TBR Football

TBR Football can reveal how Aston Villa are feeling about the potential sale of Morgan Rogers, amid speculation over a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs have started to move on to other targets, with Eberechi Eze now expected to join Arsenal in a shocking turn of events.

Eze had agreed to join Tottenham, but an injury to Kai Havertz prompted the Gunners into action, and they swooped in and stole the 27-year-old.

Rogers is now linked with Tottenham, and TBR Football has learned the truth about talk of a potential approach from the North London club.

Sources: Aston Villa close door on Morgan Rogers sale

Aston Villa are insisting that they have not received an approach for Morgan Rogers and that the midfielder will be staying at Villa Park, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

The Villans have had issues with PSR, but if they were to start selling players, the 23-year-old would be the last player they would want to let go.

Chelsea wanted Rogers earlier this summer, but have instead moved on to other targets, with Xavi Simons the player they are working on.

Bailey told TBR Football: “They’ve denied any approaches, any knowledge of the situation. I’ve been told by people who know the Villa situation that even if there was a fire sale tomorrow, the last player out the door at Villa would be Morgan Rogers.

“He’s not going anywhere this month. Villa do know of interest from elsewhere, but my understanding is that if and when Rogers does leave Villa, the chances are very high it’s going to be Chelsea.

“We know about the Joel Shields relationship, etc. I’d be very surprised if his next club wasn’t Chelsea purely because of that relationship, and we know they like him.

“Arsenal always had an interest in him, but it was never that strong. And obviously, in terms of a fee, if you’re going to get Morgan Rogers, I think you’re looking at Florian Wirtz territory-type money.”

Rogers would be a hugely ambitious move for any club at this stage of the window, let alone Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham’s Nico Paz interest complicated by Real Madrid

Tottenham’s interest in signing Nico Paz from Como 1907 is complicated by Real Madrid, TBR Football understands.

Madrid are keen to eventually bring the youngster back to the Spanish capital and have the option to match whatever offer is tabled.

The Argentine midfielder is also keen to make a return to Madrid and another season in Serie A is the most likely outcome at this stage.

Last season, the 20-year-old managed six goals and nine assists in 35 games in the Italian top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur are now zero for two in the transfer market as Thomas Frank looks to find a suitable replacement for James Maddison.

The England international’s ACL injury has forced Spurs into a desperate position. The club had wanted to acquire a new attacking-minded midfielder to boost their options, but their desire has now turned into a necessity.

Earlier this summer, Morgan Gibbs-White penned a new deal at Nottingham Forest despite Tottenham activating his existing release clause, and to add further insult to injury, Arsenal have now dealt the Lilywhites their latest blow.

TBR Football confirmed Arsenal have agreed to sign Eberechi Eze, and the player will undergo a medical at the Emirates on Friday after deciding to join Spurs’ North London rivals.

Now, with only 11 days left in the transfer window, time is running out for Frank to move on to alternative targets; however, the Spurs boss may already have the solution to their woes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mohammed Kudus can fill the number 10 void at Tottenham

Mohammed Kudus arrived at Spurs in a £55 million deal from West Ham earlier this summer and stands as the club’s sole marquee addition thus far.

Although there were concerns regarding his form prior to leaving the London Stadium, Kudus made an immediate impact on his debut, playing an integral role in the 3-0 win against Burnley on the opening day.

Kudus assisted both of Richarlison’s goals in a dominant win as the forward turned back the clock and replicated the form shown during his maiden year in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old plays primarily on the right flank but can operate in the number 10 position. Kudus has played over 50 times in the role throughout his career, including during Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup loss against PSG.

Considering Tottenham appeared set to sign Eze and are now dealing with the fact that their two main targets have slipped through their fingers, there isn’t much more embarrassment that Daniel Levy can withstand.

Indeed, there are alternative options Spurs can pursue, but with Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel more than capable of performing on the flanks, Kudus could shine as the number 10.

Tottenham now want to sign Bilal El Khannouss

TBR Football understands Tottenham have enquired about Bilal El Khannouss of Leicester City in an attempt to hijack Crystal Palace’s move for the forward.

The Morocco international has agreed terms with Palace, but a deal has not reached the final stages, leaving Spurs with an opportunity to pounce.

Spurs have a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old, particularly after he shone as a standout performer last season as Leicester suffered immediate relegation to the Championship, but the club pivoted their focus towards Eze.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s partnership in defence has become a key part of Tottenham Hotspur’s current team.

Both defenders scored in the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, a game in which they somehow let it slip through their fingers in the closing stages.

Under Thomas Frank, the pair will be hoping that, in a more stable defensive system, they will both be able to show their best form together at Tottenham Hotspur.

Romero has now been speaking about his relationship with the Dutch international and what he hopes will happen during the new campaign.

Cristian Romero on his “great relationship” with Micky van de Ven

Cristian Romero has admitted that he shares a “great relationship” with Micky van de Ven and the pair have become very close since his arrival.

Back in the summer of 2023, Van de Ven signed for Tottenham for £43m in what now looks to be a very strong deal for the North London club.

Last season, both Romero and Van de Ven spent time out injured, missing around half the season, which had an adverse effect on the team.

The Argentine is hoping that this season, things can be different and the defensive duo can play together as much as possible.

Romero told Telemundo Deportes: “We have a great relationship since the day he arrived. We made a good central duo and nothing is perfect; there are always things to improve.

“But we know each other, we know each other’s way of playing, so we complement each other very well.

“As I said, last season, unfortunately, both he and I suffered so many injuries that we missed almost 50 percent of the season and that’s hard for the coach, for the team and everyone.

“So, this season, we hope not to have that bad luck and be able to be well to face this season in the best way possible.”

Frank will be desperate to ensure that both players remain as injury-free as possible this season and continue to form one of the strongest defensive partnerships in the Premier League.

Cristian Romero’s record playing with Micky van de Ven

It’s rather shocking to hear that Romero and Van de Ven played alongside one another on just 18 occasions last season.

The North London club simply cannot afford for both players to miss as many games this season as they did last term.

Spurs might need to add at least one more central defender to their ranks, with Kevin Danso their only current suitable replacement for the pair.

Arsenal look set to complete one of the most shocking hijack transfers in recent times by signing Eberechi Eze ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

TBR Football has exclusively revealed that Eze is ecstatic about joining Arsenal and the Gunners have now agreed terms over the deal with Crystal Palace.

Initially, Eze had agreed to join Tottenham, but a late move from their bitter North London rivals has seen them miss out on one of their top targets.

Thomas Frank requested Eze’s signing earlier this window, and just when he thought he was getting his man, Andrea Berta has snatched him from Spurs’ grasp.

Now, the winger will line up against the Lilywhites this season, following what could be one of the most dramatic transfer stories of the season.

When do Arsenal play Tottenham at home?

Eberechi Eze’s first taste of playing in the North London derby will come on November 22, when the first one of the season is due to be played.

Although this fixture date is almost certainly set to be rearranged for television coverage, this is when the 27-year-old will line up against Spurs.

The winger will likely face a heroic reception during the match at the Emirates Stadium, given the significance of rejecting Spurs for the Gunners.

Tottenham have been called ‘Newcastle of the South’ after being rejected by the England international, but losing him to their bitter rivals will hurt just that little bit more.

Eze, who is already an Arsenal hero, managed two goals and one assist against Spurs in the Premier League last season.

The winger will now be eager to add to his tally against the Lilywhites towards the end of November, when the teams first meet.

When do Arsenal play Tottenham away?

The Crystal Palace forward is due to make the trip across North London on February 21, which again is likely to be subject to change.

Depending on how Frank’s team have fared across the season, the forward is more than likely to receive a rather hostile reaction.

The obvious comparison will be when Sol Campbell returned to White Hart Lane following his switch from Spurs to the Gunners.

Tottenham have been unsuccessful in their bid to sign Adam Wharton’s Crystal Palace teammate Eberechi Eze.

The England international looked set for a £60m move to Spurs, before Arsenal swooped in and hijacked the deal following an injury to Kai Havertz.

TBR Football understand Eze is delighted and feels he has secured the move he always wanted.

Tottenham also hold an interest in the aforementioned Adam Wharton – although the Crystal Palace No.20 has suggested he too would reject Spurs.

Adam Wharton taps the Crystal Palace badge when asked about his future

Due to UEFA regulations, Crystal Palace had no choice but to let Gary Cotterill and his Sky Sports colleagues have access to training on Wednesday, ahead of the Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening.

Cotterill was told to “give it a rest” by Eze as he warmed up, before attention turned towards Wharton, who overheard Sky Sports discussing his future.

In response, the England international went straight for his chest and tapped the Crystal Palace badge on his shirt – appearing to confirm he intends to stay in SE25 for this season at least.

TBR Football understand Thomas Frank admires Wharton and would love to have the Crystal Palace playmaker in north London, although his price tag of at least £100m is viewed as prohibitive internally at Tottenham.

Tottenham could cause Crystal Palace a problem after losing out on Eberechi Eze

TBR Football understand Spurs have enquired about Bilal El Khannouss of Leicester after Arsenal hijacked their deal for Eze.

The Leicester No.11 is valued around £30m after an impressive debut campaign with the Foxes last term, even scoring a sumptuous winner against Tottenham in N17.

However, sources informed TBR Football earlier this week that El Khannouss was nearing a move to Crystal Palace as a replacement for Eze, after talks with the Morocco international went well.

It now remains to be seen what happens with the African forward, as Tottenham currently have £60m burning a hole in their pocket after Eze chose Arsenal.

Thomas Frank has been dealt another blow in the transfer market after Eberechi Eze decided to join Arsenal.

TBR Football exclusively revealed that Arsenal have agreed a deal for Eze, and the England international has decided to reject Tottenham in favour of a move to the Emirates.

Spurs’ £55 million acquisition of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham stands as the club’s marquee signing thus far, and while the Ghanaian international impressed on his debut, there is a growing need for further additions.

Despite winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham recorded an abysmal 17th-placed finish in the Premier League, and the pressure will be on for Frank to avoid repeating the mistakes of his predecessor.

However, with another transfer rejection staring Daniel Levy in the face, Simon Jordan has offered his take on how the situation panned out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham could not have done more to convince Eberechi Eze

When addressing the situation live on talkSPORT, Jordan suggested that Levy had little power in preventing Eze from joining Arsenal, but the Tottenham faithful will only see yet another player slip through their fingers.

“Now you’ve got a situation with Eze, and I’m not defending Daniel in any shape or form, I’m giving an alternative view rather than the one dimensional binary outlook, which is Spurs have balls’d it up again. Is anybody under the illusion that the agent wouldn’t have been trying to achieve the best outcome for the player, and Arsenal may well have already been in the background for some period of time?

“And perhaps Palace were looking at playing all ends against the middle to get the best price they could, which is fair play to them, and so they should and have managed to achieve that. And the agent and the player have been given a series of opportunities.

“Now, if you want to make the argument that Tottenham had a march to steal, and they could have bent the player’s wrist back, and they could have bent Palace’s wrist back and told them when they were going to sign him, and so and so forth. You can make that argument, and those that believe that everything Daniel Levy does is wrong, you know, on one hand, we will constantly suggest that Daniel Levy is the deal maker extraordinaire.

“In another breath, we’ll turn around and say that he isn’t, and doesn’t do the deals. Now people will say, Well, ah, hang on, that’s because he’s a deal maker extraordinaire when he’s selling.”

Tottenham had looked set to sign Eze after agreeing personal terms with the player, and only the final details surrounding the payment structure stood in the way of the move.

Spurs faced a similar situation earlier this summer with Morgan Gibbs-White, whom they believed would sign on the dotted line after activating his release clause; however, the player completed a dramatic U-turn instead, extending his contract with Nottingham Forest.

James Maddison’s ACL injury forced the Lilywhites back into the market for an attacking midfielder and a long-term replacement for the Englishman.

And now it is back to the drawing board for Frank, and as TBR Football understands, Tottenham are now targeting Bilal El Khannouss of Leicester City and have submitted an official enquiry.

Tottenham supporters will focus on Daniel Levy’s failure

Although the fact remains it would have been near impossible for Spurs to convince boyhood Arsenal fan Eze to honour his agreement with the club once their North London rivals made their move, the result will still sting for the supporters.

Even with Champions League football on offer, Tottenham are struggling to finalise deals for their main targets.

And as Jordan alludes to, the transfer failings, rather than their repeated efforts, will be the focus of the fan base.

“But in the outcome world, they’ll have their right to say it, because the outcome, which is what we all look at, no matter what the story is, no matter what the journey is – Daniel Levy hasn’t delivered an outcome.”

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur actually had an inkling that something was wrong with the Eberechi Eze deal before the Arsenal news even broke.

The Crystal Palace attacker was expected to move to a bigger club in this window, and Spurs seemed to be in the driving seat to sign him.

TBR revealed that Eze held talks with Thomas Frank and was ready to join Tottenham, but his stance changed once Arsenal came into the picture.

Spurs, unsurprisingly, are disappointed, but they had a feeling this could happen just a few days ago.

Crystal Palace made some ‘unusual’ requests to Tottenham for Eberechi Eze

TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, understands that Tottenham are sad to miss out on Eberechi Eze, but Arsenal’s hijack didn’t come as a big shock.

The 27-year-old has been on the radar of both North London clubs in this window, with the Gunners holding talks with his agents at the very start of the summer.

However, Arsenal’s focus was on a new left-winger and player sales, which is why Tottenham found themselves in a great position to land Eze.

Then, Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury at Arsenal, and that forced Andrea Berta to make his move to sign the Eagles star.

Fans of both clubs were taken by surprise when the news broke, but TBR understands that Tottenham knew something was wrong as early as Tuesday because of Palace’s demands.

Bailey told TBR: “I don’t think it necessarily hit the players or the coaches hard, but on Monday and Tuesday, the club really thought it was done with Spurs.”

“On Tuesday, Palace came back with certain criteria – not outlandish, but a bit unusual – and that made Spurs think: ‘Why are you asking for this, what’s going on here?’ They had a feeling something wasn’t quite right.

“I think annoyance is the wrong word – a frustration. But clearly, Eze is Palace’s player to do as they see fit. At the end of the day, it’s not really a frustration with Palace because they were just looking for the best deal.

“Tottenham were willing to do the £68 million deal anyway, so from Palace’s point of view, did they really care which one of these two he joined? I don’t think so. Neither of them are particular rivals. Yes, Spurs are nearer to Palace, but in terms of everything else, they’re not really a rival. Palace were going to get the same fee anyway.

“I don’t think there’s real annoyance there, but clearly from Spurs’ part there is frustration. But speaking to them today, they’re moving on straight away. There’s that pragmatic approach – this is football. They’ve taken advantage of similar situations themselves in the past, so I don’t think they’re massively bitter about it.”

“Clearly, there have been a few instances this summer where they’ve missed out on deals – with Morgan Gibbs-White and now with Eze – and yeah, it’s a frustration.”

Eberechi Eze always preferred Arsenal over Tottenham

Tottenham really were close to signing Eze.

An agreement in principle was struck between Spurs and Palace, and it really did look like the deal would go through.

However, as TBR revealed, Arsenal were always Eze’s first choice, and the Englishman now feels that he has got the move he always wanted.

Tottenham have now enquired about signing Bilal El Khannouss, while the likes of Savinho, Harvey Elliott and Tyler Dibling remain on their radar.

It remains to be seen who they will end up signing.

Tottenham Hotspur have had their fair share of disappointments this summer.

Tottenham missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White after a complicated situation with Nottingham Forest, while Spurs also suffered anguish when James Maddison went down injured recently.

On top of this, Eberechi Eze is headed to Arsenal after being close to joining Tottenham in what is yet another blow for Spurs this summer.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Gabriel Agbonlahor has been discussing the Eze debacle, and he says that there is actually a worse situation at Spurs after reports on Wednesday involving Richarlison.

Richarlison situation could be worse than losing out on Eberechi Eze

Agbonlahor spoke about reports that Richarlison was set to be included in a swap deal for Eberechi Eze.

The pundit says that this situation is actually worse than losing out on Eze, noting that Tottenham may now have made Richarlison unhappy, adding further to their woes.

“Do you know what is worse, there were reports last night that Spurs wanted to include Richarlison in the deal,” Agbonlahor said.

“If you’re Richarlison, you have just scored two screamers, and you’re hearing you could be included in a deal. Now, you have an unhappy Richarlison as well and an unhappy Eze. There’s probably nobody now available for them to go and get to fill that Maddison role, disappointing.”

Richarlison has been brilliant under Thomas Frank so far

If Richarlison is indeed unhappy after these reports, the timing on this couldn’t have been any worse.

Indeed, the Brazilian was just finding his form at Spurs under Thomas Frank, and he even earned praise from Glenn Hoddle.

“Richarlison played a lot on the left, but I see him more down the middle really. You can dovetail those two, for me, he’s a real added bonus, it’s like we have a new player with the last two performances,” Hoddle said.

Hopefully, Richarlison will let these rumours just wash over him, but Agbonlahor knows what it means to be a Premier League striker at the centre of transfer speculation, and, as he says, the forward may well be unhappy about these rumours.

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer window isn’t quite going to plan.

Indeed, while Spurs have spent some money this summer, they continue to miss out on key targets.

Eberechi Eze is set to join Arsenal after being close to signing for Spurs, while Morgan Gibbs-White’s move to Tottenham also collapsed after a complicated situation with Nottingham Forest.

Spurs have managed to get a few deals over the line, and speaking on Stick to Football, Roy Keane has shared his verdict on one of Spurs’ summer signings.

Keane spoke about Tottenham’s move for Mohammed Kudus, claiming that this was a very strange signing and one that he didn’t see coming.

Roy Keane says Mohammed Kudus is a strange signing

Keane spoke with his fellow pundits about some of this summer’s transfer business.

Neville asked Keane to share his opinion on the move for Kudus, and he gave an interesting response.

Indeed, Keane says that this is a strange deal, claiming that he’s really not sure about this transfer.

“Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham?” Neville asked.

“That was a strange old deal that wasn’t it? You didn’t see that one coming did you,” Keane said.

“I’m not sure, I’m sorry, I’m not sure.”

Mohammed Kudus’ route into the Tottenham team assessed

Keane says that Kudus to Spurs was a strange signing, and from the outside looking in, you can see why.

For a start, West Ham and Spurs very rarely do business with one another, so that was rather strange to see.

Secondly, Kudus’ route into the Tottenham team when everyone is fit and available isn’t exactly clear.

Kudus would arguably not be first-choice in either of his preferred positions at Spurs if everyone was available.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are currently struggling with long-term injuries, and that means Kudus is in line for more minutes than he perhaps would have been previously.

It will be interesting to see what sort of role Kudus plays once Maddison and Kulusevski are back in action.

Tottenham Hotspur are now working very hard to sign new players after missing out on Eberechi Eze.

Spurs seemed to be in a one-horse race to sign the Englishman from Crystal Palace, but delays in negotiations allowed Arsenal to hijack their deal for Eze.

Tottenham are now back on the market for a new number 10, and they are looking at several options to fill their void.

Along with that, the North Londoners have decided to go big to sign a winger.

Tottenham are preparing a £69m bid to sign Savinho

Savinho is a key target for Tottenham this summer.

The Brazilian has caught the eye with some of his performances for Manchester City over the last year, and Thomas Frank has been impressed with him.

TBR Football confirmed Tottenham’s interest in Savinho earlier in August, and that interest has only intensified following Arsenal’s hijack of the Eberechi Eze deal.

Globo Esporte in Brazil have claimed that Tottenham are preparing a €80 million (£69m) bid to sign Savinho in the coming days.

The report says that the Brazilian has personally been requested by Thomas Frank, and his agents are in London to negotiate a deal.

Savinho believes a move to Tottenham will boost his chances of getting into the Brazil World Cup squad next year, as he will get regular game time under Frank.

However, as TBR Football revealed, Manchester City have shown no signs of encouragement to Spurs after they asked about Savinho on Wednesday.

It remains to be seen if the £69 million bid changes their mind.

What Pep Guardiola has said about Tottenham’s interest in Savinho

Pep Guardiola rates Savinho very highly.

The Manchester City boss played him 45 times in all competitions, and the Brazilian directly contributed to 16 goals in the 2024/25 season.

Guardiola would ideally like to keep Savinho for many years, but he admitted that the player’s wishes will dictate his future.

He said, as per Football London: “If Tottenham, in that case – or any other club – wants a player, they should call the club right? It’s the same like we do. I’m only concerned right now, today, that Savinho will be with us until the end of the season.

“And, hopefully, for many, many years. He’s 21 years old, with the potential that he has… He’s played a lot of minutes, he has to improve in the final decisions. But he’s an extraordinary player; otherwise, he would not have played more than 3,000 minutes.

“But in the end – as always – the desire of the players prevails above everything. But they have to arrive to an agreement with the club.”