VAVEL.com

Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete a deal - rumoured to be in the region of £4m - for eighteen-year old Min-Hyuk Yang, who will become the club's third summer signing.

The Gangwon FC winger, who will see out the season with the Korean side before arriving in North London in January, has been directly involved in 12 goals so far during the 2024 season, scoring eight and assisting four.

Yang will become the third eighteen-year old to be signed by Ange Postecoglou, who has a knack for talent-spotting in Asia, since he took over the reigns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a little over a year ago.

The Australian Head Coach previously signed Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate at Celtic, but is yet to explore the market in the Far East since becoming Spurs boss until now.

Spurs fans will get a taste of what their new signing can offer, as he is set to play against them when the English side face Team K-League in South Korea next weekend (3rd August), as their Premier League preparations continue.

South Korean football expert Sungmo Lee was full of the praise for the highly-rated attacker, when speaking to football.london: “Yang Min-hyuk is the best young player in the K-League right now, and most significantly, he’s still a high school student.

"His talent was so exceptional so his club Gangwon proposed a professional contract to a high school student which was the first ever case in K League’s history.

"He showed great performances in K-League this season, winning the Young Player of the Month award three times in a row from April to June. He is a great dribbler but also possesses great finishing skills which makes Korean fans hope that he can become the next Heung-min Son, especially if he joins the same club.”

The likenesses to legend Heung-Min Son, who joined Spurs in 2015, is a positive sign, although he will still have plenty of work to do once he arrives in North London until he establishes himself as a regular starter, just like his international compatriot did.

Fitting the system

Although it is still very early to call, it appears that the South Korean winger epitomises an 'Ange Postecoglou winger.'

In January, when the Lilywhites signed Timo Werner, he fit the system like a glove - being incredibly direct, quick, providing many assists and forcing many own goals with those dangerous balls along the floor of the black. Although the German may not be the most clinical in front of goal, which led to many fans growing increasingly frustrated, he was still signed on another loan deal for the 2024/25 season, and has already claimed a trademark assist in the 1-5 thrashing of Hearts.

Since Thursday, when the rumours first broke about Spurs signing the talented winger, Min-Hyuk Yang has bagged a goal and assist, including a thunderbolt into the top corner from range, as Gangwon FC won 4-2 - giving Tottenham fans reason to believe this is more than just a hopeful purchase.

Strengths

Despite being just eighteen-years old, we can still get a grasp of the strengths which Yang possesses, thanks to the data available to us.

Compared to other K-League 1 wingers in 2024, he ranks first for goals scored, non-penalty goals scored, expected goal, progressive runs, accelerations and tackles.

As well as these impressive figures, the youngster also lands in second place for dribbles, offensive duels won, touches in the box and defensive duels won.

These statistics will give reason for Postecoglou and his scouting staff to think that he will fit the system like a glove. The fact that he is so strong in not only the attacking phase of play, but also the defensive phase, means he will be perfect for the high-pressing philosophy which is run by the Australian Head Coach in North London.

Opinion of the writer

It is still very early in Min-Hyuk Yang's career to comment on whether he can be a future star in the Premier league, however, the early showings are extremely promising.

He is already into double figures for the current K-League season, and Tottenham having a great track record when it comes to these sign-and-immediately-loan-back type of signings. Previously, they signed Papa Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall in similar deal structures.

The Premier League is always filled with fun and surprises and no matter how many huge names and expensive transfers take place, there are always at least three new, young stars that are born as injuries take place and they are called upon.

Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton all got themselves their first England call-ups to the Euros just gone as they all had a breakthrough season last year.

Could Mikey Moore be that person this year and follow Harry Kane's footsteps to be one of Tottenham's own?

Tottenham Hotspur is notoriously known for developing young English talent over the past years. However, it seems to have died down recently, with Harry Kane moving to Bayern Munich, Dele Alli not reaching his full potential, and players like Jack Clarke, Kyle Walker-Peters, and Harry Winks being sold off.

No Tottenham players were to be seen in the England squad for the Euros when back in the 2018 World Cup in Russia they had five.

The upcoming 24/25 season is different with many fans' mouths watering at the plethora of raw talent at Tottenham's disposal. Names like Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr, Will Lankshear, Jamie Donley, Tyrese Hall and Ashley Phillips are all 21 years-old or younger.

Who is Mikey Moore?

The 16-year-old, turning 17 in August, Mikey Moore has blown Tottenham fans away with his excellent performances in the academy and pre-season. It is seeming more likely that he will be given chances in the first team this year.

Mikey Moore is the stand out player from that list. The 2007-born made his UEFA Youth League debut against Marseille, re-writing history as he became the youngest-ever Spurs player to play in the competition at 15 years and 27 days.

As well as that, he made his first team debut last season against Manchester City in a 2-0 loss, becoming the youngest-ever Tottenham player to step on a pitch to play in the Premier League (16 years and 277 days). He then went on to get a cameo against Sheffield United the following game for a couple of minutes.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou spoke on what he thought of the debutant after the City game and said:

"He still has a long way to go, he’s only 16, but he’s a good kid and hopefully that encourages him.”

Mikey Moore's profile

The Englishman is 5"9 inches tall and plays predominantly at left-wing, although he has been seen on the right at times during pre-season.

Being right-footed, he likes to cut in to shoot but we know that Ange likes his wingers to stay wide in order to fizz a low cross into the box to cause issues for the opposition's defence and to make room for the under-lapping full-backs in the half-spaces.

Moore got himself 25 goal involvements in only 16 games in both U18's league and Youth Fa Cup last season, winning both competitions. He also managed three goal contributions in three starts during internationals with the U16 England squad, making enough of an impression to get in Postecoglou team sheet five times at the back end of last season.

The Englishman has already moved up through the ranks at international level, being called up to the U17s, after playing in the U15s and U16s as well.

It only took him less than a minute and a half to bag his first goal against France in a 4-0 group-stage win and helped put England 2-1 ahead against Spain in the Round of 16, where they went on to win 3-1.

Contract situation

From joining Tottenham's academy at Under 9s level in 2016, it has recently been reported from FootyInsider that Spurs are confident on getting the teenager to sign a new contract after apparently rejecting an eight-figure deal from London rivals Chelsea last summer.

It is clear that Tottenham are keen to get this deal done as soon as possible to fend off clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, who are all interested in the player.

His current contract runs until June 2026 and the last thing Tottenham want is another Noni Madueke or Marcus Edwards situation, where they let them go as they cannot offer the player enough game time to develop.

Pre-season so far

Moore has been included in Tottenham's list of names for their pre-season tour in Japan and Korea, where he will continue to shine and push Ange to trust him this season rather than loan him out.

They have played three friendlies so far against Cambridge (behind closed doors), Hearts and QPR. Moore played one half only in each game and scored in the first two, whilst getting an assist in the last.

Mikey Moore spoke after the game against Hearts and said:

“To score my first goal, even though it was in a pre-season game, was probably the best feeling I’ve had so far, and to score in front of the fans as well... it was unreal!”.

What does this mean for him?

Spurs business this summer is far from done as they look to bolster up their attack as Ange demanded. It is likely that they buy a minimum of one winger with the potential of a number 10 as well who is capable of playing out wide and also a new striker.

Over the next two weeks, Tottenham Hotspur will spend time in Japan and South Korea, as the squad continue to rack up the flight miles, having been to Australia to face Newcastle United in an end of season friendly just two months ago.

The trip will give Head Coach Ange Postecoglou the chance to assess the fitness of the regular first team names, whilst continuing to give youth players the chance to show that they are capable of lending a helping hand to the senior side, as they battle on all four fronts in the 2024/25 season.

Rejoining the squad after injuries are Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie and Richarlison, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the past few days.

Guglielmo Vicario has returned from his short holiday after he went away with Italy at Euro 2024 and played zero minutes, whilst Radu Dragusin will link up with teammates in South Korea. He chose not to cut his holiday short, having played ninety minutes in every game throughout Romania's run to the round of sixteen.

Amongst those on the plane was 16-year old Mikey Moore, who has impressed, scoring a goal and registering an assist, across the two 45 minute cameos he has been given so far. Jamie Donley and Will Lankshear, who are both expected to leave on loan this summer, have been named in the travelling party.

The Lilywhites have already played two official friendlies on British soil. They opened their pre-season campaign with a 5-1 drubbing of Hearts before dispatching Queens Park Rangers by two goals to nil at Loftus Road on Saturday.

As their Premier League preparations now ramp up, they will make the trip to the Far East, offering a chance for more minutes in the tank, some crucial team bonding and the opportunity for the new signings to continue to accustom themselves to the style of football that their Australian boss wants them to play.

Match details

Tottenham will play three friendlies whilst in Asia, with one game taking place in Japan's capital, Tokyo, and the final two to be played in Seoul, South Korea.

vs Vissel Kobe: Saturday 27th July, National Stadium (Tokyo), 11:00 BST, SPURSPLAY

vs Team K-League: Wednesday 31st July, Seoul World Cup Stadium, 12:00 BST, SPURSPLAY

vs Bayern Munich: Saturday 3rd August, Seoul World Cup Stadium, 12:00 BST, SPURSPLAY

The latter two games, which will be played in South Korea, are part of the Coupang Play series, which Tottenham participated in when they made the visit to captain Heung-Min Son's birth country two years ago.

Player to watch: Brennan Johnson

Having scored a hat-trick in a behind closed doors friendly against League One side Cambridge United and following it up with the opening goal against Hearts in Scotland last week, Brennan Johnson has had an exciting pre-season campaign so far - he even offered a solid first-half cameo at Loftus Road on Saturday.

After a slow start to life in N17, which drew plenty of frustration from some Tottenham fans, the Welshman and former Nottingham Forest attacker ended the season in good form and drew plenty of praise from fans, and it seems as though he has started the 2024/25 season in a rich vein of form.

With a starting spot on the right wing up for grabs, Johnson now has the chance to prove this worth against the trickier opponents that he will face whilst on the tour, and nail down that role as his own.

The travelling party

Ange Postecoglou has picked a 31-man squad, which is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, Luca Gunter.

Defenders: Pedro Porro, Emerson Royal, Djed Spence, Ashley Phillips, Radu Dragusin (Korea only), Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies.

Midfielders: Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Oliver Skipp, Alfie Devine, George Abbott, Tyrese Hall, Jamie Donley, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison.

Attackers: Brennan Johnson, Heung-Min Son, Richarlison, Will Lankshear, Alejo Véliz, Dane Scarlett, Manor Solomon, Timo Werner, Mikey Moore.

Absences from the squad

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was not named in the squad, as he put the finishing touches on a move to Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille, which has now been officially confirmed.

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who joined the club in 2022, will remain at Spurs' Enfield training base, as he continues rehabilitation from a fractured foot which cut his 2023/24 season short.

Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovani Lo Celso will join up with the squad closer to the start of the Premier League season following their national team's late ventures into the Copa America and European Championship - you can expect to see them in pre-season action for the first time when Tottenham host Bayern Munich on Saturday 10th August.

Sergio Reguilon, who spent the entirety of the 2023/24 season out on loan, and Bryan Gil have both been granted permission not to travel to the far east, as the Spanish duo explore prospective transfer opportunities.

Neither have featured in a pre-season fixture for Tottenham so far, with Gil reportedly in talks with both Girona and Sevilla over a prospective move.

More minutes in the tank. That's the most important part of pre-season, as Tottenham Hotspur beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Loftus Road.

Pre-season results rarely mean anything significant. It's an opportunity to build fitness, implement tactics and improve squad cohesion; results don't affect that, but there were plenty of positives for Spurs to take from their win against QPR.

Yves Bissouma gave the visitors the lead in the 40th minute with an outstanding solo run. He drove forward, combined with Dejan Kulusevski for a quick one-two on the edge of the box, before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping it in calmly.

It was part of a first half which saw Spurs firmly on top. They dominated the ball, dictated the tempo of the match and consistently created chances. As is almost always the case in pre-season, the Lilywhites opted to fully rotate their team for the second half.

Not a single player that started the match featured in the second 45, allowing the club's young stars to take centre stage. Mikey Moore did in particular, registering an assist as Dane Scarlett tapped it home with three minutes remaining to seal victory for the visitors.

Tottenham's midfield is brimming with young life

Tottenham's philosophy since Ange Postecoglou became manager has focused on bringing in youth. Nothing epitomises that more than the energetic duo of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Gray, who joined from Leeds in June, won over plaudits during his debut season for the Whites last campaign. He was named EFL Young Player of the Season — and it's easy to see why. With an aggressiveness coupled with a composure that sets him apart from everyone, it's clear to see Gray's natural talent. Even as a centre-back against QPR, his maturity stood out like a sore thumb in the first half.

Alongside Gray is new signing Bergvall, who joined from Djurgården after turning down a move to Barcelona. You would be mistaken for thinking the 18-year-old is older, as he possesses a maturity, just like Gray, well beyond his age.

Bergvall opted on the left-hand side of the midfield three against QPR early on, but he was given the role of the 'advanced eight' as part of it. By pushing forward, but also dropping deep to act as a deep-lying playmaker, the Swede was in his element early on.

Freedom is all players want — and in the world of tacticians such as Pep Guardiola harbouring specific roles for every single player, Postecoglou's freedom given to Bergvall is a breath of fresh air. It came crashing down the youngster when he was subbed off in the 25th minute due to injury, but it's clear to see his potential.

The duo seem like the 'new exciting kids on the block', and their relationship with one another, which seems to already be strong, will only help their future. "The future is bright. The future is Lilywhite," Tottenham fans have sung in the past; they have every reason to sing it now.

Donley's versatility may prove crucial

Jamie Donley is one of Spurs' most promising youngsters. He picked up five goals and 12 assists in 17 Premier League 2 matches last campaign as a second striker and playmaker. He's held in high regard within Hotspur Way, and his versatility may prove crucial for his future.

The 19-year-old has started the past two pre-season matches at left-back — and he was the only academy player to feature in the opening half in West London. It's not his natural position, far from it, but he looked assured in the role.

Postecoglou's system sees the left-back invert into the centre, essentially acting as another option in the middle of the park. In a similar scenario to Gray and Bergvall, Donley possesses maturity well beyond his age. He understood the task and looked confident, combining neatly with both Oliver Skipp and Gray at the back and Yves Bissouma further forward.

Donley is not expected to play a prominent role at left-back this season, but his performances in pre-season will have only given Postecoglou confidence that he should feature in some form, particularly with the Europa League group stage coming up.

Mikey Moore stood out in Tottenham's young second half side

Mikey Moore may only be 16, he turns 17 at the start of August, but he is already a prominent member of this Spurs squad. He made his debut at the end of last season at home to Manchester City — and, in pre-season, he has continued to impress.

The winger scored a stunning solo goal against Hearts midweek, whilst his second half appearance against QPR will only bolster his confidence. He came on alongside nine other players as Spurs fully rotated their team.

Moore was composed throughout the second half in West London. His passes were well-weighted, controlled and precise. It might sound simple, yet even in a pre-season friendly, it is easy for an inexperienced youngster to feel the weight of pressure; Moore didn't, consistently linking up with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski with ease.

The youngster picked up a stunning assist in the 87th minute, as he drove down the left flank and placed a low ball into the box with the outside of his boot. It takes an incredibly high level of confidence to pull that off.

He even squandered a golden chance one-on-one with the goalkeeper after latching onto a stunning through-ball from Kulusevski, but his overall play was what you expect from a consistent winger, not a 16-year-old.

Alongside Moore, other youngsters took to the centre stage with confidence. As Spurs came under considerably more pressure from QPR in the second half, Ashley Phillips acted as an aggressive centre-back in the backline.

The 19-year-old, who was on loan at Plymouth last campaign, always looked confident, particularly in a defence which harboured Emerson next to him and George Abbott, a midfielder, at left-back.

Tottenham Hotspur opened their pre-season campaign with a five star victory in the capital of Scotland, on an evening that was heavily dominated by the youngsters selected by Ange Postecoglou.

Throughout his first season as Spurs boss, there was plenty of opportunities for Hotspur Way prodigies to get a taste of being around the first team match day squad. Most notably, Jamie Donley - who started on Wednesday - and Mikey Moore received opportunities in the Premier League, whilst there was also regular spots on the bench for the likes of Alfie Dorrington, Yago Santiago and even Ashley Philips, before his loan move to Plymouth Argyle in January.

Last season, the under 21 side won the league phase of Premier League 2, losing just twice, before rounding off a fine season by winning the play-off stage.

Wayne Burnett's side also reached the final of the Premier League u21 Cup, where they suffered a heavy defeat in the final against Fulham, in only their third defeat of the season.

Thirteen players who had climbed the ranks in the academy were named in the squad as The Lilywhites' Premier League preparations officially got underway.

In the first half, the former Celtic manager named a strong side, consisting of the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Heung-Min Son. However, in the second period, plenty of experimentation allowed for the youngsters to get a chance to impress, and they certainly did just that.

Lankshear labelled as Kane heir

Will Lankshear - who won the Premier League 2 Player of the Season and Golden Boot in 2023/24 - made his first ever appearance for the senior team under Ange Postecolgou, after he trained for the entirety of the past week with the big boys.

The Welwyn Garden City-born nineteen year old came on as a half time substitute at Tynecastle and didn't look out of place for even a split second throughout his 22 minute cameo, which saw the striker find the back of the net.

Lankshear has previously been on the books of North London rivals Arsenal and Sheffield United, but now looks to have found his feet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - he even kissed the badge after his goal in Edinburgh.

He had no issues playing up against the senior defensive partnership in the centre of the Hears defence, who he bullied for the majority of his short spell on the pitch. Lankshear registered four shots on goal, successfully completed his only attempted dribble and also won his one and only duel, in an impressive showing.

After scoring 25 goals in all competitions last season, the 19-year old will be hoping to break into the first team under Postecoglou this season, and there is absolutely no reason why he cannot, especially with the amount of football Spurs will play in the next ten months as they battle on all four fronts.

New signings impress on debut

Archie Gray made his Tottenham Hotspur debut at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, after completing a £40m move from boyhood club Leeds United.

Starting at centre back due to the lack of regular first team options, Gray offered Spurs fans a glimpse of what he can do, as he stepped into the midfield with the ball on plenty of occasions, looking to drive forward and create an attacking chance for the front three, who he said he is "lucky" to be able to play with.

On social media, many fans were raving over his 45-minute cameo, before he was brought off at half time as Postecoglou made wholesale changes. The eighteen year old successfully completed all but two of his 53 attempted passes and his defensive work was top notch too. Nothing got past the ball-playing midfielder, as he produced three interceptions, won all four of his duels and made one tackle .

One of the youngsters who came on to replace the versatile Englishman, was fellow 18-year old Lucas Bergvall. Signing from Djurgårdens IF in Sweden in January, the midfielder only joined up with the squad on the first day of pre-season, when the move officially went through.

He took no time at all to get into the thick of it, always looking to pick up the ball from the centre back and get attacking moves underway. Just twenty minutes into his first ever appearance in the famous white shirt, Bergvall registered an assist, as he turned and played a defence splitting pass to Mikey Moore for the third goal of the evening.

Both new signings are expected to heavily feature for the first team this season and on their debuts, both looked well accustomed to the style of football Ange Postecoglou wants to pay. At such a young age, they really do have the world at their feet, and these two signings could prove to be a transfer wi dow masterstroke from The Lilywhites hierarchy.

Moore continues where he left off

For the final five matches of the 2023/24 season, sixteen year old Mikey Moore was named in the match day squad by Ange Postecoglou, and became the club's youngest ever player when he came off the bench against Manchester City on a bizarre night in North London.

Daniel Levy has already moved to secure the future of the prospect - who has attracted continental recognition - with Moore agreeing professional terms with the club, which will officially go through when he turns seventeen next month. This is a statement of intent from Tottenham, who have fended off interest from some of Europe's elite in order to keep their teenage sensation in N17.

Given the entire second half to show Tottenham fans what he can do, Mikey Moore shone as he played on the right hand side of the front three at Tynecastle, where he scored Tottenham's third goal of the evening.

Picking up the ball from 18-year old new signing Lucas Bergvall, Moore drove into the penalty area before cutting back onto his right foot and finding the bottom corner.

Well-known for his silky dribbling and elite ball skills, the sixteen year-old completed both of his attempted dribbles and won four fouls on Tuesday evening, giving fans a taste of his impeccable abilities, especially considering he is really just a kid. Reports from reliable journalists also state that he found the back of the net in a behind closed doors friendly with League One side Cambridge united on Saturday.

With UEFA Europa League football, in a revamped and expanded format, coming The Lilywhites' way this season, we expect the attacker to feature prominently in Ange Postecoglou's plans as he looks to have a solid first full season in the men's game at such a young age.

Donley shows versatility

Just eighteen months ago, Jamie Donley was a striker. Fast forward to the present day, and he's fresh off the back of completing a half of football at left back, and didn't look out of his depth in any way, shape or form.

He is highly-rated by both academy and first team staff at Tottenham, and he was even given his Premier League debut by Ange Postecoglou in December 2023. Donley has even attracted interest from the Championship, and could move to the second tier on loan this summer.

For the academy, he has moved further down the pitch into a number ten, or an advanced-eight role, mainly due to his similarities to Harry Kane when it comes to his playmaking qualities. This is a natural move for the 19-year old, who had a knack for dropping in deep and creating opportunities for fellow attackers in behind - in the 22/23 season he hit the back of the net and assisted on four occasions each, in his eleven matches played as a striker.

Although Ange Postecoglou admitted at full time that Donley wouldn't have expected to start in the back four, the move is one that he will be familiar with, due to both full backs being told to invert into the midfield as often as possible.

The Lilywhites kicked off pre-season by heading up north and cruising to a 5-1 win over Heart of Midlothian, who finished 3rd in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Hearts found themselves 1-0 down in the first half, despite having the majority of chances, after a slick move by Tottenham Hotspur which ended in a Brennan Johnson goal.

Hearts then found an equaliser early on in the second half, but a fantastic display put on by Tottenham's youngsters ended up with Spurs in full cruise control, seeing them score four to record an impressive win.

Here are some takeaways for Ange Postecoglou.

​​​​​​Brennan Johnson growing into life at Spurs

Brennan Johnson had a rough start to his time at Tottenham in terms of his finishing ability, but with the start of pre-season he seems to have found his shooting boots.

With a hat trick in a behind closed doors friendly against Cambridge United and a goal against Hearts, Johnson is finding his form on the right-wing in this pre-season.

Last season was all about finding the right position for Johnson, playing off the left, right and centrally, it was never comfortable for the Welsh International. Postecoglou now seems to have found his perfect position on the right wing, with Johnson hoping to have a prolific season.

Youth could prove vital for Tottenham

Tottenham over the last year have been praised for their talent in the academy and their young signings. With their u21s winning the Premier League 2 final against Sunderland, this year was always going to be a big one.

The players that stood out mostly against Hearts were the youth, with the Premier League 2 player of the season Will Lankshear getting his name onto the scoresheet as well as 16-year-old Mikey Moore also scoring.

Defender Djed Spence, who spent last season out on loan at Leeds and Genoa looked a completely refreshed player in the game. With a goal and an assist to his name, Spence played the second half in top form.

Brandon Austin, who has been Tottenham's 3rd choice goalkeeper for a while now, always shone brightly with a few fantasic saves to keep Tottenham in the game.

Defensive struggles continue

Tottenham started the game with two makeshift centre backs and a makeshift left-back which saw Hearts have many chances and Tottenham let off massively after a few big chances missed.

Archie Gray was one of the names at centre back who all in all played well despite out of position, yet it still looked slightly unnatural.

Tottenham conceded early in the second half due to a big defensive error from Emerson Royal, who is linked away with a move from Tottenham.

Tottenham's lack of depth in defence and individual errors is what cost them last season, and it seems so far that the theme is continuing heading into the 2024/25 season.

Is Son Heung-Min's age catching up to him?

Son Heung-Min played the entirety of the first-half against Hearts, but looked miles of the pace of how he used to look in previous seasons for Tottenham.

There's no denying that Son was not at his best last season, having to play off the left and as a temporary number 9 due to Tottenham's striker issue, and it seems it is carrying on into pre-season.

Son had a few chances in the 45 minutes that he played, yet none of them seemed to find the back of the net for him. One major chance saw him free in the box, but unable to control the ball well to get a proper shot away.

Son will be hoping to regain his once unstoppable form again, and pre-season is the chance for him to shake off any rust.

Many pre-season games are left for Postecoglou's team, but with a strong victory to kick things off, things are looking good. The few individual errors need to be dusted off, but with a full month still left of the transfer window, they can always add to their locker room.

Tottenham Hotspur will open their new campaign with a visit to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City, with the clash taking place on the Monday 19th August 2024, and kick off set for 20:00 BST.

Spurs' last visit to the East Midlands outfit saw Steven Bergwijn produce a miracle. With the visitors trailing deep into added time, substitute Bergwijn hit a brace, and goals in the 94th and 97th minute sparked pandemonium in the away end as Tottenham won 2-3.

It will be the ninth time in thirteen seasons that Spurs will open their campaign away from home.

The first home game of the season sees Ange Postecoglou's men welcome Sean Dyche's Everton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Inside the opening six games, they are also presented tough ventures to Newcastle United on MD3 and Manchester United on MD6, sandwiched in between home ties against Arsenal and Brentford, in what is arguably the toughest run of the season.

December sees The Lilywhites face Chelsea and Liverpool at home, as well as trips to the south coast to face Bournemouth, Southampton and Nottingham Forest - who are Postecoglou's Boxing Day opponents - before rounding off the month with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They will play on six occasions in just 26 days.

With the removal of the winter break imposed by the Premier League, there will now be a full schedule in January, with the away tie at the Emirates Stadium taking place, after Tottenham open the new year with the visit of Newcastle United to N17. For once, it seems as though The Lilywhites have a favourable fixture list.

The run in is not the easiest, however, with the final month of the campaign seeing Spurs face Crystal Palace at home in the middle of trips to West Ham and Aston Villa, before the season culminates with a home game against Brighton and Hove Albion.

It will be the first time in six years that Tottenham end with a home fixture, the last time was against Everton in 2019, with a 2-2 draw being played out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

North London Derby

Aside from the opening day, this is the fixture that every single Tottenham fan will search for immediately. This is the big one, the one that splits families apart, the one with bragging rights on the line.

The Lilywhites will host The Gunners just four games into the new season, with the home derby set for 14th September. Spurs will then travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on their arch enemies on 14th January.

Notable fixtures

A derby clash which can always be counted on for entertainment is when Tottenham take on West Ham. The Hammers visit North London in mid-October, before welcoming Spurs to the London Stadium on 2nd April.

Another fixture that never fails to amaze, is when The Lilywhites and Chelsea clash, with plenty of fiery affairs taking place throughout the years.

Chelsea travel across London to N17 on 7th December. The return is an unsavoury fixture for Ange Postecoglou and his side, with Tottenham winning just once in 34 years at Stamford Bridge. The dreaded fixture is pencilled in for 7th April.

Newly promoted sides

Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town have all made returns to the top flight ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Spurs open the new season with a trip to face The Foxes, and will face Southampton at St Mary's Stadium in December, before travelling to Portman Road to face Kieran McKenna's Ipswich in February.

The Tractor Boys will visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first ever time in November, before Leicester visit in January. Southampton make the trip to the north of the capital in April.

Last season, Tottenham took eighteen points from a possible eighteen against the newly promoted sides, beating Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town.

Full fixture list

August: Leicester City (A), Everton (H), Newcastle United (A)

September: Arsenal (H), Brentford (H), Manchester United (A)

October: Brighton and Hove Albion (A), West Ham (H), Crystal Palace (H)

November: Aston Villa (H), Ipswich Town (H), Manchester City (A), Fulham (H)

December: Bournemouth (A), Chelsea (H), Southampton (A), Liverpool (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)

January: Newcastle United (H), Arsenal (A), Everton (A), Leicester City (H)

February: Brentford (A), Manchester United (H), Ipswich Town (A), Manchester City (H)

March: Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A)

April: Chelsea (A), Southampton (H), Wolverhampton Wanderers (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Liverpool (A)

May: West Ham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Aston Villa (A), Brighton and Hove Albion (H)

* All fixtures are subject to change.

Leicester City will host Tottenham Hotspur in the first Monday Night Football of the season. The game will take place at 20:00 BST on Monday 19th August at the King Power Stadium.

Spurs present the Foxes with a difficult opening fixture on their return to the Premier League, but the kind of game the Leicester fans will be thrilled to have back at their stadium.

They will also welcome James Maddison for the first time since he left to join the Lilywhites last summer.

It is a mixed bag for last season’s Championship winners over the next five games after their opener.

Their first away fixture sees them venture down south to face Marco Silva’s Fulham, before rounding off August by playing Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

September has them traveling to Crystal Palace, then playing Everton at home, before facing their toughest test to date when they play last season’s Premier League runner-up, Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The club finds itself in a unique position as they are currently without a manager, but there are strong rumours linking them with Graham Potter.

Not only do they not have a manager, but they also have the looming threat of a potential points deduction to start the season, due to being charged with breaching the profit and sustainability rules in March of this year.

No one knows how many points would be deducted if the situation were to arise, so the Foxes must garner as many points as possible.

The winter months of the season always tend to be some of the more gruelling, which will be exacerbated this campaign, as there is no winter break.

This is so players can rest sufficiently after both the Copa America and the European Championship.

December sees them play seven games in what is almost undoubtedly their most difficult month of the season. They are as follows: West Ham (H), Brighton (H), Newcastle (A), Wolves (H), Liverpool (A), and Manchester City (H).

This period has the potential to be make or break for Leicester City’s season, as they play seven games in 26 days.

The campaign will come to a close on May 25th, when the East Midlands side travel to the South coast to play Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Notable Fixtures

Leicester City fans would have immediately sought out when they were to play local rivals Nottingham Forest. Well, they welcome them to the King Power on the 26th of October, the reverse fixture at the City Ground will be on the 10th of May.

Enzo Maresca led the Foxes to the Championship title last season but has recently made the jump to Chelsea. He will return to the stadium where he brought so much joy on November 23rd.

He will then have the pleasure of hosting his former side on March 8th at Stamford Bridge.

Leicester City could very well find themselves in a relegation battle this season, so when will they be playing other potential relegation candidates?

They play Ipswich Town at Portman Road on November 2nd, before welcoming them to their ground on the penultimate game of the season on May 18th, in what could be a massive game in the bid for survival.

Games against Southampton could be vital in this campaign. They will travel to St Mary’s Stadium on October 18th.

The reverse fixture will be on May 3rd.

When will the Foxes play some of the big boys?

They will play Manchester City at home at the end of a tough December. Before travelling to the champions on April 2nd.

They will be hoping for a Christmas miracle when they face Liverpool on Boxing Day at Anfield. They will welcome Arne Slot’s side on April 19th.

As mentioned previously, they will play the Gunners on September 28th away from home. February 15th will see Mikel Arteta’s side venture up to play Leicester.

Finally, Manchester United.

They will travel to the Theatre of Dreams on 9th November hoping to secure an upset.

Erik Ten Hag’s side will come down to LE2 on March 15th.

Full Leicester Calendar

August: Tottenham (H,19th), Fulham (A, 24th), Aston Villa (H, 31st).

September: Crystal Palace (A,14th), Everton (H, 21st), Arsenal (A, 28th).

October: Bournemouth (H, 5th), Southampton (A, 19th), Nottingham Forest (H, 26th).

November: Ipswich Town (A, 2nd), Manchester United (A, 9th), Chelsea (H, 23rd), Brentford (A, 30th).

December: West Ham (H, 3rd) Brighton (H, 7th), Newcastle (A, 14th), Wolves (H, 21st), Liverpool (A, 26th), Manchester City (H, 29th).

January: Aston Villa (A, 4th), Crystal Palace (H, 14th), Fulham (H,18th), Tottenham (A, 25th).

February: Everton (A, 1st), Arsenal (H, 15th), Brentford (H, 22nd), West Ham (A, 25th).

March: Chelsea (A, 8th), Manchester United (H, 15th).

April: Manchester City (A, 2nd), Newcastle (H, 5th), Brighton (A, 12th), Liverpool (H, 19th), Wolves (A, 26th).

With yet another big money move failing miserably, as Tanguy Ndombele saw his contract ripped up, we've taken a look at five of the WORST signings the club have made since 2010.

From the likes of Ndombele, Moussa Sissoko, and Giovani Lo Celso who all joined the club in expensive deals, not everyone could be included, but here are our top five picks.

In at first, and it's no surprise at all, is club record signing Tanguy Ndombele, who joined Tottenham Hotspur from Olympique Lyonnais in July 2019 for a £63m fee.

Having been the heartbeat of a strong Lyon side in the previous campaign, there was plenty of excitement from Spurs fans as it seemed they were completing a deal for one of the most promising talents in world football.

The Frenchman signed a six year contract at the club, however, one year before his deal was due to expire, Tottenham announced they would be terminating his contract, bringing an end to a disappointing five year spell in North London.

Struggling to find rhythm at the beginning of his time in N17, he was lambasted by Jose Mourinho in March 2020, with the Portuguese manager opting to hook Ndombele off at half time after the midfielder failed to make a single sprint in a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

The 27-year old did manage to make a heroic turnaround to his career in Lilywhite, having a splendid second season. He registered six goals and made four assists in all competitions, however Mourinho's dismissal towards the end of the season ruined the momentum he had gained.

Out of favour under Ryan Mason and Antonio Conte, despite a mediocre spell in the team under Nuno Espírito Santo sandwiched in the middle, Tanguy Ndombele would play his last ever game for Tottenham in January 2022.

With 69 minutes on the clock and the side trailing at home to Morecambe in the FA Cup, Ndombele was booed by fans as he trudged across the entire with of the pitch, bringing a close to his time at the club.

Loan terms at Lyon, Napoli and Galatasaray never enabled the midfielder to rekindle the form from his early days, and he has now been released by Spurs, costing them £5m.

After scoring thirty goals across all competitions with Valencia in the 2012/13 season, Roberto Soldado joined Tottenham in a club record £26m deal in August 2013.

With Gareth Bale moving to Real Madrid, the Spanish striker was brought in, alongside a number of other signings, to combat the huge void left by the Welsh Wizard.

However, after two years in North London, he was sold back to La Liga for a fraction of the fee originally paid by Daniel Levy.

Soldado's start to life in North London was surprisingly good considering how the rest of time at Tottenham panned out. He scored four goals in his first three appearances in a Lilywhite shirt, but after this, he only went on to net on twelve more occasions in 73 appearances, leading to him being sold after a massively underwhelming time at the club.

It was a Monday night in April which sparked the beginning of the end for the striker. Twenty year old Harry Kane was given the nod by Tim Sherwood to start in Soldado's place, and he never looked back.

The former Real Madrid and Getafe attacker had been displaced by the new kid on the block, and that continued under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino, forcing the Spaniard to look for pastures new.

He would go on to score a sole goal in the 24 games he would play in the Premier League 2014/15, before leaving for just £7m.

What could've been. *sighs*

Despite not being signed for a hefty fee, the expectation versus reality when it came to the signing of Clinton Njie in 2015 was a rude awakening to both Tottenham fans and the club hierarchy.

The Cameroonian attacker missed a staggering 28 matches with a knee injury in his first and only campaign in North London, where he featured just fourteen times. He registered a sole assist for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who finished third and narrowly missed out on the title.

The following season, he was loaned back to France, joining Olympique Marseille and he made that move a permanent one in 2017 for a fee around £5m.

Due to the fact he hardly featured at White Hart Lane, playing just 386 minutes across all competitions, there really is not much more to add about Clinton Njie - who his now plying his trade in Turkey with Sivasspor.

Another victim of the "Magnificent Seven" who joined during that infamous summer 2013 transfer window - this time it's Paulinho. The midfielder joined from Brazilian giants Corinthians for a fee of around £17m - a club record at the time.

Drawing comparisons to Frank Lampard due to his goalscoring capabilities from midfield, the signing sparked plenty of hope amongst the Tottenham fanbase that they were about to sign a future great. Little did they know, things would soon turn sour and the Brazilian would leave for the Chinese Super League just two years later.

Prior to arriving in North London, the 35-year old had netted 34 goals in 167 appearances for Corinthians, as well as beating Chelsea in the Club World Cup final and Spain in the Confederations Cup final.

With 17 caps to his name for five time World Cup winners, Brazil, Spurs fans believed they were signing a star.

Despite being directly involved in seventeen goals (10G, 7A), in his time in the capital, Paulinho was a complete shadow of the package fans were expecting.

He fell down the pecking order under Mauricio Pochettino and even stated: "I did not want to leave my apartment in London because I was so stressed about not playing," in an interview with the Players' Tribune.

Considering the potential he had, it's a shame that all the Brazilian will be remembered for is his last minute back-heel winner away at Cardiff City, and being sent off for kicking Luis Suarez in the shoulder in a 0-5 loss against Liverpool at White Hart Lane.

A surprise inclusion that will stun many, but it's safe to say that cult hero Moussa Sissoko was nowhere near good enough to warrant being signed for a club record £30m fee.

There is no denying that he did actually manage a couple of good years in his time in North London, most notably during the final year with Mauricio Pochettino and under Jose Mourinho, but overall, his time at the club was rather unconvincing.

After Tottenham opted against signing Sadio Mane in order to stay in line with their tight wage structure, Daniel Levy ended up pulling the trigger on a panic buy on deadline day in summer 2016, with Moussa Sissoko swapping the North East for North London.

The Frenchman, who was primarily used as a right winger at Newcastle United, came under heavy criticism at the culmination of his first campaign with the Lilywhites, where he had played the full ninety minutes on just four occasions, and his second season in the famous white strip wasn't much better.

Pochettino's final full campaign in N17 was horrifying, however Sissoko was actually one of few bright sparks aside from the memorable UEFA Champions League run.

He would go onto continue that rich vein of form under Jose Mourinho and was one of the first names on the team sheet, however, as soon as the legendary coach left, Sissoko was straight out of the team, featuring for just ONE entire minute in the league under Ryan Mason, who had six games in charge.

Sissoko never set the world alight, nor was he appalling, but with the fee being taken into consideration and the fact that he offered very little in return, means he is harshly included in this list.

Get real-time updates on West Ham vs Tottenham live coverage minute by minute of the match, score and result online, stream information, how to watch, TV channel, lineups, latest updates and time of the 2024 Premier League with VAVEL. Game will start at 2:15 PM ET on April 2nd 2024.