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The 28-year-old has made 81 Premier League appearances over the course of his career

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West Ham United are looking to bounce back from a dismal 2024/25 campaign which saw them finish in 14th position while crashing out in the third round of both the League Cup and FA Cup.

This summer marks Graham Potter’s first full pre-season with the Hammers after arriving in January and hands him a key opportunity to mould the team in his image after struggling in his first few months after replacing Julen Lopetegui.

So far, the East London side have agreed to make Jean-Clair Todibo’s loan move as permanent, as per the terms of the agreement with Ligue 1 club Nice, while their also thought to be closing on a deal to sign left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague for a figure in the region of £19m.

However, they’ve also agreed to sell Mohamed Kudus to rivals Tottenham for £60m and have allowed experienced heads like Danny Ings, Michail Antonio, Aaron Creswell and Vladimir Coufal all to leave for free along with Kurt Zouma and Lukasz Fabianski.

It leaves West Ham in need of reinforcements as they look to regain their place in the upper echelons of the Premier League table after regularly qualifying for Europe under David Moyes.

West Ham handed chance to sign ex-Man Utd and Tottenham defender

Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon is officially a free agent, following the expiration of his contract at Tottenham Hotspur. Reguilon joined the Lillywhites from Real Madrid in 2020 after shining in a season-long loan spell at Sevilla which saw him lift the Europa League while playing under Lopetegui. The £27.5m arrival seemed like a steal in his first few months in a Spurs shirt after playing 36 times and contributing six assists in his debut campaign.

However, he dropped down the pecking order due to injury and spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Atletico Madrid where he made 12 league appearances. Further spells at Manchester United and more recently Brentford followed in the 2023/24 campaign before he was reintegrated into the Spurs setup.

Reguilon played six matches in total across last season, including just four in the Premier League before being released on a free transfer this summer. However, Caught Offside claim West Ham are willing to give the defender a fresh opportunity to shine in the capital to add vital squad depth despite El Hadji Malick Diouf seemingly imminent arrival.

Who else is interested in Sergio Reguilon?

Sergio Reguilon has already been offered to Serie A giants Juventus and AC Milan. Meanwhile, Premier League interest is building with the likes of Bournemouth and Everton also keeping tabs on proceedings.

However, West Ham are currently understood to be the front-runners to sign the six-time Spanish international as they look to bolster their defensive options and try and climb up the Premier League table next term.

Reguilon is expected to take his time with his next decision and will base his move on a combination of the project at the club and his chances of playing regular first team football.

The former Southampton man is set to move abroad for the first time in his career.

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West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are set to be beaten to the signing of free agent Kyle Walker-Peters by Turkish outfit Besiktas with a medical booked for the 28-year-old.

The full-back left relegated Southampton as a free agent this summer, bringing an end to a five year stay on the south coast. A product of the Spurs academy, the former Tottenham Hotspur man had been tipped to make a return to the Premier League straight away.

Walker-Peters, who has two England caps to his name, was one of few standouts for Southampton over an underwhelming top flight campaign last term. The defender made 33 appearances for the Saints, being deployed on either flank thanks to his versatility.

Kyle Walker-Peters leaves Southampton as free agent

On leaving the club in June, Walker-Peters issued a classy goodbye to Southampton. Taking to social media, he wrote: "Dear Saints, after five unforgettable years, the time has come for me to say goodbye. Since I joined Southampton in 2020, I couldn’t have imagined how much this club would come to mean to me.

"From day one you’ve shown me nothing but love and support. I’ve grown here, not just as a footballer but as a person. I’ve experienced moments that will stay with me for life. Wearing the red and white has truly been an honour I’ll always cherish.

"To my teammates and everyone at the club, thank you for the memories, the laughs and the journey. To the fans, your passion, loyalty and constant support through the highs and lows has been amazing. It’s been a privilege to represent you. This club has shaped me, and I’ll forever be proud to have been a Saint. Thank you for everything. With love, KWP."

West Ham and Spurs to miss out on transfer target

GiveMeSport was one of several outlets to name Spurs and West Ham as potential suitors for Walker-Peters. The Hammers are in the market for a full-back this summer with Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell both leaving as free agents themselves. Leeds United and Sunderland had also been linked.

Walker-Peters would have been a shrewd investment on a free transfer with his experience including 148 Premier League outings and experience in the Champions League. However, the player is now set to work under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Besiktas. Turkiye Gazetesi report that Walker-Peters is in Istanbul this weekend to finalise his move to the club.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had also given an update on the move on Friday morning, prior to that report. He wrote: “Besiktas are in talks with Kyle Walker-Peters to join the club as free agent. Discussions ongoing with the fullback who’s available after he left Southampton. Besiktas are confident to get the deal done soon.”

In other news, Everton and West Ham look to hijack Crystal Palace £27m double transfer plan.

Tottenham are trying to push through a deal for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

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Tottenham are now stepping up their summer transfer window as Thomas Frank gets his feet under the table of his new office. Spurs need to strengthen, and they have already set about achieving it, snapping up Mohammed Kudus from West Ham on a £55million deal.

They are now pushing to wrap up the signing of Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, but that £60million deal is on hold due to Forest taking up a legal action due to what they believe is inappropriate talks from Spurs.

Providing an update on that situation, Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel: “We said about Tottenham and the story about Tottenham in the recent days has been about them signing Muhammad Kudus, already official for 55 million pounds, paid in three years. And then 60 million euros release clause activated for Morgan Gibbs-White. But what happened today? Nottingham Forest have started working on a legal action against Tottenham for Morgan Gibbs-White. They believe that the way they used to proceed with the release clause was not the correct way - that they were not authorized to speak to the player.

“So, they were not happy at all at Nottingham Forest. Let's say like this, they spoke to the Premier League about that. Now the Premier League will investigate into this story. But Tottenham maintain their position. They are convinced about their behavior. They want to proceed with the deal. They want to sign the player. Forest are prepared to fight. and so let's see what's going to happen there. But for sure the Morgan Gibbs-White deal has now an issue to resolve between the two clubs - Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. So that's going to be one to watch in the coming days and hours, with Tottenham still hopeful and confident to get the player.”

Romano also spoke about Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero, who is now deemed likely to stick around despite reports aplenty in Spain claiming that Atletico Madrid have been closing in on a deal. The Argentine defender has previously spoken about his desire to play in La Liga, but he may have to wait to fulfil that particular dream.

“Guys, it's also important to mention, just to complete from Spain, something on Cuti Romero,” Romano added. “Despite all the stories you had this summer, Romero is not going to Atletico Madrid because for Madrid we said about Alberto, but Atletico Madrid have been linked with Romero for a long time. The appreciation is quite obvious, he is one of the best center backs in the world.

“But Atletico Madrid never sent an official proposal to Tottenham, and also, Atletico Madrid never sent any official proposal to the player in terms of personal terms. We heard many times that was done with the player, that was going to get done between clubs. There is nothing guys at this stage between Romero and Atletico Madrid, and I expect Romero probably this summer to stay at Tottenham unless something surprising happens. So that's the point on Tottenham.”

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with transfer interest in Eberechi Eze this summer.

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Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze is absent from Oliver Glasner’s squad to take on Millwall in pre-season friendly action today, pouring some fuel onto the fire of transfer rumours over his future.

The 27-year-old has been hotly linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal, while Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with interest as they build for a new era under Thomas Frank. Eze has a £60 million release clause in his Crystal Palace contract, which would allow a potential suitor to green light a transfer switch.

The Eagles take on Millwall in their first fixture of pre-season preparation at Saturday lunchtime. Both summer signings Walter Benítez and Borna Sosa start the match with the XIs for each half confirmed ahead of kick-off.

Eberechi Eze absent from Crystal Palace squad

There is no Eze in the squad, with some online speculating that his absence is due to those transfer links with Arsenal and Spurs. However, Crystal Palace had confirmed: “Players involved in summer internationals are yet to return to training, so won't feature. The full teams can be viewed below.”

Eze was seen at Wimbledon on Friday as he enjoys a break following international action. The England star played 90 minutes for the Three Lions in the 3-1 defeat to Senegal last month.

Full Crystal Palace team news was confirmed by the club: “Both summer signings Benítez and Sosa are in from the off, for their first taste of action with the Eagles. In a strong starting side, Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line, supported by Matheus França and Romain Esse. In front of Benítez is a back three of Marc Guéhi, Maxence Lacroix and Nathaniel Clyne, with Sosa and Tyrick Mitchell supporting as wing-backs.

“The second-half XI will see a number of youngsters gain valuable minutes in the tank, including Jesurun Rak-Sakyi who spent last season on-loan at Sheffield United. Odsonne Édouard will lead the line after the break, supported by Hindolo Mustapha.”

Arsenal and Spurs linked with Eze

Arsenal and Spurs have been heavily linked with interest in Eze, who enjoyed another impressive season at Crystal Palace last term. The midfielder scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final over Manchester City to secure a historic cup triumph.

The Times have claimed that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are also interested in the player, alongside the north London clubs. The German side had been interested in Florian Wirtz but missed out on that transfer to Liverpool.

The Sun had claimed that the Gunners could look to engage in a swap deal with Arsenal to beat Spurs to the signing of Eze, with Andrea Berta already involved in talks to make the move a reality.

In other news, Arsenal transfer round-up: Gunners regular 'agrees personal terms' to leave amid Viktor Gyokeres update.

Tottenham Hotspur have bolstered their attack despite serious competitions from other clubs

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Mohammed Kudus is set to undergo his medical today after Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United came to an agreement on a £55m deal on Wednesday night.

The winger is set to sign a six-year deal in North London after rejecting advances from other clubs as he made it clear his priority was to make the move to Spurs. The forward is the fifth signing of the summer for Tottenham.

Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have joined on permanent deals after their loans, arriving from RC Lens and Bayern Munich, respectively. Luka Vuskovic has signed from Hajduk Split and Kota Takai has completed a move from Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale.

The £5m deal for Takai is a club record sale for Kawasaki. Kudus has been with West Ham for two years and after an impressive first campaign, he suffered a dip in form last season as the Hammers struggled. They appointed Julen Lopetegui last summer but sacked him after eight months to replace him with Graham Potter.

Fabrizio Romano gives details as Tottenham agree to sign Kudus

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano gave the details behind Spurs’ agreement for Kudus. He said: “Congratulations to Tottenham because they signed an excellent player to start this new project with the new coach Thomas Frank. Agreement done for Mohamed Kudus. I told you over the weekend only Tottenham despite the reports about Chelsea, despite the reports about more clubs, the player only wanted to go to Tottenham.

“Very clear in his intentions despite calls and approaches from several clubs. Kudus wanted to play for Spurs and now the deal is completed. £55 million paid in three years for Mohamed Kudus to leave West Ham and join Tottenham Hotspur.

“The contract will be valid for the next six years with medical tests to take place this week in London. Next 24 hours the first part and then Kudus will complete everything right after and so an important addition for Tottenham, an ambitious move.”

What Kudus can bring to Tottenham after swapping West Ham for North London

Kudus can play across the front three having been deployed as a right winger, centre forward and left winger throughout his career. He has also dropped slightly deeper into an attacking midfield role regularly.

At West Ham, he has played on the right around 30 times and on the left for 20 games while being used through the middle 12 times. Frank likes to tinker with his system depending on the opponent and Kudus’ versatility could come into great use.

He has 19 goals and 13 assists in 80 games for the Hammers. Those numbers could easily increase at Spurs given he will be surrounded by more attacking threat next term. Despite finishing 17th in the Premier League last term, the North London outfit scored 64 goals. Frank also likes his teams to attack, with Brentford scoring 66 times last term. That is compared to just 46 Premier League goals for the Irons.

All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Tottenham as they look to play transfer catch up.

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Tottenham will now be hoping to spark their summer transfer window to life as Thomas Frank looks to put his own stamp on his new squad. Spurs have arguably fallen behind in this window due to a late decision over Ange Postecoglou’s future, but there is plenty of time to get the necessary business done.

Frank will want to add quality and depth across his squad, with particular need at back and in the front line, especially out wide. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

De Winter links

Tottenham are being linked with a move for Genoa full-back Koni De Winter, who is also able to play as a centre-back. CaughtOffside have reported that Genoa want £30million to sell the Belgian this summer, and Spurs are named as a possible destination.

Manchester United, Wolves and West Ham have also been linked, as have other clubs in Europe. Spurs need more depth at the back with Radu Dragusin having a long-term injury, while there is talk Cristian Romero could leave. Spurs may be in less need of depth at full-back, but a versatile player who can play across the back line is never a bad thing.

Grealish claim

Tottenham are said to have held discussions over the possible signing of Manchester City star Jack Grealish, but the player’s wages are proving a sticking point. “Tottenham have discussed Grealish and, despite the fact that Mathys Tel has signed permanently… they could add another left-sided player too,” said Jacobs on TalkSport. “Things are not advancing with Grealish at the moment. The wage is a little bit of a stumbling block from Tottenham’s perspective, too.

“So I don’t think they’re going to be in a position to bid for Jack Grealish just now, although they have held a conversation internally about that market opportunity. And obviously if Tottenham add somebody on that left-hand side, they may want to resolve the future of Son as well, which my expectation is could come a little bit later in the window because Son’s going to go off to pre-season.”

England boss Thomas Tuchel has told Grealish: “I have maybe the same information as you that City are thinking of not taking him to the Club World Cup. So he needs to make himself available by playing. I think it’s one of his key strengths. To go every three days and get better and better with every minute that he has in his legs. That’s what is missing, nothing else.

“I love Jack for his personality and of course, his talent. He is a very unique player who can handle big pressure on the field. He is never shy of pressure. It’s the opposite. He grows in big matches, but he’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That’s basically everything. Nothing has changed.”

Harry Redknapp has given his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur links with West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has shared some cautious hesitation over the club’s transfer pursuit for West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus this summer.

The north London outfit have now seen two bids rejected by the Hammers, who were not to be budged at the offer of £50 million up front and £12.5 million of add-ons from Daniel Levy.

Kudus has an £85 million release clause in his West Ham contract, which has another three years to run, leaving the Hammers in a strong negotiating position. That release clause is set to expire on July 10.

West Ham want £60m for Mohammed Kudus

The Sun has claimed that West Ham could accept a £60 million bid for Kudus but that fee would have to come up front, rather than in add-ons. It is believed that Spurs’ previous offer included clauses for extra payments such as them winning the Premier League or Champions League, which is unlikely over the next 12 months.

With his release clause there for the taking, and a not so outrageous £60 million asking price, you can’t help but feel some sort of hesitation from Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy to making that move a reality.

West Ham, who need to raise funds to kickstart their own summer spending, want to sell Kudus. The winger is there for the taking, so what’s with the hesitation?

Harry Redknapp fired Tottenham Hotspur warning

Questions over whether Kudus is the right man to join Spurs were posed by Redknapp when speaking to talkSPORT on Tuesday. He said: “Yeah, he’s not bad. There’s no doubting his ability. I know one or two people around the place at West Ham, I think there are question marks over him.

“I think his ability is not questionable but I don’t know. But he’s certainly got ability and he’s a player that when he gets on the ball, he can make things happen, he’ll be exciting. So yeah he’ll certainly bring something to Tottenham for sure.”

Redknapp’s seal of approval was hardly convincing on the player. Kudus scored just five Premier League goals last season in his second campaign of top flight football, but was part of a West Ham team all struggling for form.

There are questions over his temperament too. Kudus famously lost his cool in a match against Tottenham Hotspur last season and received an FA ban on top of a red card. Speaking about that at the time, former West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui said: “Unfortunately Kudus is going to be out for three matches because his behaviour was not good and he knows that.

“He knows he has to improve because this can't happen. I hope it's the last time this happens. I'm sure it is not going to happen [again]. I talked with him and sometimes you don't have to talk a lot about this kind of situation because he knows it was a mistake. I say, for sure, that he will learn about this incident and his behaviour will handle this better in the future."

There’s no doubt that there is talent with Kudus, Redknapp knows that too. If Thomas Frank believes that he can unlock it and get the player firing again at Spurs then it is the move to make - but this stalling over a move does not give a feeling of confidence that is the case.

In other news, West Ham should demand Tottenham include player with 'unbelievable consistency' in £50m Kudus offer - opinion.

Spurs have bid for Mohammed Kudus who has received glowing praise from Arne Slot and a former teammate.

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Thomas Frank inherited a Tottenham Hotspur squad with a few gems, a few rough diamonds and a few who he probably wishes that he could take to a local “cash for gold” store.

As with every Premier League boss, the new man in charge of Spurs has his hands tied in terms of who he can and can’t sign, not just because of PSR, but because of a CEO who is notoriously frugal when it comes to loosening the purse strings.

According to Fabrizio Romano though Spurs are going to bid again for Mohammed Kudus at West Ham United and are also eyeing a £40m move for Benfica midfielder Ozun Kokcu, a player who has been critical of his own club recently.

Spurs could also get a second chance to sign Bryan Mbeumo with a reported deadline for Man Utd to complete a deal passing by without any announcement.

Arne Slot rates “outstanding” Mohamed Kudus as Spurs swoop

Several clubs have been credited with an interest in former Ajax winger Kudus including Liverpool and Man Utd, however, it is the Lilywhites who have made the first move.

Kudus has 25 goal contributions in 65 Premier League appearances, solid if unspectacular numbers with the caveat being that the Hammers haven’t exactly been the most settled of teams since David Moyes left. That Kudus’ best form was when Moyes was in charge tells its own story.

It isn’t just the new Everton boss who is a fan with Arne Slot also picking out Kudus as a menace last season in a close fought encounter towards the end of the season.

In a post match interview in April v West Ham after a late Virgil van Dijk winner, Slot said, via Liverpool’s official website: “I think they’re 16th or 17th in the league, but I can name you one or two players that could easily have played with us today as well in terms of quality.

“That is what the Premier League is about. And they used them more and more in the second half, these two quality players. And they have more, but I think [Lucas] Paqueta and [Mohammed] Kudus were outstanding today, especially in the second half.”

Kudus is a nightmare according to one former teammate

Another fan is Aaron Cresswell, who had to go toe to toe with Kudus in training on a daily basis, much to the veteran full-back's annoyance: "I've just trained with him and you don't want to go anywhere near him," Cresswell told the Iron Cast: Official West Ham podcast:

"I'm up against him all the time and I'm like: 'Mo, go on over to the left!'

"He's a top, top talent and I think we haven't seen the best of him yet.

"I won't go near him in training because I know if I'm going to try to knock him off the ball I had better make sure he's not looking and doesn't see me coming.

"You just can't get near him. He's so strong, so quick, so sharp."

Spurs don’t just need more quality in the final third, they need more robust and more resilient players too and Kudus has barely missed a minute of training since moving to the Premier League, never mind missing any games.

Kudus has a lot of admirers and a sub-par 2024/25 means that Spurs could pick the 45-times capped Ghana international for a lot less than he is really worth.

Spurs have been given a boost in their pursuit of Mohammed Kudus with the winger turning down a European giant.

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West Ham United reached the end of a cycle under David Moyes and it was always going to be a struggle to repeat the feats of the veteran manager.

What they need now is patience and for Graham Potter to be afforded the same sort of time that Moyes was to climb the Premier League table with a squad that needs work throughout the starting XI.

As with a lot of the clubs outside of the league’s top five or six, West Ham need to sell before they can buy with Mohammed Kudus set to be the subject of a bid from Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham get green light to make Mohammed Kudus move

It would appear that Kudus is intent on staying in London too with TBR Football reporting that the Ghana international winger has rejected a move to the Bundesliga.

With Leroy Sane leaving at the end of his contract and Jamal Musiala being injured in the Club World Cup, Vincent Kompany needs more depth and quality in wide areas, but Kudus has said no to joining Bayern with Spurs, seemingly, waiting in the wings.

TBR’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has made the claim with the transfer journalist also confirming why Kudus is almost certain to leave the Hammers this summer: “Having spoken to the club, the massive problem with West Ham is there’s financial issues and the club need to sell,” Bailey told TBR Football.

“They need to get players out. Mohammed Kudus is going to be that main sale. We expect Tomas Soucek to go as well.

“Lucas Paqueta will find out within two weeks about his court case, but we’re fully expecting him to be exonerated or at the very least he’ll be able to play Premier League football next season, hence he’ll be able to move.

“They’re the really big three sales and that really is hampering what they want to do in the transfer market.”

How Spurs can avoid overpaying for Kudus

Spurs will know that West Ham need the money and will be reluctant to overpay for a player who didn’t follow up his debut season in the Premier League with as impressive a campaign.

The 24-year old’s 25 goal contributions in 65 games is respectable for a player just arriving in England, especially for a team that has struggled since the departure of Moyes although he will need to up those numbers if he is to justify a transfer fee in the region of £60m.

There is a group of wide players who are set to move this summer with Kudus joining Eberechi Eze, almost all of them at Man Utd, Bryan Mbeumo who Spurs missed out on and Antoine Semenyo, although the latter put pen to paper on a new deal at Bournemouth.

Spurs could get a second chance to sign Mbeumo though with Man Utd dithering over the transfer fee that Brentford want for the versatile forward.

What West Ham won’t want is to have a rebuild put on hold because they have priced Kudus out of a transfer and clubs turn their attentions elsewhere.

It’s got last day departure written all over it.

Tottenham are said to be pushing for a deal to sign a midfielder who has been critical of his current club.

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Tottenham are being linked with a player who might have raised some red flags during his time with his current club. Spurs are on the lookout for new talent this summer as they look to prepare for Champions League football next term, and Thomas Frank does have needs aplenty.

One of his biggest needs lies in the midfield, with Tottenham needing more depth in the middle, especially amid concern over Yves Bissouma, his performances and his future. One player Spurs are now being linked with is Benfica midfielder Ozun Kokcu, a Netherlands-born Türkiye international.

Kokcu made his name under Arne Slot at Feyenoord before securing a move to Benfica in 2023. Though, Kokcu quickly fell out with manager Roger Schmidt. He said: “It wasn’t what I expected. From the beginning they never made me feel important. Not even for the coach.”

He added in a separate interview: “I am the type of football player who performs better for the team if given freedom. I want to give much more to the team. Just remember how I played much better in the season I was champion with Feyenoord, even in European games. Even during Ramadan, as I am experiencing now, I was playing better than at Benfica.

“Schmidt ties me too much to all kinds of defensive tasks. And that is not positive if you really want to get the most out of my qualities. I am the type of player who finds solutions in the area, who thinks very quickly and makes the team progress. Even this season, all my statistics underline that. I can do much more for Benfica and that may be where part of my frustration lies.”

The midfielder continued: “No. I can guarantee now that I never lost confidence. I went through a difficult period because of the fight for my place in the team, but at that time I looked again at the list of all the Dutch internationals who chose me as Footballer of the Year: Ruud Gullit, Wim Kieft, Bert van Marwijk, Jaap Stam, Arnold Mühren, Arie Haan, Roy Makaay, all men who won awards at the highest level. The list is huge. They saw the same as me. Moreover, I think I have proven in the last few seasons what I am worth to a team if the coach uses me the right way.”

CaughtOffside have reported that Tottenham are now pushing for a £40million deal to sign Kokcu, who is now working under Bruno Lage at Benfica. Though, according to Sports Digitale, the midfielder has told Benfica he does not plan to return for pre-season training as he seeks a move away, with a few clubs interested in his services. Though, he was involved in Benfica’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer.

Spurs may need a midfielder, but they will want to tread carefully given the way Kokcu has openly criticised a club he is currently working for. Naturally, the Turkish international may well have grounds to fee the way he does, but he hasn’t gone the right way about forcing his way out of the club.

Slot praise

One boss Kokcu has praised is former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot. He said in the same interview: “ He always allowed me to use my strengths and saw that before me. I dare say that for me he is the best coach of all time. As a human being, verbally and tactically. When I played against him and heard that he was going to be our coach, I still thought: this is not going to happen… I knew how he had AZ playing and, as a young player, I didn’t think I fit the style of play he used.

“But he started working on all the finishing points of my game. In terms of football, I could always participate, but there was still a final part of my development missing. That’s why I owe him a lot.”