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Tottenham have just found out that their pursuit of a young Brazilian forward has got a lot harder ahead of the January window.

News first emerged at the end of last month that Tottenham’s scouts are closely watching a young wide-forward who is turning a lot of heads in Brazil.

The player in question is Vasco Da Gama winger Rayan, who Spurs have since allegedly explored securing a work permit for ahead of a potential switch to England in January.

Rayan has a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) in his contract, but the Lilywhites have just received some bad news in their pursuit of the teenager.

Competition for Tottenham target Rayan has now intensified

It has now been revealed by TBR Football that Tottenham Hotspur now face competition from a number of their Premier League rivals, as well as from clubs across the continent, for the 19-year-old.

The report says that Newcastle United and Brighton have watched Rayan recently, while The City Group, Arsenal and Liverpool also have him on their radars.

Additionally, clubs from Italy, Spain and Portugal have allegedly spoken to the forward’s intermediaries over a potential transfer.

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What Rayan’s entourage are thinking about their client’s future

Rayan made his desire to move to Europe public recently, and we have now received an interesting update on what his agents are thinking about the possibility.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has now said that the forward’s entourage are of the belief that a January transfer could be on the cards for the player.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Rayan has enjoyed a very good season, but it remains to be seen if Vasco are willing sellers, but I am told intermediaries are operating with the belief a deal is there to be had.

“He has impressed hugely in recent months and a move to Europe is looking likely, and it could very well be England.”

Tottenham Hotspur Head of Scouting Rob Mackenzie has made an interesting revelation about one underrated attribute Mohammed Kudus possesses.

Spurs faced some huge challenges over their previous two campaigns, including one major one, which was arguably the main reason why they finished in 17th place.

Tottenham endured a major injury crisis in each of the last two seasons, and at one point, they even had double-digit absentees.

Some may feel that it was down to their intense style of play, with Spurs completing more sprints per game than any Premier League side under Postecoglou.

Tottenham prioritised athleticism and fitness in their summer recruitment

Thomas Frank has said that he has put plans in place to avoid another injury crisis this season, and the Dane has certainly not been shy of rotating his squad at the start of the campaign.

Rob Mackenzie has now explained that the fitness record of players is something that Tottenham paid a lot of attention to while identifying their transfer targets in the summer.

He also made it clear that athleticism was another key factor in profiling players, which he insisted is now a prerequisite to succeed in the Premier League.

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Mackenzie told Training Ground Guru: “The Premier League has got to that point where almost everybody is an elite athlete first and foremost. It’s such an important part of the package.

“Even (Kalidou) Koulibaly, when he left Napoli to join Chelsea, he said in Serie A you can think and then you can run. In the Premier League you have to think while you run.

“If you look across Europe, across the world, there is nothing that compares to this, there just isn’t. The athleticism is remarkable. Unless you play one or two very specific positions and have an unbelievably high skill level and are exceptional technically, without athleticism you won’t make it.

“A coach will always want players who can play for him every week, even if he chooses to rotate. A Chief Executive will want to be trying to maximise the potential value generation of an asset.

“So the ability to have your players on the pitch regularly is a skill and can differentiate you from teams who are not able to do that. So again, it’s part of the profiling and assessment aspect of our process.”

Mohammed Kudus’ robustness was a key factor for Spurs

Mohammed Kudus has been Tottenham’s best player this season, with the Ghana international winning a lot of plaudits for his strength and his burst of pace in one-v-one situations.

Additionally, he has also completed 90 minutes in almost all of Tottenham’s Premier League games this season, and Mackenzie admitted that the Ghanaian’s fitness record is one of the main reasons why the Lilywhites were drawn to him.

Mackenzie added: “The perceived risk robustness of a player is something that we value very highly. Just as an example, if you were to consider someone like Muhammed Kudus, if you looked at his time at West Ham, outside of being called up for his national team and getting sent off against us and subsequently suspended, he missed two match days.

“He was never an unused sub – if available on the bench, he would always come on. This is a geyser who has found a way to keep himself fit and as a result, has already been one of our most played players. It’s a reflection on physical make-up and genetics, but it’s also a reflection on how professional they are.”

Kevin Danso is enjoying his increased minutes in the Tottenham Hotspur first-team, but he has had to apologise after an incident during the defeat to Aston Villa.

Cristian Romero suffered an injury during the warm-up ahead of Sunday’s clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

As a result, Kevin Danso was able to make his fourth Spurs start of the season. However, things did not go to plan for the Austria international as the visitors scored two fine goals and wrapped up all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Danso himself had a moment of worry when he engaged in a heavy challenge on Lucas Digne, but he escaped with a booking from the referee.

Kevin Danso apologises to Lucas Digne after Tottenham clash

Danso joined Thomas Frank in a pre-match press conference ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League fixture with Monaco, and he took the time to reflect on the Aston Villa game.

Digne posted a picture of his battered leg after the match, and Danso has revealed he apologised even before he saw the post.

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He said (Football London): “I saw the picture of his ankle, I didn’t get the chance after the game but I apologised to him on the pitch, and I would like to apologise to him publicly also, there was no malice in it. My intention is never to injure somebody.”

The challenge from Danso was not enough to prevent Digne from completing the match, and he even assisted Aston Villa’s winning goal.

Danso has a point to prove for Spurs

Most Spurs supporters were happy with what they saw from Danso during the second half of last season. However, his record during the current campaign has left room for improvement.

Tottenham have conceded two goals in three of the four matches Danso has started during the current campaign. The 27-year-old’s one clean sheet came against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

Spurs are expected to sign a new centre-back in January, while Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai will eventually become available. If Danso is to remain as the priority backup option behind Cristian Romero, he must show he is more than merely a player who can provide long throw-ins.

Thomas Frank has offered some complimentary words towards Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson, despite the Welshman’s lack of game time in recent weeks.

Brennan Johnson looked to be in a good place near the start of the season. The winger returned to Tottenham Hotspur as the hero in Bilbao and found the back of the net in their opening two Premier League matches.

Johnson was benched for three consecutive matches after Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the end of August. However, he played the full 90 minutes against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup and scored his third Spurs goal of the season.

Since then, the Wales international has only started once for Tottenham, and that was in the club’s most recent Champions League fixture. Johnson was replaced by Mohammed Kudus on the hour mark against Bodo/Glimt, as Spurs trailed by a single goal.

The winger has since only been handed a combined five minutes of playing time by Thomas Frank against Leeds United and Aston Villa.

Thomas Frank praises Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson

Frank has spoken to the press ahead of Tottenham’s midweek clash with Monaco. Despite Johnson’s lack of game time, the Danish manager has been full of praise for the man he has described as an ‘important’ player.

Although Frank has acknowledged the strong start Johnson made to the season, he also highlighted the contributions of Kudus and Wilson Odobert.

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He said (Tottenham Hotspur): “He’s a very important player. Such an important goal last season and top scorer. Started the season well here, so it’s down to making it fit.

“Brennan can play both left and right, Mo has done good on the right and on the left Wilson has done well.”

Wilson Odobert needs to be more of a threat at Spurs

Johnson’s overall performances have been called into question, but his goal tally speaks for itself. Odobert recently scored four goals in two matches for France under-21s, but he is yet to register a goal contribution for Spurs this season.

There is no question Odobert has talent, but his end product must improve to warrant his place in the first-team. Perhaps it is time for Frank to give Johnson another chance, especially after Tottenham’s poor display against Aston Villa.

Tottenham are preparing for a crucial Champions League game vs Monaco, but Thomas Frank will be without Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie.

Tottenham Hotspur’s attention now turns to UEFA Champions League action, where they will take on AS Monaco on Wednesday night.

It is a trip to France, and with it being an away tie, Thomas Frank might fancy his chances given Spurs’ dismal home record.

The Dane watched his Tottenham team fall to yet another home defeat at the weekend, with Aston Villa beating his side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 2-1, despite Spurs taking an early lead.

Coming into the clash against AS Moncao, Frank will be hoping that the fitness of his squad improves, as he has a few injury concerns to contend with.

The Dane’s 22-man Champions League squad is set to be tested for the first time this campaign, with almost ten first-team players expected to miss Wednesday night’s clash.

Cristian Romero remains a doubt, with Frank revealing that it is touch-and-go with the centre-back.

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Destiny Udogie is also nursing an irritation to his knee, and it remains to be seen whether the full-back will be fit enough to feature against the French side.

Dominic Solanke is still out, while unregistered players James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Mathys Tel, and Takai cannot render any services to the Dane.

Kevin Danso is fit and could come in for Romero, but Ben Davies remains sidelined following an injury during the international break.

Frank has now provided an injury update on his squad ahead of Wednesday’s encounter. On Cristian Romero, he said (Football London): “It’s an adductor strain. We will assess it more this week before we confirm any timeframe.” When asked if fans should be worried, he added: “No, I don’t think so, it’s a strain.”

On Destiny Udogie, he said: “No [he has not travelled], the latest is that he got that knee irritation after international duty. We are assessing and working very hard to get on top of it. We’ll know more day by day.”

Tottenham are locked in a tightly fought contest to sign an experienced forward in January, and it has now emerged that the Lilywhites have moved to the front of the queue in the transfer race.

Spurs Web has relayed several reports over recent weeks suggesting that Tottenham want to add a number nine to their squad in the summer.

This comes amidst suggestions that Spurs are ready to cash in on Richarlison, with the Lilywhites thought to have dropped their asking price for the Brazilian.

It has emerged recently that Tottenham are one of several Premier League clubs eyeing a move for Dusan Vlahovic, who is allegedly looking for an exit route from Juventus.

Tottenham are Dusan Vlahovic’s preferred destination

Some sources have claimed that Spurs and Chelsea are the clubs at the front of the queue to land Vlahovic.

However, it has now been revealed by former Everton CEO Keith Wyness, who remains well connected with industry sources, that the Serbian is leaning towards a switch to N17.

When asked about the race for the Juve star’s signature, Wyness told Football Insider: “Spurs are the team that I’m hearing he’s leaning towards, and I think that could be something that makes sense.

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“If you look at what Spurs have got right now, there’s still that sort of striker position where they are lacking real experience. I think he might be the right sort of fit for them.

“There’s a long time to go yet, but I think in terms of January, it could possibly get done. Vlahovic is edging towards Spurs, and that’s where I’m thinking he may just fit.”

Spurs can land Vlahovic on the cheap

The 25-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Juve, and is thus able to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside the Serie A starting from January.

Unsurprisingly, it has been reported that the Bianconeri are keen to cash in on the former Fiorentina man in the upcoming transfer window.

Tottenham’s head of scouting, Rob Mackenzie, has revealed something very interesting about how the club’s transfer market strategy has evolved over the last two years.

Since Daniel Levy’s exit, we have seen numerous reports that ENIC are ready to change Tottenham’s transfer strategy and go after ready-made players.

Several outlets have suggested that Spurs are ready to target elite signings over the next few transfer windows in an effort to close the gap with the best sides in the Premier League.

It was even claimed last week that the new Tottenham leadership are ready to do away with the self-imposed wage cap so that they can go toe-to-toe with other sides for big-name signings.

Rob Mackenzie admits Tottenham were in a transitional phase over the last two years

Under Ange Postecoglou, the Lilywhites targeted talented young players who had a high ceiling but were not yet the finished product.

The club have had some success with that approach, with the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and even Micky van de Ven developing impressively.

Mackenzie has now admitted that it was a deliberate strategy since the feeling at N17 was that they had to transition their squad after the exit of some experienced players, but explained that the club’s approach has now evolved.

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He told Training Ground Guru: “When I had the privilege to rejoin Tottenham Hotspur just short two years ago, there were a whole host of things from a strategic perspective that would enhance our ability to be successful moving forward.

“At that time, with Ange (Postecoglou) as the Head Coach, we were definitely in a period of transition in terms of some of the more experienced players leaving. So how do you regenerate a squad from an energy perspective, an enthusiasm perspective, a strategic perspective?

“Within that summer and in January, we signed players who would assist with our mid to long-term sustainability as a football club. With qualification for the Champions League secured by virtue of winning last season’s Europa League, Tottenham’s transfer strategy shifted this summer.

“It’s about getting a balance and complementing what you already have. We were fortunate enough to have signed those young talents who not only can contribute now but also in the future.

“Then it felt natural [to] say, well if we’ve hopefully done a solid role in recruiting some of the most exciting talents across Europe and beyond, then actually from a short-term competitiveness perspective… it felt natural to enhance the 11 in as many ways as possible and give Thomas Frank and his staff different options across different areas of the pitch.

“Because winning games is the most important thing. Any Spurs fan who was in Bilbao (will know) that winning things is the holy grail. Moving forward, we’ll look to enhance in both areas, kind of balance them both off.”

Spurs are happy with their summer business

Mackenzie also explained that Tottenham’s recruitment had to evolve to match Thomas Frank’s tactical approach.

He insisted that the North London club’s summer window was a successful one and that there is alignment across the club on their recruitment decisions.

Mackenzie continued: “For example, if I predominantly have offensive-minded full-backs, because predominantly that is how we play, sometimes it’s the request that I want someone a bit more defensive-minded, a bit more well-balanced, because this game model will be fluid, it will change.

“If then within a game I want to affect that and I want to change it, that’s how I can do it. Having players within a squad who are capable of complementing each other and leading to you being able to win games in different ways, that is also still vitally important.

“Very objectively, I think we had a successful transfer window in the summer and we’ve brought in players capable of influencing our 11 and enhancing our performance in the Premier League. In the players that we agreed to sign – as a collective and obviously led by Thomas (Frank) – they are all playing regularly and contributing to our 11. For me, that is the best indicator that there is agreement and alignment.”

We have compared Tottenham Hotspur’s next five Premier League fixtures with those of their big six rivals to see how they stack up.

It is back to the drawing board for Thomas Frank and his Tottenham Hotspur side, who have now slipped into sixth place in the Premier League table.

This leaves Tottenham a point behind the top four and five away from bitter rivals Arsenal, who currently sit at the top of the table.

Frank will certainly be looking to avoid any further slip-ups as the gap between sixth and 12th is remarkably slim, with just three points separating Spurs from Everton.

The next two to three weeks are set to be decisive, as Tottenham face a congested fixture list that includes six matches before the November international break, across all competitions.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures compared to Big Six rivals

Following the latest 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Aston Villa, Spurs Web has taken a look at Tottenham’s upcoming Premier League fixtures compared to their top-six rivals.

Arsenal’s next five fixtures

Manchester City’s next five fixtures

Liverpool’s next five fixtures

Chelsea’s next five fixtures

Manchester United’s next five fixtures

Gabby Agbonlahor has given his honest opinion of what the atmosphere was like at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, Thomas Frank spoke about the need for Tottenham to make their home ground a fortress, but it has been anything but so far this season.

In fact, Spurs have the fourth-worst home record in the Premier League so far this season, with only the three teams currently in the relegation zone having worse records in their stadiums.

Thomas Frank has defended Tottenham’s performances at home, and the pressure is mounting on the Dane to fix things, but the finger has now been pointed at the Spurs fans.

Tottenham fans told they did nothing for the players

Agbonlahor was in North London to watch his beloved Aston Villa side emerge with a 2-1 win, and the former England striker was not impressed with what he saw from Tottenham Hotspur fans.

He compared the atmosphere at the stadium to a kid’s party, insisting that the players did not get any reaction from the fans despite their efforts to get the crowd going.

Agbonlahor told talkSPORT about Sunday’s game: “The atmosphere was that poor and silent. It was like a kid’s party. It was a strange atmosphere. I have been to Manchester City games at the Etihad Stadium, very quiet, but this was silent, mate.

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“The fact that the players kept on throwing their arms up to the fans whenever they did something to get something from them, but nothing was coming at all.”

Spurs fans should be doing more to get behind the team

It is fair for Tottenham fans to suggest that the team’s performance was partly the reason for the dead atmosphere.

Many will argue that the crowd would have been louder had Frank’s men played with more enterprise and created more chances.

However, it is very much a chicken-and-egg situation, as the players are going to play with more confidence if the crowd is behind them.

Given that Villa did not take the lead until late on, and Spurs scored early in the game, one would certainly have expected a better showing from the supporters than we saw on Sunday.

Football finance expert Stefan Borson has one major doubt about the way Tottenham Hotspur will be run after their recent announcement regarding their new leadership structure.

Last week, Tottenham announced that Fabio Paratici and Johan Lagne will work together as sporting directors of the club.

Lange and Paratici will have different areas of focus at Spurs, with the former set to concentrate on the academy, scouting, and performance analysis, while the latter will be more involved in transfer windows, and player recruitment.

Tottenham fans are over the moon with Paratici’s return in an official role, with the Italian having a very strong record on transfers during his time as the club’s managing director.

Questions raised about Vinai Venkatesham’s role at Tottenham

Stefan Borson is not surprised by Spurs naming two sporting directors, suggesting that the responsibilities can be divided among the pair.

However, he pointed out that Tottenham also have a CEO in Vinai Venkatesham and questioned how much he would be involved in signing off on transfers.

Borson told Football Insider about Paratici and Lange’s appointment: “Well, it’s unusual, but I guess they would say that now football operations are so complex and big that you can easily have two sides of that sporting director role. Let’s say one looking at external recruitment and one looking at the operation of the club internally.

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“I don’t know if that’s how they’re going to split it, but I don’t think it’s unworkable as long as they’ve got clear division of responsibility within the sporting director remit.

“I think there is some question as to what everybody does in that mix because you’ve also got a chief executive. So, how much involvement does Vinai have in let’s say transfers and signing off transfers? This is not a situation where if you look at a club like Manchester City, where there’s multiple clubs that the chief executive is responsible for. Tottenham’s chief executive is only responsible for Tottenham Hotspur.

“It does look like there are reporting lines, that’s fine. But he’s got an element of experience on transfers and those sorts of situations himself, so you would think there’s a bit of overlap, but we’ll see.”

Spurs CEO expects disagreements between Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange

Venkatesham has said that he welcomes disagreements between Paratici and Lange in their new role, explaining that while they will have different areas of focus, it will very much be a combined effort.

The Tottenham CEO insisted that the divergent points of view of Paratici and Lange will help ensure that the club get more of their big decisions right.