Sports Mole

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly viewed as the frontrunners in the race to sign Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu.

Having made the switch from Nordsjaelland in 2022, the 19-year-old has quickly established himself as one of Lecce's most important players.

Despite his age, Dorgu has already made 38 appearances for the Serie A outfit, contributing two goals and one assist from the left side.

While the youngster found himself in and out of the team during 2023-24, he has since made three starts in Italy's top flight this season.

Dorgu's rise has already led to him being called up to the Denmark senior squad with his first two caps being earned in the recent UEFA Nations League victories over Switzerland and Serbia.

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Premier League interest growing in Dorgu

He marked his debut with a goal in the first of those games, Lecce hoping that Dorgu will now be able to kick on once he has served a suspension for a recent red card.

Nevertheless, despite possessing a contract until 2027, it remains unclear whether his long-term future will be at I Giallorossi or a bigger club.

According to La Gazetta dello Sport, Chelsea and Spurs have moved into pole position to secure a deal for the prospect.

The report suggests that Dorgu's valuation could now be in the region of €40m (£33.78m) given the speed of his progression on the domestic and international front.

Lecce had previously set an asking price of €30m, it viewed as a natural move to increase that based on his emergence for Denmark.

Although club officials are ready to present Dorgu with a new contract, the player's representatives may plausibly insist on a release clause for that to come to fruition.

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Who would be best fit for Dorgu?

With Chelsea having omitted England international Ben Chilwell from their plans, it is clear that they are prepared to place faith in Marc Cucurella and Renato Veiga at left-back.

From Spurs' perspective, they have Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies and Sergio Reguilon as their options, but the long-term future of the latter duo is far from certain.

Manchester United have previously been linked with a move for Dorgu with Erik ten Hag desperate to strengthen in that area courtesy of the long-term fitness issues of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

However, the Red Devils may not be in a position to spend the aforementioned fee on a player with limited experience after their splurge on fresh talent in the summer.

Arsenal will put their unbeaten 2024-25 Premier League streak on the line on Sunday afternoon, when they make the short trip across the capital to meet Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London derby of the season.

Mikel Arteta's men have accrued seven points from their opening nine matches of the season, although they lost their 100% record in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break.

That stalemate means that the Gunners trail Liverpool and Manchester City by two points at this early stage, and Arteta is working around a midfield selection crisis for Sunday's battle.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Arsenal's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Spurs, who went down 2-1 to Newcastle United in gameweek three.

Martin Odegaard

Status: Out

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: October 1 (vs. Paris Saint-Germain)

Victim of a nasty ankle sprain during Norway's Nations League showdown with Austria, captain Martin Odegaard is expected to spend three weeks minimum on the sidelines, leaving Arsenal without their skipper for the derby and a few games beyond.

Riccardo Calafiori

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: September 15 (vs. Tottenham)

Arsenal's second casualty of the international break, Riccardo Calafiori sustained a bizarre calf injury when France's Ousmane Dembele unintentionally whacked him after being tackled himself. The ex-Bologna man withdrew from the Azzurri squad a day later, but that was thought to have been more precautionary than anything else, and he could make the cut here.

Mikel Merino

Status: Out

Type of injury: Shoulder

Possible return date: Unknown

Speaking of freak injuries, Mikel Merino fractured his shoulder in his first Arsenal training session after feeling the full force of Gabriel Magalhaes landing on him, and it will be a few weeks before he is considered for a debut.

Gabriel Jesus

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Groin

Possible return date: September 15 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Fitness problems have reared their ugly head once again for Gabriel Jesus, who has missed the last two matches with a groin injury, but Arsenal are keeping their fingers crossed that he will shake off the issue in time for Sunday.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

The equally luckless Takehiro Tomiyasu has been in the treatment room with a knee problem since the start of pre-season, and as he is still yet to return to training, there is no timeframe on his return.

Kieran Tierney

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Likewise, Kieran Tierney - who was expected to leave in the summer - is still recovering from the hamstring problem he picked up at the Euros, and it is not clear when he might be back in action.

ARSENAL'S SUSPENSION LIST

Declan Rice

Return date: September 19 (vs. Atalanta BC)

Tottenham Hotspur have the honour of hosting the first North London derby of the season on Sunday, when they welcome bitterest foes Arsenal to their capital home.

Ange Postecoglou's men have one win, one draw and one defeat on their 2024-25 report card so far, most recently suffering a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United before the international break.

Also thrashing Everton and playing out a 1-1 stalemate with Leicester City in the opening weeks of the campaign, Tottenham are smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th place, three points worse off than their visitors.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of the clash with Arsenal, who drew 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion in their most recent affair.

Dominic Solanke

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Ankle

Possible return date: September 15 (vs. Arsenal)

Dominic Solanke has sat out Spurs' last two matches with the ankle injury he picked up in the opening game of the season, and there is still no guarantee that the £65m striker will be able to lead the line in the derby.

Micky van de Ven

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: September 15 (vs. Arsenal)

A knee injury prevented Micky van den Ven from facing Newcastle and representing the Netherlands during the international break, but there is optimism that the defender will be back in action in time for the derby.

Yves Bissouma

Status: Major doubt

Type of injury: Knock

Possible return date: September 15 (vs. Arsenal)

Spurs did not come through the international break unscathed, as Yves Bissouma was withdrawn in Mali's win over Eswatini after suffering a heavy challenge, and the Lilywhites are anxiously awaiting updates on his condition.

Richarlison

Status: Out

Type of injury: Unspecified

Possible return date: September 26 (vs. Qarabag)

Prior to the loss to Newcastle, Postecoglou revealed that Richarlison had sustained an injury in training, which will rule the Brazilian out for a few weeks.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Manchester United were reportedly one of three clubs who made a summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a success-laden time over the past two years on the international scene, lifting the World Cup in Qatar and Copa America in the United States.

On the club stage, Romero has formed an excellent partnership at the heart of the Tottenham backline with Micky van de Ven, who joined the club last summer.

Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the Argentina man has netted six times in the Premier League, more strikes than any other defender over that period.

During his first three years in North London, Romero has made 101 appearances for the Lilywhites across all competitions, scoring on seven occasions.

Man United wanted Tottenham's Romero?

According to Argentinian news outlet TYC Sports, there were three clubs who enquired about the availability of Tottenham's Romero during the summer transfer window.

The report states that Spurs' Premier League rivals Man United were exploring the possibility of a deal for the 26-year-old, who has also been on the books of Atalanta BC, Juventus and Genoa in Italy.

As well as the Red Devils, it is understood that Champions League holders Real Madrid and French champions Paris Saint-Germain were also keen on a swoop for Romero.

With Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou desperate to keep hold of the defender, the North Londoners did not enter negotiations with any of the interested parties.

It is believed that Man United were serious in their fondness of Romero, enquiring about the centre-back at the start of the summer window in June.

Man United moved on

With Tottenham rejecting Man United's advances for Romero early in the summer, the Reds Devils were seemingly forced to move onto secondary targets.

Erik ten Hag's troops recruited two players at centre-back including Leny Yoro, who is yet to make his competitive debut for the club due to an injury sustained in pre-season.

On the contrary, fellow summer arrival Matthijs de Ligt has featured in all three of Man United's Premier League fixtures before the international break.

Arsenal have revealed that they will not be able to play in their traditional red home kit in Sunday's North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur due to a possible kit clash.

In seasons gone by, the two bitter rivals have usually sported their home jerseys in both Premier League fixtures, with Arsenal wearing red at White Hart Lane down the years and Spurs donning their recognisable white at the Emirates.

However, Arsenal's 2024-25 home kit features white sleeves and a large strip of white down the sides of the shirt, as well as the same colour on the shorts, which the Premier League feared could lead to a potential clash.

As a result, the Gunners will make a rare change to their black away kit for Sunday's trip to Tottenham, which they have already worn once this campaign in their 2-0 win away to Aston Villa.

Arsenal revealed in a statement that they had raised the idea of wearing both red socks and red shorts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the Premier League and PGMOL still upheld their decision.

The ruling also means that Tottenham will have to wear their light blue away strip when they visit the Emirates for the second North London derby of the season on January 14.

In an ideal world, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would have been dreaming of a Martin Odegaard-Declan Rice-Mikel Merino midfield triumvirate for the first North London derby of the season, which is now only a matter of days away.

However, the luckless Gunners boss is now likely to be without all three of his first-choice engine room options for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on September 15, as the suspended Rice and shoulder victim Merino are guaranteed absentees.

It was initially not all doom and gloom, as captain Odegaard shook off a knock in time for Norway's Nations League double-header with Kazakhstan and Austria, coming through the 90 minutes against the former unscathed.

The injury curse reared its ugly head again for Odegaard on Monday evening, though, as the ex-Real Madrid starlet suffered a nasty twist to the ankle against Austria and gingerly hobbled off the pitch with the help of medical staff.

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Norway manager Stale Solbakken admitted that Odegaard's injury looked on the "bad" side, and even though the national team doctor described his sprain as "small", it would be a shock to see him involved on Sunday.

Last season, Arteta could have introduced Fabio Vieira or Emile Smith Rowe into Odegaard's place, but with the former being loaned back to Porto and Smith Rowe heading to Fulham on a permanent deal, his options are much more limited.

Here, Sports Mole looks at three candidates who could step into Odegaard's shoes for the North London derby.

Kai Havertz

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The Kai Havertz midfield experiment at Arsenal did not go according to plan last season, but the former Chelsea man was being used in what is now the Rice role, as opposed to Odegaard's number 10 slot.

Havertz dropping back into that slightly deeper position - which he knows well from his early years at Bayer Leverkusen - would likely be Arteta's preference, although that could depend on the fitness of Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian is also occupying a bed in Arsenal's well-stocked infirmary due to a groin injury, although there is cautious optimism that he will be able to make the squad this weekend; whether he is fit to start is another question entirely.

However, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling are all viable options in the number nine position too, so Havertz linking arms with Thomas Partey and Jorginho is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Ethan Nwaneri

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Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are the latest two talents to be cherry-picked from Arsenal's famed Hale End academy, and despite his extremely tender years, the former would be a like-for-like swap with Odegaard in the number 10 role.

Nwaneri memorably benefitted from Odegaard's absence against Brentford in September 2022 to become the youngest player the Premier League has ever seen, making a late cameo off the bench after Vieira was given the nod in the captain's absence.

The 17-year-old's only top-flight involvement since has been another substitute appearance in the 6-0 hammering of West Ham United, but he had a direct hand in 14 goals in 15 Under-21 games last season - 11 of his own and three assists - and has been on the bench in all three top-flight contests so far this season.

If Arsenal are to avoid another youth exodus akin to the summer transfer window, trusting their academy starlets in North London derbies is a surefire way to go about it, although making your first Premier League start for Arsenal away to Tottenham may be too big a step for the 17-year-old.

Raheem Sterling

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Ineligible to face Brighton & Hove Albion two weekends ago, having only just completed his last-gasp loan move from Chelsea in the early hours of the same day, Raheem Sterling is now primed and ready for his first appearance in red and white.

Thanks to his latest England snub, the 29-year-old would have had two weeks of uninterrupted training at London Colney by the time the derby rolls around, and there is no reason why he should not be in consideration for the role of Odegaard's lieutenant.

While most of his successful exploits have come from a wide position, Sterling has played a handful of matches as a number 10 - 16 according to Transfermakrt, including a couple in a Chelsea shirt last season.

Jesus making his comeback on Sunday could aid Sterling's hopes of a full debut; the pair know each other well from their time at Manchester City and could cause problems to a settled Tottenham backline with their chemistry and unpredictability.

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies has reportedly caught the eye of Galatasaray, who are planning a formation change following the signing of Napoli's Victor Osimhen on loan.

The Turkish giants have until Friday, September 13 to make new additions to their squad, but they have already pulled off one of the summer's biggest transfers by prising Osimhen away from Naples.

Galatasaray signed the Nigeria international after moves to Al-Ahli and Chelsea on deadline day did not come off, leaving him at risk of no football for a few months after he was frozen out of Antonio Conte's Napoli squad.

Following Osimhen's switch to Galatasaray, Takvim claims that the Turkish powerhouses are planning to switch to a three-man defensive system, as the Napoli loanee could now form a deadly strike partnership with Mauro Icardi.

As a result, head coach Okan Buruk has reportedly requested that the club pursue another defender before the Turkish Super Lig window slams shut, and they are now 'testing the waters' with Davies.

Davies could leave Tottenham for free in 2025

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The 31-year-old is currently the longest-serving player in the Tottenham squad, as it has now been a decade since he joined in a £10.7m deal from Swansea City, whom he won the 2012-13 EFL Cup with.

Davies has not managed to win a single piece of silverware during his 10 years in North London, but he has been an extremely faithful servant to the Lilywhites with nine goals and 23 assists from 330 matches.

The Wales international was a cornerstone of Conte's setup at Tottenham, helped by his ability to play as both a left-sided centre-back, left-back and left wing-back, but he has fallen out of favour under Ange Postecoglou.

Indeed, Davies has not played a single minute of Premier League football so far this season, as he is behind Destiny Udogie in the left-back pecking order, while Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are preferred centrally.

The Welshman only has a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the summer of 2025, meaning that he could enter pre-contract talks with foreign clubs from January onwards if no renewal agreement is reached before then.

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However, it was reported earlier this summer that Davies was keen to see out the last year of his deal in the English capital, and Postecoglou still regards him as a "valuable" squad member thanks to his experience and versatility.

Should Galatasaray's pursuit prove successful, though, Davies would reunite with one of his former Tottenham defensive colleagues in Davinson Sanchez, who left Spurs for Turkey last year.

Could any other Spurs players make last-minute exits?

The Tottenham hierarchy did a sterling job of axing the deadwood during the active Premier League window, and almost every member of Postecoglou's current squad will have a significant role to play this season.

However, that is not the case for Davies's fellow left-back Sergio Reguilon, who failed to find another Premier League club before the August 30 cut-off point and is not in Postecoglou's plans moving forward.

Time is running out for the Spaniard to secure an exit to either Turkey or Greece - where the window is open for another two days - but he could be handed a lifeline as Udogie's backup if Davies does leave unexpectedly before Friday.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has emerged as a major doubt for Sunday's North London derby after Norway boss Stale Solbakken revealed that his injury picked up on international duty "looks bad".

The 25-year-old playmaker initially linked up with the national team carrying a knock from the 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, but he managed to complete the full 90 minutes in Norway's opening Nations League match with Kazakhstan (0-0) last Friday.

Odegaard was once again handed a start in midfield for Norway's encounter against Austria on Monday, but his evening was cut short after he sprained his ankle midway through the second half following a challenge with Christoph Baumgartner.

The Gunners star required treatment on the pitch by Norway physios and looked in some distress as he was consoled by teammate Erling Haaland before being helped off the field and down the tunnel.

Norway were drawing 1-1 with Austria at the time of Odegaard's exit, but they came away with all three points courtesy of Haaland's match-winner 10 minutes from time.

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Odegaard to undergo ankle scan on Tuesday

Speaking to reporters after the match, Norway head coach Solbakken delivered a concerning update on Odegaard's condition.

"It looked bad in the dressing room too", said Solbakken. "He didn't have the nerve to continue. It is not certain that Arteta will call me tonight and praise me."

Norway doctor Ola Sand has also shared his views on Odegaard's injury, telling Norwegian news outlet TV2: "He got a small ankle sprain. We will see, maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow.

"Ankle sprains are difficult to deal with straight away, so we almost have to see how things go forward.

"We will examine him when we are back at the hotel. Maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI."

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Arsenal could be without four players for Spurs clash

Odegaard has become the second Arsenal player to suffer an injury in this month's international break alongside Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, who sustained a bizarre calf problem against France and subsequently pulled out of the squad over the weekend.

Calafiori's issue does not appear to be a serious one, but the £42m summer signing from Bologna has emerged as a doubt for Sunday's North London derby and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta will have to cope without another new recruit in the form of Mikel Merino, as he continues to recover from a shoulder fracture suffered in one of his first training sessions after joining from Real Sociedad.

Declan Rice will also miss the clash with Tottenham as he is to serve a one-match ban following his red card against Brighton prior to the international break.

The absence of Rice, Merino and potentially Odegaard leaves Arsenal light in the midfield department, meaning players including Thomas Partey and Jorginho may be required to step up for the trip to Spurs.

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Arsenal have been dealt yet another crushing injury blow ahead of the North London derby, as captain Martin Odegaard limped off with an ankle problem in Norway's Nations League clash with Austria.

The former Real Madrid man had already arrived for national team duty carrying a knock from the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, but he completed the full 90 in his side's opening game with Kazakhstan.

Odegaard unsurprisingly started in the middle once again for the visit of Austria on Monday evening, but his evening ended in agony when he sustained what appeared to be an ankle sprain midway through the second half.

The 25-year-old was duelling for the ball with Austria striker Christoph Baumgartner and rolled his left ankle, which left him writhing in pain on the turf before he was helped to his feet by medical staff.

Odegaard was able to put some weight on the affected ligament, but he was in visible distress and ultimately needed two physios to help him off the field as Kristian Thorstvedt saw out the 2-1 win.

Odegaard a serious doubt for North London derby

With only six days to go until the North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal's man is now a serious doubt for the clash with the Lilywhites as Gooners anxiously await updates on his condition.

While Odegaard and Arsenal will await an official diagnosis, even a Grade one sprain could take at least one and up to three weeks to heal, meaning that his chances of playing this weekend are almost slim to none.

If the Norway skipper has sustained a Grade two sprain, his recovery time would likely be between three and six weeks, while the most serious Grade three injuries can take a number of months to heal.

The fact that Odegaard was able to limp off the field without a stretcher suggests that his sprain is not too severe, but Mikel Arteta will surely have to draw up plans for the derby without his captain.

Where does Arteta go from here?

Some teams' players return from the international break fit, healthy and raring to go, and some teams are left cursing the call-ups as the team doctors are given more stricken players to rehabilitate; Arsenal are certainly in the latter category.

Odegaard is the second Arsenal man to suffer a problem in the September international break alongside Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, who hurt his calf in bizarre circumstances against France and subsequently pulled out of the squad.

While Arsenal are well-stocked in defence to cope with Calafiori's possible absence, it is a different story for Odegaard, whose backup from the last two seasons - Fabio Vieira - was loaned back to Porto this summer.

With Declan Rice suspended thanks to his controversial red card against Brighton and Mikel Merino out with a shoulder fracture, Arteta could very well be without the three midfielders he intended to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Partey has at least chosen a good time to stay injury-free and will surely anchor the midfield on Sunday, and Jorginho should almost certainly return to the fold too if Odegaard does indeed miss out; Arteta has been incredibly reluctant to use Oleksandr Zinchenko as an out-and-out midfielder.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou is handed a blow ahead of the start of the club's Europa League campaign.

After a season away from continental football, there is excitement ahead of returning to Europe for the secondary competition.

With no teams dropping down from the Champions League at a later date, the Premier League outfit are one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

Spurs have been handed a favourable schedule as they bid to finish in the top eight of the new 36-team format, which would earn them a place in the last 16 without having to go through a last-32 tie.

Ferencvaros, AZ Alkmaar, Galatasaray, Roma, Rangers, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg are all to come once they have hosted Qarabag FK in their opening fixture.

Spurs missing key defender

While Spurs are the heavy favourites to overcome the Azerbaijani side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they will have to make do without one of their key players.

Cristian Romero will not be available for the clash in North Londoners courtesy of needing to serve a suspension for a red card back in the 2022-23 campaign.

During the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan, the Argentina international was sent off for two yellow cards.

As a result of Spurs being eliminated from the competition and not participating in Europe during 2023-24, the one-match ban still exists.

The ban would have only been scrapped from the records had Spurs not qualified for Europe this season, a result of it having a two-year limit.

A blessing in disguise for Postecoglou?

Given his status in the squad, it is fair to assume that Romero may have dropped down to the substitutes' bench for a game against opponents such as Qarabag.

Romero is currently in South America representing Argentina before having to return to take his place in the team against rivals Arsenal on September 15.

Although he could be afforded a break for the EFL Cup tie at Coventry City that follows, the Qarabag fixture on September 26 comes three days before a trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United in the Premier League.