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According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are hopeful that Yang Min-hyuk will develop into a top player over the coming years, with the North London club encouraged by the youngster’s recent displays.

Tottenham signed Yang for a small fee this summer

Spurs’ capture of Yang came out of the blue, with the Premier League side snapping up the 18-year-old winger on the back of just a few good months in the K-League.

The attacker will continue at Gangwon FC for the rest of the K-League season before arriving at Hotspur Way in January.

It has now been revealed by GiveMeSport that there is hope at Hotspur Way that Yang will prove to be the best piece of business of the summer window as he continues to impress back at his boyhood club.

Yang is set to arrive at Spurs in January 2025

Spurs are said to be confident that the teenager will develop into a special talent, with key figures at the club adamant that the deal will prove to be a major bargain.

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The report adds that scouts from the Lilywhites have continued keeping an eye on the South Korean and have been impressed by his progress.

Ange Postecoglou is also thought to be keeping tabs on the attacker, with the Tottenham head coach ready to hand the winger opportunities if he impresses in training after arriving at N17 in January.

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The one thing we know about Ange is that he loves working with young players due to their fearlessness.

He will not be shy of throwing Yang straight into the deep end if the Australian feels that the youngster is good enough to contribute. Just look at Wilson Odobert this month as an example!

Tottenham Hotspur splashed the cash to sign a new striker this summer, but according to Troy Deeney, they picked the wrong man when they went for Dominic Solanke.

Spurs could have saved some money

Solanke signed for Spurs last month in a reported £65m deal from Bournemouth (Sky Sports). The forward has made just one appearance so far, having been injured on his debut in the draw against Leicester City.

There are big expectations on the shoulders of Solanke. It is hoped he can be the man to convert all the chances Spurs so regularly create, and be the difference that can take the Lilywhites to the next level.

It remains to be seen whether he can fulfil his potential, but Deeney has suggested Spurs would have been better off signing Ivan Toney instead this summer.

He told the Seaman Says podcast: “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.”

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Solanke was always the first choice

Tottenham were linked with a number of strikers throughout the summer, and there was definite interest in Toney at one stage. Apparently, Spurs were not concerned by his reported attitude problems, either (GiveMeSport).

However, it is thought Solanke was always the number one target for the Lilywhites. Ange Postecoglou has spoken publicly about his belief that the striker will be a ‘good fit’ and be a success at the club (Football.London).

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I think it says a lot that pretty much every club in the top six was looking for a striker this summer, and they all passed on Ivan Toney, even though he was cheap and very much available. I have faith that Solanke will be a hit for us.

After a busy summer, with plenty of players leaving and a handful arriving at Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou’s squad is looking leaner and stronger than ever. But, there’s still more that can be done in the January transfer window.

Defensive cover is needed at Spurs

First up, Spurs could do with a fourth-choice centre-back. Ben Davies is currently the man to provide cover, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Radu Dragusin ahead of him in the pecking order.

Now 31-years-old, Davies is coming towards the end of his career, and with the expansive style of play that Spurs employ, it would be beneficial to bring in someone more athletic to fill that role in the defensive roster.

A left-sided centre-back, someone quick, strong, and comfortable on the ball is needed. If not now, then in the future. There’s a chance Postecoglou may look to sort that out sooner rather than later.

That said, the Spurs boss may well have one eye on someone like Ashley Phillips, who is enjoying his loan spell at Stoke City right now, and who may be ready to step up to the senior squad in a more substantial role next season.

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Udogie needs competition

Destiny Udogie has excelled in Postecoglou’s system as an adventurous, inverted left-back. But, we’ve already seen the young Italian pick up an injury or two, and the squad is lacking in cover for that role.

At present, Djed Spence would be the next in line for the left-back role, though he is naturally better suited at right-back. Ben Davies also has a history as a left-back, but doesn’t possess the dynamism to succeed in the more advanced areas.

Signing a new left-back should be the top priority for Postecoglou if he wants to improve the strength in depth in his squad. Otherwise, Spurs will be exposed whenever Udogie is unfit, and the 21-year-old could do with the push, too.

Versatility in attack

Now that Spurs have signed Dominic Solanke, they finally have genuine quality and strength in depth in the number 9 role, with Richarlison competing with the Englishman.

The signing of Wilson Odobert, the renewal of the loan for Timo Werner, and the emergence of Mikey Moore also give Postecoglou plenty of options in attack. But, at times, Spurs lack a real game-changer they can call on from the bench.

Looking for a more versatile attacker, someone who can play right across the front three, and perhaps even who could drop into the number 10 role, would be a shrewd move for Spurs in the next window.

It would be the kind of addition that would take the Lilywhites to the next level, and ensure that they always have creativity, goals, and a bit of magic to swing a game in their favour.

According to GiveMeSport, Ange Postecoglou is keen on giving an opportunity to Luka Vuskovic and Ashley Phillips next season, and he is thus unlikely to enter the market for another defensive addition in January.

Tottenham’s defensive options

Postecoglou currently has three natural central defensive options at his disposal in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dragusin, while Ben Davies has also shown that he is capable of doing a decent job in the heart of defence.

Some might wonder whether that is an area that Spurs might look to add reinforcements to in January, but that is unlikely to be the case according to GiveMeSport.

The outlet says that Postecoglou will only entertain signing a defender on loan as he wants Phillips and Vuskovic to eventually compete for a first-team place.

Postecoglou rates Vuskovic and Phillips

The Australian allegedly is ready to hand both young defenders opportunities to break into the first-team picture during the 2025-26 season.

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The 59-year-old reportedly feels that they can both get minutes and does not want to block their path by spending big on another defender.

Vuskovic is currently on loan with Jupiler Pro League side Westerlo while Phillips will spend the campaign with Championship outfit Stoke City.

Spurs Web Opinion

We do not know how true this report is but it does tie into how we have seen Ange operate so far.

The Australian evidently prefers working with younger players over experienced ones, as the former come with no baggage and will be able to implement his ideas without fear.

Tottenham Hotspur’s fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season was only enough to secure them a place in the Europa League this term, but there are better odds on there being five Champions League spots for English teams this year.

Law of UEFA averages

UEFA’s coefficient ranking system offers countries the chance to gain an extra spot in the Champions League based on how well that nation’s teams fare in European competitions throughout the season.

So, for example, if English teams were to make it out of the group stages and into the latter stages of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League in a season, there is a good chance the Premier League would end up with five places in the top continental competition for the following year.

That didn’t happen last year, though. Italy’s Serie A took top spot in the coefficient rankings by quite some distance, helped largely by Atalanta’s Europa League win.

Although the Premier League had the second-highest points haul, they were beaten to the extra qualification place by the Bundesliga, on account of the fact that England had eight teams in competitions while Germany had just seven, thus earning a higher average.

That meant that Aston Villa in fourth place was the final team to join the Champions League for the 2024/25 season, and Spurs in fifth were left to compete in the Europa League this season.

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The tables have turned this year

It’s all different this year, though, as England now have just seven teams in European competitions. Meanwhile, Germany and Italy have eight teams, making it harder for their respective leagues to rack up a strong average, unless they were to produce cup winners in each of the tournaments.

Spain also have seven teams in continental competitions, meaning the English teams taking part will need to ensure they go far in their respective competitions if the Premier League is to win the extra spot this year.

Spurs Web Opinion

None of this matters, for two reasons. First of all, Spurs are going to finish in the top four this year anyway, thus guaranteeing Champions League football for next season.

On top of that, we are going to win the Europa League, too, just to make it even more certain that we get into the Champions League. Simple!

Ian Wright believes that being without Declan Rice for the North London Derby is a huge blow for Arsenal, given the midfielder’s importance to the side.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal

The derby game after the international break has taken even more significance for Spurs and Arsenal after their results this weekend.

Ange Postecoglou’s men will be desperate to bounce back after falling to a defeat at St James’ Park, in a game they will feel they should have won.

Meanwhile, the Gunners will also want to get back to winning ways after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton.

Declan Rice red card sees him miss the derby

Mikel Arteta’s men will be without Rice for their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the England international was sent off at the start of the second half against the Seagulls.

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Since Rice got two yellow cards instead of a straight red, the decision cannot be appealed, with the former West Ham thus having to sit out the big game against Spurs.

When asked about Arsenal being without their midfielder for their trip to N17, Wright told Premier League Productions (31/08/24 at 2:40 pm): “Yeah, it’s a big blow. I think it’s a big blow for us simply because he is so integral to everything that we are doing.

“If Declan (Rice) is on the pitch for the second half (against Brighton) then we would probably win that game. He is a big miss. I think you could see that in the way that we played in the second half. But to get a point is such a big point now.”

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Arsenal are certainly a weaker side without Rice but they still arguably go into the derby as favourites as they are expected to challenge for the title.

Postecoglou and the Tottenham players will be keen to win the fans over and prove that they can go toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in the league.

The Athletic reveal (using stats from Opta) that Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the most wasteful sides in front of goal across the Premier League so far this season.

How are Tottenham only on four points?

Ange Postecoglou will be scratching his head about how his side only have four points to show from their matches so far, having dominated all three.

The Athletic point out that Spurs took a whopping 48 shots in their first three games, which is the second-highest across the league.

The Lilywhites also have the second most shots on target and are joint second for shots from outside the penalty area.

Tottenham are shooting but not scoring

However, the outlet points out the quality of chances that Tottenham created at St James’ Park were quite low, with Postecoglou’s men only registering an xG of 1.3, with the average xG value of each shot being just 0.06.

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This is because 11 of Tottenham’s 20 goal attempts came from outside the box on Sunday.

Spurs Web Opinion

We might have only created a couple of big chances on Sunday but we did create many big opportunities, which we failed to convert into a chance.

For example, our low crosses inside the box that no one got on the end of do not register on xG since we never got a shot away but those were huge opportunities.

It is undoubtedly the lack of composure and ruthlessness in the final third that is letting Spurs down.

TBR Football have suggested that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could emerge as a potential contender to host the 2027 Champions League final as the San Siro is expected to be dropped as the host stadium.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The move to the new stadium has certainly been a game-changer for Spurs in terms of revenue, with the 62,850-seater arena significantly boosting the club’s coffers.

TBR Football explain that the Lilywhites earned £118m in gross matchday revenue last season, which put them second to only Manchester United in that metric.

This number is further boosted by the fact that Spurs’ home ground is also hosting an increasing number of non-footballing events.

It has now emerged that Daniel Levy and co are setting their sights on the biggest game in the European football calendar.

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Could Spurs hold the Champions League Final?

TBR Football relay a report from Sportcal that says the San Siro is expected to be dropped as the venue for the 2027 Champions League final, and they then suggest that this could open the door for Spurs to host the match.

The publication adds that as the most modern 60,000-plus seater stadium in Europe, Tottenham remain poised and ready to step up to hold the marquee event.

Spurs Web Opinion

Plenty of clubs from around Europe would be keen to host the Champions League final, given the number of eyeballs on that game.

Getting the chance to do so would undoubtedly be huge for Spurs’ brand, particularly given that the stadium is still known by its generic name ‘Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Standard report that Ange Postecoglou is hopeful of having Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke back for the North London Derby in two weeks.

Tottenham missed two key players against Newcastle

Van de Ven and Solanke both missed the clash against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, with the latter also not available for the 4-0 win over Everton after being sidelined with an ankle injury.

Richarlison would have hoped to impress in Solanke’s absence but he too picked up an injury that ruled him out of the trip to the North East.

According to the Standard, Van de Ven only sat out the clash against the Magpies as a precaution, having trained before the game. This was because Postecoglou did not want to risk the Dutchman.

Even though the 23-year-old has pulled out of the Netherlands squad for the international break, he is expected to be fit for the big derby game.

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Solanke could be back for the North London Derby

The report adds that there is also hope at Hotspur Way that Solanke will fully recover in time for Arsenal’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, one player who might not make it is Richarlison, whose potential return date remains unknown at the moment. Meanwhile, Will Lankshear will be sidelined for another couple of weeks.

Spurs Web Opinion

Having Solanke and Van de Ven back will make us a much stronger side in both boxes, which will be needed against a really strong Arsenal side.

But one has to feel for Richarlison, who has had terrible luck with injuries since making the big-money move to Tottenham a little over two years ago.

Girona boss Michel is pleased with the impact that Bryan Gil has made since joining the club on loan, admitting that the La Liga club have been after the Tottenham man since last year.

Bryan Gil is thriving at Girona

After enduring a few difficult seasons at Spurs, where he struggled for game time under different managers, Gil now has an opportunity to get his career back on track at Girona.

What’s more, the winger now knows that he can seal a permanent move away from Hotspur Way next summer if he impresses at the Estadi Montilivi as a £15m release clause can be activated at the end of his loan spell (Paul O Keefe – Last Word on Spurs).

Gil has certainly made a bright start at the new club, delivering a Man of the Match performance in his debut against Real Betis (Mundo via Sport Witness) and following that up with a well-taken goal in Girona’s Osasuna 4-0 at home last week.

Girona wanted to sign Bryan Gil in 2023

The 23-year-old also played 89 minutes on Sunday on his return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium as Girona emerged with a 2-0 win from Seville.

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Speaking after the game, Michel told Estadio Deportivo about the Spain international: “He’s a player that we were already talking about last year about the possibility of him helping us, this year he really wanted to come.

“You can see that he is very focused, and I have the feeling that he is very comfortable. So, we just ask that those physical data you have become numbers that have already made a goal, have made an assist and we want that to go further.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is good to see Gil enjoying his football after a difficult few years at Spurs, with the winger never really getting a sustained run in the team at the North London club despite showing some glimpses of promise.

If he can play well enough to convince someone to pay £15m for him in the summer, it will be a win for all parties involved.