TBR Football

Martin Jol has been discussing the future of Luka Vuskovic after he made the loan switch between two of his former clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and Hamburg.

Tottenham believe Vuskovic is a ‘top talent’, having been so impressed by his loan spell in the Belgian Pro League with Westerlo.

The North London club are keen to get his development right and have sent him out on loan to Germany to play consistent minutes next season.

After seeing him make the switch to Hamburg, Martin Jol has given his take on the defender and has been discussing how good he can become.

Martin Jol backs Luka Vuskovic to become better than Cristian Romero

Former Spurs boss Jol is backing Luka Vuskovic to become a better defender than Cristian Romero following his loan spell to HSV Hamburg.

Vuskovic had lots of clubs after him, but the young Croatian defender opted to join the Bundesliga club for the season.

Tottenham fans were not keen on Vuskovic leaving on loan, with the defender having impressed during pre-season.

Speaking about Romero, Jol told Football.London: “(Cristian) Romero could go anywhere, but you feel like if he plays for a while at his top level, he will get injured.

“Romero is a good, decent defender, but I will tell you one thing, the guy they sent to Hamburg now – Luka Vuskovic – will be better.”

Vuskovic impressed during pre-season, but ultimately, Thomas Frank decided his development would benefit from another season away from the club playing regular football.

Luka Vuskovic on competing with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero

Vuskovic has revealed that Tottenham offered him the chance to stay for the season, but the 18-year-old was keen for regular minutes.

Spurs already have Micky van de Ven, Romero and Kevin Danso as centre-back options, meaning that he would have played in cup matches and when injuries occurred.

Vuskovic told Germanijak: “They offered me an option to stay, to play in case of injury or cup matches. But I wanted continuous minutes.

“They have Romero and Van de Ven playing there, the two best centre-backs in the world at the moment. I believe in myself, but it’s really difficult to play next to them.

“I felt them, I concluded that I still have to work. A lot of work and a little luck, so I’ll be back.”

Tottenham Hotspur legend Michael Dawson has been discussing a big decision which he made at the club when he was playing under Mauricio Pochettino.

The former Nottingham Forest player became a real hero in North London, having spent 11 seasons playing at White Hart Lane.

The defender formed a formidable partnership alongside another Spurs legend in Ledley King, as the pair made 82 appearances together.

Dawson has now been speaking about his time at Tottenham Hotspur and admitted regretting a decision which he made under Mauricio Pochettino.

Michael Dawson regrets leaving Tottenham for Hull City

Spurs legend Michael Dawson has admitted that he regretted his decision to leave Tottenham for Hull City back in 2014.

Dawson, whom Carlos Tevez said was one of his ‘toughest opponents’, left Spurs just after the arrival of Pochettino.

Federico Fazio was signed from Sevilla in a deal worth around £8 million, meanwhile, the former England international was sold for just £3.5 million.

Asked how he felt about leaving Spurs, Dawson told Hollie’s Hotspurs: “Emotional, a challenge and a chore. Was it the right time? It was the wrong decision in hindsight, but we haven’t got a crystal ball.

When asked about whether he would have liked to have played under Pochettino: “100 per cent. I did pre-season with Poch and he was a great guy, he didn’t say he wanted me to leave.

“I could have stayed, but was I going to play? A lot of things came into the decision to leave.

“I remember driving home from Hull, the day after I signed and remember thinking, ‘I wish I could phone Daniel (Levy) to tell him to take me back’.

“Nothing against Hull, it just wasn’t the right time for me to leave Spurs, but as I said, there were too many things in my mind that swayed me to make that decision.”

Dawson proved to be a superb servant during his time in North London, making 324 appearances and helping win the League Cup in 2008.

Harry Redknapp was a huge fan of Michael Dawson

Harry Redknapp was also a huge fan of Dawson, labelling him as ‘absolutely fantastic’ and one of the best defenders in the country.

Redknapp, who recently defended Daniel Levy, gave Dawson 108 appearances under him, which included six games in the Champions League.

Redknapp told the media via The Spurs Web: “For me, he’s been absolutely fantastic. There aren’t too many centre-halves in the country playing better than Michael at the moment.

“He’s a leader, good in the air, a great defender and can pass it. I certainly think if any player was going to force their way in, he is a possibility.”

It’s fair to say that whilst 2025 has been a successful year for Tottenham Hotspur, they have certainly had their fair share of injuries.

Ange Postecoglou’s team saw their campaign nearly derailed due to multiple injuries, but fortunately, it culminated in the Europa League victory in Bilbao.

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping for better fortunes under their new boss, Thomas Frank, and they have just received a welcome boost.

One of the players who picked up a bad injury during Postecoglou’s time in charge has just made his long-awaited return to training.

Radu Dragusin returns to training after ACL injury

After seven months on the sidelines, Radu Dragusin has finally returned from an ACL injury, which is quite some going.

Back at the end of January, Dragusin suffered a devastating injury during Spurs’ 3-0 win over Elfsborg in the Europa League.

In July, Dragusin commenced ball work, but now he has finally returned to full training with his Tottenham teammates.

Seven months of recovery from an ACL injury is quite impressive, with nine months often being the amount of time it takes to come back to training.

The 22-year-old will be hoping to hit the ground running under Frank, and he could be one of the beneficiaries of the Dane’s arrival.

Spurs’ defence shipped so many goals in Postecoglou’s high line, whilst also having an array of different partnerships due to injury.

Now, having a clean slate under a new manager and playing in a system which has a greater defensive structure, Dragusin, who cost £26m, could finally return to his best.

Frank’s squad are short of cover in central defence, but having Dragusin as an option will be greatly appreciated by the 51-year-old.

Dejan Kulusevski is expected back from injury in two or three months

Dejan Kulusevski has revealed that he is expected back from injury in two or three months after undergoing knee surgery back in May.

The Swede has been working hard to ensure that he returns as soon as possible, but his recovery is still taking time.

Speaking to Fotbollskanalen, Kulusevski said: “The status is good. The rehab is going well. Every day I wake up with the same hunger and even more hunger with each passing day.

“I will be on a football pitch in the very, very near future. If everything goes, as it should, as it has so far, I’m very confident that I will be on the pitch in two to three months.”

Pedro Porro completed 90 minutes in Spain’s 6-0 win over Turkey, with the Tottenham Hotspur defender earning rave reviews from the local media.

The European champions ran riot in Konya as Arsenal’s Mikel Merino scored a hat-trick in La Roja’s emphatic victory in World Cup qualifying.

Luis de la Fuente’s side are sure to be one of the favourites to win the World Cup next summer following yet another impressive display.

Pedro Porro was among the Spanish stars who caught the eye against Turkey as the 25-year-old continues to prove himself as one of Europe’s top right-backs.

Spanish media hail Pedro Porro’s performance vs Turkey

The Spanish media have been hailing Porro’s performance, as the Tottenham Hotspur defender impressed against Turkey.

The 25-year-old appears to be securing the right-back spot in De la Fuente’s Spanish team ahead of Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal.

Porro impressed against Man City in the Premier League and looks to be making a strong start to life under Thomas Frank.

The defender missed out on Spain’s Euro 2024 squad, but he will certainly be hoping to be named in the squad for this summer’s World Cup.

After the game, the Spanish media were full of praise for the Spurs star, with one outlet hailing his display as ‘excellent’.

Diario AS: “He had an excellent performance, as he did last Thursday in Sofia. He has a defensive profile and fills the space vacated by Lamine, focusing on attacking on the right.

“The right back position, which was one of the national team’s weak spots, is now approaching the level of the left flank.”

Sport: “He played it simple, without complicating things, aware that he had Lamine in front of him, who was supposed to carry the weight on the right wing. Knowing how to be where you need to be is always a virtue. Good.”

Mundo Deportivo: “His forays down the right flank allowed Lamine to be very present in the attack.”

The defender will now return to Hotspur Way to join up with Frank’s squad as his international break with Spain is now over.

Pedro Porro’s struggles vs Bournemouth

It’s not been all positive for Porro so far, with the Spaniard having struggled against Bournemouth in Spurs’ last Premier League match.

Antoine Semenyo caused the Spanish international plenty of issues at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Cherries won 1-0.

No Premier League player has now been dribbled past more this season than Porro, with six in total.

The former Sporting CP star has shown much improvement defensively over recent times, but it’s clear that it remains a weakness for him.

Back in January, Tottenham Hotspur almost suffered one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history as they just about defeated Tamworth.

The National League side stunned Ange Postecoglou’s team as they took them to extra-time after the game finished 0-0 after 90 minutes.

However, an own goal and two more from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson saw Spurs defeat Tamworth to avoid further embarrassment.

Tottenham players struggled on Tamworth’s artificial pitch, which gave the hosts a real boost and made it a tough afternoon for the Premier League side.

Tom Tonks proved to be one of the danger men on the day for Tamworth, and he has been speaking about facing the Lilywhites at The Lamb Ground.

Tom Tonks on facing Lucas Bergvall and Tottenham

Tonks has hailed Lucas Bergvall and Tottenham Hotspur after facing them in the FA Cup third round back in January.

The 34-year-old is backing the young Swede to become ‘some player’ after watching him in action against his team, Tamworth.

The non-league star admitted that the teenager just ‘glides across the pitch’ and showed the levels of a Premier League player.

Speaking about coming up against the likes of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, Tonks told Ballers Mindset: “Mate, it was so good. You know when people say, ‘I could play in the Prem’, nah man, you can’t play the Prem.

“They’re just so strong, so quick. Bissouma put his hand on my chest and nearly knocked me out – he was that strong, but the way they move across the pitch it’s different.

“That young lad, Bergvall, he glides across the pitch, and I think he was 18 years old, he’s going to be some player. There are levels to this game. They were very, very good.”

Bergvall really impressed last season under Postecoglou and enjoyed a breakout campaign in the top flight.

The youngster suffered an ankle injury towards the end of last season and is being eased back into the team by Thomas Frank.

Lucas Bergvall is excited to make his Champions League debut

Currently away on international duty with Sweden, Bergvall has admitted he is excited to make his Champions League debut this season.

The 19-year-old is hoping to be given the chance to start in the competition after Spurs qualified for the first time since 2023.

Speaking about playing in the Champions League, Bergvall told SVT Sport: “Incredibly fun to play my first Champions League matches, hopefully.”

Bergvall is having to be patient waiting for a run of games in the team, but hopefully he should be back fully fit quite soon.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to keep close tabs on Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin.

The North London club are assessing left-back options, but also players who can help bolster their homegrown quota in UEFA competitions.

Spurs could only name a 22-man squad for the Champions League group stage due to their lack of homegrown and club-trained players.

Cirkin came through Tottenham Hotspur’s academy and would count as club-trained in Europe, which would be a huge boost for their squad.

Exclusive: Tottenham consider Dennis Cirkin January move

Sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, that Thomas Frank is considering a move for Dennis Cirkin in January.

Tottenham thought about signing Cirkin over the summer, but their interest in the defender never materialised in the end.

But come January and the 23-year-old could be available for a significant cut price, given he will be out of contract in the summer.

Currently, the defender is somewhat frustrated at the Stadium of Light, having fallen down the pecking order after the arrival of Reinildo from Atletico Madrid.

There is now a real chance that Spurs will make their move for the defender during the next transfer window, given their need for cover at full-back.

Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro and Ben Davies are their current full-back options, although the latter coming into the team would only be if disaster struck.

Jose Mourinho praises Dennis Cirkin at Tottenham

Back in 2020, Jose Mourinho spoke highly of Cirkin, labelling him as a “kid with a lot of quality” when he was in Spurs’ academy.

Speaking to the media, Mourinho said: “He’s 17, but he’s a kid with a lot of quality, and I look forward to bringing him to train with us, and to help his development.”

During the summer of 2021, Tottenham allowed the defender to leave for the Stadium of Light, where he has spent four successful seasons.

But after being promoted to the Premier League, the Black Cats have made several additions to their squad, which has seen him fall out of favour.

Randal Kolo Muani arrived at Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day, as the North London club added another attacker to Thomas Frank’s forward line.

The Lilywhites signed five new players over the summer, with Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, and Kota Takai joining the Frenchman through the door.

Tottenham signed Kolo Muani on a straight loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain after his move to Juventus fell through.

Thomas Frank’s team were allowed to capitalise on Kolo Muani coming back on to the market, having initially failed to land him back in January.

Tottenham hoping to develop Randal Kolo Muani

Tottenham Hotspur are hopeful that Randal Kolo Muani will continue to develop during his time in North London, with the sense that patience will be required, Raphael Honigstein claims.

But should Frank and his staff help nurture the Frenchman in the right way, the striker has been tipped to play a key role for Tottenham.

Asked whether a successful spell at Tottenham could help him to kick on, Honigstein told An Echo of Glory Podcast: “Yeah, I think that’s certainly the thinking on his behalf.

“I think Spurs are banking on him to develop. I think it is going to be new for him. We’ve seen a lot of the forwards coming into the league this season; there is a bedding-in process.

“I think a bit of patience is in order, but if Spurs look after him well and develop him, I expect him to play a very big role in what looks a very exciting team.”

Dominic Solanke’s recent ankle injury forced the Lilywhites to spring into action in their search for a new number nine. The 26-year-old will now compete with Solanke and Richarlison for a starting spot.

Randal Kolo Muani could make his Tottenham debut vs West Ham

Kolo Muani’s Tottenham debut could well come against West Ham United after the international break, with Solanke sidelined.

Richarlison struggled against Bournemouth, meaning that Frank could now look to the 2022 World Cup finalist to lead the line for his team.

Simons could also join him in making his first appearance for the Lilywhites in what will be a new-look attack for Tottenham.

The other fascinating storyline will be Kudus returning to his former home at the London Stadium, where he could face a frosty reception.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks over a deal to sell a player who is no longer in Thomas Frank’s plans.

Despite the transfer window in England slamming shut on Monday, around Europe, various other windows remain open, and Spurs could profit.

The North London club managed to offload several players who were surplus to requirements during the summer window, but some remain who are out of Thomas Frank’s plans.

Now, TBR Football can exclusively reveal that one of those players could finally be on the move this summer, with a club from Turkey having opened talks to sign him.

Fenerbahce open talks to sign Yves Bissouma from Tottenham

Fenerbahce have reopened talks to sign Yves Bissouma on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

The Yellow Canaries had previously held talks with Bissouma back in July about a move, but nothing materialised at the time after they backed away from the deal.

TBR Football understands that Jose Mourinho wanted other options, but after sacking him, the club’s hierarchy are back in talks.

Spurs and the Turkish giants are now formalising the move and discussing whether it will be a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy.

Bissouma has already agreed terms over a move to Istanbul, despite there having been interest from the Saudi Pro League.

Bailey told TBR Football: “Bissouma is not in Frank’s plans and that has really been made clear to him in the last month. With that, he has accepted he needs to move.

“Fenerbahce have just brought Edson Alvarez, but they still want Bissouma. Spurs fully expect him to be out of the club in the coming week.”

They have already submitted their squad for the Europa League, but they are keen to add to their options for the Super Lig and cup and could still add him to their European squad come January.

Thomas Frank is keen to sell Yves Bissouma

Frank left Bissouma out of Tottenham’s Super Cup squad due to disciplinary reasons, which is why the Malian international has rarely featured as of late.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham tried to swap Bissouma for Lucas Paqueta with West Ham, however, talks failed to ever take off.

Tottenham worked hard to sell Bissouma over the summer; unfortunately, no offers have been forthcoming so far, although Fenerbahce could yet save them.

The former Brighton player has just one year left on his contract, meaning Spurs will likely want a permanent deal for him.

Tottenham Hotspur will have been pretty pleased with the business they managed to complete during the summer transfer window.

The Lilywhites added five new players to Thomas Frank’s squad, with Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Randal Kolo Muani and Kota Takai all being signed.

Tottenham Hotspur added much-needed firepower and creativity in attack with Kudus, Simons and Kolo Muani, whilst adding steel to their midfield with Palhinha.

But the North London club have actually been warned that one of their summer additions is lacking in one key area and Frank will need to help fix it.

RB Leipzig were keen to sell Xavi Simons due to his ‘lack of consistency’

RB Leipzig were actually quite keen to sell Simons over the summer due to his lack of consistency for them, according to Raphael Honigstein.

Tottenham signed Simons for £52m from the Bundesliga club, making him their headline addition over the summer.

Frank convinced Simons to join Tottenham after talks in which the Danish head coach identified areas where he needed to improve.

The German journalist claims that Tottenham are getting an ‘absolute talent’, but also a player who still has much room for improvement.

Honigstein told Echo of Glory: “He solves a lot of problems for any team looking for creativity, he can go past players and open space, he’s a great passer as well. Absolute talent and quality.

“What is lacking is a little bit of consistency, that is why Leipzig were ok with the idea of selling, they are a selling club at this level, but I think in this particular case, they quite wanted him to be gone.

“But he’s 22, there’s a lot of progress still to be made, a lot of development both on and off the pitch for him.”

Simons was underwhelming for the Netherlands in their recent 1-1 draw with Poland, showing the development he still has to do.

But regardless of his performances, his numbers for Leipzig show that he is, without doubt, a major talent, with the attacker managing 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 appearances.

Tottenham were keen on signing a player like Xavi Simons before James Maddison’s injury

Honigstein believes that Tottenham wanted to sign a player like Simons even before James Maddison’s ACL injury.

Spurs were keen to sign a player who could either replace or complement the England international, given his struggles to stay fit.

“I think this has been looked into independently. I think Spurs were in the market for a player who would either complement or take Maddison’s place in that role,” added Honigstein.

“I think you could see Maddison last year, huge impact when he was on the pitch, but probably not quite able to deliver physically every three days.

“So I think Spurs, independently of his injuries, were looking for someone who could at least share some of the burden, if not take over from him in a year.”

Son Heung-min has issued his honest verdict on Daniel Levy stepping down as chairman of Tottenham Hotspur after 25 years at the helm.

Back on Thursday, Tottenham announced Levy’s departure from the club in what was a major shock for many around the game.

The Lewis Family want ‘more wins more often’ and believed that the right decision was to move Levy on from his position as chairman.

Levy was reluctant to leave Tottenham, but the club’s majority owners decided the time was right for a change to be made.

Former Spurs club captain Son Heung-min was asked about his thoughts on Levy’s departure just after South Korea’s win over the United States.

Son Heung-min on Daniel Levy’s ‘unbelievable’ job at Tottenham

Son has hailed the ‘unbelievable’ job Daniel Levy did at Tottenham Hotspur following his departure after 25 years as chairman.

The 33-year-old admitted that he was really grateful for everything Levy did for him during his ten-year spell at the North London club.

Son said in the mix zone: “It’s not the right place to be talking about the departure of my chairman, I was there for ten years – I think he deserves more than me just speaking here.

“Look, he was there for 25 years, I think he did an unbelievable job, I wish him all the best for the future in whatever he’s going to do, but I’m really, really grateful for what he did for me.”

Just a few months back, Levy admitted that once he had left the club, he might finally get recognition for the work he did at Spurs, helping build all the amazing infrastructure.

Harry Redknapp also defended Levy’s impact at Tottenham, highlighting that the 62-year-old was well thought of by many who worked alongside him.

Son Heung-min claims Mauricio Pochettino is ‘more than a coach’

Son was also asked about his former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who he said is ‘more than a coach’ to him, with the pair having worked together for four and a half seasons.

Son’s Korea took on Pochettino’s United States and were 2-0 winners in New Jersey, with Son getting his name on the scoresheet.

“From the bottom of my heart, he helped me to get where I am today. We started together when I was 23; he taught me a lot of good things, so I really appreciate it,” added Son.

“When the game goes on, we’re not friends, but we play for the win, so after the game, I saw him and gave him the biggest hug.

“I just wish him all the best and the US team, he’s an unbelievable coach and for me, he’s more than a coach, so the relationship we built was really, really special.”