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Tottenham Hotspur have now reportedly spoken to the representatives of Lyon winger Rayan Cherki, but the North London club face a couple of potential roadblocks in their efforts to win the race for the youngster.

Spurs raided Ligue 1 during the January transfer window, securing centre-back Kevin Danso from Lens, and the North London club are expected to look towards French football again to strengthen their attack this summer.

It has been reported by some sources over recent days that Tottenham have moved into pole position to land Rayan Cherki, and there has now been a fresh update on the Lyon man’s future.

It turns out that the versatile attacker’s entourage have now reached out to the Lilywhites to find out more about their interest.

This update comes from GiveMeSport, who say that Spurs have given indications that they want to win the race for the France Under-21 international.

The report points out that Cherki has just one year left in his contract and the player’s representatives have now spoken to influential figures at Hotspur Way to gauge how keen they are on acquiring their client’s services.

The winger’s team wanted to check whether Tottenham and other suitors were prepared to head to the negotiating table this summer to test Lyon’s resolve.

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The report says that Spurs are admirers of Cherki’s game-changing ability and could land him for as low as £25m, having sent scouts to check on him over recent weeks.

Spurs face intense Premier League competition for Cherki

GiveMeSport go on to explain that Tottenham are not the only side who were sounded out by Rayan Cherki’s representatives, who also contacted Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester City.

The outlet reveals that Cherki is yet to decide if he wants to embark on a Premier League challenge but he is unlikely to entertain the interest of Fulham, Crystal Palace or West Ham United as he wants to join a side regularly battling for European qualification.

The publication adds that while Liverpool and Arsenal may be the ‘most enticing options’ for the winger, there is scepticism over whether either club will enter the race for the player.

Tottenham Hotspur’s injury problems continue to wreak havoc with another player understood to have suffered a season-ending injury.

Ange Postecoglou has had to endure plenty of disruption to his Tottenham first-team squad this season with a number of key players having spent substantial spells on the sideline.

Now, it looks as if James Maddison is set to miss the rest of the season with talkSPORT’s Alex Crook having taken to social media to share his understanding of the Tottenham midfielder’s situation.

Maddison was in action during Tottenham’s 3-1 win against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday evening, having scored the second goal of the game when he latched onto Pedro Porro’s pass to guide the ball into the far post.

The England international was forced off in the second half of the Europa League semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

James Maddison set to miss rest of the season with knee injury

Crook posted on X about wha the has heard about Maddison’s injury and it does not bode well with the playmaker set to face the heartbreak of sitting out a Europa League final if Tottenham’s 3-1 aggregate advantage over Bodo/Glimt is not overturned.

He tweeted: “Understands [sp] James Maddison’s season is over. Fear is the knee injury is significant with scan results expected in the next 24 hours.”

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The results of Maddison’s knee scan is expected before the end of Monday, with Lucas Bergvall’s season-ending ankle injury earlier in the week having ruled the young Norwegian out of the first leg.

Speaking to the press on Friday, Postecoglou admitted that Maddison’s knee injury did not look good and was awaiting the results of a scan.

What Ange Postecoglou said about James Maddison’s injury

Postecoglou further commented on Maddison’s injury after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur are considering reigniting their interest in Roony Bardghji, and while the North London club face competition from several of their Premier League rivals for the winger, one factor could give them a big advantage over the other suitors.

Spurs have had plenty of success when it comes to signing talented teenagers and helping them mature into top-class players.

One player who has been in Tottenham’s sights for a long time is Bardghji, but the Swedish youngster has been out of action with an ACL injury for the best part of the last 12 months.

He only returned to action recently and it was reported last month that Bardghji’s return had piqued Tottenham’s interest ahead of the summer window.

Roony Bardghji is aware that Tottenham want to sign him

GiveMeSport have now revealed that the Copenhagen starlet has been ‘alerted to the admiration coming from Hotspur Way’ ahead of the transfer window.

The report says that the North London club are eager to keep tabs on Bardghji’s performances, having sent scouts to Denmark to check on the youngster.

The 19-year-old is becoming an ‘increasingly attractive option’ for the Lilywhites as he is expected to be available for just £10m this summer as his contract ends later this calendar year.

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The outlet adds that Tottenham are ‘increasingly confident’ of pairing Bardghji with his compatriot Lucas Bergvall next season as the Copenhagen man contemplates whether to embark on a fresh challenge.

Spurs face intense Bardghji competition but may have one advantage

GiveMeSport go on to explain that Tottenham’s move for the winger has been complicated by the fact that they are facing ‘stiff competition’ from Newcastle and Aston Villa, who have already reached out to the player’s representatives regarding a switch.

Additionally, Chelsea now see Bardghji as ‘a perfect profile’ for their squad while Manchester City are also threatening to enter negotiations.

Glenn Hoddle does not think Tottenham Hotspur will have things easy at Bodo/Glimt despite taking a two-goal lead in Norway, but he believes that Ange Postecoglou’s men need to do just one thing to progress to the Europa League final.

Spurs carry a healthy lead into the second leg, but they will be rueing the fact that they have not already put the tie to bed, as they certainly had their chances to do so at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Bodo/Glimt’s late equaliser has changed the outlook of the tie and, given that the Norwegian side have an excellent record at home, the Lilywhites will feel that the job is not done just yet.

Ange Postecoglou is not too concerned about the challenges of playing on an artificial surface, with the Tottenham boss insisting that his players only need to focus on being as organised and disciplined as they were in the first leg.

Glenn Hoddle expects Tottenham to progress to the final

Hoddle is certainly not counting his chickens before they hatch, with the former Spurs manager expecting the Lilywhites to have a tough outing in Norway.

However, the 67-year-old expects Tottenham to progress, opining that they only need to score once in Norway to kill the tie.

Speaking ahead of the second leg, the legendary Spurs midfielder told TNT Sports (01/05/2025), Hoddle said: “It is going to be tough over there. Bodo/Glimt have beaten some top teams at home. They are almost a different side when they play at home. But I think Tottenham will score over there and that will kill the tie.”

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Joe Hart says Tottenham’s injuries could prove crucial

Spurs have had further bad news on the injury front, with Lucas Bergvall ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle problem.

While Dominic Solanke’s injury is not thought to be serious, there are concerns surrounding James Maddison, and Joe Hart believes that the pair’s potential absence could be crucial for his former side.

The goalkeeper said about the tie: “The goal (Bodo/Glimt’s late goal) maybe changes things but the Maddison and Solanke injuries are really important. To win the game tonight by two goals, well Tottenham would have taken that at the start of the game.”

Tottenham Hotspur at least stopped the away rot in the Premier League this afternoon against West Ham United, although Ange Postecoglou would have expected even a much-changed XI to brush aside 17th-placed Hammers.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham:

Ange Postecoglou makes eight Tottenham changes

As many Tottenham fans expected and demanded in equal measure, Ange Postecoglou made significant changes to his Spurs XI away to West Ham this afternoon. Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, and Destiny Udogie were all given a rest, while the injured Dominic Solanke and James Maddison were also absent. Unfortunately, few Spurs fringe players actually stepped up in a way that will catch Postecoglou’s eye ahead of Thursday night’s trip to Bodo/Glimt.

Guglielmo Vicario, Yves Bissouma, and Dejan Kulusevski were all likely to start no matter what, while the left-wing position is up for grabs between Richarlison and Mathys Tel. One would expect Ange will opt for the latter on Thursday rather than risking the most injury-prone player in the squad on an artificial pitch – although Richarlison may be required to fill on for Solanke if he is missing anyway.

We know the starting XI to face Bodo/Glimt

Judging by who was rested and who was taken off early today, it looks like we already know our starting XI to face Bodo/Glimt in Norway on Thursday.

Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski; Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, Mathys Tel.

Of course, if Dominic Solanke is passed fit, then he will start up front, while Richarlison would likely move out wide left, seeing as Tel played the full 90 today.

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Worrying lack of progress from Dejan Kulusevski

James Maddison was just starting to hit his stride in the Tottenham number ten role, particularly in Europe. It will be a huge miss for the Lilywhites if he is to miss a significant portion of the rest of the season. A few months ago, some Spurs fans would have been more than happy to see Kulusevski replace the England international in midfield, but that could not be further from the truth at the moment.

The Sweden star has been back from injury for weeks now, but shows no sign of getting back to his fit, sharp, and creative best. You do worry that Tottenham could be left with a complete creative vacuum amidst the absence of Maddison and Bergvall, together with Kulusevski’s lack of form.

Another mistake from Guglielmo Vicario

It seems every single week brings another mistake from Guglielmo Vicario in the Premier League for Tottenham. While he looks a little more confident dealing with aerial balls than he once was, he has forgone all composure with the ball at his feet and fundamental goalkeeping errors have started to creep into his game.

Today, the Italian shotstopper allowed Jarrod Bowen to score from a frankly ridiculous angle, leaving his legs wider than the Thames to give the West Ham forward a clear route to goal. 99 times out of 100, Bowen would have absolutely no chance of scoring from there, as keepers are always taught to make themselves big and use their knee to cut off the direct shot at goal.

In the grand scheme of things, it isn’t the most pivotal mistake in the world, but the regularity with which Vicario is making them at the moment is more than a little concerning. At least he made a superb stop to keep the score at 1-1 in the final minutes, ironically preventing Bowen from finding the winner.

Mikey Moore returns to Tottenham action

Despite looking so sharp in the first half of the season, Mikey Moore has been an absent figure over the last few months. Before today, he hadn’t appeared since February 2 in the Premier League for Tottenham. Over the past 10 matches, Moore was left on the bench four times and left out of the squad completely six times. It would be wrong to say he lit the game on fire when coming on for his cameo today, but he definitely looked sharper than a lot of the players who started.

Hopefully, the youngster can kick on next season and get some more consistent game time under his belt. A loan to the Championship or even a lower Premier League side could do him the world of good.

The referee has blown the full-time whistle at the London Stadium, meaning it’s time for our Tottenham vs West Ham United Premier League player ratings.

It was yet another lacklustre display from Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, as the Lilywhites were held to a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.

Let’s take a look at our player ratings following the final whistle between Tottenham and West Ham United.

Tottenham player ratings vs West Ham United

Guglielmo Vicario – A quiet second half for Vicario, as West Ham failed to threaten his goal. However, the earlier error that led to the equaliser still loomed large over his performance. 4.

Archie Gray – Postecoglou pushed Gray higher in the second half, giving him more freedom to attack. His overlapping runs added a bit of energy, although nothing came from them. Defensively, he remained solid against Kudus. 4.

Kevin Danso – Another calm half from Danso. West Ham did not attack his side much, and he handled his duties with composure. 5.

Ben Davies – A far better second half after a nightmare first. However, the improvement coincided with West Ham easing off. 4.

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Djed Spence – After his costly error in the first half, Spence looked to make amends by pushing forward. He got into decent positions for cutbacks, but nothing came off. 4.

Yves Bissouma – Continued his average display in the second half. A few nervy moments crept in, particularly when he lost possession late on. Tottenham need more from their midfield pivot. 5.

Pape Matar Sarr – Mirrored his first-half performance. One attempt on goal was all he could muster. Struggled to influence the game. 5.

Dejan Kulusevski – Bright early on but faded as the match wore on. Saw less of the ball and failed to link up effectively in the final third. 6.

Wilson Odobert – Took his goal well in the first half and remained Tottenham’s most threatening player. However, involvement dipped as chances became scarce. 7.

Richarlison – Worked tirelessly and competed for every ball. Kept defenders on their toes, but once again, lacked service and had no real opportunity to score. 5.

Mathys Tel – The winger looked really bright and lively in the second half, running at his man and playing in Spence on the overlap. Looked to try to make things happen with his direct running. 7.

Substitutes

The referee has blown his whistle to signal the end of the first half of Tottenham Hotspur’s showdown with London rivals West Ham United, and it’s time for our half-time player ratings.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are playing for nothing but pride as both teams have struggled for most of the 24/25 Premier League season.

As it stands, Spurs are 16th, a single point ahead of West Ham United, who are just hovering over the relegation places in 17th.

Of course, neither side can be relegated, but with the clash being a derby, both sets of fans will be desperate for their respective team to come out on top in the derby.

We’ve rated each Tottenham player’s first-half performance on a scale of 1-10.

Tottenham Hotspur first-half player ratings vs West Ham United

Guglielmo Vicario – The errors keep coming from the Italian, and once again, he’s let another one slip through his legs. Beaten at his near post – it’s simply not good enough. Poor again from the Tottenham captain today. 2.

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Archie Gray – The youngster has stood his ground well against Kudus in the opening half. Solid defensively, but yet to offer any real threat going forward. No overlapping runs. 5.

Kevin Danso – A quiet first half from Danso, with West Ham not posing much threat down his side. Steady, but not tested. 5.

Ben Davies – A poor showing from Davies, who’s had a bit of a mare. His side of the pitch looks far too easy to exploit. Needs to tighten up with Spence on Tottenham’s left. 4.

Djed Spence – A shadow of his former self in recent weeks. Failed to track Bowen for West Ham’s equaliser – unforgivable at this level. 3.

Yves Bissouma – Tottenham’s midfield anchor from now till May, but today’s showing has been thoroughly average. Lacks urgency. 5.

Pape Matar Sarr – In for Bentancur, but hasn’t stamped his authority on the game. Barely involved, and when he is, it’s been very safe. 4.

Dejan Kulusevski – One of the few bright spots. Lively with his running and intent, but the final pass is consistently lacking. Needs more end product. 6.

Wilson Odobert – Odobert has been bright in patches and took his first Premier League goal with composure, tucking away a Tel cutback early on. 8.

Richarlison – No impact. Tried to hold up the ball but hasn’t had a sniff of goal. Looks isolated. 5.

Jamie O’Hara has now given his verdict on who would come out on top if Tottenham faced Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The possibility of an all-English Europa League final is looking increasingly likely, with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur carrying significant leads into the second legs of their respective semi-final ties.

Tottenham take a two-goal cushion with them as they head to Norway for their clash against Bodo/Glimt, while Manchester United look firmly in control following a 3-0 victory away at San Mames over Athletic Bilbao.

For two sides who have struggled domestically, with Spurs sitting in 16th and Manchester United in 14th, the Europa League offers a genuine shot at silverware and a chance to shift the mood around each club.

Jamie O’Hara backs Tottenham to win Europa League if they face Manchester United

Of course, both sets of fans will be dreaming. For Spurs, a near two-decade trophy drought could finally come to an end if they can get through their next two European fixtures.

For Manchester United, lifting the Europa League would provide a much-needed lift for Ruben Amorim, whose arrival was meant to signal a rebuild for a club desperate to return to the summit of English football.

While a tense, tactical affair might be on the cards should the two English sides meet in the final, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes the outcome would be clear.

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Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “I’d much rather play Man United. We beat them three times this season and overran them in midfield. We get them in the final, we’re winning it.

“I am telling you now, if we beat Bodo/Glimt and we get Man United in the final, Spurs are winning it.

“Spurs are back! I am telling you now, Spurs are going to win the Europa League. I am telling you.”

Jamie O’Hara confident but Jamie Carragher disagrees with

Naturally, many Tottenham Hotspur fans would back their side if they meet Manchester United, especially given the fact they have already beaten the Red Devils three times this season.

A repeat result in a final would not be far-fetched, but not everyone sees it that way. Jamie Carragher has since given his own verdict on a potential Manchester United vs Spurs Europa League final, and it is one that goes against O’Hara’s confident prediction.

The ex-Liverpool man has instead pointed to Manchester United’s experience in European finals, stating that it would give them an edge.

Carragher even went a step further, claiming that Tottenham would struggle even if they were to face Athletic Bilbao.

He said: “I mean, I cannot see Tottenham winning the trophy just for the fact, I can see you getting to the final, but I cannot see you beating Bilbao in their own stadium.

“I think that would be tough for anybody. There is no way Tottenham beat Manchester United in a European final, no chance, history, mentality, they are just a club who find a way to win. Manchester United have an ability to win games they should not.”

A fresh prediction from Opta’s AI model has given Tottenham a major boost as they chase a spot in the Europa League final.

Ange Postecoglou would have been pleased with the display his Tottenham Hotspur side produced in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie.

It was a professional, confident performance that saw Spurs take a 3-1 lead into the second leg, a semi-final performance that Postecoglou believes should be enough to send them through if replicated in Norway.

Tottenham will know they cannot take anything for granted, as Bodo/Glimt have shown their quality throughout the competition, and have already demonstrated that scoring two or three goals at home is well within their grasp.

They beat Olympiacos 3-0 and saw off Lazio 2-0 on their own turf earlier in the campaign. The trip to Norway will be a test of mentality and composure for this Spurs team.

But with key players hitting form and a place in a European final at stake, there will be no shortage of motivation as they aim to get the job done.

Tottenham backed by Opta supercomputer to beat Bodo/Glimt in Europa League

Dominic Solanke insisted the Bodo/Glimt tie is far from over and stated that Tottenham would be fully focused on finishing the job when they travel to Norway.

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The 3-1 cushion provides breathing room, but the forward was clear – the players know they still have work to do.

Ahead of the second leg, Opta’s supercomputer has offered its prediction for the outcome of the semi-final.

The AI model believes Spurs will see off Bodo/Glimt and reach the final of the Europa League, which would be a massive step for Ange Postecoglou in his second season.

However, the data-driven forecast does not offer good news for Tottenham fans dreaming of silverware.

Manchester United are currently tipped to win the final, with Opta giving them a 52.4% chance of lifting the trophy.

The Red Devils are projected to reach the final in 97.6% of simulations, compared to Tottenham’s 91.1% – who have a 43.2% chance of going all the way.

Spurs still have edge over Manchester United despite prediction

Ange Postecoglou and his players will not be distracted by the numbers. Their priority remains the second leg against Bodo/Glimt, and only after that will thoughts turn to the final.

That said, the idea of an all-English final against Manchester United adds intrigue. The Red Devils are in pole position after a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, but Spurs will quietly fancy their chances given their recent record against Ruben Amorim’s side.

Tottenham have beaten Manchester United three times this season already, and historically have a stronger final win percentage. If they make it to San Mames, belief will not be in short supply.

Ange Postecoglou is not a happy man that news of Lucas Bergvall’s injury had been leaked ahead of Tottenham’s semifinal against Bodo/Glimt last Thursday, and has explained why it was the last thing the midfielder needed following his setback.

The timing of Bergvall’s injury could not be any more unfortunate for the youngster, coming just before a big European semifinal and just a day after he had penned a new long-term contract.

The rumours of his injury were doing the rounds on social media on the morning of the huge match, and the news was confirmed when the Swede’s name was missing from the matchday squad.

It has since been confirmed that Bergvall will miss the rest of the season after injuring his ankle, but Postecoglou admits that the club would have preferred not to have the information go public ahead of the first leg against Bodo/Glimt.

Ange Postecoglou reveals Lucas Bergvall was devastated after the leak

Over the last month, the Tottenham boss has talked a lot about the sensitive nature of the information that is being leaked from Hotspur Way to the media.

A few weeks ago, Postecoglou asserted Spurs are narrowing down the source of the leaks, but they appear to have been unsuccessful, with the leaks showing no signs of stopping.

When asked about the information regarding Bergvall’s injury finding its way on social media, the 59-year-old responded (via Football. London): “It’s not helpful. Some of it is just to protect the players themselves. You can imagine, Lucas was devastated. He didn’t want to deal with it and we didn’t want to make it public, not as much about the opposition but to give him the time to process it.

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“He’s a young man. He had such a high in the week, he had signed a new deal, he was playing well, his whole family was out here looking forward to the game. We wanted to protect him more than anything else, but those kinds of levels of decency and respect don’t exist anymore.

“I’ve said before it’s not helpful. It’s not helpful to our club. Not for any other reason, but it’s information you give to the opposition, it’s information they can use against you. But we live in a world where those kinds of things have gone out the window.

“You guys live it every day. People just want to be the first whether it’s credible information or not. They get it out there and they feel like they’ve achieved something, whether it’s totally off-base or totally wrong.”

Tottenham boss is worried about the new media landscape

The Spurs head coach also raised concerns about the second-order effects of the fact that the new media landscape is dominated by those not trained in journalism.

Postecoglou pointed out that there is no emphasis on double or triple-checking information through one’s sources before putting it out.

He added to the journalists in attendance: “I used to love your profession. I did, because I was an avid reader, a voracious reader, and I would love that people would double and triple-check their sources before committing to something. Unfortunately, that world doesn’t exist anymore.

“It’s not necessarily journalists, it’s just anybody now. They can literally just say whatever they like and pretty much, even if it’s wildly wrong, no one will pull them up for it and they can do it the next day.”