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Spurs could sign this long-standing target in 2026 as he approaches the end of his contract with Barcelona.

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Tottenham Hotspur could be looking at a golden opportunity to sign a Champions League winner for absolutely nothing next year, or for a likely cut price in January.

Spurs spent a decent chunk of cash over the summer as they brought in the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus to bolster their ranks. With three wins from their six opening games, they are off to a strong star to the Premier League season as well.

Tottenham are currently fourth in the league table with 11 points on the board, two behind rivals Arsenal in second and four adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The first opportunity to add more new signings to the books will arrive at the turn of the new year. There is one long-standing transfer target Spurs could approach in January or they can take a gamble and wait out his expiring contract.

Tottenham have chance to sign Andreas Christensen in 2026

Tottenham have held interest in former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen for some time now, and 2026 could be the year they land a deal.

The centre-back is currently under contract with Barcelona but his terms are due to expire next June. A new update from Spain also suggests the Dane has no future with the La Liga side, as it doesn’t seem a new deal is on the cards.

According to Marca, Barcelona have not made any moves towards extending Christensen’s stay at the club. Barca’s sporting director ‘has no intention’ of offering the 29-year-old a contract renewal as things stand.

The powers that be at the club have until the end of the season to make a firm decision but clubs will star to sniff around the pending free agent. Tottenham will likely still be keen on the centre-back, seeing as it was only earlier this year that they had put on an offer on the Blaugrana’s table.

Tottenham attempted to sign Andreas Christensen

Reports from Spain last year claimed Christensen was looking to leave Barcelona but had been holding out for an ‘offer from a top-level project’. Sport claimed in 2024 that Barca had been willing to sell the defender for €25 million (£21.7m), while his entourage had been exploring potential exit options, which his contract close to expiring.

Further local reports, relayed by Football 365, claimed earlier this year that Spurs had ‘raised their offer’ to sign Christensen, amid rival interest from Manchester United.

Last season, the Dane struggled with injuries and fell down the pecking order at Barca. So far this season, Christensen has made five La Liga appearances from a possible seven chances, but remained on the bench for two and has started just three.

The report in February claimed Tottenham were looking to take advantage of his situation and place a €15 million (£13m) bid for his services. Christensen remains at Barcelona but with regular playing time no longer a guarantee and the board looking unlikely to keep him on the books, it may be time for him to consider a future elsewhere.

Christensen has seen plenty of success over his career so far. During his time with Chelsea, the Denmark international won the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and Club World Cup. He is also a two-time league champion with Barcelona, so his history of success would certainly be a beneficial addition to Tottenham’s current squad.

As Spurs hope to continue this run of form, proven international talent like Christensen with multiple trophies to his name can only improve their chances of success.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur

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Liverpool have their sights set on winning the Premier League again this season. The Reds are being linked with a move for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano ahead of the January transfer window. According to a report by Football Insider, he is on their radar at the moment.

Upamecano, 26, is facing an uncertain long-term future over in Germany. He has been on the books at the Allianz Arena since joining Bayern back in 2021 from their league rivals RB Leipzig. The France international has since made 159 appearances in all competitions and has scored five goals from the back.

The 3AM Verdict: Liverpool need to start thinking about long-term replacements for Virgil van Dijk. He is under contract until 2027 and won’t be around at Anfield forever. Dayot Upamecano has been competing at the top level in Germany with Bayern Munich over the past four years and wouldn’t be a bad option for the Reds’ back line if they were able to lure him to England in the near future.

Everton could rekindle Juanlu Sanchez interest

As per TEAMtalk, Everton could consider rekindling their interest in Sevilla right-back Juanlu Sanchez this winter. The former Spain youth international has been with his current club for his whole career to date. He rose up through their academy ranks and was a regular at various different youth levels. The full-back broke into their first-team back in 2021.

The 22-year-old has also been loaned out to Mirandes in the past to get some experience under his belt. He has made 75 appearances for the La Liga club to date and has found the net on six occasions. The Toffees could see him as someone to bolster their defensive department.

The 3AM Verdict: It is no secret that Everton need a right-back in January. Jake O’Brien has been playing there out of position over recent times. Seamus Coleman is getting older and Nathan Patterson has slipped down the pecking order. Juanlu Sanchez is young, has potential to develop in the future and has already played a decent amount of games for Sevilla so could be worth a punt by the Toffees.

Tottenham Hotspur lead Marc Guehi race

Tottenham Hotspur ‘lead’ the race for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi right now, CaughtOffside claim. The England star is out of contract at the end of this term and has been on Liverpool’s radar. He is due to become a free agent in June 2026, assuming he doesn’t pen a new deal at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles risk losing him for nothing if they don’t sell him when the next window opens up for business. They signed him back in 2021 from Chelsea and he has since become one of their most valuable assets. He helped them win the FA Cup back in May under Oliver Glasner after they beat Manchester City in the final at Wembley against the odds.

The 3AM Verdict: Marc Guehi would be a dream centre-back signing for Tottenham Hotspur. If Spurs managed to land his signature, it would be a massive statement of intent. He is one of the most sought after players in the Premier League at the moment and most signs point towards him leaving Crystal Palace very soon for a new challenge with another team.

Thomas Frank has provided updates on his squad, including the omission of Cristian Romero.

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Tottenham Hotspur have double action this week as they prepare for their upcoming Champions League and Premier League fixtures.

Spurs will look to keep their European win streak running tonight when they face Bodo/Glimt in Norway. They are on the road again on Saturday as Elland Road beckons their clash with Leeds United. Tottenham haven’t lost a match since August and are eager to keep their positive form flowing in both competitions. Following their 1-1 draw with Wolves, Spurs are fourth in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool.

They also kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, joining the other 13 teams to secure their first win of the European campaign last time out. As they get ready to face Bodo/Glimt tonight, we’ve rounded up the latest injury news for Tottenham:

Dominic Solanke injury update and surgery confirmed

Dominic Solanke has not featured for Spurs since August and he is expected to be out for a while longer after Thomas Frank confirmed he underwent ‘minor surgery’ to resolve an ankle injury.

Speaking ahead of the Bodo/Glimt clash, the manager confirmed the striker will not be fit to face the Norwegian side or Leeds at the weekend. However, Solanke is not expected to be out for a large scale of time while he recovers.

“It's a small procedure, so that will mean he is not ready [for Bodo/Glimt] and of course Leeds [on Saturday] as well. We'll have more news about a time frame after the international break, but I don't expect it to be long,” Frank said.

The update on Solanke came after the manager had issued the good news he had returned to training alongside Kota Takai. While the former has been issued a setback, Takai is edging closer to making his debut but an expected date has not been discussed.

Is Cristian Romero injured for Spurs?

Cristian Romero has not been included in the squad to take on Bodo/Glimt this evening. However, Frank has assured the decision to leave the captain at home was simply ‘a precaution’. Striker Randal Kolo Muani is also set to be out for the Champions League clash but a promising update from Frank could suggest he might be in the picture to face Leeds at the weekend.

“I think now we're finally on top of his dead leg so there's also progress there,” the manager said in his press conference.

Similar to Kolo Muani, Ben Davies is carrying a ‘minor injury’ and tonight’s game came too close to include him the plans. He could also be on to feature in the squad against Leeds, though.

Spurs have been without Radu Dragusin following his ACL injury back in February but he is edging closer to returning to fitness. Last week, Frank revealed the defender is ‘progressing well’ but it will still be ‘a few weeks’ before any conversation of him being involved with the team.

The Danish boss is also without James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevki and Yves Bissouma long-term. While Maddison is expected to miss most, if not all of the season with an ACL injury, Kulusevski is expected to return before the end of the year.

Bissouma is making progress, with the latest update on his fitness confirming he has been running outside but hasn’t been training with the team yet.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Leeds United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur

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The Premier League returns this weekend as teams across the country prepare for the next round of fixtures. Leeds United were promoted from the Championship last season and have since adapted well to life back in the top flight. They stormed to the second tier title under the guidance of Daniel Farke.

The Whites were busy on the recruitment front over the summer and brought in a whole host of new faces. In this latest update ahead of the January transfer window, TEAMtalk claim they are ‘considering’ a move for Internacional attacker Gustavo Prado. Nottingham Forest have also been credited with an interest.

Prado, 20, has been on the books of his current club since joining them as a teenager back in 2023. He has since broken into their first-team and is being tipped for a bright future in the game. However, his long-term situation is now up in the air amid attention from Europe.

The 3AM Verdict: If Leeds United signed Prado he may not immediately challenge for a place in their first-team. He lacks experience in England and like any young player from abroad, it may take him time to adapt to life in a new country. There is no doubt that he could have a lot of potential though and would be a useful long-term addition if he made the switch to Elland Road.

Manchester City target Aleksandar Pavlovic

Manchester City ‘want’ to sign Aleksandar Pavlovic from Bayern Munich this winter, according to CaughtOffside. The 21-year-old, who is a Germany international with five caps to his name, has been playing his football at the Allianz Arena for his whole career to date. He rose up through the academy ranks of the Bundesliga giants and was a regular at various different youth levels.

Pavlovic made his debut back in October 2023 in a league fixture against SV Darmstadt and hasn’t looked back since. He has made 61 appearances in all competitions and has chipped in with four goals. The Munich-born man helped his local team win the title in the last campaign under Vincent Kompany.

The 3AM Verdict: Manchester City could see Aleksandar Pavlovic as someone to boost their midfield department. He would give them more competition and depth in the middle of the park if he went there. The Bundesliga ace has shown what he can do in the top flight over Germany and may want to test himself in a new country soon.

Manchester City winger Savinho could push for Tottenham Hotspur move

Football Insider report that City winger Savinho could ‘push’ for a move to Tottenham Hotspur this winter. The Brazilian was on Spurs’ radar this past summer. However, a switch down to London didn’t materialise in the end and he stayed put at the Etihad Stadium beyond the deadline.

Savinho, 21, gives Pep Guardiola another option on the wing. He isn’t always guaranteed a starting position though and he may fancy his chances of minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Thomas Frank left Brentford to take over back in June after catching the eye with Brentford.

The 3AM Verdict: Savinho will want to be getting as much game time as possible at this stage of his career. He is still a useful player to have in and around the squad for Manchester City. However, he is likely to get more of an opportunity with Spurs which may turn his head. He wouldn’t be a bad addition for Thomas Frank’s side at all if it happened and at the age of just 21 still, he still has plenty of years left ahead of him.

Thomas Frank could target his Premier League rivals and Serie A in the January transfer window

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Few Premier League teams had more question marks entering the 2025/26 season than Tottenham Hotspur, but Thomas Frank’s side have so far answered all the major ones in resounding fashion.

The Frank reign looked like it was shaping up to be a short one when former darling Harry Kane was among the scorers as Bayern Munich thrashed Spurs 4-0 in pre-season after frustrations in the transfer market, but they produced a rousing response against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup and it’s only been upwards since then.

After leading for almost an hour against the all-conquering European champions, Tottenham agonisingly lost out on penalties following a 94th-minute PSG equaliser but have responded with four wins in their opening six games of the Premier League and Champions League, including a 2-0 triumph over Manchester City.

Including the Super Cup, Tottenham have notched 13 goals this season, more than any other Premier League club except Liverpool while Guglielmo Vicario has shaken off his nervy start as Spurs’ number one to keep four clean sheets.

Mohammed Kudus has been one of the signings of the season so far in England’s top flight, assisting four goals and very unfortunate not to net himself yet for his new club, while after the embarrassment of being snubbed by Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, Frank may have landed an even better number 10 in the shape of Xavi Simons.

Indeed, the only real requirement in the January transfer window for Tottenham will be adding more quality depth particularly in central defence and midfield, so with that in mind we asked Grok what Spurs’ 2026 January transfer window could look like.

Lookman and Murillo strengthen starting side

Ademola Lookman - £40 million from Atalanta - Lookman hasn’t failed to hit double-figures in the league since… his last stint in England.

The London-born striker was unable to make an impact with Leicester City, Everton or Fulham but has blossomed in Serie A, netting 52 times for Atalanta in three full seasons and 119 games, including a memorable hat-trick in the Europa League final. So it looks like the time could be right for another crack at the Premier League and he’d bring the versatility that Frank values so highly - able to play on either flank, in place of Solanke or supporting him up front.

Murillo - £45m from Nottingham Forest - What a coup this would be for Tottenham. Murillo was one of the best defenders in the Premier League and would certainly shore up Frank’s central defence. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have played well so far this season but the options behind them are thin with Radu Dragusin’s injury-hit Spurs career yet to ignite. Jan Paul van Hecke was another option listed by Grok, for £20m.

Youssouf Fofana - £25m from AC Milan - Tottenham’s midfield has been transformed this season, partially through the temporary addition of Joao Palhinha but largely by Frank’s tactical tweaks that have allowed Lucas Bergvall in particular to shine.

Of Spurs’ midfield starters this season, 23-year-old Pape Matar Sarr is the second-oldest so adding more experience wouldn’t be a bad thing and aged 26, Fofana has racked up over 16,000 minutes of top-flight football in France and Italy. A deep-lying player that can push up on occasion, Fofana has scored in every season since 2021 and would provide quality cover for Palhinha.

Saudi Pro League to the rescue for Tottenham

Yves Bissouma - £15m to Al-Ahli - With more depth arriving in midfield, cashing in on the Malian during the final year of his contract makes sense. Bissouma has previously attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League and it’s probably his only chance of avoiding a wage cut.

Manor Soloman - £8m to Fulham - Solomon’s in a strange position as a 26-year-old who’s had nearly as many loan spells as Tottenham Hotspur starts, and is currently 23 minutes into another temporary stint at Villarreal.

The Israeli netted five times with Fulham in 2022/23 and made 22 goal contributions last season on loan at Leeds so has pedigree in England, if not actually with his parent club. And with the Cottagers’ squad looking light despite a strong start to the season, this would be a sensible switch.

AI-predicted 2026 Tottenham starting XI: It’s in vogue now to give a club’s strongest starting side only after making a point of stipulating that strongest XIs are an outdated concept and that anyone who still trades in them is a neanderthal.

However, that is particularly true of Tottenham under Frank, the ultimate pragmatist, who has already shown the same versatility as he displayed at Brentford depending on the opponent. With that being said, this 4-3-3 is what Grok landed on as Spurs’ best starting XI if this January transfer window production comes true - not taking into account injuries: Vicario; Porro, Murillo, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Fofana, Lookman; Kudus, Solanke, Simons.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Chelsea, Spurs, Leeds and more.

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It’s time for 3 Added Minutes’ regular morning round-up and review of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours – and today, we’re kicking things off with a story which should be of interest to Chelsea supporters.

According to Caught Offside, the Blues are “expected” to make a move for Como’s impressive young midfielder Nico Paz, having decided that they are “keen” on the 21-year-old and “ready to push for his signature.”

Standing in the way are not only Como, who are said to value the Argentina international at €80m (£70m), but his former side Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have a buyback clause which they “plan” to activate next summer.

Real are reportedly “confident” that they’ll be in position to bring Paz back to the Bernabeu, but apparently Chelsea “love” the youngster enough to make a run at him regardless. There’s no word on Paz’s own preferred destination,

The 3AM Verdict: Paz is precisely the sort of play that Chelsea fall in love with these days, so it’s certainly a plausible story, but Real do appear to be his most likely destination a year in advance of any negotiations. Tottenham Hotspur were very interested before settling for Xavi Simons as well.

Spurs interested in £52.5m striker who played against them in Europe

Speaking of Spurs, Spanish outlet Fichajes have a bold claim to make about their transfer business – apparently, they will “closely monitor” the performances of Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze as they “prepare” a bid worth up to €60m (£52.5m).

That’s double what his current club Villarreal – who Spurs recently played in the Champions League – paid for Mikautadze just this summer when they bought him from Lyon, but despite the fact that the 24-year-old has only just arrived in Spain, Spurs have seemingly not been dissuaded from keeping an eye on things.

Mikautadze’s own thought on the matter are unrecorded, perhaps unsurprisingly, but apparent Spurs see him as “an ideal fit” for their attacking system. Which makes one wonder why they didn’t buy him in the summer, then…

The 3AM Verdict: The simplest answer to that question, of course, is that they aren’t as interested as this article makes out. This is a highly speculative piece looking at a deal for a player who’s barely got his feet under the table at a new club. We doubt there’s much to read into here, sadly.

Leeds linked with attacking midfielder

Finally for today’s column, a story from TeamTalk which suggests that Leeds United are “hoping to find an upgrade” at the number ten spot – and are now “in the mix” for AS Roma and Italy midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini as a result.

Pellegrini’s stock has dropped in the last season or two and his current club tried to sell him over the summer, only to fail to do so – but he’ll now be out of contract at the end of the season and could leave for free, with Roma having “made it clear” that they won’t renew a deal with a high salary attached to it.

Leeds have now added Pellegrini to their shortlist for 2026 along with Inter Milan’s Piotr Zieliński. The TeamTalk report does note that the primary source for their reporting, AS Roma Live, isn’t proven to be especially reliable, and advises Leeds fans to take things with a pinch of salt.

The 3AM Verdict: We’ll offer the same advice, but this isn’t an especially implausible rumour so long as Leeds stay in the Premier League. Pellegrini is likely to have plenty of options next season but the very biggest teams are relatively unlikely to make a move for him unless he has a big comeback season in Rome. A side like Leeds may be about right.

The latest Spurs team news and predicted line-up, including updates on Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr.

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Tottenham Hotspur will aim to make it five games unbeaten when they welcome a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side to North London this weekend – but Thomas Frank may be without several big-name players for the Premier League clash.

Striker Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani are among the players battling to be fit in time for Saturday evening, while there is a further question mark over the involvement of key midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who was left out of the midweek EFL Cup win over Doncaster Rovers due to injury.

We’ve got all the latest Spurs team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for Frank’s starting XI, which is likely to be much-changed from Wednesday’s rotated line-up.

Will Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani be fit to face Wolves?

England international Solanke has missed the last four Spurs games due to an ankle injury sustained prior to the September international break, but returned to full training this week and could be in line for a place in the matchday squad to face Wolves.

Summer signing Kolo Muani, meanwhile, who has yet to start a match for his new side, has been suffering with a dead leg that has ruled him out for the past two matches. Frank said after last week’s 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion that he had been hopeful that the French forward would be available to play against Doncaster, suggesting that he has a strong chance of being fully fit in time to play Wolves.

With Kolo Muani’s fitness also hampered by the effects of a pre-season which was limited by long-running transfer negotiations, the loanee is unlikely to start and with Solanke only just coming back to health it is likely that Richarlison gets the nod at centre-forward once more.

Is Pape Matar Sarr injured for Spurs?

Senegalese midfielder Sarr was a surprise exclusion from Wednesday evening’s 3-0 win over Doncaster, with Frank explaining to the press that the 23-year-old had suffered a “minor” thigh strain. His absence was described as being a “precaution” and Sarr is expected to be available on Saturday.

Other fitness doubts include veteran defender Ben Davies (knee), new arrival Kota Takai (foot) and midfielder Yves Bissouma, who has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed fitness problem which also scuppered a proposed move to Galatasaray. There is no return date set for the Cameroonian, but both Davies and Takai should be back soon and have at least some chance of being available to face Wolves.

Spurs will also be without the services of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin (all ACL). Dragusin is back in light training and could return in October, Kulusevski is expected back in November and Maddison may miss the rest of the season.

Full Spurs predicted line-up vs. Wolves: Vicario; Udogie, Van de Ven, Romero, Porro; Palhinha, Bentancur, Sarr; Simons, Richarlison, Kudus.

The latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Arsenal, Manchester City, Spurs, West Ham and more.

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We’re back with our regular morning round-up of some of the biggest Premier League transfer rumours from the past 24 hours – and today, we’re kicking things off with a story which should be of interest to supporters of Arsenal and Manchester City.

Caught Offside claim that the pair are “weighing up the possibility” of making a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt full-back Nathaniel Brown, who was a member of the German Under-21 team that reached the final of the European Championship in Slovakia this summer.

The left-sided defender is under contract with Frankfurt until 2030, but that hasn’t stopped him from ending up “firmly on the radar” of Manchester City and Arsenal. They aren’t alone, mind you, with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester United also said to be “closely monitoring [Brown’s] progress.”

It’s strongly suggested that City and Arsenal are at the front of the queue, however, and they could open negotiations in the near future. There’s no word on what kind of fee Frankfurt might demand, however, and nor is it clear as to whether he has a release clause baked into his contract.

The 3AM Verdict: Brown has been linked with a move to Manchester City on a few occasions, but they’re pretty well set at left-back as it stands so it’s hard to imagine the 22-year-old being a priority right now. He’s a highly talented player with excellent technique, however, so we don’t doubt that all of these teams and more are watching him.

Spurs could make sensational £57m move for former star

Let’s move on to a potentially massive story from TeamTalk now – they allege that Tottenham Hotspur “could jump at the chance” to re-sign striker Harry Kane next summer, after details of a release clause in his Bayern Munich contract emerged.

A report from Bild had suggested that Kane can leave Bayern for €65m (£57m) next summer should he announce his intention to do so before the end of the January transfer window, and Spurs are said to be “keeping a very close eye on the situation” as they consider whether to try to bring one of their greatest forwards home to North London.

Chelsea and Barcelona are also said to be interested parties, too, and could make a bid of their own should Kane decide to put himself in the shop window this winter. Crucially, there’s no word on whether the player himself would actually want to force a move or change club – even to head back to the team with which he made his name.

The 3AM Verdict: This all feels a little far-fetched, even if the reporting over the release clause is correct. Kane has given every indication of being happy at Bayern and there are no indications that the club would even want to move on – but it’s hard to resist such an emotionally resonant story. We’re sceptical, but it would be quite the story. Surely there’s no chance he goes to Chelsea, mind you.

£26m striker brushes off West Ham links

Let’s wrap up with a story concerning West Ham United, who aren’t just struggling to pick up points but also to sign their transfer targets – at least, according to Sport Witness.

They’ve picked up on stories from Brazil which suggest that supposed January target Kaio Jorge, a centre-forward who currently plays for Cruzeiro, “has made it clear” that he is ignoring any transfer talk and that he has “stressed both his happiness in Belo Horizonte and his desire to stay put” despite the links with a Premier League move.

Kaio Jorge is currently the leading scorer in Brazil and is valued at €30m (£26m) by his club, although West Ham supposedly “signalled” that they would be looking to pay around €5m less for the 23-year-old, who had an unhappy and ultimately unsuccessful three-year spell with Juventus. Cruzeiro apparently hold 100% of the players’ image rights, meaning that there are no third parties involved to push for negotiations to take place.

The 3AM Verdict: Kaio Jorge has been linked with West Ham sporadically since the start of the summer but his comments certainly seem pretty comprehensive – still, plenty of players say these sorts of things and take the cash when it comes. We may find out the truth of the matter in January.

The latest Tottenham Hotspur injury news, including updates on Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani.

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Tottenham Hotspur play twice this week, with an EFL Cup third round tie with Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday preceding Saturday evening’s Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers – but Thomas Frank’s options may be limited by a growing number of injury concerns.

Six players were already absent through injury ahead of the recent 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, including striker Dominic Solanke, but two new names have now been added to the list of potential absentees – new signing Randal Kolo Muani and veteran defender Ben Davies.

We’ve got updates on all eight of Spurs’ stricken players below along with their expected return dates when available.

Is Randal Kolo Muani injured for Spurs?

Loanee Kolo Muani was surprisingly left out of Spurs’ squad for the game against Brighton, with Frank explaining that the Frenchman had sustained a dead leg during the week which was “just not settling as we hoped.”

Kolo Muani had been in discomfort for “four or five days” prior to the game at the Amex Stadium and was eventually ruled out, but Frank added that he was hopeful that his deadline-day signing would be fit to feature against Doncaster, a game which could offer him the chance to make his first start since joining from PSG.

While Davies’ absence was less surprising given that he has yet to play under his new manager, Frank did explain that the experienced defender had “a slight twist to his knee,” adding that “it shouldn’t be anything serious.” Davies is expected to be fit to face Doncaster and may get his first chance to impress Frank with the Dane likely to rotate his players wherever possible.

Another player hoping to make his first appearance of the season in the near future is summer signing Kota Takai, who has been sidelined by plantar fasciitis since pre-season. The most recent update on his fitness suggested that he was likely to return to team training this week, but the game against Doncaster is expected to come too soon for the centre-half.

Will Dominic Solanke be fit to face Wolves or Doncaster?

The other major question mark hangs over the head of striker Solanke, who has missed the four matches thanks to an ankle problem. Solanke returned to light training last week, but was not deemed fit enough to be involved against Brighton.

Frank has already told the media that Wednesday’s game against Doncaster will come “too early” for his return, but added that he was “positive” about the progress that the former Bournemouth forward had made. There is a good chance that he will be involved in some capacity against Wolves.

There is uncertainty over the condition of midfielder Yves Bissouma, who has been sidelined for undisclosed reasons. He has been taking part in light training, but Frank has told reporters that he does not know when the Cameroonian would be available to play again and no return date has been set.

Long-term absentee Radu Dragusin is closing in on his return from an ACL injury and is now back in team training, but Spurs are taking their time to rehabilitate the Romanian, who is still some way short of full match fitness. He is expected back in mid-October, although a precise target has not been set.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, meanwhile, are still some way from returning from their own ACL injuries. Kulusevski will be back first and could be available from late November if all goes according to plan. Maddison will miss most or all of the season after undergoing successful surgery, and it is far too early for a return date to have been set.

A former Spurs wonderkid who was compared with Thibault Courtois as a teenager is now without a club - so just what happened to him?

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Shortly afterwards, that 14-year-old goalkeeper was on a plan to north London for a trial. Two years later, he signed his first contract with the club and was compared by his coach to Thibault Courtois. Everything seemed set fair for a glittering career to follow.

Now, at the age of 27 and in his theoretical prime, Thomas Glover is without a club after being released by Middlesbrough. He’s gone from a future star to a player in search for a new home via two continents and a full-blown riot. So what happened?

Why Thomas Glover was meant to be ‘the next Thibault Courtois’

Glover was a junior playing for Australian side Sutherland Sharks when their goalkeeping coach, former Arsenal player and England youth international Ron Tilsed, decided he was simply too good to be kept as a secret in New South Wales.

Tilsed got in touch with Jennings – and Glover impressed to the extent that Spurs moved quickly to make sure that they tied the towering young goalkeeper down to the club for the foreseeable future. He was earmarked for greatness, with Spurs’ goalkeeping coach at the time, Perry Suckling, apparently comparing him to Thibault Courtois due to his huge frame and commanding presence.

Already 6’4” as a teenager, Glover went through his youth career ticking all the relevant boxes – a run to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup, a goalkeeper of the tournament award at an Under-19 level event in Europe. He was even called up to Spurs’ first-team squad on occasion as a back-up to Hugo Lloris and Michael Vorm.

As well as Tilsed, Suckling and the legendary Jennings, Mark Schwarzer, one of Australia’s greatest goalkeepers, was a fan and sought him out to offer coaching, and Glover played at both Under-20 and Under-23 level for his country.

For five years, Glover stayed at Spurs and waited for his chance. There were loan moves, a year at Australian side Central Coast Mariners and a brief stint with Swedish outfit Helsingborg, but they yielded just four senior appearances between them as Glover – an advert for the power of nominative determinism if ever there was one – found himself stuck behind more experienced stoppers time and again.

He never got his chance at Spurs. At the age of 21, he was released, without ever making his debut for the club that saw him as such a sparkling prospect. Glover’s career wasn’t done though, and neither has it been entirely uneventful.

A riot in Melbourne and struggles at Middlesbrough

Having left Spurs, Glover returned to Australia where he signed with Melbourne City, a member of Manchester City’s multi-club stable, making 109 appearances over the course of four seasons with the club as their first choice.

He even earned his first call-up to the senior national team in 2023, ahead of a friendly match against Mexico – but he didn’t get on the pitch, and still awaits his first cap. Still, everything was mostly going well, apart from the riot.

In December 2022, fans of local rivals Melbourne Victory entered the field of play during a derby game as part of a planned protest against a decision to sell the A-League Grand Final hosting rights to the government of New South Wales. What hadn’t been planned, at least officially, was the rapid descent into violence.

Objects were hurled at Glover, who responded by throwing a flare back towards the offending supporters. He stood still, staring them down as they attacked him, a couple attempting to grab him despite the best efforts of security before a large bin sailed through the air and smashed into his face.

Glover, who was not punished for throwing the flare, was left with a concussion while the referee, who also stood between Glover and the onrushing Victory fans, was also hurt. It was a chaotic scene to punctuate an otherwise steady career back in Australia.

Eight months later, Glover left Melbourne and found himself back in England – this time with Middlesbrough. Signed as a back-up, he ended up starting 17 league games over two seasons due to injuries – and perhaps demonstrated why he had never quite made the breakthrough that had been expected at Spurs.

Although a commanding presence in the box and excellent at dealing with high balls, his handling skills came under scrutiny and errors and misjudgements meant that by the end of the 2024/25 campaign, he was credited with having conceded three goals more than he ‘should’ have done according to expected goals in the space of those 17 matches.

Few Middlesbrough fans were kind about Glover when it was announced in early September that his contract had been terminated by mutual consent, with local reporting suggesting that the goalkeeper had been keen to move on for some time.

As it stands, Glover is without a club and waiting to work out what comes next in a career that has never quite taken off despite his physical attributes and the many experienced stoppers who believed he could become something special in his youth. At just 27, at least, he still has the time to find a way to prove them right.