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Archie Gray may have only signed for Tottenham a matter of days ago, but the former Leeds United starlet is already in training under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham signed Archie Gray for £40m

Spurs signed Archie Gray from Leeds United on July 2nd, shelling out a whopping £40m for the 18-year-old who only has one year of experience in the Championship (Sky Sports).

That being said, the youngster impressed the Leeds coaching staff and ended up featuring regularly both in midfield and at right-back. Spurs also got a nice £10m discount by sending Joe Rodon the other way.

Well, it turns out that Gray only had to wait four days before he was treated to his first taste of Tottenham training at Hotspur Way, with a number of non-international players returning this week.

Archie Gray is training at Hotspur Way

Spurs have their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Hearts on July 17th, just days after the European Championship final, and Gray will surely be involved in the squad.

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When asked about his first day of training, Archie Gray told Tottenham’s media team: “Ever since I signed, I couldn’t wait to get started and I can’t wait to train even more.

“The first session today was brilliant and I really enjoyed it, so I can’t wait to train again.”

Alasdair Gold has already reported that sources at the club have found Archie to be polite, grounded and confident during his first two days in North London (Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham).

Spurs fans will be excited to see what the teenager can do on the pitch as he joins the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Oliver Skipp and Lucas Bergvall in the midfield ranks for next season.

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Pre-season is always such an exciting time full of hope and hype. I can’t wait to see Gray in a Lilywhite shirt over the course of the next month.

I have a feeling he could surprise a few people and work his way into the regular starting XI next season.

Nico Williams is shining at the EUROs in Germany this summer which has only intensified interest in the winger as Liverpool join Tottenham in the host of teams interested.

Tottenham will have plenty of competition for Nico Williams

The Telegraph revealed back in April that Spurs were part of a group of Premier League clubs who were interested in the 21-year-old who is reported to have a £42.8 million buyout clause in his deal at Athletic Bilbao.

Williams himself however has knocked back talks of departing Bilbao this summer as he told Nogomania: ‘I signed a contract with Bilbao a few weeks ago, and I feel very happy there’.

Football Insider reported on the 3rd of July that Tottenham and Aston Villa were still keeping a keen eye on Williams ahead of a potential move for the Spanish speedster, with rumours that people within the North London club are huge fans of the player.

Liverpool show interest in Nico Williams

New reports from Football Insider reveal that Liverpool could rival Tottenham for Williams this summer if they can’t land their main target, Anthony Gordon, after a rejected first bid for the Newcastle winger. (Football Insider)

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New Reds manager Arne Slot is looking to add a new attacker to his ranks this summer which has led to the club’s recruitment team creating a long list of targets. Williams is expected to be high on the list as the attacker is someone Liverpool have long since admired.

A potential move for Williams from Liverpool would likely put Tottenham’s chances in further doubt, although Football Insider does claim that despite the player desiring a switch to Barcelona, the Spanish giants may not be able to afford the deal.

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Williams’ performances for Spain this summer continue to impress me and make it evident why he is on so many top clubs’ shortlists this summer.

Tottenham fans would undoubtedly love to see Williams tearing up the Premier League in lilywhite next season, but it looks more and more unlikely after every game for Spain and every rumour of another interested club.

Perhaps the ship has sailed for Spurs and Williams since the clubs reported interest back in April.

Spurs are unlikely to land Conor Gallagher this summer but will still look to sign an extra central midfielder, even after getting the Archie Gray deal done this week.

Gallagher was a long-reported target

Back in June, The Athletic reported that Conor Gallagher was one of the players Tottenham were looking at closest, with both the recruitment team and Postecoglou himself being big fans of the midfielder.

Postecoglou even went public with his appraisal of the midfielder during punditry duties on ITV, explaining how his energy can disrupt teams and analysing ‘sometimes he won’t even receive the ball because his running capacity disrupts opposition’. (HITC)

The pressure of PSR regulations was another factor in a potential transfer for Gallagher, the England international came through the Chelsea youth system and would have counted as 100% profit towards the books.

It was reported Chelsea put a £50 million price tag on the player whose deal expires in June of 2025 (Express).

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Spurs will sign another central midfielder

It now appears that a deal for Conor Gallagher is increasingly unlikely, however, with Football Insider reporting that Tottenham’s London rivals have completed enough sales to align with profit and sustainability regulations after the sale of Ian Maatsen.

Football Insider also revealed that Gallagher has made it clear to Chelsea that he would like to stay despite stalled contract talks.

Chelsea will now have a decision to make regarding their club captain with a sale to Tottenham reportedly unlikely, Gallagher’s deal does still only have a year left and the man they valued at £50 million could depart for nothing in a season.

That being said, Spurs will still reportedly push to add another central midfielder to their ranks, alongside Archie Gray and newcomer, Lucas Bergvall.

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The signing of Archie Gray slightly elevates the importance of signing a central midfielder this summer with the 18-year-old being comfortable operating at either central midfield or right back.

A deal for Gallagher was logical though, as Postecoglou commented on ITV, the Chelsea midfielder’s energy and business in the middle of the park would help Tottenham disrupt the opposition’s tempo and disorganise low blocks that they struggled against last season.

Gray has only just stepped into Hotspur Way, but the 18-year-old has already made a lasting impression on people within the club

People at Spurs have lauded Gray’s confidence

Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Archie Gray from Leeds United on the 2nd of July, making it the club’s first permanent deal of the window.

Plenty of people have high hopes for the 18-year-old who was awarded the Championship Young Player of the Season in his debut campaign. (Tottenham Hotspur)

Gray signed a deal that runs all the way until 2030, displaying the clubs both high hopes for his future and current ability, only proved further by the £40m reported investment Tottenham sunk into the Gray transfer. (Sky Sports)

Players have just started to trickle back into the training ground ahead of the 2024/25 season which has allowed Archie Gray to get accustomed to his new surroundings, and according to reports has already made an impression behind the scenes.

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Gray is the ideal character for Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou has previously conveyed his beliefs of having a dressing room of good characters over just high levels of ability, and new reports suggest that Gray is aligned with that philosophy. (TNT Sports)

Alasdair Gold, speaking on Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham, explained how people at Spurs have been extremely impressed with Archie Gray’s personality, describing him as grounded and polite.

Gold said: “Yeah I was impressed by the interview. I thought he’s very confident in speaking and I spoke to a couple of people around the club after his couple of days he’d been in for and the feeling was very much that he’s a grounded, polite young guy, exactly as you’d hope for. No sense of an attitude or anything.”

The reports suggest that regardless of Gray’s outstanding ability, it hasn’t transpired into a cockiness in the youngster’s personality with people stating that the midfielder doesn’t have any sense of an attitude and seems to have the perfect personality to help realise his potential.

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Hearing the near-perfect impressions that Gray has left with people at Spurs is welcome news, especially for a new signing that is still so young as the player’s attitude and character will likely determine what heights Gray will reach.

Gray might need to display a bit of arrogance on the pitch however, akin to Bellingham and Dele Alli, especially with the way Gray plays it’s likely the teenager will get kicked a lot and should be prepared to respond in the right way.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle Arsenal and Chelsea for Southampton academy starlet Harley Emsden-James.

Spurs are shopping around Southampton

The Southampton academy is famed for producing some outstanding players, with the likes of Spurs legend Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, James Ward-Prowse and many others coming through the ranks at the South Coast club before enjoying distinguished careers at the top level.

TEAMtalk say that the Saints are now in danger of losing several of their talented academy players to bigger clubs as their contracts run out.

One of those is thought to be defender Emsden-James, who has allegedly decided to leave St Mary’s after his deal ended.

Spurs in the race for Harley Emsden-James

The player, who has been capped by England at Under-15 level, is thought to be the subject of interest from Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea.

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Meanwhile, The Daily Mail also back up this information, stating that the three London giants are set to battle it out for the 14-year-old.

The publication claims that Emsden-James has already informed Southampton of his desire to leave their academy.

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Johan Lange has made it clear that Tottenham aspire to be the go-to destination for talented young players across England and Europe, and it does not come as a surprise to see the Lilywhites trying to add more talent to their academy ranks.

Not only that, but Tottenham are also putting faith in youth in the starting XI, with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie, as well as Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray next season.

Jonathan David was reportedly a player Spurs took interest in this summer but the latest reports are suggesting that no moves have been made.

Jonathan David only has a year left on his deal at Lille

Jonathan David has an incredible goalscoring record, netting 37 goals in 83 appearances in Belgium with Gent, which earned him a move to Ligue 1 side, Lille, where his goalscoring pace has remained, scoring 84 goals in 183 games. (TransferMarkt)

His goalscoring pedigree has placed him on a number of big clubs’ radars this summer, with Tottenham being one of those interested.

Reports started to emerge in late June that Spurs were looking into Jonathan David with Football.London claiming that the Canadian international is on the club’s shortlist of strikers to sign this summer.

Football Insider fuelled the fire of links between Spurs and David as they claimed Tottenham had made contacts with the player’s agents over a move.

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Talks over David have gone cold for Spurs

Sky Sports journalist, Dharmesh Sheth, was quizzed on Tottenham’s links to David when on the Last Word On Spurs podcast and admitted that he did hear earlier in the window Jonathan David was a player that Tottenham, alongside a number of clubs, were looking at.

However, the rumours over David and Tottenham have ‘gone a bit cold’ according to Sheth, leaving people unsure as to whether the club will reignite their interest in pursuing a move or not.

David is however still on international duty with his country, Canada, in the United States as he competes for the Copa America, which perhaps is why there’s been little progress on a deal.

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Jonathan David’s goalscoring record speaks for itself. It’s understandable why so many clubs are sniffing around the forward, especially considering that his contract expires in 2025 and that is likely to lower the player’s current value.

Hopefully, the rumours have died down merely due to the fact that David is still playing in the Copa America and that the 24-year-old isn’t off of the shortlist of strikers Tottenham were looking at.

Brentford centre-forward, Ivan Toney only has a single year left on his deal and isn’t displaying any desire to sign another contract at The Gtec Stadium.

Tottenham are looking at signing a new striker

Spurs are reported to be investigating the idea of signing a new striker ahead of the upcoming season, perhaps surprisingly, following Richarlison’s impressive eleven league goals.

However, the Brazilian suffered yet another injury-hit season and is one of the only recognised senior strikers at the club. (Football.London)

Ivan Toney has been a name that’s arisen a lot in rumours for a new striker at Hotspur Way this summer, with The Standard claiming Tottenham, alongside Arsenal and Chelsea, are very interested in the 28-year-old.

The England international has made no secret of his desire to end his current four-season stay at Brentford as speaking to TNT Sports the player expressed his intentions to play for a big club, going as far to admit it’s ‘obvious’ that’s what he wants.

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Sky Sports suggests no option has been cut off for Toney’s future

On Friday (5/7/24) Sky Sports provided an update on Ivan Toney’s future, confirming that as it stands the striker will not be renewing his contract at Brentford which is rapidly running out with the player being a free agent on the 30th of June 2025.

The asking price for Toney is expected to be £60 million, Sky Sports revealed. However, the worrying situation for Brentford is the player’s contract and it could have an effect on the asking price should Toney still not have moved on towards the end of the summer.

Brentford do ‘want to cash in this summer’, but all outcomes remain an option for the player whose club situation is set to become clearer after the conclusion of his trip with the England squad in EURO 2024.

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Upon face value, signing Toney, who bagged twenty goals in 2022/23 for a mid-table Brentford side is a no-brainer (TransferMarkt). However, £60 million is still a very big fee for a player who is 28 years of age and has their contract expiring in just under twelve months.

His attitude towards leaving Brentford is also perhaps a concern, publicly announcing a desire to leave after the club has stood by you during a betting ban is a confusing move from the striker and one that perhaps wouldn’t align with Postecoglou’s trend at Spurs so far of expelling any player’s who don’t seem committed.

Although Richarlison found the form that prompted Tottenham to sign him from Everton at times last season, Spurs are rumoured to be looking at bringing in a new striker for Postecoglou this summer.

Saha believes Ivan Toney is an ideal fit for Spurs

As a result of injuries to Richarlison in the latter stages of the season, captain – Heung Min Son, was forced centrally to fulfil the team’s striker role. Although the Korean still notched seventeen goals in the league, many fans are in agreement the 31-year-old is a lot better suited on the left wing.

Likely due to Son’s striker troubles and Richarlison’s inconsistency overall in a Spurs shirt, Tottenham are reported to be in the market this summer for a new striker who can be the team’s focal point and offer plenty of goals, much like Harry Kane did for years at Spurs. (Football.London)

The Standard reported back in June that Toney was a striker in particular that Spurs, along with Arsenal and Chelsea, are interested in signing, with Brentford ‘bracing themselves’ for bids regarding their star forward.

Toney could forge a great partnership with Son according to Saha

It appears Louis Saha is a big fan of the idea of Toney moving to N17 this summer as the ex-Spurs striker suggested that ‘Ivan Toney would be fantastic for Tottenham’ when speaking to Gambling Zone.

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Saha, who scored three times in ten games whilst at Tottenham, cited Toney’s reliability as a key differentiator between the 28-year-old and Spurs’ current forwards, claiming that Richarlison is a great striker, but not a forward who will score 15 to 20 goals a season.

Heung Min Son was a player in particular that Saha believed Toney could strike up a dangerous partnership with before continuing to express his admiration for the former Peterborough forward due to his ability to ‘work on his own, or with a second striker’.

He said: “Ivan Toney would be fantastic for Tottenham because he’s more reliable than the players they have in that position. Toney and Heung Min-Son could form a great partnership under Ange Postecoglou.

“Richarlison can be a really good forward but he’s not a striker, he’s not someone who is going to score 15 or 20 goals a season, he’s dangerous but isn’t that type of player.

“Toney to Tottenham makes perfect sense, he’s the type of player who can work on his own or with a second striker.”

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We’ve seen Toney shine for Brentford for a few seasons now, and even most recently his goal output wasn’t as impressive as it was prior to his ban, which can be largely put down to match sharpness, but Toney became a different style of striker, often utilising his hold up play and strength to aid his team’s attacks.

For England, we’ve only seen further proof of that, as displayed by the 28-year-old’s assist for Harry Kane in the opening minute of extra-time against Slovakia.

Despite Nottingham Forest selling multiple players around June 30th to align with PSR rules, the East Midlands side are reluctantly willing to accept bids of £30 million for winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Tottenham have interest in signing the former Chelsea star

Callum Hudson-Odoi was once the subject of a £70 million loan with an option to buy bid from German giants, Bayern Munich, in 2020 (The Guardian). A little under three years later and Nottingham Forest purchased the winger for just £3 million. (TransferMarkt)

An impressive Premier League season with Forest, netting eight times and assisting once in twenty-eight appearances, has seen Hudson-Odoi return to the radar of some big clubs, one of which being Tottenham. (TransferMarkt)

Football Insider revealed in May that Hudson-Odoi was a player that Spurs were interested in due to Postecoglou desiring a new, young winger for his team with Hudson-Odoi being a player that he and the club believe still has ‘huge’ potential.

Forest have named their price for Hudson-Odoi

Football Insider’s initial report claimed Spurs were investigating a deal for Hudson-Odoi due to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side being under pressure to align with PSR’s rules by June 30th, however, even though the deadline has passed Tottenham are reportedly still tracking the winger’s situation. (Football Insider)

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Forest raised their funds before June 30th through the sales of Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate, and the club no longer feels forced to sell key players such as Hudson-Odoi.

The reported price that the club will now be demanding for the Chelsea youth academy product is around £30 million due to the player also having two years remaining on his deal at the City Ground and being happy to continue playing under former Spurs manager, Nuno.

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Hudson-Odoi wields an incredible level of talent, and although he didn’t get to fully display it at Chelsea due to injuries and a lack of playing time, Nottingham Forest has seemingly reinvigorated the 23-year-old’s career.

A price of £30 million does seem a lot for a player who joined Forest for only £3 million last summer but when you factor in that Hudson-Odoi is homegrown, young and now proven to score and perform in the Premier League, it could be seen as a decent deal, although it remains to be seen whether Tottenham decide to get it done.

Conor Gallagher has been one of the players most heavily linked with a switch to Tottenham, but new reports suggest a deal isn’t likely.

Tottenham’s interest has been widely reported

Gallagher was reported to be of interest to Tottenham right at the start of June. The Athletic revealed that despite being Chelsea’s captain, Conor Gallagher was a player Spurs, and in particular Postecoglou like.

If Gallagher made the switch from West to North London it’s unlikely to be a popular one and would even be the first time the two clubs had done business since 2001 when Gustavo Poyet joined Tottenham from Chelsea for £3 million. (Football.London)

Postecoglou, as part of his EURO’s punditry with ITV, was full of praise for Gallagher, seemingly confirming the Australian’s admiration for the player (HITC).

The Tottenham head coach complimented the 24-year-old’s ‘energy and ability to regain the football’ continuing to analyse how his ability to run and break the lines disrupts the opposition, something Ange’s team perhaps lacked last season.

The comments only fuelled the fire for the rumours of Gallagher moving to Tottenham, but recent reports are now suggesting the deal isn’t too likely.

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Tottenham don’t look likely to sign Gallagher

According to transfer journalist, Dean Jones, a deal for Gallagher is not ‘going to happen at this point’ (Ranks FC Ultras Podcast).

Gallagher would count as 100% profit towards Chelsea’s books which could aid the club’s well-documented spending spree, but Jones explained that family ties are important to Gallagher, ruling out a move up north to Newcastle who reportedly are sniffing around the England international.

Jones said: “I honestly really do think that Conor Gallagher is going to stay at Chelsea. Tottenham aren’t going to sign him at this point. Newcastle aren’t going to get him, he doesn’t want to go up there.

“Family ties are very important to him and I can believe that he would be reluctant to relocate to the Midlands too.”

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Although I do understand the tactical idea from Ange Postecoglou of signing a player such as Conor Gallagher, who can provide plenty of energy and disrupt the low blocks that Tottenham struggled against last season, Chelsea will demand a high price, especially from a London rival such as Spurs.