Daily Express

Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou might be back in the Premier League very soon after a brutally honest admission from another ex-Spurs man. Despite clinching the Europa League trophy in May, the 59-year-old found himself ousted from his role at Tottenham following two seasons, with the latter ending in a dismal seventeenth place finish in the Premier League.

Daniel Levy made the decision to appoint Thomas Frank as the club's new head coach and he enjoyed a triumphant start in the Premier League courtesy of Tottenham's 3-0 victory over Burnley last Saturday. However, this success was quickly overshadowed by Arsenal's eleventh-hour coup, snatching Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze from under Tottenham's nose.

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This marks the second transfer debacle for Tottenham this summer, having previously seen their pursuit of Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White collapse amidst allegations of an unlawful approach; the England international subsequently agreed fresh terms at the City Ground. Meanwhile, Forest themselves kicked off their campaign on a high note, securing a 3-1 win against Brentford.

Yet, not all is well at the club, as Nuno Espirito Santo, briefly at the helm of Spurs in 2021, conceded that his relationship with club owner Evangelos Marinakis has changed. "I always had a very good relationship with the owner - last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis," he disclosed during a press conference on Friday.

"This season it is not so well [between us] but I always believe that dialogue is important because my concern is the squad and the season we have ahead of us. Our relationship has changed and we are not as close.

"No, it is not good [that the relationship has changed]. I think everybody at the club should be together but this not the reality." With Nuno's exit now looking increasingly likely, Forest may well be scouring the market for potential successors.

Italian journalist Matteo Moretto claims Postecoglou features amongst the candidates being considered. Should Marinakis hold considerable sway over the appointment, Postecoglou's emergence as a contender comes as little shock given the praise heaped upon him by the Forest supremo mere months ago.

"What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek and in the great success he had with Tottenham by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece," he remarked via Greek publication Neos Kosmos.

"A man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece.

"We must thank him especially for this and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well as he has the ability. Wherever he goes, the successes will come."

Should Postecoglou join Forest, he would be set to reunite with his former colleagues in mid-December, before making a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March 2026.

Thomas Frank has declared he doesn't want players at the club who aren't fully committed to joining Tottenham, following Eberechi Eze's shock decision to switch to Arsenal. The England star seemed destined for a move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs pursued the gifted midfielder to address their ongoing No. 10 problem.

But there was a dramatic late development as north London neighbours Arsenal swooped to hijack the transfer. The Gunners swiftly sprang into action after learning of Kai Havertz's injury setback, prompting Eze to choose his childhood club over Spurs. The 27-year-old's switch to Arsenal is expected to be completed imminently after he passed a medical examination on Friday morning.

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football.london believe that Eze will join for approximately £60million plus £7.5m in additional payments.

The transfer setback has left Tottenham exasperated in the transfer window yet again, with uncertainty surrounding their next step as they seek to recruit a fresh No. 10.

Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester City, Frank shared his thoughts on the failed deal and insisted "we don't want them here" regarding players who lack dedication to joining the club. He said that the priority is to bring players in who want to play for Spurs.

"In general, of course, you know I don't speak about specific players unless they are at our fantastic club, and I'm more than happy to speak about all our players," said the Dane.

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"So that's one thing. Secondly, and there's been a lot of rumours linking us with a lot of players. Also players where I think 'Oh, he's been linked with us? Interesting'. But a lot of times where it's definitely nothing in it, that's part of the business we talked about before.

"There must be someone out there that thinks it's good fun to put the rumours out there. But anyway, there'll be a lot of links. There has been a lot of links. There'll a lot of links in the future.

"And just to generalise that, to make it very, very clear, I don't want any players that don't want to come to the club. Who don't want to come to the club and wear this fantastic badge -- we don't want them here.

"I think that's very clear, and also pretty sure that the fans will feel the same if they don't want to put the fantastic shirt over their head. Play for the badge, play for the club. Really enjoy it. No problem, then we don't them there. I think that's a key message."

Gary Lineker believes there's "not a chance" Alexander Isak shows up at St James' Park to watch Newcastle United take on Liverpool on Monday evening. The striker has found himself at the heart of a dramatic transfer saga involving both clubs this summer.

Trouble began brewing on Tyneside last month when Isak snubbed Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia, choosing instead to train at his former club, Real Sociedad. The Sweden international then shared his desire to explore opportunities away from the north east before Liverpool tabled an initial bid of £110million. Following the swift rejection of that offer, Isak was ordered to train in isolation by Newcastle's hierarchy.

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As matters stand, he is reportedly refusing to ever represent the Magpies again, having missed their Premier League curtain-raiser against Aston Villa last weekend. The 25-year-old also broke his silence on Tuesday via Instagram, alleging his club had reneged on promises while suggesting his departure would be the optimal solution.

With Newcastle preparing to welcome Liverpool in Premier League action on Monday night, questions have emerged over whether Isak will be present at St James' Park to watch the clash. However, Lineker is convinced there's absolutely no chance of that happening.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker said: "The fixture list sometimes does this beautifully doesn't it? Newcastle vs Liverpool. Of course it is." To which Alan Shearer responded: "Monday night, I'll be at the match as well."

When Lineker asked if he thought Isak would be present, Shearer replied: "No, do you?" The former Match of the Day host said: "Not a chance," before bursting into laughter. Explaining that Isak's transfer saga will only heighten the tension during the match, Shearer added: "It'll be an incredible atmosphere. It's a bit tasty anyway, Newcastle Liverpool, so it's a bit of added spice I think, don't you?"

Lineker then joked: "Why don't you do a swap deal, for [Hugo] Ekitike? Just to stir things up a bit. Sorry, but you've got to try to see the funny side of these things, especially for fans, and you are a fan of Newcastle. I mean, it's just brutal."

Newcastle had also shown interest in Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Ekitike this summer, before Liverpool outmanoeuvred them with a £79m move. The striker has made a strong start at his new club, scoring in Liverpool's Community Shield match against Crystal Palace, as well as their 4-2 Premier League opening day victory over Bournemouth last Friday.

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While Liverpool have not yet returned with a better offer for Isak, it is believed they may do so before the transfer window closes on September 1. But only if Newcastle can show some flexibility on their reported £150m valuation of their star player.

The Magpies continue to grapple with their own challenges in securing a reliable No. 9 to replace Isak. Earlier this week, Brentford turned down a £40m offer from the club for Yoane Wissa, and while a second attempt hasn't been dismissed, it seems they're also eyeing Wolves' centre-forward, Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Wolves are keen to keep hold of the 25-year-old, but an offer in the region of £60m could sway them. Regardless, Eddie Howe will likely have to resort to a stand-in striker once again for the match against Liverpool.

Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur following their failed bid for Eberechi Eze, who is set to join Arsenal for a whopping £68million.

The Independent reported on Thursday that Spurs had made enquiries about Rogers, who is expected to fetch a higher price than Eze. Despite Villa's reluctance to part ways with the 23-year-old, a substantial offer could potentially change their minds due to concerns over profit and sustainability rules.

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Rogers, who was crowned PFA young player of the year this week, expressed his contentment at Villa in an interview with The Times. "Nobody could have written what happened to me in the last 12 months," he said.

"I'm happy here. I love football. I love nothing more than just coming out on the pitch and playing football and that's what I'm doing. I don't think about anything else.

"I can't predict the next 12 months or anything in the future. It's just about playing football, enjoying my football and showing everyone what I can do."

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However, it seems a deal is highly unlikely as football.london claim that Tottenham are not interested in Rogers.

While the young star has fans at Chelsea and would be a significant signing for Spurs, it appears that Unai Emery sees him as the future of Villa and would rather sell other players if necessary.

"With how football is changing, I appreciate a lot the players being versatile, playing different positions, understanding everything tactically," Emery previously said of Rogers.

"One of them in our squad is clearly Morgan Rogers, and John McGinn as well. Not every player is ready to do it, but Morgan Rogers is always positive and his versatility is very important for us. In the last match, we played in different positions with Morgan.

"He played striker, number ten, right side, left side, and he's always performing very well because he's a player who understands tactically everything we are planning and he has the qualities to do it.

"The importance he has now is trying to improve. I'm always pushing him to get more of him, but physically as well he's keeping the level we needed."

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to sign Manchester City winger Savinho before the summer transfer deadline after missing out on Eberechi Eze, according to reports. Spurs face severe disappointment in their hunt for the Crystal Palace talisman, who has performed a U-turn and will soon complete a move to north London rivals Arsenal, despite agreeing a deal with Thomas Frank's outfit.

But Frank's business certainly is not complete, and he is keen to add at least one more attacker to his squad before September 2. Savinho has emerged as a top target for Spurs after Pep Guardiola bolstered his attack further with the £34million signing of Rayan Cherki.

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs engaged in fresh contact with City over the 21-year-old on Thursday.

Etihad Stadium bosses are said to want to keep Savinho, but the Lilywhites are pushing for his signature and insist they want to do a deal.

It's claimed that Spurs believe Savinho would be a perfect signing for the start of Frank's project, with the Danish head coach in love with the Brazilian as a player.

The report adds that while Frank is keen for the transfer to go through, the feeling is, interestingly, mutual, potentially strengthening Spurs' position.

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Last week, Guardiola reaffirmed his stance that players who want to leave City will be allowed to explore exits.

However, the Catalan coach made it clear that he wanted Savinho to stay put this season, stressing that he was in his plans.

"If they want to leave, they will come to me. If they want to leave, they will knock on my door. Whether it's Tottenham in that case or any other club, a player should call the club," Guadiola said.

"I am only concerned right now that Savinho will be with us for the rest of the season and hopefully many years, because of the potential he has at 21.

"He has to improve in the final positions, but he is an extraordinary player.

"At the end, as always, the desire of the players is above everything, but then they have to find an agreement with the club.

"If they don't make an agreement, the player will be here because the club spends money on those players."

Savinho was not included in Guardiola's squad for City's 4-0 win at Wolves on the opening weekend of the Premier League, fuelling speculation surrounding his future.

Arsenal have beaten north London rivals Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze, with the forward expected to join the Gunners in the coming days. But the transfer could have dire consequences for Kai Havertz, with Arsenal only deciding to swoop for Eze after the German sustained a knee injury.

Arsenal were linked with their former academy player Eze earlier this summer after the 27-year-old lit up the Premier League last season. However, the Gunners initially stepped aside, with Tottenham making a move as they edged towards a deal. But just as it looked like Eze was heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal dived in with a bid of around £67.5million. And it appears the prospect of joining his boyhood club is too tempting for Eze to turn down.

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Havertz came off the bench for half an hour as Arsenal defeated Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Sunday.

But he was absent as the Gunners held an open training session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, with news of Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze hitting the headlines hours later.

Eze can play on either flank but thrives as a No. 10 and may be a direct threat to Havertz’s game time when the Germany international returns from his latest injury setback. And the former QPR player appears to offer a bigger threat than Havertz in the final third of the pitch.

According to Opta, Eze had 61 shots in the Premier League last season, with Havertz only managing 44. Of those attempts, 29 were on target compared to Havertz’s 21.

Eze is a much more creative player than Havertz as well as he created 50 chances for his Palace team-mates last term, with Havertz only creating 14 goalscoring opportunities.

While Havertz managed one more goal in the Premier League than Eze - nine compared to eight – the Palace player contributed five more assists and also made 141 more accurate passes in the opposition half. And those numbers may be enough to convince Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta that Eze should start ahead of Havertz in the future.

Eze was a surprise inclusion on the Palace team sheet for their Premier League opener against Chelsea on Sunday, despite the fact he appeared to be edging towards a move to Tottenham.

And he found the back of the net with a free-kick in the first half, but the strike was chalked off due to a foul by Marc Guehi.

Eze was then left out of the matchday squad for the Eagles’ UEFA Conference League play-off clash with Fredrikstad on Thursday evening ahead of his move to the Emirates.

Tottenham's transfer plans have been thrown into disarray after missing out on another major target this summer. The north Londoners may now set their sights on Monaco's midfield maestro Maghnes Akliouche following Eberechi Eze's decision to join arch-rivals Arsenal.

The situation at Spurs is further complicated by concerns that Dejan Kulusevski could be sidelined until the end of the year due to a knee injury. With no confirmed return date, the need for immediate reinforcements has become even more pressing after this latest hammer blow. It comes in addition to James Maddison's long-term knee ligament injury, which initially prompted Tottenham's interest in signing Eze.

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However, they are set to miss out on the Crystal Palace man, adding to the disappointment of Morgan Gibbs-White choosing to remain at Nottingham Forest and Bryan Mbeumo opting for Manchester United over Spurs.

Despite last season's triumph in the Europa League and securing a Champions League spot, Spurs have struggled to build momentum.

Now, they find themselves scrambling for signings with £40million-rated Akliouche among their targets. Bayer Leverkusen are also keen on the player, while Monaco are eager to retain him for at least another season.

Spurs have shown interest in Como playmaker Nico Paz, who could be an alternative if they fail to lure Akliouche.

They are also eyeing England starlet Morgan Rogers, although there are doubts over whether a deal can be struck given the expected resistance from Aston Villa.

Manchester City are reluctant to part ways with Brazilian winger Savinho, while Tottenham have also shown interest in Southampton winger Tyler Dibling.

RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons is reportedly keen on a move to Chelsea, leaving Spurs in a difficult position with just ten days left of the transfer window.

There is a sense within Tottenham that Arsenal were always lurking and despite agreeing personal terms with Crystal Palace, they had to wait until after their Conference League match on Thursday night.

This delay provided Arsenal with an opportunity to swoop for a player who Mikel Arteta has been pursuing all summer. The interest was established even before Kai Havertz's injury, which only increased the urgency.

Arsenal are hopeful that Havertz's injury isn't too severe, but he faces the prospect of being sidelined for some time. The imminent arrival of Eze will soften this blow and has been warmly received by the fans.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are left to pick up the pieces and search elsewhere. They believe they did everything possible to secure a deal, but fear that even if they had met the release clause earlier, Arsenal may have still outbid them.

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Eberechi Eze's £60million move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal is set to be confirmed as early as this weekend, according to PA news agency. The final details of the deal for the 27-year-old are nearly complete, pushing Arsenal's summer spending over the £250m mark.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner revealed that Eze, absent from his squad for their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park, informed him on Thursday morning that he was unable to play. "Honestly I expected that he will start today for us, but he called me this morning and said he doesn't feel well to play in the evening, and of course I have to accept it, and everything else you have to ask the chairman," Glasner told Channel 5 ahead of their match with Fredrikstad – the Eagles' first ever European tie.

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"I have to accept it. If a player tells me he is not ready to play, then of course we had to (accept it). I called the player who starts instead, Justin Devenny, and that he is ready, because it's my responsibility to prepare the players to play for us in the best way.

"And so it was quite busy. You don't like to change your starting 11 on matchday, especially in this situation. It's the first time in European football for Crystal Palace, but again, we have to deal with it, and so this is what we do in the best way."

Eze is poised to become Arsenal's seventh signing of the summer after they moved to outbid Tottenham for the England international. The stunning transfer of Eze to the Emirates has been fast-tracked this week following a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz.

The German international made an appearance as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Manchester United, and completed the match, but he did not take part in the club's open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday.

It remains uncertain how long Havertz, who is still under assessment, will be out of action. However, the swift move for Eze indicates that Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta at the helm and backed by sporting director Andrea Berta, are not willing to take any risks as they aim to secure their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Eze is now set to join striker Viktor Gyokeres (£55m), defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in making the switch to the Emirates.

Arteta is scheduled to face the press at the club's training ground on Friday to preview his team's second match of the season, at home against Leeds on Saturday evening.

Arsenal's late transfer swoop for Eberechi Eze to hijack his Tottenham move is not the first time the Gunners have embarrassed their fierce rivals. Mikel Arteta's side are set to sign the 27-year-old from Crystal Palace after agreeing terms with both the club and player on Wednesday evening.

The breakthrough came as a surprise, given that Spurs had been on the verge of securing Eze's signature. But those close to the England midfielder knew that his heart was set on Arsenal. Eze supported Arsenal as a child and was let go from their academy at the age of 13, which he admitted left him ‘bawling’ for days on end. Arsenal are set to finalise his £68million transfer in the coming days, having initially held reservations over the deal due to the emergence of academy starlet Ethan Nwaneri. But Kai Havertz’s recent injury eventually swayed them into pursuing what could be their seventh signing of the summer.

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Eze's dramatic change of heart, swapping N17 for N5, is not without precedent. Many will remember Sol Campbell's sensational move as a free agent in 2001. But another Gunners legend, Emmanuel Petit, rejected Spurs for Arsenal in a manner more reminiscent of Eze's transfer saga.

Spurs infamously paid the Frenchman’s taxi fare on his way to sign for Arsenal. Reflecting on his last-minute decision, Petit told the Mirror in 2018: "Tottenham put the contract on the table for me, I needed a couple of days to think about it but they didn't expect what happened after that."

The midfielder travelled to London in 1997 to discuss a potential transfer from Monaco with Spurs chairman Sir Alan Sugar. Arsenal caught wind of the meeting and reached out to the midfielder, urging him not to sign anything until he had listened to Arsene Wenger's vision for the new project he was building.

Petit, who had previously played under Wenger at Monaco, requested more time from Sugar to consider the offer back at his hotel, with Spurs covering the taxi fare to take him there. However, the Frenchman redirected the cab to Wenger's house, where he also met vice-chairman David Dein.

Hoping to challenge for trophies rather than battle against relegation, the future World Cup champion agreed terms and completed a £2.5m transfer to the Gunners. Petit later recalled on talkSPORT: "I had meetings on the same day with Tottenham and Arsenal and had a meeting with Tottenham in the morning, but when I came to England I didn't know about the rivalry between the two clubs.

"When I left the Spurs stadium, they booked me a cab and the cab driver asked me for directions, so I gave him the Arsenal address and I didn't realise that the cab was pre-paid by Spurs, so they knew where I was going!

"I'd told Spurs that I needed time to think about it but knew that I had to see Arsenal, as well as other clubs in Italy and Spain. I told everyone that I'd make my mind up and when I knew the answer I would give it, but after a couple of days I signed for Arsenal and it went into newspapers and all of a sudden the story came. I realised the pressure of the rivalry then."

Petit added in 2018: "It's part of the legend now. David Dein still loves that story – and [more than] 20 years later he's still telling it!" He would not regret his choice, forming a strong midfield partnership with compatriot Patrick Vieira, which saw the ponytailed midfielder clinch a league and cup double in his debut campaign.

Following the success of the 1997/98 season, Petit spent two more seasons in north London before moving to Barcelona and then Chelsea. Eze will be hoping his bold decision will reap similar benefits as he looks to bring a creative spark to Arteta's team, with the Gunners aiming to break their Premier League curse after ending three consecutive campaigns as runners-up.

Tottenham look to have lost the race for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze after rivals Arsenal mounted a late and successful transfer coup. But one of Spurs' next targets, Como's Nico Paz, was once dubbed 'the future of Real Madrid.'

Despite Spurs chief Daniel Levy hammering out a £60million package for Eze, their bitter north London rivals arrived on Wednesday evening with a £68m proposal. Thanks to executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis' relationship with Palace's Steve Parish, the Gunners thwarted their rivals, and Eze has chosen a move to the Emirates. Eze wishes to play one last time for Palace in their Conference League play-off on Thursday evening, but may be left out due to the risk of injury. Tottenham must now turn their attentions elsewhere, and ex-Los Blancos ace Paz is reportedly on their radar.

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After all but losing out on long-term target Eze, Thomas Frank's Spurs have moved on to other attacking midfield targets. They wish to strengthen this area because of injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, and the departure of Son Heung-min.

The Daily Mail reports that alongside Monaco dynamo Maghnes Akliouche, Como star Paz is on the club's shortlist. Paz was born in Tenerife and began his career within local academies before moving to Real Madrid's renowned La Fabrica in 2016.

He began life as a defensive player but slowly advanced up the field to take up a more attacking role. After making his B-team debut in 2022, Paz was handed his first professional bow for Los Blancos in the Champions League against Braga one year later. His first league appearance came soon after.

Yet, with fierce competition for attacking places, he sought a move in August 2024 and moved to newly promoted Serie A side Como for a reported £5.1million. He debuted for the club a day later and hit the ground running.

Real have a roughly £10.5m buy-back option for the youngster, and still own some of his economic rights. The club's former manager, Carlo Ancelotti, hinted that this clause may be activated in the future, which could make a deal difficult for Spurs.

Speaking to Rai Radio 1 last December, Ancelotti was asked about Paz and couldn't hold back his admiration, stating: "Paz is a player we follow a lot. He is really good. He's a great talent. This year of training away from Real is doing him a lot of good. We believe he is a player who can be the future of Real Madrid."

Paz was named Serie A Young Player of the Year in Italy last term. The 20-year-old made his Argentina debut against Bolivia in October 2024 and, after assisting the great Lionel Messi, had his praises sung once again.

"Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that's why he's where he is," Messi said after the 6-0 victory. "Nico has a lot of quality and understands the game perfectly. He has an incredible mindset, and he's with Cesc Fabregas [current manager of Como] as coach who is my friend and will help him grow a lot."