Football London

There should be a sign hanging outside Tottenham Hotspur. One of those classic old-fashioned ones found in factories stating 'days since last incident'. Last night, someone would have placed a zero next to it.

For we're at that time of year again when the seemingly annual Spurs transfer scramble arrives late in the window, although this time it feels even more desperate than normal after a summer in which big statements have been made and there has been plenty of talking - a remarkable amount for a notoriously quiet club - yet little in the way of backing up those declarations.

It has been another period in which drama has not just constantly knocked on the club's door, it's kicked it down.

For within the space of just three months, Tottenham finally won their first trophy in 17 years, chairman Daniel Levy then declared it wasn't enough and that he wanted to win the Premier League and Champions League so sacked the head coach, brought in another, signed Mohammed Kudus, missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White after a messy affair, conducted a rather self-congratulatory interview mostly about the stadium with Gary Neville in which he said he's sure he'll get the credit for what he's done at Spurs when he's gone, sold the club's star player, saw main playmaker James Maddison lost to an ACL injury and then came the Eberechi Eze mess.

For many Tottenham supporters, that final one on Wednesday evening was the most embarrassing slap to the face to take as the Crystal Palace midfielder prepares to make his way to the other side of north London.

Spurs had gone into Wednesday's round of talks expecting to finally tie up the deal for Eze. They did to an extent, agreeing to Palace's terms after having already agreed to Eze's with the player ready to come to Tottenham. This week had dragged on as Palace had not finalised the deal because they wanted the player to be available for Thursday night's historic first European game for the Eagles.

Oliver Glasner had made it clear on Wednesday morning that Eze was going to start in the following day's UEFA Conference League clash against Fredrikstad and that was that.

Yes, Palace held off on finalising the deal in the past week because of that game but Tottenham have had weeks, months even years to sign Eze if you look at their long-standing interest in the player.

Spurs missed out on Gibbs-White almost a month ago when he stood on that pitch in Portugal repeatedly thanking "Mr Marinakis". Maddison fell to the turf in distress in the Seoul World Cup Stadium 18 days ago.

So why Tottenham were still faffing around on August 21 trying to sign a player they desperately needed, one who previously had a release clause, albeit a complicated one, and one they knew had a strong affinity for Arsenal should they come in, defies belief.

For the door was left ajar and the worst possible club strode through it. Arsenal officially walked through it late on Wednesday afternoon - also agreeing to Palace's terms around the original £68million release clause - and the player chose the Gunners due to his connection to them.

Eze has made no secret over the years of the fact that he's a big Arsenal fan and was desperate to play for them again one day after being let go at 13 from their academy. In this two-way fight, Spurs were always going to lose and that is why they needed to get this deal done before their local rivals really needed to come in after Kai Havertz's knee injury.

It all bears echoes of the summer of 2018 when Tottenham messed around over the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. The Midlands club had financial problems and wanted £25million for the midfielder. Spurs are believed to have offered £3million plus Josh Onomah among the early negotiations.

As the weeks went by, the north London club just assumed they would eventually get Grealish, who like Eze appeared to say his goodbyes to his club's fans and was keen on the move to link up with Mauricio Pochettino. Then Villa suddenly got new investment and when Tottenham scrambled and finally offered around the asking price, it was rejected and Grealish would sign a new contract.

Pochettino was left furious, without the playmaker he felt could push Spurs on and provide real competition and extra creativity alongside Christian Eriksen to keep the Dane fresh.

The then Villa boss Steve Bruce said after the bid was rejected: "If Tottenham had done their work early he would be a Spurs player now."

It's a familiar theme for Spurs and it's one that will follow Levy as the chief negotiator. For as much as the chairman believes the stadium will be his legacy, so to will the narrative of long drawn-out attempts to sign players and the comments from those within the game claiming that dealing with Tottenham over transfers is often a torturous affair.

Those infamous words from Sir Alex Ferguson about dealing with Levy being "more painful than my hip replacement" stick in the public consciousness. Perhaps the Spurs chairman saw it as a badge of honour, but it's not seen that way outside the club.

Other clubs have long, drawn out moves - take Manchester United and Bryan Mbeumo this summer for example - but the difference is that they invariably get the job done. For Tottenham fans it feels like there have been far more very public near misses than big signings ready for the now.

And that was meant to be the key aspect this summer - the need for players for now. Twelve months ago and Ange Postecoglou had pushed Tottenham back up to fifth place and it was time to kick on. Spurs instead signed one ready-made player in Dominic Solanke and otherwise brought in a group of teenagers.

They still managed to win a trophy though so again a need to push on. Regardless of the debate over replacing Postecoglou with Thomas Frank, it created a period of time when Tottenham could not move quickly for targets due to the Dane needing to establish himself, exactly what was required and for the recruitment department to build up their lists for a different kind of head coach.

There were a few obvious candidates though with Frank's feelings on Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and Yoane Wissa very clear. By the time Tottenham got themselves going though, the first two were locked in on moves to United and Arsenal and Wissa would be dependent at that point on Spurs having the space to move for him which they did not.

Gibbs-White was Frank's top choice for the No.10 role and he'd wanted him since the player's Wolves days. His physical data was perfect alongside his creativity and passing ability.

What happened next has been written about and spoken about at length as well as that secret release clause. Spurs would later put in a higher bid for Gibbs-White than the one that began the saga and there's no escaping the thought process that if they had led with that offer then perhaps Forest, who reportedly were open to selling the player to Manchester City earlier in the summer, and Mr Marinakis might have negotiated rather than shutting everything down.

Instead they had to be content with a phone call from Gibbs-White to Frank, apologising for the way things had played out. Perhaps the transcript of that call will go in the drawer alongside the letter Rivaldo once sent Glenn Hoddle explaining why he chose Milan over Spurs.

Tottenham eventually switched to Eze when they thought Arsenal were cooling their interest. The Palace man's physical data did not match Gibbs-White's but he had that magic in his boots to be a game-changer and there was every belief within Spurs that they could quickly get him up to speed for Frank's fast-moving, pressing system.

That will no longer be necessary. Arsenal made their move, piggy-backing Spurs' negotiations, and showing how a deal can be done quickly.

There has been plenty of talk this summer about Tottenham thinking like a big club but their local rivals showed them how to act like one and that will sting the most inside Hotspur Way.

Eze will be Arsenal's seventh big signing of the summer and Mikel Arteta's side had already spent around £200million before his arrival will be confirmed after Thursday night's European match.

The Gunners finished second in the Premier League while Spurs finished 17th yet have signed just one big new face in the £55million Kudus, as well as a loan deal for Joao Palhinha. How is that gap meant to be closed?

There's very little new about Frank's squad for a season in which Levy has made it clear that he expects the club to compete on all fronts, with the Champions League back on the menu.

Tottenham must react to this latest transfer window mess in a big way but time is running out to sign the No.10, winger and centre-back that Frank wants. They have around a week-and-a-half to do what they've had months to achieve and every club will smell their desperation from a mile away while knowing they had the funds to sign Gibbs-White and Eze and attempt to move for Savinho.

There's been a lot of trying and it's all been particularly trying for the Tottenham supporters, who were sold a dream of pushing on and challenging for everything and have instead been handed the same old scenario of late transfer scrambles and a club bring reactive rather than proactive. Players galore will be linked with Spurs in the coming days, many of whom will be nowhere near the level they need.

There are frequent appraisals of departments within Tottenham every year as the club examines how they can be better with changes aplenty often made. The same will have to apply to the recruitment side of things when this summer ends, including Levy's own role as the closer in any negotiations. Spurs are nowhere near where they should be by this point in the transfer window.

This was meant to be a time of kicking on after a special night in Bilbao when the club finally shed the 'Spursy' tag. Much of what has happened since feels like someone has stuck it back on with Sellotape.

Eze come, Eze go? Unfortunately he went and now Tottenham must once again scramble to save their summer and ensure Thomas Frank has some chance of meeting expectations that currently have little place in reality.

The pressure is on Daniel Levy, Johan Lange and Tottenham to find an Eberechi Eze alternative in the transfer market. Spurs did appear on course to sign the Crystal Palace ace until a late transfer twist on Wednesday night.

North London rivals Arsenal, who were previously linked with the 27-year-old earlier in the summer, sprung into action following an injury to Kai Havertz and it now looks like Eze will be heading to the Emirates Stadium rather than Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The news comes as a major blow to the club and supporters have made their feelings perfectly clear since the news first broke.

It is another embarrassing episode for Spurs in the transfer market having previously missed out on the signature of Morgan Gibbs-White despite believing they had made a bid which activated the release clause in his Nottingham Forest contract. Tottenham now have to act very quickly in the transfer market as Thomas Frank requires a new option in that area of the pitch with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison currently in the treatment room.

So who exactly could they target ahead of the deadline on Monday, September 1? football.london takes a look at nine options below:

Morgan Rogers

Previously linked with a move for Jacob Ramsey prior to his transfer to Newcastle United, Tottenham could potentially look at another Aston Villa ace to fill the No.10 role. Morgan Rogers has been a revelation at Villa Park since making the move from Middlesbrough and he is now an England international.

The 23-year-old contributed 14 goals and 16 assists last season and he is more than capable of playing on either wing as well as centrally. He would be a standout signing if they could lure him to N17.

Mikkel Damsgaard

Could Tottenham now launch a move for a Thomas Frank favourite? Mikkel Damsgaard was a pivotal player for Brentford last term and he went on to win players' player of the year and supporters' player of the year in the club's end-of-season awards.

The Dane is valued at £24million by Transfermarkt and he would be cheaper than some players in his position, although whether the Bees would sell is another question as Yoane Wissa could be the latest big-name exit from the club. Damsgaard contributed three goals and 11 assists last term.

Harvey Elliott

Harvey Elliott may find himself on the move from Liverpool this summer due to a lack of game time under Arne Slot. The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to RB Leipzig but a transfer to the German side has yet to go through.

Tottenham would have to move quickly if they want to add him to Frank's squad.

Savinho

Savinho has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham over the past ten days and it appeared he would be joining Eze as a Spurs player for the new term. A fee of £67million has been mentioned, meaning Tottenham would have to smash their transfer record to complete a deal for the Brazilian.

The 21-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder if required but the majority of his football has come from out wide.

Bilal El Khannouss

Eze's replacement at Crystal Palace may well be Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss, with the Moroccan in line to complete a £32million transfer to Selhurst Park. So could Tottenham instead move for him and beat the Eagles to his signature?

The 21-year-old may fit the profile of player Tottenham require but a potential deal for the Crystal Palace target may not sit well having missed out on Eze. El Khannouss, who scored in Leicester's win at Tottenham back in January, appears on course to depart the King Power Stadium before the end of the summer transfer window with a Premier League return likely.

Nico Paz

football.london reported earlier in the month that Tottenham have an interest in 20-year-old Como midfielder Nico Paz. A Real Madrid 50% sell-on clause for the Tenerife-born Argentina international reportedly makes any fee to begin negotiations likely to be a major one for a player who has played just 44 senior club games.

Paz is certainly a very good player but whether he could immediately come in and make an impact due to his age and lack of senior experience remains to be seen.

Rodrygo

A report from Defensa Central in Spain has claimed that Rodrygo could join Tottenham on loan from Real Madrid with the north London club paying his salary in full. After the Gibbs-White and Eze transfer sagas, a deal for the Brazilian would go down well with the fanbase.

However, as a loan deal has been mooted it would leave the club in the same position 12 months down the line unless they signed the 24-year-old on a permanent basis. The player has very little experience playing as a No.10 as he has mainly operated from the wing or as a centre forward.

Xavi Simons

Xavi Simons' mooted transfer to Chelsea has yet to go through and it remains to be seen when the Netherlands international will officially move to Stamford Bridge. That in turn could open the door for other clubs to nip in, with football.london reporting 10 days ago that Manchester City have an expressed an interest in the former PSV man.

Simons had 19 goal involvements (11 goals, eight assists) in 33 games last season and he could also give Spurs options on the left wing as well as in a central role.

Dani Olmo

Dani Olmo played 39 games for Barcelona last season but it was pretty much an even split between starts and substitute appearances in La Liga. Despite maybe not playing as many minutes as he would have liked, he still did manage to chip in with 12 goals and seven assists.

The 27-year-old is certainly not guaranteed a place in the Barcelona team, with Fermin Lopez getting the nod over him in last week's win against Real Mallorca. Olmo, who mainly operates at No.10 but can play on either wing, would be a statement signing for Tottenham if they could agree on a deal with the Spanish giants.

Tottenham are 'preparing' an improved bid to sign Savinho from Manchester City, it has been claimed. Spurs opened talks to sign th winger earlier this month but have been met with a firm stance that his £70 million asking price must be met.

It later emerged that a switch from Etihad Stadium to north London was being stopped by City officials with head coach Pep Guardiola, after revealing Savinho was injured, making his thoughts clear on the situation.

"If Tottenham in that case - or any other club - wants a player, they should call the club right?" he said in a press conference last week.

"It's the same like we do. I'm only concerned right now, today, that Savinho will be with us until the end of the season.

"And, hopefully, for many, many years. He's 21-years-old with the potential that he has. He's played a lot of minutes, he has to improve in the final decisions. But he's an extraordinary player, otherwise he would not have played more than 3,000 minutes.

"But in the end - as always - the desire of the players prevails above everything. But they have to arrive to an agreement with the club."

City have rarely been reluctant to stop a player leaving if that is their wish with Jack Grealish and James McAtee sealing exits this summer while Nathan Ake, Manual Akanji, Ederson and Rico Henry have all been actively pursued.

The latter however, has agreed to a new contract amid interest from Nottingham Forest.

The latest update on Savinho's future has been revealed by Brazilian outlet Globo with it claimed Spurs are preparing a £69.2m (€80m) bid. Their report has added that his agents remain in London to continue negotiations but that it is not a straightforward deal given City's lack of receptiveness.

It looks as though Savinho remains keen on a switch with the 21-year-old of the belief that a move to Spurs could help his chances of featuring for Brazil in next year's World Cup.

With his asking price more or less met, assuming this proposal is lodged, Spurs will have actually done all they can to sign the wide forward.

The need to do exactly that has been made much more important by Arsenal hijacking their move for Eberechi Eze.

The deal with Crystal Palace was close to being finalised until the Gunners made an approach after Kai Havertz suffered an injury against Manchester United last weekend.

Bukayo Saka may have subtly hinted earlier this month that Eberechi Eze could be joining him at Arsenal.

The Gunners have made a last-minute swoop for the Crystal Palace winger, outmanoeuvring their fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs seemed to have secured their man. However, Mikel Arteta's side made it clear they would meet Palace's asking price of £68million, while agreeing terms with the England star, pulling off an incredible late stage hijack.

A move to the Emirates Stadium will see Eze join up with some of his international team-mates, one of whom is Saka. Before the new season kicked off, Saka posted pictures on his Instagram story showing him visiting the New Balance shop in London, reports the Mirror.

In one of the snaps, there is a large picture of Saka, alongside a display of New Balance footballs. However, just in front of the picture of the Arsenal star, is a much smaller photo of Eze. Subtle? Indeed. A coincidence, with Eze also having a contract with the sportswear giant? Perhaps.

However, with recent events unfolding as they have, it's safe to say, while the placement of Eze's photo in Saka's story was perhaps coincidental, it now looks like a deliberate hint from the 23-year-old that he perhaps knew all along that his England team-mate would end up joining him in north London.

Palace chairman Steve Parish and Tottenham owner Daniel Levy were engaged in negotiations over a deal for Eze. However, Eze's preference was always to join Arsenal – the club where he spent his formative years – and this proved pivotal in enticing him back to the Gunners.

The Athletic has reported that, despite initially being deterred by the asking price, Arsenal eventually signalled their willingness to meet the release clause, which expired last Friday.

Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis acted swiftly to reach an agreement, which will see Eze undergo a medical after playing one final time for Palace in their Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening at Selhurst Park.

However, Palace may still choose to leave him out of the tie to avoid any risk of injury before his Arsenal medical. Palace's insistence on delaying any deal until after their Conference League play-off match ultimately helped to scupper Spurs' chances of securing Eze, as it gave Arsenal the opportunity to swoop in.

The Gunners have made no secret of their admiration for Eze, but had backed off from a deal in recent weeks, seemingly leaving Spurs with a clear path. However, a knee injury to Kai Havertz prompted Arsenal into action.

Arsenal have already splashed out over £200m this summer on Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Adding Eze to their ranks would undoubtedly bolster their title challenge. Since his £17m move from Queens Park Rangers in 2020, the 27-year-old has made 167 appearances for Palace, netting 14 goals and setting up 11 more in his 43 outings last season.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is still on the hunt for a creative force following the loss of James Maddison to a severe knee injury and the departure of Son Heung-min this summer. Although Mohammed Kudus has been brought in from West Ham, there's no doubt that additional firepower is required.

Arsenal are on the brink of edging out rivals Tottenham to sign Eberechi Eze thanks to two major incentives. The Gunners offered more attainable add-on conditions and proposed a quicker payment plan than Spurs, which has ultimately swayed Crystal Palace to sell to them instead.

Mikel Arteta's squad is set to be strengthened by the £67.5million acquisition of the England international after major progress was made during talks on Wednesday. This development comes as Arsenal forward Kai Havertz faces a stint out of action due to a knee injury.

Eze, who was born in Greenwich, always favoured a move to Arsenal over Spurs. And the Gunners have now outmanoeuvred Tottenham with a deal which Palace find more attractive.

The more achievable add-ons at Arsenal than what Spurs tabled will further guarantee Palace of getting more money for Eze in the long run, while the faster payment terms means the Eagles will receive the fee quicker and boost their budget for the remainder of the summer and the upcoming transfer windows.

Thomas Frank's side had stepped up their pursuit of Eze after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury during pre-season. However, Havertz's impending absence seems to have prompted Arsenal to enhance their offer.

Sky Sports report that Arsenal will pay Palace a guaranteed £60m, with an additional £7.5m in add-ons. Eze had a £68m release clause (£60m plus £8m in add-ons) in his contract, which expired when the Premier League season kicked off.

Arteta and Arsenal's sporting director, Andrea Berta, reportedly had a meeting with Eze in early July to discuss his potential transfer. The player was supposedly convinced back then about the move, but it wasn't until this week that the north London giants submitted a formal offer.

The Gunners are now on the brink of agreeing personal terms with the player before finalising the deal. It's understood Spurs have already pulled out of the race and are now exploring other options for an attacking midfielder, as per The Mirror.

Tottenham were thought to be preparing a player-plus-cash offer that would have made the deal more appealing for Palace. Forward Richarlison was being tipped as a potential part of the deal, but they seem to have conceded defeat in their pursuit.

Eze, 27, is reportedly eager to stay in Palace's squad for Thursday's Europa Conference League match against Fredrikstad, but the club might still take him out in order to keep him injury-free. After five years at Selhurst Park, it's suggested the player wants to say his goodbyes and show his appreciation to the fans.

FA Cup-winner Eze, who has earned 12 caps for England, will join international team-mates Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly at the Emirates Stadium. He'll also get the chance to make his Champions League debut this season if the move goes through as planned.

The lifelong Arsenal fan previously played in the Arsenal academy as a youngster. However, he was let go before joining the youth teams at Fulham, Reading and Millwall during his teenage years.

Lads, it's Tottenham.

This awful three-word phrase was first coined by Sir Alex Ferguson as a team talk for his Manchester United players suggesting they had nothing to fear from playing Spurs and should enjoy their football and just go out and beat them.

More often than not, they did back then.

It's the history of Tottenham.

That's another derogatory phrase, this time brought up by Giorgio Chiellini after a Champions League win over Spurs. This was used to reference Spurs "always missing something to arrive at the end".

We all thought that finally, finally winning a trophy in that triumphant UEFA Europa League final in May would lay these harsh comments - along with the cringey Spursy tag - to rest.

Then we step into a transfer window and I can't help but think of those tags again and use them to describe the Lilywhites' actions.

It has happened time and again in the past and, unfortunately for supporters, Tottenham have now been burned not once, but twice in the summer transfer window.

football.london reported on Tuesday and Wednesday that Spurs were closing in on a deal to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, with talks ongoing between the two clubs.

The No.10 that Thomas Frank's squad desperately craves and a fantastic talent that Spurs have tracked for a number of years. What a signing.

But, with the deal not completed you can never celebrate; on Wednesday evening, having seen Kai Havertz ruled out with injury, Arsenal reignited their interest in Eze. Having been linked for much of the summer, only for plans to sign him to be put on the backburner, the Gunners are now set to sign the England international from under Spurs' noses.

Getting hijacked by anyone for a transfer is bad enough, but when it's your biggest rivals it hurts even more.

Spurs had turned their attentions to Eze after failing to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest. That was one of the weirdest transfer situations you're ever likely to encounter.

Once again, Spurs thought they had got their man, but after Forest threatened legal action and shut down communications with Tottenham, the player went on to sign a new contract with his club.

Twice in one window Spurs have been close to completing a statement signing in a position that clearly needs filling and twice the club have failed.

It is, as football.london reporter Alasdair Gold put it, "a mess".

The problem is, for Tottenham supporters, things like this have happened before. Willian and Chelsea immediately springs to mind. But there have been plenty of other occasions of missing out on key signings.

Jack Grealish is another where the club dallied over a price and Aston Villa eventually got new investment and said 'on your bike'.

Paulo Dybala and Bruno Fernandes looked set to move to north London at various times, only for the rug to be pulled at seemingly the last moment.

there are, of course, differing reasons why these deals do not come off and no one can know exactly what goes on behind the scenes. But it feels like it happens all too often to Tottenham.

Daniel Levy spoke in pre-season of the Europa League not being enough, that he wants Spurs to challenge for and win the Premier League and the Champions League.

To do that, we need to back the manager because the squad is painfully short of quality in certain areas. Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all got business done in super quick time this summer, signalling their intent.

Once again, despite early moves for Mathys Tel (making his loan deal permanent), Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha - and the untested Kota Takai - Tottenham fans are still left waiting for more. Spurs still need one or two signings and the season is already under way. And with Eze moving to Arsenal now, it's back to the drawing board and yet another wait to see if any other plans come to fruition.

Thomas Frank faces another awkward Tottenham test this weekend when his side visit Manchester City in Saturday's early kick-off. Prior to beating Burnley last weekend, Spurs came up against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final and gave the Champions League holders a real scare.

Tottenham looked destined to win the trophy having led 2-0 for 85 minutes before a late fightback from the French side sparked a remarkable turnaround. Frank did have a plan in place for the cup final and it almost paid off.

That may well be the case again on Saturday when his team travel north to the Etihad Stadium. The Dane is not a head coach who has a set formation and he will tinker his setup and tactics accordingly to the team they face.

During his time as Brentford boss last season, Frank utilised a back five when the Bees were defeated 2-1 in Manchester last September. In the return game in January, he opted for a 4-3-3 setup as the west London club registered a late point following a 2-2 draw.

Frank could choose to repeat the 4-2-3-1 formation he used in last Saturday's 3-0 win over Burnley as Richarlison hit a double and Brennan Johnson also got in on the act. The other option would be for him to revert to the system he used in the PSG game when he went with a back three and wing-backs, with Pape Matar Sarr offering support to Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus in attack.

Given City put four past Wolves at the weekend and they are extremely impressive going forward, a return to the back three could be what the 51-year-old opts for. That would mean Kevin Danso, who would take Johnson's place from last weekend, comes in to join Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the backline, with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence operating out wide.

In midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha will be leading the race to start after both dropping to the bench for the Burnley game. Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall would be the two players to miss out to accommodate the aforementioned pair.

Sarr will be the most advanced midfield player in this setup, giving him the chance to add to the threat of Richarlison and Kudus in attack as was the case in the Super Cup final.

Here is the strongest Tottenham XI to face Man City on Saturday:

Tottenham fans can now start planning their travel arrangements for October following the release of the latest batch of TV fixtures. As is the case in September, Spurs only have three league games on the schedule.

However, October is set to be a busy month for Thomas Frank and his squad as they will be in Champions League action. They will also have a Carabao Cup round four fixture on the agenda providing that they make it beyond the third round in September.

Tottenham start October with a tricky away trip to Leeds United. The game at Elland Road has been provisionally moved to the 12:30pm on Saturday, October 4 with the game set to be broadcast live on TNT Sports. However, it will be moved to an 8pm kick-off the same day if Spurs are in Champions League action on Wednesday, October 1.

The Premier League will then go on pause for two weeks as the second international break of the campaign takes place. Tottenham return to the field after the break in play with a home encounter against Aston Villa.

Initially in the calendar for Saturday, October 18, the sides will go head-to-head in N17 on Sunday, October 19 with the game commencing at 2pm on Sky Sports.

Finally, Tottenham's last league game in October sees them make their first visit to Everton's brand new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The game on Merseyside will be played at 4:30pm on Sunday, October 26 and be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Spurs fans will have to wait another month to discover dates and times for their Premier League games in November. As per the Premier League website, an estimated release date is Wednesday, September 17.

As mentioned above, Tottenham will be in Champions League action in October after last featuring in the competition during the 2022/23 season. The north London club will be one of 36 teams involved in next Thursday's draw in Switzerland.

Spurs will be paired against two teams from each of the four pots to determine their eight league phase fixtures. Dates and times for their European games will likely be finalised a day or two after the draw.

Here are Tottenham's confirmed Premier League fixtures in October following the latest round of TV picks.

Tottenham Premier League fixtures in October

Saturday, October 4 - Leeds United vs Tottenham - 12:30pm (TNT Sports)*

Sunday, October 19 - Tottenham vs Aston Villa - 2pm (Sky Sports)

Sunday, October 26 - Everton vs Tottenham - 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

*Will be moved to an 8pm kick-off if Tottenham play in the Champions League on Wednesday, October 1

Tottenham will hope to tie up a deal to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in the coming days, with the hope that the transfer could be concluded before the weekend's Premier League trip to face Manchester City.

Spurs must complete the transfer by 12pm on Friday in order for Eze to make his debut against Pep Guardiola's side.

football.london reported on Tuesday that further talks were planned between Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and his Palace counterpart Steve Parish, following positive negotiations on the deal.

Eze had a £67.5million release clause that expired before the start of the season, although it is understood that Parish is looking for a similar amount to conclude a deal now too.

Spurs stepped up their interest in Eze following an anterior cruciate ligament injury to James Maddison, which will keep him out for much of the season. And the transfer looks set to go through to bolster Thomas Frank's attacking options.

Eze can play anywhere across the front line around a central striker, while he can also play in the midfield, with his versatility set to be key for Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner had hoped that Eze, who played in the goalless draw at Chelsea on Sunday, would be involved in his side's first European match on Thursday night as they take on Fredrikstad in the UEFA Conference League, while Spurs hope to push a deal through for Eze in time for him to play a part against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League.

Palace were keen to sign a replacement before agreeing to let Eze leave and Spurs may now have the green light to conclude a deal after something of a breakthrough in the Eagles' transfer plans.

According to Sky Sports, Palace are close to agreeing a £32million deal with Leicester City for forward Bilal El Khannouss. A "broad agreement" has been reached, but Palace are still open to moving for Southampton starlet Tyler Dibling too.

Further talks between Tottenham and Crystal Palace are taking place today over a transfer deal for Eberechi Eze, football.london understands. Spurs are trying to push a deal for the England international to its conclusion.

Tottenham are looking to sign a new No.10 ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday, September 1 and Eze would be a statement signing by the club. The ex-QPR man has wowed during his time at Selhurst Park, notably helping his team win the FA Cup for the first time in their history back in May after scoring the winning goal against Manchester City at Wembley.

The addition of Eze would give Spurs a major boost in the No.10 role as they currently have Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the treatment room. It appears that it will only be a matter of time before the 27-year-old makes the move across the capital as he did appear to say goodbye to Crystal Palace supporters following the Eagles' 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Palace boss Oliver Glasner did state that he expects his star man to play in Thursday's Conference League play-off tie against Norwegian side Fredrikstad. Ahead of the club's first game in Europe, Eze trained with his Crystal Palace teammates at their training base on Wednesday.

It remains a possibility that he could play in the Conference League fixture on Thursday night as the team look to put themselves in a good position to make it through to the league phase of the competition. If he is to be involved, it could give Eze the chance to say a final goodbye to Palace supporters ahead of his expected move to Tottenham.

A potential Conference League appearance for the Greenwich-born player would not impact Tottenham when it comes to Eze playing for them in the Champions League come September. UEFA.com states: "A player who has been fielded in the first, second or third qualifying round, or in the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League, is entitled to play in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League for another club as from the league phase."

If Tottenham are to strike a quick deal for Eze a debut at Manchester City on Saturday could be a possibility. However, he would need to be registered as a Spurs player with the Premier League by midday on Friday, August 22 for him to be eligible to play the following day at the Etihad Stadium.