TBR Football

Dominic Solanke was unavailable for Tottenham’s game against Fulham.

Spurs have had a number of issues with player availability this campaign. Injuries have been really cruel to them, and things got worse in the London derby against Marco Silva’s side.

Solanke, who is one of the first names on the team sheet, was nowhere to be seen when the lineups were announced. Tottenham said that he was out due to illness.

Ange Postecoglou has now revealed what happened on the day of the game.

What actually happened to Dominic Solanke before Tottenham faced Fulham

Solanke trained normally on Saturday ahead of the game against Fulham on Sunday.

Postecoglou had already decided on his team and the striker was set to start. However, there was an unexpected twist on the day of the game.

The Tottenham boss has revealed that Solanke actually came in to join the squad on Sunday, but he was ill. The striker apparently wanted to play, but one look at him confirmed it wouldn’t have been possible.

Postecoglou has claimed that Solanke was so ill that he was even struggling to get out of his car. He was never going to be able to play in that condition, so Tottenham sent him home.

Speaking ahead of the game against Bournemouth, the Australian said, as per Football London: “I’m hoping that extra percentage comes from just him getting back.

“He wanted to play at the weekend too but he couldn’t get out of his car let alone run around the pitch.”

Tottenham take on Bournemouth on Thursday night, and there is a chance Solanke will be fit to play a part against his old club.

Postecoglou said about his fitness on Wednesday: “Dom’s due to train today, he’s still not 100 per cent but he’s definitely improved from the weekend, so we’ll see how he goes through training today.”

Postecoglou drops new striker hint ahead of January window

Tottenham decided against signing an out-and-out striker to replace Harry Kane in 2023, and they only brought in Solanke in this summer’s transfer window.

Spurs have left themselves short in that area of the pitch, and Richarlison’s injury issues combined with Heung-min Son’s drop in form have affected them.

Tottenham could do with a new man up top in January, and Postecoglou has all but confirmed that Spurs will think about strengthening that area of their pitch in 2025.

He said, as per Football London: “There’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows.

“Dom coming in has been great, but again we can’t overload him either, because ultimately, you know, even if he stays fit and nothing happens, performance will invariably drop if his energy levels drop.

“So it’s something we’re aware of and need to plan for.”

Daniel Levy is a polarising figure in N17 and his football expertise has frequently been called into question. His merits a businessman, however, have never been in doubt.

It won’t mean much for supporters desperate for a first trophy since the League Cup triumph in 2008, but Spurs have reached dizzy new heights in the last decade or so as a commercial enterprise.

As well as a portfolio of smart sponsorship deals, the North London club have moved towards becoming an entertainment brand as much as they are a football team.

The statistic that best encapsulates this? Tottenham will host more concerts and other sports events this season than they will home matches for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

With Spurs recently granted a license to host 30 non-football events per year, up from 16, the trend at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set to accelerate in future months and years.

Spurs earned £118m in matchday income in the last financial year meanwhile, which was second only to Man United in the Premier League. Only Chelsea earn more money per spectator.

But with almost all of the league’s top sides either planning, carrying out or just having finished stadium redevelopment projects, the club feel they can’t afford to stand still.

That, the club claim, is the reason they have felt it necessary to take controversial steps such as effectively phasing out concessions ticket prices. Understandably, that sparked protests from bedrock fans.

Looking at it clinically and cynically, that decision is part of Daniel Levy and ENIC’s masterplan to diversify their income – and it is working.

Spurs’ matchday and commercial income as a proportion of their total turnover are increasing and, combined, are almost three times as lucrative as media revenue.

That is significant not because it makes them attractive to potential minority investors, with Amanda Staveley interesting in buying into Spurs, but because most clubs are totally reliant on broadcast cash.

But Levy and his peers in the boardroom are always looking for ways to grow the pie, and the chance for Spurs to get an even bigger slice may have just presented itself.

Daniel Levy gets his wish as 3pm blackout to be scrapped

The Saturday 3pm blackout has been in place since the 1950s.

The embargo on domestic games being broadcast in that timeframe was brought in to protect attendances in the lower leagues.

Previously, other countries in Europe had similar measures in place in accordance with UEFA’s Article 48, which gives them the right to implement a blackout.

However, those nations have dropped off one by one and the UK is now the only remaining country to enforce the moratorium.

As quoted by the Daily Mail back in 2020 when the subject of scrapping the blackout was broached, Spurs chairman and co-owner offered his take.

“Personally, I’m not so wedded to something that is so historic,” said Levy.

“Just because it has always been there doesn’t mean it needs to be there forever. I think it is something that could be looked at in the future.”

The 62-year-old will therefore be pleased by the mood music emerging from Premier League and EFL HQ.

As reported by The Times, English football’s two most powerful bodies are likely to end the broadcast embargo when the next media rights cycle begins in 2026-27.

Currently, the domestic Premier League TV deal is worth a mind-melting £6.7bn over its lifespan, with that pot split between the 20 top flight clubs.

With Levy ready to vote in favour of removing the blackout, Spurs and their peers will be optimistic that they can extract more cash from the next round of negotiations with Sky, TNT, Amazon and others.

Pressure groups meanwhile will continue to argue that such a measure would potentially be a death knell for lower-league sides for whom matchday income is their lifeblood.

Ahead of the January transfer window, can Spurs afford to spend more?

When it comes to football club owners funding new signings, there are three questions to consider.

Can they afford to spend more?

Do they want to spend more?

Are they allowed to spend more?

In Daniel Levy and ENIC’s case, their liquidity (in layman’s terms, how much cash or easily convertible assets they have) is not entirely clear.

However, even if they had hundreds of millions of pounds lying around, the fact that they are seeking fresh capital to fund new infrastructure projects suggests they are not willing to spend it.

That is questions one and two answered.

In terms of whether they are allowed to spend, PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules), few teams have more headroom than Spurs.

ENIC and Levy claim that their focus on increasing revenue will allow Postecoglou and Johan Lange to spend more on recruitment and retention.

But while wage and amortisation expenditure is rising, the gap between their squad cost and total turnover is growing faster.

So if it is only a modest transfer budget available to improve the squad and their league position in the January window, that is not because the Premier League’s spending rules dictate it.

While PSR is clearly a genuine concern for some clubs, just as many are using it as an excuse not to spend when in reality they have ample breathing space.

Tottenham Hotspur may well be waiting for the January transfer window to open with further quality needed on the back of their opening 13 games.

Ange Postecoglou has seen a number of his starters sidelined through injuries with the likes of Cristian Romero injured with a foot issue.

This has meant a number of Tottenham’s players have seen their workload pushed over recent weeks with options not as strong for the Australian.

Heung-min Son is a player Tottenham fans will be looking to pull them through their struggles but it has not been a typically strong start to the campaign for the South Korean.

Although Tottenham are the Premier League’s top scorers this season, there is always room for improvement and one Spurs summer departure is currently outperforming Son with his current club.

Giovani Lo Celso is outperforming Tottenham’s Heung-min Son

Gary Lineker said Son does not look right this season and that is certainly being seen through his returns in front of goal.

The 32-year-old has not gotten off to a flying start, which he typically does, with Spurs not handing Son a new contract ahead of the summer.

Whilst Son endures his struggles this season, Giovani Lo Celso departed over the summer to his former side Real Betis.

And Lo Celso has hit the ground running back in La Liga with the Argentine playmaker impressing across all competitions.

The Argentina manager praised Lo Celso’s exit from Spurs over the summer and it is certainly a move which has paid off.

What Lo Celso said about leaving Tottenham

Pedro Porro was gutted to see Lo Celso leave over the summer but it was the correct decision for all aprties.

The Argentine struggled for game time under Postecoglou last season with just 597 minutes across all competitions.

However, Lo Celso was on the books at Spurs for a number of years and he departed with grace by sending a positive message to the fans.

“Eternally grateful to all the employees at Spurs, the coaches, and teammates with whom I have shared these wonderful years, and, of course, to the fans who never stopped supporting me,” he said on Instagram.

“You have been a great support for me and the reason why I have given everything for this badge. I will always carry you in my heart.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad is looking a lot different to how it did when Ange Postecoglou arrived in 2023.

Questions will be asked about the direction of Tottenham under the Australian given the Lilywhites find themselves down in seventh place in the Premier League.

More change could be headed to north London with Jerry Jones said to be in takeover talks for Tottenham.

There are some decisions which are needing to be made at Spurs with certain players seeing their contracts begin to wind down.

Cristian Romero is receiving interest from Real Madrid but Tottenham are keen to open fresh contract talks.

However, there is one player whose contract is set to expire this summer who is now being targeted by Manchester United.

Man United targeting Tottenham’s Heung-min Son

According to GiveMeSport, Man United are viewing Heung-min Son as a viable target with his contract situation ongoing.

The South Korean captain would mark a big-name addition which has been seen across the years at Old Trafford with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

However, Tottenham are set to trigger Son’s one-year extension but there is not expected to be any new deal on offer.

Mats Hummels recently praised Son, but it has been a difficult campaign for the 32-year-old who is looking like age is catching up with him.

Having only returned three goals in the league, it is perhaps no surprise that Spurs are unwilling to offer the club legend with a new deal.

Heung-min Son’s record against Man United

Despite struggling so far in the campaign, Archie Gray has hailed Son as ‘incredible’ having only worked with the South Korean for a handful of months.

Son did not feature in Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Man United earlier in the campaign but he has played 18 times against the Red Devils.

A new dawn has begun at Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim now in the dugout following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.

Ange Postecoglou has been speaking about Richarlison ahead of the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Bournemouth on Thursday.

It has been a difficult season for the Brazil international so far – managing just five Premier League appearances as a result of both injuries and competition for places.

None of those appearances have come as starts, and seeing as Dominic Solanke is only ten goals away from the South American’s tally of 16 goals for Spurs – in 56 games fewer – questions are being asked of the £60m man.

Now – in his press conference – Ange Postecoglou has made some honest comments about Richarlison at Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou believes in Richarlison – but “no doubt” attacking reinforcements are needed

The Australian has now shared what he finds “frustrating” about the Tottenham No.9 – and admitted Spurs may need reinforcements to their frontline in 2025.

Football London quote Postecoglou as saying: “With Richy it has been frustrating, because I see the potential in him and, to be fair, when he’s been fit he’s always made an impact, for me anyway. I think back to the start of last year and when he came back into the team during the year, he went on a scoring run.

“Even the little games he’s played this year, he’s made an impact. So, you know, that’s what you kind of hold on to, but there’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows.”

Richarlison is yet to score in his five Premier League appearances for Tottenham so far this season – with just one assist to show for his efforts.

Who Tottenham could sign to bolster the attacking department

Before Postecoglou made his comments, Spurs had already been linked with a number of attackers ahead of the January transfer window.

Tottenham are believed to admire Raul Moro of Real Valladolid – with scouts checking on the Spaniard.

Spurs are also keen to sign Omar Marmoush – the Egypt international who has remarkably scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in just 19 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt so far this season.

Mido actually told Tottenham to sign Marmoush back in April – so Johan Lange will kick himself for ignoring the Egyptian, who made 61 appearances for Spurs.

If Postecoglou does sign a new forward and Richarlison cannot put his injuries behind him, it could well be curtains for the Brazilian in N17.

Tottenham Hotspur are once again experiencing a number of injury issues which are really testing the depth of their squad.

It’s been an underwhelming start to the campaign in the Premier League but Ange Postecoglou’s side are still competing on all fronts.

Managing all three competitions has been a struggle for Tottenham, with the Lilywhites sustaining several injuries to some of their regular starters.

Micky van de Ven is returning from his injury as he steps up his rehabilitation at Hotspur Way, but there are still players sidelined.

Cristian Romero has suffered a foot injury and is still yet to take to the grass in Tottenham training.

And this could well see Postecoglou looking deep into his squad for potential options to help him during this current struggle with injuries.

Ange Postecoglou says Sergio Reguilon’s ready to play for Tottenham

Speaking to the media on Wednesday morning from Hotspur Way, the Australian admitted Sergio Reguilon remains an option he could choose to use this season.

“He’s ready [if needed]. He’s training every day and he’s part of the squad,” said Postecoglou.

“There’s also a reason why Reggy is in the last year of his contract with us. We’ll see how that all transpires.

“There’s nothing wrong with his attitude and he’s been training all the time with us.”

Reguilon has received January interest from Sevilla with the left-back having failed to land a move away from north London over the summer having not played since 2022 for Spurs.

The Spaniard has not yet featured for a single minute across any competition for Tottenham this season with even Barcelona showing interest in Reguilon during the summer.

Djed Spence is also available for Tottenham

Destiny Udogie has nailed down the spot at left-back but it is important that Tottenham are able to rotate their side across the competitions.

Djed Spence has been handed another opportunity in north London having returned from two loan deals last season.

Tottenham even handed Spence a new contract earlier this season showing their belief in the full-back who frequently played over the summer in pre-season.

“Particularly between now and Christmas opportunities may come up for him, he almost got on at the weekend but the red card changed things a little bit,” Postecoglou said on Wedneaday.

“I think the key for Djed is he is still training well and his focus is there and just to be ready to take the opportunity when it comes.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer business has had its fair share of hits and misses over recent years.

Johan Lange has come in to head up the club’s recruitment drive over the last year following Fabio Paratici’s ban.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are falling short of the expectations put on them this season as they remain slumped down in seventh spot of the table.

Despite being banned by FIFA from working within the game, Paratici is still consulting Tottenham over some transfer decisions.

With the January transfer window set to open in a few weeks, Tottenham will have the opportunity to bolster their squad.

And there is one player who Paratici has previously tipped for a bright future who could come available for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham eyeing Fabio Paratici scouted Nicolo Fagioli

TBR Football understands Tottenham are keen on Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli who could become available in the January transfer market.

Spurs are not alone in their interest with Manchester City and a host of other sides also on alert with Thiago Motta ready to offload the Italian.

This is a player who Paratici is more than familiar with having previously tipped the midfielder to have a big future.

Speaking to Calciomercato back in 2022, Italian football agent Vincenzo Morabito shared what Paratici said about Fagioli.

“Paratici discovered him and told me that he would have gone far,” said Morabito.

This comes after Rodrigo Bentancur was handed a seven-game ban which has put Tottenham’s midfield options under pressure.

Fabio Paratici’s Tottenham signings have really paid off

Unlike Lange, Paratici has an extremely good track record at Tottenham when it comes to scouting players; especially when it comes to the Italian market.

Here are just some of the players Paratici has brought to Spurs:

The Italian has a great eye when it comes to scouring Serie A for potential players to bring over to north London.

Kulusevski has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo recently following his sensational run of form for the Lilywhites.

The Swede is just one of the players brought over by Paratici who has gone on to shine with Tottenham.

Kulusevski and Bentancur were signed in a January transfer window so it will be interesting to see if Spurs listen once again to bring in Fagioli as a potential winter addition.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be active in the January transfer window.

Spurs have a very good team when everyone is fit, but injuries have been really cruel to them this season. Ange Postecoglou has had to do without several first-team players at different stages since the start of the campaign.

That has led to a few really frustrating results, but the positive thing for Tottenham is that they are just five points off second place Arsenal.

If Postecoglou gets some help in January, his side could turn things around and break into the top four. The Tottenham manager has now set his sights on one very talented player.

Tottenham are ready to bid for Inter Milan star Davide Frattesi

Tottenham actually have a good midfield.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are great options in the number 10 role, while Postecoglou has Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray available to play behind them.

On paper, that is more than enough options, but the problem for Spurs is that many of their players can be extremely inconsistent.

That’s probably why the North Londoners have been linked with a move to sign a new midfielder in January, and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi is the latest name to come out of the rumour mill.

Spazio Inter have claimed that Tottenham are ready to table a £29 million bid to sign the Italian midfielder once the January window opens.

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is a big fan of Frattesi and could oppose the sale, but if a transfer would help the club’s finances, the board is likely to sanction the move.

Frattesi has previously been linked with a move to Spurs – Antonio Conte wanted to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022.

What would Frattesi bring to Tottenham?

Frattesi is a terrific player and has performed really well for club and country over the last two years.

The Italian, still only 25, can play as a central midfielder or higher up in a number 10 role. He has an eye for goal as well, having scored 11 goals and provided eight assists since the start of last season.

ScoutedFTBL wrote about Frattesi a few years ago, and they summed up his abilities really well. This is what Tottenham fans can expect from him if they sign him.

“Frattesi brings pace, power, passion and desire to the game, and has been a consistent performer that rarely puts in bad shift. He’s a big-bodied midfielder that throws his weight around, bruises the opposition and seeks to domi­nate within his sphere of influence.

“He looks like a night­mare to play against as he constantly snaps at the heels of his direct opponent in attempts to win back possession.

“And he is quick too, regularly demonstrating great recov­ery speed that makes him a very valuable asset when de­fending in transition – an important virtue in a ball-domi­nant team that wants to defend high up the pitch.”

The worst kept secret in football finance for some time has been that Tottenham Hotspur are for sale, with Daniel Levy only going public with the search for fresh investment in April.

From ENIC and Levy’s perspective, they have long been open to negotiations if the price is right, although the mood music in North London has always been that a minority investment is the likeliest option.

Amanda Staveley has been strongly linked with investing in Spurs, with the former Newcastle United supremo having assembled a consortium and raised around £500m for a new football project.

There have been groups and individuals who have had Tottenham in the crosshairs for a full takeover too.

TBR Football understands that MSP Sports Capital, who failed in a bid to buy Everton last year, went as far as to appoint a consultancy firm to carry out research with a view to a full bid.

Others have been linked too – Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investments, Formula One proprietors Liberty Media, and the rapper-turned-investor Jay-Z, to name a handful.

Spurs meanwhile have enlisted the Rothschild bank to smoke out potential new partners in order to, in Levy’s own words, acquire a “significant increase in its equity base.”

Any deal – be that a minority arrangement or full takeover – would not come cheap.

Levy values Spurs at £3.75bn and, given his reputation as a formidable negotiator, he is unlikely to give any would-be investor much breathing space in talks.

Astonishingly, a sale at that price would represent a world-record for a football takeover and a circa 4000% markup on Levy and ENIC’s initial investment.

And, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire told TBR earlier this year, the 62-year-old executive is justified in his appraisal of the club he has supported since he was a boy.

Fans are routinely frustrated at what they perceive to be the club’s commercial orientation under Levy and ENIC, but their growth as a business since the move to the new stadium in 2019 has been stupefying.

Matchday income has trebled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it is in the commercial department where the real, transformative gains have been obtained.

Spurs trousered £228m from sponsorship, merchandise sales and events over the course of the last financial year.

What’s more, £55m of that sum came from non-football events at the stadium. And from next year a new license will allow them to double the number of events they hold and, in turn, their revenue.

These aren’t the metrics by which supporters gauge success in football, of course.

Spurs are 7th in the Premier League and on a near two-decade silverware drought, and some bedrock fans are growing impatient with the current owners for what they see as a lack of ambition in N17.

But the reality is that prospective new owners are more likely to look at EBITDA, cost control, and brand profile when they assess an investment opportunity – and Spurs excel in all of these areas.

Now, one of the biggest names in sports business is said to have also recognised Tottenham’s potential.

NFL billionaire in London to ‘potentially purchase’ Tottenham

The NFL enjoy a special relationship with Tottenham.

The biggest sports league in the world invested around £10m in the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and stage the London Games at the 62,850-seater venue annually.

That has been lucrative for Spurs because of the hosting fee they receive, yes, but also because it has helped the club further embed themselves in the United States as a commercial market.

In what Levy has confessed is a dream of his, it has been suggested that the Super Bowl could even one day be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has become the sport’s spiritual home in Europe.

But the connections the two entities could be about to get much closer.

According to Eric Sollenberger, who goes by PFT Commenter on X, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is in London to explore a possible deal for Spurs.

It is not entirely clear whether Jones’ investment would be on a minority basis, but those consulted by TBR suggest that this is probably the case, if indeed the sources cited are accurate.

And while one tweet in isolation might not inspire huge confidence, Jones has been tentatively linked with Spurs before by the Evening Standard.

Public records confirm that Jones’ private jet is indeed in London too, although the same was also true around the same time last year.

In developments covered extensively by this site, the NFL have launched their first football project via an investment in Liga MX in conjunction with private equity titans Apollo.

Several Premier League clubs also share an ownership structure with an NFL owner.

Here’s the revised table, now including category headers and a blank row before the first data row:

Meanwhile, Amanda Staveley was a guest of Levy’s when the Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October.

The financier, who has a peerless rolodex of contacts in Middle East finance, is a big fan of the NFL and also understood to have met with officials from the league independently of her interest in Spurs.

Who is Jerry Jones? The man who reportedly wants to buy Spurs

Jones, 82, has been the owner of the United States’ biggest and most successful NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys since 1989.

Prior to that, the California-born businessman enjoyed a playing career in the sport, turning out at college level for Arkansas Razorbacks.

It is fair to say that Jones is a polarising figure, not least among fans of the Dallas Cowboys themselves, who have not won the Super Bowl for two decades.

There are parallels between the Cowboys’ situation and Manchester United’s, or at least that is what some people have observed.

Would he be a suitable owner or co-owner for Spurs? That really depends on the structure of any potential deal.

His independent wealth is not in question. He is currently worth about £13bn and, as a minority investor, would have the capital and liquidity to potentially take Spurs forward on and off the pitch.

But Jones is known for his hands-on approach. In fact, some commentators have accused him of overstepping boundaries in the past.

Would that approach work alongside Levy, who is the all-seeing eye in N17? It is a question that fans will inevitably ask.

It’s all up for grabs in the Premier League top-four race at present, with numerous clubs staking a claim to secure Champions League football next season.

Liverpool sit top of the Premier League table, with Arsenal and Chelsea both nine points behind, then Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City sit fourth and fifth.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently seventh on 20 points, while Manchester United are ninth on 19 points, and Nottingham Forest and Brentford are also in the picture.

Admittedly, it’s still early days, and with December being such a busy month, the likes of Spurs and the Red Devils will hope to climb further up the table.

Paul Merson has now predicted which clubs he expects to be firmly in the picture for the top four by the end of the season, and he backed one big club to miss out.

Paul Merson suggests Chelsea have the edge over Tottenham in Premier League top four race

Merson, writing on Sportskeeda, says he doesn’t think Tottenham are favourites to finish in the top four, and suggested that Chelsea hold the edge over Spurs.

The pundit believes Manchester United will “get it right” under new manager Ruben Amorim at some point, although they’re still very much a work in progress.

Merson also reckons it would be a shock if Manchester City fail to get top four and tipped Arsenal to remain consistent.

“I don’t think Tottenham are favourites to finish in the top four this season,” wrote Merson.

“I expect Manchester United to get it right under Amorim at some point, even though they have a lot more to work on.

“Manchester City may be struggling, but you’d be shocked if they don’t finish inside the top four.

“I expect Arsenal to remain consistent and then you’ve got Chelsea, who also look good at the moment.

“It will all come down to consistency in the end. But I just don’t think Tottenham hold the edge over Chelsea as things stand.”

Tottenham and Chelsea festive fixtures

Both Tottenham and Chelsea have eight fixtures between now and New Year’s Day, which includes a game against each other.

Spurs are next up against Bournemouth in midweek before hosting Chelsea in the league on Sunday.

The following week sees Tottenham in Europa League action against Rangers on Thursday before heading to Southampton in the league on Sunday.

Spurs then host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup before hosting Liverpool in the league in their last match before Christmas Day.

Boxing Day then sees Tottenham head to Nottingham Forest, and then Ange Postecoglou’s charges host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday 29 December.

As for Chelsea, they head to Southampton in midweek before then playing Tottenham in North London at the weekend.

Enzo Maresca’s charges then head to Kazakhstan to face FC Astana in the Europa Conference League before the Premier League clash with West London rivals Brentford.

Chelsea then host Shamrock Rovers in Europe before heading to Everton in the league just before Christmas.

Another West London derby follows, with Fulham heading to Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, and then Chelsea wrap up 2024 with a trip to Ipswich on Monday 30 December.

With so many fixtures in different competitions, Tottenham and Chelsea will have their squads pushed to the limit.

With that in mind, there could be a lot of changes in league positions over the next month as all the clubs jostle to climb up the table.