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Elijah Upson has explained his decision to leave Tottenham and join Arsenal after completing a move across north London.

The 18-year-old, who is the son of former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson, was offered a professional contract by Spurs but turned that down to consider his options elsewhere.

The centre-back revealed that the pathway into Arsenal's first team and the quality of the defenders in the squad to learn from persuaded him that this was the right club.

"That was one of the big reasons for my decision - obviously great exposure to some of these great players that have had a great season here and some real top quality," Upson said.

"I'm excited to hopefully be around and work with these people.

"I think definitely the centre-back partnership in the first team that there is between [William] Saliba and Gabriel, they're a good inspiration and really experienced, high-quality players.

"They've had a great season, definitely two players that I'm really keen to learn from and expose myself to hopefully."

Asked about how he wants to develop in his first season at the club, Upson revealed he wanted "some exposure to the first team", but that the focus would be a "good foundation of games in the [Under-]21s".

Upson has been given the No57 shirt and will now settle in at the training ground for pre-season.

While Spurs were keen for him to remain at the club, Upson opted to leave when his scholarship terms expired at the end of the season.

"It's a great feeling, really proud to be here," he said.

"When I met the guys here recently and met all the team and staff, it just seemed like a really nice environment.

New signings hoping to impress Roberto De Zerbi as Spurs play first pre-season friendly

Sam Tabuteau

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

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Tottenham kick-start their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons this evening.

Spurs have been back in training at Hotspur Way for the last two weeks and will now play their first friendly as Roberto De Zerbi gets to see how his team is shaping up ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Tottenham have been busy in the summer transfer window, spending in excess of £200million on six new players, and both Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are in line to play some part against MK Dons.

Tonali may potentially see his minutes limited, though, as he joined pre-season training late due to work permit issues.

Fellow new signing Martin Dubravka has also been part of training, but those who were involved at the World Cup this summer have not yet joined up with the rest of the squad.

Scotland left-back Andy Robertson was, however, in attendance at Hotspur Way on Tuesday for his first day as Spurs player since signing on a free transfer from Liverpool.

Pedro Porro, who started for Spain on Sunday as they beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time, Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi will also take extended breaks following the World Cup final.

Debuts loading: Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes could both feature for Tottenham against MK Dons

Tottenham Hotspur

Djed Spence enjoyed an impressive World Cup as England finished third, and he too will be absent against MK Dons.

There are a number of players on the comeback trail following injury, with Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert still some way from returning from their respective anterior cruciate ligament issues despite being pictured at the training ground.

Mohammed Kudus has also been spotted at Hotspur Way, but he too is following a separate rehabilitation plan as he works his way back to fitness after a serious quad injury.

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The same applies to Dejan Kulusevski, who did not play a single minute of football last season due to a troublesome knee injury.

Mikey Moore has been involved with the first-team squad and could get minutes against MK Dons as De Zerbi assesses him ahead of the new season.

Moore remains highly coveted after an impressive loan spell at Rangers.

De Zerbi has yet to decide whether Moore has a first-team future at Spurs and could use Wednesday’s game as an indicator of his suitability.

Academy player Jamie Donley has been involved with the first team and is said to have impressed De Zerbi in the last couple of weeks.

De Zerbi is likely to make plenty of changes against MK Dons so every player can get some minutes under their belt.

Heavy rotation is expected, but Standard Sport still had a go at predicting the starting lineup for Spurs’ first pre-season friendly.

Predicted Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Yang, Donley, Tel, Solanke

Time and date: 5pm BST on Wednesday July 22, 2026

Venue: Hotspur Way (behind closed doors)

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New signings hoping to impress Roberto De Zerbi as Spurs play first pre-season friendly

Sam Tabuteau

COMMENTS

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Tottenham kick-start their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons on Wednesday evening.

Spurs have been back in training at Hotspur Way for the last two weeks and will now play their first friendly as Roberto De Zerbi gets to see how his team is shaping up ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Tottenham have been busy in the summer transfer window, spending in excess of £200million on six new players, and both Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are in line to play some part against MK Dons.

Tonali may potentially see his minutes limited, though, as he joined pre-season training late due to work permit issues.

Fellow new signing Martin Dubravka has also been part of training, but those who were involved at the World Cup this summer have not yet joined up with the rest of the squad.

Scotland left-back Andy Robertson was, however, in attendance at Hotspur Way on Tuesday for his first day as Spurs player since signing on a free transfer from Liverpool.

Pedro Porro, who started for Spain on Sunday as they beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time, Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi will also take extended breaks following the World Cup final.

Debuts loading: Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes could both feature for Tottenham against MK Dons

Tottenham Hotspur

Djed Spence enjoyed an impressive World Cup as England finished third, and he too will be absent against MK Dons.

There are a number of players on the comeback trail following injury, with Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert still some way from returning from their respective anterior cruciate ligament issues despite being pictured at the training ground.

Mohammed Kudus has also been spotted at Hotspur Way, but he too is following a separate rehabilitation plan as he works his way back to fitness after a serious quad injury.

The same applies to Dejan Kulusevski, who did not play a single minute of football last season due to a troublesome knee injury.

Mikey Moore has been involved with the first-team squad and could get minutes against MK Dons as De Zerbi assesses him ahead of the new season.

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Moore remains highly coveted after an impressive loan spell at Rangers.

De Zerbi has yet to decide whether Moore has a first-team future at Spurs and could use Wednesday’s game as an indicator of his suitability.

Academy player Jamie Donley has been involved with the first team and is said to have impressed De Zerbi in the last couple of weeks.

De Zerbi is likely to make plenty of changes against MK Dons so every player can get some minutes under their belt.

Heavy rotation is expected, but Standard Sport still had a go at predicting the starting lineup for Spurs’ first pre-season friendly.

Predicted Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Takai, Phillips, Davies, Udogie, Fernandes, Tonali, Yang, Donley, Tel, Solanke

Time and date: 5pm BST on Wednesday July 22, 2026

Venue: Hotspur Way (behind closed doors)

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Roberto De Zerbi's former No2, Andrew Crofts, has joined from Brighton as an assistant coach, while Ali James (head of medical services), Tom Tombleson (head of athletic development) and Agostino Tibaudi (strength and conditioning coach) have been added to the club's performance department.

Crofts, who arrives shortly after first-team academy transition coach Stuart Lewis departed for Ipswich, was on the coaching staff during De Zerbi's time at Brighton and most recently served as an assistant coach to Fabian Hurzeler.

He is also part of Craig Bellamy's coaching set-up with Wales and looks set to continue in that role while taking up his position at Spurs.

The arrival of three new backroom staff members to Tottenham’s performance department marks another significant overhaul of the club's medical practices.

The club's injury issues have been a major problem for a number of years and they have now made sweeping changes in three successive summers to their medical team.

Spurs appointed Dan Lewindon as the club's performance director in October 2025, with the former director of player health and performance at the City Football Group responsible for medical, sports science, nutrition and psychology across Spurs' men’s, women’s and academy teams.

Lewindon led an internal investigation into the club's injury issues at the end of last season, and the arrivals of James, Tombleson and Tibaudi now mark yet another change to Spurs' medical set-up.

Changes are also taking place at Spurs' Hotspur Way training ground to overhaul the gym facilities, while a pod-based model has been implemented.

The pod-based model sees four to six players work closely with a physio and sports scientist, who concentrate on smaller groups, so staff better understand the needs of the players and better decisions can be made about their fitness and rehabilitation.

Spurs returned for pre-season training two weeks ago, and will play their first friendly of the summer when they take on MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors game at Hotspur Way on Wednesday evening.

Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes in line to make first appearances for Tottenham

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Your matchday briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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The transfer window is set to ramp up even further with the World Cup now at an end.

The marathon 48-team tournament in North America was certainly one to remember, but attentions will now quickly turn back to club football matters ahead of the Premier League’s much-anticipated return on August 21.

Some major deals have already been struck with the likes of England midfield duo Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson both on the move for enormous fees, but there is still plenty of business to be done before the summer market closes on September 1.

Here, Standard Sport looks at five players who impressed at the World Cup who would be ideal signings for Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Arsenal

Manu Kone

Arsenal are keen to strengthen in midfield and Bruno Guimaraes does not look like an easy deal to get done.

Newcastle are determined not to sell and the Gunners will not be dragged beyond their valuation of the Brazilian.

That could force Arsenal to look elsewhere and Manu Kone could be an option at a cheaper price.

The 25-year-old started four games for France at the World Cup and played 45 minutes against Spain in the semi-final defeat.

Manchester United are keen on the Roma midfielder but Arsenal are also understood to have enquired about his availability.

Kone is a strong ball-carrier and would add more power to the Arsenal midfield.

Declan Rice has been managing neural pain in his hamstring for six months and Martin Zubimendi's form dropped off in the second half of last season as he became exhausted.

With Christian Norgaard's future at the club uncertain too, Arsenal are looking to bring in a midfielder and Kone could be considered.

In demand: Yan Diomande has many transfer suitors this summer, including Arsenal, Liverpool and PSG

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Yan Diomande

Ivory Coast were knocked out in the round of 32 at the World Cup but that was enough time for Yan Diomande to further enhance his reputation.

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There was particular interest from an Arsenal perspective in his first game of the tournament against Ecuador.

The winger was up against Piero Hincapie and ran the Arsenal defender ragged. Hincapie was dribbled past four times, having been dribbled past just 19 times across the entirety of last season for the Gunners.

Arsenal have missed out on Morgan Rogers but Diomande is more of the out-and-out winger that they need, adding more pace to the squad.

Signing a winger is Arsenal's big priority this summer, with Leandro Trossard having been sold and Gabriel Martinelli's future not guaranteed.

RB Leipzig are likely to demand in excess of £100m for Diomande, who is also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.

Tottenham

Brian Brobbey

Spurs are not short of strikers right now, but they are in need of an upgrade in that position, with Richarlison struggling for consistency and Dominic Solanke unable to prove his fitness on a regular basis.

Interest in the pair has been thin on the ground, but it is feasible to suggest that Spurs, who are looking to maximise player sales to offset their aggressive summer spending, could entertain offers for either player.

Should a club come in for Richarlison or Solanke, Spurs would need to move to sign a replacement, and they could do much worse than looking at Sunderland and Netherlands forward Brian Brobbey.

Brobbey enjoyed an excellent first season in the Premier League last term, scoring seven goals in 31 appearances, while earning a reputation for his physicality and hold-up play.

The 24-year-old bullied Spurs’ defence home and away, netting an 80th-minute equaliser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and his domestic form translated to the international stage.

Despite being knocked out by Morocco in the last 32, Brobbey still scored three goals for the Netherlands as they topped their group ahead of Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.

Intriguing option: Zion Suzuki could be a good rival for Antonin Kinsky at Tottenham

AFP/Getty

Zion Suzuki

In handing a new and improved contract to Antonin Kinsky, Spurs appear to have put their faith in the Czech international to become the club’s first-choice goalkeeper next season.

With Guglielmo Vicario expected to leave the club, Kinsky has been rewarded for his fine form towards the end of last season.

Spurs, though, seem to still be in the market for a goalie this summer, and Japan’s Zion Suzuki could offer an interesting alternative to long-term target James Trafford.

Born in America, Suzuki chose to represent the country where he was raised and impressed even as Japan were knocked out of the World Cup by Brazil in the last 32.

The 23-year-old made seven saves, including a superb stop to tip Vinicius Jr’s close-range effort on to the post, before Brazil struck right at the death to secure a 2-1 win.

An imposing physical presence, Suzuki is noted for his ability to claim crosses as well as his distribution.

The Parma shot-stopper is already attracting Premier League interest and could be a good option to provide competition for Kinsky.

Chelsea

Joel Ordonez

Chelsea are in the market for a centre-back this summer and have drawn up a list of potential targets.

Joel Ordonez is reported to be among the options Chelsea are assessing right now, and the Blues will have only been further encouraged by his performances for Ecuador at the World Cup.

Fancied as a dark horse, Ecuador did not meet expectations as they would have hoped, yet they showed themselves to be a defensively astute side before they were knocked out by co-hosts Mexico in the last 32.

Getty

PSG centre-back Willian Pacho is the beating heart of Ecuador’s defence, but alongside him, Ordonez has impressed with his speed and aerial ability.

The 22-year-old endured a tricky match against Mexico and was replaced at half-time.

But regardless, Ordonez is seen as one of the brightest young defensive talents in Europe, and his progressive passing makes him an interesting option both in and out of possession.

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After getting the ball rolling on his playing career with the club, Lewis returned to Tottenham as academy transition coach in 2015 and was tasked with helping provide a pipeline for youth talents into the first team.

He is credited with helping the likes of Luca Williams-Barnett and Jun’ai Byfield make their debuts last season, with Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear and Callum Olusesi also counted among his proteges.

Lewis will take on a role in Ipswich’s first team as an assistant to newly appointed manager Gary O’Neil after they were promoted back to the Premier League last season.

“Having supported Tottenham Hotspur since I was five years old and previously represented the Club as a young professional, it was a privilege to come back and help develop the next generation of players.

“My family and I have supported the Club all our lives, so I have always understood what it means to represent Tottenham Hotspur and the identity our teams should embody; brave, attacking, front-foot football.”

He went on: “While those trophies were incredibly special, I always knew that the primary objective was to develop players capable of progressing to the first team. I have no doubt it won't be long before more Academy graduates are gracing our brilliant stadium.

“I would like to thank everyone at the Club for their support and for allowing me to pursue this fantastic opportunity at Ipswich Town, which enables me to fulfil my ambition of coaching in the Premier League. I leave with immense pride, gratitude and lifelong memories, and I wish everyone connected with Tottenham Hotspur every success in the future.”

Lewis is now en route to join up with Ipswich’s pre-season training camp in Murcia, Spain, where the Tractor Boys will contest a friendly against Osasuna next week.

Of Lewis’ appointment, newly-signed Ipswich boss O’Neil said: “He is a young coach who already has a good range of experience and is highly-regarded, both at Tottenham and within the game, and is an important addition to our team. We are looking forward to him getting started with the group in Spain this week.”

Tottenham have confirmed a deal with Manchester United over the sale of academy winger Tynan Thompson.

Standard Sport understands that United are set to pay £8million (£4m up front and a further £4m in add-ons) for Thompson, who was named in Spurs’ first-team matchday squad on three occasions last season.

Tottenham retain matching rights and a 20 per cent sell-on clause for Thompson, who expressed his desire to relocate due to personal family circumstances.

Thompson, who was one of the most highly-regarded talents in Spurs’ academy, signed maiden professional terms with the north London club in May 2025.

He scored 13 goals and provided six assists in all competitions for Tottenham’s youth teams last season, including seven goals in as many UEFA Youth League games.

Spurs have been busy in the summer transfer window so far, spending in excess of £200m as manager Roberto De Zerbi looks to overhaul the squad ahead of his first full season in charge.

They broke their club transfer record twice in a matter of days to seal the arrivals of midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who joined for £100m and £85m respectively.

Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke arrived from Brighton for £52m, while Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka all joined on free transfers.

There have also been a number of outgoings too, with Luka Vuskovic joining Brighton for £50m, while Radu Dragusin has signed for Serie A club Fiorentina on loan with an obligation to buy for around £21m.

Striker Alejo Veliz has completed a permanent switch to Brazilian club Bahia, while Yves Bissouma was one of 11 players to be released at the end of their contracts as loanees Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha also returned to Juventus and Bayern Munich respectively.

Thompson is the latest academy player to leave Spurs this summer after midfielder Alfie Devine sealed a permanent £6m move to Championship side Preston earlier this month.

Spurs sources state that they are keen to maximise sales this summer, having struggled to command fair market value for their players in recent years.

Lucas Bergvall has expressed his desire to leave the club, as he believes he will not get the playing time he wants under De Zerbi next season.

Lucas Bergvall remains keen to leave Tottenham this summer despite the club rejecting offers for him, as he prepares to return for pre-season this week.

Bergvall sees himself as a No8 and is disappointed with the lack of opportunities in that position at Tottenham, particularly since Roberto De Zerbi took charge.

Nottingham Forest registered their interest in Bergvall and had an opening bid rejected, before Newcastle’s offer of £46million was also turned down.

It is believed that Bergvall would have been open to joining either club and there was some surprise in his camp that Newcastle’s approach was knocked back.

There is an acceptance internally at Spurs that the club need to become better at selling players and there is a desire to improve on that front this summer.

That was a key factor in letting defender Luka Vuskovic, who also informed the club that he wanted to leave, join Brighton in a £50m deal last week.

While there has been interest from elsewhere in Europe and Bergvall would consider all his options, his preference is to stay in the Premier League.

Bergvall is contracted at Spurs through to 2031 but has grown increasingly disappointed with the response to his transfer request.

Standard Sport understands that Bergvall has had no contact with De Zerbi this summer, either during the World Cup or since Sweden were knocked out by France in the round of 32 on June 30.

There have also been no attempts from the club to persuade Bergvall to change his stance after being informed that he wanted a move.

Not hearing from De Zerbi since the end of last season is understood to have cemented Bergvall’s belief that he is not in the Italian’s plans and that he needs to pursue a move to prevent his career stalling.

Bergvall struggled for minutes in the closing stages of last season and Spurs have since signed midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes for big money.

The Swede was not in the group of Spurs players to begin pre-season training last week.

He was given more time off after his involvement with Sweden at the World Cup and has been told to report back this week.

Bergvall is expected to do so and there is no suggestion that he will publicly agitate for a move.