Football London

As we enter the final days of the off-season and Arsenal close in on their trip to Manchester United, there is still more than half a month that remains of the transfer window still left to run. The Gunners have successfully signed six players, but it appears that the thirst for signings has not yet been quenched among supporters.

Claims that a seventh is a necessity have reached new heights, especially after Eberechi Eze's links to Tottenham. Further accusations of Mikel Arteta being left short have come forth and the emphasis on a third attacking signing has come to the table.

With that in mind, how the club handles the closing weeks of the window appears, therefore, hugely influential on how the season might go. That said, football.london looks into how they might manage decisions as the window closes out.

Sign Eberechi Eze

If there is a way to get an agreement and to make a deal for Eberechi Eze possible, Arsenal have to do it. Find some levers, move players on and make room, but get this deal done and do not allow your north London rivals, Spurs, to steal what would be one of the signings of the window.

Arsenal are understood to need to find buyers for some players, but while that goes on, assurances that they will move for Eze need to be communicated, if they have not already been, of course. Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Leandro Trossard have all reported links away from the side in the past week. Hopefully, these movements open the door to Eze.

The outgoings

As mentioned, the club needs to move on plenty of players. In addition to those listed above, Karl Hein also needs to find a new club, while Jakub Kiwior has been linked with clubs in Germany, Italy, and Portugal this summer. That said, from a personal point of view, it would be a mistake to let the Pole leave, as he adds important depth to the defence.

There is also the matter of loans for some of the youth team as football.london has discussed; getting these young players senior experience and improving their value is paramount to the club’s future success. In the bracket of outgoings, the club need to prevent the exits of some of the squad, and the club indeed remain calm on securing the futures of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba.

The eighth signing

As discussed, Ebere Eze would become Arsenal's seventh signing if the Gunners manage to move the requisite levers to make a deal happen. That being said, some feel that an eighth player is still a necessary reinforcement in the window.

The reality is that no matter how many players are sold, bringing in a high-quality player in addition to a move for Eze seems highly unlikely. Not only that, but there is also a question of space.

Arsenal will go to Old Trafford already leaving senior players out of the 20-man matchday squad. This doesn't include the returning Gabriel Jesus (expected back toward the end of the year), the exciting talent of Max Dowman or this potential eighth player.

Eberechi Eze has shown his support for James Maddison after the Tottenham Hotspur star underwent surgery on a serious knee injury, hours after the north Londoners reportedly began exploring a deal for the Crystal Palace midfielder.

Maddison, 28, is set to miss a considerable amount of the 2025/26 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United earlier this month.

On Tuesday, the former Leicester City star revealed he underwent successful surgery on the injury, which he described as the "lowest low I've ever had".

Posting on Instagram, Maddison said: "Lowest low I’ve ever had. Heartbroken at the fact this injury has occurred at this time in my career.

"With the Super Cup tomorrow, the Premier League season on the horizon, the exciting Champions League campaign & it being a World Cup year for England it all feels very very cruel but nevertheless, the ACL reconstruction surgery was successful.

"To all my close friends and family, your support and love means absolutely everything to me.

"To those of you who have gone out of your way to message on social media platforms in support of me and my recovery even when we don’t know each other personally, I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know so thank you.

"And lastly to those of you who doubt, hate & mock. You truly motivate me to levels I didn’t know I had inside of me so again, thank you.

"See you all on the other side."

Stars from around the Premier League were quick to show their support for Maddison, with Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White either 'liking' or commenting on the post.

But it was the 'like' left by Eze which attracted most of the attention after the BBC reported that Spurs were 'exploring a deal' with Crystal Palace for the midfielder on Tuesday.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that England international Eze is keen on a move to Tottenham due to the North Londoners' involvement in the Champions League this season.

It is claimed that Spurs, who won the Europa League in May, are "seriously working" on a deal for the attacking midfielder.

Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies have both spoken about the changes Thomas Frank has instilled at Tottenham Hotspur since taking over.

The two experienced Spurs players were speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG in Udine. Tottenham's Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou gave them the chance to take on the Parisian Champions League winners in the showpiece game in France.

Both Vicario and Davies were asked in their press conference at the Stadio Friuli about what different things the Dane has brought to the north London club.

Here's everything both players said in Udine, the town where the Tottenham goalkeeper grew up, to the reporters ahead of the big European night. First up is the Italian stopper, followed by the Welsh defender as they spoke about Frank, the changes at the club and the considerable test of facing PSG.

Guglielmo Vicario

What's it like to be playing at home?

Personally, it will be an emotional day but as soon as we get close to kick-off emotions have to stay away and we have to be focused on what we have to deliver on the pitch. It will be an amazing game and we need to be ready to win.

Of course, for my team I am one of the oldest players in the dressing room so now is the moment to step up. The moment to take some responsibilities. I see a group of lads who are really ready to fight and commit. I don’t want to give them advice but we have to try to be the best version possible of ourselves. We need to start tomorrow. Together we can achieve great things.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, is it a good thing that he's out?

Of course I knew about him and he is not in the squad. He is my captain of the national team and I have good feelings and a good relationship with him. It is up to him and his club to find the best way possible for his future and I wish him all the best.

Can you push on now as the team knows what it takes to win a trophy.

Of course we have set the tone and we want to repeat and to do it again. We have tasted the feeling and this feeling is amazing so we want to do it again and we have the opportunity tomorrow again with another European final. We are there because we have earned the right to be there and to play against PSG. Of course we want to do it. In football and sports, it is all about winning and losing. Sometimes it is hard to properly find the right way to win but it is up to us to believe and we have to do it together and follow the manager’s instructions. We believe in Thomas and how we can improve as a collective. We can set the tone again if we want to be successful.

Has there been a change with your kicking now that Thomas Frank is in charge?

Yeah something has changed, I really need to look to read the situation that presents in front of me, sometimes it is time to build from the back and play, sometimes it’s to go long. It’s kind of a different approach to what I was used to over the last two seasons but the important thing is it’s useful for the team and to achieve a good result if I can impact in this way.

Ben Davies

With Son leaving, have you noticed the other experienced players stepping up to fill the leadership void?

Over the summer we lost Sonny and he was a big part of the dressing room and obviously a huge player for us on the pitch and we are definitely going to feel his loss but ultimately the senior guys in this team have to be here to support everyone and we have to try and make sure we allow everyone to stand up and show the players they are the person they are. We have a good group and we are prepared for anything.

How tough is it going to be against PSG?

It is quite clear we are playing one of the best teams in world football. They have so much talent all across the pitch. It is definitely going to be a challenge but over the summer we saw once they played some incredible games they care not invincible and not unbeatable. We can take some confidence from that and try our best to win the game.

With Thomas Frank - how different is he to previous managers?

He has come in and brought a lot of energy. It could not have been an easy time to come into the club after last season but the boys have really enjoyed working under him and he has come in and put in some good training sessions on and we have worked a lot on the team structure. The little details are around the game that we can improve. So far it has been really exciting and we hope the work we have put in will pay dividends.

Does that trophy winning feeling push the team on now?

I think what Vic said is right, once you get that initial feeling you really do have that desire and hunger in this group that wants to do it again. We had our time of enjoying the result from last year but everyone’s focus this season is that we are in a number of competitions, there are trophies at stake and it starts tomorrow night.

Will a Thomas Frank team be more cautious tomorrow or tactically flexible?

I’m not necessarily sure cautious is the right word but I think we're definitely going to have a different game plan depending on the opposition this season and that starts tomorrow. I’m not going to tell you what our plan is for the game but we feel like we’re prepared to put our best foot forward and put the best performance out there to beat PSG. We’ve put the work in so we hope it pays off.

Tottenham star James Maddison has spoken for the first time since undergoing surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury he sustained during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United earlier this month.

The 28-year-old, who joined Spurs from Leicester City in a £40 million deal in the summer of 2023, has become an integral figure at the club. Last season, he made 45 appearances across all competitions and scored 12 goals, despite dealing with injury setbacks, including a knee issue towards the end of the campaign.

Maddison was forced off the pitch on a stretcher just minutes after coming on against Newcastle in Seoul, and the worst fears were eventually confirmed when it was revealed he had suffered a ruptured ACL in his right knee. He has now provided an update to Spurs fans after undergoing successful surgery.

In an image shared on social media alongside his three children, the midfielder wrote: "Lowest low I’ve ever had. Heartbroken at the fact this injury has occurred at this time in my career. With the 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, but nevertheless the ACL reconstruction surgery was successful.

"To all my close friends and family, your support and love means absolutely everything to me. To those of you who have gone out of your way to message on social media platforms in support of me and my recovery even when we don’t know each other personally, I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know so thank you.

"And lastly to those of you who doubt, hate and mock. You truly motivate me to levels I didn’t know I had inside of me so again, thank you. See you all on the other side."

Thomas Frank spoke about the injury following Thursday’s defeat to FC Bayern. He 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."

Frank's side begin their 2025/26 campaign against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday evening. Their Premier League season will then kick off against Burnley on Saturday.

Tottenham’s 2025/26 season gets underway on Wednesday night when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy.

The London club qualified for the final by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final back in May. Brennan Johnson scored the only goal of that game in the first half to secure a narrow victory.

PSG, meanwhile, are the reigning Champions League holders. They overcame the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal en route to the final, before dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.

One of Luis Enrique’s key players, Joao Neves, will not be involved on Wednesday, however, due to suspension. He received a red card in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Chelsea, having been sent off late in the 3-0 defeat for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair.

Although the consequences of that dismissal were initially unclear, the latest report from RMC Sport confirms that Neves will be suspended for the UEFA Super Cup final, as well as PSG’s Ligue 1 opener away at Nantes this weekend. As a result, the French club have placed him on an individual training programme ahead of the new season, particularly following their extended previous campaign due to involvement in the Club World Cup.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been left out of the squad for the final amid ongoing speculation over his future. New signing Lucas Chevalier, who is expected to take over as the starting goalkeeper at the Parc des Princes, has been included in his place.

Fortunately for new Spurs boss Thomas Frank, he has no suspension concerns ahead of Wednesday’s clash. He does, however, already have injury worries.

Cristiano Ronaldo once hailed Tottenham Hotspur's surprise transfer target Savinho as the best young player in world football.

The Manchester City forward, who has emerged as a shock target for Spurs, was a standout performer in an otherwise lacklustre season for the Citizens after his move from Troyes in 2024. Despite being given 21 Premier League starts by Pep Guardiola in his debut campaign, Savinho's output often left much to be desired.

However, he proved to be a threat on both wings for the former Barcelona boss, contributing three goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions. Tottenham have initiated discussions with City over a potential deal for the 21-year-old Brazilian.

This news might come as a surprise to Ronaldo, who overlooked Lamine Yamal to vote for Savinho for the 2024 Kopa Award - which recognises the best young talent in world football - at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Ronaldo's choice differed from fellow former Ballon d'Or winners Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Lionel Messi. Messi voted for Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Alejandro Garnacho.

Modric also put Yamal as his first option, but selected Arda Guler and Joao Neves in second and third, while Benzema chose Yamal, Guler and Garnacho. In the end, Yamal rather predictably claimed the award following his sensational breakthrough during Spain's victorious Euro 2024 campaign.

However, one of the ceremony's main talking points was former Real Madrid star Ronaldo ranking Savinho ahead of Yamal, placing the Barcelona sensation as his runner-up choice, with Guler completing his top three. His selection demonstrates just how highly Ronaldo regards Savinho, whilst also indicating Spurs could secure one of the summer's standout acquisitions should they finalise a deal for the South American.

The north London outfit have already brought in Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuscovic and Kota Takai, alongside securing a loan move for Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich. Guardiola, meanwhile, similarly backed Savinho for stardom during the recent Club World Cup.

Nevertheless, his tenure coaching Savinho could soon conclude, as the attacker is believed to be open to relocating to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, provided a transfer fee can be negotiated. Given Guardiola's recent remarks regarding Savinho's capabilities, City might find themselves ruing his departure, should he indeed exit the club.

Following the forward's strike in City's 5-2 triumph over Juventus, Guardiola said: "He is a player with incredible potential. We cannot forget he's so young.

"He needs to make the final third more decisive in aspects like the goal he has done in the last game. He has to do it more. The last goal is more and more complicated and difficult to score than the previous ones - one against ones, the 'keeper, that maybe last season he missed.

"The moment he will make this step, which will come in a natural way because he has incredible individual quality, when it arrives for his commitment to say I want to do it, I want to be decisive, I want to score goals and make more assists, he will become an extraordinary player.

"He can play on both sides, right and left, he's so fast, he understands tactically the movements he has, so that's why he can play with us."

Thomas Frank has confirmed that Yves Bissouma's absence for Tottenham's UEFA Super Cup final against PSG "for disciplinary reasons" is because of the player's poor timekeeping. When providing an update on the injury front for Wednesday's European final in Udine, Italy, the new Spurs boss also revealed that Bissouma was not part of the travelling squad.

"Dom [Solanke] is the positive one. He is available for selection tomorrow," said Frank. "Destiny [Udogie] is closer and getting closer to train with the group. Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons."

When pushed on the reason for the midfielder's absence, Frank explained: "He's been late several times and now this time the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love. There need to be demands and consequences and this time there was a consequence."

There are currently question marks over Bissouma's long-term future at Tottenham as his current deal expires at the end of the 2025/26 season. Tottenham have strengthened in midfield already this summer and the addition of Joao Palhinha has knocked the Mali international down a place in the pecking order.

Bissouma has plenty of competition for a berth in midfield as it stands as Tottenham have Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr all competing for a spot in the team. One year ago, Bissouma missed out on Tottenham's opening game of the season away at Leicester City as the club suspended him for one match after footage appeared to show the midfielder inhaling laughing gas.

He was to return in the team's following game against Everton as he scored in a 4-0 win. Tottenham start the 2025/26 Premier League season with a home encounter against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Thomas Frank has revealed that Dominic Solanke is available for selection for Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup final against PSG but Destiny Udogie will once again play no part. The new Spurs boss did also reveal that Yves Bissouma is not with the squad in Italy "because of disciplinary reasons".

Solanke has not featured for Tottenham in pre-season since their opening friendly against Reading due to an ankle injury. The striker was present for the club's summer tour of Asia but he did not take to the pitch in either the Arsenal or Newcastle United games.

Udogie, on the other hand, has been missing because of a knee injury. The left-back was omitted from the squad for the friendly against Luton Town after he "felt something in the warm-up".

Ahead of the Super Cup final match against PSG, Frank provided a fresh update on the injury front when speaking at his pre-match press conference at Stadio Fruili in Udine, Italy.

"Dom [Solanke] is the positive one. He is available for selection tomorrow," said Frank. "Destiny [Udogie] is closer and getting closer to train with the group. Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons."

Thomas Frank and two of his Tottenham Hotspur players Guglielmo Vicario and Ben Davies are speaking to the media in Italy ahead of the UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG.

The Dane has the chance to win a trophy in his first competitive match in charge of Spurs but to do so his team will have to overcome the considerable obstacle that is Champions League winners Paris Saint-German. Luis Enrique's side were Europe's best team by a distance last season and reached the Club World Cup final last month in the USA where they lost to Chelsea in a surprise defeat.

This will be the Parisian side's first match since that day in New York and while Spurs will be hoping for some rustiness, they also know that PSG have as much quality to call upon as Bayern Munich did on Thursday when they hit four past Frank's men in Germany.

The Tottenham head coach as well as Udine-native Vicario and the experienced Ben Davies are speaking to the media out in Udine in a press conference ahead of open training in Udinese's Bluenergy Stadium.

Frank will likely be asked about transfers, including the approaches for Manchester City's Savinho and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. He will also provide the latest update on the injuries to Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie and whether either player can take part in the game in Italy after being included in the squad.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Frank and the players ahead of the big game. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference in Udine.

Tottenham's 2025/26 season officially gets underway on Wednesday evening when they take on Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final. It is the first of two big games for Thomas Frank's side this week as they host Burnley in their Premier League opener three days later.

Spurs go into their final showdown against Paris Saint-Germain smarting from a 4-0 friendly defeat against Bayern Munich last Thursday and they need to deliver a big performance if they are to get their hands on a second piece of silverware in the space of three months. As important as matters on the field are over the coming days, Tottenham also have plenty of work to do off it as they look to give Frank the best possible squad to attack the new season.

The Lilywhites are in need of further additions in the transfer market, with a new centre-back and No.10 on their shopping list. Frank revealed after the Bayern defeat that they would look to sign a replacement for Son Heung-min if the right option is there for them.

Son may in fact be replaced by Manchester City ace Savinho if Tottenham can strike a deal for his services with talks having already opened. The Manchester Evening News report that a bid in excess of £50million is required for Pep Guardiola's team to even consider a transfer.

The Brazilian may prefer operating from the right wing but he has a lot of experience playing from the left, most notably his standout season at Girona in 2023/24 that paved the way for his Manchester City transfer. Tottenham will not be the only club looking to bring new signings in this week ahead of the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.

As is always the case in the Premier League, clubs must register a new player before midday on the last working day before they play a match to be eligible to feature. In Tottenham's case, that would be midday on Friday for a new signing to be available to play against Burnley on Saturday.

The second deadline relating to Tottenham this week is in regards to participation in their UEFA Super Cup final match against Paris Saint-Germain in Udine, Italy. UEFA's usual squad regulations apply for the game at Stadio Friuli, meaning clubs are permitted to name no more than 25 players on List A and eight of those 25 spots are reserved for locally-trained players.

As per Article 20:09 in the regulations of the UEFA Super Cup, List A had to be submitted online by 5 August 2025 (24:00 CET(11pm UK)). However, this list can be amended at any time until 24:00 CET (11pm UK) the day before the match, provided that the club’s association confirms in writing that the new players are eligible to play at domestic level by the date of the competition.

Johan Lange and Tottenham would have to conclude a deal for Savinho rather sharpish if Spurs want him to be in a position to be involved against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening. Even if Savinho is registered in time for the game and is available, Spurs would have to jiggle things about in terms of their squad numbers to comply with UEFA's rules.

The club have named a total of 22 players - 16 of those who are non-homegrown - on their official squad list for Wednesday night but they are one over the limit of four association trained players. Any association-trained players over those four spots would need to be crowbarred into the main group.

As a result, Spurs are already at their squad limit as they only have one club-trained player rather than four that UEFA want, meaning they can only name a squad of 22 players rather than 25 as those three available spots for club-trained players have to remain vacant. So, in essence, Tottenham would have to take a player out of their non-homegrown numbers to accommodate Savinho, providing of course that a deal is finalised ahead of 11pm on Tuesday evening and Frank wants him to be involved against Paris Saint-Germain.