TBR Football

Joe Hart’s time at Tottenham was a very strange period for both the player and the club.

Hart had been the England number one just a few years prior, but he decided to join Tottenham as the number two behind Hugo Lloris.

Hart had a tough time at Tottenham. He barely played for Spurs, and Micah Richards even felt sorry for Hart during his time in north London.

Hart’s departure from Spurs wasn’t much better either. Hart felt harshly treated by Nuno Espirito Santo when he left Spurs for Celtic, and he departed under something of a dark cloud.

However, it wasn’t all bad for Hart at Tottenham, the goalkeeper got to play with some incredible players during his time at Spurs.

Joe Hart loved his time with Gareth Bale at Tottenham, and now, speaking to BeIN Sports, He’s hailed Harry Kane.

Joe Hart hails Harry Kane

Hart spoke about what it was like to play alongside Kane for England and Tottenham.

The goalkeeper says that he initially didn’t get the hype around Kane, but, eventually, he realised he was a world-class player during his time at Tottenham.

“Who was the best striker in an England shirt?” Hart was asked.

“Harry Kane. He really was a high level operator. I met him at the start of his England career and it was like ‘how is Harry Kane getting in the England squad?’ Because of what I’d seen,’ Hart said.

“Then I met Kane and thought ‘he’s good.’ Two years later he was one of the best and two years later he was still getting better. I worked with him at Tottenham in 2020 and I thought he was a world-class operator, at a high level.”

Harry Kane record vs Joe Hart

Hart says that Kane was a world-class player at Spurs, and he’s not wrong.

Kane is Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer, and inevitably, a few of those goals came against Hart.

Interestingly, despite their careers overlapping a fair bit, Kane only ever played against Hart five times in his career.

However, in those five games, Kane did manage to score three goals against the former England goalie.

Hart says he truly realised Kane was world-class when he played alongside him at Tottenham, and that does make sense.

Indeed, as good as Kane was for Tottenham in the big games, he was also incredible in training.

Ben Davies said Kane was Spurs’ best trainer during his time at the club, while Danny Rose also said Kane was brilliant in training.

Kane was an incredible player for Spurs, and, as Hart says, he was world-class.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are extremely disappointed about missing out on the signature of Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs have been on the lookout for a new attacker in this window, and Kolo Muani emerged as Ange Postecoglou’s top striker target.

The Frenchman had become surplus to requirements at Paris Saint-Germain despite only joining the club 18 months ago. TBR revealed back in November that PSG were ready to let Kolo Muani go in the winter window.

Now, the striker has made his decision – Kolo Muani wants to join Juventus instead of Tottenham.

Tottenham are ‘hugely disappointed’ after Randal Kolo Muani rejected them

TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been informed that Tottenham have been left ‘gutted’ after missing out on Kolo Muani.

Spurs spent much of this month in talks with the 25-year-old striker, with club chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange personally taking on negotiations.

Tottenham believed that they were close to a deal last week, but Juventus made a push for Kolo Muani and he was persuaded that a switch to Turin was the right move for him.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told TBR Football that Spurs have been left ‘hugely disappointed’ and are ‘gutted’ at not being able to get the deal over the line.

We also understand that France head coach Didier Deschamps – who previously played for Juventus and Tottenham’s fierce rivals Chelsea – was asked for his advice about which club to join.

Kolo Muani has a close relationship with Deschamps, who has handed him 27 international caps for France and has made him their main striker.

Tottenham’s plan of action after missing out on Kolo Muani

TBR can confirm that Kolo Muani is a striker Tottenham had been working on signing since October.

Spurs were looking for a quality player, one who was available on the market and would improve their squad. Kolo Muani checked all the boxes, but he is off to Juventus now.

We can confirm that Tottenham are not desperate for a new striker after missing out on Kolo Muani. They are open to opportunities in attack, but it is not a priority for Postecoglou.

The focus is on defensive reinforcements, where Spurs have had a lot of injury issues with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies all sidelined.

For Tottenham supporters who think Daniel Levy’s conservative approach is holding the club back, a takeover from an oil-rich Middle Eastern benefactor might sound like a dream.

Later this year, Levy will celebrate his 25th anniversary as Tottenham chairman. Not bad going for a former investment banker who was initially only supposed to have the job on an interim basis.

His critics, whose voices have grown louder and louder in recent weeks as Ange Postecoglou’s side have won one of their last eight matches, probably won’t mark the occasion with champagne and bunting.

To them, Levy’s background as a former investment banker is indicative of his motivations at Spurs.

Most estimates suggest Spurs – in whom Levy personally owns a 29 per cent stake – have appreciated in value by a staggering 6,000 per cent since ENIC took full control of the club for around £45m in 2001.

For context, Levy has picked up £51m in wages since he assumed his position as chairman after that date.

Like every other Premier League club besides Manchester United, Spurs do not pay a dividend and therefore the business model is one of capital growth.

In layman’s terms, Levy and ENIC will one day flip the club for an astonishing profit.

They aren’t there yet and have given every indication that they think there is still considerable upside to be achieved. They are, however, looking for fresh investment in Spurs.

Amanda Staveley, formerly of Newcastle United, is interested in Tottenham as a potential minority equity option. Although, the 51-year-old financier has also explored AS Monaco and other alternatives.

In truth, it has been an open secret in the world of football finance that the North Londoners have been on the market for some time, either for minority or majority investment.

TBR Football is aware of at least three groups from the private equity sphere who have conducted due diligence on a potential full takeover, for example.

That might sound promising for Spurs fans who want to see the back of the current regime, but they shouldn’t get their hopes up just yet.

It’s true that Levy and ENIC, who are no longer formally associated with Joe Lewis following his conviction for insider trading in 2023, will listen to any offers that match their ‘exit value’.

However, that exit value is believed to be astronomically high.

£3.75bn is the number that TBR is hearing, which seems ambitious, even if the graph of Premier League club valuations invariably trends up and to the right.

Over the years, several groups and individuals have been linked with some form of investment in Spurs. Some more reliably than others.

One of the most evocative names quoted was a group from Qatar who rank among the most powerful forces in football.

And developments this week have seen some Spurs fans, as well as those in the mergers and acquisitions industry, to revisit those reports.

Qatar Sports Investment chief’s personal visit from Daniel Levy

Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the sovereign wealth fund which owns Paris Saint-Germain, are headed up by president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

Al-Khelaifi, a former professional tennis player, is also the head of the influential European Club Association and Premier League broadcaster BeIN Sports.

A divisive figure, no doubt, especially with Crystal Palace and Lyon co-owner John Textor who, as he repeatedly expressed in foul-mouthed terms, is no fan of the 51-year-old.

In 2023, QSI were linked with investing in Spurs.

Al-Khelaifi enjoys a strong relationship with Levy and the pair are known to have met to discuss business and governance on a number of occasions.

The most recent came when Levy flew to Paris to negotiate the would-be signing of Randal Kolo Muani from PSG, although it appears the attacker is now close to joining Juventus on loan.

But the fact that Levy had carte blanche to visit Al-Khelaifi in person is emblematic of the excellent relations between the pair.

If Levy did want to cash in on his Spurs stake, it would be no surprise to see him court the Qatari and his backers, even if UEFA’s conflict of interest rules relating to dual ownership would make things complicated.

Who else has been linked with Tottenham investment?

Besides Al-Khelaifi’s QSI and Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners, a range of other investors have been loosely linked with investing in Spurs.

New York-headquartered private equity firm MSP Sports Capital enlisted a research firm to explore the possibility of buying the club outright in 2023, although they are not believed to be currently in the running.

Another Qatari, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose name readers may recognise from his failed bid to buy Manchester United, has also been named as a potential suitor.

Liberty Media, the world’s most valuable sports empire, are another investment company tentatively suggested as a possible bidder one day.

The Formula One owners, who are now under new management in Derek Chang, already has a link to Spurs via the club’s 15-year commercial deal with the motorsport titans.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani has strongly been linked with moves to both Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus this month.

A few days ago, TBR Football exclusively confirmed Tottenham guaranteed Kolo Muani a starting place over Son-Heung min in the side.

Since heading to PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt, the World Cup finalist’s stock has plummeted in Luis Enrique’s eyes — as he is in desperate need of regular minutes now.

So much so that Randal Kolo Muani has made just two starts in all competitions for the French giants — as it is time for the 26-year-old to look for a fresh start in his career.

Didier Deschamps asked Kolo Muani to leave PSG this January to get more playing time.

But the Frenchman has finally made a decision over his next destination.

Randal Kolo Muani set to snub Tottenham for Juventus loan move

TBR Football revealed Kolo Muani was even offered to Arsenal, which further emphasises the extent to which PSG are hoping to get rid of him this month.

Juventus believed they were Kolo Muani’s first choice as he looks for pastures new this January.

It seems like Juventus were justifiably confident as Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that the versatile forward has decided to make his move to Turin in the next few days in what could be a loan deal with no option or obligation to buy until the end of the season.

Thiago Motta’s side will not shift their attention towards bolstering their defence, despite the report stating that Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Alberto Costa has nearly sealed a deal to sign for the Italian giants.

Tottenham’s advantage over Juventus in signing Kolo Muani was reported to be that they were willing to add him to their roster on a loan deal with an option-to-buy.

Ange Postecoglou had requested Kolo Muani’s addition as well.

But Tottenham have been dealt yet another seismic blow this campaign, as they also languish in 12th place in the Premier League.

With Timo Werner picking up a hamstring injury recently, Spurs’ forward line has further been hampered as well.

Randal Kolo Muani was Tottenham’s “top target”

Journalist David Ornstein revealed that Kolo Muani was Tottenham’s “top target”.

Ornstein reported: “He’s a target for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Juventus, who would all like to sign him on loan until the end of the season.”

“I think PSG would be open to letting him go on a temporary basis despite the fact that he is under contract until the summer of 2028 because he’s just not getting the game time and they want to rebuild the value having signed him just over a year ago for a deal worth €90 million (£75.9 million).”

David Ornstein added: “I’m told that Tottenham see him as their top target for a versatile attacker.”

“Manchester United are looking at multiple options and Juventus are in the equation too. Those three clubs are being presented to me as being the leading contenders in this moment in time.”

However, it looks like Juventus have stolen a march on Tottenham in the race for Kolo Muani now.

Ange Postecoglou has every reason to be frustrated as the Lilywhites have tough tests in store against Arsenal, Everton, Brentford and Manchester United in particular in their four out of their five next league games.

Spurs fans will be hoping that their recruitment team had other forwards lined up in case Kolo Muani would opt to sign for Juventus — which looks to be the case now.

Ange Postecoglou looks to be forming a strong bond with one of Tottenham Hotspur’s players who he was looking to sell in the summer.

Postecoglou shared a very funny moment with the player before Spurs’ FA Cup clash with Tamworth on the weekend.

The Australian manager has been forced to bring back players from the cold due to his team’s extensive injury crisis and this player has been a great beneficiary of that.

Ange Postecoglou’s funny moment with Djed Spence before Tamworth

Alasdair Gold has revealed that Djed Spence had a funny exchange with Ange Postecoglou before Tottenham’s game against Tamworth on Sunday.

Spence rocked up to The Lamb Ground sporting sunglasses and a woolly hat much to the amusement of his manager.

Postecoglou does not often engage in small talk but appeared to share a joke with Spence and his players about the defender’s headwear.

Gold said on YouTube: “We know Postecoglou doesn’t do small talk but there was a funny moment when it was him and a couple of the players, Djed Spence was one of them.

“Djed was standing there and he was there with sunglasses on and this big woolly hat, sat high up on his head but Ange was just a bit obsessed with it and he kept looking and laughing. He said something to Spence which made him laugh and it was so ‘un-Ange-like’.

“You see him say the odd thing to players but this was quite unusual, but who knows maybe there is an Ange-Djed relationship forming.”

Djed Spence and Ange Postecoglou forming a strong bond

The Tottenham journalist thinks Spence and Postecoglou are starting to develop a bond which is quite a turnaround from Spence nearly being sold in the summer.

The £20 million man has had to be patient waiting for his chance under the Spurs manager but now he is flourishing.

“Go back to when he was getting a tough time from the away fans [against Bournemouth] and it was Djed Spence who came over and put his arm around him,” added Gold

“Who knows maybe they’ve forged this kind of bond now. Ange is playing him every week and he’s been terrific.”

Djed Spence has enjoyed a resurgence at Tottenham in recent weeks.

Having struggled to nail down a starting role under Antonio Conte – failing to even start one Premier League game under the Italian – the England U21 international has taken his chance this season after an injury crisis was bestowed upon Ange Postecoglou.

Spence shackled Mohamed Salah as Tottenham recorded a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final last week, in what was a very impressive performance.

The Tottenham No.24 delivered again on Sunday, coming off the bench for extra-time to help Spurs record a 3-0 win over Tamworth in the FA Cup.

During that FA Cup third round clash, some might have noticed Djed Spence wearing a blue star on his face – something he has also done on other occasions – but why is that? Let’s take a look.

Star on Djed Spence’s face is a pimple patch

The star you can see on the 24-year-old’s face sometimes is actually a pimple patch.

They are called Starface World Hydro-Stars, and are used to get rid of acne, zits and blemishes quickly.

Who is Djed Spence’s sister?

The Londoner also has a famous sister in Karla-Simone Spence.

Aged 28, the British actress is best known for appearing in the film Blue Story and The Confessions of Frannie Langton on ITV.

Spence also appeared in the BBC series Gold Digger and Wannabe.

Who is Djed Spence’s agent?

Spence – who Tottenham almost sold – is represented by CAA Base, an agency who have very close ties to Tottenham.

CAA Base also represent James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison and Heung-min Son.

Is Djed Spence Jamaican?

Another commonly searched question on Google regarding Spence is whether or not he is Jamaican.

The Tottenham defender was born in England, but does have a Jamaican father and a Kenyan mother.

His full name is Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping that he can field the strongest possible Arsenal side to face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby on Wednesday.

Heading into the fierce rivalry, Arsenal have far more pressure on their shoulders than Spurs.

All eyes are on Mikel Arteta as the world awaits to witness how the Gunners respond after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Paul Merson predicted Arsenal to beat Tottenham in a clash that he reckons will end 2-0 in favour of the hosts at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal fans were heard booing Martin Odegaard after he delayed a counter-attack against Manchester United, which sums up the frustrations within the fanbase.

Mikel Arteta has had a difficult job on his hands, with his side being struck with multiple injuries that continue to affect them this season as they prepare to go toe-to-toe with Tottenham next.

Bukayo Saka’s injury has hurt Arsenal, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White and Ethan Nwaneri also sidelined.

Gabriel Jesus hit the turf in agony in what seems like an injury that could keep him out for a long time.

Ahead of the North London Derby, Mikel Arteta confirmed that £12 million (Sky Sports) man, Jorginho is fit to play as well as Jurrien Timber, who had suffered cramps against Manchester United.

Arteta confirmed via BeanymanSports: “He [Jorginho] was cramping, honestly, we played extra time, Jurrien was exactly the same so we had a few players struggling to finish the game.”

“He’s [Jorginho] fine.”

Flamengo have approached Arsenal to sign Jorginho, who signed a contract extension in May until the end of the ongoing season.

Mikel Arteta “worried” about Gabriel Jesus injury

Mikel Arteta was quizzed about Jesus’ injury and while the Arsenal boss did not confirm the extent of the Brazilian international’s setback, he expressed his concern.

“We know more now and it’s not looking good at all. But we need to review one more specialist so we’ll probably know more, that was the information this afternoon.”

“I don’t want to confirm anything. Again, until we have the final report this afternoon, it’s the doctor’s job to do that and we were worried straightaway and we are very worried today.”

Arsenal were looking to sell Jesus in January but his latest injury might have impacted their plans to do so.

Mikel Arteta confirms Riccardo Calafiori injury is “not too much” ahead of North London Derby

The Spaniard was asked about whether Riccardo Calafiori could play against Spurs, considering a muscle injury ruled him out against Manchester United.

“Yeah his thing is not too much. But again, we need another day or two.”

“You play every three days and 24 hours become really important because they are not long-term injuries in that case for example so we will have more understanding this afternoon.”

The Italian international’s injury record is certainly concerning, missing 12 games for Arsenal across all competitions in his debut season.

However, Mikel Arteta’s revelation could suggest that Calafiori could at least feature on the bench against Tottenham.

Antonio Conte is looking to sign one of Tottenham Hotspur’s players for Napoli to help aid his team’s push for the Serie A title.

Napoli are currently leading the way in the Italian top flight, although they are about to lose a key player in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Italian club are now looking for replacements and have turned their attention to Conte’s previous team in the last few hours.

Napoli want to sign Timo Werner

Napoli have started exploring a deal to sign Tottenham winger Timo Werner on loan, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

There have been exploratory contacts for the German forward who is currently on loan from RB Leipzig at the Premier League club, who have an £8.5m buy option.

Spurs do not want to let Werner leave before the North London derby due to injuries, however, after the match, that stance could change.

Following their clash with Arsenal, the Lilywhites could give the green light for Werner to leave and to find a new club to spend the remainder of the season on loan.

The 28-year-old has been very underwhelming in North London this season with Werner’s display against Tamworth being questioned.

Tottenham have been chasing a deal for Randal Kolo Muani and they will surely hope that accelerates if they were to let Werner leave this month.

What is the latest with Randal Kolo Muani to Tottenham?

TBR Football understands that Juventus believe they are now Randal Kolo Muani’s first choice ahead of Tottenham.

Tottenham held extensive talks for Kolo Muani last week, however, Juve look to have pulled ahead being able to offer Champions League football and after the player spoke to French boss Didier Deschamps.

A deal for the 26-year-old is expected to be a loan with an option to buy for around £50 million, which is significantly less than the 76 million PSG paid back in 2023.

James Maddison, 28 is one of the senior members in Tottenham Hotspur’s squad.

Playing over 200 Premier League games and being a part of Spurs’ leadership group, James Maddison must be a role-model to several of his younger teammates.

Both on and off the pitch, the Tottenham midfielder has taken on the responsibility with aplomb.

Tamworth goalkeeper Jasbir Singh lauded Maddison for giving the National League side’s players the time of day after winning 3-0 at The Lamb Ground in the FA Cup.

Maddison’s message to Tottenham fans after his side’s 6-3 defeat against Liverpool also spoke volumes of his character as he assured the supporters that the players were as disappointed.

A young player like Alfie Dorrington would certainly look up to the former Leicester City playmaker.

James Maddison congratulates “brilliant lad” Alfie Dorrington on Aberdeen loan

Recently, Ange Postecoglou confirmed Tottenham’s plans for Dorrington was to send him out on loan.

The 19-year-old has now secured a loan move to Aberdeen until the remainder of the season.

Maddison went on loan to the Scottish side in 2016 as well from Norwich City.

The Spurs technician went on X to send a classy message to Dorrington after he followed in his footsteps.

Maddison wrote: “Best of luck mate. Brilliant lad going to a brilliant club! Good luck all.”

It seems like the Tottenham hierarchy hold the young centre-back in very high esteem, with Dorrington making his Premier League debut against Southampton last month.

After all, the Lilywhites have extended the Englishman’s contract until 2029 as well, as he now has a chance to get regular playing time at Aberdeen.

The highly-rated defender will certainly benefit from his first loan spell, getting a first taste of senior football and finding out where he stands amongst seasoned professionals.

Alfie Dorrington is rated very highly at Tottenham

As Tottenham have undergone an injury crisis at the back, it was a surprise not to see Dorrington given a chance to start.

Archie Gray has impressed Ange Postecoglou at centre-back but it is important to note that he is a natural midfielder.

Meanwhile, Tottenham fans remain unconvinced by Radu Dragusin and yet, the former Celtic boss has stuck with the two as his go-to centre-back pairing during this instead of giving a talented young prospect like Dorrington a chance.

However, journalist Alasdair Gold assured that Tottenham rate Dorrington, despite the fact that Ange Postecoglou has chosen not to give him a few starts while missing key players at the back.

“Why hasn’t someone like Alfie Dorrington been given those minutes? I just wonder whether Postecoglou doesn’t rate him highly enough, which is interesting, because there is a feeling within Spurs that he has something about him.”

“Again, maybe some people think he deserves a chance at Spurs, but yeah, it surprised me, that.”

Perhaps Postecoglou did not wish to throw the young Dorrington into the firing line.

The Tottenham youngster could very well become a crucial squad player next season if he impressed at Aberdeen, which is why he should be excited about playing in the Scottish Premiership.

To date, Raheem Sterling’s time at Arsenal has been something of a conundrum.

After signing the Chelsea winger on loan, former Arsenal sporting director Edu admitted that he didn’t plan to sign Sterling at the beginning of the summer transfer window.

Sterling was an opportunistic signing when it became apparent that Reiss Nelson could move to Fulham on loan, a supposed upgrade on the winger.

Since he arrived, Sterling has played only 506 minutes for Arsenal in 12 appearances, most of which have come in the cups.

Put bluntly, Sterling expected a bigger role at Arsenal.

His 80 minutes against Manchester United in Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat on Sunday felt like his most significant yet, the first proper opportunity he’s had in an important fixture.

Mikel Arteta needs to take Raheem Sterling gamble for North London Derby

Reviewing Sterling’s performance, it was something of a mixed bag.

The winger immediately made an impact, he clearly came on with determination to make a difference – he wasn’t going to be a bystander by any means.

But it’s odd to say that a 30-year-old, four time Premier League winner with 82 caps for England, looked a bit raw.

He was getting his head down and running at his fullback repeatedly, a move that worked once or twice, but was then quickly worked out by United’s defenders.

Either way, Sterling deserves the chance to start against Tottenham in the North London Derby.

If it’s a choice between Sterling’s unpredictability or Leandro Trossard’s predictable six out of 10 performance, then Mikel Arteta simply has to gamble.

Sterling might not be as astute defensively as Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli, but he’s got a better record against Spurs than any other member of Arsenal’s squad.

Raheem Sterling has more goals against Tottenham than any Arsenal player

Against Tottenham, Sterling has scored eight goals in 25 appearances, also assisting five times.

The winger has beaten Spurs more often than not when playing for Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the past, a record he added to in his 10 minutes for Arsenal during their 1-0 win away in N17 earlier this season.

At this point, it almost feels as if Arteta has little to lose, he needs to take a gamble when it comes to adding creativity and scoring power up top.

Sterling was electric at times against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, even if it was a slightly incomplete performance.

But if the Chelsea winger can thrive against Tottenham, it could then inspire a run of three of four excellent performances for Sterling, which would be vital for Arteta right now.

Of course, if Sterling struggles against Spurs, there’s then the option to bring Trossard on as a substitute, who arguably fares better in the role anyway.