FootballFanCast

Tottenham's statement signing of the summer was undoubtedly their £52 million deal for playmaker Xavi Simons, who signed a potential seven-year contract at Spurs after joining from RB Leipzig in the final days of the window.

The deal was penned for an initial five years with the option of a further two, coming as one of the longest player contracts in Tottenham's history, and perhaps a real indicator as to how highly they rate the Dutchman.

Daniel Levy, who has now resigned after the shocking announcement of his departure on Thursday, led a recruitment team of CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici in pursuit of a much-needed playmaker before Monday's transfer deadline.

After two very public and humbling failed attempts to sign one, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze rejecting moves to Tottenham in dramatic late fashion, Spurs finally landed on Simons after an impressive two years in the Bundesliga.

In doing so, the Lilywhites gazumped Chelsea's deal for the 22-year-old, saving some face after Gibbs-White's bizarre saga and Arsenal's hijacking of Eze.

Simons, who came through Barcelona's famed La Masia academy before moving on to PSG and then Leipzig, bagged 22 goals and 24 assists in 78 total appearances for the latter side.

The Netherlands international is famed for his "silky" skills and creativity in the final third, which is exactly what Thomas Frank is crying out for after injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

The former ruptured his ACL in pre-season and won't be back until 2026 as a result, while Kulusevski wasn't named in Tottenham's 22-man Champions League squad as the Swede is expected to return in December.

Tottenham dealt Xavi Simons worry as "concern" arises for Thomas Frank

Simons was unveiled before a delighted Spurs crowd before their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth prior to the international break, prompting excitement as supporters anticipate his imminent debut.

However, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard has also sent a warning to Tottenham about the player.

Based off some "talk" he's heard from German circles, Simons' body language and attitude have sometimes come into question.

“The way he moves, the way he beats people, his intelligence in terms of the way he assists, goals. Very good player to watch, and I think Spurs fans will love him," said Hatchard on talkSPORT.

“My only concern over him is sometimes the body language is not great, sometimes the attitude isn’t all that it could be. I don’t know him personally, all I do know is that throughout his time in Germany there has been talk of, 'is his attitude the best? And can he be disruptive?'

“That might be unfair. That might just be gossip but that has been in the German media. Even when he left, there was a big editorial in one of the major publications about the fact that this may be a good thing for Leipzig in the long run in terms of the harmony of the team.

“I’m sure Thomas Frank will do a great job with him. There will be a few rough edges to smooth out in that regard but in terms of his talent, it’s undeniable.

“I think it will be an exciting and positive signing for Spurs.”

Tottenham have sent shockwaves through the footballing world by announcing that former chairman, Daniel Levy, has stepped down from his role overseeing club operations — 25 years after he took the reins from Sir Alan Sugar.

During his two-and-a-half-decade-long stay at Spurs, Levy transformed the club into a financial powerhouse off the field.

Their state-of-the-art new stadium and training facilities are among the best in world football, with Levy deserving credit for departing N17 in a much more stable condition than he inherited.

However, on the field, it was a different story.

Levy attracted consistent criticism for his lack of spending compared to other members of the Premier League 'big six', and that is widely seen as a real factor in Tottenham only winning two major trophies during the 63-year-old's tenure.

Levy was at the centre of mass protests, particularly last season, with ENIC taking the decision to part company despite the official statement reading that he left of his own accord.

"Tottenham's owners want to move in a new direction so it makes sense for them to put in a new leadership team," said Sky journalist Kaveh Solhekol in the aftermath of Thursday's huge news.

Levy has been so closely involved with the day-to-day running of the club that it has always been assumed that he would not leave unless the club was sold.

"Tottenham's official statement last night — understandably given everything he has done for the club — said Levy had "stepped down".

"Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say he had been asked to step down, but that would have been disrespectful to a man who has dedicated so much of his working life to the club."

This is backed up by other reliable media sources, with ENIC's plan to get more involved at Tottenham essentially weakening Levy's cast-iron grip on the club, according to insider Paul O'Keefe.

The brutal way Tottenham told Daniel Levy he'd be leaving

Now, according to The Times, it is believed that Levy was told he'd be stepping down from Tottenham in rather brutal fashion.

Indeed, as per their information, Spurs informed Levy of the decision just hours before the club publicly announced it.

Given just how big a role he's played in making Tottenham a powerhouse away from the pitch, perhaps this wasn't the most dignified of endings for Levy, despite his mixed reviews from supporters.

In any case, Spurs are adamant that a "new era" has begun after Levy's departure, which comes months after the ex-chair's statement that he wanted to win both the Premier League and Champions League.

Daniel Levy has brought an end to his 25-year stay at Tottenham with the announcement of his resignation as executive chairman on Thursday - huge news which came completely out of nowhere.

Since taking over from Sir Alan Sugar in 2000, Levy oversaw the transformation of Spurs from a largely mid-table side in the late 1990s to one of the Premier League's 'big six', but his running of the club was also marred by protests from supporters over a lack of success on the field.

The Lilywhites are now one of Europe's most valuable clubs — boasting a state-of-the-art new stadium and training complex — with Tottenham also the ninth highest revenue-generating side in world football, according to the Deloitte Money League.

Off the pitch, Levy's work deserves high praise, but just two major trophies in two and a half decades frustrated the fanbase.

The 63-year-old's perceived lack of squad investment during his tenure also attracted fierce criticism, but ENIC's decision to part company represents a "new era" for the north Londoners.

“I am very honoured to become Non-Executive Chairman of this extraordinary Club and, on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Daniel and his family for their commitment and loyalty to the Club over so many years," said Peter Charrington, the club's new non-executive chair, in a statement.

“This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future. We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the Club, led by Vinai and his executive team.”

In the aftermath of Levy's shock exit, questions are being asked about why this has happened now and so suddenly.

BBC journalist Sami Mokbel and other reliable media sources are reporting that the decision to part ways was ultimately taken out of Levy's hands, with ENIC effectively pushing him out of the door.

Club insider Paul O'Keefe has also shared some intriguing bits of detail about the story.

ENIC plan "weakened" Daniel Levy's grip on Tottenham before resignation

Taking to X, Spurs in-the-know claims that ENIC's plan to get properly involved — namely through Lewis' kids Vivienne and Charlie — is said to have "weakened" Levy's "vice-like grip" on Tottenham before he was forced out.

ENIC appear set for a more hands-on role in the wake of Levy's departure, and in that sense, a new era certainly has begun at Tottenham.

Their controversial ownership hasn't exactly been popular among Spurs supporters, but time will tell whether they manage to turn the tide when it comes to public perception.

For Levy, the ex-official and his family are still a beneficiary of ENIC, owning a near-30 per cent stake in the group, but his club involvement will now cease with immediate effect with no notice period (BBC).

Tottenham could soon wave goodbye to midfielder Yves Bissouma with a host of windows outside the UK still open for business, but he isn't the only Spurs squad member potentially available.

Bissouma, who was left out of Spurs' UEFA Super Cup side, has now also been omitted from their final 22-man Champions League A-list squad.

Frank has already criticised the African for his punctuality and discipline since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, explaining exactly why Bissouma, who's currently out injured, didn't travel with the squad for their Super Cup clash in August.

“Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons,” Frank said prior to their PSG defeat on penalties.

"He has been late several times and the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and there also need to be consequences. This time there was a consequence for that.”

The writing appears on the wall for a potential out-of-window exit, amid reports that Tottenham are expecting proposals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey for Bissouma, with the 29-year-old likely to leave in the coming days as a result (GiveMeSport).

This is somewhat backed up by Sky Sports correspondent Micheal Bridge, who reported earlier this week that Bissouma's exit is indeed a serious possibility after the UK transfer deadline passed at 7pm on Monday.

Bissouma could leave as a free agent next summer with his contract set to expire in 2026, meaning Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici need to find a new home for him quite quickly.

Clubs in Saudi can make new signings until September 23, whilst Portuguese sides have until September 15 and Turkish teams until September 12.

A move to any one of those divisions could be a good option for Bissouma, as it could also be for young forward Dane Scarlett.

Dane Scarlett could seal out-of-window Tottenham move with Bissouma

As per reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, Scarlett could leave Tottenham in an out-of-window move with Bissouma, after failing to secure an exit before the deadline on Monday.

The 21-year-old was recalled to the senior side by Postecoglou during Spurs' injury crisis last season, bagging an assist during their 4-1 win at Ipswich, and got on the scoresheet in Tottenham's 3-0 victory over Elfsborg in the Europa League.

Scarlett missed the remainder of the season after picking up a groin problem which required surgery — an extremely unfortunate bit of bad luck for the attacker — but his form prior to that is perhaps a sign of things to come.

José Mourinho called the Englishman a "diamond" during his spell in charge of Spurs, likening Scarlett to Marcus Rashford, but the introduction of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani this summer means he'll be hard-pressed to battle his way into the squad.

At Tottenham Hotspur, there's never a dull moment. The last year has been so chaotic that you could probably divide it up into a trilogy of films.

Spurs crashed and burned in the Premier League but they were red hot in Europe, winning the Europa League.

"Season three is always better than season two", barked Ange Postecoglou during the trophy celebrations back in London. Sadly for the craggy-faced Aussie, he didn't last long enough to see season three.

He was killed off, not literally, by the producers, in this case Daniel Levy. The Spurs boss sacked Postecoglou and replaced him with Thomas Frank who has enjoyed and endured a rollercoaster first transfer window at the helm.

Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White? No problem, the Lilywhites have landed one of Europe's most exciting young playmakers in the form of Xavi Simons. Spurs also have six points from nine to start the new campaign too. Not bad indeed.

Yet, drama is never too far away when Tottenham Hotspur are involved; their Champions League squad list showcased that.

Spurs' Champions League squad list for the 2025 league phase

All the usual faces made Tottenham's squad list for the league phase of their Champions League adventure.

New signings in the form of Simons and Mohammed Kudus made the cut but sadly for James Maddison, the club's long-term injury absentee, there was no place.

The England international will be out for a long time and won't be seen again until 2026 after damaging his ACL.

However, there were some notable absentees. Yves Bissouma, who was excluded from the UEFA Super Cup squad for being late by Frank, looks as though he's set to leave the club in the not-too-distant future and his omission from the squad list only cemented that.

Also missing from the squad were Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski, who joins Maddison on the treatment table currently.

The most high-profile exclusion was Mathys Tel. The Frenchman has long been seen as one of the most exciting young players in Europe. He's only 20 and has the world at his feet, but it doesn't look as though he's impressed Frank a great deal.

Tel spent the back end of the 2024/25 campaign on loan in north London but only scored two goals in 13 Premier League outings. Still, that was enough to convince Levy and Co to splash out and sign the former Bayern Munich prodigy on a permanent deal.

Spurs spent £30m on the youngster and to think he won't see a minute of Champions League football, at least during the league phase, is incredibly damning.

It remains to be seen how much action Tel sees domestically. He has only featured for a total of 19 minutes across the opening three games of the season and is alright fighting a battle to remain in Frank's plans.

It looks like a big waste of £30m already, particularly when Spurs have a number of exciting starlets on their books.

The youngsters who could end Tel's Spurs career

The Hotspur Way academy has produced a number of supremely talented players in recent years, not least Mikey Moore.

The England youth international is currently on loan at Rangers, where he started the Old Firm derby last Sunday, and will look to get a season of regular senior football under his belt.

Moore has already played 21 times for the Spurs first team, scoring once, and was notably compared to Neymar by Maddison after a European tie last campaign.

With so much hype surrounding Moore, it's easy to forget about Will Lankshear, a forward with immense potential, someone who played a hand in 2024/25's Europa League success.

During that run to the final, Lankshear appeared in three games, even scoring in the 3-2 defeat against Galatasaray in November 2024.

While he later endured a pretty awful goalless 11 games on loan at West Brom, he's in form early on at Oxford United in the Championship.

To date, Lankshear's loan in the second tier has been a roaring success, scoring twice in his four league outings.

This is set to be a significant campaign for the 20-year-old who has a genuine chance of making it at Spurs if he has a good campaign in 2025/26.

Richarlison's stay in the capital has been hit and miss, absent for a number of games through injury. £65m man Dominic Solanke hasn't always enjoyed the best of times either. He's not played a single minute this term, courtesy of injury.

Thus, an opening could emerge for Lankshear, one that could really hammer the final nail in Tel's coffin.

A good season, one where he regularly scores goals, will surely earn him game time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it could come further at the expense of Tel.

Described by one scout within the game as "a Harry Kane regen", his playstyle and stature has already garnered similarities to the club's top scorer.

The scorer of 26 goals in 35 games at U21 for Spurs, Lilywhites reporter Alasdair Gold is another to sing his praises, giving the young attacker a glowing endorsement back in February 2024: "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."

High praise indeed. Tel better watch out if Lankshear continues to develop at a quick rate.

Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's opening Champions League game of the season against Villarreal later this month, Spurs boss Thomas Frank has now decided his A-list squad for the league phase, and it includes some notable absentees.

After clinching their first major trophy in 17 years by winning the Europa League in May, Spurs secured themselves passage to Europe's most prestigious competition, and Frank's side have a solid chance of battling their way to the knockouts.

The league phase draw was favourable indeed, barring current European champions PSG, who the Lilywhites already know all too well from their unlucky UEFA Super Cup final loss on penalties.

Tottenham are set for a reunion with Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt, months after beating them in the Europa League semi-finals, as well as Eintracht Frankfurt, who they also knocked out of Europe en route to their historic night in Bilbao.

In preparation for their first campaign back in the Champions League since Antonio Conte's era in charge, Frank has been forced to make a few key decisions over who makes their A-list side for the league phase encounters.

Over the summer window, Tottenham had a complication over a lack of players to fill their 'locally trained' quota, which presented the threat of having to register a lesser number of players overall and even prompted Spurs to consider re-signing Kyle Walker-Peters at one stage (Alasdair Gold).

Despite some reports suggesting Tottenham were favourites for Walker-Peters as a viable candidate to be one of their locally trained options in Europe, the right-back ended up joining West Ham on a free transfer instead.

UEFA rules state: “If a club has fewer than eight locally trained players on its List A, the maximum number of players that can be registered on this list is reduced accordingly.”

Their lack of locally trained assets means that Frank was forced to omit a noteworthy number of players, including some big names.

Tottenham omit Takai, Tel and Bissouma from Champions League squad

Tottenham's squad for the Champions League is now in and confirmed, with Frank deciding to snub two summer signings and exit-linked midfielder Yves Bissouma, with the Mali international tipped to leave for Saudi Arabia or Turkey in the coming days (GiveMeSport).

Indeed, Kota Takai joined Spurs for a J-League record £5 million during the window, but he misses out, as does Mathys Tel, who signed for the north Londoners in a cut-price £30 million move from Bayern Munich.

Injured trio James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin, who are all a long time away from the grass as they recover from their respective problems, were also left out by Frank.

Here is the squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin.

Defenders: Kevin Danso, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven.

Midfielders: Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur.

Tottenham Hotspur are done with their incomings for 2025 after the UK summer transfer deadline passed on Friday, but they could still offload certain squad members with windows open elsewhere.

It was a highly eventful summer for Spurs, full of highs, lows and definite drama.

The club's recruitment contingent of Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici led the Lilywhites through a solid window where they reinforced much-needed areas of the squad, but it wasn't exactly plain sailing.

Tottenham saw high-profile deals for England international playmakers Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze collapse in the most humbling manner imaginable, with the former U-turning on his agreement to join Spurs by signing a new long-term contract at the City Ground.

With Eze, Spurs thought they had an agreement in place on both personal terms and the finances of a deal with Palace, but the boyhood Arsenal supporter ultimately chose N5 once the Gunners came knocking for his signature.

Fortunately for Thomas Frank, Tottenham landed a £52 million deal for Xavi Simons to spare their blushes, mounting a hijack of their own on London rivals Chelsea in the process.

On deadline day, an 'un-Spurs like' straight loan deal for Randal Kolo Muani concluded their business for the calendar year, amid some reports that Dominic Solanke may now require surgery after his fresh injury blow.

However, with outgoings still a possibility, the future of Yves Bissouma is a hot topic around N17 right now.

Frank has already penalised the Mali international for turning up late to training on multiple occasions, and some reports last month claimed Tottenham offered Bissouma out in swap deal talks for transfer targets.

The 29-year-old is a player with bags of ability on his day, with James Maddison calling him "ridiculous" and presenter Adam Smith dubbing him "world-class", but his attitude and application have often been questioned lately.

Bissouma was repeatedly linked with a switch to Turkey over the summer, and this remains a distinct possibility as the Süper Lig window remains open, as does a potential move to the Middle East.

Yves Bissouma expected to leave Tottenham in the "coming days"

That is according to GiveMeSport, who write that Bissouma is expected to leave Tottenham "in the coming days" after failing to convince Frank he's deserving of more game time.

While the midfield technician holds hope that he could still fight his way back in, it is apparently more likely that he'll receive proposals from Saudi and Turkey, and the likelihood of Bissouma leaving imminently is pretty good.

The former Brighton star actually played a key role during Tottenham's run to the Europa League final, where Ange Postecoglou's men ended the club's 17-year wait for a major trophy, but he is not at the forefront of Frank's plans by comparison.

If Bissouma does secure a move away, he'll join both Manor Solomon and Bryan Gil out of the exit door in dramatic late fashion, despite having all summer to source a move away.

Given he is yet to feature in a single competitive minute for Tottenham this season, partly down to injury and partly down to discplinary issues, Bissouma may well have already played his last game for the club.

Tottenham's 2025 summer transfer window will live in the memory of supporters as their most entertaining in a long while. It was a noteworthy blend of decisive additions and notable setbacks. Their biggest success was hijacking Chelsea's deal for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for around £52 million.

His arrival adds much-needed creativity and flair to the midfield and forward lines, especially taking into account James Maddison's ACL injury, Dejan Kulusevski remaining out with a knee problem and Son Heung-min's exit to the MLS.

Despite advanced interest in Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs were unable to complete a deal after Forest blocked it in very unceremonious fashion, leaving the club without a top target in that role for weeks. Another blow came when Eberechi Eze, who was initially close to joining Spurs, made a dramatic switch to Arsenal late in the window — pulling a major U-turn and leaving Tottenham reeling.

Enquires for £100 million Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers followed, but to no avail (Fabrizio Romano).

However, their capture of Simons negated their previous transfer humiliations, coming as an almighty boost for Thomas Frank ahead of his first ever campaign managing a big six Premier League side.

The pressure on Frank to succeed is nothing like he has ever faced at Brentford, and it was crucial that Daniel Levy, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, technical director Johan Lange and unofficial advisor Fabio Paratici backed him in the market.

Whilst not a perfect window, with Spurs failing to address their shortage at centre-back as well as not signing a proven left-winger, like they wanted to do (Sky Sports), the Lilywhites still reacted to Dominic Solanke's potentially serious fresh injury by bringing in Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG in a deadline day deal.

It wasn't your typical Spurs deal for a highly-rated player, either, with Alasdair Gold explaining that their straight loan with no buy option is quite out of the ordinary for Levy.

Yves Bissouma is still widely expected to leave even after the deadline, as the transfer windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia remain open, with Tottenham believed to have held talks over a potential long-term replacement for him in August.

Tottenham held talks over signing Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton attracted serious interest from N17 at one point.

As per their information, Tottenham and Palace held discussions about Wharton during the two clubs' lengthy summer dialogue — where they also spoke about Manor Solomon joining Oliver Glasner's side on loan and, of course, Eze.

In the final weeks of the window, Spurs and Man United apparently asked about the "generational" 21-year-old's situation, but neither Palace nor the player were interested in entertaining the move.

While the Eagles know that a big move for him in the future is very much possible, it wasn't a topic for this summer, and even when a transfer becomes more likely, Steve Parish still values the England international at £100 million.

Levy would have to smash Tottenham's transfer record for a deal to happen as things stand, but Wharton will be hoping to put his recent injury problems behind him by justifying that price tag and battling his way into Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad for 2026.

Arsenal's sensational hijacking of Tottenham's deal for Eberechi Eze will go down in Gunners folklore as one of their most celebrated transfer coups in recent memory.

In one fell swoop, Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta rounded off his already-impressive debut window by both breaking the hearts of their rivals and securing a proven Premier League number 10 overnight.

Spurs were on the verge of signing Eze, after reaching an agreement in principle with Palace and agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old himself.

However, Kai Havertz's injury then pushed the north Londoners into stealing Eze from under Thomas Frank's nose.

After laying plenty of groundwork and being heavily linked for most of the summer, Arsenal moved in for the England international and matched Tottenham's bid - leaving the final decision down to Eze.

A boyhood Arsenal fan and former academy player, the choice was simple - a return to N5.

Reports earlier this month suggested that Eze's 'first preference' between the clubs was always Arsenal, so when Mikel Arteta's side made their intentions known, the former QPR star promptly took the bait.

The playmaker, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Palace last season, is undergoing a medical ahead of a £67.5 million move back to Arsenal.

Tottenham will be kicking themselves for not triggering Eze's £68 million release clause when they had the chance, with the buy-out expiring on August 15. Daniel Levy's famously hard-ball negotiating tactics have seemingly come back to bite the Lilywhites chairman, and Arsenal have reaped all the rewards.

Palace's "unusual" Tottenham demand which sparked Eberechi Eze hijack fear

Shedding more light on one of the stories of the transfer window, journalist Graeme Bailey has shared an intriguing bit of background on the blockbuster deal.

According to the reporter, speaking to TBR Football, Tottenham felt something wasn't quite right when Palace made an 'unusual' demand, which seemingly sparked fears of a potential Arsenal hijack.

“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."

Palace initially planned for Eze to feature in their 1-0 Conference League play-off win against Fredrikstad on Thursday night, but the player didn't end up taking part after all.

His switch to Arsenal is now imminent, and an announcement is expected in due course.

Tottenham are set to be very active in this final stretch of the window, and we can expect talks for attacking targets to intensify quickly after they were robbed of a deal for Eberechi Eze by north London rivals Arsenal.

The Lilywhites thought they were closing in on Eze, then Arsenal moved, and everything changed.

Spurs were deep in talks with Crystal Palace, seemingly on the brink of agreeing a deal for their star number 10.

However, Arsenal reignited their long-standing interest almost immediately after losing Kai Havertz to injury - seizing the initiative and agreeing a deal worth £60 million upfront, plus £7.5 million in add-ons.

Despite Tottenham agreeing both personal terms and a deal in principle with Palace, the final decision rested with Eze, and he chose a move to the Emirates.

"Arsenal came in late this afternoon - also agreeing to Palace's terms - and the player chose Arsenal due to his connection to them," said the reliable Alasdair Gold on X.

"Another number 10 lost when Spurs thought it was done. Not a good look spending so long on a deal only for another club to get him within a day."

The 27-year-old grew up a Gunners fan, trained in their academy as a youth, and Mikel Arteta’s side needed fresh attacking flair amid Havertz's fresh knee problem. Arsenal have been targeting Eze all summer, but Havertz inadvertently pushed them into action whilst breaking Spurs' hearts in the process.

Now Spurs are left scrambling for different options to plug the creative voids left in their squad - made worse by Son Heung-min's departure and James Maddison’s long-term ACL injury.

In just a few hours, the tag-team of Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta snatched the deal from under Daniel Levy's nose. From nearly finalized by Tottenham to firmly Arsenal’s - this one will sting in N17 for some time.

Levy and Thomas Frank will be desperate to put the saga behind them whilst making a serious statement of intent, and they've been linked with a few intriguing attacking options in the aftermath of their botched Eze deal.

Tottenham are still trying to loosen Man City's grip on Savinho, but another option is still there in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

Tottenham could be close to agreeing loan deal for Rodrygo

According to Defensa Central, the Brazilian is not in Xabi Alonso's plans, and his pool of suitors is running thin.

As things stand, Spurs are the most realistic destination for him, and their eagerness to offload him has resulted in Bernabeu chiefs softening their stance when it comes to his £86 million price tag.

So much so, in fact, that Real are now prepared to green-light an initial loan for Rodrygo, something that is enticing Tottenham as Levy maintains an interest in the 24-year-old.

As per Defensa, this means that Tottenham "could be close" to reaching an agreement for Rodrygo, as they're also ready to cover the player's entire £208,000-per-week salary.

The only roadblock is apparently whether Levy will agree to include a buy-option/obligation, as Florentino Perez would ideally like his price tag paid in full, but could be forced to wait until 2026.

Rodrygo, for his part, has decided to leave Real in pursuit of more game time, and while not explicitly stated, the prospect of a Premier League move could well tempt him.