Football London

Sergio Reguilon has finally found a new club over three months on from his Tottenham exit. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United full-back is set to sign a three-year contract with Inter Miami after reaching a verbal agreement with the MLS side.

Reguilon looks poised to replace Jordi Alba, who announced his retirement from football earlier this week. Javier Mascherano's men finished third in the Eastern Conference as they prepare to depart Chase Stadium for the Miami Freedom Park Stadium.

They will have fresh blood amongst their ranks next term as Reguilon looks set to team up with the likes of Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul. Luis Suarez is also set to make a decision over his future as Sergio Busquets is following Alba into retirement, too.

Reguilon has endured a notable wait to find a new club since quitting Spurs at the end of last season.

It's understood he has rejected a raft of offers since becoming a free-agent including a lucrative proposal from Iranian side Persepolis.

The Spain international joined Tottenham from Real Madrid in the summer of 2020 - following Gareth Bale (loan) to N17 where they would join forces with boss Jose Mourinho.

Reguilon would also enjoy a six-month loan spell with Brentford in January 2024 - where he worked under Thomas Frank - before returning back to his parent club Spurs.

The Dane was incredibly complimentary about the defender during his short stint in west London, declaring after the player's arrival:

"Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He's very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.

"He's got the experience we need to complement the rest of the squad and he's a good character. We need him, but I also think he needs us to show how good a footballer he is. I'm convinced that this will be a positive partnership."

Reguilon's career in north London began to nosedive in the summer of 2022 when Antonio Conte left him behind for the club's pre-season tour of South Korea.

He was handed a brief lifeline last season, however, by Ange Postecoglou. While he wasn't part of the team's historic Europa League campaign, he made four appearances in the Premier League plus one in the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

Back in December, Reguilon appeared to mock himself after entering the pitch in the closing stages of Spurs' dramatic 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Manchester United.

He wrote on Instagram after the game: "Look mum, I played a football game yesterday," despite only playing around one minute.

Tottenham centre-back Radu Dragusin has been pictured training in the gym with his Romania team-mates this week after Spurs advised that it was too early to hand the player a full international call-up.

The defender is continuing to step up his recovery from a ruptured ACL and is expected to return to full team training in the forthcoming weeks.

Romania boss Mircea Lucescu wanted to select Dragusin for this month's camp - his side host Moldova (friendly) and Austria (World Cup qualification match) during the break - but he's since claimed Spurs made it clear they do not want to rush the 23-year-old's recovery following a lengthy lay-off.

Dragusin has been sidelined since late January but the crux of his rehabilitation work has now been completed, though Tottenham's medical staff want to nail his return to avoid experiencing any potential setbacks.

Interestingly, it appears the ex-Genoa man has in fact joined up with his international colleagues this week, even though he won't be available for their upcoming fixtures.

Posting on their official Instagram account (@Echipanationalala), Romania uploaded several pictures of Dragusin training in the gym, captioning the post: "The Dragon is back! Nearly returning from the long-term injury he suffered, Radu Dragusin came to Mogosoaia to encourage his colleagues and for a workout in the gym. #GeneratiaDeSuflet."

Dragusin has not been part of the international fold since last November when he played 68 minutes of a 4-1 victory over Cyprus. Providing his return goes as planned, there is a chance he might be available for selection next month.

During his time in his homeland, Dragusin has been speaking about the process and also shed light on why he was unable to feature for his country this week, stating: "Mircea Lucescu wanted me back in the team of course. I wanted to be together with my teammates again and to play for Romania. But, on the other hand, I understood that a couple of weeks more, a month more of waiting will help me for the future.

"Of course, I think I am already ready now, but in the long term it will help me to have more stability and safety for a longer career. Tottenham is taking all measures to come back stronger than before. I tell you that I'm gonna come back in better shape than I was before the injury and in a better position to continue my career.

"ACL is one of the worst injuries in football, if not the worst. You need a longer time to recover than most people imagine. You cannot doubt what the medical staff of Tottenham is doing or the physiotherapists or especially the surgeon who made the surgery. They have the best knowledge and the greatest experience."

Thomas Frank will be looking to continue Tottenham's strong start under him with the visit of Aston Villa in the Premier League after the international break.

Spurs welcome Unai Emery's side on Sunday October 19 with a 2pm kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Frank will be sweating over the fitness and availability of the 19 players currently off around Europe and the world on international duty.

The North London side have 16 players on senior international duty in Djed Spence for England, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons for the Netherlands, Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson for Wales, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie for Italy, Cristian Romero for Argentina, Mohammed Kudus for Ghana, Pedro Porro for Spain, Lucas Bergvall for Sweden, Joao Palhinha for Portugal, Rodrigo Bentancur for Uruguay, Richarlison for Brazil and Pape Matar Sarr for Senegal.

Yves Bissouma is back after a a knee injury and has accordingly been included in Mali's squad. However, it is unclear whether suggestions he may join up for their second match against Madagascar will come to pass or instead the midfielder will remain at Hotspur Way throughout the entire break.

There are also a trio of U21 call-ups for Tottenham with Archie Gray heading with England and Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert travelling for French duty.

Due to the staggered nature now of international matches, the Spurs players will be returning to Hotspur Way at different times. A string of players are facing their second matches on Sunday so could be in training on Tuesday depending on their minutes after a recovery day in between.

They include Xavi and Van de Ven with the Netherlands playing a World Cup qualifier at home against Finland, while Danso is with Austria away that night in Romania. In Africa, Kudus will be playing for Ghana at home against Comoros with Bissouma potentially in action for Mali at home against Madagascar if he makes the trip.

The next batch of Spurs stars play on Monday night and could be back in training within 48 hours. They include Bergvall with a Sweden home qualifier against Kosovo, Davies and Johnson at home with Wales against Belgium, while Odobert and Tel are involved in a France home European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Estonia. Archie Gray will be with Spurs loan player Ashley Phillips, currently at Stoke, as England welcome Andorra.

That night, although technically 12am UK time on Tuesday, captain Romero has a friendly with Argentina against Puerto Rico in the USA.

Then at 11.30am UK time on Tuesday, Richarlison could be involved in Brazil's friendly in Japan, while later that night Palhinha may play for Portugal at home against Hungary, as could Porro for Spain at home against Bulgaria and Spence for England in Latvia. Italians Udogie and Vicario take on Manor Solomon's Israel in Italy while the latest returnee to Hotspur Way could be Sarr who faces a Senegal home qualifier against Mauritania on Tuesday night UK time.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could host the Super Bowl within five years reckons an NFL star who has won that game's biggest prize.

Spurs' home in N17 is the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside north America and on Sunday afternoon a 61,082-strong crowd, including Tottenham stars Djed Spence and Xavi Simons, packed into the stadium for the first of the two NFL London Games this month. The Minnesota Vikings claimed a 21-17 victory against the Cleveland Browns thanks to a Jordan Addison touchdown with 25 seconds left on the clock.

Tottenham's NFL deal was extended in 2023 until the end of the 2029/30 season and one of former chairman Daniel Levy's dreams was to have a double-header day with Spurs playing a Premier League game at lunchtime and then the grass pitch withdrawing for the artificial surface underneath to host an NFL encounter later that evening.

Levy's other hope was to have a London NFL franchise based full-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one day alongside Spurs. There are hurdles galore to be jumped over before any NFL franchise could exist outside the USA, but the Premier League club have placed themselves in pole position to have one if that ever happens, with some experts tipping it to be a possibility within a decade.

In the mean time the next logical aim would be for a Super Bowl to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and having the game in London is an idea that gained approval at the weekend from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones.

"First of all, I’m for anything that promotes the growth or expands the eyeballs for the NFL," he said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "And that has been really the goal and the practice of the NFL, certainly ever since I’ve been involved. There’s no question that having it out internationally, shouldn’t take away from our fan interests and eyeballs in the United States and should add significantly around the world, outside of the country. So, in general, I’m for that.

"I was pretty strong for years and years that it’s just never gonna be the same, my town against your town, relative to our football. It just can’t be transferred to Europe and other countries and so. . . . But I’ve changed that, and I’ve seen how you can take the ethos of our game and the theory behind the game and it calls on you to do unnatural things relative to physically and it calls you to play in a certain way that other sports don’t require. I think that carries over to the concept of the game, and I think that’s catching on and is very popular outside the United States. So I’m all for it."

Former Super Bowl winner and now Sky Sports pundit Ndamukong Suh was asked about the showpiece NFL game being played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he said: "Without question. There's no doubt in my mind that's on the table, and I would be willing to be bet in the next five years it happens. The world is their oyster where games go."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently confirmed the aim to reach 16 international games per season, with every team set to play at least one international game in a campaign as they seek to expand the sport across the world.

The Denver Broncos are set to take on the New York Jets this coming Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the second of the London Games.

Not all of Tottenham's players have jetted off on their international duties this fortnight and six of them will get some special attention from Thomas Frank.

Spurs have had 16 players called up for senior international duty in Djed Spence for England, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons for the Netherlands, Ben Davies and Brennan Johnson for Wales, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie for Italy, Cristian Romero for Argentina, Mohammed Kudus for Ghana, Pedro Porro for Spain, Lucas Bergvall for Sweden, Joao Palhinha for Portugal, Richarlison for Brazil, Pape Matar Sarr for Senegal and Yves Bissouma is back from a knee injury to be included in Mali's squad.

There have also been a trio of U21 call-ups with Archie Gray heading with England and Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert travelling for French duty.

So who's left? There will be a small core of players who will be getting plenty of attention during sessions with Frank, Matt Wells, Justin Cochrane and the rest of the coaching staff, including Cameron Campbell, the first team individual development coach, around some days off for all concerned.

Those remaining at Hotspur Way are forwards Randal Kolo Muani and Dane Scarlett, who has been playing in recent games for the U21s, centre-backs Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai as well as goalkeepers Antonin Kinksy and Brandon Austin. As well as doing individual work, those six players remaining at the Enfield training complex could be involved in sessions alongside the development squad and U18 players not on international youth duty.

Muani will be doing plenty of fitness work to get his sharpness up after three months with very little football and a dead leg picked up last month following a training ground collision with Sarr. For Dragusin and Takai it is about increasing their strength after ACL and plantar fascia injuries respectively.

Takeover approaches at Tottenham are like London buses, only in N17 you wait years for one to come along and then three turn up almost at once.

On Monday, the last man standing - Brooklyn Earick and his 12-strong consortium from the USA claimed to include NFL and NBA investors - announced that he would not be proceeding despite a big media splash reporting a £3.3billion takeover bid to come and a further £1.2billion set aside as transfer funds for head coach Thomas Frank.

That statement to the London Stock Exchange came as little surprise to those within Spurs or the Lewis family, who own the club and have made it clear that they do not wish to sell.

Privately the feeling among those in the financial markets was that the interest was not there for such a huge takeover approach to be fully launched and there were doubts over whether the financial backing was firmly locked into place to take any massive plans to fruition. As soon as the media reports came out, it forced Earick and the US consortium's hand as the takeover panel and its rules took over, with the required timeframe to either formalise an approach or drop out. They dropped out.

Regardless of the strength of the approach, overriding for any interested party was the Lewis family being so strong on the message that the club was not for sale, with both CEO Vinai Venkatesham and Frank saying as much in public on their behalf as well as statements coming out of the club.

Tech entrepreneur Earick, who failed earlier this year in a bid to acquire Formula E team Maserati, was busy on social media during the process, including - after a source close to the Lewis family had labelled his approach as "unsolicited and unnecessary interest" - releasing photos and an emailed schedule of a tour of the club's facilities this summer under former chairman Daniel Levy's regime.

On Monday, Earick wrote to his 4,600 followers on his X account: "It’s been a privilege engaging with Tottenham Hotspur and the Lewis family's representatives over the past few months. I have great respect for the club, its leadership, and its supporters, and wish them nothing but success."

The club announced to the Stock Exchange: "The board of Tottenham Hotspur notes the recent announcements from the Firehawk and Mr Earick's consortiums that they do not intend to make an offer for the club. The board thanks them for the constructive approach taken in the discussions with the club's and the Lewis family's representatives and respecting the clear position of the Lewis family that the club is not for sale."

The coast is currently clear with all three interested parties now withdrawing their interest, including Amanda Staveley and PCP International Finance Limited as well as the Asia-based consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited.

With all three parties deciding there was not a deal to be done, it appears that the Lewis family's message has been received loud and clear that for now at least, Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale.

The new Spurs hierarchy were present once again this season at Sunday's NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Vivienne Lewis and her son-in-law Nick Beucher watched on from the directors' box alongside Venkatesham.

With the big reported figures attached to the Earick deal and the now hypothetical transfer funds that it was claimed would be available for Frank, the Lewis family will have to show their intent at the first chance from the January transfer window onwards with the Spurs supporters waiting to see if there really has been a change in more than just the names at the top.

"I need to try and answer your question without leading to a whole load of 'transfer war chest' stories tomorrow," Venkatesham said in a club interview last month. "I think it is very fair to say that we have firm backing from the Lewis family against our ambitions to be successful on the pitch, both on the men's side and women's side.

"They know that's going to require investment and we have their firm backing, but I would also say like all other 20 Premier League clubs, we also need to make sure that we're also cognizant and aware of the financial fair play rules, and that means we need to continue to grow our revenues.

"We need to continue to develop players both from the academy and young players that we buy. We need to make sure that we're selling players at the right time, and we also need to make sure that every time we're recruiting a player we're making smart decisions both from a sporting and a financial perspective.

"If you don't do that because of how the financial regulations work, you can find yourself in a position where you've got money to spend, but the regulations don't allow you to spend it. So I guess to summarise, absolutely there's financial backing against the ambition we have and like every other club in the Premier League, we need to do that in line with the financial fair play rules."

Spurs have spent more money in the transfer market than some might expect - many would argue on the wrong players - but the key investment area could well be the rigid wage structure that has maintained the club's long-term profitability but hindered them in attracting premium ready-made highly-paid stars to their side of north London.

For Frank to benefit from a more public era of ownership from the Lewis family, that is where the change must come. The Dane has started strongly with Spurs sitting third in the Premier League table, unbeaten in the Champions League so far and through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Tottenham have seen fast starts before though and not been able to maintain them because the squad was not strong enough to handle the fixture schedule. The new head coach will be hoping that he is the first person to benefit from what is being heralded as a new era at the club both on the pitch and off it.

If you were Harry Kane, would you be in a rush to leave Bayern Munich?

The England captain finally got the monkey off his back by winning a first league title last season and is scoring goals for fun at one of the world's biggest clubs. He's guaranteed Champions League football, gets on with his manager... and there's even a massive beer festival in Munich which he's allowed - actively encouraged! - to go to.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is of course an admirer. And he's made no secret that, if Kane wanted to rejoin his former club, then he'd be welcomed with open arms. Certainly, it's what the fans want. But if he's ever going to tempt back the Three Lions record goalscorer, it's going to need one hell of a hard sell.

"I could definitely see that (staying longer at Bayern)," said Kane. "I’ve still got this season and another season. It’s not like there’s any panic. I love the manager at Bayern, and as long as we’re improving and I’m improving, then I’m happy.”

However. And it's a big however, Despite all of the above, when this season ends, Kane may well become the victim of his own success.

As Kane leads England to next summer's World Cup and, hopefully, enjoys a successful tournament, his stock will be high. High in Bavaria, in the Premier League and across the rest of Europe and the world.

But as he enters the final 12 months of his Bayern deal, and despite his desire to stay, his club side will be in a tricky spot, leaving Bayern bosses with a tough choice to make: Do they look to sell?

It could be that the German giants decide to cash in. He will be 33 next summer, and a sizeable fee for Kane could tempt Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen into selling. After all, Kane won't be around forever, and Bayern will need considerable funds to put towards a replacement - the finding of which will be far easier said than done.

Kane remains at the top of his game. He is the leader of this Bayern team, their goalscorer supreme who has also shown throughout his capacity for creating chances for others as well as taking them himself.

There is a good chance clubs from England and Saudi Arabia would be willing to offer him one final pay day. And for so long as he needs 48 more goals to overtake Alan Shearer's total of 260, the temptation for Kane will always be there to return to the Premier League and break it.

He wouldn't go to Anfield. Liverpool Liverpool wouldn't consider signing someone of his age. Kane himself has made it clear he could never bring himself to join Arsenal or Chelsea. Manchester City meanwhile have Erling Haaland.

Which leaves him only two realistic options back in England: A return to Spurs, or Manchester United, and their recent history of spending big on players in the twilight of their careers.

Having snubbed them once, Kane surely would not be foolish enough to reconsider the most dysfunctional club in English football.

Which means Kane might well be better off seeing out the remainder of his career in Munich. And means he needs to showcase all his brilliance in the coming months and put himself in a position where they simply cannot allow him to leave, and simply must give him a contract extension.

That's something that all supporters of the Bundesliga champions could surely get behind.

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic believes Tottenham have a "huge talent" in Luka Vuskovic and that the teenager centre-back will be a star in the national team for the next decade and a half.

Spurs fought off competition from Manchester City to snap up the 18-year-old centre-back from Hajduk Split two years ago but could not bring him over to the UK at that time due to work permit regulations. That meant Vuskovic had to head out on two development loans, first to Radomiak in Poland and then Westerlo in Belgium.

Vuskovic finally arrived in north London this summer and scored and grabbed an assist in his first pre-season friendly against Reading. However, his new Spurs head coach Thomas Frank believed he needed more game time to develop than he might get with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven ahead of him as such a strong starting centre-back pairing and the teenager was offered the option to go out on loan if he wanted to.

Vuskovic admitted publicly that he felt he had a lot to learn to get near to Romero and Van de Ven's level. That brought a move to Hamburg and Vuskovic has quickly become a star there with the team unbeaten with him at the back since his tough debut against Bayern. According to the Bundesliga club, they have sold 1,000 shirts with the young defender's name on the back and he is expected to be a key figure in trying to keep them in the German top flight.

Vuskovic's national boss Dalic spoke about Vuskovic on Monday after the teen joined up with the Croatia squad looking to add to his first international cap.

"A huge talent, he plays excellently in the Bundesliga, and that’s why he got a chance in the senior national team," he said. "I think he should be with us to feel the atmosphere and what awaits him. With him, Croatia secures its centre-back for the next 10-15 years."

Former Spurs boss Martin Jol told football.london last month: "Romero is a good, decent defender, but I will tell you one thing, the guy they sent to Hamburg now – Luka Vuskovic – will be better."

Tottenham are expecting Vuskovic to return next summer ready to compete for a place in Frank's squad and they have option to recall him in January if they suffer injuries at the back. One thing is for sure and that's if the youngster continues on his current path then he will be a firm fixture for club and country for years to come.

Harry Kane has not ruled out a return to the Premier League as the former Tottenham Hotspur striker opens up on the possibility of staying at Bayern Munich for longer.

The 32-year-old is under contract in Munich until the summer of 2027 and says he is “fully all in” ahead of possible negotiations over a new deal. Kane is believed to have a release clause in his Bayern Munich contract, which will be worth £56.7million next summer if the striker activates it by informing the German side, before the end of January, of his intention to leave.

Ex-Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy confirmed after Kane's sale in 2023 that the north London club also inserted a buy-back clause into the deal and that gives them first option on the prolific forward. The England international is enjoying a goal fest for Bayern Munich this season, scoring 18 in 10 games as the German club have made a 100 per cent start to the campaign.

Many expect Kane to return to England at some point to try and break the all-time Premier League goalscoring record. At the minute the striker is just 47 goals off Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 260.

“In terms of staying longer (at Bayern), I could definitely see that,” said Kane, who has reported for England duty ahead of a friendly with Wales and a World Cup qualifier in Latvia. “I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back. Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learnt in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Bayern Munich are keen to extend Kane’s stay in Bavaria and sporting director Christoph Freund recently said his side are “probably witnessing the best version of Harry Kane there has ever been”. Kane revealed winning the Bundesliga with Bayern – his long-awaited first major trophy – saw him reach a crossroads in his career. But that success has driven him to improve and he has outscored Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe so far this season.

“When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve’,” Kane admitted. “But it’s given me more motivation to do more and be better. I think I’ve shown that this year.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. Obviously, there’s still a lot more I want to achieve in terms of other trophies and bigger trophies for sure. But I think it was always just, in my head, what I was going to feel like after I did achieve winning my first one.

“But for sure, I pushed myself the other way, in terms of being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym. Just trying to get the most out of what I’ve got right now. I do eat clean anyway. It’s just whether the cheat meals after games are not so much, or when you’re out with the family, not having as much ice cream. Just things like that. Small details.”

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has shared an update on social media as he continues his recovery from injury.

The midfielder was stretchered off following a seemingly innocuous-looking challenge to win the ball in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United this summer. It was later confirmed that the 28-year-old had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), for which he underwent surgery.

Maddison is anticipated to be out for some time, but could return towards the end of the season if his recovery goes well. The injury is a cruel blow to Tottenham's playmaker, who looks set to miss out on next summer's World Cup for England in the United States.

But the former Leicester City player appears to be working hard in his recovery - posting an update on his Instagram stories on Monday.

"0 resistance BFR (Blood Flow Restriction). If you know the struggle, you know the struggle," he said, followed by a laughing face emoji.

Reacting shortly after Maddison's injury, Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: “I think it’s disappointing but also devastating for me and mainly for Madders that he’s out of the team.

“We will miss him and no doubt he will miss playing football.”

Maddison joined the club from Leicester in 2023.

He scored 12 goals in 45 appearances for the north London club last season.

Posting on Instagram in August, he said the injury was the "lowest low I've ever had".

"Heartbroken at the fact this injury has occurred at this time in my career," wrote Maddison.

"With the [Uefa] Super Cup tomorrow, the Premier League season on the horizon, the exciting Champions League campaign and it being a World Cup year for England it all feels very, very cruel."