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Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins from three in pre-season today with a 3-2 victory over Vissel Kobe in Japan. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game.

Mikey Moore is a star in the making

You always want to stay grounded when it comes to young players coming through the academy into the first-team, but this lad looks so special. The biggest compliment you can give him is that he doesn’t look at all out of place in these first-team fixtures. In fact, he’s putting in Man of the Match level cameos.

Not only is he skilful with the ball at his feet, creating space and chances for others, but he also has that natural habit of getting into goalscoring positions for fun. Even before he tapped home the winner today, he was denied a goal by a handball on the line and then header over when he really should have scored.

Mikey Moore is going to have a big season at Tottenham in 2024/25,

Kulusevski in a central role

That’s three matches in a row now where Kulusevski has had the ball fizzed into him, before flicking it around the corner to send his teammate through on goal. It appears Ange prefers the Swede in a more central role at the moment, playing the last three games at either number 10 or false 9, and it’s hard to argue with the results. I assume Spurs will sign a new number 9 this summer, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kulusevski used more as a 10 this season, either alongside Maddison or as a rotation.

Johnson to Sonny and repeat

Tottenham’s second goal involved Pedro Porro setting Brennan Johnson away in behind, with the Welshman flashing a cross along the face of the goal for Heung-min Son to tap home. That is a combination we are going to see a whole lot of this season if Sonny is back in his preferred wide-left position (and I think he will be). Postecoglou’s whole system is designed to get either Son or Johnson in behind, then the box filled with white shirts to tap home a fizzed cross. Get used to it!

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Academy starlets are winning pre-season

It might be controversial to say because the likes of Son, Porro, and Johnson have been great so far this summer, but I think the academy starlets have been more impressive than the first team. There, I said it! Spurs have performed better in the second halves of their pre-season fixtures (especially against Hearts) and some of the one-touch build-up play around the box has been out of this world.

A lot of these lads have played with each other for years and they are taught to play the Ange way in the U21s, which is really coming to fruition on the pitch. If we don’t bring some of them through into the first team this season, something is horribly wrong.

Archie Gray the quarterback

I could rave about the academy starlets all day long, but let’s not forget that Archie Gray is the same age as most of them at just 18. In the first half, he covered at left-centre-back and was perhaps the best player on the pitch for Spurs.

He was like a quarterback, fizzing passes between the lines into the Tottenham forwards, much like Cristian Romero does when he’s in the team. That continued when he moved into midfield in the second half, with the former Leeds star getting stuck into a few tackles too. I really do think he is going to be a Spurs regular by the end of 2024.

Tottenham Hotspur made it three pre-season wins from three this afternoon, with 16-year-old Mikey Moore popping up with the winner in Japan.

Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Tottenham player ratings vs Vissel Kobe

Guglielmo Vicario – 6.5 – Only played 45 minutes in his first game back. A couple of routine saves and a couple of nervy moments too. Even though he was in Italy’s squad for the Euros, he hasn’t actually played a game for a while.

Pedro Porro – 8.5 – A superb central run and neat footwork in the box to stroke home the equaliser for Spurs. He was a potent creative outlet all evening long, including a lovely ball to set Johnson away for Tottenham’s second.

Emerson Royal – 6 – Didn’t have a whole lot to do today defensively, beyond the second goal deflecting off him. It seems strange that he started over Ashley Phillips when he is clearly going to leave in the coming weeks.

Archie Gray – 7.5 – Played the first half as a centre-back, but played more like a quarter-back, fizzing passes between the lines into Tottenham’s forwards. Moved up into midfield for the second half and looked just as impressive there, on and off the ball. He looks a real talent.

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Ben Davies – 5 – Looked like a player coming back from a long-term injury. Really struggled with the pace of the game and allowed far too many crosses to come in from the left.

Pape Matar Sarr – 5 – A shocking piece of defending at the back post – when he should have just let the ball go – gifted Vissel Kobe the lead. He probably needed a shout from his teammates.

Yves Bissouma – 6 – Not at his best today, which was a shame after looking so bright against QPR. A couple of bright moments, but also plenty of sloppy ones and a lack of progressive passing.

James Maddison – 7 – Only managed 45 minutes but looked really bright during that time. Most of his good work came from a deep-lying playmaker position, threading passes to the likes of Son, Kulusevski and Johnson.

Brennan Johnson – 8 – This is going to be a feature of Tottenham’s play this season – direct Johnson runs being picked out by his teammates, followed by crosses along the face of the goal. Superb running today.

Heung-min Son – 7.5 – The local fans got what they wanted, a Heung-min Son goal! Truth be told, he couldn’t miss after Johnson put it on the plate with his cross. Son looked sharp throughout though, especially on the break. It was great to see him back on the left again today.

Dejan Kulusevski – 8 – Playing a centre-forward role today, Kulusevski pulled off a clever flick around the box to set up a teammate for the third game in a row (this time Pedro Porro). It seems like Postecoglou prefers the Swede centrally at the moment, whether that be as a number 10 or a false 9.

Second-half Substitutes:

Brandon Austin – 6.5 – A couple of routine saves but he couldn’t do anything about Vissel Kobe’s second goal.

Lucas Bergvall – 7 – One of those weird players who always seems to have time on the ball, no matter how tight the situation is. Was involved in some really nice final-third interplay.

Jamie Donley – 8 – Came on at left-back for the third time this summer. Went close in the second half when his curled effort smacked the post, then again with a dipping volley. Then assisted the winner with an underlapping run and cross. I wonder whether Spurs will keep him around as a backup this season.

Oliver Skipp – 6 – Did some really good defensive work initially after coming on, but got turned inside out for Vissel Kobe’s second goal. He was covering at centre-back again, to be fair. Looked far more comfortable in the defensive midfield position.

Mikey Moore – 8 – Would have scored early in the second half if not for a handball on the line. Missed a great chance from a free header. But he finally had his moment when he tapped home the winner from a Jamie Donley cross. The teenager seems to get himself into scoring positions for fun!

Manor Solomon – 6 – Grew into the game once the pitch started to open up a bit, but he was largely outshone by Tottenham’s teenagers.

Will Lankshear – 7 – Had a couple of half-chances that could have led to goals on another day. Looks really strong at holding the ball up and bringing others into play, despite being so young.

Djed Spence – 7 – Much more understated after coming on today but he soon grew into the match with those underlapping runs. Almost set up a goal after being slid in behind by Moore.

George Abbott – 6 – Some neat and tidy work at the back, covering at centre-back. No mistakes, and that is already better than some of the other Spurs defenders today.

Ashley Phillips – 6 – Never quite got up to speed with the pace of the game. Picked up a yellow for a late tackle. Would have been nice to see him actually start the game.

Alfie Devine – 6.5 – Almost put one on a plate for Lankshear within seconds of coming on. Always looks so creative during his cameos. I expect another good loan for him this season.

Here’s how we rated the Tottenham Hotspur players following the opening forty-five minutes of action in today’s pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe.

Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break at Japan National Stadium currently level at 1-1.

Tottenham half-time ratings vs Vissel Kobe

Guglielmo Vicario: Making his first appearance of pre-season. Could he have been more vocal to let Sarr know he had plenty of time? Has had little to do. 6.

Pedro Porro: Chopped back in and finished really well with his weaker left foot. A typical energetic performance from the right-back. 7.

Emerson Royal: Given the heavy speculation about his future, surprisingly he gets a start ahead of Phillips. 6.

Archie Gray: Made a crucial block early on. Looks so comfortable on the ball and his forward passes have been impressive. We were treated to a glimpse of his quick feet shortly before the break. 8.

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Ben Davies: Asked to operate at left-back in his first outing of pre-season. 6.

Yves Bissouma: A solid display in the middle of the park. Was looking to score in successive matches but saw his effort go high over the crossbar. Played a loose pass just before half time which would have been a decent opportunity for Spurs to launch an attack. 7.

Pape Matar Sarr: Gifted Kobe the lead when he attempted to clear the ball and it went into the path of Osako to fire home. 5.

James Maddison: Has linked up well with some neat passing. His through ball to release Son nearly saw Spurs score through Johnson. 7.

Brennan Johnson: Linked up well with Kulusevski in the build-up to Porro’s equaliser. He must have thought he was about to tap home to put Spurs ahead only for a last-ditch challenge to deny him. 7.

Dejan Kulusevski: Played a lovely backheel assist (again) from a one-two with Johnson to set up Porro. Saw an effort on goal hit the side netting on 17 mins. Has looked comfortable operating in the middle of the front three. Looked to be racing through on goal but was hacked down just inside his own half. 8.

Turkish publication Yeni Asir report that Galatasaray are interested in signing a player from either Tottenham or Newcastle summer, in a transfer domino that involves a former Spurs star.

Galatasaray want to replace Serge Aurier

Galatasaray took former Tottenham right-back, Serge Aurier, on loan for the second half of last season on their march to the Turkish league title.

However, the Ivorian did not impress enough during his six-month stint to earn a permanent move to Galatasaray this summer, so they are on the lookout for a replacement.

The Turkish champions reportedly looked at Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United, but the defender proved to be too expensive for them this summer (Yeni Asir).

Galatasaray want Emerson Royal or Kieran Trippier

Galatasaray reportedly have both Emerson Royal and Kieran Trippier on their wishlist for the summer now that Wan-Bissaka is an impossibility. Of course, they only need to sign one of these two targets.

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Premier League Brasil reported this week that Galatasaray sent an offer to Tottenham regarding the Brazilian right-back, although the figure was not revealed.

This is said to have prompted AC Milan to finally meet Tottenham’s price tag of €20m (£16.8m) for the player, so Galatasaray may have actually done themselves more harm than good there.

Spurs Web Opinion:

I think Emerson Royal to AC Milan is very close to being done now. Maybe the late interest from Galatasaray actually helped Tottenham in negotiations.

I expect an announcement to be made in the next week that Royal is joining AC Milan on loan with an obligation to buy for around £12m plus another £4m in performance-related add-ons or something like that.

Finance industry experts, Kroll reveal how much Tottenham could feasibly charge for their stadium naming rights compared to some of the other biggest teams in the world.

Tottenham Stadium naming rights

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened its doors way back in 2019, but the state-of-the-art multi-sport arena is still being referred to by its placeholder name.

In the past five years, Daniel Levy and co have seemingly made no progress in finding a suitable long-term naming rights partner for their 62,850-seater ground.

There is one school of thought that Tottenham have been holding back on a deal due to their involvement with England’s Euro 2026 bid as there are certain UEFA restrictions on branded stadiums (The Times).

Daniel Levy told Bloomberg in 2023: “If we get the right naming rights partner — and when I say that, I mean somebody who pays the right money in the right sector — then we are willing to consider doing it.

“But we’re not as tied to doing it now as perhaps we would’ve been when we first looked at building the stadium.”

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How much could Tottenham charge for stadium naming rights?

Finance industry experts, Kroll, have estimated how much some of the biggest clubs around Europe could charge for their stadium naming rights deals.

Tottenham are listed as the fourth most expensive package on the list, above any other Premier League team and only behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG.

Kroll predict that Spurs could charge £15.17m per season for their stadium naming rights. Manchester United and Manchester City are listed at £12.9m and £12.56m respectively, while Liverpool could charge just £9.86m.

Spurs Web Opinion:

I get the feeling that Tottenham actually have no interest in finding a naming rights partner anymore.

They hold so many concerts, football matches, NFL games, boxing matches, and more that the stadium is shown on camera across the world, as is the name – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The club likely see this as valuable branding that is worth more than £15m per season to them at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur have not always recruited smartly in previous years, however, it would be fair to say that Fabio Paratici got more signings right than he did wrong.

Fabio Paratici brought Kulusevki and Bentancur to Spurs

The Italian pulled off something of a masterstroke when he raided his former club Juventus for the double signing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski.

The Sweden winger initially joined Spurs on an 18-month loan in January 2022, with an option to buy for £29.2m and after his impressive start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, signed a five-year deal with the Premier League club, reportedly for a reduced fee of £25m (Daily Mail).

It came somewhat out of the blue when CalcioMercato reported earlier this month that Napoli, now managed by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte, were keen to sign him.

Kulusevski struggled with consistency at times last season, where he made 32 appearances, contributing eight goals and seven assists across all competitions for Spurs (transfermarkt).

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No Napoli move for Dejan Kulusevski

CalcioNapoli24 have poured cold water on the prospect of the 24-year-old reuniting with Conte in Naples this summer.

Despite Everton having completed a deal for Napoli midfielder Jesper Lindstrom, the Serie A outfit do not have Kulusevski under consideration.

SpursWeb Opinion

It would have been hugely surprising if Tottenham had sold Kulusevski this summer when there is already a lack of depth and quality in the final third, especially when the fixture calendar this season will be considerably busier due to Europa League qualification.

That being said, the Swede did look out of sorts at times last season when he struggled to put together a string of consistent performances having floated between a central role and his usual out-wide position.

Giovani Lo Celso is linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur, but clubs are reluctant to make an offer due to his injury record, according to Corriere della Sera.

Lo Celso’s struggles at Tottenham

Lo Celso has struggled during his time at Tottenham. Although he was signed permanently for £27 million before the end of his loan move from Real Betis, due to his initially strong performances, he has failed to make an impact since those first six months (BBC).

Making just four starts in the Premier League last season, there appears to be no space in Ange Postecoglou’s first eleven for the Argentina midfielder (Tottenham Hotspur).

Injuries have not helped Lo Celso’s cause, with the 28-year-old missing 14 games last season due to various issues including knee problems, a muscle injury and a hamstring injury (Transfer Markt).

Buyers are scared of Lo Celso’s injuries

Serie A side Lazio are one of many teams to have been linked with Lo Celso (Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness), but they have had to carefully consider whether they want to make a move for him.

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According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Tottenham are ‘ready to let him go,’ but the ‘repeated physical problems’ that have limited him for some time are ‘scary’ (via Sport Witness).

This fear of Lo Celso being injured so often has seen clubs refusing to make Spurs an offer, despite him being in the final year of his contract.

SpursWeb opinion

I wanted Lo Celso to be given more opportunities last season. He looked good when he played, creating chances for the forwards.

But Postecoglou has made it clear he has no intention of starting him and if the manager does not want a player, there is no point holding onto him.

Spurs will need to convince teams to take the risk and bid for Lo Celso before his contract expires next summer.

Santiago Gimenez is aware of interest from Tottenham and Arsenal this summer, as the Lilywhites are still on the lookout to replace Harry Kane, 12 months on from his exit.

Tottenham have been linked with Santiago Gimenez

Santiago Gimenez scored 26 goals in all competitions for Feyenoord last season, so it comes as no surprise that a number of top clubs from around Europe are being linked with his signature.

TuttoJuve reported recently that Gimenez is one of the names on Tottenham’s radar this transfer window, alongside Jonathan David and Federico Chiesa.

Gimenez is aware of Tottenham’s interest in him

Fox Sports in Mexico have now offered an update on the situation, stating that Gimenez is aware of interest from Tottenham, Juventus, AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, RB Leipzig and Arsenal.

However, none of these six clubs has actually made an official offer to Feyenoord for their striker’s services, which is why his agents are now taking a more proactive approach.

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Gimenez’s representatives and father will travel to Europe this week in order to hold talks with various interested parties in England, Italy and Spain, including Tottenham Hotspur.

It is up to them to convince someone to make an ‘attractive’ enough offer that will convince Feyenoord to part ways with the 23-year-old this summer.

Spurs Web Opinion:

To be honest, I would stay well away from Gimenez this summer if I were Tottenham. You can’t replace Harry Kane with a like-for-like player, so why even try?

Spurs should either go for a young, rapid striker who can press from the front all day long, or a proven centre-forward like Ivan Toney with Premier League experience.

Journalist Dean Jones says there is a 50 per cent chance Djed Spence will leave Tottenham Hotspur before the transfer window closes on August 31.

Djed Spence’s struggles at Spurs

Tottenham supporters were optimistic when the club signed talented right-back, Djed Spence, for £20 million from Middlesbrough in 2022, after his impressive loan spell at Nottingham Forest (Sky Sports).

The right-wing back position in Antonio Conte’s side seemed a perfect fit for the youngster to showcase his abilities in both defence and attack.

But the 23-year-old has failed to make an impact at Tottenham, being loaned out three times since his arrival (Transfer Markt) and criticised for his attitude by former managers Neil Warnock (Express) and Daniel Farke (talkSPORT).

Despite these setbacks, Spence has looked like a transformed player in pre-season. Including a standout performance in the 5-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle, when he got a goal and assist, increasing the previously unlikely chance of him remaining at Spurs (Football London).

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Spence could stay at Tottenham after a bright pre-season

Speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Dean Jones said: “In terms of Djed Spence, it’s quite a 50/50 at the moment. I think there’s still a reasonable chance he goes, and I wouldn’t read too much into it right now, but he does have a lifeline and I didn’t think he’d get one at all.”

Ange Postecoglou has also praised Spence for his pre-season performances so far this summer.

He said (Football London): “Djed did well. He has had a tough couple of years. He is training with us and I think with all of the players they are here with us at the moment and when they are here with us I treat them as Tottenham players unless something suddenly changes.”

SpursWeb opinion

Emerson Royal has had his day at Spurs and a backup right-back is needed.

While Spence has failed to impress on his loan moves, it is clear he is a quality player when his head is in the right place. He should be given until January to prove himself. If he fails to do so, he can always be sold then.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has some big decisions to make this summer. Not only does he need to decide which players to bring into his squad, but he also has to handle the young talent at the club and make a call on whether they stick around or head out on loan.

What’s next for Will Lankshear?

One name high up on that list of promising teenage talent is Will Lankshear. The young striker was prolific as Spurs marched to Premier League 2 glory last season, and he’s now been rubbing shoulders with the first team in pre-season.

But will Postecoglou keep the 19-year-old in his squad for the upcoming campaign, or send him out on loan to gain valuable experience from regular football in a lower league?

According to a report from The Athletic, Lankshear is the subject of interest for a number of Championship and League One clubs this summer.

The report suggests it could be “more beneficial” for the young striker to play regularly elsewhere rather than “sporadically” at Tottenham this season.

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Lankshear could get minutes in the cup

However, it is said Lankshear could be a “useful alternative” to the attacking options Postecoglou has at his disposal currently, especially with Spurs participating in three cup competitions this year.

The report cites that Lankshear has been competing with Dane Scarlett and Alejo Veliz in pre-season so far, but has seen one “obstacle” removed since Troy Parrott’s move to AZ Alkmaar.

It remains to be seen which way Lankshear’s career path goes this season, but either way, the impressive striker appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

Spurs Web Opinion

I’m really torn as to what I would do with Lankshear this season.

On the one hand, you don’t want to stunt his development and kill the momentum he has built up by letting him sit around on the bench all season for us, but there’s always the possibility that he is in such hot form that he makes a massive breakthrough at Spurs this year if he’s given the chance.

I think I would be tempted to keep him and give him that opportunity.