TBR Football

After the turgid season Tottenham Hotspur have undergone up until now, it will especially be telling if one of their players is still open to committing their long-term future at Spurs.

Such a commitment will signal that Ange Postecoglou well and truly still has backers within the dressing room.

While Tottenham have won back-to-back games against Manchester United and Ipswich Town, they are still sitting in 12th place in the Premier League and eliminated from the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup — setbacks that could perhaps be deemed enough to lose faith in Postecoglou.

However, the Lilywhites boss seems to especially have earned his players’ trust because he spearheaded them to a fifth-placed finish in the league last season.

Furthermore, Tottenham’s players were motivated by the cup competitions and they could still win the Europa League.

In addition, the Spurs project is an exciting one to be a part of as they seem to be building around young prospects such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham open talks to extend Rodrigo Bentancur contract

But it is important to surrounding such youngsters with experience and Tottenham have plenty of reliable senior players at their disposal, from Heung min-Son to Rodrigo Bentancur.

Bentancur, who was signed for £15.7 million (The Athletic) in 2022 is a player who Ange Postecoglou has relied upon time and again to operate as the number six in his system.

The Daily Mail have now reported that Tottenham have opened talks with the Uruguayan midfielder to extend his contract beyond 2026.

Spurs have held preliminary talks with Bentancur — who Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer lauded with a view to tie him down on a long-term basis.

But so far, no agreement has been reached between both parties.

Tottenham consider Bentancur as a key first-team player, which explains their decision to continue their association with the former Juventus technician.

How Tottenham staff view Bentancur explains why contract talks are key

Tottenham’s staff have noticed Bentancur’s leadership behind the scenes.

The versatile midfielder is considered rather quiet and yet a figure who command respect from his teammates.

Spurs’ staff believe Bentancur’s presence is a “growing” one in what is quite a young squad.

Apart from his quality, perhaps one of the reasons why Tottenham seem keen on extending Bentancur’s contract is due to him being one of their leaders.

The prospect of losing such a crucial player would be costly for the North Londoners.

As a result, it will be interesting to discover whether Bentancur puts pen to paper.

Tottenham chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy understands that in the cutthroat arena of Premier League finance, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.

In the absence of Joe Lewis following his conviction for insider trading in 2024, Levy is the undisputed, unchallenged head honcho of Tottenham and ENIC, who own 85 per cent of the club.

He has previously suggested that he runs Spurs as though they are a publicly traded firm. Indeed, they still have around 30,000 external shareholders as a legacy of their time on the London Stock Exchange.

Almost 30 years on from becoming the first club to float shares on the London Stock Exchange, the Tottenham delisted in 2012. That decision was led by Levy himself.

The 62-year-old – who is now the Premier League’s longest-serving and best-paid executive – believed going private was crucial to raise the capital to pay for the North Londoners’ new stadium.

In that call, as with most he makes in football finance – if not in the sporting side of the industry – Levy was spot-on. They secured around £800m through a mix of bank loans, private finance and grants.

Spurs dodged the explosion in borrowing costs sparked by the pandemic. Almost all of the stadium loans are at fixed interest rates of less than three per cent.

They pay around £20-25m per year to service the debt. That is offset several times over by the profitability of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which yields well over £100m even in bad seasons.

It isn’t just cash through the turnstiles either. The 62,850-seater, multi-purpose arena has been the catalyst for a near 250 per cent boom in revenue from sponsorship, events and merchandise.

The value of Tottenham as an enterprise has soared as a result. With Levy currently smoking out potential new investors, he is quoting £3.75bn.

This is Spurs 2.0, new-money and old-money simultaneously.

They’ve long had the prestige of being one of English football’s traditional ‘Big Five’, the bloc from the 1980s and 90s who were instrumental in the foundation of the Premier League.

However, until relatively recently, they didn’t have the revenue to match. 10 years ago, their turnover was a little over half of North London rivals’ Arsenal, for example.

Now, they are consistently one of the ten richest clubs in world football year on year.

Levy has got them there almost single-handedly. If only results on the pitch matched the masterclass in brand building, debt management, and cost control.

Spurs won 4-1 against Ipswich Town at the weekend but are 12th in the Premier League table, and 2024-25 has felt like an inflection point for Levy and ENIC.

The protests in N17 are getting bigger and louder. What’s more, they are aimed squarely at the owners, not Ange Postecoglou.

The timing of a fresh wave of stories suggesting that a group of Qatari investors are exploring buying into Tottenham has therefore stirred hopes that Levy may finally be ready to cash in.

Qatari invested in buying Tottenham

It was reported earlier this month that a group of private Qatari individuals – as opposed to a sovereign wealth fund – was considering investing in Spurs.

Structurally, a phased buyout is said to have been touted in an arrangement that could potentially see Levy remain as chairman.

The view among industry experts approached by TBR Football is that state or sovereign wealth would be involved somewhere in the chain, which would back up claims made elsewhere in the media.

That in turn would be in keeping of previous reporting from reliable sources that Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) or the Qatar Investment Authority are interested in Spurs.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi lambasts John Textor amid Spurs takeover saga

If Qatari investment in Spurs materialises, Nasser Al-Khelaifi will be central to the story.

One of the most powerful men in football, Al-Khelaifi is head of Paris Saint-Germain, the European Club Association, Qatar Sports Investment, BeIn Sport, and a member of UEFA’s executive committee.

He is close with Levy. In 2023, the pair met for face-to-face talks at a London restaurant. While the club denied it, several reputable outlets said those discussions centred around potential investment in Spurs.

QSI’s ownership of PSG would complicate matters. Under UEFA rules, two clubs under the a shared ownership umbrella cannot compete in the same European club competition.

However, the mood music recently suggests the Gulf state’s commitment to the 12-time Ligue 1 winners is waning in the face of an official investigation into Al-Khelaifi and diminishing geopolitical returns.

But if that is the case, Al-Khelaifi himself has clearly not lost the fire in his belly.

In the latest episode of a long-running feud between the two men, Al-Khelaifi has lashed out at Lyon owner John Textor – in a Ligue 1 meeting.

Remarkably, a screen recording of the call has been leaked and documented by French outlet, L’Equipe.

Al-Khelaifi called his opposite number a “cowboy” in response to Textor’s accusations that Al-Khelaifi was dominating discussions about the media rights crisis in French.

“We’re running out of time. Maybe someone other than Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] should speak. Nasser, you’re being a bully,” Textor said.

“John, stop talking,” Al-Khelaifi sniped back. “You don’t understand anything. You’re a cowboy coming from… I don’t know where. You don’t have answers.”

Textor responded sardonically: “Right, I’m an outsider, I’m an idiot, I don’t understand anything.”

On Sunday, when Textor’s Lyon face PSG. Textor donned a cowboy hat for the occasion.

If Al-Khelaifi does ever become involved with Spurs, Premier League shareholder meetings could become the latest arena of conflict between the two men.

He is currently trying to divest his stake, but Textor is the single largest shareholder in Crystal Palace.

After Textor’s Botafogo won the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, the American billionaire shared messages between himself and Al-Khelaifi wherein the Qatari said: “You don’t understand anything in football and [it is a] waste of time to talk to you. And you will lose everywhere you go.”

Could Textor saga unlock Spurs investment via David Blitzer?

Textor wants to increase his stake in Palace to take majority control, but Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer have been unwilling to budge so far.

That has led Textor, who also tried to buy Everton in 2024, to attempt to sell his stake in the club as he prepares to list his Eagle Football group on the New York Stock Exchange.

However, if there was a shakeup in the Palace situation, it could theoretically open the door for movement in Levy’s search for a new equity partner at Spurs.

As well as Amanda Staveley and a small handful of alternatives, Palace shareholder David Blitzer has been linked with investing in Totenham, albeit on a minority basis.

Under the Premier League’s conflict of interest rules, dual ownership is not allowed, but if he was to relinquish control of the 38 per cent he owns in tandem with Harris, it would him free Blitzer up to negotiate with Levy.

Chelsea and Tottenham could both win silverware in Europe this season.

Despite indifferent runs of form in the Premier League for both London sides of late – Spurs have three wins in the last ten while the Blues only have two – Ange Postecoglou and Enzo Maresca can still win the UEFA Conference League and UEFA Europa League respectively.

Regardless of where they finish in the Premier League, Tottenham would qualify for the UEFA Champions League if they succeed in Europe this term, while Chelsea would automatically qualify for the UEFA Europa League if they win the UEFA Conference League.

Interestingly, an official statement from Chelsea regarding fixture changes has shown how Tottenham could actually help the Blues.

Tottenham could ensure Chelsea play two decisive games at Stamford Bridge

In a post on the official club website regarding the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash against Copenhagen, Chelsea revealed: “In the event we progress past Copenhagen, the first leg of our quarter-final tie is scheduled to be played at home.

“However, in the event that Tottenham Hotspur progress past AZ Alkmaar to the Europa League quarter-finals, their first leg is also scheduled at home, on the same day as ours. Due to the potential match opposition for both Tottenham and us, UEFA have ruled that Chelsea’s home and away legs will be reversed. This would mean that we would be away in the first leg.

“This scenario will also apply if both us and Tottenham and progress to our respective semi-finals, when we are again scheduled to both play at home first.”

To put it simply, Tottenham reaching the UEFA Europa League semi-final would ensure Chelsea are able to play the second leg of their quarter-final and semi-final clashes, if they get to that stage, at Stamford Bridge, giving the Blues home advantage in the more decisive match of the two legs.

Enzo Maresca should not need any help from Ange Postecoglou

Regardless of how Spurs – who want Ebere Eze – fare in Europe, Chelsea really ought to win the UEFA Conference League regardless.

If the Blues beat Copenhagen, the clubs Chelsea could play en route to lifting the trophy are Molde, Legia Warsaw, Pafos, Djurgarden, Borac, SK Rapid, Real Betis, Vitoria SC, Jagielloina, Cercle Brugge, Celje, Lugano, Panathinaikos and Fiorentina.

Chelsea’s route to the UEFA Conference League final

Round of 16: FC Copenhagen

Quarter-final: Molde or Legia Warsaw

Semi-final: Pafos, Djurgarden, Borac or SK Rapid

Final: Real Betis, Vitoria SC, Jagielloina, Cercle Brugge, Celje, Lugano, Panathinaikos or Fiorentina

Dejan Kulusevski has urged Ange Postecoglou to ensure that he is giving one of his ‘very talented’ Tottenham teammates more minutes on the pitch.

Tottenham Hotspur have now made it three wins from their last three Premier League matches with some key players returning from injury.

Spurs now have some strong options back available and one of those players Kulusevski is a huge fan of and believes he can be a major boost for the team.

Dejan Kulusevski lauds James Maddison’s impact at Tottenham

Dejan Kulusevski has lauded the impact of James Maddison at Tottenham following his return to the team following a spell on the sidelines.

The Swede claims that his quality on the pitch allows ‘special things’ to happen and his leadership skills away from the pitch are also so important for the squad.

Kulusevski told Sky Sports: “He’s a very talented player, always when he plays he’s going to make good things happen. We want him on the pitch because he’s a great, great player.

The 24-year-old also hailed Maddison’s leadership qualities, adding: “He’s also a great guy to have in the squad and he treats everyone really well – the younger and older players.

“He’s a great guy who I learn stuff from. The way he acts, I think it’s great how he respects everybody, how he talks and tries to get everyone involved. I’ve been learning things from him.”

James Maddison is quietly having a big season at Tottenham

Maddison is quietly having a strong season in Lilywhite having taken his tally to 17 goals and assists in 33 appearances this season.

The midfielder set up Djed Spence’s goal against Ipswich with some wonderful quick feet movement in the penalty area.

Getting Maddison back to his best could have a game-changing impact on Postecoglou’s squad for the remainder of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence has been a revelation this season after a tricky start to life at Spurs.

The Tottenham full-back went from being a near-certainty to be sold last summer to securing himself a new Spurs contract until the summer of 2028.

And in recent weeks, Spence has found a new level. He has earned two Man of the Match awards in each of his last two Premier League appearances.

Spence worked especially hard in pre-season ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and has forced his way into Ange Postecoglou’s plans.

Now, the Tottenham manager has gone into further detail over just what an impression Spence has made at Spurs since last summer.

Ange Postecoglou says Djed Spence “just kept going” at Tottenham

Postecoglou, speaking ahead of the Premier League trip to Ipswich Town, revealed how Spence “just kept going” when other players could have just cut their losses and moved on.

The Tottenham boss said this made a real impression on everyone around him, which enabled him to earn his shot, and he has obviously grown a lot since then.

“I think with Djed, it was just we wanted to give Jed every opportunity,” Postecoglou said, as per football.london.

“We knew that certainly there was a player there, but a lot of it had to be up to Djed himself. And he’s just worked really awfully hard and stayed patient through that early period.

“You know, it could have been easy for him to get frustrated when he wasn’t playing a lot. There was opportunities for him to play and he wasn’t getting a run.

“I think looking at his attitude through that, I think there was real growth for him personally in that maybe in previous years, he might have sort of given up the fight and said, ‘you know, right, I don’t fit in here, let’s just move on,’ but he just kept going.

“That makes an impression on people around him, me, his team-mates and, he earned his shot at it and he’s just grown since then.”

What people close to Djed Spence say about his attitude

Harrys shared what he knows about Spence’s attitude and the issues that have supposedly cropped up.

According to Jay Harris, people close to Spence say that he’s an introverted character who is quite aloof, and, sometimes that can, inadvertently, come off the wrong way.

“I’ve spoken to people who know him quite well, and they’ve said that Spence is a bit introverted, and he can be quite aloof.

“And so there are times where people probably have misinterpreted that as him not caring or him having a bad attitude. But I think what we’re seeing before us now is a 24 year old who was a young boy. He’s a young man now.

“Apparently during his time in Italy with Genoa, that was quite a powerful experience for him because Leeds didn’t work out for a number of different issues, but mainly because he had quite a bad knee injury, which ruled him out, I think, for two and a half months, three months in total.

“So he’s gone from barely getting a game in the championship to playing at the San Siro twice with Genoa. He played against Juventus away for Genoa.

“And so he’s returning to Spurs and he’s thinking, wow, if I want to kick on with my career at the highest level, I seriously need to knuckle down. He did that.”

Spence certainly hasn’t had the easiest of rides since joining Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou froze Spence out at one point, and, at one point, there were reports that Spence had attitude problems.

Meanwhile, Antonio Conte made it clear the £20million man wasn’t his signing when he joined the club, and Spence barely even spoke to Conte when he was at Spurs too.

However, Spence has shown exactly what can be achieved by really buckling down and working hard. He has proven to be a real inspiration.

Tottenham Hotspur’s collection of young talents may be the most impressive thing about Spurs at the moment.

Indeed, Spurs have plenty of exciting young talents on their books right now.

Archie Gray looks like a star already, Lucas Bergvall has tons of potential, while Mikey Moore has been tipped for big things as well.

Speaking on the Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham Podcast, Alasdair Gold has been discussing some of Spurs’ young talents, and he says that Alfie Dorrington is a young player who is very highly rated within the Tottenham academy at the moment.

Alfie Dorrington is highly rated

Gold shared what he knows about Dorrington and how he is rated at Spurs.

According to the journalist, Dorrington is highly rated at Spurs, but he may just need a chance to show his ability at senior level.

“In terms of Alfie Donnington, I think he needs his Jamie Donley moment. I think he needs to go somewhere and find that sudden spur of development. He’s very highly rated within the academy,” Gold said.

“I’ve seen him have some terrific games. I would say when you’re talking about him and Phillips, I would say that Donnington is far better on the ball. I think in terms of the ability to drive with the ball at his feet as well.”

Tottenham’s young defensive options

Dorrington is rated within the Spurs academy, but, unfortunately, that may not translate to first-team opportunities.

Indeed, frustratingly, Tottenham have a number of other young defenders coming through at the moment who may block Dorrington’s path.

Ashley Phillips is shining on loan already at Stoke, Archie Gray has already played as a centre-back quite a lot for Spurs at senior level, while Luka Vuskovic is also highly rated.

Factor in that Radu Dragusin and Micky van de Ven are also only young, you have a very competitive area within Spurs’ squad for a young player.

Dorrington is highly rated, but despite his potential, he may have an uphill battle on his hands to try and get into the Tottenham team.

Djed Spence has proven a lot of people wrong this season, it’s fair to say.

The Tottenham defender has won Man of the Match in each of his last two Premier League appearances, and he finally looks to be getting to grips with Premier League football.

Spence has had his ups and downs throughout his career. Ange Postecoglou had an issue with Spence when he first arrived, while Antonio Conte barely ever spoke to Spence when he was at the club.

Daniel Farke at Leeds also didn’t get on with Spence, and Spence had issues with lateness at Leeds, while these sorts of issues originated with Neil Warnock at Middlesbrough.

Indeed, Spence and Warnock had a high-profile falling out at Boro, so much so that the defender was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest.

Spence would eventually win promotion with Forest, and upon winning the playoffs, he sent a message directly to Warnock.

Now, speaking on the Seaman Says Podcast, Warnock has been discussing Spence’s recent rise to prominence at Tottenham.

Warnock made it clear that he didn’t like Spence as a person during his time at Middlesbrough, but he’s actually happy to see him doing well at Spurs, saying that he hopes the penny has now dropped.

Neil Warnock discusses Djed Spence’s rise at Tottenham

Warnock spoke about how good Spence has been recently.

The former Middlesbrough manager says he’s very happy to see Spence doing so well, even if they didn’t get on.

Warnock says that he never holds grudges and that, ultimately, he’s happy to see his former player thriving.

“Well, I watched Djed Spence and I thought, what a player, you know. Unfortunately for me, I’m hoping that some of the things I said to him at Middlesbrough might have come through. Because he wasn’t a nice lad.

“He had a few problems, I thought, at Middlesbrough. And he had to sort himself out. But last night, when you looked at him on the pitch last night, I even thought, I bet he’s done all right off the pitch now.

“I’m hoping he has. Because I didn’t like him as a person. But skill-wise, that was never in doubt, really.”

“But even when he first went to Tottenham, you know, I was watching him and he was like, he wasn’t playing in position, I thought. You know, he was getting dragged all over the place. He’s learnt so quick, hasn’t he?

“He’s had to as well. I mean, he’s had to do and, you know, when we had our disagreement, I won’t tell you what it was about, but it was in Covid and he wasn’t clever, really. I was disappointed in him.

“But he was one of them that you’d say, you don’t know whether he’s going to end up at Bromley or he’s going to end up at Spurs. You know, it’s up to him, really..

“And when he went to Spurs, I don’t think Conte wanted him. I think they bought him because they wanted to get some English players in, I think, because I don’t think Conte wanted him, if I’m honest. But, and you’ll give him a chance.

“And I looked at it, I thought he was refreshing me. That’s nice. Everything he did, I thought, that’ll do for me.”

“That and I don’t hold grudges against players like that. I get disappointed in somebody off the field if I think what they’re doing is wrong. And so, and you know, you can’t, you try and, you try as a manager, you try and right the wrongs and you try and help players become better people.

“And sometimes you’re successful and sometimes you’re not. You can’t win everyone. But I hope the pennies drop within me.

“I remember a big picture somebody showed me when he went, he had a big cigar and having a go at me, you know, about what I said, but listen, it gives me a lot of pleasure when I see him playing like he did the other night.”

Djed Spence’s record under Neil Warnock

Spence and Warnock may not have got on, but, interestingly, Warnock is still the manager Spence has played the most games under in his career.

Indeed, the full-back has played 51 matches under Warnock, and he didn’t have a terrible record in that time.

Of course, decent results on the pitch don’t necessarily represent harmony behind the scenes.

Warnock hasn’t disclosed what happened between him and Spence, but he alludes to the fact that something happened during lockdown, and in that highly-emotive period, it’s easy to see how a player and a manager would fall out irreparably.

Spence has ultimately gone on to become a star for one of the biggest teams in England, and who knows? Perhaps and England call-up could be on the horizon for the Spurs ace in the near future if he keeps this up.

Mathys Tel has informed Ange Postecoglou that he is ready to fill three different positions for him at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Tel is quickly becoming a key player for Spurs having started the last two matches against Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Away at Villa Tel netted his first Tottenham goal and in his first game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he secured his first victory in Lilywhite.

Now with three games under his belt, the 19-year-old has been discussing where he feels his best position is.

Mathys Tel ready to play three different positions for Tottenham

Mathys Tel has told Ange Postecoglou he is ready to play in three different positions for Tottenham this season.

The Frenchman claims he can play as a central striker and on either flank, but he is happy to go wherever Postecoglou wants him.

Tel told SPURSPLAY: “I can play in three positions, on the left side, right side and number nine. For me, my mentality is where the coach needs me, I’ll play.

“I just want to enjoy playing football and bring something for my team – so I can play anywhere no problem.”

Against Liverpool and Manchester United, Tel led the line for Spurs, whilst he started at left-wing in the 2-1 defeat away at Villa Park when he netted his first goal.

What Ange Postecoglou told Mathys Tel about wanting him at Tottenham

The French youth international revealed the details of the phone call he had with Postecoglou in which the Spurs boss explained why he wanted to bring him in from Bayern Munich.

The 59-year-old informed Tel that he felt it would bring some much-needed quality and energy to a depleted Spurs side.

“He told me, ‘Mathys, I think you can be a good player for the team, I think you can bring some new energy and something special – we need to win a lot of games this season’. This call was positive for me,” added Tel.

When Daniel Levy and ENIC bought into Tottenham in 2001, the world transfer record was just over £45m – around half of Spurs’ value at the time. 25 years later, Levy thinks his club is worth £3.75bn.

It is an extraordinary markup. At the elite end of the football finance ecosystem, no club has grown as fast as Tottenham. As the all-seeing eye in N17, Daniel Levy is directly to thank for that.

The chairman and co-owner had the commercial ambition and vision to build the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, widely seen as the best in the world.

A growing bloc of supporters are arguing that Levy’s ambition is misplaced. His business focus, they believe, has clouded his judgement when it comes to the primary aim of a club: to win.

To those fans, the club has sold its soul to host Beyonce and the NFL, squeeze more income from sponsors, and build the brand in South Korea, the United States and beyond.

And with Spurs 12th in the Premier League as Ange Postecoglou prepares to take them to Ipswich at the weekend, the ‘Levy out’ contingent will be in full voice once again at Portman Road.

It probably won’t have escaped their notice that, in recent weeks, the mood music around a potential equity sale of Tottenham is growing louder.

Plenty of groups and individuals – MSP Sports Capital, Todd Boehly, and Liberty Media – have been linked with buying into the club in the past, albeit loosely.

But this time feels different.

Qatari investors are, reportedly, exploring Spurs, either with a view to a full takeover or a phased minority investment geared towards an eventual majority deal.

It is said that the Qatari consortium is made up of private investors. It is not whether Amanda Staveley, who has been linked with brokering a deal, is involved.

Any deal would need the blessing of the trust which controls Joe Lewis’s stake in ENIC.

Lewis himself is no longer formally affiliated with the club following his conviction for insider trading in a Manhattan court in 2023.

To discuss the mechanics of a would-be deal with a Qatari consortium, TBR Football spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire, who is well connected in the industry.

“Daniel Levy doesn’t want to give up his position,” said Maguire, analysing a potential situation wherein Levy remains in site as part of a phased takeover.

Levy was a Tottenham season ticket holder before he became involved with the club and the general consensus is that it would be hard to dislodge him while his legacy is at stake.

For that to change, the North Londoners would probably need to win a significant piece of silverware.

“If we take a look at some other deals, Steve Parish is first and foremost a Crystal Palace fan and, even though he only owns 10 per cent, he is the chairman and wants to be involved in operational decision making with a minority stake. This could be an element of pragmatism from potential Qatari owners.

“Levy doesn’t need the money from the sale of shares because he does extremely well out of his Spurs salary, so if he is going to play hard-ball, which is his default position, we now have hard ball squared.

“That is enough to put off many potential investors in Spurs even though it is an incredibly attractive business proposition.

“A staggered approach has some merits. It will also allow new owners to become familiar with the unique nature of the football industry and, more specifically, the Premier League while Levy remains the face of the club.

“That might work or it might not. We have seen at Man United where there is a potential staggered arrangement with Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

“He has the rights to match any offer for the Glazers’ shares and he has operational control of the club.

“But that doesn’t always lead to a smooth operational control. You could see how that might be the case at Spurs in a post-ENIC environment.”

Qatar might be Daniel Levy and ENIC’s only option

Given the £3.75bn appraisal of the club by ENIC, a 10 per cent deal – which is believed to be the minimum starting point – would cost any new equity partner at least £3.75bn.

They may even pay a premium on top of that. There are only so many groups and individuals for whom a deal of that magnitude makes sense.

Minority investment is sometimes sardonically called the ‘most expensive season ticket in football’ because it doesn’t guarantee any operational control.

Spurs don’t pay a dividend, so it would be hard to find a buyer who, in turn, would be confident of one day flipping their stake for a profit.

The timeframe for that kind of return is very, very long. Private equity titans and sovereign wealth are probably the only players with the vision to see that kind of investment as worthwhile.

What’s more, there are a number of clubs looking for minority investment at present. In the Premier League, you have Wolves, Bournemouth, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

TBR Football understands that Wolves are seen as a very attractive, cost-efficient option. Meanwhile, the likes of Reading and Sheffield Wednesday are available and have speedier capital appreciation potential.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is every chance Manchester United will be seeking a new equity partner in the not-too-distant future in order to fund upgrades to Old Trafford.

There are so many variables and, as Maguire highlights, Levy isn’t going to roll over unless the price is right, so Spurs fans shouldn’t expect white smoke and Qatari petrodollars any time soon.

As Tottenham Hotspur prepare to lock horns with Ipswich Town on Saturday, Ange Postecoglou will be desperate for a win.

Considering Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in their previous outing, Postecoglou will be hoping his side now have the much-needed confidence boost to go out and get the all-important three points against Ipswich.

As poor as Spurs have been for much of this season, Kieran McKenna’s side are sitting in 18th place in the Premier League and might be destined to return to the Championship.

With James Maddison making an early return from injury against Manchester United, Guglielmo Vicario putting in an excellent display after finally being fully fit to start and Destiny Udogie making the cut in the Lilywhites’ matchday squad, Tottenham’s fitness woes have considerably improved.

As a result, Ange Postecoglou has every reason to expect Tottenham to defeat Ipswich.

However, football is not played on paper and the Australian will not be getting ahead of himself whatsoever.

Paul Merson predicts 2-2 draw in Ipswich Town vs Tottenham

The last time both sides played each other, Ipswich Town beat Tottenham 2-1.

At the time, Kieran McKenna managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season and that too at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Paul Merson still expects Ipswich to get a result against Tottenham and restrict them to a surprise 2-2 draw.

Merson told Sportskeeda: “Tottenham beating Manchester United and getting a few of their players back from injury makes this a really difficult game for Ipswich. I still think this will be highly entertaining and I’m backing both teams to score goals.”

“Ipswich got a brilliant result away from home against Aston Villa last weekend. They were reduced to 10 men and still got the lead in that game before conceding in a 1-1 draw. I’m backing them to get another draw here, but I’m not sure that’s a good result for Ipswich because they need to start getting some wins to stand a chance at avoiding relegation.”

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping that Paul Merson is proven wrong and that his Tottenham side do not give him yet another unpleasant surprise against Ipswich.

Pedro Porro got stick from Tottenham fans the last time Spurs faced Ipswich

Pedro Porro was slated by Tottenham fans the last time they went toe-to-toe against Ipswich as he was one of the hosts’ most underwhelming performers.

Journalist Alasdair Gold revealed that their reaction did take Porro by surprise at the time.

Frustrated fans. You can kind of understand why people are frustrated, but yeah, I think they kind of let their feelings be known to him which maybe surprised him a little bit.”

“I understand, from some people who were in the south stand that Porro got a little bit of anger from the south stand when he tried [to applaud them after the game]. The effort you put into supporting us must be reflected in our effort on the pitch and it is something we will never take for granted. See you after the break.”

But the Spaniard even sent a message to the supporters, which read: “As a team we have to take accountability for these results. We must come together to be better and will now look forward to coming back stronger after the break. The effort you put into supporting us must be reflected in our effort on the pitch and it is something we will never take for granted. See you after the break.”

But this time around, Porro and his Tottenham teammates will be hoping that the visiting supporters are delighted after their performance and the eventual result against Ipswich