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Even though Alfie Devine has signed a new contract at Tottenham before completing a loan move to Preston North End, Alasdair Gold has now revealed a key detail which suggests that the attacking midfielder may not be at Spurs for too long.

It was reported earlier this summer that Tottenham were open to selling Devine for £6m, and some sources even claimed a few days ago that Spurs were negotiating a loan deal for Devine with a permanent option.

On Friday, we received confirmation that Devine had joined Preston North End on a season-long loan, but Tottenham also shared another very interesting detail along with the announcement.

They revealed that the 21-year-old had extended his contract with Spurs before heading out to the Deepdale Stadium.

Preston have an option to buy Alfie Devine from Tottenham

The fact that the attacking midfielder had extended his contract would have led Spurs fans to believe that the youngster is part of the Lilywhites’ long-term plans.

However, Alasdair Gold has now revealed that despite Devine extending his contract with Tottenham Hotspur, the North London side have given Preston the option to make the deal permanent next summer.

The journalist did not reveal how much Preston’s permanent option is worth, but one would assume it would be around the £6m mark, which was previously reported as Tottenham’s valuation of the midfielder.

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A clear sign that Devine is not in Thomas Frank’s plans

Tottenham have clearly extended the midfielder’s contract to get a fee for him next summer in the event that Preston do not activate their option to buy.

That would suggest that Thomas Frank and his coaching staff have concluded that Devine is not first-team material.

That is a shame, as the 21-year-old looked destined for big things a few years ago, but has stagnated over the last two seasons.

Ledley King has revealed his thoughts on Tottenham’s appointment of Thomas Frank and has shared what he has heard from people at the club about the Dane’s first month at Hotspur Way.

Over the past few weeks, several Tottenham players have spoken about the new tactical ideas Frank has brought to Spurs.

It is clear from the Lilywhites’ pre-season games that they will be set up very differently from how they were under Ange Postecoglou last term.

Frank has said that he wants Spurs to be more balanced than they were last season, with the Dane stressing the need for his side to be good in all phases of play.

Ledley King excited by ‘sensible’ Thomas Frank at Tottenham

King has now revealed that the Spurs players are enthusiastic about learning and implementing Frank’s ideas and described the Dane as a ‘sensible’ manager with a proven track record in the Premier League.

The Tottenham legend claimed that there is a sense of excitement at the club ahead of the new season.

King told Football.London: “We know that Thomas is a proven Premier League manager over a number of years. I can see the players are looking forward to learning his philosophies and getting the season underway.”

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“It’ll be interesting to see. I think he likes pressing high, likes high energy, but at the same time, I think he’s quite sensible in his philosophy. I don’t think he’d be afraid to change things tactically if need be, but what I’ve sensed so far is that he’s someone who’s going to put his arm around players and have a chat with them.

“I sense a real closeness between him and his coaching staff, and also just trying to connect everyone at the club and make them feel comfortable, which is what you need for success.

“To build on something, you want everyone at the football club to be involved, to be engaged and to feel that we were aiming for success altogether and not just on the football pitch side of things, and I sense that he’s really trying to do that.

King reveals interesting thing he has heard about Frank

Apart from the tactical ideas of Frank, King also spoke highly of the 51-year-old’s man-management skills.

He revealed that he has heard from people at the club that the new Tottenham head coach is a uniter who is looking to bring everyone at Spurs together.

The 44-year-old added: “I’ve spoken to some people who’ve said that [he’s trying to connect everyone], they’ve told me that. It’s been meetings with everyone at the club together, talking about having that connection as a team, as a club, moving forward, but also just me seeing, watching how he carries himself, how he interacts with everyone, it’s something that I’ve noticed as well.

“I always think it’s an important ingredient, when you want to build something, make it successful is to allow everyone to feel part of it, and I can sense that he’s really trying to bring that together.”

Chris Waddle has urged Tottenham Hotspur to win the race for a 22-year-old Premier League midfielder, with the Spurs legend convinced that the player is destined to be a regular for England in the future.

According to reports over recent days, signing an attacking midfielder has now become a priority for Tottenham after the injury to James Maddison.

Plenty of Premier League number tens have been linked with a move to Spurs, and it is unclear at the moment who Tottenham’s top target is.

One of those is Harvey Elliott, who has allegedly been identified as a Morgan Gibbs-White alternative by Tottenham.

Chris Waddle believes Harvey Elliott would be a major hit at Tottenham

Elliott has had some run-ins with Tottenham players in the past, and going by the reaction on social media, his signing may not be universally popular among Spurs fans.

However, Waddle believes that the 22-year-old’s quality is unquestionable and predicted that the Liverpool star will be a future England player.

The former Spurs midfielder told talkSPORTBet: “Harvey Elliott is a good player and was a big part of the England team that won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

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“For Elliott, the competition at Liverpool makes it really hard to get in, but the manager might say that he will get minutes off the bench and eventually will get his chances in the team.

“It’s a hard team to get into with the quality they’ve got, but I think he would be a good acquisition for any club, including Spurs. We know he’s got ability.

“He is looking like a future England player and he will have his eye on the World Cup next year, he could go out on loan in the Premier League to help that. He’s not going to get picked for the national team playing in the reserves or sitting on the bench. He needs to be playing regular football.”

Thomas Frank is a fan of Elliott, but there is one sticking point for Spurs

It was reported recently by TBR Football that Thomas Frank is prepared to offer Elliott the number ten role to convince him to come to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the England Under-21 international will not come cheap, with The Athletic previously claiming Liverpool want over £50m to part ways with Elliott.

The same report suggested that the Reds would be willing to sell the attacking midfielder for £40m if they are allowed to attach a buy-back clause, but one doubts that the Lilywhites would be too keen on such an agreement.

Ledley King has been very impressed by what he has seen of Luka Vuskovic in Tottenham’s pre-season, and he has advised the player on what he needs to do to fulfil his potential at N17.

While Tottenham Hotspur have signed four new players this summer, the club have also welcomed another new face, who they originally signed two years ago.

Luka Vuskovic has had a fine start to his time at N17, arguably being the most impressive young player on show for Thomas Frank’s men in pre-season so far.

Vuskovic has been praised by some of his senior Tottenham teammates, and one of the club’s greatest-ever defenders has now revealed what he thinks about the 18-year-old.

Ledley King urges Luka Vuskovic to remain patient at Tottenham

Vuskovic is attracting plenty of loan interest from around Europe, with Thomas Frank thus facing a big decision over the Croat this summer.

If the Dane does decide to keep the 18-year-old at Spurs, King believes that he will have to be patient and learn from the players he is training with every day, and grab the opportunities when they arrive.

When asked what he thinks about the teenage centre-back, the Tottenham legend told Football.London: “The little I’ve seen, I’ve been impressed but for any young players, it’s about learning as much as you can, taking on board what the coaching staff are trying to teach, learning from the players around you.

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“It takes time for young players, it can be frustrating at times when you want to play or you want more minutes, but you have to be patient and make sure that you’re working hard every day and waiting for an opportunity to come, and when that opportunity does come, you have to be ready to take that.

“We’ve got a lot of young players, excellent young players throughout the squad, in some of the forward areas as well as midfield, throughout the squad, we’re very strong with young players.”

King shares his feelings on Spurs’ decision to sack Ange Postecoglou

Earlier this week, Daniel Levy defended his decision to sack Ange Postecoglou despite the Australian delivering a European trophy, with the Spurs chairman insisting that Tottenham’s showing in the Premier League last season was unacceptable.

King has now said that the former Spurs head coach deserves credit for what he achieved, but insisted that he can understand the club’s decision to go in a different direction.

The 44-year-old said: “It was a difficult season last season. Mainly due to injuries, but I mean, ultimately, it wasn’t a good enough league campaign, but full credit to the players and Ange, they stuck at it right to the end. They still saw that they could turn the season around and make it a good one.

“To be able to keep that motivation right to the end, keep your eye on the ball, and pull off the win at the end, you have to give great credit to Ange and he’ll be forever in the history books for what he’s achieved at the club. But in football, things change very quickly and after that success, a new manager comes in. The players have to get on with it and deal with it very quickly, and I sense excitement.

“I’m sure it would have been a difficult decision. The chairman and the club will only move in the best interests of the football club, and how we feel that we can improve and move forward. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision, but Thomas Frank is a top-class manager and we believe that we have a capable squad that should be doing much better in the league.

“We have players now that have got over the line of actually winning a trophy, especially for the young players, that puts them in really good stead moving forward, just having that belief that they can go over the line. It’s something that is important to get as early as possible. We have a number of young players that have have done that now. I’m looking forward to not just this season, but what the future brings.”

Joao Palhinha’s disciplinary record makes for interesting reading after the midfielder became Tottenham’s newest midfield addition.

If there is one thing where Palhinha excels in more than anything else, it is the ability to win back possession in the middle of the park.

Palhinha made more successful tackles than any other Premier League player during his two-year stay at Fulham. In fact, the player who was second on the list, Moises Caicedo, made 109 fewer tackles than the Portuguese star.

That is evidently why Tottenham Hotspur wanted him on board, with Thomas Frank mentioning Palhinha’s ability to break up play as his best attribute.

Will Joao Palhinha pick up a lot of cards at Tottenham?

Players who are generally as combative as the 30-year-old always run the risk of accumulating cards and suspensions.

However, Palhinha rarely tends to get sent off, with Transfermarkt revealing that the midfielder has picked up just one red card over his last three seasons across his time at Fulham and Bayern Munich.

The one potential worry for Thomas Frank is that the midfielder does tend to rack up yellow cards, having been suspended for six matches during his time at Fulham as a result of accumulating bookings.

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That means that Spurs fans can expect Palhinha to be booked very regularly, but the Portugal international is very good at toeing the line and not getting a second yellow once he is in the referee’s notebook.

Palhinha has set his sights on winning trophies at Tottenham

Joao Palhinha has said that he aims to win titles this season, with the Portuguese star insisting that Tottenham have the quality in their squad to achieve that.

The 30-year-old will have a familiar face at Spurs, having previously played alongside Pedro Porro at Sporting Lisbon.

Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing harder than ever to land James McAtee, with the Manchester City starlet emerging as a top target following James Maddison’s devastating ACL injury.

James Maddison’s latest injury setback is a big blow for Tottenham Hotspur, who are now likely to go into their first competitive match without any attacking midfielders.

It was revealed earlier that Maddison has torn his ACL and is now set to miss most of the new season, with the midfielder expected to undergo surgery.

Spurs’ woes are compounded further with Dejan Kulusevski also sidelined and set to miss the early parts of the season. The pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White, which fell flat, now leaves Tottenham scrambling for other options.

Tottenham step up talks with Manchester City over James McAtee

TBR Football have now revealed that Tottenham Hotspur have stepped up their interest in Manchester City’s James McAtee.

The Lilywhites have been linked with the young talent since January, and, with Maddison’s latest setback, it is understood that Spurs have held fresh talks with Pep Guardiola’s side over the possibility of signing James McAtee.

It was revealed not long ago by Fabrizio Romano that City are looking for a fee in the region of £42.5m if they are to part ways with their academy graduate.

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Speaking on Tottenham’s pursuit of McAtee, Bailey told TBR Football that the North London side have been admirers of the player for some time. He said: “Tottenham have always recognised James McAtee’s talent, they tried to sign him in January, and now they are looking closely at him.”

Spurs remain active in attacking midfield market after Maddison blow

Spurs are now in a desperate position given the crisis they have in attacking midfield, and this could cause clubs to demand more from the Lilywhites.

It does seem, however, that Tottenham are in contact with Manchester City this summer, as they have also enquired about Jack Grealish’s situation.

It is no news that Tottenham have £60 million they are willing to spend on a number ten, as that was what was offered to Nottingham Forest for Morgan Gibbs-White – it is now about finding the right fit for Thomas Frank’s system.

After Joao Palhinha becomes Tottenham’s fourth signing of the summer, we take a closer look at his injury record to see whether Thomas Frank should be worried about his fitness.

The season has not even begun, and Tottenham have already suffered some significant injury blows.

James Maddison suffered a serious injury during the 1-1 draw against Newcastle on Sunday, with the attacking midfielder potentially set to miss several months of action.

Meanwhile, Destiny Udogie and Dominic Solanke have hardly featured during pre-season, although Udogie has refuted suggestions that he will be out for four months.

Should Tottenham fans be concerned about Joao Palhinha’s injury record?

Palhinha’s £47m move to Bayern Munich did not work out the way the midfielder would have wanted, and that was partly down to his injury woes.

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder missed a total of 17 games for club and country due to injuries last term.

However, that should not concern Tottenham Hotspur fans as last season was very much the exception rather than the rule for the 30-year-old.

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Throughout his two-year spell at Fulham, Palhinha missed just one game due to an injury. His injury record at Sporting Lisbon is also nothing to be alarmed about, with the midfielder missing 10 games across a four-season spell.

All in all, it thus looks like Frank can count on the Portugal international’s availability this season.

Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are on the mend

There have also been some positive updates regarding Tottenham’s long-term injury absentees, who are yet to train with Thomas Frank and his coaching staff.

According to reports, Radu Dragusin is ahead of schedule in his recovery from an ACL injury, which was initially expected to keep him out of the entire calendar year.

Thomas Frank has shed light on his search for a new Tottenham Hotspur captain following the exit of Heung-min Son, with the Dane expected to make a decision over the coming days.

Last month, Frank admitted that he is working through a personal checklist to help determine Tottenham’s next captain.

Frank will need to decide on a new captain before Tottenham’s Super Cup clash against PSG, which is now less than a week away.

A few days ago, the Spurs head coach spoke glowingly of Ben Davies’ leadership qualities, which some interpreted as a sign that the Welshman could be in line for the captaincy.

Thomas Frank has not finalised the next Tottenham captain yet

There is certainly a big leadership vacuum to be filled at Tottenham following the departure of Heung-min Son, but Frank believes that there are enough leaders in the dressing room who can step up.

When asked about the club missing Son’s leadership qualities, the Dane has now told Football.London: “I think there are definitely players that can step up and replace him in terms of leadership.”

When asked if he was any closer to deciding on his skipper, the 51-year-old said: “Closer, yeah, but I haven’t made a decision yet… No decision yet.”

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The Tottenham boss also elaborated on the qualities he is looking for in his new captain, admitting that good communication skills are a must, but that alone is not enough.

He added: “It’s a classic one: a leader. The guy that can be there, the guy that can lead the team on and off the pitch, get the group together and be there in tough times. But there can never only be one.

“There needs to be more than one because a leader can always have a bad day, and others need to step up. I think we, in general, prefer one that can communicate verbally, but it’s not enough if you only communicate.”

There is a clear favourite for the Tottenham captaincy

Cristian Romero wore the armband in the friendly against Bayern Munich, and according to various sources, the Argentine is the front-runner to be the next Tottenham captain.

During Tottenham’s friendly against Wycombe Wanderers last month, Cristian Romero and Thomas Frank were seen having a deep tactical discussion on the sidelines, which may be a hint that the centre-back will be Frank’s lieutenant on the pitch.

Tottenham Hotspur are turning their attention to a Manchester City star, who registered the most assists for the club last season.

It was confirmed nearly two weeks ago by Thomas Frank that Tottenham are still looking to add to their forward line before the start of the new season.

That would have likely become an even bigger priority for the North London club after the departure of Heung-min Son from Spurs.

Over the last few days, we have heard that Tottenham have launched an enquiry for Jack Grealish, and it has now emerged that another Man City star is also in the Lilywhites’ sights.

Tottenham are big fans of Manchester City winger Savinho

This update comes from GiveMeSport, who say that Savinho is on Tottenham Hotspur’s wishlist this summer as the club look to bolster their attack ahead of the new campaign.

The Brazilian was a key player for Pep Guardiola’s men last term, finishing the 2024-25 season with three goals and 11 assists across all competitions.

It is revealed that Tottenham are now eyeing a move for the silky winger after City secured the services of Rayan Cherki from Lyon.

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The report adds that the Spurs are big fans of Savinho due to his unpredictability in the final third and his creativity, and he is exactly the profile of attacker that Frank is looking to add to his squad.

Man City’s stance on Savinho revealed

GiveMeSport make it clear that, unlike with Jack Grealish, Tottenham are yet to make contact with Man City over a deal for Savinho, although the winger is very much admired by the North London.

It is revealed that a deal for the 21-year-old would be difficult for Tottenham to complete as City are not actively looking to sell the player.

In fact, it is asserted that Guardiola views Savinho as a key part of his evolving squad for the upcoming season as City look to bounce back after a difficult campaign.

An Italian publication has revealed that a Tottenham attacker, who is surplus to requirements at Spurs, has been offered to a Serie A club over the last few hours.

While four new faces have arrived through the door at Spurs this summer, the North London club have not been able to get too many players out of the door so far.

Bryan Gil has confirmed that he will be leaving Tottenham this summer, but the winger appears no closer to an exit as the new season draws closer.

Girona did not activate their €15m (£12.5m) option to buy Gil after his loan spell at the club last season, and it is unclear at the moment what the 24-year-old’s most likely destination is this summer.

Tottenham offer Bryan Gil to Bologna

It has now been revealed by the print edition of Corriere dello Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness) that the Tottenham Hotspur man has been offered to Bologna.

The Serie A club are looking for a replacement for Dan Ndoye, and they have been offered the chance to sign Gil in the ‘last few hours’.

It is the Spurs star’s agent who has proposed his name to Bologna’s technical staff in the hope of tempting them, and he is now waiting to hear back from the club.

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However, it is said that Bologna sporting director Giovanni Sartori first wanted to explore a potential Gil deal after talking to Fabio Paratici during a friendly against Como. In fact, Sartori has even sent someone from Bologna to monitor Gil’s recovery from injury at Hotspur Way.

It was reported last month that Gil was offered to Celta Vigo, who are seeking reinforcements on the flanks, but nothing appears to have materialised on that front.

Confusion over Gil’s contract situation

Interestingly, in this report, Corriere dello Sport seem confused about the Tottenham man’s contract situation. They say that while Gil’s contract runs until 2026, some sources believe that it has been extended by another year.

There has been no update in the British press about a contract extension for the winger, and it would not make sense for the player to sign one, given that he has decided to leave N17.