so far so good.’

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Tottenham have been urged to hijack a Chelsea transfer deal after missing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.

Spurs were closing in on a significant deal for England star Eze before their north London rivals Arsenal swooped in and agreed a deal with Crystal Palace.

New Tottenham boss Thomas Frank targeted Eze after losing both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to injury.

Eze had agreed personal terms with Spurs but then approved a move to Arsenal after the Gunners agreed a £68m deal with Palace.

He became Mikel Arteta’s seventh summer signing and will bolster an Arsenal squad that have aspirations of winning the Premier League this season.

It is a major blow to Tottenham, who have enjoyed a superb start to the new season under Frank, and will likely see the north London club pursue another attacking player before the transfer window shuts.

Spurs have expressed interest in signing Savinho from Manchester City and the Brazil international is believed to be keen on the move.

But Sir Alex Ferguson’s former Manchester United assistant Rene Meulensteen believes Tottenham should also consider hijacking Chelsea’s deal for Xavi Simons.

Chelsea have been working on a deal for the Netherlands international for weeks but are yet to agree terms with RB Leipzig, who are holding out for an offer of £60m.

Discussing Simons’ options in the Premier League, Meulensteen told CoinPoker: ‘It’s interesting to see, but he has to be in one of those top teams to succeed in the Premier League.

‘He’s mobile, he’s really a player that drifts between the lines, behind the pockets, he can be the man.

‘But where he ends up, if he ends up in the Premier League, is yet to be seen.

‘Tottenham? That could be a really good option. With James Maddison out, that could be a really good option.

‘Manchester United? He is somebody that plays in the position that Matheus Cunha or Mason Mount will be playing in. Bryan Mbeumo is probably going to play in that position. Bruno Fernandes plays in that position.

‘At Liverpool, no, because they brought Florian Wirtz in. Arsenal have got their player in that position with Martin Odegaard.’

Tottenham appear to be going in the right direction under Frank, beating Burnley on the opening day before stunning Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

But they have missed out on one of the most exciting players in the Premier League in Eze in a situation Jamie Redknapp described as a ‘nightmare’ for Spurs owner Daniel Levy.

‘It’s a nightmare situation for them,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘It’s unfortunately typical of what happens at Tottenham with Daniel Levy.

‘It was an opportunity to get someone across the line, they had two weeks – probably haggling, trying to mess around with the deal instead of just paying the money, saying ‘this is the exit clause, this is what you’ve got to pay, this is what Eberechi Eze wants’. Get it done.

Thomas Frank reacts to Eberechi Eze transfer blow

‘In general I don’t want any players that don’t want to come to this club and wear this fantastic badge. We don’t want them here and I’m sure the fans feel the same.

‘We are in the market and we will look to strengthen the team. We have a good squad and good players [but] we need to do everything we can to be as competitive as possible.

‘I am confident we will sign a player before the end of the window. Every club wants to sign players as early as possible, but it’s not that easy.’

‘This is one of those players that is going to make such a difference. You’ve not got James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski looks like he’s out for a while. They’ve slept and Arsenal have come in.

‘It’s a great move for Arsenal. I’m so disappointed because I thought he’d have been a magnificent No. 10 for Tottenham. He’d have been perfect for them.

‘But it’s happened before, it happened with Morgan Gibbs-White earlier in the season and we’ve seen it again. Over-negotiating. Just get the deal done.’

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Eze was unveiled at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday before Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 win over newly-promoted Leeds United.

Discussing the signing, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said: ‘He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game.

‘What stands out just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player, is the way he has worked hard throughout his career to get where he is today.

‘His journey, his mentality and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club.’

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