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Chelsea are back in Premier League action next week following the international break

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Chelsea take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge next Thursday. They then head to the Gtech Community Stadium on the Sunday to face Brentford. Enzo Maresca’s side are currently looking to cement their place in the Champions League places.

The London outfit are sat in 4th position in the Premier League table and are inside the top four along with Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Manchester City and Newcastle United are chasing them down below them. Maresca’s men lost 1-0 against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium last time out before the international break and will be looking to bounce back.

Will Nicolas Jackson be fit to face Spurs?

Nicolas Jackson - back in training. He has been out of action since February with a hamstring injury. His last match was against West Ham and he has since been on the road to recovery. Maresca said last month: "Unfortunately he had a scan a few days ago and it is an important one, it will be around six to eight weeks." In this latest update, he is back in training. However, the match against Spurs is likely to come too soon for him. Expected return date: 13/04/2025.

Cole Palmer - could return. The attacker was forced to miss England duties due to a muscular problem. The Three Lions’ new manager Thomas Tuchel said: “Cole will not be with us. We waited a while for feedback. But he is not on the pitch and it makes no sense to call him up now.” The Blues will need to make checks on him and assess whether he can play against Ange Postecoglou’s side. They will have their fingers crossed that he is fit to feature in some capacity.

Maresca said: "His injury was from yesterday’s session, it’s a muscular problem. He needs a scan, and it is planned for tomorrow morning. I hope he can be back for our next game, but we need to wait for a scan. We don’t wish players injury, but probably in Cole’s case in this moment it will give him some rest, physically and mentally, it could be good." Expected return date: 02/04/2025.

Chelsea selection woes latest ahead of Tottenham Hotspur clash

Marc Guiu - out. Chelsea remain without the attacker due to a thigh injury. Maresca shared this update in mid-February: “Marc will also be out for a while. He has a muscle problem, a hamstring issue as well, and will be out for a little while.” Expected return date: 13/04/2025.

Noni Madueke - out. He has been in the treatment room over recent times and the Blues will be weighing up when is best to play him again. When fit, he gives them more competition and depth in attack and someting different to what they have available but they won’t want to take a risk. Maresca said: “Noni will be out until the international break, probably.” Expected return date: 13/04/2025.

Mykhailo Mudryk - suspended. The Ukraine international is provisionally suspended for a failed drugs test. Maresca said in January: “The only thing I can say is that we are close to Mykhailo as a club, and we are trying to help him. In terms of an update, I don't have one.” Expected return date: Unknown.

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Our round-up of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours includes news from Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham, Manchester United and more.

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A brand new week is here and with it a whole new set of daily round-ups of all the latest Premier League transfer rumours – and we’ll get Monday’s action underway with some fresh reporting on what could be one of the biggest stories of the summer.

We’re going to hear a lot about the future of Viktor Gyökeres over the coming months, with half of Europe’s biggest clubs keen to land the free-scoring Sporting striker – and according to a story from Sport Witness, who cite sources in the Portuguese press, Arsenal are setting the early pace for the Swede’s signature.

Apparently, the Gunners are “already preparing what they hope will be a decisive raid” for the former Brighton forward, and the club have supposedly requested a formal meeting with the 26-year-old’s agent, who just so happens to be a friend of Mikel Arteta. Furthermore, the article claims that Gyökeres has been assured that Sporting will accept bids below his €100m release clause, and Arsenal can expect to pay around €75m (£63m) if they make a move.

All good news for Arsenal, but we can’t say the same for Nottingham Forest. A separate report from the same website suggests that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were debating an ambitious move for Gyökeres themselves, but the player is “unlikely to consider” such a move. Worth a try.

The 3AM Verdict: Arsenal will certainly be doing their due diligence right about now, even if they eventually land on a different target, but it’s interesting to see reporting that suggests a reduced valuation on Sporting’s end – that might open up the market a little bit more. Not as far as Forest, mind you…

West Ham set asking price for wonderkid

Over to Caught Offside now for a story about a forward who might be leaving London, rather than jetting in – they state that West Ham United are “ready to sell” 19-year-old starlet Luis Guilherme, who has struggled to live up to his billing since moving to the capital last June.

The wide forward, who has been touted as one of the brightest prospects in Brazilian football, hasn’t scored in seven Premier League appearances and the Hammers seem prepared to let him try his luck elsewhere as they look to raise money to fund their summer transfer plans.

The asking price will reportedly be around €30m (£25m), which is almost exactly what they paid to buy him from Palmeiras in the first place. Wolves and Crystal Palace are both said to be interested, along with a diverse cast of overseas clubs including Atlético Madrid, Napoli, Flamengo and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The 3AM Verdict: Whatever the reasons that Guilherme’s move hasn’t worked out, we doubt that West Ham will have too much trouble finding a buyer who can help them break even – and a change of scenery might be good for all concerned.

Real tell Spurs, Man Utd & Arsenal ‘to forget about’ £42m man

Let’s wrap things up with an intriguing story from TBR Football – they claim that Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal are all “actively following” the progress of Como midfielder Nico Paz, who signed for the Serie A side from Real Madrid last summer – but the Spanish giants are still blocking their path to a transfer.

Real Madrid, it seems, have a buyback clause for the 20-year-old Argentine and intend to invoke it, which means that the English sides “can forget about” signing him. Real have already decided to bring him back to the Bernabeu next summer, it would seem.

Como apparently also value Paz highly – the article states £50m while putting £42m in the headline, so we assume the first figure is a typo and meant to be the price in euros. Either way, not only would he cost a small fortune, but Real can take him anyway if they like.

The 3AM Verdict: Assuming all the details in the article are correct, we can’t imagine a summer move happening – that’s too much for those three teams given how much they need to spend in other areas, and that’s before we worry about Real. We suspect Paz will stay in Serie A for another season, at least.

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Tottenham Hotspur are expected to spend big in the summer

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Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be on the hunt for plenty of new names in the summer as they aim to bounce back from what has been a disappointing injury-hit 2024/25 season.

The campaign started with Ange Postecoglou boldly claiming that he always delivers trophies in his second season but after exits in the Carabao Cup semi-final and the early rounds of the FA Cup - Spurs fans are instead wondering what might have been if they had a full fit squad.

As it stands, the North London outfit are 14th in the table and even find themselves below a vastly underachieving Manchester United side. They do, however, have one last shot at Europe in the form of the Europa League after reaching the quarter-final.

Spurs have stuck with Ange Postecoglou despite some tricky patches in form and are expected to back whoever is in the dugout next season. With that in mind, 3 Added Minute takes a look at how the starting XI could look at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next term.

A marquee £50m defensive signing

Guglielmo Vicario is Spurs’ number one and is backed up by January signing Antonin Kinsky. He has done a steady job since returning from injury and is expected to remain a key player next term.

Pedro Porro loves to bomb forward and remains a key player at both ends of the pitch in the right-back area. Meanwhile, on the other side, Djed Spence has enjoyed a steady breakout campaign this year and is viewed by most fans as the first choice ahead of Destiny Udogie on current form.

Micky Van de Ven remains a key player at centre back despite his recent injury issues and at his peak is central to Spurs’ high-line and desire to press opposing teams. He could have a new partner next term in Marc Guehi, with London World claiming Spurs are interested in prising the England international away from Crystal Palace for a reported £50m.

A former Man Utd prodigy arrives on a free

Lucas Bergvall is a bright prospect and will be eyeing as much game time as possible over the next few years after showing excellent exuberance and physicality at the heart of midfield.

James Maddison, meanwhile with nine goals and five assists is expected to play in a more advanced role to provide the creative spark and excitement that the front-line needs to score goals.

A new arrival in the centre could be England international Angel Gomes. The former Manchester United prodigy is out of contract in the summer and is blessed with the ability to play all across the midfield. His composure in possession and excellent workrate make him a target for Spurs, according to Football Transfers.

A Champions League finalist joins the frontline

Spurs have a wealth of attacking options and one of the most reliable of those is Son Heung-min. The South Korean can play on either flank and provides the team with plenty of pace and energy to run in behind defences. Summer signing Dominic Solanke has been steady but unremarkable infront of goal when fit and is expected to be given more time to prove himself as the main striker.

Meanwhile, an exciting signing which could garner great excitement could be Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jamie Gittens. The England under-21 international reached the Champions League final last season but is linked with a move away from Dortmund, according to London World who state Spurs want to beat Chelsea to the signature of the pacey forward.

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What Aston Villa’s starting line-up could look like next season - will Marcus Rashford or Marco Asensio sign permanently?

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Aston Villa were one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the last transfer window and we doubt that they’ll take things too much slower this summer – with several needs to address and some key players only at Villa Park on loan, the club have a lot of work to do.

A centre-back and a striker are among the priorities for Unai Emery’s side as they work to build a squad which can compete for a top four berth year after year, but they also need to work out whether they can acquire loan stars Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on a permanent basis.

To help figure out what Villa’s squad could look like next season, we’ve pored over some of the more realistic rumours floating around to put together a plausible starting XI for 2025/26, featuring new faces, £266m of talent and an awful lot of cash on the bench…

New faces in defence

GK: Emiliano Martínez (£20m); LB: Lucas Digne (£25m); RB: Jon Aramburu (£33m); CB: Ezri Konsa (£12m), Juan Foyth (£25m)

Expect plenty of movement across the back four. Injuries have revealed a lack of depth along Villa’s defence and they were forced to spend £5m to secure an eleventh-hour loan of Chelsea’s Axel Disasi at the end of the last transfer window just to put some plaster over the cracks.

We suspect Disasi won’t be back permanently unless Chelsea are willing to accept a cut-price deal (which is quite possible) but do believe that Villa’s reported interest in Villarreal defender Juan Foyth, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, is sincere. He’d compete with Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres for starts – someone had to be dropped for this exercise, so we picked Torres, but to be clear, we don’t think he’s leaving.

We also think Villa will look at a right-back to battle Matty Cash for starting minutes, and Real Sociedad’s Jon Aramburu is a name that’s cropped up a few times recently. Newcastle are supposedly interested, too, and alleged valuations are all over the shop, ranging from €15m (£13m) to €40m (£33m). We’ve picked the higher amount for dramatic effect. Expect a back-up goalkeeper, too, if Robin Olsen doesn’t sign a new contract.

Why midfield is a potential issue

DM: Amadou Onana (£50m), Youri Tielemans (free); AM: Marco Asensio (£13m)

Let’s start with our firm belief that Villa will make a bid to sign Asensio permanently and that PSG will let him leave – he isn’t a part of Luis Enrique’s plans in the French capital, and some stories suggest that he could be sold for as little as €15m (£13m) come the summer. We suspect Asensio will be strutting his stuff for Villa Park for a while yet – unless an even bigger side enter the bidding.

The midfield pairing of Onana and Tielemans remains our first-choice for next season (at least when Onana is fit) but we do think Villa need some depth here, and are surprised to see so few rumours linking them with players in this area.

They’ve been linked with impending free agent Angel Gomes a few times, but other clubs seem to be even more keen, while they have also been linked with talented young Olympiacos man Christos Mouzakitis (already a senior international at 18) but we would be surprised if more players weren’t of interest. The press just haven’t picked up on it yet.

Will Rashford move to Villa Park permanently?

LW: Marcus Rashford (£40m); RW: Morgan Rogers (£15m); FW: Ollie Watkins (£33m)

Yes, we reckon that Rashford has sparkled enough already to convince Monchi and his transfer team to trigger the £40m option to buy clause included in his loan deal. He’s back in the England squad and if not yet back to full speed, he’s looking far more lively than he did at Old Trafford over the past 18 months.

We don’t think Villa will make a splash elsewhere along the front three with Morgan Rogers, Leon Bailey and Donyell Malen all on the books, and suspect a big-money link with Sporting winger Pedro Gonçalves may be a red herring – but we do think that a new striker is firmly on the cards.

With Jhon Durán gone, another player who can compete for Ollie Watkins’ minutes is a must, and Villa seem to be especially interested in young Porto forward Samu Agehowa (formerly known as Omorodion), who nearly joined Chelsea last year. He’s been banging them in down in Portugal since a switch to Stamford Bridge fell through, and Porto seem to want £67m for his services. It’s a lot of money, but not necessarily unmanageable.

Would this team have enough juice to compete for the top four once again, or to make a convincing tilt at some domestic silverware? Much would depend on whether the loan stars can continue their impressive early form once they’re permanent residents of Birmingham – but there would certainly be some cause for optimism about these signings.

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The latest Premier League rumours including news from Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur

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Premier League clubs have the chance to bring in some new signings this summer when the next transfer window opens. They also have the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door too.

Liverpool lead the way at the summit as they close in on the title under Arne Slot. According to The Mirror, they are ‘set’ to beat the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

Guehi, 24, could be seen by the Reds as someone to bolster their defensive department. He has made 22 caps for the England national team so far in his career and is a key player at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles snapped him up in 2021 from Chelsea after he caught the eye out on loan at Swansea City. He has since played 145 matches for his current club in all competitions and has scored eight goals, three of which have come this season.

The 3AM Verdict: Marc Guehi would be a great signing for Liverpool if they were able to get him. He would boost their defensive ranks and would give them more competition at the back. He has proved himself at Crystal Palace over recent years and is an experienced operator at the top level. This summer seems like the ideal opportunity for him to test himself at a bigger club now.

Manchester United eye Lille striker Jonathan David

Manchester United are interested in a move for Lille striker Jonathan David, according to Italian news outlet CalcioMercato. West Ham and Liverpool are also said to be keen on the Ligue 1 ace.

David, 25, has been prolific since moving to France back in 2020 and has fired 107 goals in 224 matches. Prior to his move there, he found the net on 37 occasions in 83 outings for Gent in Belgium.

He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and is due to become a free agent as things stand. The attacker will be weighing up his options as he decides what is best for him next.

The 3AM Verdict: It is no secret that Manchester United need to add more quality to their ranks. Jonathan David has proved he can score goals in both Belgium and France in the past and would give the Red Devils something different up top. However, they would need to see off competition from elsewhere with West Ham and Liverpool also mentioned as suitors.

Tottenham Hotspur attacker Timo Werner linked with MLS switch

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Timo Werner is on the radar of New York Red Bulls, according to TEAMtalk. The Germany international is on loan at Spurs from RB Leipzig and his future with Ange Postecoglou’s side is up in the air right now.

Werner linked up with the London outfit on a temporary basis in 2024 and he has since scored three goals in 41 outings. He is due to return to his parent club later this year and they have a decision to make on what to do with him next amid links with a switch to MLS.

The 3AM Verdict: A move to New York Red Bulls would make sense for Timo Werner considering their links with RB Leipzig. It is unlikely that Spurs will sign him on a permanent basis. Going to MLS would give him the chance to experience football in a new country and culture.

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The latest injury news and return dates from Fulham as they prepare to host Tottenham

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European hopefuls Fulham host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend in what promises to be an intriguing all-London affair.

Marco Silva’s side have been one of the dark horses in the Premier League this season and have already taken points off the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham in what has so far been a stellar campaign for the West London side.

Fulham currently sit 10th in the Premier League table and are firmly in the hunt for football on the continent for the first time since Roy Hodgson’s successful tenure at the club back in 2010. The Cottagers are only four points behind seventh placed Brighton heading into the weekend and are just five points behind Manchester City in fifth position, which could ultimately be enough for a team to secure Champions League football due to England’s strong UEFA co-efficient.

Fulham’s current position in the league table will come as something of envy to opponents Tottenham, who have endured a serious fall from grace this season after an avalanche of injury issues. The Lillywhites, who finished fifth in the league last season, currently sit in 13th position - nine points behind Fulham, despite winning three of their last five league matches.

Spurs also have the added distraction of a second leg Europa League round-of-16 game before travelling to West London, which could result in some rotation on Ange Postecoglou’s part. The North London side are carrying a whole host of fitness problems heading into this busy week of action, but what does the injury situation look like from Fulham’s perspective? Here’s all you need to know.

Fulham’s injury issues

Kenny Tete - out: Dutch right-back Kenny Tete has racked up 15 appearances this season but has been missing since a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in December with a knee injury. “It's going to be probably to the end of March [or the] beginning of April. It's a long, long time without him.” Explained Marco Silva in his most recent update. Expected return date: 01/04/25.

Sasa Lukic - suspended: Sasa Lukic is serving a two-match suspension for picking up 10 yellow cards in the Premier League this term. The Serbian is an all-action midfielder that plays on the edge and that has so far been key to Fulham’s strong season. He missed the 2-1 defeat to Brighton last time out and has one more game on the sidelines against Spurs before being reintroduced in April. Expected return date: 01/04/25.

Harry Wilson - out: Welsh midfielder Harry Wilson has missed the last five matches with a knee injury but is well on the road to recovery for Marco Silva’ side. The Portuguese head coach commented in February:”We have to step by step keep recovering him. It's going to take a long time, probably the beginning of April.” Expected return date: 05/04/25.

WATCH: The Premier League Panel: Will Liverpool or Newcastle win the League Cup?

Reiss Nelson - out: Summer signing Reiss Nelson has been limited to just 11 appearances in this season’s loan spell from Arsenal after sustaining a thigh injury and has struggled to build on the promise he displayed on loan at Hoffenheim in the 2018/19 season. Marco Silva commented last month: “He got surgery and could be out until the end of the season. I don't want to give a timescale that is 100 per cent sure, but it could be out until the end of the season. It's a big blow for us, definitely. He was really unlucky.” Expected return date: 01/06/25.

Will Adama Traore be involved against Tottenham Hotspur?

Adama Traore - doubt: Adama Traore has enjoyed something of a career renaissance in terms of productivity in the final third with two goals and five assists this term. The Spanish international, who is blessed with electric speed and acceleration, has been doing individual work on the training ground in recent weeks and is being assessed by the medical team ahead of a potential comeback. Marco Silva commented before the defeat to Brighton: “Let's see, we have another session tomorrow to take a decision. It's probably too early to say, 'yes or no.” Expected return date: 16/03/25.

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What Tottenham Hotspur’s team might look like next season if summer transfer rumours prove to be true.

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Tottenham Hotspur have, let’s face it, not had a great season. Endless injuries and inconsistent form have sunk them into the bottom half of the table, and a lack of depth and quality in the squad has been exposed, at times ruthlessly. It’s fair to assume that they will be busy this summer.

The rumour mill has reacted accordingly, connecting the club with a slew of players up and down the pitch, and while in reality that club likely won’t spend quite as much money as the transfer columns suggest – this is still a Daniel Levy club, after all – but you can safely assume that Spurs will make a splash.

With that in mind, we’ve worked out a likely starting XI for next season assuming some of the more plausible transfer rumours work out – a total of £410m worth of players old and new. Let’s see what the new look Spurs could look like in 2025/26…

Goalkeeper and defence

GK: Guiglielmo Vicario (£17m); LB: Destiny Udogie (£17m); RB: Pedro Porro (£43m); CB: Dean Huijsen (£50m), Micky van de Ven (£43m)

For the most part, we’re assuming that Spurs stick with their expensively-assembled back line, not least because when fit and firing the individual components of their defence are all really rather good – but we’re adding one new face, brilliant young Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.

Spurs are one of several teams reportedly interested in the Amsterdam-born centre-half, who has shone since breaking into the Cherries’ first team over the winter, and he allegedly has a release clause which would make him available for £50m. That could be a bargain.

On paper, Huijsen could build a nice partnership with Van de Ven. Their playing style complement each other well – Van de Ven is at his best stepping up and pressurising ball carriers while running the ball forward himself, while Huijsen’s superb anticipation makes him a brilliant sweeper in behind. That and some rumours linking Cristian Romero with a move away is with the Argentine has made way in our starting XI.

Midfield

DM: Lamine Camara (£42m), Jhonny Cardoso (£21m); AM: James Maddison (£40m)

Ange Posetcoglou has been practically begging for new midfielders for some time now – and we reckon he could get more than one. Spurs already have a first option on American midfielder Cardoso as part of the deal which sent Giovanni Lo Celso to Real Betis, so it wouldn’t be any kind of surprise to see him make the move, but we also like the link with AS Monaco wonderkid Lamine Camara.

The 21-year-old Senegalese midfielder is far from the only player in that position whose name has come up in connection with Spurs, but he is among the most exciting and versatile – according to reports, he’d cost €50m (about £42m), which doesn’t feel like an unreasonable asking price given his box-to-box skill set.

We don’t necessarily think that Camara and Cardoso would hog all the first-team minutes over the likes of Bentancur and Sarr, but this would be a fairly pointless article if we didn’t give the new boys the nod in the rotation system…

Forwards

WF: Son Heung-Min (£22m), Tyler Dibling (£55m); CF: Dominic Solanke (£65m)

Is £55m too much for young Tyler Dibling? Perhaps, but Spurs and RB Leipzig are the two teams whose names are coming up most often in connection with the Southampton forward, and that’s the alleged asking price.

We suspect that he’d come in a little cheaper, in all truth, but don’t rule out a bidding war for a flexible forward whose off-ball movement has really caught the eye when he’s been available this season – the 19-year-old has been one of a very small number of silver linings to the massive rain cloud dangling ceaselessly over St. Mary’s this season.

Spurs are likely to sign a new centre-forward as well as they aim to find some depth behind Solanke, who has played well when fit but whose occasional absences have demonstrated the dearth of attacking talent behind him in the pecking order.

That’s four new faces in total in the starting line-up next season, none of whom are all that unlikely to be on the move, with North London an eminently plausible destination for the lot – but what will Levy do when the chips are down this summer? We’ll find out before too long…

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The latest Spurs team news, injury update and predicted XI ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth

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Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this weekend with a home clash against AFC Bournemouth. Ange Postecoglou’s side take on the Cherries on Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they look to return to winning ways.

Spurs were beaten 1-0 away at AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League clash on Thursday night. They have work to do in the second leg as they look to turn it around.

Postecoglou’s side are sat in 13th place in the table after a disappointing seasn to date. They have 33 points on the board with 11 fixtures left to play.

Tottenham Hotspur predicted XI

Guglielmo Vicario is back fit for Spurs and has become their number one again as he looks to keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth. January signing Antonin Kinsky provides back-up from the bench.

£34m man Pedro Porro was on the bench for the London club against AZ before coming on and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come back into the team. He likes to get up and down the flank, with Djed Spence doing the same on the other side.

Archie Gray continues to slot in at centre-back as Postecoglou waits for the right time to throw Micky van de Ven back into the fold following his injury issues. Kevin Danso, who joined this past winter from RC Lens, is also likely to get the nod again with some key players still sidelined in that department.

Midfielders James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur are poised to feature again for Spurs, whilst Pape Matar Sarr may come in for Lucas Bergvall to freshen things up. The trio will all be eager to cause the Cherries some issues and create opportunities for the players ahead of them on the pitch.

Going forward, Mathys Tel, Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson all have pace to get in behind defenders. Dominic Solanke took a knock against AZ and is now an injury doubt which gives other players in that department the chance to show what they can do.

Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Maddison, Bentancur, Bergvall; Son, Tel, Johnson

What did Ange Postecoglou say after Europa League loss?

Spurs were left disappointed after losing to AZ and speaking after that defeat, Postecoglou said: "It wasn’t great from us tonight, pretty much in all facets of the game. We didn’t really get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball, we weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be without the ball.

“It was a tricky surface, but having said that, we knew that from (training). We just didn’t tackle the challenges we had out there in a positive way. That allowed AZ to get into a rhythm, which when you’re playing away from home, it is difficult to stem the tide."

He added: "I don’t think it’s a matter of effort or attitude. I don’t think it is going out there and not trying, but like I said, we didn’t really come to grips and have the right mindset to tackle an away fixture in Europe. It is always tough and we obviously conceded the goal, which was a disappointing set of events, but even after that we didn’t really settle down into the game at all. You are going to face some pressure when you play away from home in Europe and weather the storm and get to grips with it, but we never really did so that was a disappointment."

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Our round-up of the latest Premier League transfer rumours features news from Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and more.

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Welcome to Wednesday’s wrap-up of the biggest and boldest new Premier League transfer rumours – today, we’ve got updates from Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Wolves and more, but we’re going to get things going up at Anfield.

TBR Football claims in a new report that Arne Slot has told Liverpool’s transfer team that he is “ready to move on” from left-back Kostas Tsimikas in favour of a new model – and his preference seems to be 21-year-old Bournemouth starlet Milos Kerkez.

Antonee Robinson and Jorrel Hato have both been widely linked with a move to Merseyside, but this report reckons that the young Hungarian is actually at the top of the shopping list, with the Cherries “ready to allow” Kerkez to leave for a fee of £50m.

Not that they’re alone in their admiration of the youngster, who has been highly impressive this season (and is in the Top 10 of our latest Wonderkid Power Rankings, if you’ll pardon the blatant plug) – AC Milan are keen, too, it would seem, having had the full-back on their books briefly before he left for AZ Alkmaar.

The 3AM Verdict: It’s no great shock that Kerkez is on Liverpool’s list – left-back is a clear position of need with Andrew Robertson starting to slow down slightly, and Kerkez has been one of a remarkable number of extremely impressive left-backs under the age of 21 this season, and perhaps the most available of them. Whether they end up going in this direction of a player like Robinson, who’s older but has a more proven end product, is anybody’s guess.

Spurs among teams taking ‘first steps’ towards £37m signing

Over to a story from Sport Witness, now – they’ve picked up on rumours from Italy which suggest that Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and indeed Liverpool are all interested in Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman. The hat-trick hero from last year’s Europa League has had a bit of a falling-out which manager Gianpiero Gasperini, and it looks likely that he’ll be leaving Bergamo this summer.

Spurs and Liverpool have allegedly both “taken the first steps” towards a formal offer which is expected to be in the region of €45m (£37.2m), although it’s not speculated as to whether Atalanta would find that an acceptable fee – but it could be enough to blow Juventus, who are also interested, out of the water, especially given that Atalanta apparently don’t want him to stay in Serie A. There’s no detail on Chelsea’s interest, and it’s heavily implied that they’re further back in the queue.

The 3AM Verdict: Lookman’s future is starting to brew up into a proper summer saga and it seems increasingly probable that he’ll be back in England for a second bite at the Premier League cherry after struggling there earlier in his career. We think the Spurs link sounds more likely due to their positional needs and finances.

Wolves could lose veteran defender on a free this summer

To round things off today, we’ll finish with a second story from those busy beavers over at Sport Witness – this time, they’ve noted some comments made by Benfica manager Bruno Lage about a former player of his, Wolves full-back Nelson Semedo.

Not that the comments themselves are the interesting thing, per se, but it’s the story which suggests that the experienced right-back could be heading back to his homeland to play for Benfica next summer, with Wolves starting to look likely to lose him for a free. The comments themselves are classic “no comment, but definitely no denial” fare, but it sounds like the Portuguese media are starting to hype this move up quite a bit, with A Bola alleging that “the transfer is advancing”.

The 3AM Verdict: Semedo has been playing some of his best football for Wolves of late, and Sport Witness wonders whether he might view a return to Benfica this summer as coming a little prematurely at 31 years old – but contract talks with Wolves seem to have stalled, which isn’t a great sign.

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The latest injury news as Spurs prepare for a Europa League last 16 showdown with AZ Alkmaar

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Tottenham Hotspur return to action with a Europa League last 16 clash against Dutch heavyweights AZ Alkmaar.

The Lilywhites have experienced the rare luxury of having a full week's rest after their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. Although Postecoglou would have preferred to have been participating in the FA Cup at the weekend, the break could come as a blessing in disguise for his over-run squad as it gives key players ample time to gain fitness and put themselves on the brink of a return.

Spurs will be putting their full focus into Europe during the final furlong of the season as they aim to put an end to their 17-year trophy drought. Here we round up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their trip to the Netherlands to face opponents that they edged out in the League Phase last year.

Tottenham defensive injury issues

Cristian Romero - doubt: Argentina international Romero has been out injured since December when he suffered a hamstring injury during a 4-3 defeat against Chelsea. However, he is a possible candidate to return against AZ on Thursday, but Postecoglou will likely want to be cautious with him. The Spurs boss explained when discussing Romero and others last week: “They are all similar times, hopefully in the next seven to 10 days. A couple of them are already training, but over that period, we’ll start incorporating them back into matchday squads.” Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Micky van de Ven - doubt: Another huge miss for Spurs in recent months. Van de Ven enjoyed a stellar campaign last season and is blessed with the ability to thrive in Postecoglou’s high line and attacking system. He is back in training and could make his return on Thursday night against AZ, which would provide a huge boost for Spurs. Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Ben Davies - doubt: Yet another defender who is recovering from an injury, experienced Welsh international Davies picked up a knock in the 1-0 victory against Manchester United a fortnight ago. He is currently being assessed and is a 50/50 for the trip to AZ. Expected return date: 06/03/25.

Radu Dragusin - out: Romanian international Radu Dragusin will miss the remainder of the season with a serious ACL injury. He is hoping to return before the end of the calendar year in December. Expected return date: 6/12/25.

When will Dominic Solanke be back to fitness for Tottenham?

Dominic Solanke - out: Marquee summer signing Dominic Solanke has scored 11 across all competitions in a steady but unspectacular start to his career in the capital. He has missed several weeks with a knee injury but could return to face his former club Bournemouth at the weekend. Expected return date: 09/03/25.

Richarlison - out: Ex-Everton hero Richarlison suffered an injury during Spurs’ 4-0 defeat against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final at the start of February. He is getting closer to a return but looks like the Europa League game will come too soon. He, like Solanke, could return for the Bournemouth clash. Expected return date: 09/03/25.

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