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Tottenham forward Alejo Veliz is set to leave the club on a permanent deal, two-and-a-half years since he was lauded by Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.

Tottenham have agreed a deal to sell forward Alejo Veliz. The 23-year-old, who joined Spurs for £13million from Rosario Central in August 2023, has spent the last two years out on loan after scoring twice in 10 appearances for the north London club.

After spending time with Sevilla and Espanyol, Veliz signed for former club Rosario on loan for the 2025/26 season last July. Since his move back to Rosario, the Argentine has scored six goals in 19 matches.

And, once his loan agreement expires, Veliz is set to sign for Brazil side Bahia, after a deal was agreed on Thursday, football.london understands. It's understood a fee will be in the region of £7.8m with £871,000 in add-ons plus a 20 per cent sell-on clause inserted into a future sale.

Veliz's proposed permanent exit from Spurs comes two-and-a-half years on since Barcelona legend Lionel Messi praised the striker and compared his style to that of former Liverpool star Luis Suarez.

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When speaking about Argentina's best young players in September 2023, Messi said: "[Roman] Vega, [Maximo] Perrone, and especially Veliz."

"Watching him [Veliz] play reminds me of what Suarez used to play like. I am very excited for the future of this country, and hope I can be an influence to these people, and talk to him."

Veliz has not, as yet, lived up to Messi's expectations with the 2003-born attacker not yet making a single first-team appearance for Argentina. He did, however, make nine appearances for the nation's Under 20s.

With Veliz expected to see out the rest of the current term at Rosario, he will continue to play alongside another Argentina legend in Angel Di Maria, after the ex-Manchester United man agreed last May to return to his boyhood club once Benfica had finished playing in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Di Maria sent a number of messages to Veliz before the Spurs ace moved back to Rosario. "Ever since it went viral that I was returning to Central, Angel and I exchanged messages," revealed Veliz at his presentation (via ESPN).

"And when he said, 'Come on, you're missing now,' it's truly a driving force that pushes you forward, and I was crazy and wanted to come right away. What we wanted happened, and I'm very happy to be here."

He added: "Having this, my family nearby, my grandparents, is what fulfils me, what completes me. I don't feel like I am here anywhere else. I came back to be able to fulfil myself."

Here's every single word Thomas Frank said on Friday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's Premier League match at Manchester United

Thomas Frank was grilled about Cristian Romero and the transfer window in particular at his press conference on Thursday afternoon ahead of Tottenham's trip to Manchester United in the Premier League.

It is the first time the Dane has been in front of the media since the transfer window closed with Spurs supporters left frustrated at the lack of signings in the final days despite the club's big injury crisis with mostly long-term absentees. Frank had spoken about the merits of a loan signing or two but in the end Tottenham could not find anyone of the required quality.

After the window closed, Tottenham captain Cristian Romero spoke out in an Instagram post about the lack of players at the club 24 hours after the 2-2 draw with Manchester City and Frank was asked about that post from the captain and the latest on the skipper's illness and Micky van de Ven's injury as well as Dominic Solanke's ankle ahead of the trip to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

What's the latest team news?

Everyone or most are okay. Micky [Van de Ven] is good. He trained today. He is available for selection for Saturday. Djed (Spence) is getting closer. He will be a little bit touch and go but there is a good chance he could be ready. (Frank later confirmed Dominic Solanke is also available for selection as he left the room).

Do you expect Cristian Romero to be back this weekend?

Yes, I do.

Romero's comments about it being 'unbelievable and disgraceful' to only have 11 players available against Manchester City. What do you think he meant by that and what was your reaction?

If you want to know what he meant, you of course need to ask him. That’s the right way to take that question. Cuti is a very passionate character and player who wants to leave everything on the pitch and is very ambitious. He wants to win every single time. Sometimes when you are like that, sometimes there can be an outburst. It happened this time and it’s something we of course dealt with and dealt with internally.

This is not the first time Romero has expressed his frustration on social media. How do you feel about him doing that?

I think I said to you again, there are a lot of ways of doing things. Cuti has been very good for us this season and the past seasons. I think that is very important to be aware of. I wouldn’t have done it. That is my message.

Romero's post was criticising the transfer window. Are you happy with the club’s business?

I think we signed Gallagher, which is a quality player for the starting XI. Of course he needs to perform and no one is promised a position but we signed a quality player and then we signed a young player for the future..

I think if you compare it to the other Premier League clubs I think that is very good. I think where we are is okay. We tried to do more but it was not possible for whatever reason. I said it the whole time, it’s very, very important that we take good decisions and are calm. So it needs to be for the short term and long term.

How good is it to have a player as versatile as Joao Palhinha?

Joao has been very important for us in many ways. To have that versatile player like him who can play the No 6 (role), outside centre-back or one of the two which he did in the second half (against Manchester City) is very impressive. He has been part of driving the team and I agree with him. I said it for a while the performances are more competitive and consistent. Are they perfect? No but we are getting closer and closer. I think especially the last four performances we have a little bit of an unbeaten run. Can we, instead of having some top second half performances, can we add more in the first half. I think we are in a place where we can look forward.

What have you made of Michael Carrick so far?

I think he has had a great start. It seems like there was injected a little bit of energy into the team. I think it looks like some of the players are in a good place. I think we need to know the threats. I also think the post before from Bryan (Mbeumo) Amad, (Matheus) Cunha and Bruno Fernandes is getting this team ticking. He has done that the last, I don't know, four or five years. It has been incredible. It is a threat, it is a challenge, but we are looking forward to it.

Is this what you wanted to see from Xavi Simons in terms of taking risks and enjoying his football?

Yes, but I think he took plenty of risk also when he started. I just think now, of course, naturally, he is more consistent. He is knowing his teammates better, the teammates know him better. We have become a little more consistent. He is adapting more and more to the Premier League, and also to play in the Premier League and Champions League is just different. I agree that his last performance has been very good, and the way he is creating for the team in different ways, I like that. If it was a touch ball in behind, he was driving the ball, slide pass, outside the foot, cross. I think he is getting better and better.

Is the message getting through to Romero after four social media posts now?

First and foremost, I don’t know if it’s four. Maybe you got better numbers than me. I know after the Bournemouth game and this game (Manchester City), those are the two (incidents) I can relate to. Of course, like with a lot of things, we’re dealing with it internally in terms of what we’re taking care of it. That’s my main message to that.”

Would you prefer your squad not to go on social media?

Social media, I think, I can't get rid of it. I think it is what some people call the future, or is the now, whatever it is. So, it is out there. One thing I do know, we all definitely put too much attention to social media, all of us. It seems like everything that is written on social media is the truth. It is such a small number of people who are actually writing something out there, and everything we take, we just say that is the truth, which I think is a challenge in general, overall. But of course, with everything, that is the way it is, and we just need to deal with it.

United got off to a slow start, but are now looking at getting back into Europe in the Champions League. With Spurs, what is the ambition in the Premier League from here until the end of the season?

I also think it is maybe a nice little context to say that Man United don't play European football. I think we can all acknowledge there is a little bit, it is an extra challenge, something we embrace and we are happy with.

So I think let's judge us when we are on the same challenges. The ambition is that we want to do very well and carry on with the good performances and beat Man United in two days' time.

With Cristian Romero post. I know it is social media and you can't take too much, but so many of the players liked the post. Does that make it even more of a delicate thing for you to have to deal with internally, in terms of punishment, because of this feeling among the squad it seems?

First and foremost, we don't know what a like means. I don't know how many words were there in the text. Is it, well done guys, you did amazingly when I had to go off on a half-time. If that is a like, then perfect, then there is nothing.

Can you understand the fans' fears about the lack of activity towards the end of the window? You spoke to us about maybe a short-term solution might be a loan signing. The fans fear that the position in the table, if you can't put out a full team or have options on the bench to change games, you could end up sliding down further into real danger?

What I like is that the fans are very passionate and they want the best for the club and are very ambitious, which they should be. Tottenham is a fantastic club and we should achieve great things. It's also, you say the challenges, we have a few players out. Some of them are coming back and a lot of them are coming back also this season and hopefully sooner rather than later. So that's one thing.

Of course we look into loan options, of course we look into other options, but for different reasons, nothing more happened. And I still think it was not like we wanted to buy five players, it was not the case. So we got a very good player in, in Conor Gallagher and a good young one in Souza.

Do you look back at all on the Brennan Johnson sale, bearing in mind we now know no more attackers came in after that, and still feel the timing was right and maybe it could have been a summer move rather than a January move?

There's a lot of moving parts in every decision, in terms of when you sell a player or when you buy a player. You can say if you play 3-4-3, we have right now five available players for the front three, which is a decent number. Hopefully Richy back soon, then we are six and when Mo comes back, then we are seven. So if you look at it from that perspective, I think it's okay.

On Romero, the last time this happened after the Bournemouth game, yourself and Johan spoke to him and I know you said you dealt with it internally this time, but was it yourself and Johan, Vinai or whoever, who spoke to him again?

That I can clarify that we dealt with it internally.

Fabio Paratici has left the club now, he's been unveiled at Fiorentina today and said Fiorentina have a serious set of owners and he repeated that statement a couple of times. I was just wondering what you make of those comments?

One, I haven't seen them. Two, I don't know them, so I back Fabio, that's probably the truth.

Spurs have conceded the third highest amount of goals from outside the box this season, why is that the case?

That can be a big analysis on that. There can be unbelievable quality in the moment from players, it can be a coincidence, it can be that we didn't put enough pressure on the ball in a specific moment. I would like us to… you can say we scored two goals in the last four or five games, so that should have given us more points than we got. No doubt there's a lot of things we can improve. One of them is to concede less.

Can you confirm if you have fined or disciplined Cuti Romero in any way?

I can confirm that we dealt with everything internally.

We don’t know then if you have or not but what would be the argument for fining and disciplining Romero when factually he’s stated he was ill, that he felt he had to play because the team only had 11 players and that’s disgraceful. Has he said anything that’s not true?

I think the beauty of written text is that you can read a lot into it and nobody really knows what was the purpose of it except Cuti or the guys who have spoken to him. And everything is dealt with internally.

Romero could not have said this, could have kept his head down but he is speaking up, it does show that he cares for the club right?

I think it shows that Cuti is extremely passionate, he wants to win, he wants to do everything he can together with his teammates to achieve great things, but you need to ask him next time you speak to him.

Thomas Frank has been speaking to preview Tottenham's trip to Manchester United on Saturday in the Premier League and the Dane was also quizzed on captain Cristian Romero's fiery Instagram post

Thomas Frank has claimed Tottenham have "dealt with" Cristian Romero's latest furious Instagram blast internally.

Shortly after the January transfer window had officially closed, the Argentine took to social media to seemingly fire shots at the club's hierarchy for the lack of activity.

Spurs boss Frank believes the matter has now been resolved, explaining: "I think if you want to know what he meant you have to ask him, that's the right way to answer that question.

"Cuti is a very passionate person and leaves everything on the pitch. He wants to win every time and there can be an outburst.

"It is something we have dealt with and dealt with internally. There is a way of doing things. He has been very good at doing things. I wouldn't have done it. This is my message."

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Frank continued when pressed on the meaning behind the post: "The beauty of written text is that you can read into it and the only person who knows what it meant was Cuti.

"I think it shows that Cuti is extremely passionate. He wants to do everything he can with his team-mates to achieve great things."

Romero was forced off at half-time of last Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw against Manchester City through illness.

The 27-year-old is expected to be available to feature this weekend, however, when the Europa League winners travel to Old Trafford to square off against Manchester United.

There was also positive news on fellow central defender Micky van de Ven, who has been missing with a hamstring issue.

Frank said when asked whether he could provide an injury update: "Most are okay. Micky trained today and is available for selection for Saturday.

"Djed [Spence] is getting closer and is touch and go. There is a chance he could be available. Romero, yes [he's available]."

Striker Dominic Solanke, who netted a brace in the second half against City - including a stunning scorpion kick, appears to have avoided injury after limping off late in the second half.

Kevin Danso remains sidelined with a toe injury sustained in the 2-0 Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham have plenty of players out and about across the game on loan and one of them has been grabbing rave reviews up in Scotland

Tottenham youngster Mikey Moore has been hailed as the answer to Rangers' attacking woes after a 'masterclass' of a performance in the demolition of 10-man Kilmarnock.

The 18-year-old has found his feet in Scotland after a tough start under former manager Russell Martin, flourishing under the tutelage of his successor Danny Rohl. The teenager has racked up 32 appearances so far in a busy season with four goals and three assists in his first senior loan out of Spurs with 1,637 minutes to his name around a mid-season injury.

Moore scored in the Old Firm Derby last month and produced one of his best displays yet in a Rangers shirt in Wednesday night's 5-1 win at Ibrox against Kilmarnock with one goal, one assist and five chances created for his team-mates with 61 touches of the ball, most of them coming as he ran down or inside off the left flank.

football.london understands Tottenham made the decision in the winter window to leave Moore at Rangers where is getting plenty of game time, often in front of 50,000 supporters with the pressure that comes with playing for the Glasgow giants as part of a longer term view.

While Thomas Frank's injury-hit squad are lacking in attacking players right now, the teenager's development has leapt forward while on the loan and there is a belief inside Spurs that the long-term benefits of him remaining at Rangers for the season would outweigh him coming back now for less guaranteed minutes, similar to centre-back Luka Vuskovic's big development season at Hamburg.

On Wednesday night it was Moore's clever ball in-between defenders just three minutes in to the path of Djeidi Gassama which led to a penalty and early red card for Dominic Thompson and a goal from the spot for Rangers captain James Tavernier. Moore was a constant menace for the visitors' defence and grabbed an assist in the second half with a big part in the move and final calm pass for Andreas Skov Olsen's first goal for the Glasgow side.

He then played a key part with his movement and poked ball into the box in the build-up to Oliver Antman's goal. Moore then put the finishing touch on the result with a move he began with a jinking run and pass to Antman, who returned the favour and the Spurs teenager hit a low left-footed shot into bottom right corner of the net.

Former Ibrox forward and BBC Scotland pundit Steven Naismith said of the Tottenham winger: "He's been the best player on the pitch. [The goal] is what he deserves. He's so direct, he's confident, he's going at [the Kilmarnock defence] and he's enjoying himself out there."

Another ex-Rangers forward Rory Loy called Moore's movement as "nothing short of sensational" and added: "Two or three passes before he gets the ball, defenders don't know where he is. It's been a masterclass in how to receive the ball in tight areas. He can go both ways, which keeps defenders guessing."

Moore's performance came after a bright cameo from the bench in the 0-0 draw at Hibernian at the weekend, with another on loan Spurs academy product Dane Scarlett making his debut late on for the hosts. Moore had seen a likely winner ruled out for offside by VAR while Scarlett went on to grab an assist for Hibernian in his first start on Wednesday night in the 3-2 win against Dundee United.

Rangers fans, after being underwhelmed by teenager during Martin's tenure, are now questioning why Moore is not starting every game - he has only started 13 in the Scottish Premiership - and many pundits have hailed him as the answer to the side's issues in scoring more goals from open play as they look to chase down leaders Hearts.

Rohl said after the game of the Tottenham man: "We know Mikey, that should be the level for him again and again. This is the next step for him, consistency, but I will not speak about individual performances, it's about the team."

Moore admitted at the weekend that he is waiting to see what comes next for him in his playing career after speaking to staff back at Spurs amid hopes in Glasgow that he might stick around longer in the Scottish city.

"There's been nothing decided so far. I've spoken to people back home but they're saying focus on the rest of the season and then when the summer comes, we'll assess and see what happens next year," he said.

"I want to play in the Champions League, it's a massive competition but it's difficult because I need to discuss it with everyone else back home. It's a collective decision. I love playing here but we'll see what happens in the summer."

He added: "To be honest, I think we needed the new signings as a team. It's hard, you don't want to get too comfortable so for me personally, I think I need to reflect on myself over the past two or three weeks and know that I've got higher standards than what I've hit personally.

"We've been doing really well but personally now I need to push on and now I've got to fight for my place in the team and become that person who you know is going to be playing week after week. Have I been tired lately? It's hard to put something on it. I think I just need to push myself.

"My mentality needs to be that I'm going to go into every game and try and play as well as possible. So for me, the last two weeks I don't think I've been bad but I think I've been better than what I've been.

"But there's going to be a lot of games where we're going to need someone to come up with a bit of magic and for me with my end product. I need to reflect on it truthfully and it's not been at its best so far. But I know that I've got big moments in me so now the big games are coming up, I think I can really push on and start showing that with my numbers."

Curtis Jones was the subject of transfer interest from Tottenham during the winter window, but Liverpool boss Arne Slot has explained the Reds' decision not to let him leave

Arne Slot has revealed why it would have been 'strange' to part ways with Curtis Jones during the transfer window. The Liverpool midfielder attracted attention from clubs including Tottenham Spurs and Inter Milan.

Reds manager Slot believes the squad's injury circumstances meant there was never any question about the midfielder's future at Anfield. Jones, 24, has made 30 appearances for Liverpool this season, despite facing fierce competition for a midfield berth.

Spurs were linked with a move for Jones, with The Times reporting in January how he had been attracting interest from Thomas Frank's side. Spurs ended up signing midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid as well as full-back Souza from Santos in their only two senior additions in the January window.

The England international must compete with Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai for a place in Slot's starting XI, yet has still proved to be a valuable asset for the Dutchman.

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Slot reckons Jones has been unfortunate not to feature more regularly, having started fewer than half of Liverpool's Premier League fixtures. However, the former Feyenoord manager was unwilling to consider reducing his options.

"I think what you've seen...he has played a lot of minutes and unlucky in the sense that midfield is the only line we haven't had injuries, but we kept because we have players but we need players in these positions," Slot said in his press conference, reports the Mirror.

"And the moment you start to need midfielders in different positions, the line gets smaller and smaller.

"We kept him, his situation hasn't changed to us, he is one of 16 outfield players available we have with two young players in Nyoni and Ngumoha, so it would be strange if we let anyone go."

Slot was questioned about Jones' long-term future but did not give a definitive response. The academy graduate's contract is due to run out in 2027, but the Reds manager remained tight-lipped about any contract negotiations.

(Contract) talks are not taking place in here – they're taking place in other places in this building," he said. "We're all aware that he only has one and a half years left [on his current contract], so that's all I can say about it."

Arsenal picked up a midweek win over Chelsea while there has been focus on some Gunners-related activity away from Emirates Stadium

Arsenal have recovered from their Premier League setback against Manchester United to regain momentum in their quest for silverware. Mikel Arteta's side defeated Kairat to complete a flawless Champions League league phase before comfortably dispatching Leeds in the Premier League and securing a place in the Carabao Cup final with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea.

These results came despite the absence of Mikel Merino, who is now facing a spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken foot. Despite this setback, the Gunners resisted the urge to splash significant cash in the transfer market.

Only two new arrivals came through the door on deadline day, both teenagers. Defender Jaden Dixon made the switch from Stoke City whilst striker Evan Mooney travelled down from Scotland after helping St Mirren lift the Scottish League Cup.

Two youngsters who won't be featuring for Arsenal during the remainder of this campaign are Ethan Nwaneri and James Wilson. Nwaneri has been continuing his loan spell at Marseille despite speculation about a potential recall following Merino's injury and Hearts' Wilson opted for Tottenham despite reported interest from the Gunners. Both are in focus as we bring you the latest from around Emirates Stadium.

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Nwaneri red card claim

Ethan Nwaneri marked his Marseille debut with a goal against Lens, but it was his midweek appearance that sparked controversy. The 18-year-old was given his first home start in the Coupe de France clash with Rennes, yet found himself at the centre of a refereeing debate after a challenge on former Arsenal prospect Glen Kamara in the opening period.

Nwaneri received a yellow card for the foul, which left Kamara requiring treatment before he was withdrawn a few minutes later. Rennes manager Habib Beye later claimed match officials privately acknowledged they had erred in not dismissing the youngster.

"The match was altered by our early mistake and by that of the refereeing trio who had the honesty to admit it," Beye said. The referee was unable to call on VAR so the initial decision to show a yellow card could not be overturned.

Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi opted to substitute Nwaneri at half-time to avoid the risk of a second booking. Marseille cruised to a 3-0 victory, with goals from Amine Gouiri, Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang securing their place in the last eight.

Hearts manager's Wilson verdict

Hearts boss Derek McInnes has suggested James Wilson should not have left Tynecastle for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on deadline day. Despite being linked with Arsenal, Wilson opted for a loan switch to north London rivals Spurs for the remainder of the campaign.

Wilson, 18, opened his account in the Scottish Premiership last season and earned his first senior international cap with Scotland in March 2025. However, the teenager has featured less frequently this season, with McInnes acknowledging he was unable to persuade him to remain with the table-toppers amid a lack of action.

"His head was turned with the Tottenham thing," McInnes said. "First of all it was Arsenal, then Arsenal went quiet and then all of a sudden Tottenham came to the table on [Monday] afternoon.

"I don't think it's the right move for him. Ultimately, it's academy football and I think he's better than that. But it was something James wanted to do.

"So like I say, we made it clear that our preference was for him to stay and be part of something here. But he made the decision and I hope it goes well for him because he's a great kid and we'll see how it plays out."

The Mirror's chief football writer John Cross discusses Dominic Solanke and Conor Gallagher as he rates England's World Cup 2026 squad hopefuls

Dominic Solanke's latest Tottenham Hotspur performances are bound to have left England manager Thomas Tuchel "impressed," with a decision looming over strikers in the Three Lions' World Cup squad this summer.

Spurs' club-record signing started his second season with the club on the back foot as he required five months to recover from ankle surgery. However, he returned last month with a bang and has helped Thomas Frank's side secure some important results.

Goals in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt ensured Spurs' automatic passage to the round of 16, rather than having to navigate a play-off.

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Then last weekend, Solanke netted twice - one of them a sublime scorpion kick - to pull his side back from two goals down and draw 2-2 with Manchester City. Watching from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium's directors was England boss Tuchel.

And as part of a new weekly series of 'England Player Ratings' counting down to this summer's World Cup, The Mirror's chief football writer John Cross has given the Spurs striker a 6/10 rating of making the Three Lions' squad this summer - and that rating has plenty of opportunity to grow.

"I cannot believe that Thomas Tuchel would have left without being so impressed w ith a player that we would not have been talking about had he not put in incredible performances of late.

"Dom Solanke, if we are talking about our fast risers, it has to be him. He was phenomenal. Not o nly did he score two goals, including a remarkable scorpion kick straight out of the Olivier Giroud playbook, I thought his all-around play was fantastic.

"He will have given Tuchel some real food for thought."

His selection for the World Cup is going to depend on how many strikers England take, and the profile they are looking for.

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World Cup 2026

Cross added: "If you are taking two or three strikers, Harry Kane is absolutely a shoo-in, but do you go for someone who backs up Kane and is as close to Kane as possible, or do you go someone who's a complete contrast?

"Ollie Watkins will be the favourite but if you go for another centre forward, then I think Dom Solanke will suddenly be in Thomas Tuchel's thoughts. I thought he was that good. He was terrific."

Gallagher an 'outside shot' at present

Another Spurs star hopeful of fighting his way into contention for England is Conor Gallagher. The midfielder signed a long-term contract in north London as he arrived from Atletico Madrid during the January transfer window.

"The more you write him off, the more he'll prove you wrong," said Cross, who gives Gallagher a 5/10 England squad rating and added: "He's an outside shot at the moment.

"He thought, 'okay, I'm probably not starting enough games and making enough of an impression. So I'm going do something about this'.

"That's why he was open to moving back to the Premier League, he obviously chose Spurs above Villa, and he's done that with the World Cup in mind.

"He's very passionate about playing for England. He's been in many squads before. The issue with Gallagher is does he bring enough quality on the ball to the table?

"He's given himself a chance with his move to Spurs. I think he's an outsider, and i f you're looking for a slight contrast in what other midfielders can do in a bigger squad, then Gallagher has got a chance."

Johan Lange has quickly turned his attention to the summer transfer window, insisting that Tottenham Hotspur have 'big ambitions of strengthening the team'

Johan Lange has reflected on the January transfer window. The Tottenham Hotspur sporting director welcomed two new faces to the club, signing Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and Souza from Santos for a combined fee of just under £50milion, in an effort to bolster Thomas Frank's side.

Lange explained how the 'highly frustrating' wave of injuries impacted his approach, stressing the need to remain 'disciplined'. The Dane also stressed that Spurs have owners who are 'very willing to invest', despite complaints from sections of the fanbase.

While admitting that Tottenham are in a better financial situation than most Premier League clubs, he cited the Premier League's spending rules as a constraint. Towards the end of the interview, Lange commented on the Lilywhites' plans for the summer.

He insisted that Tottenham have 'big ambitions of strengthening the team'. So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up everything Lange said about the January transfer window.

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Johan, thank you for sitting down with us so quickly after the window closed. I think it's so good to be able to have this dialogue with fans and actually be able to let them in a little bit into the transfer window. I think their understanding is that the summer is where the bulk of deals get done and January is a very, very different window. With that in mind, could you give us a little bit of insight and your summary of how we got on over the course of the last month?

Lange: "Yes, firstly, this is always an issue I enjoy doing because I think this gives me and us a great opportunity to communicate directly with the fans around the transfer periods. I saw this window here as one of the quieter January windows across not only the Premier League, but across football in general.

"I think there were, including free transfers, 33 transfers across the Premier League. That is a result of especially the new format in Europe. Now we have clubs competing in either Champions League or Europa League during December and of course during the last part of January as well - 48 teams progressing further in the European competitions after the window.

"I think we saw that a little bit last year and I think we saw even more this year that have changed the dynamic a little bit of the January transfer window, with just less business is being done.

"Of course, a knock-on effect of the increased fixture schedule is also that not only us, but a number of clubs would say that they have too many injuries. That meant that there were simply not many available players across the whole marketplace during January."

As you mentioned, there were a lot of injuries in January and we're definitely a club suffering with those at the moment. Can you give me an insight into how that affects your planning and how that changes things? I'm sure there'll be a number of fans that would have been hoping to see something potentially in light of the fact that we have so many players out.

Lange: "Yeah, of course, when we go into January, we didn't anticipate that we'll have seven injuries during the month of January. So, that of course changes things during the course of the window.

"It's very important, even though that is highly frustrating with all the injuries, to remain disciplined because, A, the players are coming back and, B, if you then, can you say, go in and make a stress purchase of any football players, then yes, the immediate feeling gives you is nice, but there's no point in signing players that have not helped us in the short term, in the medium term, or even in the long term.

"So, even though that is highly frustrating with all the injuries, the majority of the players will return this season here, hopefully a few very soon. It is important as a club to remain disciplined and make sure to do our best, our ability only to sign players that can generally help the team now or in the future."

It's really interesting, even in the face of what we're going through at the moment with injuries, that you still have to maintain that discipline…

Lange: "Again, it's for a number of reasons. First, a lot of our injured players, they will return in this season here, hopefully a number of them quite shortly.

"There are also some limitations to how many players you can have in a squad to register them, but even though that our financial situation under the rules are better than most clubs, and we have owners who are very willing to invest, it is important that we are under those rules. So, it is important that we sign the right players.

"I think also Thomas has been quite clear on two players we wanted to bring in, but it wasn't a lack of willingness for the club to make the investment to support the team."

Is it a case of perhaps there are not that many players of that level of quality available in this window, or is it a case of wanting to ensure that it's a long-term strategy?

Lange: "It's a bit of both, because we were very clear before the window that if there were players available that we were able to sign in this window that could help the team now, but of course also in the future, then we were ready to go.

"But when during the window you can see that some doors remain open, like, for instance, with Conor, some other doors close, then it's very important that you don't, can you say, force yourself in to make a stress purchases, because that normally doesn't end well for anyone."

Can we talk a little bit about Conor? He is the epitome of what you mentioned, right? Ready now, comes straight into the team, has already had an impact. You can see that he's a great cultural fit too. What did you like about him? Can you tell us a little bit about his profile as well?

Lange: "Conor is a player that we have followed for a number of years. Obviously, he comes with a fantastic pedigree, his experience both with the Premier League, his period in La Liga have definitely also helped him to grow as a human being, as a player.

"Of course, he has played a number of times for England as well. So, he's a player that, of course, can come in and help us on the first day - his energy, his quality in midfield, his work rate, the way he can drive a team forward is something that I'm sure will help us.

"We've already seen that from day one. Then, of course, as a character, he's a fantastic human being. He's a leader. He has been captain earlier in his career and he's somebody that really will be an important voice in the dressing room this season and in many seasons to come."

Let's talk a little bit about Souza as well, and I want to broaden this out because it's been a part of the philosophy and part of the plan for a long time for you now to make sure that we're bringing in some of the best young players from around the world. Can you just tell us a little bit about Souza and what the plan is for him?

Lange: "Souza is a player we've followed for quite a long time in Brazil, in Santos, for the Brazilian youth national team. So, he's a player with a very high ceiling.

"Of course, it will take a period for him to adapt to English football, as it does for most players coming here, but again, a player with a very high potential and a player we're looking forward to develop in the years to come."

I always think it's so interesting hearing about that pipeline and the way that we're managing talent. Can you tell us a little bit about the squad profile at the moment? Are you happy with the current profile of the squad and what we have at Thomas' disposal?

Lange: "Yeah, there's no hiding away, we have too many injuries at the moment. We have, you can say, over the last period here, brought in players who are more ready from day one.

"Obviously, [Joao] Palhinha, big Premier League experience, [Mohammed] Kudus, big Premier League experience, [Randal] Kolo Muani experience for the highest level, Xavi [Simons], great experience for Champions League with Leipzig and now Conor coming in.

"So, we have, can you say, recruited players who can make an immediate impact in the team. Then we need to find the right balance because we also need to have players in the pipeline as well, and that is what you see in every club.

"It's a combination of buying players who are ready here now is buying those, can you say, younger players and then, of course, your own academy players as well. If you take some of the first team starters now, [Destiny] Udogie came in and was on loan and Pape [Matar] Sarr came in and was on loan and Lucas [Bergvall] came in from Sweden… so it's something that we do at our club and it's something that all clubs do across the Premier League."

Just finally, Johan, I'd love to get into the summer, because fans want to know what the strategy is, what we're potentially looking at in terms of the summer window and the types of players that you're looking for this summer...

Lange: "The summer market is where eight or nine out of 10 players, they move clubs, so we will go into the summer window with big ambitions of strengthening the team. We know there'll be more movements, we know there'll be more opportunities, so the plans are already, can you see, drawn up.

"We have a clear picture of which position and also which profiles. Could we have brought one or two more in this January window? We would have been delighted to do so, but that was not a possibility.

"So, we are looking forward to the summer, now we focus on the rest of the season and that is very, very important as well because we have big objectives. We're still in the Champions League.

"We want to, of course, be higher in the Premier League and then myself and others will have our eyes already now directed towards the summer transfer window."

Johan Lange has explained the reason for Tottenham's lack of January transfer activity and hinted at big movement for the summer

Tottenham technical director Johan Lange has delivered clear verdicts on the January window and plans for the summer. Last month, the marquee moves involved Conor Gallagher and Brazilian left-back Souza joining the club while Brennan Johnson completed a permanent move to Crystal Palace.

Despite being ravaged by injuries - with more of those arriving in January - those were the only two additions with Lange revealing why that was the case and what the aim is ahead of the 2026/27 season.

He told Tottenham's website: "The summer market is where eight or nine out of 10 players, they move clubs, so we will go into the summer window with big ambitions of strengthening the team. We know there'll be more movements, we know there'll be more opportunities, so the plans are already, can you see, drawn up.

"We have a clear picture of which position and also which profiles. Could we have brought one or two more in this January window? We would have been delighted to do so. but that was not a possibility.

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"So, we are looking forward to the summer, now we focus on the rest of the season and that is very, very important as well because we have big objectives. We're still in the Champions League.

"We want to, of course, be higher in the Premier League and then myself and others will have our eyes already now directed towards the summer transfer window.”

Though losing Richarlison, Pedro Porro and Lucas Bergvall to significant but not season-ending injuries made the need for new signings clear, Lange has instead used those problems to explain why no further transfers were sanctioned with Champions League registration regulations and complying with profit and sustainability rules listed as other reasons.

He admitted: "First, a lot of our injured players, they will return in this season here, hopefully a number of them quite shortly.

"There are also some limitations to how many players you can have in a squad to register them, but even though that our financial situation under the rules are better than most clubs, and we have owners who are very willing to invest, it is important that we are under those rules.

"So, it is important that we sign the right players. I think also Thomas has been quite clear on two players we wanted to bring in, but it wasn't a lack of willingness for the club to make the investment to support the team.”

On wanting to ensure signings made in January also fit the long-term strategy, he added: “It's a bit of both, because we were very clear before the window that if there were players available that we were able to sign in this window that could help the team now, but of course also in the future, then we were ready to go.

"But when during the window you can see that some doors remain open, like, for instance, with Conor, some other doors close, then it's very important that you don't, can you say, force yourself in to make a stress purchases, because that normally doesn't end well for anyone.”

Thomas Frank has been warned that 'four or five absolute top clubs' could try and sign Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer

Ivan Rakitić has urged Bayern Munich to sign Luka Vuskovic. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee caught the eye in Hamburg's 2-2 draw against the Bundesliga champions at the weekend, helping the newly-promoted outfit secure a crucial point in the race for survival.

Fabio Vieira had given Hamburg the lead from the penalty spot at Volksparkstadion before Harry Kane levelled proceedings. Bayern leapt out of the gates in the second half, with Luis Diaz making an immediate impact off the bench.

Vuskovic, whom the Lilywhites signed from Hajduk Split for £12million in September 2023, pulled back an equaliser a few moments later, heading the ball past Manuel Neuer. The 18-year-old defender scored his second goal since the German top-flight returned from its winter break, and his fourth goal of the season.

Speaking to Sky Germany after the game, Rakitic insisted that Vincent Kompany must sign Vuskovic in the summer. The former Barcelona midfielder said: "All of European football is talking about him right now.

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"Bayern Munich needs to step up their game. I believe this lad has to go to Bayern Munich. It’s incredibly exciting to see such a young guy making such a splash in the football world."

According to German outlet SportBILD last month, Bayern have been keeping tabs on Vuskovic. The report also claimed that the Bavarians were offered the chance to sign the teenager, though no mention was made of who presented the offer.

It's said that Bayern will continue to monitor the centre-back. Rakitic tipped the Croatia international, who still has four-and-a-half years left on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to make the 'next step' in his career.

The 37-year-old said: "I’m curious to see if Tottenham will manage to keep him beyond the summer, because in my opinion, he’s already ready for the next step to one of the absolute top clubs. And for me, there are only four or five of those in Europe."

Lothar Matthaus also heaped praise on Vuskovic after the game. The German legend and former Bayern midfielder said: "Fantastic! That’s quality. At 18, he plays as if he’s already played in three World Cups.

"When I was 30, I didn’t see what he saw at 18. This player is so intelligent. You rarely find that. How cleverly he played. He’s doing everything right. Something really, really great could come of this."