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Tottenham should be looking to spend far less as they look to recruit at the back.

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Tottenham should be moving to sign a Premier League title winner over a more pricey option they are reportedly interested in. Thomas Frank will be delighted with how his side has started the season, and particularly with the statement away win over Manchester City on Saturday.

But sustaining that level of performance while also juggling a Champions League campaign could be a tricky prospect, at least without the help of more bodies. As Tottenham saw last season, a bad run of injuries can quite easily cripple a team’s season, and they won’t want to run the risk of that happening again.

One of the areas Tottenham will be particularly paranoid about is the centre-back spot, given last season’s events, while Radu Dragusin is also out for at least a few more months, reducing the level of cover available.

Reports emerged on Monday claiming that Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie is of interest to the North London club, with a reported price tag of around £51million on the table. Though, it’s claimed Spurs would pursue a loan with an option to buy in a bid to keep their books ticking over.

Arsenal are also said to be interested, albeit they would likely need a couple of significant sales first due to their big spending this summer, but Spurs should be looking elsewhere in any case.

Spurs should look elsewhere

Tottenham are only realistically looking for a high quality back-up at this stage, given Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are the clear starters, and while it’s good to have intense competition, the Lilywhites have too many other areas in need of strengthening to be spending so much to have a starting calibre player on the bench.

The ideal signing would be Manchester City man Manuel Akanji, who is said to be on the move this summer, and for the bargain price of just £15million. Crystal Palace have been linked with a move as they contemplate replacing Marc Guehi, who is likely to leave, while Leverkusen could also move for the experienced defender if Hincapie leaves.

Fabrizio Romano has reported: “Manuel Akanji’s future will be discussed in the next days. Galatasaray agreed £15m deal with Man City but still no green light from the player. He’s also on Bayer Leverkusen shortlist if Piero Hincapié joins Arsenal.”

Akanji is now 30 years of age, hence the price, and he would be an ideal player for Spurs to sign, given he is good enough to compete for a starting job but not at his peak to the point of costing silly money.

Previously praising Akanji, Pep Guardiola said: “He trained one day and a half with us, but he showed what experience he has at Dortmund and what a good central defender Manchester City brought to us,” Guardiola declared. He has quality similar like Aymer (Laporte) - he can break the lines with the pass.

“Manuel is really intelligent and great with the ball. City brought me and the club a fantastic player. He’s a fantastic age at 27 and mature so yeah, really good. He reads really well the spaces, and I am very pleased for him.”

Millwall are set to lose one of their key players from last season to Championship rivals Sheffield United

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Sheffield United have agreed to a deal to sign former Tottenham Hotspur player Japhet Tanganga from Millwall, according to reports.

Millwall beat the Blades 1-0 at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon to make it two wins from their opening three Championship outings. The Lions beat Norwich City on the opening day at Carrow Road but lost 3-0 to Middlesbrough in their first home outing.

Luke Cundle scored the only goal of the game after 38 minutes as the London outfit recorded the win over last season’s beaten play-off finalists. Tanganga was not part of the squad as talks advanced over a potential move to Bramall Lane.

The 26-year-old came through Tottenham Hotspur’s academy and first arrived at Millwall on loan in January 2024. He then joined on a permanent deal last summer.

Alex Neil explains why Japhet Tanganga missed Sheffield United win

Speaking after his side’s win over the Blades, Lions boss Alex Neil insisted Tanganga was keen to play. He said: “What I can tell you about Japhet is, since I’ve been here, he has been nothing but a consummate professional and at no point did Japhet tell me, or anybody else, that he didn’t want to play today.

“Japhet wanted to play the game; he was available to play the game. The decision was made by me after I spoke to [club owner] Jimmy and [director of football] Steve Gallen.

“The fact that we took him out of the game, obviously, things [negotiations] have moved on. As far as I know, things are not at a conclusion stage just now.

“I had a good chat with Japhet earlier today, so we’ll see what transpires over the next couple of days."

Deal agreed for Japhet Tanganga to join Sheffield United

Talks now appear to have concluded with Tanganga heading to South Yorkshire. That is according to Sky Sports, who report a deal has been agreed between the clubs.

A medical is expected to take place soon in order to complete the move well in time before Monday’s 7pm transfer deadline. The Blades have lost all three of their Championship games so far this campaign and have also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Millwall will look to sign a replacement for Tanganga, as Neil insisted: “If players leave, then naturally we need to replace them. I think what’s obviously going to speed that up a little bit from our position is the fact that we’ve got so many injuries at the moment.”

The Lions face Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night before hosting Wrexham at the Den on Saturday. They return after the international break with a London derby against Charlton Athletic.

Tottenham Hotspur have shifted their attention to another Premier League target after missing out on Eberechi Eze.

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Tottenham Hotspur are still on the market for an Eberechi Eze replacement, after a last-minute change of heart saw him snub them for North London rivals Arsenal.

Spurs had been closing in on a deal for the former Crystal Palace star, having agreed terms with the player and been nearing the finalisation of an agreement with their Premier League rivals.

Despite Tottenham’s strong start to the Premier League season, it has still been a stinger for fans to see a major transfer target slip through their fingers and sign for their arch-rivals.

As frustrating as it this, there is no time to dwell on missed opportunities. The summer deadline is fast approaching and Spurs have just one week to finalise any remaining deals.

Tottenham ‘interested’ in Lucas Paqueta

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham are now ‘showing interest’ in West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta. Aston Villa are also said to be in the running for the Brazilian’s signature, who currently has two years left on his current contract.

Paqueta, who had been embroiled in betting allegations but later cleared of spot-fixing charges, is said to be ‘open to leaving’ West Ham in search of Champions League football.

Tottenham will compete in Europe’s most elite competition this season, thanks to their stunning Europa League triumph. This could play a significant part in any final approaches they may make before the transfer window slams shut in just a matter of days.

Paqueta opened his goalscoring account for the season in an otherwise dismal outing against Chelsea last weekend. The midfielder struck first but the Blues needed just a matter of minutes to flip the game on its head and run out 5-1 winners.

The Irons are bottom of the Premier League table after their first two games, having lost on both occasions and conceded eight goals in that time.

Aston Villa rival Spurs for Lucas Paqueta signing

Aston Villa are also looking to bolster their attack this summer and have their eye on Paqueta as well. They are also exploring potential deals for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who is not short of admirers as he nears a Stamford Bridge exit this summer.

Villa are looking to sign Jackson on loan for the season, as the arrivals of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap have seen him slip down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca.

While a new striker is a priority, Villa are also on the market for a midfielder. Paqueta will reportedly cost in the region of £60 million, as such a sum would allow West Ham to reinvest in much-needed reinforcements to see them through the first half of the season.

Villa may struggle to meet this asking price due to PSR restrictions, which could tilt the scales in Tottenham’s direction, should they be willing to spend the cash. Spurs had been willing to fork out for Eze, so they could make a last minute swoop for another Premier League rival.

Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have both missed out on a deal for an in-demand Championship ace

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Everton have booked a medical for Southampton ace Tyler Dibling after agreeing a deal for the Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace target worth £40m.

The Toffees have been pursuing the player for most of the summer but saw several bids rejected by Southampton. However, the Championship side have softened their stance on the player’s exit and brought down their valuation.

Last week, Sky Sports had claimed that Crystal Palace paused transfer interest in Leicester City man Bilal El Khannouss amid a £32 million fee being agreed with the Foxes in order to pursue a move for Dibling. Give Me Sport added weight to claims of the Eagles’ interest and claimed were ready to make a move with an offer that could reach up to £45m but that has not materialised.

Meanwhile, The Independent had reported that Tottenham Hotspur had also made an approach for the player. However, Paul Joyce of The Times reported on Sunday evening that Everton had agreed a deal worth £40m - with £35m up front and £40m in add-ons.

Tyler Dibling medical booked at Everton as Toffees win race

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also gave an update on the deal on Sunday night as he reported on X: “Everton medical for Tyler Dibling will take place in the next 24 hours after deal agreed with Southampton.”

Hopes of a late hijack from Spurs or Palace appear a complete non-starter with Everton virtually sealing a deal as they now look to complete the formalities and wrap up the transfer.

Dibling did not feature for Southampton over the weekend as they lost to 10-man Stoke City at St Mary’s Stadium. His only appearance was in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town in August 17 as he missed the club’s previous two outings due to transfer interest from Everton.

Both Spurs and Palace are in the market for forward options due to Eberechi Eze’s move to Arsenal. Spurs had agreed a deal to sign the 27-year-old from the Eagles but the Gunners made a late move to hijack the deal.

Eberechi Eze speaks about Arsenal move

Talking about his move to Arsenal, Eze admitted he always had an ambition to come back to the club. He supported the Gunners while growing up and played in the club’s youth system but was released.

He told the club website: “I've always thought: ‘Arsenal is where it's at, that's what I want to achieve, what I want to get to.’

“I've been on trial for four years, if I'm being honest. Every time I came to Arsenal, I looked at the seat that I used to sit on when I used to come to games with my brothers, and I've said every single time: ‘this is it - it's time, this is an opportunity.’ I'm not going to say I knew it was going to happen, but that's the feeling.

“As a player, I have a level of belief in myself. I've been playing how I've been playing, I've been developing this and that, and I had the heart that if it’s meant to be, it will happen, and I believe it will. But if it doesn't, I'm at peace because I know I'm giving everything. So for it to happen now and to be in this position, there is a bit more energy inside the tank.”

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to add some more reinforcements to strengthen their attack before the transfer window shuts

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Tottenham Hotspur are keen to add more attacking reinforcements ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline.

Spurs have missed out on a deal for Eberechi Eze after Arsenal made a late move to since the England international from Crystal Palace, after Tottenham had agreed on the signing.

It leaves Thomas Frank needing to sign another target ahead of the deadline in one week. Spurs have started the season in fine form, as they beat Burnley 3-0 on the opening weekend before a statement 2-0 victory at Manchester City on Saturday.

The North London outfit are back on home soil this weekend as they take on Bournemouth.

While Spurs have turned to other targets after missing out on Eze, they appear to have been thwarted in their attempts to sign another attacking midfield option.

Tottenham bid rejected for Nico Paz

Giving an update on the club’s search for a new signing, Fabrizio Romano said on X they have had a bid rejected for Nico Paz of FC Como.

He reported late on Sunday evening: “Tottenham bid worth €70m (£61m) package for Nico Páz has been turned down tonight.

“Páz wants to stay at Como with view on Real Madrid future + Real were gonna match any proposal in any case.

“Real have €10m buy back clause in 2026 but will compensate Como in future.”

Paz left Real Madrid for Como last year and the Spanish giants still hold an interest in the player - as highlighted by their intention to match Tottenham’s bid. They would only have been required to match the offer if it had been accepted.

Spurs have already had a £34.5m bid rejected by Como for Paz, who valued the player at around £61m but despite the North London club matching that valuation, their offer has been rebuffed.

The Serie A season kicked off this weekend with Como recording a 2-0 home win over Lazio, with Paz netting the second goal for the home side.

The Italian outfit are managed by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas. The Como boss said: “I’m very calm and relaxed, Nico is very happy here at Como. He’s a top, top player”.

Speaking about Spurs’ transfer business after their win over City, Thomas Frank said: “We have a strong squad that I believe a lot in. We would like to add a bit, but only if it can strengthen the squad.

“We are looking to add in, and hopefully succeed. I know the club is working very hard. I trust them.”

Djed Spence kept Oscar Bobb quiet against Manchester City and sent a rallying call to Premier League wingers.

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Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence appeared to send Antoine Semenyo and Jarrod Bowen a call to battle on social media following the 2-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

Thomas Frank made it two wins from two matches to begin the Premier League season with Spurs yet to concede a goal. It’s an impressive start given the team’s leaky performances last term, with no summer investment made in recruiting new defenders.

The win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium was particularly impressive given the attacking talent on offer for Pep Guardiola. Spence appeared to have particularly relished the challenge.

Djed Spence pens cheeky social media post

The 25-year-old went up against the talented Oscar Bobb to begin with and the Manchester City star was eventually replaced by England international Phil Foden. Spence helped his Spurs teammates to a clean sheet and, on social media platform Instagram after the match, he wrote: “Bring me your favourite winger.”

The Tottenham Hotspur star has fast earned a reputation as a fan favourite thanks to his humorous personality and sharing jokes online. The latest quip drew plenty of laughing faces with one user writing: “Add Oscar Bobb to the Djed Spence penitentiary.”

It’s a post that may have caught the attention of wingers Semenyo and Bowen with the two right sided forwards next up to go up against Spence. Tottenham Hotspur face AFC Bournemouth at home on Saturday before making the short trip to West Ham on September 13, following the international break.

AFC Bournemouth and West Ham next up for Spurs

Semenyo will go up against Spence in fine form. The Cherries star bagged a brace in the 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on the opening weekend and went on to register an assist in the 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bowen fronts a struggling West Ham team and is yet to find the back of the net himself this season. The 28-year-old did bag 13 league goals last season.

Spence looks to have taken a step up since working under Frank at Spurs, signing a new four-year contract with the club last week. Speaking about the manager when signing that deal, Spence said: “The new manager has been good with me, he speaks to me a lot and gives me confidence. I think that’s very important for a player.”

Tottenham Hotspur had seen their mentality criticised at times last season, especially in defence, but Spence’s social media post shows a team high on confidence. Speaking after the victory over Manchester City, Frank said: “I found a very strong mentality in the players. It was a group of players that has been through a tough season ending on a high. I think those tough moments holds them even closer together. Great mentality in many ways. And then we had to build on that.”

In other news, 'Brilliant': What ex Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou already said about Nottingham Forest amid links.

Another round of Premier League action is almost done and dusted with three of London’s clubs dominating the top of the table after two fixtures.

The final game of the weekend will be Newcastle United’s home clash with Liverpool on Monday night, with the Reds aiming for two wins from two. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are the only club with a 100 per cent record after two games.

The North London rivals have also yet to concede a goal with the Gunners beating Leeds United 5-0 on Saturday night. Spurs won 2-0 at Manchester City. Chelsea kicked off the round two action with a 5-1 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Friday night.

There’s still 36 matches to play and plenty of twists and turns are promised along the way, including those in the transfer market. Data experts at Opta have already boldly predicted how the final league table will shape up as well as the point’s tallies for all 20 teams.

With that in mind, we take a look at the forecast to assess who is going down, who will be crowned the champions and who will win the battle for the European spots.

Tottenham have been left with plenty of work to do in the final stages of the transfer window.

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Tottenham are now said to be eyeing as many as three signings before the window closes at the end of the month. It has been a tricky window for Spurs, who have managed to strengthen some key areas with the signings of Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha.

But with James Maddison out for much of the season, Thomas Frank now desperately needs an attacking midfielder, and there are other areas in need of more depth, including the striker position, although it looks as though other positions will take priority, especially with Richarlison looking like staying.

Tottenham looked set to land Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace on a £60million deal, but Arsenal swooped back in and wrapped up a deal. That leaves Tottenham still searching for an attacking midfielder, and it leaves them with a lot to do in general heading into the last week of the window.

Providing some insight on Tottenham’s plans, Michael Bridge of Sky Sports reported: “Tottenham Hotspur moved on from Eberechi Eze once it became clear he wanted to join Arsenal and they are now focusing on other targets. Spurs want to sign a No 10, a winger and a centre back ahead of the deadline.

"Several recent reports have linked Spurs with Tyler Dibling, but this is long-standing interest. There is interest in Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche. It could be a very busy final few weeks at Spurs and clubs are aware they are prepared to pay £60m on the desired player after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze for similar fees. Spurs feel they couldn't have done any more on both failed deals."

How the Eze deal fell apart

The Eze deal will have rocked Tottenham, but it seems the situation was out of their hands dur to the emotional connection between the player and the Gunners.

"Arsenal made a June approach, as revealed, and a key July meeting took place between Eze, Arteta and Berta," wrote journalist Ben Jacobs on X. "Eze always wanted Arsenal, but Nwaneri's new deal stopped a bid in early August. Spurs moved after missing out on Gibbs-White and Maddison's ACL. They had backed off earlier in the window prioritising adding the Forest attacker.

"Levy couldn't close the deal before the Premier League season started and this, in hindsight, proved costly. But Spurs didn't think Arsenal would bid last week, so took their time.

"Spurs reached a full agreement with Palace and Eze 48 hours ago, but Havertz's injury meant Arsenal were suddenly in the race.

"Arsenal able to agree a fee quickly on Wednesday with Berta and Tim Lewis involved. £60m plus add-ons, same ballpark as Spurs had in place. Eze would have joined Spurs had Arsenal not bid, but as soon as they did, he was always going to pick #AFC due to an emotional connection with the club."

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank made it clear this week that he only wants players who really want to play for Spurs, and it seems Eze did not fall into that category.

Nuno Espirito Santo has spoken out about a break in relationship with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis this week.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been linked with a sensational return to the dugout at Nottingham Forest after a sudden rift between Nuno Espirito Santo and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Nuno admitted that his relationship with Marinakis was ‘not good’ this week ahead of his team’s trip to Crystal Palace in Premier League action on Sunday. That comes after the manager had been outspoken with criticism of how Nottingham Forest had conducted their transfer business this summer.

It’s now claimed that Nuno could be dismissed from his role even before Sunday’s match against the Eagles. Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett believes that the manager will have to walk himself if that is the case but, in any situation, his future is in jeopardy.

Ange Postecoglou linked with Nottingham Forest job

On Friday, the reporter wrote on social media platform X: “Excl: Marinakis and #nffc bosses baffled by Nuno’s words - there was no intention of sacking him. But those words have caused some to seriously question his commitment to the job, feeling he may be trying to get sacked. Now a real possibility Nuno may not be in charge for #cpfc.”

Already, names of managers who could replace the current Nottingham Forest boss are doing the rounds online and an early frontrunner is former Spurs boss Postecoglou. The 59-year-old is named as a contender by The Daily Mail in what would be a head-turning return to the league following his sacking in north London.

The Aussie is likely to be raring to go following his time away from the dugout. Even before his premature departure from Tottenham Hotspur, he had made it clear that he wanted to stay at the club with his ‘season three is always better than two’ quip.

Postecoglou is yet to speak out on those links but was more than happy to share a fondness for Nottingham Forest last season. Prior to both fixtures against the side, the Spurs manager heaped praise on the work of Nuno and how Forest performed last term.

Prior to Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat at The City Ground on Boxing Day, Postecoglou gave his stamp of approval to Marinakis’ transfer dealings. He said: "I think when they went up to the Premier League, it seemed like there was a lot of transfer activity at Nottingham, I think there needed to be, but within that you could tell they had recruited some quality.

“It was just a matter of allowing that to sort of settle in and I guess finding the right way forward in terms of how they play, and since Nuno's got in from the back end last year, you could tell that, you know, they were all sort of now playing in a way I think that suited them.

“The team's growing all the time. They've got some quality players in there and they're having a really good season, particularly at their place, it's going to be a great challenge for us."

Ex Spurs boss labels Forest progress as ‘brilliant’

Nottingham Forest also got the better of Spurs in north London, claiming a 2-1 win under the lights in April. In his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou labelled the opposition as ‘brilliant’ and ‘consistent’.

He said: “Brilliant. Exciting. I think they’ve always had the quality in the team but since Nuno’s got there, they’ve come up with a game plan that suits the players they have.

“They’ve been really consistent with their approach and obviously they’ve got massive motivation like I said, it looks like the Champions League spots are going be very, very competitive in these last few games and I’m sure that’s something that they want to be a part of next year. So it’ll be a good test for us.”

In other news, 'Here We Go': Crystal Palace and Tottenham £42m transfer hijacked by Premier League rival.

Eberechi Eze is set to undergo a medical with Arsenal today ahead of a £67.5 million switch to the Emirates Stadium.

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Arsenal have been handed a six-hour ticking time clock to get Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze fully registered in order to face Leeds United on Saturday evening.

The Gunners are set to pull off a major coup in snapping up the England international for £67.5 million, stealing right from under the noses of bitter north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The attacking midfielder is set to undergo a medical with the Gunners on Friday having sat out of the Eagles’ Thursday night Europa Conference League match against Fredrikstad.

Arsenal face six-hour rush to register Eberechi Eze

Eze had been expected to play under the lights at Selhurst Park but was withdrawn on the day with manager Oliver Glasner claiming that he had been told that was due to illness. The Crystal Palace boss said: “Honestly, I expected him to start today, but he called me this morning and said he doesn’t feel well to play. I have to accept it. Everything else, you have to ask the chairman!”

Arsenal have beaten competition from Spurs to secure the signing of Eze, which comes as a major coup following the injury to forward Kai Havertz this week. However, that does not mean there is no need to rush on Friday.

The Gunners face Leeds United in Premier League action at 5:30 pm on Saturday, and it’s possible that Eze could already make his debut for Mikel Arteta’s side. Arsenal must ensure that the player is fully registered by 12 pm today in order to make that a possibility.

The Premier League handbook states: "Subject to the provisions of Rule V.1, the deadline for receipt by the Board of all duly completed documents required by these Rules to effect the registration of a Player shall be 12 noon on the last Working Day before the date of the first League Match in which the Club making the application intends him to play, save that the international transfer certificate and evidence of eligibility to take up employment in the United Kingdom (in both cases if applicable) may be provided thereafter (but must be provided before the Player is eligible to play for a Club in a League Match."

Eze boasts impressive recent Leeds United record

Arsenal have already been busy in the window and aren’t short of options to field against Leeds United, but having Eze among the team would be a real coup. The midfielder has only faced one team [Aston Villa] more than Leeds United in his career so far, so knows what it takes to go up against the Yorkshire outfit.

Eze has played Leeds United a total of 11 times, winning six and drawing one of those matches. Last time the Whites were in the Premier League was in the 2022/23 season and, during that campaign, the Eagles star bagged a brace in a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park and then another goal in a 5-1 triumph at Elland Road.

Not only is it worth Arsenal pushing to have Eze in the squad thanks to his recent record against Leeds United, but it would be a real statement of intent too. Spurs are already winded by the impressive transfer hijack managed by the Gunners.

To see a player who looked set to move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in their biggest rival’s kit just days later would be a sucker punch blow and a huge statement of intent from sporting director Andrea Berta and Arsenal.

In other news, Arsenal boost as 'crazy fast' £30m Liverpool star dealt injury blow.