TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur get their Premier League campaign under way on Monday night with a trip to Leicester City.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has been working hard over the summer to fine-tune his tactics and squad ahead of the new season.

Tottenham have been fairly busy on the transfer front since the window opened in June, with several new additions to their ranks.

Spurs’ first signing of the summer was Archie Gray, one of English football’s most talented youngsters. He arrived from Leeds United.

Tottenham have also signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth and re-signed Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig.

In addition, Lucas Bergvall has finally arrived from Djurgarden and Yang Min-hyuk is now on Spurs’ books, though he won’t join until next year.

Postecoglou, speaking to football.london at his pre-match press conference, was asked about some of his new signings.

The Tottenham boss outlined how one of his new arrivals has a “really strong mentality” and how happy he is with how he has fared at N17 so far.

Archie Gray could play for Tottenham on Monday

Postecoglou spoke highly about Gray, confirming that the 18-year-old is very much in contention to play against the Foxes on Monday.

When asked whether Gray is in contention to replace the suspended Yves Bissouma, the Spurs boss said: “Yeah, Archie has settled in really well.

“Again, great kid but a really, strong mindset. We’ve asked him to play different positions, but he’s handled it really well.

“Part of the attraction of bringing someone like Archie to our club… he can play more than one position. So when it’s required, we can use him in those areas.

“He is going really well, I am really happy with him and he has every chance to play on Monday.”

Gray will fancy his chances of featuring often for Spurs this season

Although Gray is just 18 years old, he has done more than enough to prove he’s ready for the highest level.

He clocked up over 50 competitive appearances for Leeds and was one of their brightest players in their run to the Championship playoff final.

Gray, who Elland Road cult hero Jermaine Beckford has described as “incredible” on Sky Sports via Leeds Live, has also impressed for Tottenham in pre-season.

With Spurs set to compete in the Europa League, Gray is likely to get a decent amount of game time – maybe even some starts – early on in his N17 career.

It has been reported that Postecoglou plans to use Gray as cover at right-back initially, but his long-term future is said to be in midfield.

Writer’s Tottenham prediction for the season

Tottenham were impressive for most of last season and were in top-four contention until April, when a downturn in form cost them a Champions League spot.

This season, Spurs’ goal will be to cement a spot in the top four and qualify for Europe’s premier club competition once again.

At the same time, Tottenham will be eager to end a trophy drought that goes back 16 years, and the cups are the best chance of doing so this season.

Spurs are in the Europa League and will fancy their chances of a good run in the competition, and the FA Cup and League Cup cannot be discounted either.

The writer’s prediction for Tottenham is a fourth-placed league finish and a great cup run – potentially even the final – in at least one of the competitions.

The Conor Gallagher transfer saga is showing no signs of nearing a conclusion, and the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Arsenal cannot yet be ruled out.

Spurs have been heavily linked with Gallagher for most of the summer, while Villa reportedly opened talks for the Chelsea man and the Gunners are said to have enquired about him too.

Meanwhile, Gallagher has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge and is expected to secure a move away from west London before deadline day.

It looked as though the likes of Tottenham, Villa and Arsenal were set to miss out on the England international after he agreed a move to Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher had agreed a £36million move to the Wanda Metropolitano and he even travelled to the Spanish capital with a view to completing the deal.

However, talks between the Blues and Atletico stalled, and the midfielder has since returned to London for the time being.

Fabrizio Romano has now shared an update on the Gallagher saga, taking to YouTube on Thursday evening with the latest.

Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea and Atletico Madrid still in talks over Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix

“I can guarantee that at this time, Thursday night, Chelsea are still actively working on the Joao Felix and Gallagher story,” began Romano.

“I know it’s a crazy saga, I know it’s gone quiet in the last 24-48 hours and probably – for all parties involved, including agents, players, clubs, directors – is better.

“Including fans, too, because we had too many things happening in the last 10 days on this story.

“It’s been a crazy couple of days with the story, now it’s gone quiet in the media, but behind the scenes the conversations are taking place.

“So I can guarantee that Chelsea are still working on the Joao Felix deal with Atletico Madrid and with the agent of the player, Jorge Mendes.

“Atletico Madrid are still trying to find a way for Conor Gallagher because they want (him), so they are still working on the deal with Chelsea and with the player.

“The player already did everything with Atletico Madrid, so the contract is done, it’s ready, they just need to fix the situation with Chelsea after the Samu Omorodion issue.

“So now, work in progress for Joao Felix, negotiations ongoing, let’s see what happens… I will keep you posted!”

Gallagher would be an asset for any Premier League club

The likes of Tottenham, Villa and Arsenal will no doubt be keeping tabs on the Gallagher situation.

Should talks between Chelsea and Atletico collapse, they will sense an opportunity to pounce.

At just 24 years of age, Gallagher has already captained Chelsea and is a regular for England.

The situation he finds himself in is not the norm for a player of his quality, so hopefully he will be able to leave Chelsea as soon as he can.

Tottenham Hotspur still have a lot of decisions to make in the remainder of this summer’s transfer window.

Spurs have signed Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke so far, while Timo Werner has also rejoined the club on another loan deal. Lucas Bergvall has officially joined Tottenham too.

Ange Postecoglou should be happy with his side’s business so far, but we’re sure he would like to bring in at least one more player before the window shuts.

The Tottenham boss also needs to decide if he wants to keep hold of all of his current players. GiveMeSport have now claimed that Spurs are having doubts about one of them.

Tottenham have reservations over Djed Spence

Tottenham signed Djed Spence from Middlesbrough in a £20 million deal in the summer of 2022 (Sky Sports).

The talented English defender was viewed as an incredible talent at the time, and Spurs beat a number of clubs to secure his signature.

However, so far, Spence has played just 43 minutes of competitive football for Tottenham, which is simply not good enough.

The full-back has been sent out on three loan spells, the latest of which was at Genoa. He had a decent time there and many expected the Serie A club to sign him on a permanent deal.

However Genoa’s move to sign Spence collapsed, and the 24-year-old has featured regularly in Tottenham’s pre-season games.

Just when it seemed like Spence would get an opportunity at Spurs in the 2024/25 season, GMS have claimed that Tottenham have ‘reservations over whether he is ready to come into a side boasting Champions League aspirations’.

That has forced them to dive into the market to sign a new right-back this summer.

Tottenham start talks to sign Brazilian right-back

Tottenham finally completed the sale of Emerson Royal recently.

The Brazilian had been linked with a move away from the club since the window opened, and he finally signed for AC Milan.

Many people thought Spence’s return combined with Archie Gray’s versatility would be enough cover for Tottenham at right-back behind Pedro Porro, but that may not be the case.

Reports have revealed that Tottenham have started talks to sign Vanderson, the Brazilian right-back who plays for Monaco.

It remains to be seen whether that will prove to be the right decision.

Tottenham Hotspur could be busy on the transfer front over the next two weeks as Ange Postecoglou looks to fine-tune his squad.

Spurs have signed two new senior players so far this summer, bringing Dominic Solanke and Archie Gray to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham have also offloaded a number of players, either through sales, loans, or free transfers, and more could follow.

Now, Postecoglou has spoken about one of the players Spurs have sold this summer, singing his praises as a player and as an individual.

Ange Postecoglou hails ‘super’ Emerson Royal

The player in question is Emerson Royal, who has left Tottenham to join AC Milan in a deal said to be worth £15million.

The Brazilian defender flew to Italy on Sunday to complete a medical and sign a five-year contract with the Rossoneri.

Postecoglou, speaking to football.london at his pre-Leicester City press conference, described Emerson as a “really popular” player and the “hardest worker” in training.

“Super guy, great pro again,” said the Spurs boss. “It is one of those decisions you have to make when you are trying to change squads.

“Really popular amongst the group and not just because he is a great guy. He didn’t play a lot last year in his preferred position, but you wouldn’t know it the way he trained every day.

“He is the hardest worker at training and really top guy. He is a guy you would want to spend time with. A big heart, loved by all and I think it is a fantastic move for him.

“He will love Milan, it is a big club he has gone to and it is one of those things that happen in football where it is not really an aspersion on him that he is not part of this. It is just other things aligned.

“I think it is a win for him and it allows us to continue rebuilding the squad in the way we want.”

Win-win for all parties

Sadly it hasn’t worked out for Emerson at Tottenham, but he clearly was a popular player at Spurs among the players and the coaches.

Postecoglou didn’t just praise Emerson a little in wake of his departure; he has lauded him highly. This shows how significant – and popular – he was at Hotspur Way.

This move is very much a win-win for all parties. Emerson joins a Champions League club, Milan get a solid player, and Tottenham get a player’s wage off their books, plus a transfer fee.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been putting his players through their paces ahead of the new season.

Spurs have enjoyed a decent summer both in terms of transfer activity and how the team has fared in pre-season friendlies.

Tottenham have made some shrewd additions to their squad, signing Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke.

In addition, Spurs have re-signed Timo Werner on loan, Lucas Bergvall has arrived at N17, and Yang Min-hyuk has signed for the Lilywhites.

Although Tottenham lost both of their friendlies against Bayern Munich, they were victorious in all of their other pre-season games.

Spurs were also boosted by how some of their academy stars fared over the summer, with several players staking claims to be in the first-team.

Now, according to a report, Tottenham have provisionally decided to keep one of their youngsters at N17 amid speculation linking him with a loan move away.

Will Lankshear set to stay at Tottenham

The player in question is Will Lankshear, who enjoyed a solid pre-season in wake of some amazing efforts for the youth team in recent years.

Lankshear has registered a staggering 30 goals and five assists from just 39 appearances for Tottenham at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 level.

The Evening Standard recently reported that Lankshear was not certain to go out on loan, because Spurs are currently short of cover up front.

Two strikers have left Tottenham on loan in recent weeks. Alejo Veliz has joined Espanyol, while Dane Scarlett has linked up with Oxford United for the rest of the season.

Now, according to PA Sport journalist George Sessions, as per Irish News, ‘Lankshear is currently set to remain part of Postecoglou’s first-team squad after an excellent pre-season.’

Sessions also posted on X, adding: “Could change come deadline day but after an impressive pre-season where he leapfrogged Scarlett & Veliz, Will set to stick around.”

Will Lankshear likened to Harry Kane

Tottenham insider and football.london journalist Alasdair Gold previously drew comparisons with Harry Kane when describing Lankshear’s qualities.

Back in February, he said on The Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, via TEAMtalk: “He’s a very talented young player, he’s got a long way to go, but he’s got a little bit of the Kane physique about him.

“He’s got a lovely touch, a lovely finish, I said in my match report the other day, his partnership with [Jamie] Donley reminded me a little bit of Kane and Son – like an academy version of it.”

It’s exciting to hear that Lankshear is set to be in the first-team picture, as things stand.

With Tottenham competing in the Europa League this season, there’s a good chance the 19-year-old will get game time in the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be busy on the transfer front in the coming weeks as Ange Postecoglou looks to apply the finishing touches to his squad.

Spurs have made two new senior signings in Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke, while Timo Werner has re-signed on loan.

In addition, South Korean prodigy Yang Min-hyuk is now on Tottenham’s books, and Lucas Bergvall has arrived at N17.

Now, Dharmesh Sheth has spoken about a player who Spurs – as well as Premier League rivals Aston Villa – could well pursue once again, much to the chagrin of his club.

Tottenham and Aston Villa ‘sure’ to be keeping an eye on Conor Gallagher

Tottenham have been heavily linked with Conor Gallagher for most of the summer, while Villa were said to have opened talks for him.

For a while it looked like both clubs had missed the opportunity to sign the England international.

The Chelsea midfielder had agreed a £36million move to Atletico Madrid and he even travelled to the Spanish capital with a view to completing the deal.

However, talks between the Blues and Atletico stalled, and the midfielder has since returned to London to continue with his early-season fitness programme.

Sheth, speaking to GiveMeSport, believes Gallagher’s sale would be a poor scenario for the Blues, who may now be forced to consider Premier League proposals.

The Sky Sports News journalist was asked by GMS whether the likes of Tottenham and Villa would be keeping an eye on developments.

“I’m sure they will be keeping an eye on this situation, and that would be the second-worst case scenario for Chelsea,” he replied.

“The way that they orchestrated this deal was that they offered him a two-year contract, which effectively is telling him that we want to sell you.

“And then, not only that, but they effectively chose the club that he was going to, which was Atletico Madrid – a club outside of the Premier League.

“They didn’t want him to go to a Premier League rival. Now that he is not going there, are Chelsea going to have to entertain potential deals from clubs in the Premier League?”

Gallagher needs to move away from Chelsea

It’s a real shame about what’s happening to Gallagher this summer.

Normally, a homegrown player who has come through his boyhood club’s academy to become their captain and also a senior international would be a cause for celebration.

However, Chelsea seem to be eager to get rid of him, he’s being made to feel like he no longer matters to the club and, to make things worse, his move to Atletico is in limbo.

Gallagher needs to leave the club and find somewhere better this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have seen their bloated squad reduced massively over the last month and a half of the transfer window.

Ange Postecoglou set out to do exactly that at the end of last season with Tottenham holding a lot of unwanted players on their books.

Numerous players returned to the club over the summer from various loans and some of those players were allowed to leave on a free.

There is no doubt Daniel Levy has taken a considerable hit on some big money signings – namely Tanguy Ndombele – who have left for either nothing or a fraction of what was paid for them.

The latest player to wave goodbye to north London was Emerson Royal who has now signed for AC Milan in a move which may have surprised some.

With 11 players have departed the club, Fabrizio Romano has now shared what he’s heard on a potential arrival at Spurs.

Reportedly, Tottenham are expected to make a £34m bid for Monaco right-back Vanderson over the coming days.

Of course, Spurs have lost their backup right-back in Emerson but there are still options for Postecoglou with Djed Spence.

And Romano has now shed some light on what he has heard about the potential arrival of Vanderson in north London.

Vanderson would certainly require a hefty price tag – almost what Spurs paid for Pedro Porro – despite potentially playing as backup.

“There is still nothing imminent or really close in terms of new right-back. I’m hearing that they believe they could already be well covered in that position,” Romano told GiveMeSport.

“Obviously, they have Pedro Porro and Emerson Royal left, but there is also Archie Gray, who can cover that position.

“So Tottenham are not desperate in this moment to sign a new right-back.”

Djed Spence has Ange Postecoglou’s trust at Tottenham

Of course, Tottenham need quality squad depth going into this season with Europa League football also to contend with.

No Spurs fans need reminding about their trophy drought by the Europa League feels like a great opportunity to get their hands on a major piece of silverware.

And Postecoglou has already identified Djed Spence as a player who could play an important role in Tottenham’s campaign.

Postecoglou does plan on using Spence as Porro’s backup at Tottenham this season following the 23-year-old being what was perhaps the surprise package of the pre-season.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has now had over 12 months in his role with the Lilywhites with big changes made.

After weeks of preparations, Tottenham are now set to end their pre-season and enter the 2024/25 term with their curtain raiser against Leicester City.

Postecoglou promised change this summer and that is exactly what has unfolded in N17 with 11 players having departed the club this summer alone.

The Australian has had a full year to assess his options after inheriting a squad which was moulded around Antonio Conte’s plans.

However, there were also a number of player exits last summer with Postecoglou now admitting they were not all sanctioned by him.

Ange Postecoglou admits he didn’t sanction sale of ‘outstanding’ Tottenham player

This summer has seen something quite remarkable happen in north London with Tottenham offloading so many players already.

Emerson Royal is the latest to depart after sealing a move to AC Milan after weeks and weeks of negotiations.

But last summer also offered some considerable exits and Postecoglou has now admitted that he did not have much of a say in one of them, in particular.

Harry Winks departed Tottenham last summer in a £10m deal to join Leicester City following their relegation down to the Championship.

But Postecoglou has admitted he did not get much of a say in Winks’ future after landing: “Yes, to be fair to Harry, that decision was kind of made before I got here,” he told the media on Thursday.

“The squad has changed fairly dramatically from 12/13 months ago but that’s the reason I’ve came in. At the same time, it doesn’t diminish Harry’s career. He has had a fantastic season and is back in the Premier League this year. He is an outstanding footballer. These decisions are often not a reflection of a player’s ability, it is just timing of things and things moving on.”

What Harry Winks has said about facing Tottenham on Monday

Ironically, Winks’ first game back in the Premier League is going to see Tottenham travel to the King Power Stadium on Monday night.

The Foxes will be looking to cap off the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign in style with a shock victory against Spurs.

Tottenham do hold a seriously impressive record against newly-promoted sides but Winks is fully focused on taking all three points as he faces some of his old teammates.

A number of players have left Tottenham this year – such as Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga – although another who departed Spurs in 2024 is now in a tough situation.

It is always difficult to leave a club of Tottenham’s magnitude, as – except for elite talents like Gareth Bale and Luka Modric – the most likely way is down.

Tanganga is now playing in the Championship with Millwall, while Sessegnon failed a trial at Crystal Palace this summer before ending up back at Fulham.

Now – however – another player who left Tottenham in 2024 has opened up on his incredibly inconvenient situation…

Ivan Perisic speaks out after Tottenham exit turned into a nightmare

Ivan Perisic has now held an interview with Dalmatinski after his romantic return to Hajduk Split turned into a nightmare – because of Gennaro Gattuso.

The Croatia international agreed to return to his boyhood club on loan last season – the final year of his contract with Tottenham – for a salary of just €1 (85p) every month as a tribute to his beloved side, where he emerged from the academy in 2006 at the age of 17.

However, Perisic has now been left in limbo after Gattuso suddenly told him that he was surplus to requirements at Hajduk Split.

What Croatia international said about Hajduk Split situation

The Croatian – who made 50 appearances for Tottenham – said: “I came to Hajduk in the hope that together we will realise our dream and take the title. I had a good contract at Tottenham, and even when I was injured (during his loan at Hajduk Split) I had an excellent offer from a big foreign club.

“Instead, at the invitation of the club management and the fans, I chose a life without a family, living abroad in the hope that I can help fight for the title and place in the group stage of the Champions League.

“It is clear to everyone that I didn’t choose Hajduk and Split because of money. In my desire to help, I put my health and my family on the back burner many times and I don’t regret it because I don’t know any other way, but on Sunday evening someone else stepped forward (Gattuso) and decided that he no longer needed my help.

“Ever since I can remember, I have looked at Hajduk as something big, and I will behave that way in a moment that is extremely difficult for me and my family. I wish the club all the luck, victory on Thursday, placement in Europe and winning the title, regardless of who is managing the club.”

Perisic only just signed a one-year contract with Hajduk Split after his loan spell from Tottenham officially ended in July, but the 35-year-old must now find a new club after his generous decision to play for 85p a month sadly backfired.

Interestingly, Barcelona are said to be keen on signing Perisic after his clash with Gattuso.

Hopefully, the man from Omis can bounce back and find somewhere else to see out the remainder of what has been a truly special career.

The new Premier League campaign is now just days away for Tottenham Hotspur who travel to Leicester City on Monday night.

But there are now more new rules for the Tottenham players to get up to scratch with before kicking off against the Foxes.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side are facing a much busier 2024/25 campaign having now made their return to the European stage.

But the Australian was not left completely satisfied as Spurs failed to land a spot in the Champions League by just two points.

Improvements have been made over the summer with the signings of Archie Gray and Dominic Solanke as the Lilywhites look to develop on the foundations set last season.

Spurs were shaky at the back last season but there is now a new rule in place which will have Postecoglou and, more specifically, Guglielmo Vicario delighted going into the new season.

What are the new Premier League rules for 2024/25 season?

One of Tottenham’s biggest weaknesses last season was their inability to defend against set pieces.

That was certainly an even bigger issues in the second half of the campaign when clubs realised they were able to target Vicario from corners.

Manchester City seemed to kickstart the targeting of the Italy international in the FA Cup fourth round game back in January.

And from then on, Vicario was forced to face some really physical tactics inside his six yard box as he battled to win the ball.

It has now been announced by the PGMOL that blocking and interference inside the box is going to be much more stringently penalised.

Attacking players are going to be under much more scrutiny when it comes to how they look to effect the movement of the defending players who are going for the inswinging set piece.

This is positive news for Vicario, then, following his difficulties which came from set pieces during his first Premier League season.

Vicario enjoyed a really promising first season in England last year. However, his only real issue came through defending set pieces once teams realised they were getting away with so much on the Italian.

What Guglielmo Vicario said to Ange Postecoglou about defending corners

It has to be said, there were the odd instance where Vicario could potentially have been stronger against the attacking players.

But the majority of the incidents did see the Spurs goalkeeper harshly treated by the officials as he looked to claim the ball.

Postecoglou spoke over the summer about the discussions he and Vicario have held on the matter with the Italian taking a positive approach.

There was a period where I thought the officials were getting it wrong,” Postecoglou told The Athletic.

“But we had to weather that storm and the beauty of it is that he accepted that.

“He wasn’t making excuses. He wasn’t coming in on a Monday saying, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I’m not getting protected’. Instead, he was coming in and asking: “OK, how do we solve this?”

Considering how hard Spurs had to work last season to keep a clean sheet, this new ruling will certainly be taken as an added bonus.