TBR Football

In recent years, Tottenham Hotspur have made a real name for themselves as a club that turns young talents into stars.

The likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall all arrived at N17 as relative unknowns and are now established first-teamers.

In addition, Tottenham are now making the most of their academy, with the likes of Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear and Damola Ajayi making an impact.

Although the Mathys Tel to Tottenham transfer dominated deadline day headlines, Spurs secured another signing who looks like he has a bright future ahead.

The signing in question is Mason Melia, who will be swapping Irish club St Pat’s Athletic for Tottenham in 11 months’ time.

St Pat’s boss Stephen Kenny has sung Melia’s praises as he told Spurs fans what they can expect from the young forward.

Tottenham signing Mason Melia deemed a ‘phenomenal’ talent and top goalscorer

Kenny was eager to sing Melia’s praises as he described the 17-year-old as a “terrific talent” with an “exceptional attitude”.

The former Republic of Ireland boss lauded Melia’s work ethic, his progress, his hold-up play and, crucially, how good he is in front of goal.

“Mason is a terrific talent with an exceptional attitude and a real appetite for hard work,” Kenny said on the official St Pat’s website.

“He has had a dramatic impact for one so young, his performances in our Conference League games playing as a central striker against high calibre opposition were of real quality.

“Every day on the training ground he shows a high work ethic and a capacity to take on information quickly and he grasps the tactical requirements depending on the game in question.

“His pressing out of possession is phenomenal and his pace offers a real threat and adds a dimension to our attacking play.

“His hold up play has been his greatest improvement over the last six months as his continues to develop physically.

“First and foremost he is a goalscorer, he scored some brilliant goals last season, and different types of goals and has shown a capacity to play anywhere along the front 3.

“Mason has repeated those performances at international level for Ireland and has a bright future ahead for his country.

“We are looking forward to Mason continuing to be an integral part of the St Patrick’s Athletic team for the 2025 season.”

“And we wish him every success at Tottenham Hotspur from January 2026 onwards, in the next phase of his career in what is a brilliant opportunity for him.”

The other big clubs Tottenham beat to sign Mason Melia as Spurs legend comparison made

Journalist David Sneyd recently revealed that Tottenham had some stiff competition for Melia.

He said Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic and Everton were interested in signing the teenager.

In Melia, Tottenham have got themselves a player who has been compared to Harry Kane.

Football Talent Scout have reported that Melia’s finishing and movement are particularly strong traits, along with heading.

Melia has become the first League of Ireland player to command a million-pound fee by signing for Tottenham.

Tottenham are paying €2million (£1.6million) for his signature in a deal that could rise up to €4 million (£3.3million).

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a number of new striker options in recent times.

Indeed, Spurs are looking for a new centre-forward, and while Mathys Tel joined on deadline day, Tottenham could still look at another new striker in the summer.

Jonathan David has been linked to Tottenham ahead of his contract expiring in the summer, while Tottenham are set to be in the race to sign Liam Delap too.

Speaking to the BBC, Theo Walcott has been discussing Delap after his fantastic season for Ipswich, and he made a comment that may interest Spurs supporters.

Indeed, Walcott said that Delap is a top striker, and he even went as far as to compare the Ipswich Town striker to Tottenham legend, Harry Kane.

Liam Delap is similar to Harry Kane

Walcott spoke about Delap when naming the most exciting young players in the Premier League.

The pundit said that Delap is an old-school number nine, comparing him to Harry Kane.

Delap has also been linked to Chelsea recently.

“Liam Delap I believe he’s an old-school number nine, a bit similar to Harry Kane. He always is a threat in behind, he causes defenders all sorts of problems, he likes to work hard and gets a lot of goals. Put him in a team, no disrespect to Ipswich, but put him in a team that provides a lot more chances, he’s going to have a very, very successful career,” Walcott said.

Liam Delap breakout season compared to Harry Kane’s

Delap is having a great season so far for Ipswich Town, and it’s very reminiscent of Kane’s breakout year at Tottenham.

Indeed, Kane became a star almost overnight at Spurs despite the fact he struggled in the Championship during various loan spells.

Kane and Delap weren’t great in the Championship, but, upon getting chances in the Premier League, they thrived.

Of course, Kane did have a better breakout year than Delap, but, as Walcott suggested, Delap is playing in a team that doesn’t create anywhere near as many chances as a side like Tottenham.

Delap could become a superstar if he joins a top club, and who knows? Perhaps he could follow in Kane’s footsteps and become Spurs’ first-choice striker.

Tottenham Hotspur fans around the world would have been hoping that Micky van de Ven is fit to start in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Van de ven was benched against Brentford as a precaution as the Dutch defender did not feet fully fit to play.

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping that Micky van de Ven can feature against Liverpool as he is arguably their most important player — letting Spurs set up with their much-discussed high line as his recovery pace is second to none.

Liverpool are known to be quite direct and if they can get in behind Tottenham’s defence, they could run riot in the former VfL Wolfsburg centre-back’s absence.

With the Lilywhites leading 1-0 after the first leg, the prospect of Arne Slot’s side staging a comeback would be one that they would be fearful of.

Micky van de Ven ruled out of Liverpool vs Tottenham clash

Tottenham’s players are driven by the cup competitions this season but Van de Ven’s presence will be key to their success.

The 23-year-old is not only a commanding figure at the back but also a leader on the pitch who could help a young Spurs side handle the pressure of such a high-profile occasion.

Unfortunately for Tottenham fans, Van de Ven has been ruled out of their clash against Liverpool by Ange Postecoglou, alongside Cristian Romero.

Postecoglou said via Tottenham’s official website: “He got through the game [Elfsborg] , no problem but the Premier League is a whole different beast.”

“But, after losing Radu, I sat down and thought about what we had ahead of us still… I feel like we’ve got to be more conservative.”

“Don’t get me wrong, we have a couple of massive games this week for sure but we have also afforded ourselves a couple of weeks without midweek fixtures. Beyond that, Europe kicks in, which is massive for us, hopefully we’re in a final in the Carabao Cup, hopefully we’re still in the FA Cup. I just don’t see the sense right now in risking that.”

Tottenham signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are available to face Liverpool

The good news is that Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel are available for selection against Liverpool.

Postecoglou said via Football.London: “For availability from last week, everyone fine. Kevin and Mathys are both available and have trained. The rest of them, no one available for tomorrow. With Micky and Romero to a certain extent, it’s about being conservative with them.”

“Micky got through the 45 minutes but he feels he’s not ready yet for the step up to the Premier League yet. Obviously a big shame to lose Radu.”

Tel and Danso could instantly go down as Tottenham heroes if they set the world alight on their debuts and lead Spurs to a famous win; kicking their careers off in style at Spurs and give themselves the perfect confidence boost heading into their subsequent Premier League games as well.

It seems like Tottenham Hotspur are starting to gain a reputation for being a brilliant destination for young players to develop.

Under Ange Postecoglou in particular, Spurs have signed several talented young players such as Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Antonin Kinsky and now Mathys Tel as well.

With Tottenham yet to become an elite side, youngsters who sign for them have a chance to play regular football much faster than at other clubs — as exemplified by how much Bergvall and Gray in particular have played this season.

On Tuesday, Tottenham signed Mason Melia from St Patrick’s Athletic to join one of the many youngsters at their disposal too. Melia is considered a hugely talented striker and it seems like Tottenham have wasted no time in ensuring that he develops in N17.

Man City, Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, Everton and Celtic were keen on Tottenham signing Mason Melia

Perhaps one of the reasons why the Lilywhites signed Melia, 17 at such a young age is to oversee his development and put him in the ringer against some of their prodigious youngsters.

Ultimately, it is a low-risk signing from Tottenham that could potentially turn out to be a masterstroke one day.

Interestingly, journalist David Sneyd revealed that Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic and Everton were “interested” in signing the teenager.

It has been claimed that City “tried” to sign Melia last year as well — who scored 10 goals in 54 outings for St. Patrick’s Athletic.

Tottenham new-boy Mason Melia is a record-breaker for two reasons

As Melia has now joined Tottenham, their supporters will be interested to know all there is to discover about the teenage talent.

Signing for Spurs, the youngster has become the first League of Ireland player to command a million-pound fee — with the North Londoners paying €2 million (£1.6 million) for his signature in a deal that could rise up to €4 million (£3.3 million).

Secondly, Melia also became the youngest-ever player to score in the League of Ireland at 15 years of age.

It seems like Tottenham are signing a forward who could be destined for big things.

Tottenham Hotspur’s injury crisis doesn’t seem to becoming to an end anytime soon.

As Ange Postecoglou said, every time it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it ends up being an oncoming train.

Kevin Danso arrived at Tottenham this week, and it looked like Spurs’ defensive prayers had been answered.

However, less then 24 hours later, Radu Dragusin was ruled out for the season.

So, the big question is, when are Spurs’ main defenders back?

Micky van de Ven is set to return soon, but according to Jack Pitt-Brooke, speaking on The View from The Lane, there isn’t such positive news to share about Cristian Romero.

Cristian Romero return not getting closer

Pitt-Brooke shared what he knows about Tottenham’s defensive problems.

According to the journalist, there’s no suggestion that Romero is getting any closer to a return ahead of Spurs’ crunch clash against Liverpool.

Pitt-Brooke also said that there may well be a lack of confidence around Spurs about Romero and Van de Ven’s long-term fitness.

“Romero doesn’t sound like he’s getting any closer. Van de Ven obviously was due to play on Sunday at Brentford, and then did not, and Postecoglou said that he changed his mind. Maybe it would make sense to be precautionary in the context of Romero and Dragusin but I don’t, I think if Tottenham were confident about the fitness of their specialist centre backs, I don’t think they would have tried to side Danso plus another,” Pitt-Brooke said.

The centre-backs Tottenham tried to sign

Tottenham are going to be without Romero for a little while longer, and that is awful news for Spurs.

However, this could all have been avoided if Tottenham’s January transfer window went to plan.

Indeed, Spurs did want to bring in another centre-back in the winter.

Tottenham made a bid for Marc Guehi, while Axel Disasi was also a Tottenham target late in the day.

Spurs were in talks to sign Milan Skriniar at one point too.

Unfortunately, Tottenham couldn’t get either of those deals done, and they have to make due with what they have, which, in all honesty, is very little.

Spurs’ lack of depth in defence has been a massive problem this season, and it could well be something Liverpool look to exploit in the Carabao Cup this week too.

Mathys Tel is certainly arriving at Tottenham Hotspur bearing the weight of a lot of expectation, the man tasked with spicing up Ange Postecoglou’s attack.

It would seem that Tel has been frustrated about his playing chances at Bayern Munich, and he’s coming to Tottenham to show how good he is.

Spurs have parted with a hefty loan fee for Tel’s services over the next four months, perhaps hoping that they might be able to convince the Frenchman to stay thereafter.

Tottenham have an option to buy Tel included in their loan deal, but the 19-year-old would obviously need to agree to any move as well.

That being said, Tel might make his debut against Liverpool on Thursday, in what is a crucial game for Postecoglou moving forward.

Johan Lange thinks Mathys Tel can bring the good times back to Tottenham

Ahead of that game, Spurs technical director Johan Lange has spoken about the club’s capture of Tel.

And in the interview, Lange interestingly said that he hopes Tel can be ‘set free’ in N17, a forward who will be afforded a good amount of minutes immediately.

Lange said: “Mathys is a fantastic talent. He’s in a very unique group of players who, at a young age, have already played a lot of football at a very high level.

“I think he’s played around 60 games in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, in the Champions League, he’s played 15 or 16 times for Bayern already, at the age of 19.

“He’s a versatile attacking player who has the X-factor. Hopefully, he will bring excitement to the stadium.

“He’s a player all of us can’t wait to set free at our club, and hopefully, we will share many fantastic experiences together in the future.”

Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso preparing for Liverpool clash

Of course, it’s interesting to note that Chelsea tried to steal Tel from Tottenham on deadline day, but they were ultimately too late to change his decision.

Arsenal also wanted Tel, even if they eventually stepped out of the race for the Bayern youngster.

Surprisingly, some have concluded that Tottenham made a mistake signing Tel, concluding that other areas of the squad needed more pressing attention.

The arrival of Kevin Danso will certainly be a boost for Postecoglou in terms of not having to play so many players out of position at the back.

Tottenham Hotspur could still lose players even after the transfer window has closed and one of Ange Postecoglou’s defenders is being linked with a move away.

Tottenham enjoyed a busy end to the transfer window as Mathys Tel was signed from Bayern Munich whilst Kevin Danso completed a £21m move from Lens.

Spurs didn’t move on many players during the window with only Will Lankshear leaving from West Brom on loan and Yang Min-hyeok also departed on loan to QPR.

But there remains a chance that Spurs could shift one of their defenders with the transfer window still open in different parts of Europe.

Sergio Reguilon targeted by Galatasaray and Besiktas

Sergio Reguilon is wanted by both Galatasaray and Besiktas with the Turkish Super Lig continuing to target high-profile names, according to AS.

The transfer window remains open in Turkey until February 12 and two of their top clubs are looking to do a deal for the £32m Tottenham defender.

Reguilon came close to leaving Spurs towards the end of the transfer window with AS Monaco attempting to land him.

Crystal Palace were also offered the chance to sign Reguilon but the Eagles instead signed Ben Chilwell on loan from Chelsea.

Now, the 28-year-old has offers from Turkey, however, Tottenham are not yet open to letting him leave given the injury situation with Ange Postecoglou’s squad.

The North London club have not yet opened to the departure of the Spanish international despite having the chance to shift his salary off the books.

Destiny Udogie’s return could allow for Sergio Reguilon’s departure

Paul O’Keefe reports that Destiny Udogie could return from injury in the next ten days as he recovers from a thigh injury.

The Italian has been sidelined with the injury since going off against Wolves on December 29 but he is now close to being back available.

Udogie being back would leave Tottenham with two left-back plus Archie Gray who can also play meaning Reguilon may be allowed to leave.

After failing to sign any outfield player for most of the winter transfer window, Tottenham truly kicked things up a notch as we approached deadline day.

Firstly, Spurs signed Kevin Danso in a £21m move from RC Lens – hijacking an agreement with Wolves – before Mathys Tel followed the Austrian and Antonin Kinsky to N17.

The north Londoners were also busy in terms of youth recruitment in the final hours of the window, with Spurs signing Luca Furnell-Gill from Liverpool, while Tottenham also took Reiss Russell-Denney from Chelsea.

However, Tottenham then sealed a deal to bring Mason Melia to N17 from St Patrick’s Athletic – in an under the radar signing fans should actually be very excited about.

Tottenham could have Harry Kane 2.0 in Mason Melia

Spurs have signed the 17-year-old for an initial £1.6m from the Irish Premier Division outfit.

It is a record fee for a League of Ireland player.

The Tottenham Hotspur Academy announced the deal on X (previously known as Twitter) – which strongly suggests Melia will not immediately link up with Ange Postecoglou once his contract begins in January 2026 – although given the teenager’s immense talent, it may only be a matter of time until he does.

The Republic of Ireland U19 international has actually been compared to Harry Kane by Football Talent Scout – a site dedicated to analysing wonderkids in football – writing that his finishing and movement are particularly strong traits, along with heading.

Spurs have a seriously exciting future

Of course, fans need to see better results now with Tottenham sitting 14th in the Premier League, although there is so much to be excited about for the future.

Not only is a precocious talent in Melia now at Hotspur Way, but the north Londoners have also recently recruited two other exceptional teenage talents in Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham Hotspur were one of the busiest Premier League sides in the final few days of the window, signing both Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

Despite winning 2-0 against Brentford last weekend, Ange Postecoglou is still under serious pressure at Tottenham to improve results and performances.

Daniel Levy appears to be backing his manager, but it remains to be seen how that position may change were Spurs to exit two cup competitions this week.

Tottenham face Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Anfield on Thursday, before then heading to Villa Park on Sunday.

Both Danso and Tel will be available for those games, a welcome boost for Postecoglou who lost Radu Dragusin to a season-ending injury this week.

Stephen Warnock says Tottenham made mistake with Mathys Tel

That being said, Sky Sports pundit Stephen Warnock actually spotted a problem with Spurs’ recruitment of Tel on loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day.

The pundit was reflecting on the move amid interest from Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal in Tel as well.

Ultimately, Warnock concluded that Tel wasn’t the signing that Spurs needed, a club who are still in ‘trouble’.

He said: “From an Arsenal point of view, and this is why I find it a bit strange what Spurs have done, whenever I watch Tel, a lot of his best work comes from that left-hand side.

“So they’ll have looked at that and said, well we’ve got Trossard and Martinelli on that side – he’s not a natural number nine, he’s not your finisher that they desperately need.

“And that’s why I look at him at Spurs and think, well if he plays more off the left predominantly, then that’s where Son plays.

“If they’re going to play him through the middle, once Solanke gets back, he’s not really going to play through the middle, and then you’ve got Son on the left.

“So where does he fit into this system? I found the whole transfer window very odd from Spurs.

“You desperately need two centre midfielders or midfielders, every time you watch Spurs and every time we analyse them on here, it’s how open they are, how wide they are in midfield.

“And I know they’ve got Bergvall and Sarr, they’ve got youngsters and Archie Gray to go into there, but you need someone right now, because Tottenham are in trouble.”

Mathys Tel can be a big success at Tottenham despite his doubters

With all respect to Warnock, a Bundesliga expert has told Tottenham to be excited about Tel, an opinion those in N17 might prefer to read.

Tel could start against Liverpool on Thursday, playing as a number nine in place of Richarlison.

It’s fair to conclude that Son Heung-min will keep his place for now, but when Solanke is fit there might actually be merit for Tel to play on the left.

At 32-years-old, Son hasn’t been at his best this season, even if he is still influencing games positively as club captain.

Either way, it’s a positive problem for Postecoglou, the kind he hasn’t enjoyed too often this season.

Cristian Romero is coming up to a key juncture in his Tottenham Hotspur career as in the summer he will have just two years remaining on his current deal.

Romero has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe, more so given his form for Argentina, and would likely have many elite clubs queuing up to sign him if he became available.

Tottenham are also facing a big decision over Romero as they must choose whether to cash in on him depending on how he reacts to being presented with fresh terms.

But with a club like Real Madrid showing interest in Romero – one big winner from the sale of the 26-year-old could be Spurs’ bitter North London rivals Arsenal.

Cristian Romero’s big Tottenham decision this summer

Cristian Romero’s contract with Tottenham expires in the summer of 2027 meaning he will have two years left in June and must decide whether to commit to a new deal in North London or push for a move to a club like Real Madrid.

Tottenham are keen to offer Romero a new contract, however, at this moment in time, the 26-year-old has shown a reluctance to commit his future.

Discussing the World Cup winner’s future on the Last Word On Spurs, Tottenham insider Paul O’Keefe said: “I think the club would offer him a new deal because he is a quality, quality footballer, so you’re not going to just let him willingly walk out the door. It’s a case of what his relationship with the club is like.

“He’ll have two years left this summer coming, he’s 26 – so basically there could be one opportunity of one last massive move.

“I think for him he’s probably thinking with two years left do I commit the rest of my career to Tottenham if I sign a five-year deal?

“He’s coming into his peak age, so it’s make or break. I think he’s seen Harry (Kane) stay until he’s 30-odd and still searching for trophies at club level.

“My opinion is that he’ll agitate to move this summer, I just think the circumstances, he’s got to look at it selfishly if he gets an opportunity to go to a big Champions League club.

“Real Madrid have a long-standing interest and were warned off by Daniel Levy back last February. I just think for him at his age, it’s make or break time.”

How Romero’s Tottenham future could benefit Arsenal’s William Saliba hopes

Arsenal could greatly benefit from Romero leaving Tottenham as his most likely destination would be Madrid given their long-standing interest.

With two years left on his deal and him showing a reluctance to sign a new contract, Los Blancos will see Romero as being far more attainable than Arsenal’s William Saliba.

Saliba is another player Madrid like and in the summer they are expected to step up their hunt for a new central defender with their eyes on North London.

So if the 15-time European champions were to sign Romero, all of a sudden the Gunners would lose a major competitor to take the Frenchman off their hands.