TBR Football

David Silva played with a wide variety of great footballers throughout his career, and one of them blew him away with the speed that they displayed.

Speed is something that can add a lot to a player’s game, whether they’re attackers or defenders as it is something that cannot be taught.

Silva wasn’t the quickest player in the world, but he had one of the sharpest minds, which allowed him to play some incredible passes to his team-mates.

That often led to him feeding in the faster players at the club, and it was a former Manchester City team-mate who he believes was the quickest he played with.

David Silva believes Kyle Walker is the fastest player he’s ever seen

Silva was able to share a pitch with plenty of speedy wingers who were able to beat a man with ease, but it was actually a defender who he believes is the fastest player he shared a pitch with.

Silva named Kyle Walker when asked by the Champions League’s TikTok page who the speediest player he shared the pitch with was.

Silva and Walker enjoyed a lot of success together at Manchester City, where the speed of Man City’s full-back was crucial at many points.

Walker’s speed allowed him to have great recovery on the pitch, ensuring he could catch up with any winger he played against, even if the ball was played in behind him.

It’s something that Man City took full advantage of throughout his time with the club, as they signed him from Tottenham Hotspur, who he had played for from 2011 to 2017.

Man City paid £45million for Walker to sign him on a five-year deal, and while that was seen as a significant sum of money for a defender at that time, it’s a transfer that worked out as he made 319 appearances for the club.

He didn’t just rely on his pace either as he was a physical defender too, with Cole Palmer claiming Walker’s the strongest player that he’s ever played with.

Like Silva, Walker ended up parting ways with Man City. His time at the club finished this past summer, and at 35, he is starting to slow down.

The experienced full-back joined Burnley for this season as the newly promoted side looked to add some experience to the ranks, but as he winds down his career, the focus has turned to what’s next for him.

Walker spoke to Sky Sports about his future and whether or not he would consider coaching or management.

“Who knows? I’m not going to write it off, I’m not going to sit here and say no. I’m okay at stuff like this [interviews], but in a room full of people, I’m not too good.

“When you’re having to stand up in front of 25 players plus coaching staff and they’re all singing off your hymn sheet and you have to deliver your message quite clearly, it’s not as easy as people think it is.

“I feel fantastic. I feel great.

“Recovery is a little bit longer, I’ll say that. But I take football very seriously. Everyone needs to remember why we came into football, or why we go and watch football, it’s because we love the game and it’s fun.”

Chelsea have had no problem splashing the cash in recent years, and that’s something the club needs to continue doing in January to fix one consistent problem.

While much has been said about the goalkeeping situation at Stamford Bridge, the Blues have yet to properly address the issue at the other end of the pitch.

Chelsea have lacked an out-and-out goalscorer to lead the line since Diego Costa departed the club, and everyone who has attempted to replace him has failed.

Chelsea brought in Liam Delap and Joao Pedro during the summer transfer window, but that hasn’t been a true solution to the issue.

Pedro operates best in a number 10 position, while Delap has dealt with injuries and is still a young player far from the finished article.

If Enzo Maresca wants to take the club to the next level, he needs a proven goalscorer, and one potential target could be ready for a return to the Premier League this winter.

Chelsea should ditch their transfer plan and sign Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney would tick the boxes that Chelsea are looking for in a striker, as he is a proven commodity in the Premier League who knows where the back of the net is.

Toney left Brentford in 2024 to join Al Ahli and has been playing in the Saudi Pro League ever since.

In his debut season, the club secured the AFC Champions League Elite title, and he has also enjoyed considerable individual success in Saudi Arabia, scoring 38 times.

Of course, signing Toney would go against the transfer policy that Chelsea have set out in recent years of signing young players who can develop and grow.

However, Toney could be worth taking that gamble on, and at 29, he’s still got plenty of years left ahead of him if he continues to stay fit.

Toney scored 36 goals in the Premier League during his spell at Brentford, and his speed and power would be a great mix in this current Chelsea team due to all the creative players within the squad.

Chelsea need more quality in this area of the pitch if they want to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, which is why bringing someone in during January could be the right move, fixing the issue immediately.

A Premier League move would benefit former Tottenham Hotspur target, Toney

While signing Toney would bring obvious positives from a Chelsea perspective, it would also be beneficial for him.

With this being a World Cup year, the chance to earn a place in the England squad will likely be high on Toney’s list of individual goals.

The 29-year-old hasn’t been selected for Thomas Tuchel’s current squad, but with the Three Lions’ upfront depth lacking, a move back to the Premier League could remind everyone of his qualities.

A move to a top Premier League team who are competing for silverware would also give Toney an opportunity he never had during his time at Brentford.

Tottenham have announced a cash injection from owners ENIC to the tune of £100 million.

It comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of the club, with plenty of parties interested in a takeover at Spurs.

So far, the Lewis family, who head up ENIC, have shown no interest in selling Tottenham at this stage, with plenty of change ongoing in the background.

Daniel Levy’s exit, coupled with a new strategy at the board and recruitment level, appears to be a move towards keeping the club competitive.

The latest cash injection from ENIC only further supports that.

ENIC cash injection covers Tottenham debt

The moves being made behind the scenes at Tottenham are fresh, with it not always clear to fans exactly what is going on.

In this instance, the injection of cash from ENIC is being used to help cover the debt that the club is racking up.

TBR Football’s finance expert, Adam Williams, explained it all as he said: “We won’t know the specifics until Spurs upload the paperwork onto Companies House, but what the board has done here is issue new shares which ENIC have bought up at a set price.

“As well as putting money into the club in a PSR-compliant way, that will dilute the minority shareholders somewhat, although to what extent we’re not sure yet.

“There was £35 million worth of capital injected via this method in January, which followed another £114 million in 2022. Those are the only two other equity injections in the 25 years that ENIC have owned the club.

“That’s because they have typically spent within their means, but football’s arms race in the transfer and wage markets means they have had to ramp up spending to compete.

“They went big again in the summer. And yes, they have Champions League revenue to cash in this season, but they have also got huge transfer debt, which they need to cover too.

“It was £337m in their last set of accounts, which was the second-highest in the league.

“In the last few weeks, we’ve also seen them take out a £90m loan from Macquarie, which is secured against future TV revenue.

“That was a short-term deal, which I think proves that they didn’t have the cash flow to pay transfer instalments, wages and other overheads from their own revenue.

“So I suspect that this £100 million is more about shoring up the balance sheet than it is about paying for new transfers.”

Overall debt, separate from the £337 million in transfer dealings, sits at £339 million, which is the equity plus the loan from Macquarie.

What Tottenham have said about the owner’s cash injection

With the cash injection bringing about further questions over the current climate at Tottenham, the club themselves have given an update.

Peter Charrington, who is the non-executive chairman after the exit of Daniel Levy, said in an official statement: “As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the Club’s ambitions.

“I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future. Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition, and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support.

“We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai [Venkatesham] and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this Club forward.”

The international break allows players from different teams to unite for their countries, but Jeremie Frimpong wasn’t pleased with one Tottenham Hotspur star this week.

Frimpong is currently on international duty with the Netherlands ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Finland.

After making the move to Liverpool during the summer transfer window, he can continue playing alongside some of his teammates: Virgil Van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo.

However, he’s also playing with several stars from other Premier League teams, including Tottenham’s Xavi Simons, who frustrated him during a recent training session.

Jeremie Frimpong calls Xavi Simons a ‘sore loser’ after Netherlands training

Frimpong and Simons were involved in a training ground session this week for the Netherlands, during which the Liverpool defender called out his international team-mate.

A group of players were keeping the ball up when Simons lost. However, he didn’t take it well and kicked the ball away.

While those involved wound up Simons for his actions, Frimpong branded him a “sore loser” in a clip shared by the team’s TikTok account.

The situation was all done in good fun, showcasing the positive dynamic that exists within the Netherlands group at the moment and proving that Premier League rivalries have been put aside.

However, in this individual training moment, Liverpool won, as Simons lost the game.

Xavi Simons has settled into the Premier League faster than Jeremie Frimpong

Despite their training ground jokes, Frimpong and Simons are in similar positions right now after both moving to England during the summer transfer window.

However, the Spurs winger has settled into the Premier League the fastest, getting more minutes on the pitch.

Since joining the club, Simons has played in four of Tottenham’s five Premier League games, already having picked up an assist for Thomas Frank’s side.

In comparison, Frimpong has only played three times in the Premier League this season, missing two games due to a muscle problem, and a further two where he was on the bench.

Thomas Frank has performed a phenomenal job since replacing Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

Former chairman Daniel Levy sacked Ange at the end of last season despite ending the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy with the Europa League triumph in May.

The Australian has now taken the reins at Nottingham Forest, and although he has a strong relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis, his position at the City Ground is believed to already be under threat after a winless start in his opening seven matches.

Frank is flying high in the Premier League as Mohammed Kudus continued his sensational form since arriving from West Ham this summer, opening his account for the club in the 2-1 win against Leeds United.

However, there is a player whom Ange brought to North London who has been the recipient of constant criticism during his spell with the club.

James Maddison is criticised for his outspoken personality

When discussing Tottenham on the Stick To Football podcast, ex-Arsenal man Ian Wright believes talisman James Maddison is unfairly scrutinised at every given turn.

“It’s like someone like James Maddison, he would say something, he would say, he would just speak his mind and speak, and everyone says, ‘oh, really?’

“Some people say, ‘oh listen to him, he doesn’t even play, he’s injured always.’ But he speaks his mind because he’s got personality. And then people dig him out.”

Maddison suffered an ACL injury during pre-season and has yet to feature for new boss Frank this term, but he was an influential figure under Ange following his £40 million move from Leicester City in 2023.

The 28-year-old provided 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions last season despite Tottenham finishing 17th in the league table.

He hailed Jermaine Defoe as one of the best finishers in Premier League history and has never been shy about voicing his opinion on matters relating to anything involving Spurs.

Xavi Simons arrived in North London in a £52m deal with RB Leipzig to replace Maddison in the number 10 role. And while the Dutchman has yet to hit the ground running in English football, he will continue as the leading starter for the majority of the season.

Last year, Roy Keane constantly scrutinised Maddison for his efforts as Spurs struggled domestically, and it appears even from the sidelines, the midfielder is never too far away from the headlines.

James Maddison hit back at Roy Keane

After the Europa League final victory against Keane’s former club, Manchester United, Maddison took the opportunity to get his own back on the pundit.

Throughout the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign, Keane had said that Maddison needed to do more to help Tottenham overturn their domestic woes and even went as far as to criticise the midfielder’s trademark celebration.

However, the Englishman had the last laugh when he emerged for an interview with CBS Sports to poke fun at Keane.

“To be fair, I weren’t going to do any interviews but then I heard it was with Roy Keane.”

Keane replied: “I always said he was a good player but he needs to be more consistent. And he played well tonight!”

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is among the most lucrative sports venues in the world and, since the ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2019, has been ordained as a potential theatre for the Super Bowl.

Spurs’ relationship with the NFL is worth in the region of £10m annually, with the stadium the officially-designated home of American football in Europe.

Many commentators in the sports business sphere have even tipped Tottenham to one day host a permanent NFL franchise, as former chairman Daniel Levy foreshadowed almost a decade ago.

Last Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings beat Cleveland Browns in the latest instalment of the London Games in N17, whose 2025 edition will be rounded off this Sunday when the Denver Broncos face New York Jets.

For Spurs the football club, they get a rental fee and slice of catering receipts, each of which are worth seven figures per NFL matchday. The brand exposure that the club also gets goes a long way in negotiations with sponsors. In total, they earned £55m from non-football events last year, which was part of wider commercial income of £251m.

Under ENIC’s self-sufficient model, the money is reinvested in the club, fortifying the budget available to Thomas Frank and his colleagues in the sporting department.

And given that Tottenham have now been granted a license to double the number of non-football matches they are allowed to host per season, the size of that bounty is only going to increase.

However, the biggest and most lucrative event could be yet to come.

Spurs won’t host the Super Bowl, says Kieran Maguire

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has often been mooted as a possible destination for the first Super Bowl outside of the United States.

The Super Bowl, the showpiece finale of the NFL season, is one of the most glamorous and lucrative sporting events on earth, with some studies showing an economic impact of up to £1bn for host cities.

And with the NFL dedicated to expanding their sport globally, commissioner Roger Goodell and dozens of other high-ranking executives from American franchises have suggested taking it overseas.

Former Super Bowl champion Ndamukong Suh has become the latest to predict that Spurs could host the event given that theirs is the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside the US.

However, Kieran Maguire, football finance lecturer at Liverpool University, is sceptical.

In exclusive conversation with TBR Football, the Price of Football podcast host said: “Never say never in the world of sports business, but is there anything more American than the Superbowl?

“From a cultural and national pride point of view, transferring that to London could lead to a huge backlash, so they’d have to sound out their fans.

“NFL fans aren’t as resistant to commercial-motivated moves like this as European football supporters are, but how would ma and pa in Wisconsin feel about the Superbowl being taken elsewhere?

“Then, there are time difference issues because it would have to take place at an appropriate time for a US audience. Does that mean a midnight start in London? There would be logistical issues.

“At the same time, I wouldn’t rule it out. NFL want to expand the sport globally. The NFL are big admirers of the Premier League and they see the partnership with Spurs as a means to an end.

“However, I don’t think there will be much desire for it given that they are already making a fortune from the agreement as it already exists.”

Spurs have new financial competition as Arsenal expand Emirates Stadium

As the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has the license to be the home of the NFL until 2030 and the only arena designed with its spec in mind, they can be confident of retaining their UK monopoly in the sport.

However, for other non-football events – such as concerts or combat sports, which also earn the club millions annually – it is not as straightforward.

Nearby, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has increased the number of gigs it hosts. And this week, it emerged that they are forging ahead with plans to expand their home ground to around 70,000.

That will increase their leverage when promoters weigh up possible destinations in North London.

And while it will likely be at least five years until the Emirates 2.0 is fully up and running, Spurs will be figuring out what they can do to retain top spot.

Arsenal may have swooped under Tottenham’s nose to sign Eberechi Eze, but Spurs could end up having the last laugh after all.

It is no secret that Tottenham pushed hard to try to land Eze from Crystal Palace, only for their arch rivals to steal a march on them and seal a £68million deal in the summer.

Spurs were said to have been confident they would snap up Eberechi Eze, but were left reeling after missing out on another key target, having also seen Morgan Gibbs-White agree to stay at Nottingham Forest.

Now, though, the tables could turn.

Tottenham interested in signing Dusan Vlahovic

As TBR Football exclusively revealed, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic could be on his way to the Premier League in 2026.

He is expected to move on from Turin after contract talks broke down, and sources told our chief correspondent Graeme Bailey that Vlahovic has his sights on England.

Several potential suitors have already been spoken to, including Chelsea and Tottenham. Manchester United and Newcastle United are also long-term admirers of the frontman.

At least on paper, the 25-year-old looks a sure-fire bet to succeed in the top-flight, and he would certainly help push Spurs on under Thomas Frank.

But, in a twist, Mikel Arteta is known to have been chasing Vlahovic since 2021, dating back to his time at Fiorentina.

It was perhaps surprising that he didn’t mount a serious push over the summer after initially struggling to wrap up a deal for Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

Gyokeres has impressed in glimpses since arriving at the Emirates but Arteta would still be wise to remain alert to the striker market, especially if his side’s title challenge shows signs of fading away.

Should Spurs pounce first, they would be depriving their fierce enemy of a potentially devastating impact player with plenty of experience at the highest level.

How much Dusan Vlahovic would cost

TBR Football reported back in March that Premier League clubs believed they would be able to sign Vlahovic for less than £30m over the summer.

A move did not materialise then, but he has less than 12 months remaining on his deal and could be brought in for around £25m – a real snip considering his impressive goal record.

Both Manchester United and Arsenal asked about signing Vlahovic in January, and Juventus are braced to take a major hit on the £67m they splashed out on him in 2022.

Spurs would do well to swoop in early and beat their rivals to the punch.

Harry Kane could make a sensational return to the Premier League next summer and Jermain Defoe has had his say on the speculation around a potential Tottenham return.

A clause in Kane’s contract means that he could leave Bayern Munich for less than £60million, and the price tag has surely placed several top-flight clubs on red alert.

TBR Football previously reported that Real Madrid would like to sign Kane, but he has also been heavily linked with Tottenham as he eyes up beating Alan Shearer’s goals record.

We also revealed that Spurs can afford to sign the club legend, and Defoe has now waded into the debate.

Jermain Defoe on Harry Kane’s return to Tottenham

Harry Kane has already scored 18 goals in his 10 appearances across all competitions this season, but after finally breaking his trophy drought in Bavaria, a Premier League comeback could be tempting.

Jermain Defoe, who led the line for Spurs for over a decade, admitted the move would make sense.

“I don’t know, to be honest. It depends what he wants to do, he’s an iconic figure at the club,” Defoe told HaytersTV.

“The only thing driving him at the moment is probably the trophies, let’s hope he can get a few more and if he’s done that, then he can come back to Tottenham and win a couple.

“If it happens, it would make sense, but you just don’t know what he’s thinking.”

It is understood that breaking Shearer’s record is Kane’s priority if he makes a move back to the top-flight, rather than the team he would be playing for, but Spurs would likely be in the chase all the same.

Harry Kane could be tempted by Tottenham comeback

Despite Dominic Solanke and Richarlison admirably holding the fort up top for Thomas Frank, Spurs would cause shockwaves if they were able to convince Kane to come back for one last dance.

There would be sufficient motivation for him, too.

Alan Shearer scored 260 goals in the Premier League while Kane is in second place with 213, meaning he needs just 47 more to tie the record. 48 more would see him take the accolade all for himself.

The prospect of winning a trophy at Spurs, having come painfully close too many times before, and also usurping Shearer, may be the nudge he needs to agree to a North London swansong.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently enduring their first season without either Son Heung-min or Harry Kane since 2010-11, with times changing at the North London outfit.

Son Heung-min joined Tottenham in August 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen, and although he was a star in the Bundesliga, nobody could have predicted how well his Tottenham career panned out.

Son rounded off his Spurs career with a Europa League trophy, Tottenham’s first major honour since 2008, when the Lilywhites beat Manchester United in the final back in May.

But with his contract expiring in the summer, the 136-time South Korea cap decided on a move to Los Angeles FC, and former Spurs star Robbie Keane believes that it’s no surprise that he is thriving on the west coast of the USA.

Robbie Keane lauds Son Heung-min’s ‘unbelievable character’

Keane is a Tottenham icon in his own right, and he ventured on a similar career path to Son by leaving White Hart Lane for Los Angeles, albeit at LAFC’s rivals LA Galaxy.

He knows exactly what it takes to move from North London to the MLS, having scored 83 league goals in just 125 appearances in California.

And with Son already proving to be an outstanding capture for LAFC with eight goals in nine MLS games, Keane has praised him for being the ‘most professional guy ever’, citing his hard work in training as the reason he’s doing so well.

Speaking to the MLS’ official YouTube channel, Keane said:

“I’m not surprised with Son [doing well at LAFC], because I know him personally, I know him, he’s an unbelievable character.

“He’s full of energy. Giroud is a different player, he needs a lot of energy around him.

“At LAFC, they will see Son come in every morning, he’s the most professional guy ever, he trains the hardest, he works the hardest, how can you not learn from him?”

Even at the age of 33, the former Hamburg attacker has taken to the league with ease, scoring seven goals in his last five games.

Son Heung-min consistency means he could become a club legend at Tottenham and LAFC

Son is looking likely to garner double figures for LAFC in the league already, and it’s a testament to his character that in the past 13 seasons of his career, the one-time Premier League top scorer only failed to hit ten or more league goals twice.

The first one came in his debut Premier League campaign, where he notched four as Tottenham came third in the table.

His most recent failure was last season, where he still hit a respectable seven under Ange Postecoglou.

The Chuncheon-born star has gone down in history with 173 goals for Tottenham, sitting in fifth-place in their all-time table – behind only Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Martin Chivers.

It’s shows his incredible longevity, and with elite players sometimes continuing into their MLS careers until their late thirties, there is a chance he could become a club legend at two different teams.

Thomas Frank has made a quick impression at Tottenham in the early weeks of his reign, having earned some decent results so far.

Spurs struggled under Ange Postecoglou last season, even despite their Europa League triumph, as a 17th-placed finish left them hoping for more.

With a managerial change, Thomas Frank has been appointed to improve the base level of performance to keep Tottenham competitive.

While it may not have the same attacking verve as “Ange-ball”, it has got results early on, with the Lilywhites sitting third in the Premier League.

Things are looking up and the team are adjusting to the change, one that come with further transfer switches in the near future.

Frank could be set to raid his old club, with one star in particular being eyed up.

Tottenham add Yehor Yarmoliuk from Brentford as a transfer target

Since Thomas Frank’s move to Tottenham, the club haven’t looked to raid Brentford for any of their talent yet.

The likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa were seemingly available, but Spurs opted for other targets instead.

Tottenham do hold interest in Nathan Collins as a long-term transfer target, though it remains to be seen what move could happen there.

However, as Dean Jones revealed, Tottenham actually hold an interest in Yehor Yarmoliuk from the Bees.

Speaking on the Ranks FC podcast, he said: “At Brentford, Yarmoliuk is definitely catching the attention of some big teams.

“I’ve already been told of Tottenham and Man United and Chelsea are looking at his midfield performances.

“He’s a consistent, reliable performer for Brentford and has been for quite a while now. He’s only 21, Ukrainian international.

“Thomas Frank obviously knows him from his time at Brentford, and perhaps that’s where that level of interest comes from at Tottenham.”

It’s the sort of move that could help boost the Tottenham midfield, which has been a point of focus in recent weeks, while building for the future.

Yehor Yarmoliuk could solve Tottenham’s midfield woes

The midfield has been a particular place of focus for Tottenham’s concerns over the course of the season so far.

Spurs have struggled to play through the midfield at times, with none of their current deeper options offering much in terms of receiving the ball.

Yarmoliuk has elements he could bring to the team, as a versatile midfielder who can play deeper or more advanced if needed.

The Ukrainian international could bring that ability to the team, albeit he would likely be compete with Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur.

It remains to be seen if that interest will be firmed up, but Frank knows how good he is and can be, which could spark a deal.