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Tottenham Hotspur have drawn up a midfielder shortlist as they aim to add more creativity to the middle of the park, and some of the biggest names in the Premier League are part of the list.

Xavi Simons has not lived up to his billing since arriving at Tottenham, although it is still early days for the Dutchman, who is still getting used to Premier League football.

Some experts have suggested that Xavi is not a natural playmaker, and it appears that Thomas Frank himself may agree, with the Dane often trying him out at left wing.

It has emerged that the Lilywhites are now eyeing some of the most creative midfielders across the Premier League as they aim to make a splash in the January window.

Tottenham eyeing three Premier League midfielders

This report comes from TEAMtalk, who say that Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers is the standout name on Tottenham’s midfielder shortlist for January.

Thomas Frank likes the 23-year-old’s versatility, work-rate and creativity, and even though Villa could demand over £70m for him, Spurs remain ‘very keen’ on the England international.

Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has also allegedly impressed Tottenham’s scouts with his flair and goal-scoring instinct, with Spurs seeing him as an option that can play either as a number ten or as a winger.

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Finally, it is revealed that Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is also on Tottenham’s list, with the 21-year-old viewed as a deep-lying playmaker who can improve their starting eleven.

Spurs are also tracking three up-and-coming midfielders

TEAMtalk say that apart from the big names mentioned above, Tottenham’s recruitment department are also looking at untapped and undervalued gems across Europe.

One of those is Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin, who is valued at £16m and seen by Spurs as someone well-suited for the Premier League.

Tottenham are also keeping a close eye on AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit, who is valued at £17.5m, while Frank’s men are also fans of FC Copenhagen’s 19-year-old starlet Victor Froholdt.

Some of the biggest clubs in Europe are now turning their attention to Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky Van de Ven.

The question of who the most valuable player in the Tottenham squad currently may not be a straightforward one to answer.

Some may feel that it could be Lucas Bergvall, whose value has been put at £110m by one pundit, but with the Swede, one is paying for potential rather than a finished product.

However, Tottenham Hotspur do have a relatively young, world-class player on their hands already, who possesses some unique attributes, and unsurprisingly, he is the man who is attracting a lot of interest.

Race for Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven intensifies

According to Fichajes, Micky van de Ven is quickly becoming one of the most coveted players across Europe.

The centre-back’s brilliant displays this season have not gone unnoticed by elite clubs, with Real Madrid now being joined in the race for the Dutchman by Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

All three clubs are now considering a move for him, and this has allegedly got Spurs to slap a price tag of €100m (£87.8m) on Van de Ven.

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The report explains that Tottenham view the 24-year-old as a key part of their project and do not wish to lose him.

The outlet confirms what we have heard from other sources by stating that Spurs are now actively working on tying the centre-back down to a new contract.

Thomas Frank has made an encouraging statement on Van de Ven’s future

It was reported two weeks ago that Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham is prioritising tying down Van de Ven to a new contract.

The Dutchman is expected to be the next in line to be offered a new deal after the Lilywhites managed to tie down both Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Ange Postecoglou didn’t last long at Nottingham Forest but he could land a new job just five months after his Tottenham sacking.

Tottenham Hotspur have been gradually finding their rhythm again this season after parting ways with Ange Postecoglou, despite the Australian’s strong run in Europe before his exit.

Thomas Frank has come in and steadied the ship, guiding Spurs to third place in the Premier League table after Postecoglou’s dismal 17th-place finish last term.

There is still plenty of work to be done, with Frank continuing to reshape the side, while Postecoglou himself has endured a difficult spell since he departed from north London.

Celtic eye Ange Postecoglou return five months after Tottenham exit

Ange Postecoglou made a quick return to Premier League management back in September following his exit from Tottenham in July, but things quickly unravelled.

The Australian took charge of Nottingham Forest, replacing former Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo, yet failed to secure a single win in eight games and was dismissed after just 39 days in charge.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are now weighing up an approach for the 60-year-old, with the Scottish champions reportedly keen to bring him back to Glasgow following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation.

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It is understood that the club are preparing to make contact with Postecoglou to gauge his interest in a remarkable return to Parkhead, following two Premier League sackings in four months with Tottenham and Forest.

Postecoglou’s legacy at Spurs and possible Celtic reunion

Ange Postecoglou will always be remembered as the man who delivered silverware to N17 after a 17-year wait, but back-to-back sackings will have undoubtedly dented his standing in English football.

The Australian has often felt underappreciated, famously referencing Daniel Levy’s comments about wanting to try “something different” after past failures with more established winners.

His recent Premier League record has not done him any favours, and he will now be determined to rebuild his reputation.

A return to Celtic, where he previously thrived and enjoyed immense success, could well be the ideal platform to do just that.

Tottenham visit St James’ Park on Wednesday night to play the defending champions Newcastle in the 4th round of the Carabao Cup.

Thomas Frank’s men were able to return to winning ways on Sunday after beating Everton 0-3, as a brace from Micky van de Ven and a late third by Pape Sarr ensured they became the first visiting team to leave the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a win.

That was quite an experimental game from Frank, but it was exactly what was needed after a short spell of disappointing football and a winless run since the international break following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa and a goalless draw against Monaco in the Champions League.

They beat League One side Doncaster Rovers in the third round with a comfortable 3-0 win, but were rather unlucky to draw the defending champions Newcastle United in the next round, especially with it being an away trip.

Newcastle, winners of this competition last season after famously beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final, endured a difficult start to the campaign, going nearly a month without a win.

However, Eddie Howe’s men have since steadied the ship and now find themselves 12th in the League with 12 points from nine games. They are here after beating Bradford City 4-1 in round three, almost a month ago.

What time does Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur kick off?

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Stadium: St James’ Park

Date: Wednesday, 29 October 2025

Kick-off Time: 8 pm BST

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

VAR: Not in use

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Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Head-to-head record

The two sides last met in a pre-season friendly in Seoul, which was also club legend Heung Min Son’s final appearance in a Tottenham shirt. That game ended 1-1.

In the Premier League last season, Newcastle completed the double over Spurs, winning both fixtures 2-1. The away record doesn’t make for pleasant reading either, as Tottenham haven’t won at St James’ Park since October 2021, losing all three visits since by an aggregate score of 12-2.

Thomas Frank also has a poor record against Newcastle from his time at Brentford, winning just one of his previous nine meetings against them.

Tottenham Carabao Cup team news

Thomas Frank confirmed before the Everton clash that Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke are back in training, while Destiny Udogie has yet to return to the grass.

He also revealed that Romero’s and Udogie’s issues aren’t long-term but gave no timeframe for their returns, so updates are expected in his pre-match press conference, although we believe neither is likely to be risked for this one.

Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin all remain sidelined until at least the end of next month, while there has been no mention of Kota Takai’s situation in recent weeks.

Newcastle United team news

Eddie Howe only has three players unavailable: Lewis Hall, Valentino Livramento and Yoane Wissa, with the latter being the closest to a return, although he’s still not expected back before next month.

Predicted Tottenham line-up for Carabao Cup

Vicario, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Tel, Kudus.

Since this is a competition where bigger sides tend to rotate, we can expect plenty of changes across midfield and attack. Still, Frank will likely retain a few key names to maintain competitiveness, which makes this one tricky to predict.

Guglielmo Vicario has been in incredible form, though Antonin Kinsky could get a rare outing. Van de Ven appeared to be limping briefly against Everton, although there’s been no mention of any issue. With no real backup defenders available, Frank might still have to risk him.

Up front, Dane Scarlett and Richarlison are both in contention to start, while Mohammed Kudus could replace Brennan Johnson on the right after being subbed early in the win at Everton.

Our prediction

Thomas Frank admitted before the third-round clash with Doncaster that he’s well aware of the fans’ expectations of silverware this season, which is a clear sign he may take this competition seriously.

The Carabao Cup often provides a great opportunity for new managers to win their first trophy, but with Spurs also in the title race, Frank faces a tough balancing act between resting key players and going all in for this fixture.

Both sides have been strong defensively. Tottenham rank second for fewest goals conceded in the Premier League, while Newcastle sit third. So don’t expect a goal fest here as this would rather be a contest defined by midfield battles and physical duels.

Newcastle’s midfield has been very dominant in duels but lacks passing accuracy, ranking just 14th in the league for completed accurate passes. That might tempt Frank to bring in someone like Joao Palhinha to add more physicality in the middle of the park.

Given Tottenham’s excellent away record, which happens to be the best in the league so far, and the confidence from their weekend win, we’re backing them to edge this one.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of several clubs eyeing a move for an experienced Serie A striker, and the Lilywhites have now discovered that they can land the player on the cheap.

There continues to be plenty of speculation over Tottenham’s search for a new number nine, and one name has been linked more heavily with a switch to the North London club than any other over recent weeks.

Spurs are thought to be one of several clubs eyeing a move for a Juventus centre-forward, who is allegedly looking for an exit route from the Allianz Stadium.

Most Spurs fans would have already guessed that we are talking about Dusan Vlahovic, for whom Tottenham have been installed as the most likely destination in January.

Tottenham can land Dusan Vlahovic on a cut-price deal

A new report in TBR Football has confirmed that the Serbian international is on the North London side’s radar ahead of the mid-season transfer window.

It is revealed that Chelsea are also keen on Vlahovic, while Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also keeping an eye on his situation.

The 25-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Juve and is thus allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with non-Italian clubs in January. Vlahovic has already scored six times this season in 14 games.

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The Bianconeri want to avoid this situation and, as a result, they are ready to sell him for just £20m in January, which is a price that is thought to appeal to Spurs.

Spurs hold an advantage in the race for Vlahovic

TBR Football say that while most clubs interested in the Juventus man are thinking about a free transfer next summer, Tottenham are open to doing a January deal.

The outlet claims that Fabio Paratici’s return to Spurs could give the Lilywhites an advantage in the transfer race, with the former Juventus chief said to be a big fan of the former Fiorentina man.

Tottenham’s away record in the Premier League under Thomas Frank makes for extremely impressive reading after their latest win at Everton.

A lot has been made of Tottenham’s struggles at home, with the Lilywhites struggling to break down sides at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In fact, Spurs have the fourth-worst home record in the Premier League, with only the three sides sitting in the relegation zone having accumulated fewer points at home than the Lilywhites.

So far, Tottenham have got just four points from a possible 12 on offer at home, and their 1-0 win over Villarreal in the Champions League was far from convincing either, with the La Liga side being on top for large chunks of the game.

Tottenham’s away record is the best in the Premier League

However, Spurs’ record away from N17 makes for very impressive reading following their 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

According to the Premier League’s website, Tottenham have the best away record across the division, having picked up 13 from a possible 15 on offer.

Additionally, Spurs have kept clean sheets in three of their five matches away from home. They have scored 12 goals in those games while conceding just three across those matches.

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Thomas Frank explains Spurs’ contrasting records home and away

While Tottenham fans will be encouraged by what the side is doing on the road, they will want to see the Lilywhites fashion more chances when they play in front of their own supporters.

Speaking last week about the discrepancy between his side’s record at home and when they travel, Frank suggested that Spurs have more space to counter-attack when they play away.

He pointed out that Tottenham’s difficulty at home may be down to the fact that they are coming against low-blocks, but the 52-year-old insisted that his side’s displays at home have been better than the results suggest.

Luka Vuskovic has already accomplished a lot in a very short span of time, and the Tottenham youngster certainly has big ambitions.

Vuskovic has been getting rave reviews after his impressive start to his loan spell at Hamburg, and Tottenham fans are understandably excited about what he can do in a Spurs shirt in the years to come.

In fact, one European football expert has even backed the 18-year-old to be the future Spurs captain, given the leadership attributes he is showing at HSV.

Vuskovic has revealed that Tottenham have a clear plan for his development, but he has a more immediate goal ahead of his return to North London.

Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic has a clear goal in mind

Many in Croatia are very excited about Vuskovic and believe that he should be in the squad for the World Cup next summer.

The centre-back will only be 19 when the tournament gets underway, but he admitted that he has set his sights on making it into Zlatko Dalic’s final squad.

When asked what his goal is, Vuskovic told Sport Klub: “One goal is to help HSV as much as possible and qualify for the World Cup with Croatia and be at the World Cup. Those are my main goals for now. What will happen after that, I don’t know. I hope everything will be great like it has been so far, and that’s it.”

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Vuskovic names his dream club

Last month, Vuskovic admitted that he wants to eventually return to his boyhood club, Hajduk Split, one day.

The teenager has now been asked if there is any other club that he dreams of playing for, and Spurs fans may not like his answer.

Vuskovic responded: “Well… Real Madrid is Real Madrid, but every club you play for is an honour and a privilege. I don’t have a particular club other than Hajduk.”

Luka Vuskovic has revealed that he picked Tottenham over Manchester City when the two clubs came calling for him two years ago.

Tottenham Hotspur have some extremely talented youngsters in their first-team and in the Under-21 setup.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel are nowhere near their peak, and Thomas Frank has been tasked with getting the best out of these youngsters.

Spurs also have a few talented players out on loan, with many excited about the potential of Mikey Moore, but one can argue that there is one teenager who has now become an even more valuable gem than Moore.

Luka Vuskovic makes Tottenham transfer admission

In his first two months at Hamburg, Luka Vuskovic has shown beyond doubt that he is one of the best young defenders in the world.

In fact, the Spurs teenager is already being tipped to start for Croatia in next summer’s World Cup, given the maturity he is showing at HSV.

The centre-back has now revealed that Man City also wanted to sign him from Hajduk Split, but he preferred to join Tottenham as he was more convinced about their project.

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Vuskovic told Sport Klub: “The feeling (of signing for Spurs) was really great, I was overjoyed. My father called me, said that they were just waiting for my signature, that they really wanted me. They showed me the project. And I really liked it. I didn’t think much about it.”

“I think Tottenham was a perfect fit because they presented a great project. Manchester City has many, many, many young players. I didn’t want to be just a number.

“At Tottenham, they presented me as one of the top projects. And that really meant a lot to me at that moment. That was the deciding factor, let’s say.”

Spurs have been warned of a potential Luka Vuskovic problem

The Spurs youngster has been tipped to reach the top of the game, and Tottenham will be hoping that he can fulfil his potential at N17.

However, it has been suggested that his rise has been so rapid that the Lilywhites may have a problem on their hands next season.

Tottenham Hotspur have held talks over a deal for a striker in the January window, and the club’s hopes of landing him have just been boosted.

Samu Aghehowa has been on fire in front of goal since his switch to Porto in the summer of 2024, and he has started the new season with a bang, with eight goals to his name in nine matches across all competitions.

It first emerged at the start of this month that Spurs are keeping an eye on Aghehowa, and since then, the speculation has intensified steadily.

It has been suggested by some outlets that Fabio Paratici will spearhead Tottenham’s pursuit of Samu Aghehowa, and a new update has boosted the Lilywhites’ chances of landing the 21-year-old.

Porto could soften their stance on Tottenham target Samu Aghehowa

CaughtOffside have now claimed that despite facing competition for the Spain international, Tottenham Hotspur are the ones who have shown the most interest in the player.

In fact, the outlet claims that Spurs have already held talks with Porto over an initial short-term deal for Aghehowa with an option to buy.

According to the report, the Portuguese side initially made it clear that they would only sell their star man if his €100m (£86m) release clause is paid.

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However, it is revealed that sources close to the club suggest that financial pressures could see their stance on Aghehowa change if a substantial bid is presented.

Who are Spurs’ main competitors for Aghehowa?

CaughtOffside say that Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have both scouted the 21-year-old this season and are considering entering the race for his signature.

Newcastle head talks with Porto over a deal for Aghehowa in the summer, but they are not expected to return for the player in January.

Jermaine Jenas has raised an interesting question about Xavi Simons’ career so far, amidst his early struggles at Tottenham.

It seemed like Xavi had turned a corner with his performance against Leeds United earlier this month, but that has not been the case.

He has followed that up with two average performances against Aston Villa and Everton, with the 22-year-old yet to find a fixed spot in Thomas Frank’s system.

Xavi has come under criticism for failing to impact games, and a former Tottenham midfielder has now raised one concern about the Dutchman’s past.

Jermaine Jenas has concerns about Tottenham star Xavi Simons

In the latest episode of the Wildcards Podcast, Jenas and Jermaine Pennant discussed the struggles of Tottenham’s summer signing.

The former Spurs man questioned why Xavi was let go by some top clubs before eventually making his name at PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig.

Jenas said about the Tottenham attacker: “I always have concerns when it’s like, why did Barca let him go? Why did PSG let him go?”

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Pennant said: “Big teams don’t usually do that. They don’t let gems go.”

Jenas responded: “Not really. I mean, you’ve had a couple with Palmer and so on since this new financial situation came into play. But I actually feel sorry for him a little bit. I think that he has the quality to be that more central figure. But you can already see him getting a little bit frustrated.”

Jenas offers Xavi prediction at Spurs

Thomas Frank remains convinced that Xavi will be a star for Tottenham once he finds his feet, with the Spurs boss pointing out that the attacking midfielder is still adjusting to the Premier League.

Jenas feels that Xavi is yet to build the right relationships with his Tottenham teammates on the pitch, but like Frank, he too is convinced that the Netherlands international will come good.

The 42-year-old added: “People are not seeing things quickly enough with him, and he’s not building those relationships that he needs to build.

“I actually think he’s going to be all right. I think he’s going to need six months just to bed into the Prem and stuff. But I actually quite like what I’m seeing from him when he’s central.”