TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur have had to deal with a lot of injury issues this season, which has culminated in them currently sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

Spurs have been without a multitude of key players, including first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and key centre-back duo Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario.

Although Tottenham have been trying their best to soldier on, results have been mixed, and there’s no doubt that reinforcements are needed.

TalkSPORT’s Simon Jordan has now spoken about Spurs’ strength in depth, naming three players he feels are not the kind that will help a team win silverware.

Simon Jordan not impressed with Tottenham trio James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner

Jordan has claimed that the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are not players that will help Tottenham kick on as a club.

The former Crystal Palace chairman acknowledged that Spurs can get good results, but he feels that the side “doesn’t seem to change” even with big-money reinforcements.

Jordan said on talkSPORT: “There’s been games in there where they’ve beaten… I went to watch the quarter-final of the [Carabao] Cup against Manchester United and what I saw was two very poor sides.

“But they won a cup quarter-final against Manchester United, they’ve smashed Southampton 5-0, there are some results in there.

“The challenge for me is I look at players like [James] Maddison, I look at some of the signings.

“Maddison’s a good player, technically he’s a good player, but do you win things with players like James Maddison?

“I look at some of the signings like Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner, Timo Werner is a speedboat without a brain.

“I look at these guys and I think, ‘How are Tottenham going to kick on as a football club?’

“Despite spending decent money on [Dominic] Solanke and decent money every single year now.

You can’t argue that Spurs are spending a few quid but the side doesn’t seem to change.”

Who Tottenham could now sign in the January transfer window

Spurs could certainly do with bringing in reinforcements as Postecoglou looks to update and improve his squad with each passing transfer window.

Tottenham have already brought in a reinforcement in between the sticks, signing Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague.

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has now also confirmed that Spurs are looking at two defenders, with two attackers being put forward to the club.

Tottenham are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Milan Skriniar and Feyenoord’s David Hancko, central defenders who can also play at left-back.

TBR Football also understands that names that have been put to Spurs in recent days include Barcelona winger Ansu Fati and AC Milan forward Noah Okafor.

TBR Football can exclusively confirm what Tottenham Hotspur have planned for the remainder of the January transfer window.

Spurs have already made one signing this month, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky arriving from Slavia Prague.

With Tottenham struggling for form amid a spate of injuries, there is a need for Ange Postecoglou to strengthen his squad.

Now, TBR Football can reveal what players Spurs are now looking at, with just over two weeks left before the transfer window shuts.

Tottenham eyeing Milan Skriniar and David Hancko as Ansu Fati and Noah Okafor put forward to Spurs

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Tottenham are still working on a number of deals for January with a new defender still the priority.

Spurs have limited funds to do a permanent deal this month and would like to do loan moves, potentially with options.

Spurs came close to landing Randal Kolo Muani, but that was not seen as filling a major hole in the squad but a move for a player they were huge fans of.

That being said, Tottenham are still looking at loan options for a forward.

We understand a couple of names that have been put to Spurs in recent days include Barcelona winger Ansu Fati and AC Milan forward Noah Okafor.

In terms of defenders – Tottenham would ideally like a left-sider, and we can confirm their interest on Slovakian duo Milan Skiniar and David Hancko is strong.

Skriniar is available on-loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but carries substantial wages – nonetheless, he is open to the idea of a move to England.

Galatasaray are also pushing hard for the 29-year-old and are holding talks with him.

Juventus also have an interest in Skriniar, but as it stands they are preferring Hancko – the Feyenoord defender, and international colleague of Skriniar.

Hancko is of interest to Spurs and they would be open to a deal, with Feyenoord looking at close to £30million.

However, Juventus have an advantage as they can offer Facundo Gonzalez – who is currently on-loan at De Kuip.

David Hancko factfile

David Hancko is a 27-year-old central defender who plays for Feyenoord and represents Slovakia at international level.

He has made 119 appearances for Feyenoord, along with 102 outings for Sparta Prague, 40 for MSK Zilina, and five for Fiorentina. He has also won 48 caps for Slovakia.

Hancko’s main strengths are his progressing passing and carrying, which is crucial to advancing his team up the field and creating dangerous opportunities.

He’s also a superb crosser of the ball and, along with these traits, he’s also a defender of the highest calibre.

Hancko produced an impressive performance when he was tasked with marking Erling Haaland when the pair met in the Champions League back in November.

Although Haaland managed to score twice, however, it wasn’t enough as Feyenoord snatched a point at the Etihad.

The Tottenham target even managed to get an 89th-minute equaliser as he headed home from close range.

Tottenham Hotspur have a defensive crisis on their hands right now.

There’s no getting around it, Spurs’ defence is a mess at the minute.

Archie Gray is an 18-year-old midfielder playing at centre-half every week, while Djed Spence was frozen out of the squad last year, but now he’s starting at left-back.

Gray is happy to play at centre-back, but a look at Tottenham’s recent results shows that it’s not great for the team.

Luckily for Spurs, the January transfer window is open, and help could be on the way.

Speaking on Last Word on Spurs, Mike McGrath has been discussing Tottenham and the idea of signing a new centre-back.

As much as Spurs do need a new defender, according to the journalist, it will be difficult for Spurs to make such a signing, with McGrath claiming that nothing is close as of right now.

Tottenham not close to new centre-back signing

McGrath shared what he knows about Tottenham’s situation.

Spurs are apparently not close to signing a new centre-half, and this is said to be a difficult market as things stand.

“I think that it is a really difficult market for them. At this moment in time I’m not hearing that Spurs are close on a centre-back. I’m sure they have targets from across Europe who are gettable and available, but it’s extremely difficult. You look at players who are available and it’s players who aren’t in the team really,” McGrath said.

Which centre-backs do Tottenham want?

Spurs may not be close to signing a new centre-back, but they do have some targets in mind.

Indeed, Spurs have been linked with a few new defensive options during this transfer window already.

Ko Itakura has been linked with Tottenham recently, while Spurs were in talks to sign Milan Skriniar earlier this month.

Unfortunately, by the sounds of things, neither of those deals are close to being done just yet, but there’s still over two weeks to go in the window.

Whether or not Tottenham can get a body through the door in that time remains to be seen, but having seen how quickly Spurs got the deal for Antonin Kinsky done earlier this month, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Spurs did have a trick up their sleeve.

Tottenham do need defensive reinforcements before the deadline, but whether or not Daniel Levy will back Ange Postecoglou with new signings is still unclear.

Tottenham Hotspur ended up on the losing side in the North London Derby against Arsenal yet again.

Spurs have now lost three consecutive games against the Gunners for the first time in the Premier League era. The defeat on Wednesday night, in particular, was a tough one to take for Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham played nothing like their usual selves in the first half. They were extremely passive, didn’t show any urgency and just allowed Arsenal to dictate the game.

The hosts deservedly won the derby in the end, despite promising performances from two Spurs teenagers – Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Archie Gray ‘shoved’ Lucas Bergvall away during Arsenal vs Tottenham

The fact that Gray and Bergvall were Tottenham’s two best players in the North London Derby against Arsenal tells you the position Spurs are in right now.

The senior players let Postecoglou and the Tottenham fans down in the derby – they were nowhere near good enough against their biggest rivals.

That was a real shame, but Bergvall and Gray’s performances were really promising and the duo proved to Postecoglou that he should build the Tottenham team around them.

In one moment in the second half, while challenging for the ball in the air, Gray hurt his head and could be seen in pain.

A worried Bergvall ran over to him to see if he was fine, but the young Englishman ‘shoved’ his teammate away because ‘there was no time to be hurt’, reports Football London.

Spurs were chasing the game at that point, and Gray’s actions show his incredible character despite only being 18 years of age.

Tottenham fans should be excited about one thing with Gray and Bergvall

Bergvall has only become a regular in recent weeks, while almost all of Gray’s appearances for Tottenham have come in an unnatural position.

The latter is a big shame, but things could be different very soon.

Once the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven return from their injuries, Gray will be free to play in his natural midfield role.

We think he can form an amazing partnership with Bergvall in the middle of the park, and the two youngsters could dominate Tottenham’s midfield for the next decade.

Tottenham Hotspur may be having a difficult season but there are certainly some positives, such as the form of some of their youngsters.

For instance, Archie Gray has proven a revelation at Tottenham since moving from Leeds United last summer.

Spurs paid Leeds £30million to sign Gray and he is certainly showing signs of that fee being not only justified, but potentially becoming a bargain.

The 18-year-old has already made 25 competitive appearances for Ange Postecoglou’s side, of which 18 have been starts.

In addition, Gray has been doing amazingly well, despite also playing out of position – he has been featuring at centre-back of late.

Sam Allardyce, who managed Leeds when Gray was in the academy, shared what he’s now seeing from the Spurs starlet that he never imagined would happen.

Sam Allardyce stunned to see Tottenham gem Archie Gray playing at centre-back

Allardyce, speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, shared he never would have envisaged Gray playing as a centre-back.

He also spoke highly of the Gray family, with several of the Spurs gem’s relatives having enjoyed fruitful careers in the game.

“You’ve got to say this by the way, not in the memory of man would I ever have seen that lad playing centre-half,” said Allardyce.

“Not with anything in my time as a manager would I have thought, ‘is he playing centre-half?!’.”

Allardyce added: “Eddie still works at Leeds United and he’s a fantastic advocate for the club, a fantastic guy. He’d be gutted that they sold him [Archie].

“It was a good move for him as a lad going to Tottenham. Obviously, Leeds needed the money but another Gray gracing the football pitch is great to see.”

Karl Robinson, Allardyce’s assistant at Leeds, also gave his thoughts on Gray, saying he’s “everything I love about football”.

“He [Gray] was a lot younger when we were there but you could see he was technically very good,” he said.

“I never saw him playing where he’s currently playing for Spurs but it shows you his personality, because his family is in the game, that he’d happily play in any position.

“He’s everything I love about football. He just wants to play and it doesn’t matter where.”

What Archie Gray thinks about playing out of position

Late last year, Gray admitted he isn’t bothered about where he plays on the pitch, so long as he gets minutes.

“No, I’m not really focusing on what position I am right now,” he said.

“Look, this year and last year I’m more than happy to play anywhere just to get the minutes on the pitch.

“I just try to take every opportunity I get and just try to stay in the team.

“Like I said I’ve played central midfield since I was a young age… but I enjoy playing everywhere on the pitch and just getting the minutes.”

Chelsea and Tottenham have been on opposite sides in the legal battles that have quietly engulfed the Premier League of late, with wildly different opinions on everything from PSR to commercial rules.

In many ways, Chelsea and Spurs’ ownership regimes are almost diametric opposites to one another.

Daniel Levy and ENIC, Tottenham’s owners for over 20 years, are quiet and conservative, persisting with a business model that has left many fans disenfranchised but seen the club’s revenue and value skyrocket.

Nine miles away in West London, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been a bombastic presence since their £2.25bn takeover of Chelsea in October 2021.

Their investment has almost defied logic, as well as the Premier League’s PSR enforcers, in that time. Chelsea have spent over £1bn on transfers in the last three-and-a-half years as the wage bill has spiralled.

Thanks to some crafty accountancy, however, the Blues have managed to avoid a Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) breach, as confirmed by the Premier League earlier this week.

Spurs are at the other end of the spectrum in terms of PSR.

For them, spending rules are essentially a non-issue given Levy’s emphasis on self-sufficiency, with every pound spent accounted for elsewhere in the business.

They have more PSR headroom than just about any club, which is why they have lobbied for PSR to be tightened to stifle free-spending rivals like Chelsea.

Both clubs gave evidence in Manchester City’s challenge to the Premier League’s APT rules in November.

Spurs backed the Premier League while Chelsea were in City’s corner in the tribunal on the APT system, which dictates that commercial deals with owner-linked entities must be struck at fair market value.

Tottenham, along with Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United, have also reserved the right to seek compensation if City are found guilty in the hearing into over 115 instances of financial misconduct.

Chelsea have not, which represents another split in the lawfare that has gripped the Premier League in recent times.

However, the most controversial episode in this ongoing saga may be yet to come.

Premier League investigating secret Eden Hazard payments

While City’s 115 charges case may have taken up the most column inches, Chelsea have already admitted some allegations of a similar nature.

When Boehly and Clearlake bought the club, the due diligence process uncovered what have been characterised as irregular parallel payments to new signings during the Roman Abramovich era.

These payments were essentially off the books, so they did not impact Chelsea’s PSR/FFP calculation.

The new owners reported these irregularities to the Premier League themselves and are in no way implicated in any wrongdoing, nor are the players in question.

However, if they are deemed to have illegally bypassed PSR, the club itself will be penalised.

According to The Times, Chelsea are now negotiating a financial settlement with the Premier League, which would be seen as a victory in that it avoids a points deduction or other sporting sanction.

As well as Samuel Eto’o and Willian’s moves to the Bridge, it is said that payments linked to the signing of Eden Hazard have also been under investigation.

Hazard almost signed for Tottenham before he eventually chose Chelsea back in 2012, a move that saw him become an all-time Premier League great and a nemesis for Spurs.

Off-the-books payments gave Chelsea edge over Spurs in Hazard race, says finance expert

Speaking to talkSPORT back in August, legal expert and former Man City adviser Stefan Borson explained why the secret payments gave Chelsea an advantage in the battle for Hazard’s signature.

“What is interesting about these scenarios is that most of them occurred in competitive transfer situations for some very big players – players like Eden Hazard and Willian,” Borson told talkSPORT.

“They will have a problem, I think, arguing that there was no sporting advantage.

“We know from the Everton and Nottingham Forest cases that where the independent commissions sees sporting advantages, they like to go for sporting penalties.

“That is why I think there is a realistic prospect that this [punishment] won’t just be financial and it won’t just be transfer bans.

“It could be something more serious in terms of sanctions around sporting points and deductions.

“Just as an example, you look at Hazard and Willian in particular. Those were players that Spurs were in the running for.

“Spurs will argue that had those players signed for them, there would have been a different outcome on the field.

“We know a big driver of that is hidden payments. They have admitted that – it’s not in dispute.”

Could Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly take over Tottenham?

In other news, there has been little in the way of updates on the in-fighting in the Chelsea boardroom between factions led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake supremo Behdad Eghbali.

The two men are understood to have different visions for the club, with the future of Stamford Bridge and whether or not to move to a new stadium among the points of contention.

The dispute, of which details emerged last year, was believed to only likely be resolved by one party buying the other out.

Boehly, who only personally owns 13 per cent of the club, doesn’t have much leverage here, so it had been suggested that the private equity billionaire could cash out and look elsewhere.

Boehly held talks over investing in Tottenham alongside business partner and Spurs fan Jonathan Goldstein but a deal proved unworkable.

But with Daniel Levy in the market for minority investment, a return to the negotiating table has been mooted for the Chelsea co-owner.

The Premier League’s conflict of interest rules, however, would prevent him from buying into the club until he has divested his stake in the Blues.

As evidenced by John Textor’s failed bid to sell his equity in Crystal Palace to unlock the takeover of Everton, who have since been bought by Dan Friedkin, this would be no mean feat.

In fact, the limited pool of investors interested in buying a minority stake, particularly one that would be as expensive as Chelsea, would make the process exceedingly difficult.

After Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby, it’s understandably all doom and gloom in N17.

Tottenham are now 13th in the Premier League and Ange Postecoglou must be feeling the pressure of only winning one league game in nine attempts.

Spurs are in a Carabao Cup semi-final, but they’re currently not showing too many signs that they’ll be able to hold onto their 1-0 lead when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool next month.

That being said, it feels as if Spurs’ project is at the point whereby Daniel Levy needs to heavily back Postecoglou or the two need to part ways, because very little progress is being made right now.

The good news, if the club continues to stick by Postecoglou, there’s a few stars emerging at the club who the Spurs boss can build around.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall ready to lead Tottenham’s revival

It’s almost easy to forget that Tottenham have an 18-year-old playing completely out of position at centre-back right now – Archie Gray has been superb in an uncomfortable role.

Gray arrived from Leeds United as a versatile player, he was often switching between right-back and midfield in the Championship, but playing central defence is a whole new challenge entirely.

The youngster has arguably been better than Radu Dragusin in all areas whilst playing alongside him, a future England international with a huge future ahead.

Of course, Gray may soon end up lining up with Lucas Bergvall in Postecoglou’s midfield once Spurs’ back line are fit again.

In the midst of Tottenham’s recent woes, Bergvall has also been exceptional in the middle, a youngster fans in N17 can really get behind.

The Swede’s gritty personality is already adored in north London, and the prospect of a long-term midfield partnership of Gray and Bergvall should be really exciting.

Daniel Levy has to back Ange Postecoglou in January

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice complimented Gray and Bergvall after the North London Derby, a duo who will compete against the Spurs’ rivals for years to come.

Postecoglou was criticised by Aaron Lennon after losing to Arsenal, the former Tottenham player wasn’t happy with what he saw at the Emirates Stadium.

As mentioned, Spurs will need to make a call on whether Postecoglou is still the right person to lead the club forward long-term.

But if he is, and he’s able to turn things around when players return from injury, then Tottenham fans can look forward to seeing both Gray and Bergvall flourish.

Two excellent signings, and evidence of why Spurs need to invest again this month.

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s big transfer mistakes is coming back to haunt them and it’s hurting Archie Gray who is being forced to play out of position.

Gray is being asked to fill in at centre-back and whilst the teenage midfielder is doing a commendable job there, it’s clear he would thrive in the centre of the park.

Tottenham’s unprecedented injury crisis has forced him to drop into the deeper role of centre-back as Ange Postecoglou has just one fit option available.

The 18-year-old is rightfully receiving his flowers for the job he is doing for the Lilywhites, however, Postecoglou should not be in a position where he has to use Gray in defence.

Tottenham’s lack of central defenders is hurting Archie Gray

Tottenham opted not to sign another central defender in the summer and stuck with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.

Considering the drop-off in quality between Romero and Van de Ven to Dragusin and Davies and the duo’s injury record, not bringing in another defender is hurting the team.

Archie Gray is too good to be playing there and given Spurs’ need for a number six, it’s just ridiculous that another top central defender wasn’t signed.

It’s January 16 already and given there have been very few links to new defenders, it seems as though the club are just waiting for Romero, Van de Ven and Davies to return rather than proactively signing a new option.

Davies is back in training, and Romero and Van de Ven are reportedly set to return on January 26 – this cannot come soon enough so that Gray can finally start to get minutes in midfield.

Archie Gray already has the perfect midfield partner at Tottenham

Tottenham’s situation is quite telling right now considering 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall is one of their best performers and that was certainly the case at the Emirates.

Declan Rice praised Bergvall and Gray after the North London derby as he was so impressed how they were getting regular Premier League minutes despite only being 18.

After Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, debates are likely to stir about whether Spurs should persist with Ange Postecoglou at the helm or look to make a prompt change.

TBR Football understands Daniel Levy is still backing Ange Postecoglou, despite being trigger-happy when sacking previous managers such as Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Postecoglou was gutted after Tottenham lost to Arsenal and felt a club of the Lilywhites’ stature cannot afford to be losing 11 out of their 21 Premier League games.

The Tottenham hierarchy will be in agreement with the former Celtic boss as they are truly having a nightmarish league campaign.

The manner in which Arsenal won should concern the Spurs dressing room as well — with Declan Rice pointing out Tottenham’s defensive frailities during his post-match interview.

Despite Ange Postecoglou’s tactical decisions often called under question throughout his time in the Premier League, he took the bold decision of playing with no natural holding midfielder in the second half.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr criticised after Arsenal vs Tottenham

Postecoglou substituted both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr and brought on James Maddison and Brennan Johnson. Lucas Bergvall, who was hailed by Rice was deployed in an unfamiliar role as a number six at the Emirates Stadium.

Craig Burley felt Ange Postecoglou had no choice but to take both Bissouma and Sarr off against Arsenal, who he feels have become “liabilities” for the Tottenham boss.

The former Brighton technician carelessly losing the ball in the build-up to Leandro Trossard’s goal and the 22-year-old having picked up a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away to delay the restart after a free-kick was awarded.

The pundit said via ESPN FC: “He takes off [Pape Matar] Sarr and [Yves] Bissouma who have fast become liabilities for this manager and this club. Bissouma with his performances and his discipline and Sarr with his discipline and his indiscipline, got a booking for, I think kicking the ball away and he’s always prone to a challenge, a rash challenge.”

“As soon as he got booked for that, I said to you guys, he’ll put his foot somewhere and that kind of forced the manager to taking them two off.”

Craig Burley concluded: “He takes them off because Bissouma’s having one basically and Sarr’s probably not going to see the game out. I’ve seen them make rash challenges before, he’s on a stupid yellow for kicking the ball away and he’s a guy who dives into challenges.”

Tottenham could sell Bissouma, as they have been linked with a move for Quinten Timber.

Ange Postecoglou rates Sarr highly and it is important to remember that his powerful run ultimately led to Spurs winning the corner that ultimately led to Heung-min Son’s opening goal.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr stats in Arsenal vs Tottenham

The midfield pair would have been disappointed after Ange Postecoglou decided to hook them off at half-time.

However, the statistics make for grim reading for both Sarr and Bissouma, starting with the former.

The fact that Sarr lost seven out of his eight duels while being dispossessed twice despite only having 15 touches of the ball might justify why Postecoglou felt it was time for him to come off the pitch.

Sarr has impressed at Tottenham for the most part but in a North London Derby, standards have to be raised by every player on the pitch.

As for Bissouma, it remains alarming that such an experienced player could be as unconcentrated as he was in the lead-up to Trossard’s strike — as the statistics suggest how disappointing the Malian was.

Like Sarr, Bissouma has been praised at Spurs too but unless he steps up his game, it would be no surprise if either one of Bergvall or Archie Gray usurp him as Ange Postecoglou’s go-to number six.

As for the former, he too will need to up his game as things look far from rosy for Spurs.

Tottenham have had a frustrating week.

Spurs lost in the north London derby on Wednesday, just days after a rather embarrassing performance in the FA Cup against Tamworth.

Indeed, Spurs were held to a 0-0 draw in 90 minutes against Tamworth over the weekend.

Spurs’ frustrations don’t end there either, they’re also not having the best of times in the transfer market.

Randal Kolo Muani was a Tottenham target this month, and via, Lequipe, Tottenham even made an offer for Kolo Muani this month.

Tottenham almost agreed terms with Kolo Muani, but, despite their best efforts, the striker is now headed elsewhere.

Kolo Muani is set to join Juventus, and that deal appears close to completion.

Randal Kolo Muani having Juventus medical

According to Alfredo Pedulla, Kolo Muani is having his medical with Juventus on Thursday.

The journalist even posted a video of the £77m striker arriving at Juventus to undergo these tests.

Tottenham will have to go back to the drawing board and look for another target if they do indeed want to bring in a new attacker.

Tottenham have three other targets in mind, but whether or not they can sign any of these players remains to be seen.

Tottenham’s failed January transfer plans

Unfortunately for Spurs, this isn’t the first time they’ve had a transfer near miss in January.

Tottenham have tried and failed to land a number of targets in recent years who have gone on to become stars.

Luis Diaz was set to join Tottenham before heading to Liverpool instead, while Tottenham wanted Conor Gallagher last January but failed to get a deal done.

Meanwhile, Tottenham nearly signed Antonio Nusa last January, but that deal fell through at the last minute as well.

Spurs really don’t have much luck when it comes to securing their January transfer targets, and Kolo Muani is just the latest in a long list of Spurs winter transfer plans to have gone up in smoke.