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Conor Gallagher has been linked with a return to the Premier League, and Tottenham are a name regularly mentioned.

The England international left Chelsea for Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024, but is in and out of Diego Simone’s team.

Spurs were said to be willing to negotiate immediately for Gallagher under Ange Postecoglou, who would be tempted to return to London.

However, several factors are set to influence any decision to move for Gallagher, and one of them involves Postecoglou.

This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.

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Ange Postecoglou was eyeing Conor Gallagher for Tottenham

Spurs would have to pay more than £50million for Gallagher, in what would be an expensive signing for the North London outfit.

Given the hefty fee, the Lilywhites would need to think carefully about whether the 25-year-old would improve Thomas Frank’s team.

Indeed, Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – explains why Spurs may not need to pursue the midfielder after changing managers.

“I think he was a player that Postecoglou really wanted,” Wenham said.

“But now I think over the course of this season, we’ll see the real emergence and increased performance and values of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr to the point where next summer we won’t be looking for another midfielder. That’s genuinely what I think.

“I think they’ll improve that much that they’ll be two of the first names on the team sheet, and it’ll be one of Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur, with those two. That’s the kind of trajectory they seem to be going on at the moment.”

Conor Gallagher would be a pointless signing for Spurs

Former Brentford manager Martin Allen told Tottenham News that Bergvall has what it takes to become Spurs captain.

Indeed, he and Sarr have developed at such a rapid pace that the North London club may not need to add Gallagher to their ranks.

Both arguably have a higher ceiling than the Englishman, and with Palhinha likely to join on a permanent deal, where would the former Chelsea man fit in?

Furthermore, given that Tottenham would have to pay a substantial fee to land Gallagher, it feels that he would be a needless signing.

In the transfer windows to come, Spurs must focus on their weaker positions, including up front and in goal.

While Gallagher is a solid player, there is enough of an argument to suggest that the Lilywhites do not need him any time soon.

Tottenham somehow salvaged a point at Bodo/Glimt despite being second best all evening.

Cristian Romero was absent from the Spurs squad as a precautionary measure, having missed training in the build-up.

The Lilywhites earned a 2-2 draw in their Champions League encounter, taking their points tally to four points after two games.

However, Thomas Frank’s side appeared lost without Romero, cementing the importance he holds to the North London club.

Tottenham suffer highest xG conceded in Cristian Romero’s absence

Frank made some poor decisions against Bodo/Glimt, but nothing could be done about Romero’s absence.

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Last season, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side dismantled the Norwegian outfit 5-1 on aggregate, but Tuesday night followed an entirely different narrative.

Credit must be afforded to the European minnows for their performance, but serious questions must be asked of Frank’s backline.

Spurs’ defence was made up of Pedro Porro, Micky Van de Ven, Kevin Danso, and Djed Spence, but they struggled as a unit.

Indeed, the Lilywhites conceded their highest xG of the season by some distance, with Bodo/Glimt finishing the game with an xG of 2.57.

It was Danso who came in for Romero, and he delivered a woeful performance in the hub of Frank’s defence.

While he made some crucial blocks, his passing was aimless as he appeared lost just north of the Arctic Circle.

Thomas Frank will be over-reliant on Cristian Romero this season

While Romero was not at his best for Tottenham last season, he has proven his worth in the early stages of this one.

Since signing a fresh contract and becoming Spurs captain, the World Cup winner has produced a series of assured performances and is thriving under Frank.

However, without him, the Lilywhites appeared lost, and that was with three of the usual back four on display in Norway.

Indeed, Bodo/Glimt recorded a staggering 18 shots compared to Spurs’ eight, while they also notched one more on target (4).

Furthermore, the Norwegian outfit had a remarkable 36 touches in the Tottenham area, which was 16 more than Frank’s men mustered.

While the Premier League side certainly missed Romero’s quality, they also appeared astray without his leadership at centre-back.

For the big games, Spurs simply cannot cope without him, but there will certainly be occasions when he or Van de Ven are absent.

Xavi Simons has endured a mixed start at Tottenham, but it is way too early to pass judgment.

Spurs beat Chelsea to sign Simons as they strived to land an attacking-midfielder in place of the stricken James Maddison.

The Dutchman enjoyed an encouraging debut against West Ham, but has since stalled in Thomas Frank’s system.

However, his international teammate Micky Van de Ven has shared how he has been helping Simons behind the scenes.

Micky Van de Ven offers immense support for Xavi Simons

Van de Ven captained Tottenham against Bodo/Glimt in Cristian Romero’s absence in a difficult night for Frank’s men.

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In the end, the stand-in captain led the Lilywhites to a 2-2 draw on 30 September, which was more than they deserved to come away with in the Champions League encounter.

After his poor showing against Wolves, Simons was benched, but came on for the woeful Brennan Johnson in the 60th minute.

The 22-year-old delivered a decent enough performance and at least got his team going in attacking areas.

Now, Van de Ven has opened up about how he is assisting his compatriot to settle into life in North London.

“I speak a lot with him, but what also helps him a lot is that he speaks a lot of languages, so he can get on with a lot of players as well,” the centre-back said via Football.London on 1 October.

“I try to help him on and off the pitch with every small detail he asks for. I’m there for him to help him as much as possible.”

Could Xavi Simons start for Tottenham against Leeds United?

Spurs and Leeds have played out some fiery encounters over the years as the two meet again on Saturday.

While the promoted teams have been unfancied this season, Leeds and Sunderland in particular have shown that they are no pushovers.

Indeed, Daniel Farke’s side are unbeaten at Elland Road, meaning Frank is in a pickle when it comes to his tactics.

The Dane has been criticised for his defensive approach, but that might be what is needed in a hostile away environment.

If Frank does opt to go more attacking, then Simons could be in line to start, either centrally or on the left.

However, if Tottenham’s head coach favours his typical defensive approach, then the Dutchman may have to settle for a place on the bench.

One factor that could swing in Simons’ favour is the form of Johnson, who will surely not be given another starting berth after Tuesday night’s antics.

Whatever happens, Spurs should be in for a stern test when they head to Yorkshire and cannot afford to repeat what they did against Bodo/Glimt.

Tottenham look set to receive a major boost regarding the fitness of Randal Kolo Muani in the coming days.

The Frenchman has had a difficult start to his season-long loan move in North London, having been limited to only one substitute appearance since his arrival was confirmed on deadline day.

Kolo Muani’s arrival at Tottenham prompted great excitement when it was announced, but fans are yet to truly get a glimpse of what their new star can do on the pitch.

Thomas Frank has had to manage the striker very carefully so far, but there finally appears to be light at the end of the tunnel in terms of his recovery.

Randal Kolo Muani will return to Tottenham training ‘very quickly’

Kolo Muani suffered a dead leg in Tottenham training prior to the trip to Brighton on 20 September, and he has since been on the sidelines both in terms of matches and training.

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The 26-year-old wasn’t present at the Lilywhites’ open training session before Tuesday night’s trip to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, and wasn’t part of the matchday squad in Norway.

However, his return to full training with the rest of the team could now be imminent.

Kolo Muani has been training alone at Spurs of late, but has spent the last two days performing ball work once again, according to French outlet L’Equipe.

It is understood that the frontman is set to return to full training with his teammates “very quickly,” while a return to the matchday squad for Saturday’s trip to Leeds “should not be ruled out.”

He has also had a conversation with Frank, and is said to have been “reassured” by the manager’s intention to use him as competition for Richarlison in the central striker role.

Kolo Muani can also operate in the wide areas, but it now seems clear that the boss views him as an out-and-out striker.

Spurs badly need Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke back fit

Dominic Solanke has also been out injured for Tottenham in the early stages of the season, and the pair of attacking absences has left Frank badly short of options to lead the line.

The burden has consistently fallen upon Richarlison, and while he has made a surprisingly bright start to the campaign, the N17 outfit are seriously lacking game-changing options from the bench.

Rather alarmingly, own goals are now the top goalscorer for the North Londoners in all competitions, which is a serious indication of how short of firepower they are at the moment.

As a result, the positive news on Kolo Muani really could not have come at a better time.

Expectations will need to be tempered for him somewhat when he comes back into the fold, but there can be no denying that he will be a huge boost for Frank when he returns.

Archie Gray has struggled for consistent minutes at Tottenham since the start of the season.

Gray has been praised for his commitment during Tottenham training, but has only played 72 minutes in the Premier League for the Lilywhites.

Thomas Frank surprised fans when Gray started alongside Lucas Bergvall in Spurs’ opening win over Burnley, but was soon demoted to a rotational role despite a strong performance.

While there is optimism that Gray will earn a bigger role on Frank’s side, there is a growing feeling that he’ll constantly be looking over his shoulder.

Rodrigo Bentancur close to extending at Tottenham

The Lilywhites have faced calls to extend Rodrigo Bentancur’s contract at Tottenham since the summer transfer window.

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The defensive midfielder has impressed for Spurs, but is out of contract in June 2026 and is free to negotiate with other clubs in January.

However, it seems fans’ prayers have been answered with Bentancur close to agreeing a new contract with Spurs, according to Football London on 30 September.

This comes after his close friend and teammate Cristian Romero secured a new deal at Tottenham before taking over from Son Heung-min as captain.

But the good news will come as a huge blow to Gray, who is already struggling for minutes in North London.

Bentancur’s extension will give the youngster a smaller chance of climbing up the ladder at Spurs, with Frank keen on fielding a double pivot of the Uruguayan and Joao Palhinha.

Archie Gray should start over Rodrigo Bentancur

While Bentancur’s performances for Spurs deserve to be rewarded with a contract extension, in the few minutes Gray has had, he’s looked the sharper of the two.

Gray came on for Bentancur in the UEFA Champions League to rescue a point for Tottenham against Bodo/Glimt by forcing an own goal. He also put on a strong performance in Spurs’ win over Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

The young midfielder progresses the ball well, which complements Pahlinha well, who is more defensively minded.

As such, Frank should consider starting Pahlinha and Gray together more frequently moving forward.

Tottenham and Leeds United are set to reignite their intense feud when they meet in the Premier League on Saturday.

Spurs have produced some encouraging results under Thomas Frank, although recent performances must be questioned.

As for Leeds, they have proven that they will be a tough team to roll over, especially when playing at Elland Road.

The 4 October clash between the two sides is set to be a cracker, and it is a fixture that has produced some fiery moments over the years.

Leeds United will want to match physicality shown in the 1970s

Frank will miss Dominic Solanke’s physical presence against Leeds in a match where brute strength will be needed.

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Daniel Farke possesses several towering stars within his side, including Anton Stach, Pascal Struijk, and the familiar Joe Rodon.

Indeed, they would be wise to emulate the Peacocks’ side of the 70s, who caused all kinds of problems for the Lilywhites with their physicality, as The Square Ball reflected in March.

In the 1972 FA Cup quarter-final, the pair played out a heated on-pitch battle, with Tottenham left-back Cyril Knowles injuring Leeds midfielder Peter Lorimer.

That incident caused a stir amongst the players as Billy Bremner and Phil Beal clashed before Knowles completely wiped out Beal.

As Mike England walked over to pick up Bremner, accusing him of faking injury, it all kicked off between the two teams, with Bremner and England booked for their antics.

Controversial refereeing caused tension between Tottenham and Leeds United in the 1990s

If it were not for VAR, then Rodrigo Bentancur would have bagged a goal in Spurs’ draw with Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.

While the technology divides opinion, in the 90s, it was down to the referees, who came under fire for their decisions.

In March 1999, Leeds ended the North London side’s 16-match unbeaten run with Alan Smith and Harry Kewell scoring the goals.

The Irish Times reported on the venomous encounter between the old rivals, with tempers threatening to boil over on numerous occasions.

Peacocks manager David O’Leary cut a furious figure on the touchline, protesting angrily at the linesman and his decisions despite his side’s victory.

Four months later, the pair met again, and it was a predictably tumultuous affair as leeds-fans.org.uk recalls.

The Whites claimed a 2-1 victory over George Graham’s men courtesy of an Ian Harte free-kick in the 83rd minute.

However, Graham said the free-kick should never have been given and lamented the decision as harsh on his team.

VAR and goals just the tonic between Leeds United and Tottenham in the 2020s

In more recent years, Spurs and Leeds have played out some matches to remember, and again, controversy came to the fore.

In 2021, the Peacocks got the better of the Lilywhites in a 3-1 win at Elland Road, but VAR played an integral part, as shared by VAVEL.

While the final score was not close, Spurs thought they had taken a 2-1 lead thanks to Harry Kane, only for VAR to rule out his goal by a toenail.

In November 2022, Tottenham got revenge in a 4-3 win, with Antonio Conte’s men coming from behind on three occasions to clinch a remarkable win on home soil.

Bentancur was the unlikely hero, bagging the Lilywhites’ third and fourth in a breathless affair.

At that point in the season, Conte’s side had clinched 13 points from losing positions, which was more than any side in the Premier League.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch summed up the game perfectly: “I’m gutted, I feel like someone has ripped my heart out.”

While Frank will be hoping for a more straightforward encounter, the fixture has the recipe for a modern-day classic.

Harry Kane’s brilliance while at Tottenham has been appreciated by fans now more than ever.

Tottenham fans begged Kane to come back after a strong performance against Chelsea during Bayern Munich’s opening game of the UEFA Champions League.

Spurs came from behind against Bodo/Glimt to snag a draw against the home side despite comfortably beating them in the UEFA Europa League semi-final under Ange Postecoglou last season.

As such, the desire to see the England skipper return to Hotspur Way would have only intensified.

Harry Kane not expected to leave Bayern soon

It came as a shock when Thomas Frank stated he’d welcome Kane’s return to Tottenham in the future.

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Kane has been linked with Spurs as of late, with a growing feeling that the striker has unfinished business in North London.

Unfortunately for Frank, iconic football commentator Ian Darke – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes Kane could be reluctant to leave Bayern Munich at the moment.

“I thought it was interesting that Frank kind of went on the record talking about this and about what a great player Kane was,” Darke said.

“More or less sort of holding out an enticing sort of idea to him that he’d be welcome back, and I think they get a first refusal if it came to that.

“But having said that, it might be all this may be a big, big flyer, based on some of those quotes, because Kane seems extremely happy at Bayern Munich. He’s scoring goals for fun as he nearly always does, but especially this season.

“Could it happen somewhere down the line, when Kane’s maybe 34 or 35? You wouldn’t rule it out. But I don’t think it’s going to happen imminently.”

How close is Harry Kane to beating Alan Shearer’s record?

One thing which could prompt Kane to return to the Premier League is to claim Alan Shearer’s spot as all-time top goalscorer.

If the former Tottenham star arrives at Hotspur Way this summer, there’s no doubt he will break the record.

But even if he rejoins later down the line, given his world-class finishing, there is a strong likelihood he’d surpass the former Newcastle United star forward.

Therefore, even if he is enjoying life in Germany, there’s sufficient reason for Kane to return to the English top-flight.

Tottenham have been linked with a move for Conor Gallagher in recent months.

Tottenham wanted Gallagher from Atletico Madrid over the summer, and speculation has not subsided with the turn of the new season.

The Lilywhites’ priority before the end of September was to sign another attacking midfielder. This became a necessity when James Maddison sustained an ACL injury in Tottenham’s win over Newcastle during pre-season.

Xavi Simons soon arrived at Tottenham as what most thought was his replacement. But with the need for a 10 seemingly answered, Spurs continue to be on the lookout for other midfield options.

This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.

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Elliot Anderson named as Conor Gallagher alternative

Tottenham are still interested in Atletico Madrid’s Gallagher, and signing him would have made sense under Ange Postecoglou.

However, his profile is one that does not seem to be needed under Thomas Frank.

There is still a belief that Yves Bissouma will leave Tottenham, with him not yet appearing for Spurs in the Premier League season.

His box-to-box expertise will no doubt be missed, as such Tottenham expert Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is a profile Spurs should be looking at as opposed to Gallagher.

“I see why he was heavily linked when we had Postecoglou in charge, he would have been a really good fit for us,” Wenham said.

“But times have moved on, and I’ve heard there are a lot of other midfielders that Tottenham would potentially look at, maybe someone like Elliot Anderson, who has a more ball-carrying style, you know, similar to Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr, rather than Gallagher, for example.”

What could Elliot Anderson offer Tottenham?

Anderson has remained consistent for Forest this season despite the surprise of former Tottenham manager Postecoglou becoming head coach.

But if he continues his stellar form for both club and country, Frank could develop an interest in Postecoglou’s star player.

The Englishman is an excellent carrier of the ball and, according to Fbref, is in the 77th percentile for ball carries in the last 365 days.

He is also in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons and 86th for touches in the opposition’s box.

He is also strong defensively and is in the 87th percentile for tackles and 88th for aerial duels won.

As a result, Anderson could bring further defensive stability to this Spurs side while also offering more than enough going forward.

Thomas Frank should raise his head high after hearing what Glenn Hoddle has to say about Tottenham.

There was collective outrage when Tottenham sacked Ange Postecoglou despite winning the UEFA Europa League and ending a 17-year trophy drought.

However, the North London club deemed a 17-place finish in the Premier League insufficient and installed Thomas Frank in his place. The Dane has already had some success at the club who are currently fourth on the table.

But there is one change in the Frank era, which had Spurs legend Hoddle singing his and the players’ praises.

Glenn Hoddle praises Tottenham’s comeback against Bodo/Glimt

Tottenham overcame from a two goal deficit against Bodo/Glimt to salvage a draw in the UEFA Champions League.

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This comes after the Lilywhites won 5-1 on aggregate against the Norwegian side to progress to the final of the Europa League, where Tottenham later prevailed over Manchester United.

Despite the disappointing draw, Hoddle stated that Spurs’ fighting mentality was not typically seen under Postecoglou while speaking on TNT Sports on 30 September.

He said: “If we performed like that last year, there’s no way we would have performed anywhere near like that. Where we were average, and get a point.

“Last year, when we were average, we were too easy to play against at times. We’d lose 3-1 or something.

“So they can take away that we don’t have to play at our very best to get something out of the game, and that’s a great trait to be consistent. You can’t outplay your teams every week and score goals left, right, and centre.”

Tottenham mentality strong under Thomas Frank

Over the past two matchdays, Tottenham have come back twice against their opponents to salvage a draw.

Joao Palhinha netted the equaliser for Spurs in their draw to Wolves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while the draw to Bodo/Glimt will still be fresh in the minds of Tottenham fans.

A deeper delve into the Lilywhites’ attacking intensity against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League and defeat to Crystal Palace on 11 May vindicates Hoddle’s position.

In the defeat to Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs’ attacking momentum after conceding a double from Eberechi Eze was minimal.

This continued throughout the game, with the Lilywhites offering little going forward and Palace outperforming their attacking efforts.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ best attacking sequences against Bodo/Glimt came after they had conceded both goals, netting one of their own and forcing an own goal.

As a result, there is an obvious mentaltiy shift under Frank. But the question that now remains is, should there have to be?

Tottenham could look unrecognisable in the coming weeks as talks of a takeover intensify.

Change has taken over in North London over the past couple of months, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal as Tottenham manager came as a shock at the time, but Spurs supporters were completely blindsided when Daniel Levy stepped down as Tottenham chairman.

Speculation of a Tottenham takeover materialised after Levy’s dismissal, but things look concrete now that Brooklyn Earick has entered the picture.

Brooklyn Earick could make formal Tottenham bid imminently

It was recently reported that tech entrepreneur Earick was offering a £4.5billion takeover bid for Tottenham.

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This would have included £3.3bn upfront to Tottenham owners ENIC and the Lewis family, but also £1.2bn in for transfers and wages, according to the print edition of The Sun (1 October, page 49)

However, ENIC stated the offer was “unequivocally rejected”, with a source close to the Joe Lewis family dismissing the approach as “unsolicited.”

It is believed that the Lewis family are committed to Spurs’ sporting success over the coming years.

Despite this, on August 6, Earick published the full details of his visit nearly two months after his first takeover approach. As well as a snap of the official Takeover Panel notification of his approach, with the comment “unsolicited.”

It is now understood that Earick and his backers could make a formal bid for Tottenham as soon as this week.

How much of Tottenham does the Lewis family own?

Tottenham are owned by British investment group ENIC, which has had majority control of the club since 2001.

After almost 25 years at the helm, Spurs supporters will no doubt be open to the idea of new owners.

However, with the Lewis family prioritising the Lilywhites’ sporting success and fans desperate to win more trophies, it is likely the two will find common ground over the coming months.