FootballFanCast

Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles in the Premier League have once again reared their head this campaign, despite parting ways with Ange Postecoglou.

The Aussie was dismissed in the summer after finishing 17th in England’s top-flight, subsequently doing so whilst ending the Lilywhites’ 17-year wait for silverware.

However, his successor, Thomas Frank, suffered the same fate in North London, with the Dane being handed his own marching orders after winning just seven of his 26 league matches.

As a result, former Juventus boss Igor Tudor has been handed the manager’s job on a deal until the end of the season, with the Croatian tasked with keeping the side in the division.

The 47-year-old will have a huge task on his hands in North London, subsequently working with an injury-hit squad, but it is a side littered with multiple big-money additions.

However, the new boss won’t be able to call upon the services of former star Tanguy Ndombele…

The stats behind Tanguy Ndombele’s struggles at Spurs

The Daniel Levy era at Spurs often saw the supporters voicing their displeasure at the lack of funds being spent in the transfer window to help bolster the first-team ranks.

However, in the summer of 2019, the Lilywhites would break their transfer record after forking out a reported £62m for the signature of Ndombele from French side Lyon.

Given the nature of the fee, huge excitement was generated over a move for the now 29-year-old, but it truly was a period to forget for the player and everyone involved with the move.

The midfielder only racked up 91 senior appearances in North London, with his attitude and fitness issues consistently being flagged by various managers and the supporters.

However, Ndombele was capable of producing numerous moments of magic, as seen with his outrageous goal against Sheffield United back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Upon his arrival in North London, the Frenchman was handed a five-year deal on a staggering £200k-per-week - taking the club’s total spending on his signature to over £100m.

To make the deal worse from a Spurs perspective, Ndombele would depart the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, which finally put an end to his disastrous spell in England.

The Spurs star who’s like Ndombele & should never play under Tudor

As previously mentioned, new Spurs boss Tudor will have a huge task on his hands over the next few months, with the Croatian undoubtedly wanting to implement his own stamp on the senior ranks.

Throughout his managerial career, the 47-year-old has favoured a three-back system, which could see the Lilywhites players operate in a completely different way to how they did under Frank.

Such a change might be a risk, but it’s certainly a radical one that could finally bring about a change in results and pull the side clear of any looming relegation threat.

However, personal changes are also expected, which could see Randal Kolo Muani handed a more senior role, given his time under the new manager at Juventus last season.

Despite the positives around some members of the squad, others shouldn’t be handed the same opportunity to thrive, such as midfielder Yves Bissouma.

The Malian international joined the Lilywhites for a reported £25m back in the summer of 2022, but it's safe to say the move has failed to ignite - just like Ndombele's.

Whilst he’s racked up over a century of first-team appearances, it’s his off-the-field antics that have often cast doubt over his long-term future in North London.

He was suspended by the club at the start of the 2024/25 campaign after being pictured inhaling laughing gas, with his attitude coming into question just like Ndombele.

However, despite not featuring in any first-team match until January, the 29-year-old has been reintegrated into the senior ranks - subsequently racking up five appearances in the league to date.

Bissouma started in Frank’s final game against Newcastle United earlier this week, but was dragged off at the break after failing to deliver in the first 45.

The Malian only registered 24 touches of the ball, whilst failing to complete any of his attempted tackles, subsequently highlighting his struggles at the heart of the side.

He also only managed to win 33% of the ground duels he entered, whilst committing two fouls - evidently looking off the pace and not at the level required for success.

Tudor’s arrival shouldn’t see the midfielder handed another chance to resurrect his career in North London, with Bissouma simply unable to take advantage of the previous chances he’s been handed.

With his contract set to expire in the summer window, it could well spell the end of his dismal time in the capital, which could see him emulate Ndombele and leave for nothing.

It’s clear from his actions off and on the field that Bissouma has failed to impress the fanbase, with the new manager simply needing to consider other options between now and the end of the season.

Given the precarious situation the club finds themselves in, Tudor will need every player to give 100% to prevent the unthinkable - something which Bissouma has consistently failed to do.

Tottenham Hotspur have a huge couple of weeks ahead of them in the Premier League, with relegation from England’s top-flight now becoming a distinct possibility.

The Lilywhites hierarchy made the decision to part company with Thomas Frank earlier this week, after a run of just two league wins out of the last 13 matches.

The hunt for a new manager has been ongoing over recent days, resulting in Igor Tudor agreeing to take the reins in North London on a deal until the end of the season.

He most recently managed Juventus between March and August last year, subsequently being brought into the Italian side to help steady the ship - something he’s no doubt been tasked with at Spurs.

However, his arrival could allow numerous players to capture their best form, with one player who’s yet to hit the heights now having the perfect opportunity to thrive under his guidance.

The stats behind Xavi Simons’ struggles at Spurs

Last summer’s transfer window ironically set the tone for Spurs this season, with the club missing out on the signatures of various attacking midfielders in their attempts to strengthen the squad.

The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze rejected moves to join the Lilywhites, which resulted in Xavi Simons arriving from RB Leipzig for a fee in the region of £52m.

However, the Dutchman has struggled to match the expectations placed upon him by the supporters, as seen by his tally of two goals and five assists in his 31 outings across all competitions.

The 22-year-old was even sent off during the defeat to Liverpool back in December, but it’s his underlying stats which showcase his struggles in England’s top-flight.

He’s only managed to register 2.5 touches in the opposition box per 90, subsequently ranking him in the bottom 10% of all midfielders in the league this campaign.

Simons’ tally of 0.4 shots on target per 90 also highlights his struggles within attacking areas, which has no doubt seen him failed to emulate the levels he produced prior to his £52m move.

The Spurs star who could resurrect his career under Tudor

Tudor’s arrival at Spurs will likely see the side switch to a 3-5-2 formation, the system which the Croatian boss utilised frequently during his time at Juventus last year.

Such a system can vary, but the 47-year-old can utilise an attacking midfielder and two sitters at the heart of the side, which could be perfect for Simons in North London.

He could operate in a free role behind two centre forwards in the aforementioned formation, handing him a licence to be the creative outlet in the number ten role.

The Dutchman has showcased he’s able to thrive in a similar role, subsequently registering 19 combined goals and assists in such a position for Leipzig before his big-money switch last summer.

However, he’s not the only player who could benefit from the temporary manager’s arrival, with loanee Randal Kolo Muani a talent who has previously worked under Tudor before.

The Frenchman, who’s on loan from PSG, has massively struggled in North London this season, as seen by his measly tally of three goals and three assists in all competitions.

Considering his high-profile status upon arriving in England, having been part of the France side that reached the World Cup final in 2022, his recent woes ensure he must be considered Frank's worst signing of his time in charge.

Many tipped the forward to impress in the Premier League this season, especially after finding the net 10 times in his 22 appearances on loan at Juventus last season.

However, Kolo Muani managed to achieve such a feat under the guidance of soon-to-be temporary Spurs boss Tudor, which could hand him a fresh lease of life with the Lilywhites.

The Frenchman thrived in the manager’s two-striker system in Serie A, even carrying his incredible goalscoring record over to the Club World Cup last summer - netting two times in his four matches.

He also managed to find the back of the net every 145 minutes he featured for the Old Lady last season, with such a record the best he’s achieved in his professional career.

Other stats, such as a 54% shot on target accuracy rate and 0.6 goals scored per 90 highlight his incredible goalscoring ability under the Croatian boss - who clearly knows how to get the best out of him.

There’s no denying that Kolo Muani has struggled to hit the heights expected of him in England, but he still has bags of time to turn things around - especially upon Tudor’s arrival.

He’s showcased he’s capable of thriving in the 47-year-old’s system, which could allow the attacker to hit the ground running if given a chance in the weeks ahead.

If he can emulate such form and do so alongside £52m man Simons, the club would no doubt pull clear of the relegation zone and have a superb end to what’s been a dismal campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur have the weekend off after being dumped out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking in January, Aston Villa winning in north London.

That was one of many bleak results that contributed toward the recent sacking of Thomas Frank, whose short-lived tenure was sadly disastrous.

How do Tottenham go forward? Well, for sure, ENIC Group and sporting director Johan Lange cannot afford to slip up when appointing a successor.

The latest on Spurs' search for a manager

Tottenham's home-ground defeat against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening (their seventh of the Premier League season), proved the final nail in Frank's coffin, with the boos chorusing across north London and the fanbase incredulous that their under-fire manager had not been dismissed already.

Last month, John Heitinga was appointed as Spurs' assistant manager and he had been in line to replace Frank on an interim basis until the end of the season

However, Tottenham's crisis has deepened in recent weeks. Something needs to be done, and the board have acted swiftly to appoint former Juventus boss Igor Tudor until the end of the season, as per David Ornstein.

That said, a permanent successor to Frank still needs to be named, and Spurs could move for former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, as per reports elsewhere, with the enigmatic coach still a free agent after leaving Stamford Bridge last month.

According to Sport Italia earlier this week, the Italian coach had emerged as the surprise frontrunner in the race for the Lilywhites job, even with the 46-year-old also being chased by Manchester City amid uncertainty around Pep Guardiola's future.

While Tudor is primed to take the hot seat for the remainder of the campaign, it's important to remember that he's arriving on an interim basis.

The report suggested that Maresca was in 'pole position' for the vacancy, having been deemed to be the 'ideal candidate' to succeed Thomas Frank in north London.

With that in mind, it's more than plausible that the former Chelsea boss will be at the top of the shortlist come summer.

What would change with Maresca in charge

From the outset, Tottenham would play a more expansive, possession-based brand of football. Maresca was sometimes criticised for being overly-focused on retaining the ball, but champions Liverpool were the only Premier League side to have created more chances last year.

The Blues finished fourth in the top flight last season, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup too.

This is clearly an area where Tottenham need to improve. After all, the Lilywhites have chalked up the sixth-lowest xG (expected goals) tally in the Premier League this season, and they have created just 47 big chances, scoring 36 goals.

This tells us that the Londoners are rather clinical, actually, and that Maresca's ball-playing shift could bear dividends, igniting in playmakers such as Xavi Simons a fire that could see them grow into talismanic roles.

One player who may suffer from Maresca's arrival would be Conor Gallagher, who only joined Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in January, signing for a £35m fee.

Gallagher, 25, is an industrious and intelligent midfielder, with bundles of energy and a willingness to step up and take charge. However, his sweeping passing play leaves something to be desired, and it's for that reason that Maresca looked to see him sold from Chelsea to the Spanish capital in 2024.

Maresca, who succeeded Pochettino at Stamford Bridge, had informed the Cobham graduate that he saw only a bit-part role for the Three Lions star, who was not a stylistic fit.

The early readings from the player's Tottenham career consolidate that viewpoint. Even though it's early days, and Gallagher had stepped into a dysfunctional system, his 81% pass success rate puts him in the bottom 22% of midfielders, with an average of 1.52 long balls per game placing him in the bottom 45% there.

He's a talented player, showing as much against Manchester City a few weeks ago, and would have a role to play in Maresca's prospective Spurs system, but Gallagher's hopes of starting week in and week out would surely fade with the Italian at the helm.

Maresca would be emulating Pochettino in making the controversial cross-London switch, and while his on-the-ball emphasis could end up winning over a Spurs faithful who have endured pragmatic football for the duration of the campaign, sucking them into a relegation dogfight, Gallagher would surely not be a winner.

This will play into Lange and co's reasoning as they determine which manager to sign. Gallagher may be frustrated by the appointment, but Maresca's title-winning spell with Chelsea at the start of his managerial career suggests he might just be a good fit for a club desperate to return to form.

With the aforementioned Tudor also yet to experience life in the Premier League in a coaching capacity, turning toward Maresca instead this summer could surely be a wise pick.

Tottenham are reportedly in pole position to sign an ex-Chelsea star after holding initial pre-summer talks over a deal, even amid their ongoing chaos.

Spurs appoint Igor Tudor in desperate bid to revive season

Igor Tudor has agreed a deal to become Spurs' interim manager until the end of 2025/2026, and given his track-record of firefighting, it actually makes a bit of sense.

The Croatian's CV just screams emergency specialist rather than long-term architect. His managerial wanderings, 12 different jobs across 13 years, paint him perfectly for Tottenham's desperate circumstances.

Tudor's firefighting credentials emerged most clearly during crises at various Italian sides in the last few years.

Twice Tudor parachuted into relegation-threatened Udinese mid-season, delivering survival both times.

April 2018 saw him inherit a team one point above the Serie B trapdoor before masterminding escape. 12 months later, the same club, an identical scenario, another rescue mission was completed successfully.

Maurizio Sarri resigned with the Romans ninth after five defeats across six matches. Tudor stormed in, won five from nine whilst losing just once, dragged them up to seventh and secured Europa League qualification.

Juventus proved his biggest stage yet.

Arriving in March 2025 with the Old Lady fifth following a disastrous February elimination from the Champions League and Coppa Italia, Tudor lost merely one from 11 fixtures, clinched fourth spot and Champions League football.

He earned a three-year contract extension in the process, but got sacked in October following an eight-match winless streak.

It is clear Tudor is never a man for the long-term, and could be the ideal man to rescue Spurs from oblivion.

Interestingly, according to insider Paul O'Keefe, ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici recommended Tudor to the Lilywhites before deciding to leave, so it appears Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange decided to take the Italian's advice.

Whilst all of this has been happening, Lange is also apparently spearheading a move for ex-Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic.

Tottenham hold initial talks to sign AC Milan star Christian Pulisic

According to reports from Spain, Tottenham have emerged as the frontrunners to bring Pulisic back to the Premier League following his stunning AC Milan renaissance — in a potential summer coup that would address the void left by Son Heung-min's stateside departure.

The USA captain, intriguingly coached by summer Spurs manager target Mauricio Pochettino, has rediscovered devastating form in Serie A after his inconsistent Chelsea spell.

Pulisic has bagged 10 goals and two assists across just 20 appearances this campaign, and his explosion in Italy over the last few years has alerted Europe's elite.

However, despite the competition from Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool, Spurs have positioned themselves aggressively to capitalise on his contract situation, with the player's deal expiring next year.

Reports from Spain suggest Spurs have already held initial preliminary talks for Pulisic, viewing him as the ideal replacement for Son.

The American's ability to operate centrally or out wide is also a big draw, and Milan will likely need to sell on the cheap this summer if he doesn't sign a new deal before then.

Pulisic finished last campaign with 17 goals and 12 assists in 50 total appearances, including a strike against Liverpool and an assist versus Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund ace isn't just highly versatile, he can also be a big game player, but Pulisic's contract standoff at the San Siro will make competition for his signature pretty fierce.

Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy made the bold decision to part ways with head coach Ange Postecoglou after the club won the Europa League at the end of last season.

The dismal Premier League form, which resulted in a 17th-placed finish, was enough to see the former Celtic boss lose his job, and Thomas Frank was brought in to replace him.

The Danish tactician has won five, drawn two, and lost two of his first nine matches in charge of the Lilywhites, in what has been a fairly impressive start to life in North London.

Frank will not have been happy with his side's performance in their 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out in the Premier League, though, as they needed a last-gasp equaliser from Joao Palhinha to snatch a point.

Levy backed the new head coach in the transfer market with a host of new signings, including Palhinha, before he moved on from the club after the summer transfer window.

One of the summer signings who has divided opinions among the fanbase so far this season is former West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus.

Why Spurs need to see more from Mohammed Kudus

The Europa League champions swooped to sign the Ghana international from their Premier League rivals for a fee of £55m in the summer, hoping to improve their attack.

There have been flashes of quality from the left-footed star early on in his Spurs career, with three assists in six Premier League matches to date.

His best moment in a Spurs shirt so far was his assist for Richarlison's wonder goal against Burnley on the opening day of the season, with a lightning-quick change of direction to create space for a cross for the Brazilian striker.

His three assists, though, have come from one 'big chance' created and an xA of 1.09. This suggests that he has been slightly fortunate to have been rewarded with as many assists as he has.

Kudus' assist against Brighton is perhaps an example of that fortune, as the winger appeared to be going for goal with a shot that fell to the feet of Richarlison, who bundled the ball in from close range.

As you can see in the table above, the £55m signing from West Ham has been incredibly wasteful in the last two matches for Spurs against Brighton and Wolves, losing the ball a staggering 49 times in 180 minutes.

To create only three chances for the team whilst losing the ball 49 times suggests that Kudus is not providing enough quality in his end product, as a dribbler or as a creator.

His lack of threat as a goalscorer is also a cause for concern. Kudus has yet to score from 1.01 xG in the Premier League for Spurs, which comes after he scored just five goals from 6.90 xG for West Ham in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

Therefore, Tottenham and Frank need to see more from the winger on the ball and in the final third, because his current lack of goals and his wastefulness in possession are not ideal.

Spurs, though, do have a young talent emerging in their academy who could have the potential to replace the £55m signing in the mid-to-long-term.

Luca Williams-Barnett made his first-team debut for the club against Doncaster in the League Cup earlier this month at the age of just 16, and he could be a future star in North London.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could replace Mohammed Kudus

The versatile attacker got eight minutes of senior football under his belt off the bench in that match, which shows that he is in Frank's thoughts and has done enough at academy level to warrant a chance in the first-team.

Williams-Barnett's form for the club at youth level has been sensational and suggests that the Lilywhites have a major talent on their hands that they need to carefully develop.

Described by analyst Ben Mattinson as "one of England’s best talents at youth level", the 16-year-old talent has started the 2025/26 campaign with a return of six goals and four assists in all competitions, including a hat-trick for the U21s against Leicester City earlier this month.

Williams-Barnett predominantly plays through the middle as a number ten, per Transfermarkt, but he has also been deployed out wide on the left and the right during his youth career in North London.

The teenage sensation was described as a "pure talent" with "silky dribbling" by U23 scout Antonio Mango. Talent scout Jacek Kulig, meanwhile, hailed him as the figurehead of an "exciting" generation of young talents at Spurs.

It is easy to understand why talent scouts are so excited by the potential of Williams-Barnett when you look at his statistics in the table above, because he has averaged a goal or an assist every hour of football at youth level since the start of last season.

These statistics show that he provides a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs at U21 and U18 level, which earned him a first-team debut against Doncaster.

The next step for Williams-Barnett in his development is to make his Premier League debut and show that he can translate his attacking prowess to first-team level.

Given that Kudus is yet to fully convince on the right flank and that the youngster has played out wide at academy level, unleashing the 16-year-old star on the right wing could be one way to plot a pathway into the team for him.

There is no rush for that to happen this week or next month, or even this year. He only turns 17 on Wednesday and has plenty of time left ahead of him, but his impressive progression at youth level suggests that Frank has a Kudus replacement in the making.

Tottenham Hotspur are now racing Arsenal for the signature of a £130m+ attacker, who's been described as a "true icon in the making".

Tottenham eyeing new attacking midfielder amid Simons' slow start

It is still very early days, but Xavi Simons hasn't exactly set the world alight since his arrival from RB Leipzig, most recently failing to create any big chances and completing just one of the four dribbles he attempted in the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In fairness, the Dutchman is arguably being deployed out of position, having predominantly been given the nod at left-wing by Thomas Frank up to this point, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the 22-year-old will be a success in north London long-term.

The former striker said: "Simons has only just started, but I like Simons. I really like him. I think he’s going to be a big, big, big success at Spurs. He can play on the left or as a No. 10, but he’s also not scared, and that’s why I like him."

Lucas Bergvall started in the number 10 role against Wolves, but given that the Sweden international is only 19-years-old, it would make sense to bring in another attacking midfielder.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have now joined the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler, having sent scouts to watch the youngster in action, but there could be competition for his signature, with a number of other big clubs also keen.

Arsenal, Newcastle United, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are also named as potential suitors for the attacking midfielder, but any of the interested parties may have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal done, with it previously being revealed he is valued at over £130m.

The report makes it clear that Madrid are reluctant to sanction a departure, given that Guler has emerged as a crucial player since the arrival of Xabi Alonso.

Guler living up to his potential at Real Madrid

After impressing at international level in the summer, scoring against the USA and Hungary, scout Jacek Kulig suggested the Turk could go on to be a future star.

Since then, the 20-year-old has gone from strength to strength, picking up three goals and three assists in his opening seven La Liga games, with the starlet establishing himself as a key player for Real Madrid.

Dominic Solanke was again absent from training ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt.

Solanke last played for Spurs on August 23 against Manchester City and, even though he recently returned to training after a troublesome ankle injury disrupted his pre-season, he was conspicuous by his absence on Monday morning in Enfield.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank played down concerns over Solanke’s fitness on Friday ahead of the visit of Wolves, but with the England forward not able to feature in open training before the club fly to Bodo for Tuesday’s Champions League clash, the squad are short of attacking options.

Paris St Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani was also absence as he deals with a dead leg, but Ben Davies did take part in the session after a minor knee issue.

Summer recruit Kota Takai also featured after a plantar fascia problem in recent months and Yves Bissouma was back.

Bissouma has not played for Tottenham this season after he was dropped from the Super Cup squad for being late on multiple occasions. He then suffered a knee injury in training days later.

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has nominated a Chelsea icon for the Premier League Hall of Fame, ahead of Jermain Defoe and Teddy Sheringham.

Voting for the 2025 inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is now underway, with the fan vote now closed, and the results have been shared with the existing 24 members, who for the first time will get the final say in who joins them.

The likes of Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard and Sir Alex Ferguson are among the current members, with all the legendary former players and managers allowed to choose who else is inducted, ahead of the big reveal in early November.

Cesc Fabregas, Sol Campbell and Jermaine Defoe are among the players that have been shortlisted this time around, with the ex-Tottenham striker sitting 10th on the all-time top scorers list, which should stand him in good stead to be inducted.

Fellow former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham is also among the nominees, having found the back of the net 146 times across a very successful career in the Premier League, but Maddison has snubbed both former Spurs players in favour of a Chelsea legend.

In a video on the Premier League's TikTok account, the former Leicester City man said: "Eden Hazard, got it! For me, one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League. Got his shirt on my wall and probably my favourite one on there. So I'll go with Edwin (van der Sar) and Eden Hazard, I'm happy with that."

Hazard undoubtedly among the Premier League's greatest players

The enigmatic Chelsea legend is well-known to not have been the best of trainers, but he certainly came alive on match day, chipping in with 85 goals and 57 assists in 245 games, during a highly successful spell with the Blues.

The 34-year-old won two league titles and the 2014-15 Premier League Player of the Season award during his time at Stamford Bridge, so there can be no denying that his Hall of Fame nomination is fully merited.

As such, it is no surprise that Maddison has suggested Hazard should be inducted in 2025, but Tottenham fans will no doubt be hoping that Defoe can win the battle, given the Englishman's exploits in north London.

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to make a £52m offer for a new forward, who excelled at Euro 2024, winning the Golden Boot.

Tottenham's lack of creativity on show against Wolves

Tottenham would've been expecting to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers, given that Vitor Pereira's side have made a very poor start to the Premier League season, losing their opening five matches.

However, there was a real lack of creativity from Thomas Frank's side, creating just one big chance, which was squandered by Mohammed Kudus, who is still yet to get off the mark in front of goal, despite picking up four assists in the opening six games.

Xavi Simons, who was deployed on the opposite flank, also struggled to make an impact, receiving a SofaScore match rating of just 6.4, the joint-lowest of any Spurs player.

Ultimately, Joao Palhinha bailed the north Londoners out in injury time, but the performance is likely to be a concern for Frank, and perhaps underlined the need to bring in another forward during the January transfer window or next summer.

According to a report from Spain, that is exactly what Tottenham are planning to do, with it being revealed they are now willing to submit a €60m (£52m) offer for Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze, given the impressive start he has made to life in La Liga.

Spurs have been closely monitoring Mikautadze, and there is a belief that his play-style would be an ideal fit for the Premier League, which explains why they have identified him as a prime target.

However, the Georgian only moved to Villarreal during the summer, in a deal worth close to €30m (£26m), and he is focused on his future at the Spanish club, so it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible.

Mikautadze could be ideal signing for Spurs

Not only was Simons poor against Wolves, but Richarlison also struggled, recording an xG of just 0.02, which is very low for a striker, and the Brazilian has found the back of the net just once since the opening day victory against Burnley.

As such, it would make sense for Frank to bring in a new centre-forward, and the Villarreal striker has proven himself as a reliable goalscorer over the past three seasons, across spells with FC Metz and Lyon.

The 24-year-old has also impressed at international level, finding the back of the net 21 times in 39 appearances for Georgia, which includes three goals at Euro 2024, which meant he shared the Golden Boot award.

Tottenham could clearly do with bringing in a new striker, and given his age, Mikautadze could be an ideal long-term addition to the squad, so it is exciting news they are willing to make a bid.

Arsenal are now battling Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of a Real Madrid star, with both clubs conducting scouting missions.

Gunners battling Tottenham and Newcastle for new attacker

The Gunners made major improvements to their already fearsome attack during the summer transfer window, bringing in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swedish striker making an impressive start to life in north London.

Having pushed Liverpool and Manchester City close over the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta's side clearly have the quality to end their long wait for a Premier League title, and the manager's tactics are arguably the main thing holding them back.

After the 1-1 draw against Manchester City, Gary Neville criticised Arteta for his cautious approach to the game, saying: "He could have been more attacking at Anfield and he wasn’t and certainly against City from the start he could have been more attacking."

As such, Arteta adopting a more attacking mindset may be the key to the Gunners winning the league, but there has also now been a suggestion that the manager remains keen on improving his options in forward areas.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now battling Tottenham and Newcastle for the signature of Real Madrid star Arda Guler, who has emerged as a crucial player since the arrival of Xabi Alonso as manager.

Consequently, the Spanish giants have no desire to cash in on Guler, but that hardline stance hasn't halted the interest from elsewhere, with the Gunners sending scouts to watch the attacking midfielder in action in La Liga.

With Madrid expressing no interest in selling the 20-year-old, who is focused on his future at the club, it remains to be seen whether a deal is possible, but there is certainly interest on the north Londoners' behalf.

"Exceptional" Guler finding his form in La Liga

After a solid, if not spectacular, first season in Spain, during which the youngster picked up eight La Liga goal contributions, he has really started to find his form this season, picking up three goals and three assists in the opening seven matches.

The Turkey international is particularly adept at setting up chances for his teammates, while he is also an impressive passer of the ball, and strong at winning back possession.

Jose Mourinho has been left particularly impressed with the £87k-a-week starlet in the past, describing him as "exceptional", and he clearly has the ability to succeed at the Emirates Stadium, having established himself as a key player for Real Madrid.

That said, it will not be too disappointing if Arsenal miss out, given that they are already blessed with options in attacking midfield, having signed Eze in the summer.