Cartilage Free Captain

David Ornstein, writing for The Athletic, has dropped a bombshell report today, writing that Tottenham Hotspur’s 20-year-old midfielder and Sweden international Lucas Bergvall has expressed a desire to leave the club this summer after the conclusion of the World Cup.

Bergvall was an extremely highly rated youngster and it was considered a coup at the time when Ange Postecoglou convinced him to join Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Barcelona. He’s gotten a lot of playing time as a young professional at a very bad time at the club when things had been falling apart. Last season saw him playing for a bad manager (Thomas Frank) in terrible tactics with a mismatched squad that had huge holes and massive injuries. When Roberto De Zerbi came in, he barely played Bergvall, preferring experienced professionals to save the club from relegation, which honestly you can understand under the circumstances.

But now Lucas is watching, along with the rest of us, as the club under Roberto De Zerbi, is blocking his pathway to the first team, targeting players like Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernades, and Adam Wharton in midfield and stating his preference for current players like Rodrigo Bentancur. You can hardly blame him for wondering if he might be better off with a fresh start.

But this gets to the heart of De Zerbi and the Lewis Kids’ plan to make a big splash in the window after two 17th placed finishes. Bergvall has proven himself to be a footballer capable of playing and succeeding in the Premier League. We don’t know what his final level is — is he a mid-table Premier League footballer? Could he succeed in a Champions League caliber side? — but it feels like he, and Spurs, deserve a chance to find out at the club that brought him in from Sweden. Bergvall, however, does not appear to be the kind of player that De Zerbi wants in his newly-configured Tottenham side, and that’s a shame.

Instead, Spurs seemed hell-bent on ignoring youth to spend huge amounts of money for experienced players at the expense of younger guys like Bergvall, Archie Gray, and Mathys Tel. This is at some level understandable, but also a bit frustrating, especially in the case of De Zerbi, who has a volatile record and, like his compatriot Antonio Conte, is not a manager we should expect to remain at the club longer than a couple of years. We’re stocking the club with quality talent that skews older at the request of a single manager who has a history of not sticking around, and once again if De Zerbi does eventually explode into a cloud of pique and rage, we’ll once again be stuck holding the bag with a club full of De Zerbi players that don’t make sense with whomever we bring in next.

I’m so tired. I’m tired of this whole cycle. I’m tired of bringing in talented youth, managing them badly, and then watching them move on and excel somewhere else when these kids could form the core of the NEXT great Tottenham team. I’m tired of overspending for “the manager’s guys” and ignoring long-term squad building while building a squad that might not deliver Champions League football immediately.

I understand Bergvall’s desire to leave under these circumstances. He’s only 20 years old, has a ridiculously high ceiling, and will continue to develop over the next few years. He probably should leave Spurs, and I wouldn’t blame him for forcing his way out. I just hate that this is happening and that a quality young talent, if he blossoms, will do so with some other club instead of Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur seem to have multiple transfer irons in the fire right now with rumors about approaches for Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Adam Wharton. But it’s Tonali that appears to be picking up steam — there are two new reports out today, one from David Ornstein in the Athletic that says Tottenham have opened negotiations with Newcastle United for the transfer of Tonali, and another from DiMarzio which has more financial details.

First, the Ornacle: Ornstein says Spurs are in talks with Tonali’s representation to reach an agreement on personal terms, but critically have also contacted Newcastle to begin talks about a transfer fee. Ornstein says that Newcastle will want £100m to let Tonali go, which frankly is an INSANE number for a guy coming off of a somewhat disappointing season in Tyneside. Ornstein also acknowledges that Manchester City are also in the running, but suggests Spurs are moving quickly to get a deal agreed before City.

Now enter Gianluca DiMarzio, who similarly says Spurs have made an approach for Tonali, but with different financial numbers: DiMarzio claims Newcastle want €85m (£74m) for Tonali, but Spurs have offered €75m (£65m).

The words “statement of intent” are being thrown around regarding this transfer. I’ve already said I don’t think the opportunity cost is particularly good at this price range for Tonali, especially if his skill set is closer to Rodrigo Bentancur than, say, Adam Wharton. But £65m is certainly a better price than £100m. What I also hope is that any agreement for Tonali doesn’t close the door to ALSO getting an excellent midfield passer.

Fernandes comes closer to the role I have in mind, and Wharton is even closer. Fernandes is a guy you can dream on a bit and say his skills can pop more if put in a not-West-Ham side. Tonali… I just don’t get, really, except that Roberto De Zerbi really likes and wants him. Plus Fernandes hasn’t been banned for a year for illegal gambling on matches, which is also a plus for me. On the other hand, Tonali looks like Kylo Ren and there would be plenty of #joke possibilities, so who can say which one is better, really?

IDK y’all, I don’t feel especially good about this, though if the price ends up around £70m then I guess I’m a little more okay than the alternative? But yowza, spending that kind of money for a guy who’s basically a better version of every other midfielder we currently have doesn’t fill me with a ton of confidence.

The situation regarding Luka Vuskovic’s future is heating up. Reports came out yesterday from Fabrizio Romano and others that Brighton & Hove Albion have submitted a third bid for Tottenham’s 19-year-old Croatian central defender Luka Vuskovic in the amount of £45m, a figure that includes performance-based escalators. This is well under Tottenham’s valuation of the player, which is said to be £60m or more.

There’s a spurious and unsourced article in the Standard that suggests that Vuskovic is prepared to submit a transfer request to force a move this summer, but for now I wouldn’t put too much stock in that due to the weasel-word language in that report. It has not been reported anywhere else that I can see,

I should start by reminding readers that Vuskovic is represented by super-agent Pini Zahavi, who is not at all above putting out rumors that are intended to get Spurs fans angry and upset at Vuskovic and hence attempt to drive a wedge that could result in a lucrative sale for his client. Fans should also not be upset for a player advocating for himself to get the best possible outcome for his career. After a very good loan in Germany, Vuskovic wants to play regular first team football next season at a high level, something he’s not likely to get at Tottenham next season. He should demand that! He has earned at minimum another high profile loan.

That said — he is under contract until 2030 and hence does not have very much leverage to force his way out. That, I presume, is what is behind these aggressive and seemingly divisive news stories — they’re almost certainly orchestrated by Zahavi to make fans and others angry and generate hot takes that are sympathetic to the player.

For the record, here’s what Vuskovic has said about the situation. It doesn’t sound that bad!

“For now I’m focused only on the World Cup. My goal next season is to play for a club that wants me and where I will play. We’ll see what happens in the coming days and weeks.”

Look, let’s be frank here. Spurs are not going to sell him this month — if they do it’ll be in July and the new fiscal year for accounting purposes. But I also don’t think Spurs need to sell him at all — they hold almost all of the cards regarding his future, have already suggested that the plan is for Luka to return after the World Cup and have talks with Roberto De Zerbi, and that the most likely scenario is another loan somewhere next season, rather than him sitting at the end of a stacked central defense bench.

Let’s also not forget that just a year ago, Vuskovic himself admitted that he’s not ready for Premier League football at Spurs, suggesting that he’d be well behind Cuti Romero and Micky van de Ven and saying he needs more time to develop. I don’t see that, even after one good year in Germany, his situation has changed that much, though his agents are likely to disagree on behalf of their client.

And there’s precedent for the keep-and-loan plan too — look what Arsenal did with William Saliba, who was sent off on three loans at hear the same age as Luka before being fully integrated into Arsenal’s back line. He’s still just 25. Luka is 19.

These rumors are designed to get fans upset at Vuskovic so that they’re more amenable to the club selling him. And maybe that’ll happen. But generational young central defenders don’t exactly grow on trees, and if Vuskovic wanted to be flipped quickly by Spurs he shouldn’t have signed a six year contract. That’s on him. Spurs are perfectly within their rights to tell him “You’re going on loan next season and you’re going to like it” and revisit the situation next summer. He’s 19. He hasn’t impressed (or, to be fair, unimpressed) at the World Cup after one match with Croatia. He’s got some growing and developing yet to do, and letting a superagent take Spurs to the cleaners would be about the dumbest thing the club could possibly do, unless they get a bid that meets or exceeds their valuation of the player. (That said, nobody here trusts Spurs’ leadership right now so bets are absolutely not yet off.)

My advice — calma, calma, calma. This is unlikely to be resolved until after the World Cup, and any future schputt about this deal is coming from one side. Be steadfast, and patient.

One of the stupider ITK rumors floating around the wilds of Bat Country was that new Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi was interested in targeting and acquiring midfielder Mason Greenwood this summer, the way he did at Marseille in France, his last job. I am happy to say that according to Alasdair Gold, those rumors are false and that Spurs have no intention of targeting the English midfielder and Manchester United academy product.

GOOD.

In case you didn’t know, Greenwood was considered a promising midfielder for United. He was credibly accused of sexual assault in 2022, complete with audio recordings of him attempting the assault. Charges were eventually dropped after the victim, his partner, decided not to press charges, but the evidence was damning. He did it, everyone knows he did it, and it has essentially blackballed him from English football. Any club that would sign him — including Marseille — would be roundly criticized today, and rightfully so. Greenwood remains a persona non grata within English football and should remain so for the rest of his career, or what’s left of it.

The main reason I was so firmly against the Roberto De Zerbi appointment at Tottenham Hotspur — and yes, I’m still mad about it and won’t shut up about this topic when it’s appropriate to discuss it — is that De Zerbi not only defended Greenwood in interviews, but played an active role in recruiting and signing Greenwood while at Marseille. For this reason, his appointment as Tottenham manager was a slap in the face to Spurs fans who are victims of sexual assault, has driven some fans away from the club, and he and the club still have not adequately apologized or explained De Zerbi’s actions. For a lot of other fans, it’s not a big deal to them or they’ve made peace with it, but it’s still a sticky point of contention and anger for a lot of Tottenham supporters.

So naturally, some of the worst actors in the football-o-sphere have linked Tottenham to an approach for Greenwood this summer, because of the De Zerbi connection. While I never believed those reports as they didn’t come from any credible source, I’m very glad to see Alasdair Gold finally put them to rest. Appointing De Zerbi is one thing. Actively signing a sexual abuser as a player is much, much, MUCH worse. We might as well make an approach for Thomas Partey in that case, and give up any credibility as a club.

I won’t belabor this, because the rumors were stupid to begin with and I’ve already spent far too much time addressing false rumors. It’s a little irksome that I’m celebrating my favorite club not actually doing the literal worst thing they could do in the transfer window, but hey — that’s where we are right now. I’d like them to do more to address De Zerbi’s history with Greenwood and make amends to the fanbase that didn’t support his appointment, but for now I’ll settle for the club not actively shooting itself in the foot.

If you follow transfer rumors, like I do, then you’ll probably have seen some rumors from international sources that suggested that big clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool were interested in making a bid for Tottenham Hotspur’s Dutch defender Micky van de Ven. That’s not particularly surprising — big clubs are always looking to poach Tottenham’s best players, especially on the heels of two back to back 17th place finishes in the league.

But there’s no need to worry. Fabrizio Romano, in one of his YouTube videos that I didn’t watch, has said that Spurs have no intention of selling Van de Ven and that Roberto De Zerbi sees him as a key part of his team and his back line.

Now, could that change if Liverpool or Barca come in with a stupid money bid? Well, sure, maybe. But it would take stupid money and I’m willing to bet neither of those clubs would offer enough to tempt Spurs to sell. And Micky clearly doesn’t want to leave — he’s said some very nice things about the club and De Zerbi, and was instrumental in convincing his Netherlands World Cup teammate Jan Paul van Hecke to sign with Spurs and become his club teammate as well.

So no need to freak out. It’s an important life skill to stay calm and focused during the transfer window. A lot of rumors will come flying. Most will have at least an element of truth to them, but that doesn’t mean they, or any of them, are likely to actually happen. I have no doubt that Micky van de Ven will be in the starting lineup when Spurs kick off at Brentford in August.

Sandro Tonali remains Tottenham Hotspur’s priority midfield target in the transfer window this summer, but according to David Ornstein they are also taking a long look at recently relegated West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

Fernandes had five goals and five assists for a very bad West Ham team last season, and is one of the players expected to be sold as the Hammers retool as a Championship club. Manchester United also have a strong interest in the Portugal international.

Fernandes is one of the better players on West Ham’s squad and I honestly wouldn’t mind snapping him up. His numbers and statistical bars don’t pop this season but that probably has as much to do with playing on a very bad West Ham team as it does his actual ability. Fernandes is a deep-lying playmaker who generally sits at the base of midfield but can also play higher up the pitch and on the wing if needed. He did a little of all that for West Ham last season.

Notably he was West Ham’s best and most efficient passer, especially from deep areas, and was the player adept at moving the ball through midfield and recycling possession. He’s also a very good tackler and served as a screen for West Ham’s back line. West Ham didn’t attempt a lot of through-balls last season, but when they did it was usually Fernandes that attempted them. He’s a good player on a bad team.

That also will put him on the radar of a bunch of better clubs, as illustrated above. That said, I think he’d fit the role vacated by Joao Palhinha perfectly, if Spurs plan to make a move for him.

It’s suggested that West Ham might demand £80m for him. They probably won’t get that much, especially in the post-relegation fire sale, but for that kind of money I think I like his profile more than I do Tonali’s, who’s more of a Bentancur than a Palhinha. He’ll cook on a club like Manchester United, so why not move fast and land him first? Depending on price and his willingness to come, I’d be okay with Spurs targeting and signing him. But they still need a passy 8 midfielder in the Adam Wharton mode and I’ll be upset if they don’t get one.

First the kits got released, now the match schedule. The Premier League released the schedule for the 2026-27 season, and Tottenham will open their first full season under Roberto De Zerbi away at Brentford on August 22.

Spurs’ first home match of the season is the following week as they host Newcastle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The first North London Derby of the season is unfortunately a mid-week match at home on December 5, three days after hosting Fulham. The reverse fixture at the Emirates is on May 1, the start of an absolutely brutal run-in during which Spurs play away at Arsenal, home to Chelsea, away to Coventry, home to United, and a final match day trip away to Aston Villa.

Apart from the rough month of May, the schedule seems fairly neutral. Tottenham don’t have European football this season so won’t have to worry about postponing or moving weekend matches as frequently as they did last season, though I’m expecting a lot of Monday matches just because they suck and we always seem to get a bunch of them no matter what due to TV stuff.

What do you think of the schedule? Any particular months that look good/scary to you? Put them in the comments!

After numerous leaks to the public about the design choices, Tottenham Hotspur officially announced the worst kept secret in Spurs news — the new 2026-27 home and away kits.

The home kits are simple — a mostly-white kit with a navy blue stripe down the sides and detailing on the edges of the sleeves and a modern collar, and paired with blue shorts with a white detail. The aways are a much more funky — a dark kit with neon stripes in pink, orange, and blue and paired with dark shorts. The back of the shirts are sold dark navy for the numbers.

In addition the goalkeeper kits are a bright pink with the same stripes as in the away kits — they look sharp.

I’m not sold on the away kits, and I’d really like to see the Spurple thirds before making a kit purchase decision. The white homes are classic and easy on the eye, but they don’t do much to distinguish themselves from previous mostly white Spurs kits — and maybe this year that’s the point.

What do you think of the new Spurs kits? Are you going to purchase one? Just a reminder — squad kit numbers have not yet been set and could change from last year, so unless it’s a new player whose number has already been announced, purchase with caution!

Good morning everyone! Your hoddler-in-chief enjoyed his brief return to hoddling duties, but work calls once more. Please be courteous to your substitute hoddler-in-chiefs on Monday and Tuesday!

Okay so yesterday we did a little hoddle on the Tartan Army, Scotland’s fan base. You’ve probably seen them in the newspapers (or on this website) wearing their kilts, playing their bag pipes, singing their little hearts out and drinking Boston dry.

Well they’re back in action today against Haiti Morocco in New York City Foxboro.

Why not do a Tartan Army hoddle, round 2? Check this out. Did you know Massachusetts became the first state to legalise haggis? I had no idea it wasn’t legal here in the US.

Okay okay, so it turns out it wasn’t actually legalised. Just a little bit of fun. But that’s dumb. For those of you asking, haggis has been illegal to serve in the Us since the 1970s largely because it contains sheep lung.

With that whiplash out of the way, let’s turn to another character in the Tartan Army. This duck:

This is clearly a copycat of the duck wearing a Mexican kit last week. I don’t care though, it’s a duck and it’s wearing a St. Andrew’s cross. That’s pretty cool.

And apparently there’s this thing now where the latest trend is showing all these fans and teams cleaning up after themselves whether they’re out at the pub or in the dressing room. I’m just glad people are keeping themselves and their environs clean.

And the Boston Red Sox had so much fun hosting the Tartan Army last week that they invited them again on Wednesday and Thursday, offering a free first drink. That’s a pretty sweet deal!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Alive And Kicking, by Simple Minds

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham interested in Mateus Fernandes deal, remain keen on Sandro Tonali”

ESPN: “Full hearts, empty kegs, can’t lose: Scotland’s Tartan Army takes over World Cup”

BBC: “Scotland’s Boston love affair one for the ages”

The Independent: “How Thomas Tuchel inspired England to throw off nerves of Gareth Southgate era”

Yahoo Sports: “Scottish World Cup Fans Drank So Much Beer That Boston’s Samuel Adams Taproom Needed an Emergency Delivery”

The transfer window has only been open for a couple of days, but Tottenham Hotspur have just landed their third signing of the summer. Dutch international footballer Jan Paul van Hecke is joining Spurs from Brighton & Hove Albion. The transfer fee was not reported in the official tweet, but previous reporting suggested the fee is in the realm of £52m.

Van Hecke is an experienced player, a full Dutch international (currently at the World Cup with the Netherlands), and an accomplished ball-playing defender. He previously played for Roberto De Zerbi when De Zerbi managed Brighton, so the two know each other well. He adds another ball playing dimension and some solid defense to a Spurs back line that gave up a lot of goals under multiple managers the past few years.

The fee is a LOT for a player with one year left on his contract, and there are reports that one D. Levy thinks we got the short end on this deal. But I suppose sometimes you need to overpay to get the player that you want, and clearly De Zerbi and Spurs wanted Van Hecke.

He joins a central defense that is stocked at present with Cuti Romero, his international teammate Micky van de Ven, Marcos Senesi, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, and Luka Vuskovic. I’d expect at least two departures from this group before all’s said and done, but that’ll come in the future.

For now, feel free to GIF party in the comments because we have a new signing!