Cartilage Free Captain

It’s a busy day in Tottenham Hotspur Transfer Land, just one county over from Bat Country, with multiple exits from the club now being reported via various outlets. The latest of these is Mikey Moore, according to a report by The Athletic’s German correspondent, Sebastian Stafford-Bloor.

Reportedly, a number of sides are interested in signing the Spurs teenager on loan - which, of course they are - and one of those suitors is German club Borussia Dortmund. It’s yet another report very light on detail (with more to be forthcoming, I’m sure), but even so, Stafford-Bloor tends to be pretty strong on German clubs, so if he’s reporting interest, it’s likely concrete.

Dortmund presents as an intriguing loan destination for Moore. Following a topsy-turvy loan experience in Scotland at Rangers, where he saw himself in and out of the side before a change in manager saw him become a key part of the Light Blues’ charge up the Scottish Premiership table, a step-up in league is a logical next phase in Moore’s development.

Unafraid to bring through young players and with a similar ethos around attacking football to Spurs (though that has faltered somewhat in recent years), Die Borussen could be a solid landing spot for Moore to grow, with plenty of minutes likely to be going around given Dortmund’s qualification for Europa League. That said, there are a couple of hitches here, the first of which is that Dortmund tend to not do loan deals to develop other teams’ players without getting something in return. So what is the catch? A purchase option is out of the question, so how do Spurs guarantee minutes for their starlet in a competitive Bundesliga environment?

The second is the fact that Dortmund coach Niko Kovac doesn’t really play with classical wingers. He operates with a 3-4-2-1, with the two in behind the striker deployed narrower and the wingbacks providing width. That then asks the question of where Spurs eventually see Moore playing. The thinking up until recently was that Moore was a winger, though he did spend some time in the lower youth levels deployed centrally. There are some questions though as to his pace not suiting a winger role at the top level, and Moore did spend some time in a central attacking midfield role at Rangers last season with moderate success.

What is most important for Moore at this stage though is that he gets minutes. That means he probably needs a loan, with Spurs linked with starting winger signings and Mathys Tel likely to be kept around as rotation, with his versatility and capability to play up top a bonus.

Whether or not the place he gets those minutes is Borussia Dortmund is still anyone’s guess.

One of the heroes of Tottenham Hotspur’s narrow escape from relegation was Djed Spence. Reportedly approaching coach Roberto De Zerbi directly and declaring his willingness and ability to fight tooth and nail, it was in part that attitude and the attitude of players like him that saved Spurs from the ignominy of descent into the second division.

That, plus a couple of key involvements in the World Cup, and it’s no wonder that other clubs might be interested in Djed. Enter Everton:

The report comes from The Athletic, lending some credence to its veracity, but it is light on detail. The long and short of it is largely covered in the tweet above, with Harris and Boyland mentioning Arsenal’s Ben White and Strasbourg’s Guela Doue as alternative targets.

On the face of it, selling Djed seems very much like a bad idea. He’s homegrown, able to cover both sides of the defense, and offers a point of difference to the other fullbacks in the squad with his pace and defensive solidity. Fullback also is an area of the squad that seems somewhat settled, and with problems elsewhere in the side it seems smart to keep the focus on those areas.

If you squint, though, there’s a world in which a sale could make sense. As mentioned above, he’s homegrown, which commands a premium, at the peak of his value, and probably not really threatening the starting XI. That means there is potentially an opportunity here to sell high and reinvest. There’s also rumors (and they are very much only that, rumors) that RDZ isn’t a huge fan of Djed’s ability.

Spurs have been terrible over the last decade or so when it comes to knowing when to shift a player on, and have been horrendously poor at securing deals for player exits to refresh and reinvest in the squad as a whole. I’m not saying this is definitely one of those times - I don’t have a crystal ball, and I really, really like Djed - but it could be.

To make it clear, though, this writer’s preference is to keep Djed Spence very much where he is; and maybe that’s what happens. We’ll see!

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer window thus far has been largely characterized by significant incomings, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be players departing the club, too. Once such potential departure is that of Radu Dragusin, with the Romanian center back linked in recent days with a move to Fiorentina in Serie A, the club of former Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici.

That move now appears to be accelerating, with Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio reporting Dragusin’s arrival in Florence to undergo his medical and finalize the remaining details of the deal:

The arrangement appears to be the previously reported loan-to-buy deal, with an obligation for around €25 million as well as a sell-on percentage. It’s a pretty solid deal, albeit a small hit on the initial payment Spurs made to Genoa for Dragusin’s services, especially given his lack of game time and his recovery from a serious knee injury.

It never quite worked out for Radu at Spurs. He seemed something of a square peg in a round hole, a physical, towering, old-school center back at a time when Spurs were looking for quality on the ball. It meant he often looked uncomfortable on the pitch, unable to provide the quality on the ball the Lilywhites required and struggling to adapt to the faster pace of the English game.

That said, he had some good moments as well, including on his debut where he came into the side for Micky van de Ven and helped marshal Spurs to a 4-0 win against Aston Villa, and the courage he showed to fight his way back to fitness following his ACL injury was admirable.

It just wasn’t meant to be; and now Radu Dragusin’s time at Spurs appears to be nearly over.

good morning everyone! For today’s revisited Track of the Day, we’re throwing it back to Charles Mingus. No artist has been featured more than Mingus (40 times). In fact, Mingus Mondays are a regular feature here in the hoddle.

While I might not always do an in-depth “Mingus Mondays” anymore, I still want to feature my all-time favourite jazz musician. Today’s Mingus TOTD revisited comes from the album that sealed my love for the bass player and composer: Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus.

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Great news, everyone: Harry Kane’s voice is back!

The England striker and Tottenham legend had an all-timer of an interview the other night after defeating Mexico at the Azteca. Apparently all those shouts and singing Wonderwall by Oasis takes its toll on a man.

So, too, must an embrace from fellow Spurs alum Peter Crouch:

If you haven’t been keeping up with the football, then you might not know that England next play Norway in the quarterfinals. And who wouldn’t want to a see the firepower battle between Kane and Erling Haaland?

Either way, we’re going to get some sort of fun celebration in the quarterfinals: either England’s Wonderwall song or the Norwegian row.

Both classics, but only one will prevail.

Fitzies’ track of the day (revisited): Mood Indigo, by Charles Mingus

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “How are Tottenham able to spend so much on Van Hecke, Tonali and Fernandes this summer?”

Alasdair Gold: “Djed Spence redemption and the truth Tottenham know about England full-back”

BBC: “Mbappe condemns racist posts from Paraguay senator”

The Telegraph: “Tearful Ronaldo a passenger as World Cup dream slips away”

The transfer window keeps on rolling and the deals keep on flowing as Tottenham Hotspur this morning announced the club record signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali:

The Italian midfielder has signed with Spurs for a deal purported to be around £100 million, a huge fee that anybody who has been following the club for some time will scarcely be able to comprehend.

Tonali is yet another player to join from a fellow English club, joining from Newcastle United after spending three years on Tyneside. That stint was a mixed one, with Tonali’s time on the field interrupted by a suspension due to breaches of both the Italian Football Federation’s and English FA’s gambling regulations. Despite this, on the pitch he was largely a success, endearing himself to their fans and they to him, with Tonali posting an emotional farewell post via social media:

It’s a transfer that is something of a puzzling one for Spurs. Though the Lilywhites have desperately needed investment in their midfield for some time, Tonali’s profile is relatively similar to those already on Spurs’ books: a do-everything midfielder who is a dynamic runner and aggressive presser. He’s just a bit better at all of the above, which includes Spurs’ missing secret sauce in the form of passing, while not really being a playmaker. He also benefitted from playing next to the excellent Bruno Guimaraes in Newcastle’s midfield, which made up for some of Tonali’s weaknesses.

With that in mind, his past controversies, and his age meaning it’s unlikely Spurs will be able to recoup the cost, £100 million feels very much an overpay. Don’t get me wrong - Tonali is a GOOD player - but £100 million good? That’s probably pushing it, and in some ways feels a bit like another Conor Gallagher deal, whereby Spurs are spending big for a recognizable name.

That said: it’s not my money, and Spurs have shown no willingness this summer to stop spending. My concern in years gone by would be largely around opportunity cost: who do we miss out on due to pushing this deal through? But this new version of the club seems to be very happy to throw cash around like it’s confetti, so in this case that concern may be largely unfounded.

Tonali was clearly a player identified early in the summer, with Roberto De Zerbi reportedly a huge fan of the midfielder. The two apparently were in regular conversation following the end of the season, with Spurs’ head coach key in convincing Tonali to join, perhaps capitalizing on a point of familiarity with the two coming from the same town in Italy.

This means an all-new midfield duo for the coming season, with Mateus Fernandes also already locked in. It’s an exciting prospect for any Spurs fan, who will be hopeful this season will be a significant turnaround from the last.

Welcome to the club, Sandro! (Can we call him Sandro #2?)

It’s a packed preseason campaign for Tottenham Hotspur as we look towards the 2026/27 season, with six fixtures and a trip down under to New Zealand and Australia for a Vegemite sandwich; but apparently not packed enough, as Spurs have now added a seventh match, against Getafe CF:

As covered in the release above, Spurs will play the La Liga side in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Hotspur Way in early August, a week after their match against Chelsea in Sydney. Getafe finished seventh in the Spanish top flight last season, which *checks notes* is somewhat higher than Spurs’ 17th-place finish. With that in mind, the clash presents as a tough challenge as the Lilywhites look on combinations, fitness, and match preparedness in the run-in to kick-off on August 22nd.

Perhaps too tough.

The thing about Getafe is that they are known as an extremely physical, gritty (some would say dirty) side. They often rank highly for fouls committed amongst Europe’s top leagues, and they play an extremely rigid, defensive style while treating matches not unlike an MMA bout. In short, they are essentially Spain’s Millwall; and with that in mind, it’s an odd choice for a preseason friendly opponent. Paraguay vs France? Yeah, that’s probably along the lines of what you can expect.

The last thing you want to risk right before the season gets underway is injuries to your players, and this fixture seems like a ripe opportunity for such an eventuality. Many Spurs fans will remember Gareth Bale famously being clattered by Charlie Adam in a preseason match against Liverpool in USA; the last thing we want is something similar.

There’s little history between the two clubs, thankfully, so hopefully that will ensure proceedings stay friendly. Spurs have only taken on Getafe on one prior occasion, losing to them at White Hart Lane in the Europa League, almost 20 years ago. Given the above, here’s hoping it will be another 20 years until the next time.

Good morning everyone! As hinted last week, I am doing something different with the Tracks of the Day this week. I’m still in the process of updating the TOTD playlist but it’s brought back some memories for me when I began doing this hoddle more than four years ago.

A big hope of mine when starting the TOTD feature was to end the hoddle on something fun to listen to, to share some music I like or I think is interesting. Heck, even if I didn’t like it, I thought to myself, “Maybe it’s worth putting out there anyways”.

More than 1,000 songs have been featured since then. Here are the first ten that were featured:

Wild Blue, by John Mayer

The Boss, by James Brown and the JBs

Too Late Now, by Wet Leg

Cupid, by Sam Cooke

House of Cards, by Radiohead

Stand For Myself, by Yola

Marquee Moon, by Television

Sheena is a Punk Rocker, by The Ramones

Hora Decabitus, by Charles Mingus

The Walls Are Way Too Thin, by Holly Humberstone

I gave a pretty big hint on the kinds of music that’ll be most featured in the hoddle. We had our first Mingus Monday with Hora Decabitus, two CBGB-era bands in The Ramones and Television, a little bit of soul with James Brown and Sam Cooke. We also have some lesser-known artists there that I like to feature such as Yola and Holly Humberstone.

I’ve carried out a similar formula in the years since the TOTD began with those ten.

Something you might not know is that I was torn on what the first TOTD would be. The Boss by James Brown felt like it could be coming on a bit too strong and I didn’t want to give off that impression when I made the transition from commenter to hoddler-in-chief.

So I chose something much softer: John Mayer’s Wild Blue. And here we find another pattern in that there are lots of songs in here I first heard on the SoCal station 88.5FM. I really enjoyed that song of his and the promotions on the Los Angeles billboards at the time.

Now, let’s get to the Revisited Track of the Day.

It has to be Wet Leg, right?

You all know how much I love Wet Leg by now. Heck, you should have known this in 2022! When I first heard Chaise Longue on the radio years ago, I was hooked. Then annoyed, then hooked again. I bought their debut album and was floored.

Too Late Now was a heck of an album closer, and it’s the one I wanted to share with you all first (before a handful of you decided you don’t like this band - but oh well!). This was the first of 10 Wet Leg songs to be featured in the Track of the Day, and features the band before their edgier look.

Fitzie’s track of the day (revisited): Too Late Now, by Wet Leg

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “How can USMNT win without Folarin Balogun? Look how Mauricio Pochettino replaced Harry Kane”

BBC: “BBC offers ‘Stay Up or Catch Up’ for England v Mexico”

The Guardian: “‘Now the flag is everywhere’: how World Cup success has changed life in Cape Verde”

Another Tottenham Hotspur player is out the door! According to Alasdair Gold, Tottenham has reached an agreement to sell Romanian central defender Radu Dragusin to Fiorentina this summer. The deal is reportedly a loan with a purchase obligation, with the loan fee plus obligation totaling £21.5m.

Ironically, £21.5m is exactly what Spurs paid to Genoa when they purchased Dragusin in January 2024, so that makes this transfer a pretty good deal for a player that never seemed to fit in with Tottenham or their tactics. Dragusin proved to be a little too slow, a little too poor in possession, a little too bad at playing out of the back to really establish himself at Spurs, then he went and did his knee and missed almost a year. Now it’s clear he’s surplus to requirements after Spurs went out and acquired two central defenders to play ahead of him.

I’m not wild about the “set number of games” clause to hit the full purchase price, because there’s always a chance that STUFF will happen and he might not hit those numbers. That said, this is definitely Fabio Paratici, once Spurs co-Sporting Director and now Director of Football at La Viola, doing us a solid. The 10% sell-on fee is pretty nice too. Thanks, buddy!

I don’t have anything against Radu. By all accounts he was an exemplary teammate and a good guy, and he did win the Europa League trophy with us. I’ll miss his Rubix Cube abilities and his wacky top knot hairstyle, but I won’t especially miss his football — he never did seem like he was good enough to really play at the top level (or even the bottom level) of the Premier League.

Italy seems like a good place for him to kick-start his career back in motion, and I wish him well. We’ll wait for the official announcement, but I expect it’ll come soon.

Alfie Devine was purchased by Tottenham Hotspur in 2020 from Wigan Athletic’s academy, and he showed a lot of promise as an academy kid and young professional footballer. But over the past few years it’s become increasingly clearer that Devine was unlikely to crack Spurs’ first team. That’s even more clear now that Tottenham have purchased two central midfielders and are committing to a concerted push to return to European placements.

That makes Devine ripe for a potential sale, and that’s the latest rumor we have. The Glasgow Times is reporting that Celtic are interested in Devine, who is apparently valued at £6m by Spurs.

After a successful loan at Preston last season, Devine had a purchase option in his loan contract. Preston, however, apparently let the deadline for exercising that option expire, and now Celtic are showing interest. The article makes it seem as though £6m would be a potential hardship for Celtic, but Martin O’Neill is said to be a fan of Devine, and Spurs are likely to let him leave permanently if a decent offer comes in.

Again, this is the point where I tell people that not every promising academy talent will end up playing for Tottenham’s first team. In fact, that’s an incredible exception to the rule — almost all of Spurs’ academy prospects (or that of virtually every other team in English football) end up sold or released. That doesn’t make them failures. Devine’s a good young player and I have no doubt he’ll have a fantastic professional football career, even if it isn’t at Tottenham. And that’s okay.

Glasgow Times says that Wolves, freshly relegated, are also interested in Alfie. It may come down to Devine whether he wants to start the next phase of his career in Scotland, or in the Championship.

We already know the odds are extremely high that Guglielmo Vicario will not be wearing a Tottenham Hotspur keeper kit when the summer transfer window closes. We’re getting more dribbles of info that it’s actually quite likely that he’ll be wearing a Juventus shirt instead.

Calciomercato is reporting that Vicario tops a list of potential summer goalkeeper signings for the Old Lady, but that Spurs value Googly Elmo at €20m, a figure that is causing Juventus to swallow hard. That doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but that’s only in the context of the Premier League’s insane financial headway over the rest of the European leagues. You won’t see Juventus shelling out £86m for a player anytime soon, or if you do it’s likely to be followed by an investigation and possibly financial malfeasance charges.

There is, however, a possibility expressed in this article — a loan-to-buy. Calciomercato suggests Juventus would be open to a loan of Vicario with a purchase option at the end of next season, presumably to give Juventus a year to come up with the funds, or alternately try and negotiate Spurs down to a more reasonable fee next summer.

That’d be okay with me. It’s clear Vicario isn’t in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans, considering he’s already elevated Antonin Kinsky to the top spot and has signed Martin Dubravka to back him up. Having Vicario stick around would be AWK-ward, so I fully expect him to leave this summer, whether it’s to Juventus or somewhere else in Italy.

The possibility of a loan doesn’t bother me. A purchase obligation would be better than an option, and it’s unlikely we’ll get our full valuation out of Elmo’s eventual sale, but that’s okay. He needs to go. He wants to go. And if a loan is the best way to facilitate that, then that’s fine with me too.