CaughtOffside

Tottenham’s summer signing Dominic Solanke has had a challenging start at his new club, suffering an injury during the Premier League opener against Leicester City.

The knock ruled him out of Spurs’ following games against Everton and Newcastle, leaving the team without a key attacking option.

While Solanke’s injury was not deemed overly serious, manager Ange Postecoglou opted not to risk him against Newcastle.

Unfortunately, the absence of a clinical striker was evident, as Tottenham struggled to convert their numerous chances into goals.

Hopes for a return ahead of the North London derby

Tottenham’s next match is the highly anticipated North London derby against Arsenal, and Postecoglou will be hoping that Solanke is fit to start.

Injury expert Dr. Rajpal Brar shared an update, suggesting that the striker is nearing a return.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Dr Brar said:

“It sounds like he is quite close to returning from his ankle setback and based on what Ange said, the medical team was being conservative with him to make sure he’s ready to go for some big matches following the international break.“

“Although he was injury free last season, any player can pick up a knock regardless of injury history.“

“Those contact injuries especially to the foot and ankle can take some time to get back from.”

“I’d expect him to be back in contention on the other side of the international break.“

Tottenham’s injury woes continue

Tottenham have been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, and it appears that this trend has continued under Postecoglou. Last season, over 20 players missed games due to injuries, derailing their campaign after a promising start.

In addition to Solanke, Spurs have already seen Rodrigo Bentancur and Micky van de Ven sidelined this season, with the latter also missing out the match against the Magpies.

Bentancur made a return last weekend, but it remains uncertain whether Solanke and Van de Ven will be available for the derby against Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur sanctioned the departure of Giovani Lo Celso during the summer transfer window.

The 28-year-old Argentine international had fallen down the pecking order at the North London club and he needed to leave the club in order to play regularly. The South American is at the peak of his powers and he will look to get his career back on track with regular football at Real Betis.

In the process of selling the player, Spurs managed to secure a first refusal on American midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a fee of around £21 million.

While Cardoso could be a useful player for Tottenham in the long-term, the transfer is likely to prove to be beneficial in terms of marketing and revenue as well, as per Football Insider. The Premier League is growing in popularity in America, and if Tottenham manages to sign the American in the near future, it will certainly help expand their brand in another country.

Tottenham to tap into the American market with Cardoso

Tottenham have already experienced the advantages of having a player like Son Heung-min, who appeals to the Asian market. They are now looking to do the same in America with Cardoso.

The 22-year-old defensive midfielder could be a useful player for them as well. They are lacking in depth in the defensive midfield role and he could be the understudy to Yves Bissouma next season. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham take up the opportunity to sign him in 2025. They need more quality and depth in the side if they want to push for major trophies.

Meanwhile, the midfielder will be attracted to the idea of playing in the Premier League as well. Tottenham are one of the biggest clubs in the country and the opportunity to join them will be quite tempting. It will be interesting to see if they can secure Champions League qualification this season.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with a move for the Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the two London clubs were keen on signing the 19-year-old full-back during the summer window, but they did not proceed because of his asking price. The defender is valued in excess of £30-35 million.

The Italian club believe that he is a phenomenal talent with a bright future and therefore they are demanding a premium for him. Romano feels that Tottenham and Chelsea are monitoring him and they could look to move for him in the future.

It remains to be seen how the situation develops.

Romano said: “He was first of all in the list of Tottenham. One of the players Tottenham considered for the full-back position was Patrick Dorgu. Really appreciated by the club but not a deal to make this summer.

“But for both Tottenham and Blue Co, Chelsea, Strasbourg group the deal was considered too expensive because Lecce asked more for than £30m-£35m more than this to get the deal done.

“Lecce believe that Dorgu is a super talent, so Chelsea, Tottenham, several clubs follow him and monitoring him but is still considered too expensive.

“They want to make an investment on him still not spending crazy money because the player still has to develop but Lecce always say more than £30m-£35m for the player this summer and he stayed at the club.

“But keep an eye on this player for the future because I’m sure Tottenham and Chelsea will keep monitoring him.”

Patrick Dorgu would be a long-term asset

Spurs already have Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies at their disposal. Dorgu could be the ideal long-term replacement for Davies if he moves on in the summer. At Chelsea, Ben Chilwell does not have a future at the club and the 19-year-old could be his replacement.

Both clubs have the financial muscle to get the deal done and it remains to be seen whether they decide to act on their interest and submit an official proposal in 2025. The opportunity to join a Premier League club will be quite attractive for the young defender and regular football at Tottenham or Chelsea could accelerate his development.

The asking price might seem like a premium right now, but Dorgu is a prodigious talent and he could justify the investment in the near future.

Summer arrival Lucas Bergvall has revealed how he was booed by his new Tottenham Hotspur teammates shortly after joining the club.

The 18-year-old midfield wonderkid joined the Lilywhites from Djurgarden in his native Sweden over the summer after agreeing an £8.5m move in February.

Bergvall has already made three substitute appearances in the Premier League, while he put in some bright performances during pre-season against the likes of Bayern Munich and Hearts.

However, it looks like his brilliance on the pitch was not matched by his performance in Tottenham’s customary initiation ceremony.

Bergvall booed by Spurs teammates for Abba performance

As is the case for any new player arriving at Spurs, Bergvall had to undergo his rite of passage by performing a song for his new teammates.

It likely won’t surprise anyone that he went for a song by Swedish icons Abba. However, his vocal performance didn’t quite hit the mark with his audience.

“I sang Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’. It was really, really bad. I was booed afterwards,” admitted the teenager in an interview with Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet (via Football.London).

With his musical embarrassment now out of the way, Bergvall will focus on fulfilling what already looks to be considerable potential throughout the rest of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Jose Mourinho is reportedly keen on reuniting with Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon at Fenerbahce.

According to Fanatik, the Turkish club are exploring a loan deal for the 27-year-old, as the Turkish transfer window remains open.

However, the report claims that Fenerbahce intend to negotiate a deal which will see the wages being split between the two clubs for the Spaniard.

Reguilon joined Spurs in September 2020 on a five-year deal after an impressive stint at Sevilla. While he had a strong debut season, injuries and inconsistent form has hindered his progress at the club. To date, the Spaniard has made 67 appearances for Tottenham, scoring two goals and providing eight assists.

After failing to make an impression on new manager Ange Postecoglou, Reguilon spent time on loan at Manchester United and Brentford last season, but neither club showed significant interest in making the move permanent.

Sergio Reguilon needs a move to revive his career

Both Reguilon and Tottenham appear eager to part ways, as the player seeks regular playing time—a prospect unlikely under Postecoglou.

A move to Fenerbahce could offer Reguilon a fresh start and the opportunity to reignite his career under Mourinho’s leadership.

With the Turkish window still open, Tottenham are hopeful that a deal will be reached to resolve the situation before the deadline.

Peter Crouch has named Pedro Neto third among his top signings of the summer, behind new arrivals at West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Blues were among the Premier League’s busiest clubs, bringing in the likes of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jadon Sancho.

Conor Gallagher, Ian Maatsen, Raheem Sterling and Romelu Lukaku, meanwhile, were among a raft of players to leave Stamford Bridge.

Neto was the most expensive arrival of the summer, costing the Blues an initial £54m from Wolves (per Sky Sports).

And the Portugal international was named third on Crouch’s list of top summer Premier League transfers.

“Pedro Neto from Wolves to Chelsea, I think he’s a top player,” Crouch said when asked to name his top three summer signings on the TNT Sports YouTube channel.

“I think many in Europe would have signed him and Chelsea have got a top one there along with many others, but I think he’s a top signing.”

Crouch ranks West Ham and Tottenham transfers above Neto

Crouch then went on to list West Ham’s capture of centre-back Max Kilman — who left Wolves alongside Neto — and Dominic Solanke to Tottenham as his top two deals of the summer.

“Number two, I think Max Kilman at West Ham is a top signing. Very solid, I think he’s shown in the first few games that he brings the ball out, retains the ball really well, top player,” former Tottenham, Liverpool and England striker Crouch continued.

On Solanke, he added: “And I think Dominic Solanke at Tottenham, only because I don’t think they replaced Harry Kane since he left as the focal point.

“I think they’ve got enough ability in and around it but a No.9 at Spurs, once he gets over his injury, I think he’ll score and do the business.”

Tottenham finally replaced Harry Kane this summer after signing striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

The Lilywhites made some key additions to their squad this summer and along with Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall and Min-hyeok Yang, Solanke was added to the team as they aim to solve their goal scoring issues.

The English striker joined the north Londoners in a club record move this summer and he is expected to push Tottenham’s challenge for a top four place in the Premier League.

The stiker is yet to score for Spurs so far this season and his start to life at the Tottenham Stadium has already been affected by an injury.

However, Ange Postecoglou has high hopes from the attacker but that cannot be said about former Watford striker and football pundit Troy Deeney.

According to Deeney, Tottenham should have targeted a move for Ivan Toney instead of Solanke.

He feels Toney, who has now joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli, would have scored more goals at Spurs than Solanke.

Speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, Deeney expressed his opinion about Toney and Solanke.

“Ivan Toney was available, let’s use him as a case in point. Would he add value to Chelsea? Yes, he would score more than Nicolas Jackson. In my opinion he would score more than Solanke at Spurs. Everyone is looking for that mobile, running striker, the goalscoring comes like fifth in the list of attributes,” Deeney said.

It is a surprising claim from Deeney, considering how prolific Solanke was last season for Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke can shine at Spurs this season

He scored 19 Premier League goals in a team with no great, creative players and still performed well.

It remains to be seen how Solanke will fit in Postecoglou’s style and how his teammates can get the better out of him.

Toney has started a new journey in the Middle East, far away from the competitiveness of the Premier League.

Son Heung-min played last season as the central attacker for Spurs and scored 17 goals. There is no reason why Solanke cannot do the same for the north Londoners.

Some of the biggest Premier League clubs were interested in a move for Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United have been credited with interest in the England international.

He had a release clause in his contract that expired with the end of the transfer window.

However, there is good news for clubs who still retain an interest in his services and want to sign him next year.

According to the Daily Mail, the clause in Eze’s contract at Selhurst Park will become active again at the end of the season.

The report has added that the player will have the same clause of guaranteed £60m payment plus a further £8m due in add-ons in his contract.

Apart from letting the player leave for the decided release clause, the report has mentioned that the South Londoners could allow their attacking midfielder to leave the club by negotiating a deal other than the clause.

The player has started the season in fine form, with a goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in his team’s 1-1 draw.

The English midfielder has shown consistency and form with his goal scoring ability and goal creation quality.

After the loss of Michael Olise this summer, it was crucial that Palace keep their other star player at the club and they have managed to do that.

Arsenal face competition from Spurs and Newcastle for Eze

His eleven goals and four assists in the Premier League last season helped the Eagles to a top half finish.

Premier League clubs are expected to chase the Palace midfielder again next year and the race to sign him could become intense with several clubs looking to sign him.

It remains to be seen how long the player will stay at Selhurst Park. Interest from bigger clubs may turn his head soon and it appears that Palace will not stand in his way if any club can meet his price tag.

RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda was linked with a move away from the German club during the summer transfer window.

However, the Bundesliga outfit managed to hold onto him in the end. According to a report from SportBILD, clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were keen on signing the player and they made moves to get the deal done.

It will be interesting to see if the Premier League clubs return for the Belgian attacker during the January transfer window. Openda has established himself as a prolific goal scorer in the Bundesliga and he is certainly good enough for the Premier League.

Apart from his ability to find the back of the net, he will add creativity to the attack. The striker scored 28 goals last season and picked up seven assists in all competitions as well.

Chelsea could use Lois Openda

Chelsea need to bring in a top class goalscorer who can lead the line for them, and the Belgian certainly fits the profile. The Blues failed with their attempts to sign Victor Osimhen in the summer and a move for Openda in January could be ideal for them.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have spent a substantial amount of money on Dominic Solanke and it seems highly unlikely that they will sign another striker who is likely to cost a premium. The report from SportBILD claims that the player will cost in excess of €75 million. Tottenham will have to improve the other areas of their squad and they are unlikely to splash out on a striker anymore.

Similarly, Manchester United ended up signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and the Red Devils are unlikely to pursue a striker any time soon.

It will be interesting to see where the 24-year-old ends up eventually. He is certainly good enough to play for the biggest clubs in the world, and a move to the Premier League will be quite exciting for him.

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has now raised question marks over James Maddison’s performances for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Premier League legend believes that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has not been able to assert his quality away from home. Keane has urged Maddison to show some personality and deal with his setbacks better.

“I have still got my question marks over Maddison, particularly, away from home,” said Keane on Sky Sports Football (01/09/24 at 1:00 pm).

“There are always question marks over him. He has had a couple of disappointments in the last few months with England. But if you give him time and space. If Son is making runs in behind – that’s up to Spurs to get some decent possession and use his intelligence.

“All he needs is one or two opportunities to get on it – I still think there is more to come from Maddison. That’s where he needs to show his personality. He has had his disappointments, every player in their careers will have setbacks. It’s how he deals with it. The next few months are going to be big for him.”

There is no doubt that Maddison has been a quality signing for Tottenham and he has already established himself as a key player for the club.

The north London club will hope that he can perform at a high level consistently and help them push for trophies.

James Maddison needs to step up

Spurs will take on Arsenal after the international break and the England midfielder will certainly look to make his mark in the north London derby.

The midfielder needs to add more consistency to his game. He started his Tottenham career on a high but his form dipped after an injury. It also resulted in his exclusion from the England squad. Keane believes that he will have to get over these problems in order to truly fulfil his potential.

The England international midfielder is the chief creator for Tottenham and they need him to be at his best throughout the season, if they are serious about winning trophies. Tottenham will rely on him to deliver in the big games and help them secure Champions League qualification as well.