TBR Football

Declan Rice may not be a boyhood Arsenal fan, but he’s certainly ingrained into life at the Gunners now.

Indeed, there have been calls for Rice to become Arsenal captain in recent times, and while he’s only been at the club for two years, he certainly gets what it means to be an Arsenal player.

Rice is a world-class player at this point, and he’s very much beloved by Arsenal supporters.

Speaking to Wonderland Magazine, Rice has been playing a game of Word Association in which he had to describe a number of football-related things using just one word.

Inevitably, Rice was asked about Tottenham, to which he gave an interesting response.

Declan Rice responds to Tottenham Hotspur question

The Arsenal star was asked to describe Tottenham in just one word.

The midfielder took a moment to think before refusing to even answer the question, saying ‘no comment’ when asked to discuss Spurs.

‘Tottenham?” Rice was asked.

“No comment,” Rice said.

Declan Rice’s record vs Tottenham Hotspur

Rice certainly isn’t a popular player in the white half of north London.

Indeed, as a West Ham academy graduate who is currently starring for Arsenal, Rice isn’t a player who is too well-liked by Tottenham supporters.

Rice has played a number of games against Spurs over the years, and he doesn’t actually have the best of records against Tottenham.

Rice has never lost a north London derby since signing for Arsenal, but during his time at West Ham, he was on the wrong end of a few poor results.

Rice has also never scored a goal against Tottenham, and that’s something that he’ll surely be looking to change in the coming years.

Interestingly, despite not being a big fan of Spurs, Declan Rice is very close friends with James Maddison, so there’s not a huge amount of bad blood here in the way there used to be between certain rival players.

Rice will certainly be looking to pick up a couple more wins against Tottenham next season as Arsenal look to battle for the Premier League title again next term.

Thomas Tuchel has named his latest England squad, and there were some interesting selections here.

Indeed, Tuchel has decided to recall Ivan Toney to the England squad, while Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker have retained their places.

That meant there were some notable absentees too.

Jarrod Bowen has been brilliant recently, but he missed out, while there are a few other notable omissions.

Another player who missed the cut on this occasion was Dominic Solanke.

Solanke has had an up-and-down season, but after winning the Europa League last week, he’s currently on a high.

The Tottenham striker was left out of the England squad, and speaking on TalkSPORT, Troy Deeney has claimed that Solanke should be really angry with this decision.

Dominic Solanke should be fuming with England squad omission

Deeney spoke about Solanke’s omission from the England squad, claiming that he’d be fuming if he was in Solanke’s shoes.

The Spurs striker was involved in the last England squad, but, on this occasion, he was left out as Ivan Toney returns.

“I think as well, Solanke can feel very disappointed. He never got any time last time out. He’s just come off a huge win, winning a trophy and then Ivan is in,” Deeney said.

“It’s an interesting squad, but if I was Solanke, I’d be fuming.”

Dominic Solanke stats this season

Solanke has missed out on a place in the England squad, and while Troy Deeney thinks the striker should be fuming, it’s hard for him to have too many complaints.

Yes, Solanke has just won the Europa League, but, make no mistake about it, this has been a disappointing season for the £65m man.

Indeed, since making his club-record move to Tottenham, Solanke hasn’t been at his best, as his stats this season show.

Eight goals in 26 games for a team set to finish 17th in the Premier League is hardly befitting of an England striker.

Yes, Ivan Toney is playing in Saudi Arabia, which, admittedly, is a lower standard, but he’s still scoring at a fantastic rate, something that Solanke can’t quite say at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for a big summer transfer window, having just secured the prize money for winning the Europa League and qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham secured £10.95m for winning the Europa League, plus all the extra bits that will come from qualifying for Europe’s elite competition.

The North London club will also be able to attract the best players again by being able to offer them the chance of playing in the Champions League.

Daniel Levy and the Tottenham board now need to make this moment count and plans for the transfer window should already be in motion.

Daniel Levy needs to bring Eberechi Eze to Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur must ensure this is the year they finally bring Eberechi Eze to North London. Tottenham have been linked with Eze since at least 2020, when the winger was playing for Queens Park Rangers.

The Lilywhites never acted on their interest in Eze who instead joined Crystal Palace for £21m in 2021. But now, with Champions League football in the bag and Eze’s release clause set at £60m, they need to pounce and make him a Spurs player.

Ange Postecoglou made Eze a top target for this summer, although despite winning the Europa League, the Australian’s future at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains unclear. His team could have done with a creative player like the Palace forward for the final having been without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Eberechi Eze’s stats prove why he is a must-sign for Tottenham

Eze’s stats this season for Palace have been a big reason why the Eagles managed to end their long wait for a major piece of silverware. He netted the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Man City, having also scored in the quarters and semis.

The England international has 25 goal contributions in all competitions. He also managed more goal involvements than both Maddison and Kulusevski, who reached 23 and 21, respectively.

Marc Guehi has been a target for Tottenham Hotspur for a long time.

The Crystal Palace defender helped the Eagles win the FA Cup against Manchester City recently, and he is now expected to move to a bigger club.

Guehi will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and multiple sides in the Premier League are interested in securing his services.

Tottenham remain one of them, and there is now more good news for Spurs fans following their Europa League win.

Tottenham are confident about signing Marc Guehi

Tottenham tabled a £70 million bid to sign Guehi during the January transfer window.

Palace rejected that offer, and the England international did not force a move through despite the potential riches of a transfer to a bigger club.

Spurs’ interest, however, has not gone away, and following their Europa League triumph, they are set to try their luck again with Guehi.

That’s according to GiveMeSport, who claim that ‘Tottenham have fresh confidence over their ability to win the race to sign Guehi after adding to their trophy cabinet’ in Bilbao.

It has further been revealed that there have been ‘indications’ that the centre-half would be open to a move if Palace agree to sanction his exit.

The report also claims that Guehi would be willing to listen to what Tottenham have to say in potential negotiations in the coming weeks.

Palace are expected to part ways with Guehi this summer, because if they don’t, he will be able to walk away on a free transfer in 2026.

How much will Marc Guehi cost Tottenham?

As we mentioned above, Tottenham were ready to pay £70 million for Marc Guehi in January.

That would’ve made the England international defender Spurs’ most expensive signing of all time, but a deal did not materialise.

Now, the report claims that Palace could entertain bids below £50 million for their star defender this summer to avoid losing him for nothing 12 months later.

Reports elsewhere have claimed that Guehi will be available for just £40 million, which would be a bargain for a player who is still only 24.

Tottenham, however, could face competition from the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Liverpool for the defender’s signature.

The UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United was a strange affair.

Very rarely – if ever – have we seen two clubs sitting in the bottom five of their domestic league partake in a European final, but that is exactly what happened in Bilbao as Spurs defeated the Red Devils.

Tottenham currently sit 17th in the Premier League while Manchester United are 16th.

Therefore, it was a very odd spectacle to witness, and Graham Roberts noticed something else “strange” after the final whistle.

Lack of medals supplied by UEFA baffles Graham Roberts

The man born in Southampton, who made 278 appearances for Spurs, spotted that Heung-min Son, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur all failed to receive a medal during the presentation.

Roberts – who hailed Romero – wrote on X (previously known as Twitter): “Fantastic support from our great, super supporters. You are the best and showed it last night, you got behind the team and helped us win the trophy. Also, did anybody notice that UEFA never had enough medals as Sonny, Romero, and Bentancur never got medals. I’m sure they will, but strange.”

What UEFA said in official statement after Tottenham trio were not given medals

UEFA have already addressed this “strange” moment in an official statement.

They said: “To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members – including injured players – participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated.

“The missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight.”

Ange Postecoglou – who tried to stay out of the celebrations – was clearly keen for each member of his squad to be recognised with a medal, regardless of how little they actually contributed to the achievement on the pitch.

That is the correct approach, as despite the fact some who received a medal barely appeared in this Europa League campaign, everyone plays a part behind the scenes on a daily basis, and deserves recognition.

Tottenham Hotspur have won the Europa League, and a number of key doors have been opened heading into next season.

Indeed, a Europa League win brings with it qualification for the Champions League, and, in turn, that brings huge financial benefits.

With the summer transfer window on the horizon, a boost to the bank balance is great news for Tottenham.

Spurs have been linked with a few exciting players ahead of the summer.

Angel Gomes has been linked to Tottenham, while Spurs are also keen on Rayan Cherki.

Justin Kluivert has been linked to Tottenham recently, and speaking on the Premier League’s YouTube channel, the Bournemouth attacker has made a claim that may interest Spurs fans.

Justin Kluivert is friends with Micky van de Ven

Kluivert was asked to name who he believes are the 10 fastest players in the Premier League.

Micky van de Ven is the fastest player in the Premier League, and Kluivert picked him as his number one.

Interestingly, Kluivert also noted that he’s good friends with Van de Ven, picking him as the quickest player in the division.

“He’s a good friend of mine, and I’ll put him for sure at number one,” Kluivert said.

Justin Kluivert’s record alongside Micky van de Ven

Justin Kluivert says he’s good friends with Micky van de Ven, and of course, both players know one another well from their Dutch connection.

Both players are similar ages, and coming through in the Netherlands, they will have played against each other on numerous occasions.

On top of that, Kluivert and Van de Ven are international teammates too.

However, they’ve never actually shared the pitch together, but they have been in the same squad on two occasions.

The Netherlands are yet to win a single game in which Van de Ven and Kluivert are in the same squad, and that perhaps doesn’t bode too well for Spurs and their potential transfer plans.

Kluivert is a target for Tottenham, and he may well find it easy to settle in at Spurs if he arrives due to his close friendship with Van de Ven.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters will be eager to know what is next for Cristian Romero after his man-of-the-match performance in their Europa League triumph.

The Argentine international was outstanding for Tottenham Hotspur as they managed to keep Manchester United at bay to clinch their first trophy in 17 years.

Romero has been linked to Atletico Madrid this summer, but the North London club will be hopeful that Champions League qualification could have an impact on his future. Contract talks between Romero and Tottenham were shelved amid major uncertainty about the situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season.

Now, after winning his first major title at Spurs and being back in the top European competition, Romero has spoken about his future.

Cristian Romero responds to Tottenham exit rumours

Cristian Romero has admitted that he cannot control the rumours linking him with a move away from Tottenham. The 27-year-old has expressed his love for the club and how appreciated he has been made to feel after winning the Europa League title.

Romero told TyC Sports: “I can’t stop the things that are said outside the club, nor can I be constantly clarifying them. I always gave my all to this shirt, and here at the club, they show me that they love me very much.

“I love this club very much. I achieved a huge goal because Tottenham haven’t lifted a trophy in many years.”

The World Cup-winning defender was unable to clarify his future immediately, but surely he will be giving serious thought to playing for another year at Tottenham.

Cristian Romero’s Europa League final stats

Romero completed an incredible ten clearances against Man United as Ange Postecoglou’s team proved impenetrable in the Europa League final. United hit balls into the box, but the Argentine continuously batted them away.

The defender also won six of his nine duels against the Red Devils as he left Ruben Amorim’s side short of ideas in attack.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are set to lock horns in the Europa League final on Wednesday afternoon.

Tottenham and Manchester United have both struggled in the Premier League this season and also failed to get their hands on a domestic cup trophy.

However, Europa League glory – and a Champions League spot – now beckons for one of Tottenham or Man United come Wednesday night.

Ahead of the game, Old Trafford legend Rio Ferdinand selected his combined Spurs – Man United XI.

And while Ferdinand was always expected to select a majority of Red Devils players, one Tottenham player made the cut.

Rio Ferdinand picks Tottenham star Dominic Solanke over Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund

TNT Sports shared a video on their TikTok of Ferdinand picking a combined XI based on Tottenham and Man United’s first-choice line-ups.

A player from each side flashed up in each position and Ferdinand had to tilt his head to make his pick.

In the back line, Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu all got the nod.

They were selected ahead of Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.

Ferdinand had to think about Rodrigo Bentancur and Lisandro Martinez, but ultimately opted for the latter, along with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.

Amad Diallo then got the nod over Dejan Kulusevski – but when it came to Dominic Solanke and Rasmus Hojlund, Ferdinand went with the Tottenham record signing.

@tntsportsfootball Rio Ferdinand’s Europa League final combined XI is as you’d expect 😅🔴 #uelfinal #manutd #football ♬ Trap, hip hop, dark beat ♪(963369) – Ninja_Muzik_Tokyo

Ferdinand wrapped it up by selecting Alejandro Garnacho over Son Heung-min.

What Rio Ferdinand recently said to Dominic Solanke

Tottenham signed Solanke in a £65million deal from Bournemouth last summer and he has shown glimpses of quality during a tricky season for Spurs.

Solanke can hold the ball up well, can link up with the players around him, and is clinical in front of goal.

However, what shocked Ferdinand when he met Solanke recently was his size.

After greeting Solanke and Chelsea star Tosin Adarabioyo on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand said: “You man are big, you know? I didn’t realise you lot are that big! Wow!”

Solanke and Ferdinand are both 6ft 2in tall.

Ange Postecoglou has almost gone through every emotion as manager of Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The former Celtic boss has lost several key Tottenham players to injury throughout the campaign and has perhaps failed to show the necessary pragmatism in response.

That’s a statement that Postecoglou would likely reject — he hasn’t been happy with much analysis of his Spurs team in recent months.

However, the fact remains that Daniel Levy could replace Postecoglou heading into the new season.

Fabio Paratici has suggested four managers to Tottenham and it could be a summer of change in N17.

Ange Postecoglou praises Son Heung-min’s attitude this season

That being said, there is also speculation over Son Heung-min’s Tottenham future, the club’s captain.

But judging by Postecoglou’s recent comments in an interview with Stadium Astro, he would seemingly be keen to keep Son at the club if it were up to him.

Postecoglou was asked about Son and his frustrations this season, but the Spurs boss only had positive things to say about his captain.

He said: “Sonny’s season has kind of reflected us as a club. But like the club we’ve found resilience to still try and make this season successful.

“Sonny is the same you know, he’s never, as disappointed or frustrated he may have been with his injuries or missing games or maybe not performing at the level he wants or expects of himself.

“He’s never let it affect his demeanour or the way he is, he’s still a very positive guy and he’s still a guy who looks ahead with optimism and real determination to have success.

“So he hasn’t changed, he’s been important for us on and off the field this year and you know I think he understands that football is not a smooth process, he’s had his own challenges in his career, he’s had to fight hard to come from Asia and sort of dominate and play at this level for so long.

“It’s rare for a player from that side of the world to do that, he’s had to overcome many obstacles and he’s done the same this year.”

Should Tottenham sign Mathys Tel permanently?

As things stand, Son will soon have one-year-left on his deal and it has to be questioned if there’s room for all of the forwards who Spurs currently have.

In addition to Son and Tel, both Wilson Odobert and Richarlison will be competing for a starting role on the left, even if the Brazilian can also play up front.

Richarlison wants to stay at Tottenham despite interest from Everton, perhaps making Spurs’ decisions even more difficult in the summer.

But with a fully fit squad, which has admittedly not been a common occurrence at Tottenham of late, there will be a lot of players sitting on the sidelines.

The ideal scenario for Tottenham Hotspur would be to win the UEFA Europa League and becoming an attractive destination for players to join after securing Champions League qualification.

Tottenham are the underdogs against Manchester United but having beaten them on three separate occasions this season, Spurs have every right to come out on top and use the victory as a springboard to have a memorable summer window.

Regardless of Wednesday’s result, the Lilywhites are doing all they can behind the scenes to bring fresh faces into the club in the coming months — with Tottenham being favourites to sign Vanderson among many targets.

Rayan Cherki is on Tottenham’s radar as well as the ownership seem keen to avoid a repeat of the disastrous season they have had this campaign.

Another attacking midfielder who Spurs are huge admirers of is Eberechi Eze.

Fabrizio Romano says Crystal Palace will not sell Tottenham target Eberechi Eze

Eze is Ange Postecoglou’s number one target to potentially succeed Heung-min Son in the long haul.

Eze is ready to leave Crystal Palace and having won the FA Cup with Oliver Glasner’s side, he may have signed off on his time at Selhurst Park in the perfect manner.

But Fabrizio Romano has revealed that despite Tottenham’s longstanding interest in signing, the Eagles have no intention of selling him: “There is a player they love and have being loving for a long time, who is Eberechi Eze, who’s doing fantastic at Crystal Palace. Last summer, Tottenham tried to sign the player, were considering to trigger the release clause but then the salary was considered too high and also, the clause was mainly to be payed in one solution so that was a problem.”

“Tottenham decided not to do that deal, he remains a player they love but my understanding is it’s probably going to be difficult to be able to get him this summer, also because Crystal Palace still hope to keep the player at the club to play European football.”

What Eze said when a Tottenham fan asked him to join Spurs

Oliver Glasner referred to Eze as “unbelievable”, as quoted by the Evening Standard and it is easy to see why Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou would like to sign him come the summer.

The 26-year-old has had yet another phenomenal season with Crystal Palace, registering an impressive tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season.

As a result, even Arsenal are interested in signing Eze.

So much so that Arsenal are ready to trigger Eze’s release clause, which is worth £68 million.

But recently, Eze revealed his views on joining Tottenham when a Spurs fan asked him to join the club.

The Palace midfielder looked sideways, smiled and said: “I can’t answer that.”