Football London

Kevin Danso will take away six months of fond memories of Son Heung-min with none more surprising to him than the first time they met at Tottenham.

Danso was among those who hugged the South Korean star and formed a guard of honour for the tearful 33-year-old on Sunday as he came off the pitch at the Seoul World Cup Stadium just over an hour into his final appearance for Spurs.

Son is leaving the north London club after 10 years to move to a new life and league with Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. He remained in Korea on Sunday night as his team-mates flew home to London and there were plenty of emotions on their faces as they left the popular captain in his homeland.

"Honestly, very sad. I can only imagine how he feels," Danso told football.london. "Absolute legend for everybody, not just at Tottenham Hotspur. Somebody who has been at a club for 10 years, achieved what we have achieved as a club. Everybody was sad to hear the news [that he was leaving], but can understand and respect his decision."

The first time the 26-year-old Austrian international defender met Son came soon after his February switch from Lens. He was struck by not only how down to earth the Premier League legend was but also his language skills.

So when you ask Danso what his favourite memory of Son is, he goes right back to that moment at the beginning of February.

"The first time I met him. He has been here for 10 years and his German is still so good. He came up to me and started talking in German to me. I was ‘like wow.’ The way he is around the changing room, he is just somebody you look up to. He is humble. Just everything that he does on and off the pitch. He is a role model," he said.

Son continued to use his German with Danso across the months and that bonded the two men, making it even sadder when the Korean told team-mates the news of his exit, shortly before football.london broke the story of it and then his press conference to confirm it to the world.

"We have a good relationship. He told us in the morning before the press conference. Sad news but for the person and for everything he has achieved, he could not have ended in a better way with winning the trophy," said the centre-back.

"I’ve grown up watching him. It kinds of feels like you have known him [for longer]. I saw him in Germany while he was playing there. When you think of him you think of him playing at Tottenham, scoring 10 plus goals every season. His partnership with Harry Kane, so many fond memories.

"To hear that he will be leaving is sad but I’m absolutely privileged to have played with him in the last few months. I wish him nothing but the best."

While Son's Tottenham adventure is coming to a close, Danso's is only just beginning. This summer his loan move from France automatically became permanent in a £21.8million deal.

At this point, it's worth pointing out that football.london is speaking to Danso in 34 degree-heat at the King Sejong statue in Seoul while the defender is wearing the full traditional Korean dress, the hanbok.

He is in a kingsman's garb including the hat, while his goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is nearby in the king's dress. There's something fitting about that as the Austrian must protect the Italian at all times on the football pitch.

It's roasting hot but Danso does not have even a single bead of sweet forming on his brow, just a big smile on his face as he speaks about his new head coach Thomas Frank and the Dane's focus on certain defensive aspects including blocking and tackling drills where all the players must protect a number of mini-goals from shots coming from all directions.

"It’s brilliant. We have been enjoying every moment of it. It’s something exciting. It’s always exciting when it’s a new start. New ideas and everybody is trying to take it in their stride as much as possible. We are just looking to improve on what we did last season," he said.

"You can see from the way we play the work ethic and you have seen some of the training videos [of players throwing themselves in the way of shots]. I wasn’t here last pre-season but it’s been a tough pre-season. A lot of running and hard work. We try to implement that in our game and the way we play."

He added: "That’s fun for me, as a defender it’s something I love to do that. You have seen the defending and blocking clips. That’s all a bit of fun as well as actual tactical work. For me, it’s about taking it every moment step by step and enjoying it."

But what of those 1km runs at speed that have left the players exhausted on the ground afterwards? Surely they're not as fun?

"Tough! It was my first time doing something like that. Very tough but good," said the Austrian.

There were also long throw auditions in the early days of this summer's pre-season training with Frank often utilising that as a weapon at Brentford, although it is yet to be seen in a match at Tottenham.

There was social media chatter that Danso had won the audition. He played that down but the powerful defender admitted he's got a good distance in him when he hurls the ball.

"I've got a long throw. I'm not sure if I won, but I have had a long throw for as long as I can remember," he said. "At previous clubs I have been taking throw-ins and stuff like that. It’s an additional secret weapon.

"Quite a few of the lads had long throws though. Ben Davies was really good."

Danso was born in Austria to Ghanaian parents before moving to Milton Keynes at just six-years-old and then later to France to play for three-and-a-half years at Lens, which means he can speak a string of different languages,

He has been looking after a new arrival at Spurs in Mohammed Kudus with the two men both speaking the Twi dialect from their Ghanaian roots. The 24-year-old has already impressed Frank and the Tottenham fans and Danso is also fully on board the Kudus hype train.

"Everybody has seen his quality in the Premier League in the last two seasons. Just amazing player, amazing guy. Really quiet, just keeps himself to himself. We have a good relationship," he said.

"I have a Ghanaian background and he plays for Ghana. So we get along quite well and sit next to each other most of the time. He is a great guy. Everybody has seen his quality already in the few games he has played at Spurs. An amazing player and guy."

He added: "I've tried to help him settle as much as possible. When I got here, everybody made it really easy and it’s the same with him. It’s always good to have somebody who speaks the same language as you, a bit more familiar with the current club you’re at and that’s what I try to be. Make it easy for him as much as it was easy for me."

Ask Danso to name the defenders he has learned from over the years and you'll get an answer that will go down well with Tottenham fans.

"Definitely you have got Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Ledley King. Growing up watching him. It’s an honour to be here following in their footsteps and I'll try my best to leave a legacy as much as they did," he said.

So what does this season require after one that brought the club's first trophy in 17 years but also a 17th-place finish in the Premier League?

"To build on last year. The aim is to win and become a winning club. It’s everybody’s goal at the club and the new manager's goal as well. We are going to try our best to be better in the league and try to win more trophies," he said.

"My personal goal is the same. To win trophies with Spurs and play as much as possible. Just win trophies, that is the most important thing. That is what this massive club deserves and needs."

An immediate chance to win another trophy arrives next week with the trip to Udine to play Champions League winners PSG in the UEFA Super Cup and Danso cannot wait.

"We have a massive opportunity and we are preparing really well," he said. "It’s a great opportunity for us to build on what we showed last year that we can win stuff. That’s the absolute goal for this club because that's what it deserves."

Daniel Levy has explained why Ange Postecoglou was sacked. The Tottenham Hotspur chairman was heavily criticised by large sections of the fanbase when the 59-year-old was dismissed just weeks after winning the UEFA Europa League.

Despite leading the Lilywhites to their first major trophy in 17 years, Postecoglou was let go. During an exclusive interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, Levy set the record straight, claiming that the decision to sack the former Celtic boss was data-driven.

“Ultimately, the decision sits with me, but it's always a collective decision," said the Tottenham chairman. "We have a board of directors, but under the board, we have a group of technical staff, and they advise.

"We had to explain the decision to part ways with Ange. Ange just won us a trophy – a European trophy – highly significant and he's always going to be in our history."

Levy added: "However, we couldn't lose sight of the fact that we finished 17th in the league, we lost 22 Premier League games, and it's impossible for Tottenham to be in that position, and so we had to take the emotion out of it and we had to give some data points as to why we decided to do what we did.

"Whichever level you do it, no one likes telling somebody, ‘You're losing your job’, but it is the nature of football. We're there to win and yes, we won a European trophy – and it was fantastic – but we also need to win on all fronts – and the Premier League says it all."

Neville also asked Levy if he gets enough credit for the progress Tottenham have made under his leadership. The Spurs chairman said: "I think it’s one of those situations – when I’m not here, I’m sure I’ll get the credit.

"When you come here and look at this wonderful building [Tottenham Hotspur Stadium], and the fact that other clubs are now trying to copy what we’re doing, that should be a sign that maybe we did do something bold, and something right."

Daniel Levy has stated that Tottenham will support Thomas Frank financially "to the best of our ability" as they look to challenge for major honours. The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a trophy back in May after Ange Postecoglou guided the club to Europa League glory with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao.

However, the Australian would be dismissed as head coach the following month after Tottenham endured a rotten Premier League season where they suffered 22 defeats from 38 games and finished 17th in the table. Frank is now the man tasked with directing Tottenham back up the table and competing for honours on a regular basis as they look to follow up their European triumph with more silverware.

Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, chairman Levy opened up on the appointment of Frank as head coach and if the Dane would be given the funds to compete with the high amounts other clubs are splashing out in the market.

"Whenever you appoint a coach, you always believe it's right and you need a lot of ingredients for it to be right," explained Levy. "Thomas Frank is a highly intelligent individual, he's got a fantastic way about him in terms of communication. He will be great at developing both young players and older players – and making them better.

"He gets the style of football we want to play, he understands that Rome wasn’t built in a day – we haven't set him, 'you've got to win the league this year'."

When Neville pressed him on when he has to win it, Levy replied: "As soon as possible, but no pressure! We just want to compete at the highest level."

On getting the required funds to compete with other clubs towards the top of the Premier League, the chairman said: "We will support him to the best of our ability. If you look at transfer fees, we've been in the top four spenders since the stadium opened, we've spent close to £700 million net on new players – this isn't just about money, this is about some luck, having the right balance in the team, having the right coach – there's a lot of things that have to come together.

"I very much hope Thomas will bring all the right ingredients and bring this team to where it belongs which is right at the top."

During his time with Neville, the Spurs chairman was also asked about the level of spending from some clubs in the transfer market.

"I wouldn't say that the spending of other clubs is crazy, but it's not sustainable which is why they end up with problems," he admitted. "We all know that if everyone overspends it's a zero-sum game because no one benefits from it. I think there has to be rules and people need to stick to them."

Levy has come in for criticism in the past for being involved in the football side too much. That is something he most definitely refutes.

"I would say that is completely unfair," he stated. "People that have worked in this club and understand the workings of the football side, I do not interfere at all in the decision making of this player vs that player.

"It is always the coach, always the technical staff – the only thing I get involved in is when they decide which player they want to buy for instance or which player they want to sell; I will go out and do my very best for this football club. I'm not interfering in the football decisions.

"It's no different from any other club – it's not just me – it’s a board. When we went through the decision to appoint Thomas [Frank], there were several people involved in that decision – I was just one of them."

Daniel Levy believes the Premier League's legal dispute with Manchester City has gone on for 'far too long'. In February 2023, the English top-flight charged its then-reigning champions with 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations.

Over nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18, the club were accused of failing to cooperate with investigations and provide accurate financial information. Man City denied any wrongdoing, so they looked to prove their innocence in front of an independent panel.

The case – that was heard in private at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London – concluded late last year. A three-man team have been reviewing the evidence before they deliver a long-awaited final verdict.

It's said that if Man City are found guilty, they could be hit with a financial penalty or a points deduction. During an exclusive interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, Levy was quizzed on the Premier League's legal dispute.

The Tottenham Hotspur chairman said: "I think it would be really unfair of me to talk about another club in the Premier League. All I would say is that it’s going through a process which I think has gone on for far too long.

"It needs to be brought, for the good of the game, to a conclusion one way or another," added Levy. Neville then claimed it's 'shameful' that the Premier League 'can’t get their house in order quicker'.

The Manchester United legend also questioned whether the higher-ups in the English top-flight can be trusted to 'run the game'. Levy added: "Well, I as I said, I think it was the FA that should have brought us all together.

"I agree, it's unfortunate that we haven’t been able to resolve things internally rather than the recourse of the lawyers because the lawyers are going to earn a lot of money out of this."

In February of this year, Pep Guardiola suggested that a final verdict would be announced in March. The City boss told reporters: "In one month, I think there will be a verdict and a sentence. After that, we will see my opinion of what happened so far."

Then, a few days later at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London, Javier Tebas revealed that he had submitted a complaint about Man City to the European Commission in 2023. Guardiola was asked about the La Liga president's comment ahead of City's clash against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.

"Next," said the former Barcelona boss as soon as he heard Tebas' name. Guardiola said 'next' again as the question continued. When asked if he's tired of being quizzed about City's finances, he repeated: "Next."

When asked why City have become a legal target for clubs and leagues, Guardiola said: "I don't know. It happened in the past with UEFA, and now in a few weeks it happens in the Premier League, the sentence, right. We'll wait, and after we'll talk."

Guardiola's final comment referenced the highly anticipated verdict in Man City's battle with the Premier League.

Mohammed Kudus has arrived at Tottenham Hotspur as someone who wants to be different to the rest and that much is clear already.

Spurs signed the 24-year-old from West Ham in a £55million deal last month. It was the first transfer between the two clubs in 14 years, since Scott Parker made the move across London, and it would take a special player to end that stand-off.

Within just a couple of weeks Kudus has shown that he's got that bit of magic. His new boss Thomas Frank has said the Ghana international is a player who will get the fans off their seats and that has certainly proved to be the case so far with his tricks, flicks, dribbling ability and strength on the ball.

He was involved in both of Spurs' goals in their first pre-season game at Reading and then terrified Arsenal out in Hong Kong every time he got the ball in the 1-0 win at the Kai Tak Stadium.

Then on Sunday in Seoul as the man who replaced the departing Son Heung-min, Kudus performed one delightful bit of trickery on the run to create a chance against Newcastle and show that he will try to fill the big void left by the South Korean star as he departs for Los Angeles.

"I have always seen the game as trying to be different. We have a lot of passes and less guys who want to take people on and dribble and that’s how I’ve always grown to play," he said. "Try to entertain the fans as much as I can. So it has always been a part of my game."

His exciting style makes even more sense when you realise who his hero was growing up in Ghana.

"A lot of players but from Africa it was Jay-Jay Okocha," he remembered. "I really liked how he was playing."

He told football.london about what Frank had asked of him when he joined: "We all know my abilities in 1v1s, trying to create and help the team so that’s what I am here to try and do but defensively try to add to my game as well."

That's coming along nicely as it's not just Kudus' attacking play that has caught Frank's eye. After that victory against Arsenal the Dane made reference to one long key run tracking back that the midfielder undertook to win possession after the Gunners had broken up the pitch.

Kudus admitted that it was something he felt was important to continue improving on in his game so his new team-mates can look to him in all situations.

"I offer a lot offensively but defensively too I want to make the team feel like they can depend on me because the football also needs me with stuff like that," he said. "Especially in games like that where we are going to have to be defending sometimes."

Kudus has quickly settled into life at the north London club and he has been helped by one of the club's January recruits.

"Everybody has helped me a lot. The guys try to speak to me to get the connection on and off the pitch. So far it has been smooth," he explained. "Kevin [Danso] is a Ghanaian so we speak our local dialect (Twi) so it has been easier to connect.

"We talk about everything. Football, life. He just tries to help me because he has been here before me."

One team-mate who Kudus will no longer get to play alongside is captain Son with the 33-year-old ending 10 years at Tottenham with a move to Los Angeles and Major League Soccer.

"I have so much respect and admiration for him. We played against each other in the World Cup. I just love how he plays," he said. "He has done a lot for the club and I’m grateful to have come here and played with him. He has been a great example for us, from how he trains and carries himself, so big up to him."

This season brings a return to the Champions League for Tottenham and also Kudus, who impressed in the competition with Ajax, netting four goals and registering two assists in six appearances in the 2022/23 season.

"It's very exciting," said the Ghanaian of being back among Europe's elite. "Those are the levels we live to play for and I think the club deserves to be in that spot. We need to make the most out of it."

With Kudus daring to be different, you just know he is likely to make the very most of it.

Thomas Frank admits he was surprised that Joao Palhinha was available from Bayern Munich and explained that the experienced midfielder comes into an empty role he assessed immediately that Tottenham needed.

Spurs have tied up a loan deal for the 30-year-old former Fulham midfielder which reportedly includes a £26.2million (30million euros) option to buy the Portuguese at the end of the season. Palhinha played 68 games in the Premier League as a defensive midfielder at Craven Cottage before making the move to Bayern for £46.5million last summer.

A torn adductor muscle however fragmented his debut season in Germany and now Tottenham have managed to bring him back to England and football.london asked Frank what attracted him to Palhinha.

"It was always his abilities and if you look at the squad I don’t think we have his ability or package as a clear number six with his profile. I actually think Rodri (Bentancur) can play there as well but I think they could complement each other well in there if, for example, it is those two or also other players," he said. "I think Pape (Sarr) is extremely promising. We have Bissouma and Bergvall as well.

"But [Palhinha’s] defensive qualities, his ability to be in the centre of the pitch, very disciplined, his distribution, short, diagonals, [passes] in behind and then his ability to break up play. Especially if you are playing away from home or against good counter-attacking teams. It’s very important to have one that, you know, is not running away or gets attracted to something. His set-piece ability in both boxes is a key thing and he has some experience which is good."

The Spurs head coach explained to football.london that he immediately felt that the squad he had inherited was missing something in the anchor man role.

"When I came in and assessed the squad, it was an area where I thought we could need something there," he admitted. "I know the squad and I know the team and I have watched extra [games] before I went in but it’s always different when you then walk in and you feel [the players], you touch them, you work with them and I watch intense video with my eyes and the way I want things to go.

"Then I learned a bit more that he would be a very good addition. He played in the Premier League for two years so I followed him closely and remember the battles we had with him [at Brentford]. He was so annoying to play against so that is a good quality!"

Frank admitted he was taken aback that Tottenham were able to get Palhinha away from Bayern after just a single season in the Bundesliga.

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised. Bayern went hard for him for two years and for whatever reason, which I actually don’t care about because we can get him, it was an opportunity for us," said the Dane. " Sometimes everything goes a little bit in circles. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number nine. Sometimes it is impossible to get a number six. Sometimes it is impossible to get a right-back. At this moment in time, there are not many clear number sixes in the market so we are quite lucky to get him."

He added: "I think he is a top player. He impressed everyone in the Premier League in the two years he was with Fulham. He is a regular for Portugal. Whatever the reason [Bayern let him go maybe] is the coach, the culture, the club, himself. Sometimes it is difficult to say. My concern is that he wanted to come and we wanted him to come."

At 30-years-old, Palhinha is one of the older players Tottenham have signed in recent years, especially with that potential £26.2million fee if he impresses, but Frank made it clear it was important to add players who can perform now and adding experience does not necessarily mean older arrivals.

"It doesn’t have to be that experience [in terms of age]. Kudus is experienced and he is 24. He has tried a lot in his life and he can perform now," said the Spurs head coach. "I think it’s important to have some players who can perform now. We need to have enough of them and enough talent. We need the perfect blend because I think we have some big talent in the middle of the pitch like Archie Gray, Lucas and Pape."

On the loan deal aspect suiting all parties, Frank added: "That was important for all of us. We need him and his profile but let’s see how he settles in. The loan with an option always gives us the opportunity to go one step further. When we sign a player, no matter loan or permanent, it’s always around the long term. It just gives us a little bit more wriggling room in a year's time."

football.london suggested that even if it did end up being a short-term deal it gave 19-year-olds Gray and Bergvall another year to grow and develop into the role Frank had been looking for.

"Yes that is a very good point. Thank you for asking that, that is what I should have said. You are right," he said. "It is two big talents that I am really pleased are in the building but it's also clear they need to grow. Pape has shown that. It's not about age. They are 19, he is 22. It’s not that. Some are ready when they are 19, some at 20, some at 22 or 23, but you can clearly see Pape is just a tiny bit ahead and is a big talent. We have been very pleased with him."

Tottenham have completed the signing of Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich.

The former Fulham midfielder arrives at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the fourth signing of the summer folowing moves for Mathys Tel - who also arrived from Bayern - Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus.

The 30-year-old has signed a season-long loan deal in N17 with Spurs having an option to sign the midfielder permanently at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Tottenham had been looking for reinforcements in the No.6 position for Frank's new-look squad and Palhinha certainly fits the bill.

The Portuguese started his career with Sporting CP and had a number of loans in Portugal before making the move to the Premier League in 2022 when signing for the Whites.

He made 68 appearances in west London during a two-season spell, during which time he made more tackles than any other player. His performances earned him a £47.4million move to the Allianz Arena in 2024, although injuries hampered his spell in the Bundesliga somewhat, restricting him to just 25 appearances for the German champions.

Palhinha becomes the second player to arrive at Sprus on loan from Bayern, following Tel's loan move in January - a deal that was made permanent this summer.

Palhinha's move is subject to international clearance and a work permit and if granted quickly, his first appearance for Spurs could strangely be against his parent club.

Tottenham, after returning home from their pre-season tour of Asia, make the trip to Munich for a game against Bayern on Thursday.

It is the second pre-season in a row in which Spurs take on the Bundesliga outfit, a stipulation as part of the £100million deal that took Harry Kane from Spurs to Bayern in 2023.

Palhinha's shirt number for the season has yet to be confirmed.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has been speaking about the 1-1 draw with Newcastle in South Korea that brought plenty of emotions.

The match in Seoul is expected to be Son Heung-min's final match for the club after 10 years and countless memories, not least lifting the Europa League trophy in May to end it all on a high. Against Newcastle, Brennan Johnson opened the scoring with a low finish before Harvey Barnes equalised with a powerful shot just before half-time.

The second half was all about two moments described by Frank to football.london as beautiful and brutal. First a tearful Son got his moment to come off after the hour mark and the game stopped as he was hugged by everyone on it, with a guard of honour before the substitutes and staff surrounded him and hugged the emotional captain.

Then came the brutal moment as James Maddison went down in the final stages with a non-contact injury to his right knee which looked serious.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank on those two players after the game. Scroll down for every word the Spurs boss said at the press conference inside the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

What did you make of the match?

I thought it was a good game between two competitive teams. We scored a great goal from high pressure where we were winning it high. It was a big, big part of what we like to do. I also think we won it high, maybe four, five or six times where we could have created more of those situations and then we dropped a little bit back. Then in the second half, we got back to more of that. Fair result in an even game.

First off how is James Maddison and what exactly happened to him and with Son, have you ever seen anything like that on a football pitch and what were the scenes like in the dressing room after as well?

Yeah, it's like in life and football, I think sometimes life and football can be brutal, but also sometimes very beautiful. So I think it was brutal in what happened to to Madders. It looks like a a bad injury. Of course we don't know exactly the status on it. It didn't look good.

And then on the other side, unbelievable, beautiful scenes with Sonny and his teammates, the big respect from Newcastle, can't praise that highly enough from the players on the pitch. The scenes after, first when we walk around [the pitch] and then when his team-mates gathered around him and you could see he's highly emotional. Then in the changing room as well I just said a few things, very shortly because it's about Sonny and then he said a few things, of course very emotional, so very, very beautiful scenes about Sonny.

Spurs have one more game in pre-season, was today Son's last match or does he have a chance to play one more game?

I think it's most likely was Sonny's last game. Yeah, it's very close, so yeah, that's the answer. Short (laughs).

Can I just quickly check on what James Maddison exactly injured?

We are pretty sure it was the same knee that he had the previous injury in.

Can you give us a bit of an insight into what's happened over the past 24 hours in the build up to this game since Son made that announcement yesterday?

Not too much, if I'm honest. He knew he had to play, he would play this game no matter what, if this was potentially his last game or not, he would captain the team, so I think the only thing was I spoke a little bit about him, with him, you know, I like to make sure we honoured him in the right way.

Of course, also had a little bit of a professional view on it, so we need to have other players on the pitch as well. So bits like that, but that was the only bit.

Were there any young players who stood out and impressed you today and how did Yang do?

I think of any of our young players, I think Archie Gray stood out. I think he was really, really impressive. I like the way he was carrying the ball forward, his role down the side and the half-space runs and I also think his aggression in the duels and the pressure was very good.

I think that was a very promising performance and it was lovely to have the opportunity to put Yang on the pitch, clearly in front of the home crowd and he almost got the goal which would have been fantastic for him and for the team.

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has been seen limping out of the stadium after Spurs' pre-season friendly against Newcastle United on Sunday.

The 28-year-old was stretchered off following a seemingly innocuous-looking challenge to win the ball. Maddison instantly realised something was wrong, hopping on one foot and clutching his head before collapsing to the ground and signalling for the physio.

There was palpable concern all around as the Spurs playmaker was visibly in pain, with his close friend Son Heung-min appearing particularly distressed from the dugout. The stretcher was summoned and Maddison was carefully loaded onto it, his hands still covering his face as he was carried off the pitch.

The England international has since been pictured on crutches as he limped through the mixed zone following the fixture against Eddie Howe's side. football.london's Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold wrote on X: "[Maddison] understandably looked devastated with his hood pulled down low. Thomas Frank said it was the same knee as before and thinks it's a bad one."

Maddison has only just returned from a knee injury that forced him to miss the remainder of last season. The midfielder suffered a season-ending problem, which has meant that his recovery has carried on into pre-season.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank has since confirmed that Maddison's latest injury looks to be the same knee.

"We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before," the Dane said post-match. "I think sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal.

"That's what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players."

Maddison now looks set for another spell on the sidelines ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain on August 13 and Tottenham's Premier League opener against Burnley three days later.

Darwin Nunez has been tipped to hit a rich vein of form, with predictions suggesting he could net 20 to 30 goals if he makes a switch from Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming transfer window.

The 26-year-old Uruguayan striker is rumoured to be on his way out of Anfield, with the transfer market abuzz about his potential moves to Serie A or the Saudi Pro League before the deadline on September 1.

Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica in June 2022 for a fee that could rise to £85 million, has found it challenging to justify his tag as one of the most costly signings in the club's history.

Having spent much of last season on the sidelines and only starting one Premier League game in 2025, Nunez watched on from the sidelines as Liverpool clinched their second league title in five years.

With speculation mounting over his future, ex-England international Chris Waddle has suggested that Nunez could thrive at a club like Tottenham Hotspur.

In a conversation with Flashscore, Waddle said: "Darwin Nunez is a big guy, he's powerful, quite pacey. He's got all the attributes you need", reports the Liverpool Echo.

"The problem he's had in England is that he can't put the ball in the net and that's what he was bought for.

"So whoever takes him, there is a striker in there, don't worry, there is. He could go on to score loads and everyone will say we always thought this would happen eventually wherever he's going to go.

"Unfortunately, he hasn't done it in Liverpool this year. I think Andy Carroll many years ago went to Liverpool for a lot of money and didn't perform, but yet went on to West Ham and did well.

"For Nunez, if he wants to go to Tottenham or somewhere like that, he does need to get away from Liverpool, the problem you get is whoever signs him is that supporters are going to say, why have we signed, he never scores, he misses chances.

"But as I said, he's a Uruguayan international which isn't easy because they are very very good, a new challenge might be the making of him."

Waddle continued: "I think if he gets off to a good start at a new club, he could end up with 20 to 30 goals. He's got it in him.

"I think the fans at Liverpool want him to do well because they respect his work, his effort, his commitment. If he does leave, that might kickstart his career in the right direction.

"He just needs to start scoring goals and if he can do that, you've got a very talented centre forward."

Nunez recently bagged a hat-trick during a behind-closed-doors pre-season encounter with Championship side Stoke City.