The Spurs Web

Tottenham Hotspur followed a frustrating 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray with a disappointing draw at home to Roma this evening in the Europa League.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:

Same old pattern for Tottenham

A big result, followed by a disappointing performance. It has been the pattern of Tottenham Hotspur’s season, unfortunately. I’m sure fans will give a little more leeway because it was a European game, but Ange Postecoglou named a very strong line-up and Spurs should have won that game comfortably.

Of course, it goes without saying that Fulham is a must-win this weekend in order to avoid that continued frustrating narrative of win-one lose-one in the Premier League.

Tottenham had chances to win but were lucky not to lose

Tottenham had so many chances to put the game to bed this evening. Brennan Johnson had one cleared off the line, Dejan Kulusevski hit the post, Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro both hit the bar.

Perhaps the best chances came on the break though, when Kulusevski’s shot was blocked by Mats Hummels only for Johnson to blaze over. Sonny also had a similar chance that he sailed over the bar and Solanke had an opportunity to roll the ball into James Maddison to tap home a third. Alas, they all ended clear of danger for Roma.

At the other end of the pitch, Roma also hit the bar, called Fraser Forster into a number of big saves, and scored three offside goals, so perhaps a 2-2 draw was fair, albeit frustrating.

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Brennan Johnson angered Postecoglou on the touchline

Brennan Johnson may have pulled off his best finish of the season so far, neatly sweeping home a Kulusevski cross from the middle of the box, but he also annoyed his manager at one point. Ange Postecoglou could been seen berating the Welsh winger from the touchline, shouting at him to play forward instead of going back to Pedro Porro and co. This is a theme of life under Ange, with the Spurs boss always demanding that his players take risks and look for more probing, dangerous forward passes.

Dejan Kulusevski the silver lining

Unfortunately, he drifted out of the game in the second half, but Dejan Kulusevski was at his devastating best once again for Spurs in the first 45. His run down the left-wing and clever pullback for Johnson was sensational, and was quickly followed by some quick feet that saw him hit his own effort off the post. We were even treated to a rare right-footed curled effort from the edge of the box that whistled just wide, a reminder that Kulusevski is working on his weak foot at Hotspur Way.

The problem for Tottenham at the moment is not making these moments of brilliance count. In all honesty, the Lilywhites should have been home and dry long before Roma scored their equaliser, and some of Kulusevski’s teammates need to up their levels to match his both on and off the ball.

Out of the Europa League qualification zone

Tottenham Hotspur dropped points at home in the Europa League against Roma this evening, following a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray last time out.

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

Tottenham vs Roma player ratings

Fraser Forster – 8 – Marking him slightly higher because of the context of the situation. People have been doubting him all week but Forster looked great with his feet and made a couple of really smart stops with his hands this evening. That reaction stop in the 90th minute should have won Spurs the game. Nothing Forster could have done for either of the goals.

Archie Gray – 6.5 – One of his better games at full-back, especially considering it was on his weaker side. Held a really good line and overlapped whenever Sonny needed him. Really neat and tidy on the ball.

Radu Dragusin – 5.5 – Gave away a stupid free-kick in a dangerous area that led to Roma’s goal. Held a really good line to play the Roma forwards offside but unfortunately Spurs put themselves under too much pressure in the end.

Ben Davies – 6 – Another understated performance from Davies. Did the simple stuff well and organised the back line well to play people offside, but Spurs just couldn’t get out in the final 15 minutes. Most of the damage was arguably done ahead of the defence.

Pedro Porro – 5.5 – For every Pedro Porro screamer, you have to watch four sail over the bar. He did go close with that free-kick though. Brennan Johnson was a little frustrated to be ignored on the overlap a couple of times though. Almost cost Spurs with a moment of madness at the end of the game.

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Rodrigo Bentancur – 7 – He played like a man who knows he doesn’t have to exercise at the weekend. Ran his socks off from start to finish and kept the pace really nicely for Spurs. Often looks at his best once he’s allowed to push a little further forward though.

Pape Sarr – 7 – Got to the ball first to win a penalty against Hummels in the first five minutes. You can see why Ange wants to start him every week, the number of times he turns possession over in dangerous positions. Worked so hard again this evening and Spurs missed him when he went off.

Dejan Kulusevski – 7.5 – What a player. That run and pullback for Johnson’s goal was sublime, followed by a shot against the post minutes later. Drifted out of the game in the second half and probably should have come off for fresh legs.

Brennan Johnson – 7 – One of his cleverest finishes of the season, just holding his run and sweeping the ball home from the middle of the box instead of making his trademark dart to the back post.

Dominic Solanke – 6.5 – Deserved a goal this evening for the shift he got through. Went close a couple of times, including a header against the bar and a left-footed drive at the keeper. The goals will come, I’m sure, but the performances should be celebrated nonetheless.

Heung-min Son – 6 – Did well to tuck his penalty home in the first five minutes. Had a fair few opportunities to take his defender on 1v1 but never quite had the beating of that battle.

Substitutes:

James Maddison – 5 – Should have been given the chance to score a third had Solanke squared the ball back to him. Apart from that, he didn’t get into the game enough.

Yves Bissouma – 5 – Spurs needed some extra solidity in midfield and Bissouma didn’t quite do enough off the bench.

Lucas Bergvall – N/A

The first forty-five minutes of tonight’s Europa League action in North London has come to a close, and it’s time for Spurs vs Roma player ratings, with the Lilywhites leading at the interval subject to goals from Son and Johnson.

Tottenham are managing an injury crisis

Postecoglou has been dealt another monumental injury blow after the news of star goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s ankle surgery broke late Monday evening, causing disarray amongst the Tottenham faithful.

Vicario’s absence means the shot-stopping responsibility has fallen to Fraser Forster, who turns 37 next March. The last time Forster had to deputise in the Tottenham starting eleven was during the back-end of the 22/23 season, a time at Tottenham which the less said about it, the better.

Spurs are without six other players tonight due to either injury or suspension but surprisingly, Ange Postecoglou has named a relatively strong starting eleven than was expected. Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who is currently serving a domestic ban, starts.

Spurs vs Roma in the Europa League

The Lilywhites come into this contest off the back of an emphatic 4-0 victory away to the reigning champions, and will be hoping to carry the momentum from that win all through the festive period. Unfortunately, though, Spurs’ inconsistency this campaign has been their fatal flaw, and without key players, who knows where Tottenham will be by the new year.

Tonight’s visitors currently lie 12th in the Italian top flight and are winless since October, which will likely worry Spurs fans more than if they were in the form of their lives.

Over the duration of the first-half, we’ve studied each player’s individual performance, rating them on a scale of 1-10.

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Spurs vs Roma player ratings

Fraser Forster: Although he conceded, the veteran goalkeeper demonstrated his shot-stopping ability, with his most notable action being a splendid stop to deny Dybala. He did the basics well and kept it simple with the ball at his feet. 6.

Archie Gray: Archie’s versatility has proved vital once again as the youngster found himself named as the starting left-back once again for Ange Postecoglou. The 18-year-old was tidy on the ball and shouldn’t have too many complaints about his first-half display. Not many of the visitor’s attacks came down his side, so he wasn’t too troubled defensively. 7.

Radu Dragusin: The Romanian had a positive first-half, effectively halting a number of Roma attacks. On the ball, he kept it simple, which can only be viewed as a positive thing. 6.

Ben Davies: Defensively dependable, as per usual. 6.

Pedro Porro: Porro was impressive in advanced areas and tried a lot of long shots in an attempt to get his name on the scoresheet. Defensively, he wasn’t brilliant however. 5.

Rodrigo Bentancur: The Uruguayan was comfortable on the ball early on, but was often unable to disrupt many Roma counters. Understandably, he doesn’t look the sharpest off the ball but he hasn’t been bad by any means. 5.

Pape Matar Sarr: Won the penalty that gave Spurs an early advantage after beating Hummels to a loose ball in the box but he wouldn’t have been too dissatisfied with his start to the contest, although he was often too slow off the mark to intercept or receive central balls. On the occassions that he did, however, Sarr was instrumental in creating goalscoring opportunities. 6.

Dejan Kulusevski: Spurs’ midfield maestro started sloppily and struggled to keep possession on a number of occassions, but it was his determination and vision that found Johnson on the edge of the box to make it 2-1. Minutes later, the Swede was unlucky not to put his own name on the scoresheet as he surged forward and struck the ball onto the post. He turned what could’ve been a poor display into an impressive one, continuing his fine run of form. 8.

Brennan Johnson: The Welshman had a shot blocked on the goal-line after some heroic defending by the visitors, however he made it nine in all competitions with a lovely swept finish on his weaker foot. 7.

Dominic Solanke: Solanke will be desperate to register a much needed, and deserved, goal in the second period but he definitely needs more service – it might be up to him to create chances with some dynamic runs and a bit of penalty-box presence, though. 5.

A prominent Spanish outlet has suggested that Tottenham mismanaged one player, which is why he struggled to hit the expected heights in his three years with the North London side.

Attacker thriving out on loan

Bryan Gil is having a fantastic season on loan at Girona, showing just why he was rated as one of the best young talents in Spain a few years ago.

The winger has regularly tormented La Liga defences this campaign and his displays have even seen him make it back into the Spain national team.

His best performance of the season came in Girona’s 4-1 demolition of Espanyol at the weekend, with the 23-year-old netting a goal and providing two assists in the first half.

Tottenham blamed for Bryan Gil struggles

Gil‘s performance against Espanyol has been hailed as ‘spectacular’ by Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness), who note how the winger tore the Catalonian side’s defence to shreds.

They say that the attacker is now playing with ultimate confidence, not caring about what stands in his way, solely focusing on ‘breaking’ the defenders he comes up against.

The outlet suggests that Gil was never really settled at Spurs and blames the ‘instability’ at the Premier League side for his struggles.

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It is noted that Girona has provided the player with the stability he seeks as manager Michel is a fan of the on-loan Tottenham man’s incisive play in the final third, with the player thriving as a result.

Bryan Gil is certain to leave Tottenham next summer

It is almost certain that Gil will leave Spurs next summer, with a £12.5m release clause reportedly set to become active at the end of the season.

If he keeps playing this way, there is no doubt that many Spanish clubs will be queuing up to activate the clause at the end of the season.

One young striker linked with Tottenham Hotspur has very similar attributes to Spurs legend Harry Kane, according to Danny Murphy.

Tottenham eyeing move for Liam Delap

Liam Delap has had an exceptional start to his Premier League career since leaving Manchester City to join Ipswich Town back in the summer.

The centre-forward has scored six times in 12 Premier League outings so far, which is a phenomenal tally considering he plays for a side who are in the drop zone, having won just one of their league games so far this season.

It was reported by CaughtOffside last month that Tottenham are ‘keen to snap up’ the youngster in January and that the Lilywhites were leading the race to land the 21-year-old ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.

Danny Murphy thinks he has found the new Harry Kane

The aforementioned report in CaughOffside claimed that Ipswich are expected to demand €40m (£33.3m) for the Manchester City academy graduate.

If Murphy’s assessment is anything to go by, Spurs should not think twice about paying that fee, with the pundit insisting that Delap will be the long-term heir to Kane.

The former Tottenham midfielder said on BBC MOTD about the Ipsiwch man: “I’d probably go as far to say that for me he’s the obvious long-term successor to Harry Kane. I think he’s the best young English striker out there.

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“I know he’s got a bit to learn and wisdom comes with experience and game time in this league but he’s got all the attributes to be a top international player.

“I just don’t see a weakness for him. He’s scored enough goals in a struggling side. He gets a lot of chances he’ll score more. He’s just got that lovely balance between physical and technical, rarely you get both. He’s a super talent.”

Tottenham should swoop for Liam Delap soon

There is no doubt that Tottenham need a backup to Dominic Solanke, with Ange Postecoglou not able to rely on Richarlison to remain fit.

It seems inevitable that Delap’s value will skyrocket before the end of the season as top-class number nines are not easy to find in the current market.

Spurs might thus be tempted to secure the young striker in January for around £30m-£40m as they might have to shatter their transfer record to sign him if they wait until next summer.

Hugo Lloris calls on Tottenham fans to give Ange Postecoglou time and explains why he is optimistic about the direction the club is now headed.

Ange Postecoglou fighting an uphill battle

Postecoglou walked into Tottenham at a tumultuous time, with the club coming off an eighth-place finish in the 2022-23 season and losing their record goalscorer Harry Kane.

However, despite overseeing a change in the style of play and guiding the club to a respectable fifth-place finish last term, the Australian has had to deal with more than his fair share of doubters.

Perhaps that is down to the fact that his managerial journey is unconventional and he has not managed at the highest level of the game, with critics thus jumping at the chance to write him off.

Hugo Lloris insists Ange Postecoglou is the right man for the job

Lloris spent six months working with Postecoglou before leaving Tottenham at the start of this year, and he admits he was impressed by the 59-year-old’s football vision.

The former Tottenham captain called on supporters to ride through difficult moments and show faith in the project.

Lloris told The Independent: “I spent six months in the changing room, I was not even involved but I could enjoy the football vision of Ange and I still believe and I am still convinced you have to stick with this way and trust the process.

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“The team and club is in a good position, they have talented players, different ages, different experiences but I still believe they can achieve something and win something.

“Part of the football world today, you have to deal with this expectation and I just hope and you don’t want to see the team affected by these things or the club affected.

“They have to be strong and stay together and make (as) one in the club. And also I would say the fans need to trust the process because what we see, we enjoy.

“That is the football we want to see them playing and it’s not because of one bad result or two bad results that we need to question everything. You have to look about medium to long-term because I believe they can do it.”

Lloris is desperate to see Tottenham succeed

The former Spurs number one confessed that the club will always have a special place in his heart and that he is desperate to see them win silverware.

Despite failing to lift a trophy during his time at N17, the Frenchman admitted that he is proud of the part he played in the club’s evolution.

He added: “I gave 12 years of my career to the club and I am proud of it, you know? And today I just support the club, I love the club and I just want to wish them and see them succeed.

“I hope it will come but I am also proud because I was part of the group of players that make the club evolve. When I signed for the club and when I left, it was a totally different club.

“Step by step we become even more competitive and put the club in a better position. I think today the club has everything and is strong enough to succeed.”

Football.London’s Rob Guest suggests that one Tottenham man could be in line for his senior debut in the coming weeks.

Fraser Forster will have to step up

With Vicario facing an extended spell on the sidelines after fracturing his ankle, Tottenham will be reliant on Forster to step up over the next few months.

The Englishman is no stranger to getting a run of matches for Spurs, having previously filled in impressively when Hugo Lloris was out injured during the latter part of the 2022-23 season.

He will be expected to use all his experience to help Tottenham navigate a crucial run of fixtures.

Rob Guest says Brandon Austin may be handed Tottenham debut

Guest now points out that with Tottenham having an extremely busy schedule over the next couple of months, Forster may not play every single game, with Postecoglou being inclined to rotate his squad.

The journalist points out that Brandon Austin signed a new five-year Tottenham deal back in the summer, which is proof that the coaching staff trust the 25-year-old.

He thus suggests that Austin, who has been with the Spurs academy since the age of eight, might finally be in line for his Tottenham debut.

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Guest even goes as far as to say that the goalkeeper could see his debut come against Roma this evening, with Forster potentially being wrapped in cotton wool for the Premier League games.

Forster is likely to play every game if he is fit

Unlike outfield players, goalkeepers do not suffer from physical fatigue and thus do not have the same risk of injuries.

There is thus no reason for Postecoglou to rotate his options in goal over the next few months, with Forster likely to play every single game until Vicario is back.

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham enter the market for another goalkeeper when the transfer window reopens in January.

Tottenham Hotspur fans were lucky enough to witness one of the greatest players of the modern era turn out for their club, but exactly who is Gareth Bale, and what is he up to now?

He wasn’t always great, though. In fact, he wasn’t even good for a long time, but Bale developed into a formidable forward, forged a career for himself in Spain, and retired as a Welsh legend.

Here, we break down those early days of Gareth Bale‘s career, how he earned himself a big-money move to Real Madrid, and his swansong spell with Spurs.

Tottenham signed Gareth Bale as a promising youngster

Gareth Bale came through the Southampton academy as a youngster and showed plenty of promise; so much so that Spurs negotiated a £10m deal to sign him in 2007 at the age of 17.

He had made 45 appearances for the Saints at that point, scoring five goals and registering 12 assists as his boyhood club challenged for promotion from the Championship.

Bale had a terrible start to his Tottenham career

Believe it or not, Bale struggled to make an impact at Spurs initially, and was even involved in an incredible winless streak in the Premier League that set a record at the time.

Gareth Bale’s Tottenham debut came in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League, playing the full 90 minutes at left midfield. That would kickstart a run of 24 league games without a win for Bale, a record at the time, and one that stood until 2020 (Oliver Burke broke the record).

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It wasn’t until the 2019/10 season that things started to look up for Bale. He recorded three goals and ten assists that year, and finally began to show glimpses of the quality and creativity he possessed.

The following season was a real breakthrough for Bale, as he announced himself on the biggest stage. His now-iconic displays against Inter Milan in the Champions League — scoring a hat-trick at the San Siro and then bagging two assists in the return fixture — enhanced Bale’s reputation to no end.

In the 2012/13 campaign, Bale hit new heights, scoring 21 league goals (26 in all competitions) and adding ten assists. That was enough to attract attention from elsewhere, and Bale’s time at Spurs came to an end that summer.

A huge move to Real Madrid

Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a then-record transfer fee of £85.3m. He would go on to win 16 major trophies with the Spanish side.

In his seven-year stay with Madrid, Bale made 258 appearances, scoring 106 goals and registering 67 assists. He won three La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues, one Copa del Rey, three European Super Cups, one Spanish Super Cup, and three Club World Cup titles.

Despite his individual success and his contributions to the team’s success over the years, Bale was not exactly a popular figure in Spain. The Madrid supporters did not appreciate his apparent reluctance to learn the language, and Bale himself was rather ambivalent about his connection to the club.

One more season at Spurs

Bale delighted Spurs fans by making a high profile return to the club in 2021, though he played for the side during lockdown and never got to appear before the supporters in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Jose Mourinho signed Bale for Tottenham on a season-long loan deal, and the Welshman featured as part of a three-pronged attack alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

It was an impressive campaign for Bale, who proved he still had what it takes to compete at the top level with a return of 16 goals and three assists.

What is Gareth Bale doing since retiring?

Gareth Bale retired from football in January of 2023, shortly after the 2022 World Cup. He now spends most of his time playing golf, a sport he has always been highly passionate about.

Upon his retirement, Bale said: “I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me.”

Bale loved playing golf even during his football career, and has now stepped up that interest, by taking part in various Pro-Am tournaments, and he even won the Ryder Cup All-Star match alongside Colin Montgomerie.

The former player has also made football punditry appearances for TNT Sports as part of their Champions League coverage on occasion.

Aside from this, Bale has various business ventures, including numerous bars and restaurants. He also spends plenty of time with his wife and children, across their homes in the USA, London, and his homeland in Wales.

A Welsh hero

Bale made his Wales debut in 2006 as a youngster, and would go on to make 111 appearances for his country before retiring in 2023.

A 17-year-old Bale first turned out for the Red Dragons in a friendly win against Trinidad and Tobago, bagging an assist. From there on out, only injuries prevented him from being a part of the Welsh set up from time to time.

His 111 caps make him the most-capped Wales player of all time. Bale scored 40 international goals and added 22 assists throughout his career with Cymru.

He captained his country for many years, and helped them reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Many would say Bale is the best Welsh footballer of all time, and they’d probably be right.

Gareth Bale’s personal info and social media

Gareth was born in Cardiff, Wales, on July 16, 1989 to Debbie and Frank Bake.

He is 1.86m tall and weighs 81kg. Bale and his wife, Emma, have three children together, and have been married since 2019.

Bale is a vegan, and is teetotal, which is a big part of the reason he works closely with Heineken on their non-alcoholic lagers.

You can find Gareth Bale on Instagram, where he has over 53m followers. He is not all that active on Twitter, having not posted since July.

Football Finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that it is possible for talks over a Tottenham takeover to speed up and offers a reason why the deal appears to be moving slowly at the minute.

Amanda Staveley in talks with Daniel Levy

It has been widely reported over recent weeks that Amanda Staveley has now put a team together to buy a stake in Tottenham and that she is backed by ‘serious money’ from the Middle East (The Sun).

According to some outlets, the former Newcastle co-owner has raised £500m so far and is in talks with Daniel Levy over buying a 25 per cent stake in the North London club, with the discussions said to be ‘advancing’ (Football Insider).

However, since these reports first emerged a couple of months ago, there appears to have been no major development on the matter.

Kieran Maguire explains why takeover talks are delayed

Maguire explained that there have been several instances in the Premier League of owners pricing the club too high, leading to potential investors walking away from the deal.

He suggested that deals could move quickly if the parties wanted them to and pointed to Daniel Levy‘s desire to remain in control as potentially part of the reason why things are not moving as quickly as they can.

Maguire told TBR Football: “When people want to move quickly, they can move very quickly. I think you see that in the speed that PIF moved to acquire Newcastle very shortly after they got approval from the Premier League.

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“I don’t think there is any urgency with Friedkin, for example, in relation to Everton. There are an awful lot of clubs in play today. You can understand why things are moving slowly at other clubs.

“We are talking about substantial money and it is, to a certain extent, a buyer’s market in terms of what is offered by a seller.

“Some of the sellers have got a bit giddy in terms of asking prices, which has meant the buyers have walked away. Even if you want to be a sleeping partner, there is politics involved. Levy thinks nobody can run Spurs as a business better than he can, and I think there’s a lot of merit in that view.”

Tottenham have managed to takeover talks under wraps

While it is clear that Levy has held talks with several potential investors over recent years, there has been very little concrete information that has made its way to the press about these talks.

That suggests that the club and the interested parties are successfully managing to keep things under wraps.

One can understand why that is the case as this is a difficult issue for football journalists to get scoops on as their connections are usually with people who work at the club or agents, who will not be privy to these kinds of high-level talks.

One would not be surprised if we do not hear too much information about the negotiations until it is very close to being completed.

One full-back who was on Tottenham’s radar during the summer transfer window is reportedly expected to be sold by his club in January.

Spurs showed interest in Serie A right-back

The player in question is Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode, who, according to TBR Football, Spurs were eyeing as a potential replacement for Emerson Royal back in the summer.

The outlet claims that other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brighton and Newcastle also showed interest in the 24-year-old.

However, the defender stayed put in Florance and that has not proven to be the right choice as he has lost his place in the starting eleven, with new boss Raffaele Palladino preferring Dodo in the right-back spot.

Michael Kayode expected to leave

Corriere dello Sport (via TMW) now point out that Kayode has featured in just three of the club’s last 12 league matches and suggests that the player is not happy with his situation.

After an ‘exceptional’ breakout season, he is now having major challenges in his second one and the Italian is thus expected to give serious consideration to a January departure.

It is suggested that the player now seems expendable at Fiorentina and that the Serie A club may be tempted to cash in should Premier League clubs show interest again in January.

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Tottenham do not need a right-back

Tottenham are unlikely to re-ignite their interest in Kayode or any other right-back in January.

Spurs might have explored the deal in the summer before Ange Postecoglou made up his mind to keep Djed Spence at the club. With Spence and Archie Gray both able to cover for Pedro Porro, the Lilywhites do not need any more reinforcements in that position.

They are much more likely to enter the market for a central defender or a left-back in January.