Yardbarker

Tottenham Hotspur face a fight on their hands to land Eberechi Eze

Tottenham Hotspur have been in search of a left-sided attacking midfielder to bolster their attack and improve their chances to win a trophy under Ange Postecoglou. The North London club continue to be interested in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze as they consider him as an important target for their summer transfer window.

However, it has been reported by Fabrizio Romano in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter that there is a release clause inserted in the 26-year-old’s contract and any deal would be “difficult” to complete. Spurs have been long-term admirers of the England international and have always been in the running to sign him, alongside other top six clubs.

When asked if the interest from Tottenham Hotspur was genuine, Fabrizio Romano said,

“He’s been on the Spurs list since 2023, he’s always been highly rated at the club. But the release clause is very expensive and the payment for the clause is not allowed in 3 or 4 years as usually happens, so that’s what makes the deal difficult – and there are more clubs also keen.”

It is not likely that the England international heads to Spurs in the summer as a number of clubs will be in the running for him and a complex release clause will make it difficult for the North London club to move for him. Given this development, it remains to be seen if Spurs are better off pursuing other targets who are easy to attain.

Eberechi Eze will be an ideal signing for Tottenham Hotspur

Eberechi Eze has been one of the standout performers for Crystal Palace ever since joining the club in 2020 from Queens Park Rangers. The 26-year-old has made the left-sided No. 10 position his own and has been a consistent performer for Oliver Glasner’s side.

Tottenham need a proven Premier League player to provide competition in the attack. Eze seems to fit the bill as he could play in behind the striker as an attacking midfielder, as well as play on the left wing and cut inside to create chances. The Palace star tends to find half spaces in the final third of the pitch and create chances for his teammates. He also suits Spurs’ style of play as he can cover ground and counter-press by endlessly running throughout the whole game, something which Ange Postecoglou demands from his own players.

Eze leads his team in assists this season in the league with six assists to his name. The former Milwall academy player also has 2.1 Key Passes Per Game for his team, which ranks him first for chances created. Spurs will be looking to add him to their attack as he could be a perfect replacement for James Maddison, who has struggled with injuries and form of late. The North London club could also see him as a potential future replacement for their star winger, Heung-Min Son.

Signing Eze would be a huge boost for Ange Postecoglou and his side’s chances of winning a major trophy and ending the trophy drought.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is under pressure after a torrid run of results in the Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 by local rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night—their 11th defeat of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Spurs have slipped to 14th in the table after Manchester United won 3-1 against Southampton at Old Trafford on Thursday. After their latest defeat in the North London derby, debates have started to stir and questions have begun to be asked about whether Daniel Levy should persist with Ange Postecoglou at the helm or look to make an immediate change.

Ange Postecoglou has had to deal with a host of injuries that have decimated his squad, but there’s no doubt results have been underwhelming for the best part of the last two to three months. The Greek-Aussie tactician was “gutted” after the defeat to Arsenal and felt a club of Tottenham’s stature cannot afford to be losing 11 out of 21 Premier League fixtures. Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has called for his sacking after the North London derby setback.

Daniel Levy and Co. are still backing Postecoglou, although they are looking at managerial candidates as part of normal succession planning. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham are keeping an eye on Edin Terzic to become their new boss, should they decide to part ways with Postecoglou at any part of the season.

Only three of the bottom four Premier League teams—Southampton, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers—have lost more games than Spurs, which leaves Big Ange in a precarious position. The North Londoners have plans in place for the head coach, but if the 59-year-old is relieved of his duties, one of those names that could replace him is Edin Terzic.

The aforementioned report adds Terzic is ‘appreciated’ by the Spurs hierarchy including Levy and he is someone they may end up targeting should Big Ange be sacked. The Hotspur Way chiefs, though, have no plans to boot out the ex-Celtic tactician at this point but his position could be evaluated at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

As far as Terzic is concerned, he left Borussia Dortmund last summer despite guiding them to the Champions League final in June 2024, which they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium. The German tactician had departed Dortmund after he asked the club “to terminate his contract with immediate effect”.

The 42-year-old, who was recently sounded out by West Ham during their search for a new manager before appointing Graham Potter as Julen Lopetegui’s successor, would be very much interested in managing a Premier League team.

As things stand, Big Ange has the full backing of the club chiefs but there is huge pressure on him to turn things around quickly at White Hart Lane. Should things not improve and Spurs exit from the cup competitions, we feel Levy may not wait until the summer but pull the trigger on Big Ange and replace him with Terzic.

Richarlison and Mikey Moore are closing on a return to action for Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou is once again without several Tottenham Hotspur first-team players owing to respective injury issues.

Spurs’ injury crisis was exacerbated last weekend in the 2-2 draw with Wolves when Destiny Udogie suffered a hamstring injury. The left-back has been ruled out for six weeks minimum, joining the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison on the sidelines. Also, a foolish yellow card in injury time from Rodrigo Bentancur has led to a one-game ban, which he will serve against Newcastle United on Saturday.

The Tottenham boss faced the media on Friday ahead of Newcastle United’s visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He provided an injury update on his players, which included encouraging news on Richarlison and Mikey Moore.

“At this stage Richy and Mikey Moore are the next cabs off the rank, we’re hoping next week,” Ange Postecoglou said in his pre-match press conference (h/t Football London).

Richarlison has been in and out of the Tottenham side, largely due to his injury issues, since arriving in a £60million deal from Everton in the summer of 2022. The 27-year-old has barely featured for Postecoglou’s side this season. Back-to-back hamstring injuries have limited him to only five Premier League appearances, thereby, failing to provide backup to club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

As for Mikey Moore, the youngster has caused a lot of excitement while breaking into the first-team Spurs squad this season. Although just 17 years old, the winger has appeared eight times so far this term. But it has been a difficult couple of months for the prodigious talent, missing 13 games in total. The academy boy has been training with the group for a couple of weeks as he regains full fitness.

This dual update on Richarlison and Moore is a breath of fresh air for the White Hart Lane faithful who have been tired of watching players get injured and drop out of the squad like flies.

Richarlison’s comeback—after an injury-ravaged first part of the campaign—will be significant given his ability to contribute both assists and goals. Meanwhile, Moore’s recovery from a bad virus, will be equally helpful, providing options in attack and tactical flexibility to Big Ange ahead of important games across all competitions.

The importance of Richarlison and Moore’s return cannot come sooner, especially in the context of Spurs’ current predicament.

Tottenham Hotspur silky winger Bryan Gil has found his groove in the Spanish top tier, playing some impressive football in his loan deal at Girona, and his impressive performances have had them exploring the possibility of signing the wide forward on a permanent basis.

The North Londoners didn’t enjoy the best of Gil during his tenure at White Hart Lane, given how frustratingly it ended after Daniel Levy brought the 23-year-old in a £21.6 million transfer, with Erik Lamela moving to Sevilla as part of the deal in what was tagged as a bargain transfer in 2021.

The Spaniard did get to feature under Ange Postecoglou in the last season, which was the Australian head coach’s first season in charge at Hotspur Way, and many believed that the former Celtic man would bring the best out of Gil, although that didn’t turn out to be the case, and he ended up joining Girona in a loan transfer for the ongoing campaign.

Gil thriving at Girona

And Michel Sanchez didn’t take long to get the best out of Gil, so much so that the player has already received a Spain call-up, and given his performances, a call-up to the national side could become a consistent occurrence soon.

Content with his output Girona is exploring possibilities to bring Gil to the Spanish top tier on a permanent basis, with Michel looking at the 23-year-old as an integral part of his roster at Estadi Montilivi, per AS.

“Crazy good prospect” – Club insider can’t wait for sensational teenager who is due to arrive at Tottenham next

The North Londoners are likely to demand a figure surrounding €15 million to sell Bryan Gil, which does seem reasonable given his performances of late.

Inter Milan’s Yann Bisseck has been watched by Tottenham scouts this season

Tottenham Hotspur have had an up-and-down season in the Premier League and rightly find themselves 10th in the table.

Ange Postecoglou did enjoy a productive summer transfer window that saw the club bring in players such as Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert while re-signing Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig. However, with the Spurs boss struggling to get consistent results, thanks majorly to several injury problems, the club are planning to invest in the January transfer window.

Injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies have left Ange Postecoglou with just one fit central defender in Radu Dragusin. The Australian tactician has been forced to deploy Archie Gray—a midfielder by trade—in central defence alongside Dragusin for the last few games. Due to their defensive options being stretched to thin, Tottenham want to sign a central defender next month.

Postecoglou knows he can’t go through another window without strengthening his backline, and Spurs have been linked with a move for Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck. However, they aren’t the only club interested in his services.

According to a report from CaughtOffside, Tottenham and West Ham United had their scouts present to watch Yann Bisseck in action during Inter Milan’s recent game against Parma. He assisted Marcus Thuram’s goal as Inter beat Parma 3-1 at home. The scouts apparently received glowing reports on the defender’s performance.

Having arrived at Inter Milan from German side Aarhus in July 2023, Yann Bisseck took time to adjust to the pace and tactical demands of Serie A football. Slowly he grew into an important squad player for the Nerazzurri last season and ended up making 21 appearances across all competitions.

This season, though, he has featured more prominently for Simone Inzaghi’s side, starting seven league games of 15. The Cologne-born talent has delivered some strong performances in the Champions League as well, most notably the 1-0 win over Arsenal at the start of November. A week later after the Arsenal game, Bisseck extended his contract at the San Siro until the summer of 2029 (Transfermarkt) but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Spurs and West Ham from vying for his signature in January.

The aforementioned report adds both the London clubs are ready to test Inter’s resolve in the winter transfer window, but West Ham are likely to have a slight edge in any negotiations because of the German connection thanks to their technical director, Tim Steidten.

Although a final decision is yet to be made on the 24-year-old’s future, Inter will find it difficult to resist offers in the region of £35m, which interestingly both Spurs and West Ham are expected to offer. Given Bisseck’s versatility, potential and mix of technical skills and physicality, Tottenham must do everything within their powers to beat their London counterparts for his signature next month.

Tottenham told to consider Thomas Frank appointment

Tottenham Hotspur have been started to be linked with a number of other managers following their poor run of form, which might see Ange Postecoglou lose his job. The Australian’s position in the immediate future is unlikely to be very fragile, though there could be a decision on the board’s hands if there is no marked change in proceedings by the time 2025 gets underway.

Jan Molby, a former Liverpool player, has advised Tottenham Hotspur to consider the appointment of Brentford boss Thomas Frank to replace Ange Postecoglou if indeed he were to be shown the door. Frank has done a fantastic job with Brentford, who have become a regular team in the Premier League in recent seasons and have played some attractive football alongside that.

TBR Football quoted Molby saying the following words about his compatriot, Thomas Frank.

“I have no more doubts, he is the right man for Tottenham. he squad they have fits Thomas Frank, 100 per cent. Look at the players and the way Thomas Frank plays. I think it’s perfect.”

Much of Brentford’s success in the past few years can be attributed to Thomas Frank, who has gotten the job done with limited resources. His tactical brilliance has been visible this season in particular as well after Ivan Toney’s departure for Saudi Arabia, thus prompting links with bigger clubs, including Manchester United before they eventually ended up hiring Ruben Amorim.

For him to join Tottenham, however, would be a backward step as in a few more years, he could be on the verge of joining someone far bigger and better. At Hotspur Way, he will join a long list of managers who have been deemed as failures solely due to the board’s terrible business in building the squad, like they are seeming to do with Postecoglou in due course.

Tottenham youngster Ashley Phillips is performing well on loan at Stoke City

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t short on young talent at the moment, with Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear leading the way when it comes to exciting prospects emerging out of Hotspur Way.

Ange Postecoglou has not hesitated to give young talents and academy products opportunities to shine in the first team. He is aware of the development of the academy kids, and to help them take the next step, the Spurs boss allowed many of them to leave on loan. One of those was Ashley Phillips.

Ashley Phillips, who arrived at Tottenham from Blackburn Rovers in 2023, spent the second half of last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle. The youngster was one of Plymouth Argyle’s standout performers, playing a key role in helping the club secure their Championship status.

He returned to N17 in June and signed for Championship side Stoke City on a season-long loan two months later. After a slow start to life at Stoke City, the teenager is beginning to make strides and grab the opportunities coming his way with both hands.

John Wenham—the owner of the reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose—thinks Phillips should be ready for a Premier League loan next season after he returns from Blackburn. After back-to-back loan spells in the Championship, he wants the Tottenham youngster to test himself in the English top flight.

“I think Phillips will be ready for a Premier League loan next season,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.

“Hopefully the rest of this loan goes well for Phillips. If it does, I don’t see the point in him doing a third loan in the Championship.

“Therefore, it will have to be Premier League, and then see where things go from there.”

Phillips is taking impressive strides into senior football, and the fact that he had to patiently wait for his opportunities in the opening months of the season will allow him to develop in different facets of being a professional football player.

New Stoke boss Narcis Pelach has given the Manchester-born talent great confidence since replacing Steven Schumacher in mid-September. Under Pelach, the Potters are comparatively doing well and Phillips has been one of the key players in their resurgence. He started against his former employers Blackburn in midweek, helping his team keep a clean sheet in the 2-0 away success.

This was the teenager’s fourth successive start for the Championship outfit, and with every passing game, Phillips is gaining the trust of Pelach. Should the Stoke loan go well, the bosses at the Hotspur Way must consider sending the central defender on loan to a Premier League club next season.

Exposing Phillips to top-level football is essential and a temporary switch to a Premier League side—a mid-table or promoted—before integrating him into the Spurs side would not be a bad idea.

Eyebrows were raised when Tottenham Hotspur forked out £40m to land teenager Archie Gray from the English second tier following his antics for Leeds United as Daniel Levy acted swiftly to land his signatures from under Brentford’s noses in the eleventh hour.

And while he has not enjoyed consistent minutes under his belt at White Hart Lane, the 18-year-old has been impressing the coaches at Hotspur Way behind the scenes as Leeds ace Patrick Bamford reveals how Archie had been surprising people at N17 and how he also broke a record in his early days in North London.

Bamford praises Gray’s exceptional fitness levels at Spurs

Only months into his spell with his new employers, Archie Gary has kept the supporters on the edge of their seats when he takes the field and has shown flashes of the immense potential that convinced Tottenham to invest heavily in him. Now, Bamford has revealed that Gray is very impressive with his fitness.

The former Chelsea forward goes on to reveal that the teenager is class apart when it comes to endurance and fitness, as the 31-year-old revealed that Gray set a new record for the VO2 max test at Hotspur Way when the teenager initially moved to the N17 last synonym.

Bamford, speaking on My Mate’s A Footballer podcast, said:

“The epitome of a fit midfielder is Archie Gray. That guy is a freak. An absolute machine. When he went to Tottenham, I texted him and asked him how it was going. And he said that the one thing they might struggle with is kind of coping with the demands in training and fitness levels.

“And then he did the VO2 max test. You basically put some kind of mask on that measure, and you run on a treadmill until a threshold, until you can’t keep that pace any longer.

“And whatever the record was beforehand, he absolutely smashed out of the park. And afterwards, they were just like, Yeah, I don’t think fitness is going to be an issue.”

Ange Postecoglou likes his players to be on the front foot and always running, be it pressing or recovering, and he would love to have an engine of Archie Gray in his squad.

Tottenham winger Wilson Odobert has suffered a serious injury setback

Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

The Lilywhites are coming off a disappointing result after losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. So, Ange Postecoglou will want a response from his boys in midweek. A win over Pep Guardiola’s Man City will keep Spurs’ hopes of winning a trophy alive.

However, Tottenham have suffered a big injury blow ahead of the cup game. Addressing in his pre-match press conference at the Hotspur Way, Ange Postecoglou confirmed summer signing Wilson Odobert has suffered a serious injury setback.

“The only other one missing out (other than Heung-Min Son) which is a bit of a disappointment is Wilson (Odobert), who has had a setback during the week and it seems like it is a serious one, so we’re just waiting for more information,” Postecoglou said.

Wilson Odobert, who arrived in north London from Burnley in the summer, returned as a substitute against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last Thursday after more than a month out with a hamstring problem.

However, the speedy winger dropped out of the squad for the disappointing 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace. What the Tottenham gaffer could reveal though is that the injury is not believed to be the same as which has kept the teenager out of action for more than a month, although it is in the same area.

“(It’s) not exactly the same (injury) but (it’s the) same area,” he added.

Odobert has made five appearances for Tottenham, making three starts and coming off the bench twice. The Frenchman came on off the bench in the 88th minute in the 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar last Thursday—which was his first outing since the Carabao Cup third-round win over Coventry City on September 18.

The winger’s injury is a big blow for Big Ange and Spurs, who have endured a highly inconsistent season so far. It is a setback for Odobert in his first season at the Hotspur Way as well, especially when he had only returned to the squad after recovering from a hamstring issue.

Prior to that, the Meaux-born talent was settling at our club quite well. It now remains to be seen for how long Odobert will be out. We can only pray the teenage prodigy recovers swiftly and comes back stronger.

The Lilywhites have been subject to links with a move for Ipswich Town centre-forward Liam Delap, with recent reports stating that the North Londoners could make a move for Manchester City academy graduate in the upcoming winter transfer window as his current employers set a £30 million price tag for the 2003-born striker.

However, ex-Lilywhites scout Bryan King doesn’t think that his former employers would sign the 21-year-old in upcoming January, citing that it wouldn’t make sense for the Tractor Boys to sell the striker midway through the season.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, King said:

“They’ve just signed a striker from Bournemouth for £60million-plus. You’ve got Richarlison and Solanke. You wouldn’t be looking to bring in another striker until at least next summer unless someone left Spurs in January. However, then it depends on if Ipswich Town are willing to sell him. I think they’re going to have problems in the Premier League.

“Therefore, the one guy scoring your goals, why would you want to sell him? That would be bad business, in a season where they’re trying to survive.”

Should Spurs pursue Delap?

Liam Delap has been enjoying some impressive time with the Premier League new boys, with the 21-year-old already netting four goals in the ongoing campaign; however, a lot at Tottenham depends on the situation with Richarlison and whether the Brazilian stays put at White Hart Lane or is forced out of N17 to make way for a new arrival.

While Spurs target Delap, it is also important to remember that Ange Postecoglou has the likes of Will Lankshear, Lejo Véliz, and Dane Scarlett as probable options if he decides to hand minutes to young players.