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Reports in Spain have revealed that Real Madrid intervened in a big way to stop Tottenham Hotspur from securing one of their transfer targets in the summer.

Tottenham’s quest to sign a number ten in the summer had more twists and turns than a Netflix drama, and eventually ended with the club securing Xavi Simons.

Spurs were stopped from signing Morgan Gibbs-White despite meeting his release clause, while Tottenham were pipped to Eberechi Eze’s signing by Arsenal in the last moment.

Another player whom the Lilywhites were keen on was Nico Paz, for whom Tottenham were allegedly ready to break the bank.

The Como star decided to stay put at the Serie A club, and a new report has now revealed what Real Madrid did to convince him to stay.

What Real Madrid told Nico Paz after Tottenham expressed interest

The print edition of AS (as relayed by Sport Witness) has now revealed that Real Madrid, who sold Paz to Como for €6m (£5.2m) in 2024, played a big role in ensuring he rejected Tottenham’s advances.

The outlet confirms that Los Blancos have a buy-back option on the Argentine next summer, which is worth just €9m (£7.8m).

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It is explained that when Tottenham made their move for Paz, Madrid got in touch with the player to make it clear that they are counting on him for next season.

They made a ‘promise’ to Paz that they would activate their buy-back clause next summer, with the attacking midfielder then rejecting Spurs in the hope of securing his ‘dream’ return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The newspaper says that the plan of Xabi Alonso’s men is to have the 21-year-old replace Dani Ceballos in their squad next summer.

Spurs are continuing to scout Paz

Despite being snubbed by the Argentina international in the summer, it has been claimed that Tottenham have not given up hope of landing the youngster.

TBR Football reported a few days ago that the Spurs are still maintaining a watching brief on Paz, who has made an outstanding start to the season, with three goals and three assists for Como in six league matches.

The outlet revealed that the attacking midfielder is also on the radars of both Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for a Spain international whose stock is growing rapidly amidst his ascent over the last 16 months.

Some pundits have questioned whether this Tottenham side has enough goals in it, which is not a baseless concern given that Heung-min Son has now left the club.

Not everyone is convinced that Spurs can get by with Richarlison as their main centre-forward, while Dominic Solanke has had just one season at the top level, where he has scored 20 goals or more.

We are yet to see how Randal Kolo Muani will do in the Premier League, and it has now been suggested that Tottenham could turn to the market to solve their goalscoring issues.

Tottenham plotting move for prolific Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

According to a report in Estadio Deportivo, Spurs are now considering a move to sign Porto’s prolific marksmen Samu Aghehowa, who continues to impress in Portuguese football.

After his move from Atletico Madrid last summer, Aghehowa netted 27 goals in his first season for Porto, with his performances seeing him break into the Spanish national side.

The 21-year-old has carried on from where he left off at the start of this season, having already netted five goals in seven matches so far.

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Estadio Deportivo say that Tottenham have been impressed by Aghehowa’s performances and are plotting a move for the centre-forward next summer.

Spurs may have to shatter their transfer record for Samu Aghehowa

Estadio Deportivo reveal that the former Atletico Madrid man has a release clause of €100m (£86m) in his contract at Porto.

The outlet says that Porto will not make his departure easy, which potentially suggests that Spurs may even have to meet the clause to sign Aghehowa.

Additionally, the Spanish striker is also said to be on the radars of Aston Villa and West Ham, while Newcastle allegedly explored a move for the Porto man before they signed Nick Woltemade in the summer.

One of the leading experts on the business of football, Stefan Borsen, has suggested that Daniel Levy could now make a big move that affects Tottenham after being removed from his role as chairman.

Following Daniel Levy’s exit, several consortia have made moves to purchase Tottenham Hotspur from majority owners ENIC.

Last month, Tottenham confirmed that they rejected two approaches to buy a stake in the club, making it clear that the club is not for sale.

On Monday, a consortium headed by Brooklyn Earick also announced that they will not be bidding for Spurs after the North London club’s owners unequivocally rejected their expression of interest.

Daniel Levy’s ties with Tottenham could be permanently severed

While buying Tottenham off ENIC seems difficult at the moment, Stefan Borsen has now suggested investors could turn to Levy.

He remarked that we may see interested parties trying to buy out Levy’s minority share of the club before slowly ramping up their level of ownership of Spurs.

Borson told Football Insider: “I still think that if somebody could put an offer together for Daniel Levy’s part of ENIC, given that there’s clearly been a fallout there, I think that would start to make some sense, where you brought in very much like Sir Jim Ratcliffe at United, you brought in a 25 per cent shareholder.

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“I mean, it wasn’t quite the same with Manchester United, but a 25 per cent shareholder comes in to partner with the majority owner. I don’t think the Lewis’s are showing that they would be prepared to take a backseat in the way that the Glazers have, and that again will go to value.

“But there may well be a minority owner that is interested in taking 25 per cent of Tottenham and going from there, maybe with a plan over the next few years to build up to 50 per cent, then 75 per cent, and then full ownership. I think that’s feasible.

“If the Lewis’s don’t want to sell, then it does look like it’s difficult for Daniel Levy and his family to remain as a relatively small minority. That does look like something that they’re going to want to work their way out of and take the money.”

ENIC may not be bluffing about their plans for Spurs

A little over a week ago, Tottenham cut ties with Rothschild & Co, who were appointed by Levy in April 2024 to help find external investment into the club.

Borsen sees that as potential evidence that the Lewis family mean what they say when they insist that they are not looking to sell the club.

The finance expert said about Tottenham’s majority owners: “It increasingly looks like they’re not bluffing. Getting rid of Rothschild’s as your advisor is a statement that you’re not really engaging and you don’t really want to sell, which is consistent with what they’ve said publicly.

“I mean, they have been pretty blunt about that desire for certainly the Lewis family side of things to keep the asset to keep the ownership. They’re very visible now at games home and away, so I think you can start to take them on face value that they’re not really looking for a buyer.”

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been keeping a close eye on a midfielder who is continuing to impress in the Championship this season.

Tottenham have had success in signing players from the English football’s second tier over recent years, with Djed Spence becoming one of Spurs’ important players after a difficult start to his career in North London.

Archie Gray has been backed to do big things at Spurs by Thomas Frank, with the 19-year-old arriving at N17 on the back of his breakout season in Leeds in the Championship.

It has now emerged that Tottenham are continuing to keep a close eye on a young English midfielder, who, alongside Gray, was part of the England U21 squad which won the Euro U21 championship in the summer.

Tottenham are watching Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney closely

Former Spurs scout Mick Brown has now revealed that the Lilywhites have been scouting Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney closely this season.

The 23-year-old continues to go from strength to strength at the Riverside Stadium, and Brown is of the opinion that he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The experienced scout told Football Insider: “Hackney is going to be on the radar of a lot of clubs. He’s probably as talented a player as there is in the Championship at the moment, and I was really impressed by him the first time I saw him.

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“He’s got a great picture of the game around him, can take the ball in tight areas and find passes to get him team moving up the pitch. More recently, I’ve seen little bits of him on the TV and it looks like he’s still playing to a high level for Middlesbrough and is an important player there.

“Whether they’d be willing to let him go, I’m not sure, but he’s definitely got enough talent and enough about him to make the step up to the Premier League. I’m told Tottenham Hotspur have been watching him, and I expect they’ve been impressed by his performances, so they could be the ones to make a move.

“I still think he has room to improve, but I think he’d be able to go to a team like Tottenham and strengthen their squad and work his way into the starting XI.”

Spurs have had their eye on Hayden Hackney for a long time

The North London club’s interest in the Boro man is not new. In fact, it was reported in the summer window that Spurs were eyeing a £25m move for Hackney, which never materialised.

However, Thomas Frank’s men will not have a free run at the 23-year-old, with Tottenham expected to face competition from across Europe for Hackney.

The midfielder’s current deal at the Riverside Stadium runs out in 2027, which means that a January sale could be on the cards.

However, Boro currently sit second in the Championship, and they would be tempted to hang onto their star man to aid their promotion push.

It has now emerged that Major League Soccer club Orlando City were keen on landing an experienced Tottenham man in the summer, but the move fell through due to the North London club’s financial demands.

Heung-min Son has been dominating the MLS since the Spurs legend called time on his decade-long spell at North London to move to Los Angeles FC.

It has now emerged that another Tottenham Hotspur forward, whose future appeared uncertain in the summer, was a key target for an MLS side.

Richarlison was heavily linked with a return to Brazil during the summer, but it turns out that it may have been an American club that showed the most concrete interest in the 28-year-old.

Tottenham priced Richarlison out of a move to the United States

According to ESPN, Orlando City were extremely keen on signing the experienced Tottenham striker during the summer transfer window.

The MLS club were ready to hand Richarlison a long-term contract and make him the team’s leading figure in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup.

However, it is revealed that Spurs demanded €40m (£34.6m) for the former Everton man, with the transfer eventually falling through due to disagreements on the fee.

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Orlando City have not given up their pursuit of Richarlison

On his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Orlando have not given up their hopes of bringing Richarlison to the club.

The journalist says that the Orlando directors have even travelled to London to meet with the Tottenham man and present him a long-term proposal.

However, the 28-year-old remains an important player for Spurs, which is why a move is ‘unlikely’ for now, but Romano adds that this is a situation to watch in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur have made an impressive start to the season and some of their new signings have already played a huge role.

Tottenham Hotspur currently sit third in the Premier League table and are ninth in the Champions League. Spurs supporters should be happy with this progress, considering how much of a disaster the previous league campaign turned out to be.

Thomas Frank has received mixed reviews up to this point. His ability to manage the game when Spurs defeated Manchester City was widely praised, but his team have failed to impress at times, such as the 1-1 draw with Wolves.

The new signings have divided opinions too, with some getting off to strong starts and others taking time to get going at Tottenham.

We have rated the players to have joined Spurs during the summer transfer window on a scale of 1-10.

Rating Tottenham’s summer signings out of 10

Kevin Danso – The Austrian defender has only made three starts since joining Tottenham on a permanent basis. He kept a clean sheet against Doncaster in the Carabao Cup, but Spurs conceded twice when he played against PSG and Bodo/Glimt.

Danso is unlikely to ever be first-choice unless Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven gets injured and even though he has been at the club since January, it still feels too early to say whether he is good enough to step up if one of the main centre-backs is ruled out with an injury. 6/10

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Mathys Tel – When Richarlison started as a striker against Burnley, it looked like Tel was Frank’s only natural option on the left wing. However, he has not even played there, despite it being the weakest position in the Tottenham first-team squad.

Tel started up front against West Ham and failed to impress. He finally broke the deadlock this season and found the net against Leeds last weekend. If the France under-21 international can build on that, there is hope for him yet. Although, except for the Leeds game, Tel has still struggled to make an impression. 4/10

Kota Takai – The Japanese central defender was always a safe option. He did not cost Tottenham a lot of money, so it was never going to be a big deal if his move failed to work out. Takai is yet to make an appearance due to an injury he picked up in the summer, so there is no way of knowing how good he will be for Spurs. N/A

Mohammed Kudus – One of the best dribblers in modern football, Kudus has shone for Spurs from the very beginning. He landed two assists during Tottenham’s opening Premier League fixture, and he has been a consistent performer in pretty much every game since.

Scoring a goal was the only thing the Ghanaian winger was missing, but he put an end to that last Saturday, getting the winner as Spurs defeated Leeds. Frank has a few right-wing options, but no one is getting in the first-team ahead of Kudus. 9/10

Joao Palhinha – There has already been plenty of negativity surrounding Frank’s decision to play Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, but the Portugal international has done a wonderful job since joining Tottenham on loan. He has scored three goals, including an important stoppage-time equaliser against Wolves.

The midfielder’s defending has been rock solid too, and he is definitely an upgrade on Yves Bissouma. Spurs should waste no time and get a permanent deal completed in January. 9/10

Xavi Simons – The skilful Dutchman has only made seven Tottenham appearances, and he is taking some time to adjust to his new team. Playing Simons on the left wing is clearly a mistake, and he was much better as an attacking midfielder against Leeds. Based on the here and now, Simons is not going to get a high rating, but there is a good chance this will significantly change in due course. 5/10

Randal Kolo Muani – The striker was signed on loan to provide cover for the injured Dominic Solanke, but he has instead joined the Englishman on the sidelines. Muani has only played 13 minutes of football for Tottenham, which is not enough time to form a verdict. N/A

Spurs should feel positive about their latest additions

Takai and Muani are yet to show how good they will be for Tottenham, while Kudus and Palhinha have both been very good. Simons and Tel are the two players who have looked off the pace, but they were better against Leeds and could come back stronger after the international break.

Spurs are already seeing some of the benefits of their summer spending and in time, each of their signings could become highly rated at the club.

Alfie Devine joined Preston North End on loan in the summer, and the Tottenham starlet is looking to do something special at the Championship club.

Devine moved to North London in 2020, as Tottenham Hotspur capitalised on Wigan Athletic’s financial struggles at the time. He was loaned out for the first time two summers ago, joining Port Vale in League One.

Devine was recalled by Tottenham in January 2024 and loaned to Plymouth Argyle in the Championship. He joined Westerlo on loan last summer and scored six goals in 32 appearances before returning to Spurs.

The 21-year-old made two pre-season appearances for Tottenham before joining Preston on loan, where he seems to be developing well.

Tottenham’s Alfie Devine is chasing Premier League promotion with Preston

Preston have not competed in the top flight of England since 1960/61, the same season Spurs last lifted the league title.

However, the Lancashire outfit currently sit fourth in the Championship, just three points off league leaders Coventry City.

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Devine has made eight appearances in the league and a further two in the Carabao Cup. He has two goals and two assists to his name, which includes a screamer from outside the box against Derby County.

The midfielder got an assist during a 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in his most recent appearance, despite playing just 14 minutes.

Spurs must make a decision on Devine’s future next summer

Devine has always looked talented, but none of his loan spells have particularly stood out in a way which would make Tottenham convinced by him.

It is good to see he is getting regular minutes at an in-form Preston team, but he is now 21 years old and only really has this season left to prove himself to Spurs.

The midfielder must ensure he plays a key role for his team throughout the campaign if he is to have any chance of making it when he returns to North London.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but there is competition from another Premier League team.

Tottenham Hotspur addressed some of their most pressing issues during the summer transfer window. However, one notable problem failed to be resolved before the window slammed shut.

Spurs did not sign a left winger and there has been a shortage in the position so far this season, with every option from last season gone. Mathys Tel and Richarlison are only being played as strikers, while Heung-min Son moved to LAFC. Spurs are also no longer able to play Mikey Moore, as he is on loan at Rangers.

Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson have all been fielded on the left wing, but none of these players have managed to consistently maintain their place in the position.

Tottenham are plotting a move for Antoine Semenyo

Spurs could look to the only team to have defeated them this season in order to address the most prominent issue in the Tottenham first-team squad.

Football Insider report that Spurs are looking to sign Antoine Semenyo next year, but Manchester United are also interested in securing his signature.

Former Spurs and Man United scout Mick Brown said “It comes as no surprise that there is interest in Semenyo.

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“He’s been excellent since the start of last season really, and has performed above the level I thought he was capable of when I first saw him play which I’m happy to say.

“He’s so instrumental in what Bournemouth do, he scores goals, gives them power and running ability, and he does so well technically and creatively as well.

“As a result of that, he’s maintained his form even when other big players have left the club.

“Semenyo would be an asset in anybody’s team, and that’s why I’m told Tottenham and Man United have both been looking at bringing him in.”

Man United already beat Tottenham to the signing of Bryan Mbeumo in the summer, but with all their available options, Semenyo is more likely to get regular starts for Spurs.

Brown continued: “The issue with United is, where would he play? If it’s on the right, they’ve got Mbeumo there, and if it’s on the left they’ve got Cunha, so is there space for him?

“For Tottenham, though, he’s the type of player who could make a real difference for them.

“Bournemouth will be preparing for that interest, because of the players they lost in the summer and the interest in him, and they won’t want to see him go.

“He signed a new contract so it won’t be easy or cheap to get him out, but I don’t think that’s put clubs off, they will feel they can tempt him away.”

Spurs would have to break their transfer record to sign Semenyo

Tottenham nowadays usually make at least one signing each summer in the region of £60m. The club spent more than £50m each on Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons this summer.

However, Semenyo is likely to cost more than £80m, which means Spurs will have to break their record transfer fee to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

One Tottenham Hotspur player has fired shots at his old club for failing to give him the chances he deserved while he was there.

Thomas Frank has rotated players in and out of his team since becoming the manager of Tottenham Hotspur. However, Joao Palhinha has remained an important player who continues to make the teamsheet each week.

The midfielder has started every one of the club’s Premier League matches, which is in striking contrast to last season when he was at Bayern Munich.

Palhinha spent much of his time in Germany on the bench. This affected his opportunities for his national team, resulting in him being an unused substitute during the Nations League final which Portugal won.

Joao Palhinha is being treated better at Tottenham than Bayern Munich

Although Palhinha is doing well now, he has had to work hard to bounce back after a tough season away from the Premier League. Despite signing a four-year contract at Bayern in a deal worth £47m, it became clear he would not be an important player in Vincent Kompany’s squad.

Palhinha told The Standard: “[Last season] was a difficult season for me. I was injured and was out for longer than I’d expected.

“After that, I didn’t get the chances I think I deserved [at Bayern], which also had an impact on my playing time with the national team.

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“But these are phases. Our careers thrive on phases. Now, I’m going through a happy phase. A new club, a new project, in a league that’s not new to me and that I’m enjoying again.”

Palhinha will attempt to revive his Portugal career

Palhina played a role for Portugal in last month’s international break, following four competitive appearances for Tottenham. However, he came off the bench in both matches and is yet to make a start for his country since October last year in a goalless draw against Scotland.

The defensive midfielder has been playing a lot more than he did last season, so he will be hopeful of changing this when Portugal take on the Republic of Ireland and Hungary.

Luka Vuskovic decided to spend a year away from Tottenham Hotspur to improve his game and the move certainly appears to be working.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters were excited to see Luca Vuskovic in action, but they were made to wait. The defender’s move was announced in September 2023, but he did not join up with the Tottenham first-team squad until the summer.

Vuskovic immediately impressed for Spurs, bagging a goal and an assist in his first 45 minutes at the club, whilst maintaining a clean sheet too. He made two further pre-season appearances, but was only able to make the bench once the competitive fixtures began.

In August, Vuskovic rejected Tottenham’s offer to remain at the club as he revealed he needed to play more matches and work harder. He then joined Hamburg on loan in the Bundesliga, where he has been making a name for himself.

Tottenham’s Luka Vuskovic is leading the way in Germany

DataMB have revealed Vuskovic’s stats and how he compares with other players in the Bundesliga. It would be fair to say that he is in a league of his own right now.

Per 90 minutes, Vuskovic leads the way for aerial duels, aerial duels won, defensive duels won and interceptions. Also, he is second for progressive carries.

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It is no wonder Vuskovic won the rookie of the month award, as he continued to set the standards in the Bundesliga.

Vuskovic has earned another international call-up

Vuskovic has earned his spot in the Croatia national team’s squad for their World Cup qualifying fixtures, due to his excellent performances for Hamburg.

Croatia will take on Czechia away from home on Thursday, before hosting Gibraltar on Sunday evening. They defeated those teams 5-1 and 7-0 respectively in their previous meetings.

In September, Vuskovic only made the under-21s squad, as he captained his team during a 1-1 draw with Turkey. He has played just two minutes of senior international football, but he will be hoping to get more minutes this time around.