Football London

Tottenham Hotspur are stepping up their preparations for the new season with two games in one day.

Saturday will see the first team squad split into two groups, the first taking on League One side Wycombe Wanderers in an 11am kick-off at Hotspur Way.

The second group travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town following their relegation to League One last season (3pm kick-off).

The two games will give the squad a chance to get more minutes, as well as giving head coach Thomas Frank a chance to have a look at more players.

Speaking to the Spurs official website, the Dane said: "We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically.

"We will play two even, strong teams and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more.

"By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour."

Here is everything you need to know about following the first game of the day against Wycombe...

When is the game?

The game takes place on Saturday, July 26 with kick-off at 11am. The game is taking place at the Hotspur Way Training Centre but will be played behind closed doors.

Is it on TV?

No, the game will not be shown on TV, but Spurs have confirmed that it will be available to stream live on its SPURSPLAY streaming platform. A subscription is £45 for the season and that will allow you to watch every pre-season friendly as well as full match replays of regular season games and live coverage of selected women's and academy games.

How else can I follow?

football.london will bring you coverage around the match, as well as the game against Luton later in the afternoon.

Christian Norgaard has admitted it will be "interesting" to come up against a Thomas Frank team having worked under the Dane for so long. The Arsenal midfielder was an instrumental part of Brentford's success under Frank, helping the Bees win promotion from the Championship to establish them as a Premier League club in his six years in west London.

Making the switch to Arsenal earlier this month as Mikel Arteta added some more experience to his squad, Frank was also on the move as he headed to the white side of north London to become Tottenham Hotspur boss. Arsenal and Spurs play each other in a North London Derby in Hong Kong next Thursday, giving both Norgaard and his former boss an early chance to face each other.

"It's fine. We get the pre-season game out of the way and then we get straight to business when the season starts," he told football.london in Singapore.

"It'll be good to see him of course, we had a good time together at Brentford but life goes on as well. I'm in a different place, he's in a different place but now it will be interesting to play against him now that I've played with him for a long time."

Martin Zubimendi may be Arsenal's standout summer signing so far but Norgaard could prove to be a vital piece of the jigsaw due to his experience. The Denmark international knows he may not start every game due to the options available to Arteta but he just wants to help the team both on and off the pitch.

"I’m realistic of course. I know this is a step up in terms of quality, size of club but I'm also here to contribute of course. Otherwise I wouldn't have made the move," he said.

"I know there are some of the best players in the world in my position here. It will be competitive. There are the things you see in the weekend on the pitch but there are a lot of things going on around the football team but I really hope I can help this team on and off the pitch."

He added: "Yeah, it’s about being available. It’s about being fit. I'm used to playing 38 games plus a couple of cup games but here it will be close to 60 games maybe. You need a full squad and for me it is about being available and I know my chances will come and it's just about taking them when they're there."

Norgaard simply couldn't turn Arsenal down when they first made the move for him and he spoke with Arteta.

"There’s a lot of competition but for me it was a chance to represent Arsenal at the age of 31," said the Copenhagen-born player. "I was coming to a later stage of my career and I signed a new deal with Brentford, but when the interest came from Arsenal and I first talked with Mikel, it was very clear to me that I would do everything to be able to play here.

"To get this adventure, to be part of a team that has such big ambitions is for me an amazing step to take at this stage of my career."

Joining Arsenal nice and early in pre-season, the midfielder has benefited from the opportunity to get down to work with his new teammates first thing in the summer.

"I think it is a good point that Mikel is making about getting players in as quick as possible," he said. "I've been able to be with the team from day one in pre-season. It has benefitted me a lot.

"I'm much further down the line now in terms of the integration of play than I would have been, if I had joined now. It is such a good group, good group of staff and the whole team around has made everything very easy."

Thomas Frank faces the unusual prospect of picking two Tottenham teams for two different matches on the same day.

Spurs face a double header of friendlies on Saturday as they take on Wycombe Wanderers and then Luton Town. The behind-closed-doors match against Wycombe was added at late notice to the schedule and kicks off at 11am. Four hours later, Spurs will kick off their previously scheduled friendly at Kenilworth Road against another League One outfit in Luton, who could feature former Tottenham goalkeeper Josh Keeley after his £1million move last week.

Frank will be in charge of both games on Saturday and must select two matchday squads from the 32 senior players potentially fit and available as well as using plenty of the under-21s development squad.

"We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically," said the Dane. "We will play two even, strong teams and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more. By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour."

Manor Solomon is unlikely to be fit after suffering a calf injury in training while Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin and Bryan Gil remain out after their different knee injuries and subsequent surgeries. However, James Maddison has returned to full training with the squad and Kota Takai was expected to return to training this week following a small training ground knock.

Richarlison missed last weekend's win at Reading but Frank said afterwards: "Richy has trained well, we’re just building him, that’s the big thing, He trained earlier today, and we expect a full training week next week and, right now, we expect him to play next week."

The trio of Archie Gray, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, who were granted extra time off after their exploits at the U21 European Championships should also be back in contention.

Yes we know it's near impossible to guess two teams on one day in pre-season but here are our attempts at predicting the two Spurs starting line-ups Frank could put out as he takes the chance to look at some different combinations.

Wycombe XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Son, Moore; Richarlison.

Luton XI (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Vuskovic, Davies; Bergvall, Bentancur; Kudus, Donley, Tel; Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore is keen for a loan move this season to ensure he gets regular football for his development, football.london understands.

The 17-year-old started Thomas Frank's first match as Tottenham head coach, playing the first 45 minutes against Reading on Saturday and looking dangerous as the half wore on. However, there is a lot of competition for the Spurs academy product on the wings at the club with Mathys Tel signed on a permanent deal this summer alongside Son Heung-min, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, the injured Manor Solomon and newcomer Mohammed Kudus all able to play on the flanks.

Yang Min-hyeok is also a winger although the South Korean teenager is expected to head out on loan again while Bryan Gil , who is on his way back from knee surgery, is still at the club even though he is expected to leave with 12 months left on his contract.

football.london understands Moore's camp have been pushing for a loan move for the youngster during contract talks with Spurs, with a number of clubs both in England and abroad keen on taking the England U19 international for the season ahead.

Frank will make the final decision on what comes next for the youngster and Tottenham are also aware that his homegrown status makes him a precious commodity in their Champions League squad as he does not have to be registered in the main group, where they have issues with too many non-club trained players and instead he can go on the B list.

Despite his age, Moore made 19 first team appearances last season for Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou around a virus that laid him low for more than two months during the winter. The 17-year-old returned to score his first goal for the club with a run and low finish in the Europa League victory against Elfsborg, to complete a memorable night for the academy as Damola Ajayi and Dane Scarlett also found the net in the 3-0 win.

Now Moore wants to push on with week in, week out football to continue his development this coming season. His new head coach will decide whether he gets it at this stage or not.

The Tottenham Hotspur and Morgan Gibbs-White transfer saga has now rumbled on for 15 days with the Nottingham Forest midfielder currently out of the country and set to play some football.

Spurs had looked to follow up the £55million signing of Mohammed Kudus with the £60million capture of the 25-year-old England international from Forest, delivering new head coach Thomas Frank a £115million double whammy of Premier League-proven talent to bolster his options in the centre and final third of the pitch.

Instead everything suddenly went in a different direction as Forest intervened and more than two weeks on, Gibbs-White remains their player and is currently out on their summer pre-season camp in Portugal with former Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo and his team-mates.

football.london takes a look at the timeline of this transfer saga, how it all played out and what comes next for Tottenham, Forest and Gibbs-White.

July 10

Despite long-standing interest in the player and Frank having wanted Gibbs-White since his Wolves days, Spurs' move comes quietly, quickly and out of the blue somewhat with Manchester City previously the main club interested in the midfielder, who has two years left on his contract.

Yet on Thursday, July 10, the north London outfit make their move for the Forest man and by the end of that day are believed to be at an advanced stage of the process. As the afternoon progresses, news of a £60million release clause emerges and that is set to be a key part of the mess to come.

Gibbs-White is scheduled for a medical at Tottenham the following day but that never comes to pass.

July 11

The reason that medical never happens on July 11 is because later that previous evening it was made very clear to Gibbs-White and his representatives that Forest and their owner Evangelos Marinakis are furious about the situation. Having already sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle for £52million, Espirito Santo's side were not planning on losing the England midfielder as well this summer.

football.london reports that the player never ends up leaving Nottingham that day and instead awaits to see how and if the new events are to be sorted.

Forest believe that not only has an illegal approach been made to their midfielder but also that the £60million release clause was meant to be confidential yet it is claimed that Spurs' approach included the exact figure required to trigger the clause.

The Midlands side cut off communication with their north London counterparts and while Tottenham still want to push through with the deal, Forest consider legal action and a potential complaint to the Premier League.

Neither club is officially commenting on the situation and the Premier League also decline to comment when footbalI.london approach them about whether a complaint has actually been lodged by Forest.

July 13

Gibbs-White is not included in Forest's squad for their pre-season 0-0 draw at Chesterfield but his attempted transfer to Tottenham was not the reason.

The former Wolves man is not involved in the match against the League Two side regardless of the current situation with Spurs because he is part of a group of players who had been on international duty last month and are not due to return to Forest until the following week.

July 14

The midfielder duly returned to Forest's training ground on Monday morning as expected to report for pre-season and the Midlands club made it very clear he had by popping his photo up on social media.

With the weekend now over, Forest are believed to have lodged their legal complaint over Tottenham's approach for Gibbs-White which the Premier League will have a duty to look into.

July 15

Now it emerges that Forest are yet to officially complain to the Premier League about Tottenham's approach for Gibbs-White but it has become a legal matter between the clubs as the transfer limbo continues.

Despite social media speculation that the player did not turn up for training on Tuesday, Gibbs-White is at Forest's training ground and takes part in training as expected.

Forest are believed to have been trying for months to tie Gibbs-White down to a bumper new contract to make him one of the club's highest earners, in exchange for removing that release clause or at least including a renegotiated one, but the midfielder has not been keen to enter into any new talks over a deal that has only two years remaining.

Even though there is an expectation from many that a move will likely eventually happen, Forest are making it clear that the player is not for sale and there is uncertainty currently over exactly how it will get resolved with no communication between the clubs at this time other than the legal proceedings.

July 16

Thomas Frank undergoes his first press conference as the head coach of Tottenham and it isn't long before a question about Gibbs-White is asked.

"I will not speak about players who are not mine. I think I have two exceptions, and they are getting older, Ronaldo and Messi. The rest I will just speak about the players who are inside Tottenham," says the Dane.

Frank admits he wants more new signings though, saying: "No doubt if you want to compete in all tournaments you need a competitive squad, a robust squad. There’s a lot of competitive players in the squad. It’s an exciting squad. There’s no doubt the club is in the market and looking. I would like to speak when a player comes in and not about the market."

On the same day, it emerges that Forest have written to both Spurs and Gibbs-White's agent, putting both parties on legal notice and reportedly reminding them of their obligations and spelling out how they believe both Spurs and the player's representatives have breached Premier League rules and the terms of the player's contract.

July 17

The Gibbs-White stand-off continues as he plays in the first half in Forest's 0-0 friendly against Monaco. As the 25-year-old comes off the pitch at half-time he applauds the Forest fans and makes a heart gesture towards them with his hands as they chant his name.

His team-mate Ola Aina tells Sky Sports: "Morgan is a professional. I don't really know the ins and outs of that, but he was here today, he was playing, training with us, staying fit as normal. At the end of the day we're all professionals. We've got a job to do and that's what Morgan's doing right now, keeping it professional."

Forest are set to travel to Portugal two days later for a pre-season camp and unless something shifts dramatically with one of the three parties involved in the next 24 hours then Gibbs-White will be with Espirito Santo's men.

July 19

Something does prevent Gibbs-White from departing for Portugal with the rest of the Forest squad but it's not related to the transfer situation in any way and the reason for his absence was communicated to the club.

The previous day his pregnant fiancée and influencer Britney De Villiers had shared a photo to her followers on Instagram from a hospital bed while speaking about the stress and difficulties involved with a high-risk pregnancy.

The expectation at Forest is that Gibbs-White will join up with the squad in Portugal later in the week and that nothing has changed in regards to any potential move to Spurs.

July 23

Gibbs-White flies out on the evening of July 23 and the following day is in Portugal to train with his Forest team-mates and boss Espirito Santo.

The midfielder is still believed to want the move to Tottenham and had previously held talks with the club after his return, but all the suggestions from inside Forest suggest he has been a model professional in terms of his training levels.

July 24

Gibbs-White makes his first post on social media since the whole transfer saga began but contain yourself, it's nothing remotely to do with it.

He posted on Instagram, tagging in clothing brand Harvey Nichols, as well as Harvey Nichols Menswear, sharing a video of himself in a number of the brand's pieces with the caption "My High Summer Edit with @harveynichols @harveynicholsmen #ad". Cue plenty of replies about his transfer situation.

July 26

The 25-year-old is set for more match action on Saturday evening as Forest take on fellow Premier League side Fulham in Faro at SC Farense’s Estadio de Sao Luis.

All eyes will be on if Gibbs-White does play and if so whether he avoids injury as we await news on whether Tottenham will attempt to push through this transfer one way or another.

If Gibbs-White is to leave, Forest are said to have preferred him moving to Manchester City with James McAtee coming in the other direction, a transfer that would help both teams from a PSR perspective when it comes to those financial fair play regulations. It remains to be seen whether Pep Guardiola's side remain interested though after their purchases already this summer.

Tottenham could look to smooth things over with a bigger bid to avoid the legal issues or push through with their original plan as they feel they did nothing wrong.

Morgan Gibbs-White has offered a potential transfer hint amid continued links of a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs have expressed an interest in signing Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest this summer. Tottenham looked into activating a £60million release clause in the midfielder's contract at the City Ground, which led to Forest accusing Spurs of an illegal approach for Gibbs-White.

For the time being, at least, Gibbs-White is a Forest player and recently featured in their pre-season friendly against Monaco last weekend.

Tottenham are continuing to be linked with a move for the 25-year-old, but it remains to be seen if a transfer to North London will still be possible this summer.

Amid the speculation, Gibbs-White himself has offered a potential hint of an impending transfer. The Forest star has 'liked' a post on Instagram from Tottenham star Dominic Solanke.

Solanke posted a series of photos on Instagram from his summer so far, which include pre-season training photos with Tottenham. Gibbs-White liked the post, which was posted to Solanke's 1.3million followers on the social media platform.

Gibbs-White also recently sent a message of his own on Instagram just this week. The Forest star posted a video wearing Harvey Nichols Menswear and tagging in the official Harvey Nichols account, accompanied with the caption: "My High Summer Edit with @harveynichols @harveynicholsmen #ad."

It remains to be seen what the future will hold for Tottenham's quest to sign Gibbs-White this summer. Forest have a pre-season friendly against Fulham on Saturday, where the England international could get further minutes as he builds up his fitness for the new season.

Speculation around Son Heung-min's Tottenham future has increased this summer.

The 33-year-old, who signed for Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen for £22 million in August 2015, has been a revelation since his move to north London.

Son has scored 173 goals and provided 101 assists in 454 appearances during his time at Tottenham. However, Son didn't contribute as much as he would have hoped last season, having struggled with form and fitness issues.

That has seen Son linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with LAFC and Al-Nassr among those tipped to sign the former Hamburg man. Son played the second half as Spurs beat Reading during their first pre-season fixture last Saturday, with Will Lankshear and Luka Vuksovic netting for Thomas Frank's side.

With Son's future up in the air, here is a look at the latest surrounding the South Korea star...

LAFC move

According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, LAFC have presented their initial proposal to Son Heung-min as the new star of their project. The MLS side are keen to strengthen their squad following a difficult Club World Cup campaign and have identified the South Korea international as a potential target.

It's added that the final decision is up to Son as he is due to speak to new Tottenham head coach Frank to discuss his future as soon as possible. Tottenham are expected to let Son chose his next step.

A move to LAFC would see Son reunite with former Spurs teammate Hugo Lloris, who has been out in the US for the last 18 months.

No Tottenham bid

football.london understands that Tottenham have received no offers for Son Heung-min and he is expected to feature against either Wycombe Wanderers or Luton Town on Saturday.

Son's future is uncertain but Tottenham insist that not one bid has come in for the 33-year-old and he is part of Thomas Frank's plans. Spurs travel to South East Asia to face Arsenal next Thursday, before taking on Newcastle United and Bayern Munich ahead of the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Al-Nassr interest

Last month, it was reported that Al-Nassr were showing interest in signing Son Heung-min. The Saudi Pro League side are looking to bolster their front line after tying Cristiano Ronaldo down to a new blockbuster contract and Son has been named as one of the players on their transfer shortlist.

Son Heung-min faces a crossroads at Tottenham Hotspur this summer as he closes in on the final 11 months of his contract at the north London club.

The South Korean star turned 33 earlier this month and he has seen it all while at Spurs. Son went from wanting to leave the club just one year in before being convinced by Mauricio Pochettino to stay, to then forming a lethal partnership with Harry Kane, then came the despair of the 2019 Champions League final, a Puskas Award-winning solo goal, the Premier League Golden Boot and then finally two months ago becoming the first captain to lift a European trophy at Tottenham in 41 years.

Son is a legend at the club. Even the modest skipper admitted himself on that May evening in Bilbao that he could be considered one but for one night only if the rest of the team were as well. He has notched up 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 matches for Spurs and 204 goal involvements in 333 matches in the Premier League alone. He is one of the most recognisable names in the competition.

Now though his future remains clouded. football.london reported on MLS interest for Son early last month with his former Spurs team-mate Hugo Lloris at LAFC and now the Los Angeles side are reportedly trying to put together a move for him. With Saudi Pro League clubs also interested, those inside Tottenham maintain they have received no bids at this time for their captain.

Son is more open to a Spurs exit than he has been since that first summer after joining from Bayer Leverkusen. Those who worked with him last season got the sense that he was preparing himself for a potential Tottenham departure and the Europa League triumph was the perfect icing on the cake to secure his decade-long legacy at the club.

It ended a season in which Son struggled to find any rhythm with hamstring and foot injuries and ended up with just seven goals in the Premier League, his lowest total since the season he arrived at the club all the way back in 2015. Yet he still finished it by doing something so few Spurs captains before him were able to.

Spurs took up the option on Son's contract in January to ensure he was not a free agent this summer. While the club will be guided by what the South Korean star wants to do, that extra 11 months ensures they are unlikely to lose him for nothing unless he sees out his final season with another go at the Champions League.

It's worth noting though that Lloris did end up remaining at Tottenham in his final season for another six months before departing for Los Angeles on a free transfer in the January window. That the MLS regular season runs from late February until October makes it somewhat awkward for summer signings and next season's campaign will be interrupted by the World Cup.

Major League Soccer could be a good fit for Son on every level. It would give him a growing stage to star on alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and LA has the biggest Korean population in the USA.

New Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has not been able to confirm that Son will be staying for his first season in charge. In fact, he went as far as admitting that he has not even made a final decision on who his captain will be for this season. Hardly a ringing endorsement for the current skipper.

When asked whether Son should be able to dictate his own future, the Dane said: "It’s always tricky, situations like that. If that happens. Right now I have a player that is fully committed and training well, and will play tomorrow.

"If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take of course. And of course, the head coach and the guys who are in charge and this case will be with Daniel [Levy] and Johan [Lange]. Because there is something in it if someone wants to leave at a certain stage, then there can be something there. But the club will always decide in the end, of course."

If Son does remain at the club then Frank will have to decide how to use him best. The debate has always raged over whether he's better through the middle or down the left flank cutting in. Ange Postecoglou's system needed him to remain wide and hit the touchline and it never looked like an entirely comfortable fit. Jose Mourinho got the best out of Son in his prime, using him as a runner beyond Kane as the England captain dropped deep and picked out his team-mate's runs.

In his first match for Frank at Reading last Saturday, Son looked to be kept out wide on the left as he did under Postecoglou and although he won the two corners that led to the goals for Spurs, he never looked right and after the game appeared to be suffering from a back problem.

This Saturday brings matches against Wycombe and Luton, with Son set to play in one of them if fit, either at the training ground or at Kenilworth Road. Then comes the club's latest summer tour across the world.

With football.london having reported before that Son has tied up most of his image rights abroad himself - you are unlikely to find him on advertising in a Spurs shirt other than for match promotion - Tottenham actually make less from the Korean superstar than many imagine.

That's not to say it's nothing by any stretch of the imagination. The main income gained from the player comes from the lucrative pre-season tours to the Asia-Pacific region and Spurs have accordingly toured there every season since 2019 - barring the pandemic-affected summers. Some reports over the years have estimated the figure earned from each tour at as much as £10million.

Those tours and Son's mere presence at the club have also had a knock-on effect with brand interest in that big market for the club with sponsorship opportunities as well as the sheer number of supporters from that region who now follow Tottenham and those who could remain interested once the captain moves on to the next chapter in his career.

Spurs will arrive in Hong Kong on Monday before heading to Son's homeland of South Korea later in the week with friendlies against Arsenal and Newcastle in those locations. There are financial penalties involved if the club's big names do not appear in tour games and of course Son is the biggest of them all.

After that tour there awaits a potential reunion with Kane in Munich before a chance to win another piece of silverware with the UEFA Super Cup against PSG in Udine.

Ultimately Son should decide what comes next. He's given everything to Tottenham for 10 years and managed to complete that decade with the rarest of things at the club in the modern era - silverware. He would have left a legend regardless.

As Ashley Phillips walked out of the Hotspur Way doors this week before heading back to Stoke City he must have wondered if it was the last time he would work at Tottenham's training complex.

Still just 20-years-old and with plenty of praise from the clubs he has played at, it just hasn't worked out for the big centre back at the north London club. Since Phillips was signed from Blackburn in the summer of 2023, he has played 59 senior matches of football but not one of them has been for Spurs.

Tottenham activated the £2million release clause for the Salford-born youngster two years ago after he had made eight appearances for Championship club Blackburn before turning 18. Initially under Ange Postecoglou it looked promising for Phillips as he spent much of the first three months of the Premier League season in matchday squads, often ahead of the more experienced Eric Dier.

An ankle injury knocked him out of action for a month before Christmas, but he returned to the bench after that before Postecoglou decided he needed to go out on loan and play regularly.

The teenager duly did, making the move back to the Championship and Plymouth Argyle. Phillips starred there, helping Plymouth avoid relegation and he was named their Young Player of the Season despite only playing for half of it. He returned that summer and played a couple of pre-season friendly games but Postecoglou and his coaching staff were still not convinced that the youngster was ready for the Premier League.

Another loan came with a move to Stoke City and it brought a season that helped fortify Phillip's mental strength. Initially struggling to get into the team in the first couple of months, he grabbed his chance when it came and remained a near ever-present as three different managers tried their luck with the Potters.

The season also brought his first senior goal with a delightful back flick against then Premier League side Southampton in the Carabao Cup. In all Phillips made 39 appearances for Stoke and helped them to a final day escape from relegation.

With Postecoglou gone, Phillips might have hoped he would get a look in at Spurs on his return. The Australian's replacement Thomas Frank wanted to size up the England U20 international this summer at Hotspur Way but it was always going to be tough with the arrival of Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai on top of the established senior centre-backs Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.

The same appears to be the case for academy centre-back Alfie Dorrington, who has returned on loan to Aberdeen. At least he has played for Tottenham, making his debut in the Premier League during last season's win at Southampton.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Phillips at Reading on Saturday when he was one of the three players on the bench who never got to come on, the 18-year-old Vuskovic chosen instead and scoring in an impressive debut.

Just a few days later and Phillips, who has three years left on his contract, was on his way back to Stoke, a place where he is most definitely wanted.

Stoke City Sporting Director Jonathan Walters said: "Being able to bring Ashley back to Stoke City despite plenty of competition is down to him loving his time here last season so much, and a lot of work that took place behind the scenes to make it happen. I know the support he received from our fans was a huge part of his positive experience of our club and I’m looking forward to seeing that bond develop even further.

"With the attributes he has and what he’s already achieved as a central defender at such a young age, Ashley, for me, is a potential full international of the future. To have him playing for us for another season is a significant coup and we all can’t wait to see him back on the field in a Stoke City shirt, doing what he does best for the Potters."

Phillips' own words were perhaps telling, saying he feels valued at the Championship club.

"It feels like unfinished business. I am absolutely buzzing to be back. I feel really valued, the coaching staff are brilliant, the gaffer has been amazing with me and presented me with the plan he has to help me to develop, it made it a no brainer," said the centre-back.

"Working with Ryan Shawcross in particular is great for me. He helped my game immeasurably last year and I am sure that will be the case again this season. Also, through thick and thin, our fans have turned up and supported us. They have been great to me, I know they will continue to be, and we will need them throughout the whole season."

The path at Tottenham is packed and currently blocked for Phillips. Whether it eventually clears or not, the young centre-back looks set to have a very good professional career ahead of him.

Viktor Gyokeres is not yet an Arsenal player despite the Gunners reaching a verbal agreement with Sporting CP for the striker.

football.london understands a deal worth an initial €63.5million (£55million), plus €10million (£8.7million) in add-ons, has been agreed between the two sides. The structure of the deal has been the obstacle in recent weeks but it was reported this week that talks are now at an extremely advanced stage.

Once the finishing touches are complete, the 27-year-old is expected to complete his medical and potentially then fly out to Asia to join up with his new teammates. Mikel Arteta and his squad flew to Singapore last Saturday and ran out 1-0 winners against AC Milan in their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

The Gunners are set to play Newcastle United on Sunday before they jet off to Hong Kong for one final pre-season friendly in the Far East. That game happens to be against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and will be the first ever North London Derby played abroad.

It is against Spurs on Wednesday, July 31 where supporters may see Gyokeres in an Arsenal shirt for the first time. Sunday's clash against Newcastle will probably come too soon but the fixture against Tottenham three days later seems more realistic.

Arteta had wanted Gyokeres signed ahead of the Asia pre-season tour so will want the Swede to join up with the group ASAP. Games against Villarreal and Athletic Club at Emirates Stadium will follow before the Premier League opener against Manchester United on August 17.

The fact Gyokeres could make his Arsenal debut against Tottenham is extremely interesting and would give the former Coventry and Brighton man the perfect opportunity to immediately win over fans. It would also give Gyokeres a small taste of what it is like facing a Premier League opponent ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Gyokeres scored 54 goals in 52 games last season so clearly knows where the net is, and the clinical finisher will want to get his Arsenal account up and running sooner rather than later. If all goes to plan, the pre-season friendly against Tottenham could be the perfect opportunity to do just that.