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The latest Spurs team news and predicted starting XI for their Premier League match against Brentford.

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Tottenham Hotspur will hope to snap a five-match winless streak and pick up their first home league win since the opening weekend of the season when they host Brentford on Saturday – but will they have any of their injured players back for the match against Keith Andrews’ side?

Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and Kota Takai are among the players who have been missing for some time but who are pushing to make their comebacks this month, while there are also concerns over the fitness of Destiny Udogie after he was seen limping towards the end of Spurs’ midweek draw with Newcastle United.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, we’ve collected all of the latest Spurs team news and injury updates, along with our prediction for Thomas Frank’s starting line-up below.

Will Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski or Kota Takai be back to face Brentford?

Spurs have six players who are either out or doubts for the game against Brentford, all of whom have been unavailable for some time – and they include key players like striker Dominic Solanke (ankle) and winger Dejan Kulsuevski (ACL).

When asked after the 2-2 draw against Newcastle whether those players could be close to making their long-awaited comebacks, however, Frank poured a certain amount of cold water on the idea, simply saying that “when they are ready to be close to joining the squad, then I will provide an update” – a pretty clear hint that neither will be available this weekend.

Solanke’s return date is unclear, while Kulusevski is expected back before the end of the month, according to his national manager Graham Potter. There’s also no fresh news on the status of midfielder Yves Bissouma (ankle) who could be out for a while longer, while James Maddison (ACL) may not play this season.

There’s better news on the status of summer signing Kota Takai (thigh) and fellow centre-back Radu Dragusin (ACL): Takai played his first minutes for the club in a behind-closed-doors Under-21s match against Dagenham & Redbridge this week, alongside Dragusin. Both are building up towards full fitness but are not expected to be ready for this weekend.

Is Destiny Udogie injured for Tottenham Hotspur?

A fresh worry over the health of Destiny Udogie emerged after he was spotted struggling in the final minutes of the midweek match at St. James’ Park, with Frank unable to replace him having used all of his substitutes.

Frank, however, has moved to play down concerns over the Italian full-back’s fitness, saying that he was “pretty sure” Udogie was fine, adding that he “hadn’t heard anything” to suggest a serious injury concern. Djed Spence could come back in to replace Udogie if required.

Elsewhere, there are no further injury concerns heading into the weekend. It remains to be seen whether Micky van de Ven will be restored to the starting XI after losing his place to Kevin Danso during the week, while Xavi Simons could be handed his first start in five matches.

Tottenham Hotspur must add some firepower to their squad this January transfer window to ease some pressure off Thomas Frank

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Tottenham Hotspur struck late to earn a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle United last time out. Centre-back Cristian Romero scored twice for Thomas Frank’s side in the North East. The London outfit are now positioned down in 11th place in the Premier League table.

They have 19 points on the board from their first 14 fixtures and will be aiming to find some more consistency over the coming weeks. Frank’s men are only five points off the Champions League places and have plenty of time to turn things around. They are back in action this weekend with a home clash against Brentford as they seek to return to winning ways amid simmering pressure on their head coach.

Tottenham Hotspur should target Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe-Mateta

Spurs have the chance to bring in new signings in the January transfer window next month. They also have the opportunity to let some players head out the exit door as well this winter to free up space and funds in their squad. Frank delved into the market in the summer to snap up the likes of Xavier Simons, Mohamed Kudus and Joao Palhinha, among others, to freshen up his ranks but there are still some gaps to be plugged.

Crystal Palace will ‘consider’ bids for striker Jean Philippe-Mateta, according to The Sun. He is under contract at Selhurst Park until June 2027 but is currently in limbo. Despite holding talks regarding a new deal, nothing has been agreed yet and his long-term future in south London is up in the air. Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Leeds United have been linked with him, according to Caught Offside.

With that in mind, Spurs should now try and lure him over to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of others. The France international, who has three caps under his belt so far in his career, is a proven performer at the top level now and has been a key player for the Eagles. He joined them on an initial loan that was later made permanent in 2022 and he has been excellent overall.

Why Crystal Palace star Jean Philippe-Mateta would suit Tottenham Hotspur

Mateta would give Spurs more firepower at the top end of the pitch, which is what they desperately crave. His strength, pace and power has caused problems to opposition defenders over the past few campaigns. He would give them something different to the likes of Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani.

The Frenchman scored eight goals in 35 games during his temporary stint at Crystal Palace. He then properly hit the ground running after his full-time transfer and has found the net on 47 occasions in 138 outings. The forward fired 17 goals last term as Oliver Glasner’s team went on to win the FA Cup against the odds after beating Manchester City in the final at Wembley.

Prior to his move to England, Mateta spent time in Germany with Mainz 05. He was a hit during his spell in the Bundesliga and scored 27 goals in 71 outings. The player has also had spells in the past with the likes of LB Châteauroux, Lyon and Le Havre in his native country.

Spurs need to ensure that they get their recruitment right and Mateta would be perfect. He is experienced, knows where the back of the net is and is in his prime. This is an opportunity that they can’t afford to pass by with Crystal Palace said to be open to bids. It would be a massive blow if he went to a league rival.

Rounding up the latest Premier League transfer rumours - with news from Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton, Chelsea, Newcastle and more.

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We’re just four weeks away from the start of the January transfer window and the gossip columns are starting to burst at the seams with stories – and to help you keep track of everything, we’re here with our latest digest of the biggest new Premier League transfer rumours.

We’ll kick things off today with a tale that may interest fans of both Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur – because TeamTalk claim that Spurs are “working hard” to sign a new goalkeeper to replace Guglielmo Vicario, and are now “huge admirers” of Seagulls stopper Bart Verbruggen.

Verbruggen is one of two players mentioned as being under consideration (the other being Manchester City’s James Trafford) and Spurs are said to be “making checks” on the 23-year-old’s availability. There’s no hint as to how much Brighton might demand to sell their current first choice, although it said that they want to keep him if they can.

There may be a bigger problem for Spurs than Brighton’s asking price and willingness to do a deal, however – Bayern Munich are also “very much in the mix” for Verbruggen as they look for a long-term replacement for Manuel Neuer. Vincent Kompany’s side are said to hold “strong interest” in the Dutchman and could rival Spurs if they do make a move.

The 3AM Verdict: It’s not explicitly stated, but we presume that we’re looking at a deal which would take place next summer, if at all. Either way, we suspect that this is all a little speculative and long-distance – although rumours that Spurs want to move on from Vicario pre-date his being booed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the recent defeat to Fulham, and may well prove to be true.

Chelsea becoming ‘confident’ of double wonderkid deal

Let’s check in with the latest happenings at Stamford Bridge now – according to Caught Offside, Chelsea are “confident” of completing deals for two of the brightest young stars in French football: Ayyoub Bouaddi and Brian Madjo.

Bouaddi – a Football Manager wonderkid par excellence – is also of interest to Manchester United with both clubs “very keen” on the 18-year-old midfielder, but Chelsea appear to believe that they’re in pole position to complete a deal ahead of his other suitors.

They also “really like” 16-year-old Metz forward Madjo and the pair are “high up” in the Blues’ plans for the next two transfer windows. There’s no suggestion that any negotiations have taken place, nor is there a mention of how much either player would cost.

The 3AM Verdict: We’re not sure what evidence there is here to suggest that Chelsea are ahead of other teams in the race to sign these players, to be honest, and it’s all a little thin at the moment. With Bouaddi, in particular, there are bound to be many teams in the mix - we’ve also seen Arsenal mentioned - and he isn’t likely to move until the summer. These are certainly signings that fit Chelsea’s business model, however, so we have every reason to believe that the interest would be there.

Newcastle considering record bid for ‘next Dominik Szoboszlai’

Let’s wrap up with another story from TeamTalk which claims that Newcastle United are getting “serious” about a bid for up-and-coming Hungarian midfielder Alex Tóth, who plays for Ferencváros and already has nine caps for his national team at the age of just 20.

Described as the “next Szoboszlai,” Newcastle aren’t the only team who are keen but the Magpies are said to be “leading the chase.” Most of the big Bundesliga sides are said to be scouting him, Juventus and Brighton are both mentioned, and indeed Liverpool are apparently want to sign Tóth to play alongside the original Szoboszlai.

Supposedly valued at anywhere between €8m and €15m (a rather broad £7-13m range), Tóth’s contract runs out in 2027 which suggests that Ferencváros will look to sell sooner rather than later to maximise his value. A January bid is being “considered” by Newcastle, it’s suggested.

The 3AM Verdict: Tóth is a dynamic midfielder with plenty of technical quality, and Newcastle want some extra depth in their midfield, so why not? With so many teams said to be keeping tabs it’s hard to be confident as to who might be best placed to get a deal done, however, so we’d caution Newcastle fans from getting too excited just yet. The price is certainly affordable for them, though.

Spurs will be on the hunt for a new striker in January

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Tottenham are expected to be in the market for attacking reinforcements in January, as they look to rejuvenate their push for Champions League qualification this season.

A number of attacking options have been touted as potential signings, including England international Ivan Toney, but as it stands the name that seems to be at the top of Thomas Frank’s list is Samu Aghehowa of FC Porto, according to TEAMtalk.

Tottenham aren’t the first English giant to be linked with the promising Spain international. Chelsea went close to signing him in the summer of 2024 before instead turning their attention to Joao Felix once discussions broke down, while the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United were also mentioned as potential suitors during their respective scrambles for strikers.

Aston Villa, after losing Jhon Duran nearly 12 months ago, could also be in the fray. They are yet to see Ollie Watkins at his best and could be in the market for further competition in that area.

Why Tottenham are interested in Samu Aghehowa

Tottenham are still in the early stages of their rebuild under Frank after finishing 17th in the division last season, as Ange Postecoglu put all his eggs in the Europa League basket - Spurs won the competition after edging the final against Manchester United, but paid the price of humiliation in the Premier League, which ultimately cost Postecoglu his job.

Almost all of Tottenham’s attacking options, with the exception of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, were lined up well before Frank entered the building and were either identified by Postecoglou before him or his predecessor, Antonio Conte.

Ideally, Frank would like to make his mark on the club with a signing so he can continue to build a Spurs team in his image. He’s hardly seen Dominic Solanke due to injury, doesn’t seem convinced by Mathys Tel as a forward and instead shifts him onto the wing - this means Richarilson and Randal Kolo Muani are often the two competing for a striking role.

Richarlison, who has scored a respectable five goals, has been linked with a January move away. Whereas, Kolo Muani only arrived on loan and for the most part has struggled for fitness. Aghehowa is 21-years-old, 6ft 4”, is great in the air, has fantastic sprint speed to run in behind defenders and is regarded as one of the best young strikers in world football.

Based on his 27 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign in Portugal, he has many of the characteristics required to potentially fill that Harry Kane hole in the squad, in terms of consistent scoring.

What will Tottenham need to do to buy Samu Aghehowa

Aghehowa is one of the most in-demand strikers on the planet, at a time where there is a deficit of top strikers in the Premier League.

FC Porto are keen to keep their talisman up top to boost their own chances of achieving silverware, but know there could be a potential window of opportunity to capitalise on Premier League interest as their rivals Benfica have in the past with sales such as Darwin Nunez to Liverpool and Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for inflated fees.

Report suggest the Portuguese giants are looking for somewhere in the region of 80 million euros (£70m) for the Spaniard, which means Spurs would need to spend a club-record amount to prise him away from Estádio do Dragão. This figure could soar even higher if, say, a team like Man United or Aston Villa decided to join in the bidding war. This threat leaves Tottenham in a position where they may need to get creative to get what they want.

While he’s not there most valuable player at present, Yves Bissouma could act as a handy makeweight in the deal. The Mali international hasn’t yet kicked a ball for the Lilywhites under Frank and looks almost destined to run out his contract, having last played in the Europa League final.

The former Brighton man isn’t worth anywhere near the same amount as Aghehowa, but has still got qualities that would benefit Porto. He’s a 46-time international, a Europa League winner, has just under 200 matches of Premier League experience and is a robust workman of a midfielder. He’s set to leave without Spurs making a penny regardless, so it could make sense for Tottenham to offer around £60m, with Bissouma as part of the deal to try and entice Porto into a potential deal.

That way Porto would get a large portion of their valuation, a significant profit on what they paid Atletico Madrid, and another experienced name to join the midfield and compete with Gabri Veiga, Alan Varela and others. Whether sporting director Andre Villas Boas, formerly of Spurs, would do business with his old employers, however, remains to be seen.

The latest Spurs team news and predicted XI ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle.

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Tottenham Hotspur will go in search of their first win in five games when they take on Newcastle United on Tuesday evening – and manager Thomas Frank badly needs a win to ease the pressure after a string of disappointing performances.

While an away game may come as a welcome relief after the recent 2-1 home defeat to Fulham generated a hostile response from Spurs’ own fans, Frank will still have to make do without at least six first-team players due to injury, although at least one key defender will be back for the game at St. James’ Park.

Ahead of a potentially pivotal match, we’ve collected all of the latest Spurs team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for Frank’s starting line-up.

Cristian Romero return as Guglielmo Vicario faces pressure from Spurs fans

While Spurs will miss several players through injury – more details on their fitness and likely return dates can be found below – they will at least be able to welcome Cristian Romero back after he served a one-match suspension for collecting five yellow cards in the Premier League.

The Argentine will likely partner Micky van de Ven once more as Spurs search for ways to protect under-pressure goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who was controversially booed by his team’s fans after his mistake led to Fulham’s second goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the weekend.

Frank backed Vicario in his pre-match press conference, telling the press: “Everyone can make mistakes but the way he carries himself impressed me very much. [Vicario] is remarkable. His character is fantastic in every aspect." There are no indications that the Italian faces being dropped for the Newcastle match.

Elsewhere in defence, the only immediate question is whether Destiny Udogie or Djed Spence starts on the left, which will likely depend on whether or not Frank chooses to persist with the 4-2-2-2 formation he deployed unsuccessfully against Fulham and PSG last week.

Six out as Dominic Solanke and Kota Takai remain sidelined against Newcastle

Frank told the media that Spurs would have the same players available for selection as they had against Fulham (with the exception of Romero) meaning that players such as striker Dominic Solanke (ankle) and defender Kota Takai (thigh) remain unavailable.

Takai has returned to training but is short of match fitness after sustaining consecutive injuries since signing for Spurs this summer, while Frank has suggested that Spurs will be cautious with Solanke’s reintroduction to avoid a recurrence of an ankle issue which required surgery earlier in the season. Both are likely to be back in mid-December.

Dejan Kulusevski, meanwhile, is still not back in training as he rehabilitates from an ACL injury but is expected back for the Christmas period, James Maddison is out for the season, also due to a ruptured ACL, and centre-back Radu Dragusin is still working back to full fitness after his own ACL injury. The final injured Spurs players is midfielder Yves Bissouma – Frank has still not provided the media with a possible return date after he sustained ankle ligament damage while on international duty in October.

Rounding up the latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Manchester United, Manchester City, Spurs and more.

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Yet another day’s worth of Premier League transfer rumours has been sent spinning out into the world via the globe’s gossip columns, and that means that it’s time for our regular morning round-up of the biggest and spiciest stories from the last 24 hours – starting with a story for both Manchester United and City fans alike.

According to TeamTalk – who draw heavily from The Daily Mail and Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri – United have been “rocked” by the news that Elliot Anderson has decided to join Manchester City instead of moving to Old Trafford next summer, with the midfielder said to have “informed his close confidants” that he is “prioritising a move” to the Etihad.

Anderson is said to be United’s “favourite” midfield target even ahead of Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton, but City are set to provide some “stiff competition” for the Nottingham Forest man’s signature – although there are conflicting comments from the article’s sources about whether City are ready to meet Forest’s £100m asking price.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola and sporting director Hugo Viana are said to be “smitten” with the 23-year-old and to believe that the opportunity to sign Anderson is “too good to refuse.” United, for their part, were said to want to sign all three of Anderson, Baleba and Wharton over the course of a couple of seasons if they could.

The 3AM Verdict: United were never likely to get all three players and won’t have an easy time competing with Manchester City for signings unless they can get back in the Champions League – but as it stands, the story suggesting that Anderson has already made up his mind only has one core source in the shape of Tavolieri. It may well prove to be the case, but there’s a lot of road less to run with stories surrounding Anderson’s future.

Spurs prepare to make £52m ‘defensive statement’ in January

Let’s take a look at a story from Caught Offside, now, which claims that Tottenham Hotspur want to make “a major defensive statement” in January, with Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer “emerging as one of their primary targets.”

Despite a number of stories which link Spurs with attacking players, this report claims that defensive reinforcements are the club’s “number one priority” for the winter, and that Bremer has “risen to the top of the shortlist.”

It’s alleged that Juve will demand at least €60m (£52m) for his services and that they feel “no financial pressure to sell” – while it’s further claimed that both Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich are all “monitoring” the 28-year-old, suggesting that Spurs could face plenty of competition if they do make a move.

The 3AM Verdict: There’s a lot we don’t believe in this story – starting with the idea that Spurs are prioritising a centre-back in January, moving onto the claim that Juventus aren’t under financial pressure to sell players (they absolutely are) and finishing with one or two of the other clubs named as suitors, such as Chelsea, who would have to completely change tack in the transfer market to sign an expensive 28-year-old. In short, we’re not much convinced by any of the details here, even if it does turn out that Spurs are keen.

£30m Spurs star could be set for shock exit

The final story in today’s digest also concerns Spurs, but this time it’s a tale about a player leaving north London: Football Insider reckon that Mathys Tel is “wanted” by Serie A side AS Roma and than the Italian outfit are plotting a January bid for the young forward.

Tel has struggled to make the impact that had been anticipated after his permanent £30m move from Bayern Munich this summer, and is now in Roma’s sights should they fail to secure a deal for their preferred target, who remains Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Spurs “do not want to lose” Tel next month but there are apparently concerns that Tel could push to leave after struggling for first-team minutes since the arrival of Thomas Frank. There’s no discussion of what the terms for such a deal might look like.

The 3AM Verdict: This is a very speculative article, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s wrong we’d certainly like to see more corroboration before we buy the story.

Tottenham Hotspur have expressed an interest in a highly-rated Everton star

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When it comes to giving managers time, Tottenham Hotspur have rarely been the most tolerant and patient. They've hired and fired 17 managers alone in the Premier League era, and that’s without including the various interim head coaches they’ve had in between those appointments.

Thomas Frank recently became the 18th manager to take on the Tottenham’s manager job - and though things initially started splendidly with three wins from four league matches, it’s clear already that the tide is starting to turn against the former Brentford boss, leaving him with plenty to do if he’s to get the fanbase on side again. Admittedly this is the start of a very different era for Tottenham after more than 20 years under a chairman in Daniel Levy, who divided opinion with large sections of the support.

However, the defeat to Fulham and the fact that many Tottenham players, including Vicario were booed off by their own supporters, is never a good sign - and it’s something which will only compound the need for Frank to deliver results sooner rather than later.

The January transfer window could prove a watershed moment for Tottenham, both to get the crowd back on side and to inject a bit of quality in a team which, barring the Europa League triumph, has had a torrid time domestically in terms of performance and results.

Thomas Frank has golden opportunity to strengthen in January

According to Foot Mercato, Tottenham are one of the front-runners to sign Everton playmaker Iliman Ndiaye.

The Senegal international has been in top form for Everton this term with four league goals and one assist, leaving him well on course to eclipse last season’s impressive tally of nine league goals. Tottenham have been criticised for a lack of entertainment under Frank, despite being the third highest scorers in the league with 21 goals.

This in many ways is backed up by the XG table, with Tottenham sitting sixth lowest, suggesting that the Lilywhites are taking more of their chances than expected and that they are relying on individual moments more than repeated periods of pressure, something which perhaps isn’t sustainable over the course of the campaign.

Ndiaye would bring a great deal to Tottenham that they’ve been missing in Dejan Kuluveski’s absence. He’s among the top three players for successful dribbles leading to a shot attempt (7), has a 62.5% shot on target rate which is higher than any Spurs player this term and crucially presses exceptionally well, winning the 13th most tackles of any player in the entire league and the most for any attacker in the division.

He’s been crucial to Everton under David Moyes and is integral to his style of play. However, Tottenham could offer him the allure of Champions League football and a chance to show what he can do on the big stage. It’s far from a simple deal though, with Liverpool bizarrely emerging as contenders to sign a player from their bitter rivals along with Manchester City.

Everton need a striker

Tottenham have a lot of forward thinking players already when everyone is fit and available. Dominic Solanke, the club’s record-signing at £65m, has barely kicked a ball this season.

Mathys Tel has been signed as one for the future. He was a centre forward at Bayern Munich but has at times done a job on the wing. Randal Kolo Muani also joined in the summer and is capable of playing in a number of roles. Meanwhile, Richarlison has often led the line under Frank since his arrival. The Brazilian is currently on five league goals for the season and has often been the first choice, but whether that remains the case once Solanke returns remains to be seen.

Richarlison hasn’t really hit the heights expected of him at Tottenham despite a bright start to this season, but one club where he remains a fan favourite is Everton, despite his decision to leave for £60m more than three years ago. When he left Everton, the forward posted on X: “It's very difficult to say goodbye to a place that has become my home; fans who welcomed as if I were one of them; and a club that treated me kindly and helped me develop my sense of community and empathy. Neither all the love I have is enough to thank you. Love you!”

Furthermore, Football Insider has claimed that Tottenham are willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, who has just 13 months remaining on his deal in north London.

Everton were linked with Richarlison over the summer, and may well still be in the market for a striker. Their current options Beto and Thierno Barry have only scored once between them in the league this season despite having one of the most creative players in the league in Jack Grealish playing behind them. They won’t want to lose Ndiaye, but if the player does want to leave, a smart compromise could be to try and get a big fee for the Senegalese international and a Richarlison return as part of the deal.

Latest Premier League news and rumours including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace updates.

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Premier League clubs will be able to freshen up their squads in the January transfer window this winter. Arsenal lead the way at the summit and are hoping that this is the year that they can finally get their hands on the trophy under Mikel Arteta. However, the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea continue to chase them down.

At the other end of the table, Wolves, Burnley and Leeds United make up the bottom three. The trio are all at risk of dropping down to the Championship this season. Therefore, there are a fair few teams who could be active on the recruitment front soon.

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa eye Nathan De Cat deal

Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are ‘keen’ on £30million-rated Anderlecht ‘prodigy’ Nathan De Cat, according to CaughtOffside. The report adds that Bayern Munich and Brighton and Hove Albion are also interested in the highly rated teenager. He is being tipped for a bright future in the game and appears to be a wanted man at the moment.

De Cat, 17, is under contract with his current club until June 2027 but they could face a battle to keep hold of him before then amid attention from elsewhere. He has been with the Brussels outfit for his whole career to date and rose up through their academy. The prospect was a regular for them at various different youth levels.

He has made 25 appearances for Anderlecht’s first-team, 18 of which hace come in this campaign to date, and has scored two goals. The Belgium youth international operates as a central midfield. Standing at 6ft 4inc, he is an imposing figure in the middle of the park, despite his tender age.

The 3AM Verdict: It seems inevitable that Anderlecht will lose Nathan De Cat at some point in the near future. He looks destined for bigger and better things and has already played a decent amount of games so far in his career. Spurs and Aston Villa will see him as one for the future along with Brighton. However, the Premier League teams may need to bat away competition from Bayern Munich which may prove tough.

Crystal Palace target Stoke City loanee Divin Mubama from Manchester City

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has done an impressive job since taking over at Selhurst Park. He will want his team to continue to evolve during his tenure and they are being linked with Manchester City striker Divin Mubama, who is currently on loan in the second tier at Stoke City. As per journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon page, the attacker is on the Eagles’ radar.

Mubama, 21, was at West Ham before City signed him in 2024. He was given the green light to leave for the Potters on a temporary basis back in July to get some experience under his belt at the Bet365 Stadium. The England youth international has since scored five goals in 19 matches under the guidance of Mark Robins in Staffordshire.

The 3AM Verdict: Crystal Palace should start thinking about long-term replacement for Jean Philippe-Mateta and Divin Mubama could fit the bill. He is unlikely to break into Manchester City’s starting XI ahead of Erling Haaland. Therefore, leaving permanently once his loan at Stoke City is over to a team like the Eagles would be a sensible decision by him.

The Saudi Pro League star could move clubs in the January transfer window

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After Ruben Neves tore up English football with Wolverhampton Wanderers for six seasons, rumours that he could return to these shores in the January transfer window are getting top-flight clubs very exciting - but there’s a clear best fit that could allow him to star both in the Premier League and at the World Cup.

Of all the Saudi Pro League’s big-money acquisitions in the last few years, Neves is part of an infuriating and rare group who surely could’ve gone on to play at the highest pinnacle in club football (with all due respect to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup).

Players like Neymar, Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane had already won the biggest prizes in Europe and were clearly reaching the ends of their careers while there are plenty of younger signings including Joao Felix, Moussa Diaby and Darwin Nunez who’d once been some of the hottest prospects around but hadn’t performed when they’d stepped up to the top level.

Neves is one of the few players (alongside Jhon Duran) who still had the potential to be a star for a true superclub yet went to the desert anyway, and two years after leaving Wolverhampton he proved he still has that quality by starting the semi-final and playing 74 minutes in the final as Portugal won the Nations League in the summer.

Now aged 28, and having stuffed his bank account with an estimated €50 million (£44m), Neves is reportedly open to a Premier League return in January for just €20m (£17.6m) according to Mark Brus’ the Daily Briefing, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both chasing him. But Neves’ best move would be to stay with his current paymasters and move to Newcastle United, bolstering Eddie Howe’s struggling midfield.

Neves not set for success with Man United or Spurs

There’s a reason two of the big six are interested in Neves - he’s a capable defensive midfielder that can also act as a quarterback in possession, moving his team up the field and allowing the flashier stars to shine up front. However, one capable ball-playing midfielder does not an attack make. It’s a problem Manchester United have faced for years chasing a world-class midfield capable of both dominating possession and creating plenty of meaningful chances.

They’ve had enough quality technicians in midfield - most notably Paul Pogba - but they’ve never surrounded them with the talent to create a multi-faceted threat which has made it easy for the opposition to lock onto the single creative threat and mark or press him out of the game.

Wherever he’s gone, Pep Guardiola has always had capable central midfielders coming out of his years - think of all Manchester City’s talent there in the last nine years; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Thiago Alcantara at Bayern Munich; or of course Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Camp Nou.

Excluding Casemiro, who will be 34 when his contract expires this summer, who do Manchester United have to pair alongside Neves and be both industrious to run a two-man midfield, and creative enough demand the defensive resources that will give Neves the space to spark attacks?

The 31-year-old Bruno Fernandes, who’s yet to prove himself in that deeper role? Kobbie Mainoo, who Amorim has picked as his next scapegoat now Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus are all starring and scoring elsewhere? Manuel Ugarte? Toby Collyer?

Neves is in his prime right now but can’t afford to wait around too long for Manchester United to muddle through finding a midfield partner, or tear it all down and start again with a back four when Amorim is sacked. Meanwhile James Maddison would fit the bill at Spurs but he won’t be playing football for a long time and entire future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is in doubt right now. However, Newcastle can tick all the boxes for Neves.

Neves can fill chasm in Magpies’ midfield

However, Neves could slot in perfectly alongside Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes and fire another top four or five push at St. James’ Park plus a European adventure this season.

In his last season in the Premier League, Neves was in the top band of midfielders for passing distance at all ranges, set piece stats and defensive categories like shots blocked and interceptions. His exploits for Portugal and in the Club World Cup suggest that ability hasn’t waned and Neves could be the perfect replacement for Joelinton in Newcastle’s midfield stable.

Alongside this, going to a club that aren’t expected to dominate almost every game could suit the 28-year-old well - Neves never had superstars alongside him in the Wolves midfield, but the club's stature and playing style under Nuno Espirito Santo meant he could still be effective.

The depressed transfer fee would certainly be affordable for Newcastle and the negotiation for his signature shouldn't be too hard either given it would literally be Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) negotiating with itself, a bit like Chelsea haven't had much trouble doing all this business with Strasbourg all of a sudden.

Neves would need to take a pay cut but he surely wouldn’t be sounding out Premier League clubs if he wasn’t prepared for that, and a move to Newcastle would be the perfect decision for both player and club.

The 21-year-old is already starring in Portugal and is an Olympic gold medallist

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After a start to the season offered some encouragement, Tottenham Hotspur’s abject performance in the north London derby means Thomas Frank is now coaching for his job in the capital, with sympathy for the Dane in short supply after the way he set his side up to play for a draw from the first minute at the Emirates Stadium.

With that being said, it is getting slightly forgotten just how many of Tottenham’s key players are missing. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have both spent time in the treatment room recently while the pre-season losses of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are easy to overlook but are having a massive impact on Frank and his side.

Most damaging of all may be the ankle injury to Dominic Solanke though. Mathys Tel has been alright since his permanent move but wasn’t intended to be the main source of Spurs’ goals this season and while Richarlison boasts a decent rate of return, there’s no certainty he’ll sustain that throughout the season. Now aged 28, the Brazilian is a known commodity at this point.

That leaves 21-year-old Dane Scarlett and Randal Kolo Muani, who’s already looking like one of the most disappointing loan signings in recent Premier League history on a par with Jese, Renato Sanches and Grzegorz Krychowiak after zero goals in nine games. Compared to Chelsea, who have both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at their disposal, or Liverpool’s lavish striking options (even if Alexander Isak is yet to fire) and Tottenham’s options don’t seem fantastic.

So given this is be Daniel Levy replacement and former Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham’s year in charge, it’s not surprising that a host of strikers are being linked with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And though more recognisable names have been rumoured to be Tottenham targets, including Dusan Vlahovic and Ivan Toney, Porto’s Samu Aghehowa may be the best fit.

Tottenham must swing for the fences with striker targets

Turning 26 in January, Vlahovic feels at least two years older than 25 largely by virtue of his breakthrough Serie A season beginning at the tender age of 20. Vlahovic got his big move to Juventus a year later though over four years his junior, Aghehowa has already recorded the same number of 11+ league goal since then.

And therein lies the issue - in his debut season at Porto, Aghehowa has already shown he has the potential to be as strong a poacher as Vlahovic as his baseline. Aghehowa is a menace in the penalty area - his average shot distance is just 13.3 yards and he averaged an expected goal (xG) every other league in 2024/25.

That would put him in the top five of the Premier League, better than Nick Woltemade, Viktor Gyokeres and Danny Welbeck while he boasts a goals minus xG average of 0.19 per game, the same as Erling Haaland. Of course, putting up those numbers in Portugal is no guarantee you can do it in England, but it shows that aged 21, Aghehowa can certainly have a successful career as a classic number nine like Vlahovic.

Unlike the Juventus star though, Aghehowa still has the capacity and time to develop his all-round game. He’s even already started to do it, making more progressive passes and recording more assists in the Primeira Liga this campaign.

Meanwhile Toney will be 30 by the time the season ends despite playing football in a big five league for less time than the Serbian. Toney certainly fits better with Tottenham’s dire need to improve their xG tally, capable of getting involved deeper in the attack as well as finishing them with incredible consistency.

Toney last produced at his best in the Premier League three seasons ago and though he’s willing to take a heft pay cut to reunite with Frank according to TEAMtalk, Al Ahli haven’t put a price tag on Toney and don’t want to sell him, meaning if they do part with the striker it will be for a premium especially given his age.

Aghehowa won’t come cheap

It will take a mammoth effort to bring Aghehowa to London in January, and Tottenham may well need to wait until the summer to step up their pursuit of the Olympic gold medallists. TEAMtalk believe so, in the same article that reports Porto have set Aghehowa’s asking price at a gargantuan €80m (£70.3m), boosted by having the Spaniard contracted until 2029.

That’s a huge amount to spend on someone so inexperienced especially given they made Dominic Solanke their record signing less than 18 months ago, but Aghehowa fits Frank’s dream striker profile perfectly. If the Dane is to succeed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he simply must be backed in the transfer market and allowed to build the Spurs side he surely sold the blazers on when he was handed the job in the first place.

And all the signs point to Aghehowa being an integral part of that, whatever the cost.