TBR Football

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur share a very fierce rivalry.

The two London clubs have no love for each other. Games between them always have an edge and it is fantastic to watch for the neutral.

The Blues and Spurs often lock horns in the transfer market too. Just recently, Tottenham signed Mathys Tel despite a late hijack attempt from Chelsea on deadline day last Monday.

In the summer, they are set to battle it out for another player, but Chelsea think there will only be one winner in that race.

Chelsea think Marc Guehi will join them instead of Tottenham

Marc Guehi has emerged as one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League.

The Englishman has made a fantastic name for himself at Crystal Palace over the last few years. He has performed really well for the national team too.

Guehi has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Selhurst Park, and he is expected to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

TBR Football exclusively revealed Chelsea’s interest in Guehi all the way back in September. The Blues are really keen to bring him back.

Tottenham made a big bid for Guehi in January, but that was rejected.

The battle is set to continue in the coming months, but GiveMeSport have shared some good news for Chelsea fans.

The report claims that the Blues ‘believe that Guehi is keen on re-joining the club’ and would even pick Stamford Bridge over a move to Tottenham.

That is a shame for Spurs as Guehi would’ve been a great fit under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham wanted to sign another old Chelsea defender

Guehi would’ve been an incredible signing for Tottenham, but there was no way Crystal Palace were going to sell him in the final days of the window.

The ‘outstanding’ England centre-half, however, wasn’t the only former Chelsea defender on Spurs’ list – Daniel Levy tried to sign another one too.

Tottenham were close to agreeing a deal with AC Milan for Fikayo Tomori, but he rejected Spurs and ended up staying at the San Siro.

If Guehi does end up at Chelsea in the summer, it won’t be a surprise to see Tottenham make another move for Tomori.

Ange Postecoglou now faces a major decision on Micky van de Ven after ruling him out of Tottenham’s trip to Anfield.

Postecoglou says Tottenham won’t risk Van de Ven for the game against Liverpool with the defender still not feeling right after making his return to action.

Van de Ven has been assessed by Spurs with concerns over his hamstring and now, the North London club have made the decision to rule him out of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Dutch defender has now managed to complete just ten matches all season and his unreliability is a major issue for Postecoglou.

Should Tottenham sell Micky van de Ven?

Tottenham Hotspur may have to consider the sale of Micky van de Ven in the summer as the 23-year-old just simply cannot be trusted to be a starter.

In the summer, Ange Postecoglou will face a big dilemma as to whether to stick with Van de Ven or look to bring in a new left-sided defender who take his place.

There would be a lengthy queue of teams who would look to sign the youngster should he become available given just how good he is when fit.

Tottenham paid just £34m for Van de Ven back in the summer of 2023 and could command at least double that if they were to sell him.

But with Tottenham preparing to go away to Anfield with Kevin Danso, Ben Davies and Archie Gray as their only centre-back options, they just cannot afford to wait around forever for Van de Ven to stay fit.

Tottenham facing a similar issue with Cristian Romero

Van de Ven might not be the only elite defender to depart this summer with Tottenham worried that Cristian Romero might also leave.

Real Madrid are expected to target Romero in the summer given he will have just two years remaining on his contract with Spurs.

Romero is also unavailable against Liverpool and has been just as unreliable this campaign as his Tottenham defensive partner.

Despite a lack of activity during the transfer window, Ange Postecoglou made one signing who is going to replace Heung-min Son in years to come.

Spurs have been troubled with an injury crisis all season and will be without ten first-team players for Thursday’s EFL Cup second-leg clash with Liverpool.

Postecoglou’s side has struggled defensively this season through injury, with their key defensive partnership of Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero both still sidelined.

Their luck hasn’t improved in attacking options either with James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson also unavailable.

However, one addition in the January transfer window could solve an issue that has troubled Tottenham fans for years.

Mathys Tel targeted to replace Heung-Min Son at Spurs

After a back-and-forth sage which saw Spurs nearly miss out on Mathys Tel, Postecoglou secured his services on loan for the rest of the season and has already confirmed his intention to make the deal permanent.

“He’ll be a Tottenham player. I think he’ll show everyone he is going to be a Tottenham player in the next six months. I didn’t bring him here for six months.” Spurs’ Head Coach told HaytersTV.

Tel’s singing could prove instrumental for the Lilywhites for the remainder of their campaign with a European Cup run on the horizon and the desperate need to improve upon their current league standings.

However, it could also solve an issue that Spurs’ will struggle to stomach and that is replacing Heung min Son.

The 32-year-old’s contract expires in 2026 and it is unlikely a long-term renewal will be offered given his age.

Tel has already shown his attacking prowess in a handful of appearances in the Bundesliga and could slot right into Son’s role should he depart the club at the end of his contract.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs future remains uncertain

The 59-year-old is already planning for his future at the club with the addition of Tel and summer signings such as Dominic Solanke penning a long-term deal, but will he be here to help move the club forward?

Postecoglou’s Tottenham future is already in doubt with the side currently 14th in the table and struggling to pick up points.

Spurs have picked up just one win in the league since the new year and with fixtures against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the near future, Postecoglou’s depleted squad may struggle to pick up results.

Mathys Tel joined Tottenham on deadline day on loan with an option to buy.

Tel made a dramatic U-turn in the final hours of the transfer window as he agreed to sign for Tottenham.

Initially, it looked like Spurs would only sign Tel on loan, but, at the end of the day, it emerged that Tel had agreed an option to buy.

Tel will sign a six-year deal with Spurs if he stays on beyond this season, but according to Dean Jones, speaking on the Ranks FC Podcast, that isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion.

Indeed, according to Jones, the feeling around Tel is that he doesn’t fully want to leave Bayern Munich and even if he does well at Spurs, he may angle for a return to Bavaria.

Mathys Tel not overly keen on permanent Tottenham move

Jones shared what he knows about Tel after he signed for Tottenham.

The journalist says that Spurs do want this to eventually be a permanent deal, but the player isn’t overly keen on leaving Bayern Munich.

“At the end of the day, even if it was a dry loan, which it was going to be, in that moment, I spoke to Tottenham and I wrote a story about it. It was like Tottenham still, I think I tweeted it, I think, rather than wrote about it, it was like, Tottenham still intend to make this a permanent signing, like this isn’t what they want, like they’ll do it. If this is the way to do it, then all they’ll do over the following months is try to convince him that this is the place for him.”

“I have to admit, I still feel like the player doesn’t fully want to leave Bayern Munich, and even if he does really well here at Tottenham, he might see it as, well, if I do really well, I can play for Bayern Munich again. So maybe I’m being cynical about that, but I get that impression. He didn’t really want this transfer to happen, did he?

“It was only when Man United pulled out that it came back on the table because he wanted to go there.

“Yeah, I mean, there is an element, I imagine, that he really did want to go out and get minutes, whether that meant he wanted to depart Bayern permanently or not, it is a different question. But I’m quite interested with this whole Ange Postecoglou getting on the phone and basically being like, look, this is how I see you fitting into my system. This is where I foresee you getting minutes.”

Tottenham compared to Bayern Munich

Tel is a top talent, and it’s not hard to figure out why he wants to stay at Bayern Munich.

Indeed, if Harry Kane eventually chose Bayern over Tottenham, you can see why a young striker with no real affinity for Spurs would want to make the same decision.

Simply put, history suggests that your career prospects are much better at Bayern Munich than they are at Tottenham.

Bayern are, quite simply, one of the greatest and most historical club teams on the planet. Meanwhile, Tottenham haven’t won a trophy in 17 years at this point and they’re currently 14th in the Premier League.

Whether or not Tel ends up returning to Bayern Munich remains to be seen, but, by the sounds of it, he is keen to kick on in Bavaria and become a key player for Vincent Kompany’s side.

Arne Slot will face Tottenham Hotspur for the third time as Liverpool manager when the two sides square off in the second leg of their Carabao Cup tie on Thursday evening.

Prior to losing the first leg 1-0 to Tottenham, Arne Slot and his Liverpool side won 6-3 in north London in the Premier League, a result which could have been even more emphatic in truth.

Now Spurs will travel to Anfield for the first time this season, hoping to protect their slender lead.

In truth, Ange Postecoglou’s side did a good job of stifling Liverpool in the first leg, Spurs’ flat three-man midfield demonstrated a good bit of pragmatism from their manager.

But facing Liverpool on Merseyside is a whole different task, with only three sides stopping them from winning at home this season.

Of course, Tottenham only need to draw, meaning they can retain some hope.

Arne Slot laments ‘big decision’ that went in Tottenham’s favour

That being said, Slot made some interesting comments about Spurs in his match-day programme ahead of his third meeting with them this season.

The Liverpool manager referenced a ‘big decision’ from the first leg which was presumably that Bergvall wasn’t sent off prior to scoring his winner, a wrong he’ll look to put right.

Slot said: “I would like to welcome Ange Postecoglou, his staff and the players and supporters of Tottenham to Anfield.

“It will be the third time our clubs have met already this season so we certainly know each other pretty well.

“I said before the first leg that what happened in our Premier League fixture would have no bearing on that fixture and it gave me no pleasure to be proven right.

“We were disappointed about a big decision that went against us of course, but Spurs showed a reaction on the night and scored a good goal, which leaves us with it all to do tonight because now it is our turn to react.”

Ange Postecoglou’s position as Tottenham manager is still at risk

Gary Neville has provided his Liverpool vs Tottenham score prediction ahead of tonight, a game which is arguably more important for the visitors.

Liverpool obviously want to continue to compete on all fronts, especially given that the quadruple is still in reach.

However, Spurs’ whole season and perhaps even Postecoglou’s future could ride on the game, which is a realistic route to winning a much needed trophy.

Postecoglou admitted that one Tottenham player was tired ahead of the tie, but it is the kind of occasion that should negate fatigue.

A huge tie at Anfield, and an excellent advert for how exciting the Carabao Cup can still be.

The January transfer window has just closed, but one of the biggest transfer stories of the year broke this week.

Indeed, it has been revealed that Harry Kane has a release clause in his Bayern Munich contract, and that could lead to a potential return to the Premier League.

Manchester United have been keen on Kane in the past, while Tottenham could re-sign Kane at some point too.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Back Pages Podcast, David Ornstein has been discussing Kane’s situation, and he says that while the striker does have a release clause, he’s currently happy in Munich.

However, Ornstein did note that people in football believe Kane could move in the summer of 2026.

Harry Kane could move in 2026

Ornstein shared what he knows about Harry Kane.

The journalist says that Kane is happy in Germany, but a move could be on the cards in 18 months’ time.

“I don’t think likely, because as Charlotte says there, he’s very happy, Harry Kane, as far as we know. And it looks like he’s on course to win his first major trophy with the Bundesliga title this season. Speaking to people around football, I don’t think they would be massively surprised if he left next summer or the summer after maybe 2026.

“It’s been a brilliant experiment so far. And I think there was always a bit of an assumption that he might come back and had some unfinished business with the Shearers goal scoring record. And Manchester United have been linked with him in the past.

“Chelsea have been linked with him. And obviously Spurs have first refusal if all parties wanted that. So I think this could be a situation that does develop in the next year or two.”

The gentleman’s agreement Tottenham have with Harry Kane

If Kane is to leave Bayern Munich, there’s one team that may be at the front of the queue – Tottenham Hotspur.

Indeed, Kane spent the vast majority of his career at Spurs, and he has a huge affinity for the fans.

According to Fabrizio Romano, there is a gentleman’s agreement in place between Bayern Munich and Tottenham about a potential return.

“From what I’m hearing it’s more of a gentleman’s agreement between the clubs where if they decide to sell Harry Kane in the future, Tottenham will be made aware of the decision,” Romano said.

“This is the discussion that took place between Bayern and Tottenham, but it’s not a traditional buy-back clause where you can go there and put down the money and the player is coming back the following day, I don’t think it’s an automatic clause, but more of a gentleman’s agreement.”

However, Kane may also head in another direction.

Indeed, according to Sami Mokbel, reporting back in 2023, a return to Spurs may not be on the cards for Kane as there may be a bit of bad blood based on how the striker’s departure is handled.

“I think one day he will come back to England and break that Premier League record. He does want that. Whether that’s at Tottenham I’m not sure, there have been a few issues behind the scenes there in regards to his move, but one day we will see him back here,” Mokbel said.

Whether it’s back to Tottenham or another Premier League club, Kane could well be returning to England at some point in the not so distant future.

Ange Postecoglou suddenly has the luxury of choice when Tottenham Hotspur meet Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Tottenham take a precarious 1-0 lead to Anfield, one that Postecoglou’s side worked valiantly to earn in north London a few weeks ago.

A lot has happened since Lucas Bergvall scored a late winner in that game, including the arrivals of both Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel in N17.

Both of whom could immediately start for Spurs at Anfield, one of the toughest grounds to visit in world football.

Of course, should Postecoglou put Danso straight into his back line, it will likely come at the expense of Archie Gray who has been playing superbly in an unfamiliar position.

It would be a mistake to remove Gray entirely, and perhaps he could be tried in yet another position for Tottenham at Anfield.

Archie Gray should start alongside Kevin Danso against Liverpool

Gray, who is a central midfielder first and foremost, did play a lot as right-back for Leeds United last season, but it’s rarely a task he’s been handed by Postecoglou.

However, Gray could be much better suited to handling Liverpool’s attacking threat than Pedro Porro on the right side of Spurs’ defence.

Put bluntly, Gray is simply a better defender than Porro, even if the Spaniard impressed against Brentford.

Djed Spence was also brilliant on Sunday, explaining why he deserves to keep his spot at left-back.

And alongside a centre-back duo of Ben Davies and Danso, Tottenham would be heading to Anfield with some hope.

Gray actually played as a right-back for Spurs against Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, explaining why it’s not a completely alien task to him in Tottenham colours.

But it’s still a significant change for the 18-year-old, but one he seems equipped to handle.

Mathys Tel should replace Richarlison immediately at Anfield

Otherwise, it seems wise that Tottenham should start Tel as their number nine immediately, who is simply just a more exciting option than Richarlison.

Postecoglou admitted that Son Heug-min has been tired recently, but Tottenham surely won’t consider resting their captain in such a vital game.

In front of the back line described, it would seem sensible for Spurs to try a relatively flat midfield three again, one marshalled by Rodrigo Bentancur.

Bentancur has been impressing behind the scenes this season, a midfielder who is beginning to become a leader in N17.

And Spurs will need all the experience they can get at Anfield, in what will be an incredibly tough atmosphere to navigate.

After a frantic final few days to the transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur are now gearing up for what is arguably their biggest game of the season against Liverpool.

Ange Postecoglou’s squad has now been boosted by the addition of Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, who players finally give Tottenham a bit of choice.

Tel could make his Tottenham debut in place of Richarlison at Anfield, a big task for the 19-year-old but one he seems equipped to handle.

The Bayern Munich loanee is able to play through the middle or as an inside-forward on the left of an attack, a role currently occupied by Son Heung-min in N17.

Of course, Son hasn’t quite been at his best this season, something Postecoglou seemed to allude to at the tail end of his press conference ahead of Liverpool.

Ange Postecoglou says Son Heung-min really needs a break

Postecoglou praised Son for his ‘outstanding’ work this season, but he then also pointed to the fact that the 32-year-old has been suffering owing to the amount of minutes he’s had to play.

Spurs have endured an unprecedented level of injuries this season, meaning Postecoglou hasn’t been able to rotate his players as much as he may have hoped, leading to his admission that Son has needed a rest.

Speaking via football.london, Postecoglou said: “Sonny’s been outstanding for us. I’ve said before with Sonny, the extremes we’ve had to put on him this year, it’d be tough for anyone to carry the load he has both from a physical perspective, a mental perspective.

“I think he was unbelievable against Brentford at the weekend but that’s because he only played 45 minutes on Thursday night.

“Now we haven’t been able to do that. If we had the opportunity to give him the rest he needs to be at his best I think we would have seen it, but I think he’s got a real clear focus in his eye that he senses an opportunity for us as a football club, not just for himself, to have success this year.”

Wilson Odobert was meant to share Son Heung-min’s minutes

After recruiting Wilson Odobert at the end of the summer, Postecoglou probably imagined that the youngster could share a lot of the load with Son on the left.

In that respect, Dejan Kulusevski has also looked exhausted at times, a squad that has been run into the ground as a result of their injury crisis.

However, with the players that could still return for Tottenham over the next few weeks, there’s still hope of a positive finish to the season.

And a lot of that hope rides on Spurs’ next two cup fixtures against Liverpool and Aston Villa – two incredibly tough away trips.

But winning away to Brentford and keeping a clean sheet should give Postecoglou’s side confidence, a side who are not down and out just yet.

Tottenham Hotspur have made quite a name for themselves as a club that looks to turn young prospects into established stars.

Harry Kane is a prime example of a Tottenham talent who got his opportunity and is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever wear the shirt.

More recently, the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have joined Spurs and become established first-teamers.

In addition, Ange Postecoglou has given opportunities to the likes of Mikey Moore, Damola Ajayi and Jamie Donley during his time at N17.

Now, Tottenham technical director Johan Lange has spoken about three youngsters he expects will be ready to push for the first team in pre-season.

Will Lankshear, Luca Gunter and Yang Min-Hyeok will be ‘ready to compete’ for Tottenham first-team spot

Lange spoke about Will Lankshear, Luca Gunter and Yang Min-Hyeok, all of whom left Tottenham on loan in the January transfer window.

The director stressed how important it is to get “regular game time in good environments” and then said they’d be “ready to compete in pre-season” once they’re back.

“I think also in the previous interviews that we have done, the loan market for me is a very important step for the players’ development,” Lange told the Tottenham media team.

“Again, over 80 per cent of all the players making their Premier League debut, starting debut, they have been out on loan.

“If you take some of the most important players in this club’s history, they have also had a loan as part of their development.

“So, to have a strong loan process is very important.

“Now, with Will, Luca and Yang, we felt that it was the right step in their career to go out and have more regular game time in good environments.

“That is an important part. They will then return in the summer and be ready to compete in pre-season.”

Where Lankshear, Gunter and Yang are now playing

Lankshear will be plying his trade for West Bromwich Albion from now until the end of the season.

The Baggies currently sit sixth in the Championship table on 44 points, so Lankshear will hope to get them over the line and into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Gunter has gone out on loan at National League outfit Wealdstone FC, who are currently 21st in the table.

With the bottom four teams being relegated, Gunter will be looking to keep his side in the fifth tier.

Finally, Yang has gone out on loan to Queens Park Rangers, who sit 13th in the Championship table.

QPR are on 41 points, just three behind sixth-placed West Brom, so an exciting playoff race is on the cards for over half of the division.

Daniel Levy and ENIC have been testing the market’s appetite for investment in Tottenham long before Ange Postecoglou’s team slid to 14th place in the Premier League.

The chairman – who also owns just less than 30 per cent of ENIC Sports, the club’s parent company – has been open to offers for either a full or partial takeover for several years.

Since last April, however, that stance has been ratcheted up a few notches as Daniel Levy confirmed that he had enlisted the Rothschild bank to actively search for new investment in Spurs.

So far, Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners are the only group whose interest has been reliably reported, with the financier confirming that she has been in talks with an unnamed Premier League club.

Previously, there have been many names linked with Tottenham, from private individuals to major players in the worlds of private equity and sovereign wealth.

Some reports have speciously suggested that Spurs’ league position under Ange Postecoglou coupled with the general malaise around the club could scare off would-be buyers.

That is inaccurate, with investors instead basing their valuations of the club on underlying financial metrics, its assets and liabilities, and less tangible factors such as the North Londoners’ global brand.

In any case, football is a fickle game.

Tottenham fans are, broadly speaking, happy with the club’s January transfer window activity, with Levy leaving it late but ultimately following the signing of Antonin Kinsky with Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

And with Spurs only needing to avoid defeat against Liverpool tomorrow and win one more League Cup match for a first trophy in 17 years, the mood music in N17 could change rapidly in the coming weeks.

Granted, that is a fair bit of conjecture, and how long the fanbase would park its legitimate concerns about the owners is uncertain.

But Tottenham, the 7th-richest club in world football last season by revenue, remain one of the most attractive assets in world football from an investment perspective regardless.

News from France earlier in the year suggested that Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) could revive their interest in Spurs.

To gauge the likelihood of that, TBR Football spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance lecturer and industry insider Kieran Maguire.

Daniel Levy’s negotiating style could be an issue for QSI, says finance expert

There have been mixed signals coming from the Parc de Prince with regards to Qatar’s commitment to 12-time Ligue 1 champions PSG.

On the one hand, they have just renewed their lucrative sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways, the national airline of the Gulf state.

On the other, it has also been reliably reported in France that the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani is willing to listen to takeover offers at the right price.

QSI president Naser Al-Khelaifi has a strong relationship with Levy, who he sits alongside on the board of the European Club Association.

Qatar Sports Investment were also reportedly in talks with Levy to acquire a stake in the club back in 2023.

The club itself denied those reports, although suggestions that QSI remain interested have persisted.

However, Maguire thinks Levy’s infamously obstinate negotiating style could be a barrier, with the 62-year-old reportedly valuing Spurs at around £3.75bn.

“I think Spurs are the perfect proposition for any significant investor with cash to burn,” the Price of Football author told TBR.

“All of the investment can go into talent recruitment because Spurs have got a 21st-century stadium, so you aren’t diverted by cash going elsewhere.

“The club is in London, so they have the benefits that brings for a variety of stakeholders in the game.

“A football stadium is a very good place to do business You have got the football as the backdrop for the deals that are taking place.

“Really, it is the case that Levy has tried to hold out for too much on deals in the past, however.

“Clearly, they are still waiting on the naming rights for the new stadium. Then, you have Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous comments about him as well.

“The downside is that if you do go into negotiations, does the prospective buyer end up walking away from the table because of intransigence on the sale side.”

What Sir Alex Ferguson said about talks with Tottenham’s Levy

Levy is a fierce negotiator and, from ENIC’s perspective, justifies his goliath salary.

But while his approach to haggling has proved effective in many cases, there have been just as many instances where it has left Spurs fans frustrated.

In his 2015 autobiography, legendary Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recounted what it was like to negotiate with Levy.

“That whole experience was more painful than my hip replacement,” he said of the process that eventually led United to sign then Spurs forward Dimitar Berbatov.