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Jay Bothroyd has told Antoine Semenyo which club he should join in January, and Tottenham fans will love what the former Cardiff City man has said.

Since it came to light over a month ago that Semenyo can leave Bournemouth for £65m in January, it was always clear that the winger was on his way out of the Vitality Stadium.

The only question now appears to be which club he will move to. Tottenham have certainly pushed hard to land him, with reports indicating that Spurs are willing to shatter their wage structure to land Semenyo.

However, unsurprisingly, it has emerged over recent days that the Ghana international prefers to join either Liverpool or Man City over Spurs.

Jay Bothroyd urges Antoine Semenyo to pick Tottenham Hotspur

However, Bothroyd believes that the Cherries star would be making a big mistake by moving to a club like Man City, and should instead opt for someone like Tottenham.

He suggested that Semenyo should join a club where he will be the main man and take his game to the next level, rather than somewhere where he may not be first choice.

The former England striker urged the Bournemouth man to prioritise playing every week, given the stage he is at in his career.

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Watch what Bothroyd told Sky Sports News:

Spurs may have already moved on from Semenyo

An increasing number of reports over recent days have suggested that Tottenham have already pulled out of the race for Semenyo after learning that the winger is not too keen.

It has been suggested that Spurs may turn their attention to Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche after accepting defeat in the race for the Bournemouth man.

Graham Roberts is fuming at the Football Association after their latest announcement regarding Tottenham’s Cristian Romero.

Romero has come under heavy criticism after receiving a red card against Liverpool, which was his first in over two years.

Thomas Frank felt that the red cards to both Romero and Xavi Simons were very harsh, but the one-game suspension may not be the only punishment that the centre-back has to deal with.

On Wednesday, the FA charged Romero for ‘failing to promptly leave the field’ and for confronting the official after he was shown a red card.

Graham Roberts blasts FA’s decision on the Tottenham captain

Cristian Romero has until Friday, 2 January 2026, to respond to the governing body’s charge, and a former Tottenham captain has now taken to social media to express his anger at the charge.

Graham Roberts labelled the decision an ‘absolute joke’, suggesting that the Argentine was well within his rights to complain about Hugo Ekitike’s second goal being allowed to stand.

Roberts wrote on X: “Absolute joke. The referee was a joke, and charging Romero is an even bigger one. The referee made the wrong choice. Romero tried to talk to him, but he could not get his card out quickly enough.”

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Another suspension may be around the corner for Romero

Romero is suspended for Tottenham’s trip to Selhurst Park after his red card against Liverpool.

Irrespective of what the outcome is of this FA charge, the Spurs captain may soon be suspended again for a further two games.

Cristian Romero has done something very unusual over the last few days following his red card in Tottenham’s 1-2 loss to Liverpool.

The centre-back got his first yellow card for complaining about being pushed by Hugo Ekitike before the Liverpool man headed the ball into the back of the net.

He then got his second yellow in stoppage time for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate, which means that Romero is now suspended for Tottenham’s trip to Crystal Palace.

On Wednesday, the Tottenham captain was charged by the FA for his conduct, with the governing body accusing him of ‘failing to promptly leave the field’ and for confronting the official after he was shown a red card.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero maintains his silence

The Argentine has made it a habit of sending a message to Spurs fans on social media after every single game.

However, he has been conspicuously silent since Tottenham’s clash against Liverpool on Sunday, not posting either about the game, his red card on his subsequent charge.

The only post that one can find from the centre-back over the past few days is one on Instagram of him celebrating Christmas with his family.

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Thomas Frank has defended Romero after harsh criticism

Romero has now received more yellow cards than any other Premier League player this term, and he has come under plenty of criticism over the last few days.

Some have labelled the Tottenham man a ‘liability’, while a few others have even raised questions about whether the centre-back should remain Spurs captain.

Thomas Frank has launched a passionate defence of Romero, insisting that his transgression was down to his passion for the club.

However, the Dane conceded that he wants his players to keep a cooler head during moments when the heat is on during games.

Paul Merson has urged Tottenham Hotspur to make a significant move in the January transfer widow in order to kickstart their new regime.

With the January window now days away from opening, the rumour mill has gone into hyperdrive, and it seems clear that one winger’s future is going to dominate the headlines for the next couple of weeks.

It has been widely reported over the last month that Spurs were pushing aggressively to land Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause in his contract at Bournemouth.

We even heard reports that Tottenham were willing to shatter their wage structure to land the Ghana international.

However, Spurs faced an uphill battle to land the Bournemouth star, who is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.

Tottenham need to buy quality in January

Merson urged Tottenham not to give up on the 25-year-old, suggesting that the Lilywhites need him more than their Premier League rivals do.

The former Arsenal man has claimed that Tottenham need to make a significant signing in January to kickstart the current project at the club, which appears directionless at the moment.

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When asked which club needs Semenyo the most, Merson told Sky Sports: “Tottenham. They need to make a real key signing that will kick them off. They have a wage structure at Tottenham and don’t really pay big money but this could kickstart them.

“For me, I think Tottenham would be the one. It would be a statement for Tottenham; it would kickstart them moving forward for the next five or 10 years.”

“Beat a couple of other clubs to him. He will play every week and wants to play football. You get the consistency of playing week in and week out. But I think he suits them.”

Merson thinks Spurs can make a good case to Semenyo

Over the last few days, some sources have suggested that Semenyo prefers a move to Man City or Liverpool, and Spurs were not considered a priority for Semenyo Manchester United having been ahead of the North Londoners.

However, Merson believes that Semenyo will not be the main man at many of Tottenham’s rivals and faces more uncertainty at other clubs.

He added: “Chelsea have loads of wingers already, [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Pedro] Neto, [Jamie] Gittens and Estevao. Plus, he’s 26, I don’t see the sell-on. At Man Utd, he will play wing-back. That isn’t his favourite position. He won’t want to play wing-back.

“Man City, how long will Pep Guardiola be there? You sign a four-year deal and the manager leaves at the end of the season, who is to say the new manager will want him to play. Liverpool, maybe, but then you’re taking Mohamed Salah’s place.”

The referee for Tottenham’s trip to Crystal Palace has now been announced, and it is not something that will particularly delight Thomas Frank.

John Brooks’ officiating has come under the radar following Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool at home.

The referee showed two red cards to Tottenham players and controversially allowed the away side’s second goal to stand despite Hugo Ekitike appearing to push Cristian Romero.

Thomas Frank felt Brooks got all three of his big decisions wrong on Saturday, and was not too happy that he cost his side a chance of getting a result.

Referee announced for Tottenham’s clash against Crystal Palace

Spurs desperately need to get back to winning ways at Palace on Sunday, and they will not be too pleased with the official who will oversee the contest.

Jarred Gillett has been confirmed as the man who will be in charge at Selhurst Park, and his record involving Tottenham games is far from ideal for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham have lost seven and won six of the 13 matches Gillet has taken charge of, but what will concern Frank’s side even more is his propensity to dish out bookings.

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He has handed out 31 yellow cards to Spurs players in those 13 matches, which is not something that the Lilywhites can afford, and that is a major concern, given how many of Tottenham’s players are teetering on the edge of suspension.

While Gillet has never sent a Spurs player off, he has also never handed a penalty to the North London club in those 13 games.

Four Spurs players need to avoid a booking at Palace

Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur are all on four yellow cards each at the moment.

Players picking up five yellows within the first 19 matches of the season will be suspended for one game, which means that all four of them need to avoid bookings in the next two league games.

Tottenham Hotspur will hope to avoid a third successive league defeat when they face Crystal Palace away on Sunday.

With no Carabao Cup distraction earlier this week following their elimination at the hands of Newcastle United almost two months ago, Tottenham have had more than enough time to reflect on their back-to-back league defeats. Beginning with an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago, a much-improved performance last weekend saw a 9-man Spurs side fight hard but ultimately leave empty-handed in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.

That was probably the rare occasion this year where the team were not booed off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and considering their poor record of just 2 wins in 9 league games, supporters were satisfied with the performance, knowing they were victims of some poor refereeing decisions. The atmosphere on the night was incredible, strong enough to even be acknowledged by a Liverpool player afterwards.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, come into this fixture after their own Carabao Cup dreams were ended by current league leaders Arsenal. Marc Guehi’s stoppage-time equaliser was ultimately in vain as last season’s FA Cup winners were knocked out following an 8-7 defeat in the penalty shoot-out.

They are unlikely to dwell too long on that disappointment, however, given their impressive Premier League form. Palace currently sit 8th in the Premier League table, just 3 points off the top four, although their early-season unbeaten run has taken a hit recently, with no wins in their last four matches in all competitions. That run includes a heavy 4-1 defeat to newly promoted Leeds United in their most recent league outing.

What time does Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur kick off?

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur: head-to-head record

Although Spurs have historically been dominant against their London rivals, Crystal Palace completed a league double over Tottenham for the first time in their history last season.

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However, all three meetings prior to that saw Spurs emerge as comfortable winners.

Even at Selhurst Park, Tottenham have generally had the upper hand, having won 7 of their previous 12 visits, alongside 2 draws and 3 defeats.

Tottenham team news

Speaking to the press, Thomas Frank revealed that the team news remains unchanged from the Liverpool defeat, adding that he would be ‘very happy’ to welcome back Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, though he did not guarantee either player’s return.

Speaking of the Liverpool match, where two Spurs players were shown controversial red cards, Xavi Simons will miss this fixture as well as Spurs’ next two games, while captain Cristian Romero is also unavailable after his dismissal.

On the brighter side, Radu Dragusin returned to the Spurs squad after almost a year out with an ACL injury, although he remained an unused substitute.

Confirmed absentees include the injured James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie, along with AFCON participants Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma.

Crystal Palace team news

Oliver Glasner is without several key players for this fixture. Ismaila Sarr is away on AFCON duty, while Daniel Munoz remains sidelined with a knee injury.

Further absentees include Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada and Cheick Doucoure, all of whom are not expected to return until mid-January.

Predicted line-ups

TOTTENHAM: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall, Gray; Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Nketiah, Pino; Mateta

Our prediction

With more losses than wins and Tottenham currently sitting 14th in the table, it would be wrong to suggest supporters would be lenient with another defeat, and for that reason Thomas Frank will need to find a way out of the situation he finds himself in.

Keep an eye on Djed Spence, who was Spurs’ best player against Liverpool and is likely to carry that form into this match, especially with more space to attack and without the threat of having to deal with Ismaila Sarr and Daniel Munoz

For Crystal Palace, Marc Guehi will be one to watch. Once on Spurs’ radar, the centre-back has contributed 6 goals already this season and poses a clear threat at set-pieces, meaning Tottenham will need to limit his impact there, while Richarlison’s ability to drive past him with the ball could be key.

Fabio Paratici will try and poach a Tottenham Hotspur defender in January if and when he is confirmed as Fiorentina’s head of football.

Although Spurs have not been contacted by Fiorentina, the Italian club are thought to be locked in talks with Paratici about jumping ship from the North London club.

Paratici only returned to Tottenham as a co-sporting director with Johan Lange back in October, but his future at the Lilywhites now looks in serious doubt.

In fact, Fabrizio Romano and others have claimed that the Spurs sporting director is now edging closer to joining La Viola, and it has now been claimed that he could raid the North London club in January.

Fabio Paratici wants to take Tottenham centre-back to Fiorentina

According to a report in Firenze Viola, Paratici will look to raid Tottenham for Radu Dragusin when he completes a move to the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

The outlet explains that the centre-back will be the first name on the Italian’s wishlist and that the player had already been among Fiorentina’s transfer targets.

In fact, the Serie A club inquired about Dragusin a month ago, but Tottenham refused to negotiate at the time.

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Paratici’s move to Florence is expected to change things, given the relationships the 53-year-old has at Spurs.

Radu Dragusin is also wanted by other Serie A clubs

Fiorentina are from the only Serie A side looking to take the former Genoa man to Italy.

Roma have reportedly expressed their interest in a January deal for Dragusin, with the Giallorossi identifying the Romanian as the ideal choice to bolster their backline.

It has subsequently emerged that AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli are also big fans of Dragusin, who is thought to be valued at €30m (£26.1m) by Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are turning their attention to a Juventus star, but they face competition from two of their fierce rivals for the player.

With Spurs now coming around to the realisation that Antoine Semenyo may be out of their reach, the Lilywhites are turning to other alternatives.

One of the names on their wishlist is a 20-year-old Turkish international, who has forged a solid reputation in Turin.

It was first reported two weeks ago that Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz would be a dream signing for Tottenham, but it has now emerged that the North Londoners will face plenty of competition for the youngster.

Tottenham are battling London rivals for Kenan Yildiz

TEAMtalk have now claimed that clubs in the Premier League are now eyeing a move for the versatile attacker, whose future in Juve is shrouded in doubt.

The report names Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as the ‘most keen suitors’ for Yildiz ahead of the January window, with both clubs said to be big fans of the winger.

It is revealed that Arsenal are also monitoring the former Bayern Munich youngster’s situation, thus potentially making it a three-horse race between the London giants.

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The Juve man has primarily featured on the left-flank or as a second striker in Turin this season and is said to be regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe.

Spurs will soon get clarity on Yildiz’s future

TEAMtalk explain that the winger is currently in a contract standoff with the Bianconeri despite being happy at the club.

The forward is seeking a salary of around €6m (£5m) per year, and if the Serie A giants fail to offer close to that figure, he could push for a move.

With Marco Ottolini having been appointed as Juve’s new sporting director, negotiations between Yildiz and the club are expected to speed up and his future could thus become clear over the coming days.

A reputed German outlet is in awe of a Tottenham Hotspur youngster and are convinced that he is going to be nearly impossible to get out of the North London club.

Many of you would have already guessed that they are referring to Luka Vuskovic, who is seen as a future star of Croatian football.

The 18-year-old is winning a lot of admirers with his performances on loan at Hamburg this season, and it has been claimed that the Spurs man is attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Vuskovic has seen his market value double this season, and one outlet is convinced that it will continue to rise.

Tottenham told they have an ‘exceptional talent’ on their hands

BILD are excited about the youngster’s potential, and despite the sharp increase in his market value, they say this is ‘just the beginning’ for the centre-back.

The publication states that there are ‘countless factors’ in Vuskovic’s favour, pointing out that he has the best tackler in the Bundesliga, leading in aerial duels and has the second most interceptions of any player.

The report points to the fact that the on-loan Tottenham man is a goal threat in the opposition box and suggests that he is a strong candidate for Croatia’s World Cup squad.

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The outlet also quotes Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin saying about the centre-back: “He has exceptional talent, but what impresses me even more than his occasional good plays on the pitch is his work ethic.

“If I’m in the office very, very early in the morning, he’s there just before or after me, working out in the weight room. What I really like is his self-criticism.”

Luka Vuskovic backed to be a €100m player

Bild back up what we have heard from other sources by stating that top clubs around Europe are already following the Spurs man, who is rated as the hottest young defensive prospect on the continent, alongside Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi.

The report claims that Tottenham have ‘done everything right’ with Vuskovic so far, including picking the right loan moves and that the Lilywhites have already warded off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich.

The publication predicts that if the centre-back were to leave Spurs in the future, his transfer fee would be at around €100m (£87.2m).

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega foresees a big problem for the Lilywhites in the January transfer window.

Over the past few months, it has been widely reported that ENIC want to make some statement signings to signal their ambition in this new era for Tottenham.

Several sources have claimed that Spurs are willing to make big investments in key positions across the squad.

In fact, it was even reported by TEAMtalk last month that Thomas Frank will be handed a transfer kitty of £100m for the January window.

Ramon Vega questions whether top players would join Tottenham

Despite Tottenham’s willingless to spend on top talent, one former Spurs defender is not convinced the North London club can make game-changing signings.

Vega has taken to social media to suggest that top players would not be exited by the Spurs project and suggested that the Lilywhites may have to settle for young, up-and-coming talents.

He wrote on X: “The question here is who wants to come to Spurs from a player’s point of you? Maybe a young up-and-coming or an established one at the top of their career will choose Spurs?

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“Let’s say money is not a question here for the player! Is the project and the excitement to improve his career and win a trophy what Spurs represent at the moment? Is it attractive enough? Would you?”

Journalist claims Spurs’ transfer plans are too ambitious

It has been reported that Antoine Semenyo is not keen on a move to Tottenham even though Thomas Frank’s men are willing to offer him better terms than their Premier League rivals.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Spurs are also likely to be snubbed by Yan Diomande and Maghnes Akliouche since those players are wanted by many other big clubs around Europe.

Jones concluded that Tottenham’s transfer plans are beginning to ‘look too ambitious’, which ties in with Vega’s claim that the Lilywhites are not in a position to attract world-class talent to the club.