The Sun

SPURS supporters have waited all summer for the answer.

Would Ange Postecoglou's side return to the form which saw them storm to 10 games without defeat at the start of last season?

Or would they resemble the team who only scraped four wins in their last 11 fixtures to stumble across the finish line?

In the end they were both!

Brilliant during a devastating first 45 in which Pedro Porro headed them in front.

Unsure of themselves and rattled after the break as Jamie Vardy became Leicester's oldest ever Premier goalscorer aged 37!

Steve Cooper may be a new Fox but he's definitely an old Fox when it comes to management.

He kept an ace up his sleeve for Postecoglou as he handed a shock start to the Leicester City legend - and how Vardy repaid his faith in him.

The old boy had only managed half an hour of Leicester's opening pre-season game against Villarreal before limping off injured.

But significantly he managed to score in that brief appearance and Cooper was clearly banking on the veteran to prove he can still hack it at this level.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Turns out he can - even though he has been sidelined for weeks now as he recuperated!

It was a huge ask but it showed why Cooper has yet to sign a back-up striker.

That's exactly what Postecoglou did in the summer as he splashed £65million on Dominic Solanke to provide a cutting edge for Spurs.

If ever there was a match made for strikers to impress in it was this one.

This fixture has produced 128 goals in 34 Premier League meetings - historically the highest scoring average goals per game (3.76) of all Prem fixtures to have been played more than 20 times.

In Leicester's last season in the Prem the two fixtures between the clubs produced 13 goals as Spurs won 6-2 on home soil while Leicester won 4-1 at the King Power.

Spurs were clearly in the mood to maintain the trend as they carved out a string of excellent early chances as they blew the Foxes apart in a whirlwind start.

Rodrigo Bentancur, who was later stretchered off after being knocked out briefly, thought he had made an early breakthrough when he powered in a header from a James Maddison corner after six minutes.

However, despite beating Mads Hermansen the Foxes were rescued by a spectacular goaline clearance from Wilfried Ndidi, who acrobatically hooked the ball clear.

Brennan Johnson then powered in a volley which Hermansen beat away.

Spurs continued to surge forward and Solanke saw a diving header held by Hermansen before Cristian Romero flashed a header just wide.

Tottenham's aerial superiority was clear and Solanke had another header saved by Hermansen as the home side suffered a stormy return to the top flight.

So it came as no surprise when Spurs took the high road again to snatch the lead just before the half hour mark.

James Maddison yet again found an empty patch of turf to work his magic and curled in a teasing cross.

Pedro Porro accepted the invitation and beat Bobby De Cordova-Reid to the ball, then left Hermansen helpless with a glancing header into the far corner of the net.

It meant the Spaniard carried on where he had left off last season when he scored in Spurs 3-0 win at Sheffield United on the final day of the campaign.

He must love Postecoglou's freedom to roam as he constantly caused Leicester headaches popping up in the inside right channel.

For his goal he was dead centre of goal - exactly where you would have expected Solanke to be.

However as Spurs new striker had fluffed his two headers, no doubt he was grateful for the lesson in finishing.

Maddison was at the heart of everything and he almost carved out a second when he shaped up to strike a free kick.

Instead he flighted a perfect delivery to the back post where Brennan Johnson crashed a volley narrowly wide.

The gulf in class by half-time was almost embarrassing as Spurs clocked up 22 touches inside the Leicester box, while the Foxes only had ONE inside the visitors' penalty area.

Even when Vardy scampered on to a long Wout Faes through ball Guglielmo Vicario raced yards out of his box to deny him with a diving header.

But it is impossible to keep Vardy out of the headlines - the bigger the occasion, the bigger the response.

Somehow he managed to haul Leicester off the ropes and back into this game with an equaliser just before the hour.

Victor Kristiansen's low cross just failed to pick out De Cordova-Reid but was recycled by Abdul Fatawu on the right.

As Destiny Udogie stood off him, Fatawu sat up an inviting cross and Vardy appeared at the back post to head home.

Cue bedlam!

It may have been Vardy's eighth goal on the opening day of a season - only Mo Salah has more - but he celebrated like a spring chicken!

Who needs a pre-season when you can pop a couple of cans of Red Bull?

Incredibly he could even have won it for Leicester.

Decordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte combined and the Argentine sent Vardy sprinting clear of Porro.

But Vicario dived to his left to brilliantly keep out his low shot to deny the veteran hitman.

However the atmosphere changed completely when Bentancur took a sickening blow to the head following a mid-air clash with Leciester winger Abdul Fatawu.

Medics rushed on to the pitch with the star knocked out, with players from both sides barely able to look.

The game was delayed for six minutes before the Uruguayan midfielder, 27, was stretchered off, having been given oxygen on the same pitch where he had ruptured his ACL in February 2023.

He was replaced by Archie Gray, who came on as the concussion sub.

When play recommenced Postecoglou - who later confirmed that Bentancur appeared to have recovered and was talking again - made four changes while Cooper replaced Vardy with Stephy Mavididi.

But Vardy made sure he gave the goading Spurs fans as good as he got - sending them a reminder of how many trophies he and they have won.

Both sides came close to snatching all three points in stoppage time.

Mavididi robbed Lucas Bergvall on the touchline, and it took a stunning reflex save from Vicario to keep out Ndidi's netbound header.

Then Spurs sub Richarlison headed over from four yards following a Bergvall free kick.

Clearly, the Brazilian is no Jamie Vardy!

PEDRO PORRO opened the scoring in a dominant first half for Tottenham at Leicester City.

The Foxes bounced straight back into top-flight football by winning the Championship last season.

And Leicester will be hoping they can get their return off to the perfect start against a Spurs side who pinched midfield maestro James Maddison from them in June 2023.

Leicester XI: Hermansen, Justin, Vestergaard, Faes, Kristiansen, Winks, Buonanotte, Ndidi, De Cordova-Reid, Fatawu, Vardy.

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Kick-off time: 8pm BST

Live stream: NOW TV

TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League

TOP FOUR

ARSENAL, MANCHESTER CITY, LIVERPOOL and TOTTENHAM — and I’ve got a really strong feeling for Arsenal this season. A few of Man City’s star players are getting a bit older. There’s been nothing between the two teams over the past two years.

RELEGATION

EVERTON (18th), SOUTHAMPTON (19th), LEICESTER (20th) — I like Sean Dyche and Everton are a great club with brilliant, knowledgeable fans. They’re just badly run. They need to go down to rebuild to come back again. But the key is new owners.

TOP SCORER

ERLING HAALAND — I can’t see anyone taking his crown off him. He’s a goal machine, isn’t he? If I can get him at evens, I might lump on!

MOST ASSISTS

MARTIN ODEGAARD — He’ll be the catalyst for Arsenal’s surge to the title. I can see it now. He’s a superb player and he makes it look so easy.

CARABAO CUP

TOTTENHAM — Ange Postecoglou will break Spurs’ trophy curse. Most big teams will mess about with this trophy, but Tottenham will go full steam.

FA CUP

LIVERPOOL — I fancy Arne Slot to stamp his mark on English football quickly and there’s few better ways to do it than lifting this famous old trophy.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

REAL MADRID — Carlo Ancelotti is bullish about their chances. He has said that with Kylian Mbappe, it’s the best team they’ve had for a long time.

EUROPA LEAGUE

MANCHESTER UNITED — Clubs seem to have stopped sneering at this competition. And Spurs and United should be going both barrels for it.

LEICESTER have agreed a deal worth more than £20million to sign Oliver Skipp from Tottenham.

The midfielder, 23, is now expected to undergo a medical on Sunday with the Foxes.

Skipp has struggled for game-time under boss Ange Postecoglou.

But the fact that Skipp is one of only a few homegrown players in the Aussie’s squad - an especially important factor for their Europa League campaign - has meant Spurs were reluctant to let him go previously.

That stance appears to have softened now though with the Foxes in talks to bring the former England Under-21 man to the King Power.

Skipp has racked up 106 games for Spurs since making his debut in the 2018-19 campaign.

He also enjoyed a successful loan spell at Norwich in 2020-21 where he helped the Canaries win the Championship.

Jose Mourinho marked him out as a future Spurs captain and Skipp signed a five-year deal in April 2022.

But injury stunted his progress and though Postecoglou appreciates the Under-21 Euros winner’s attitude and workrate, Skipp only made five Premier League starts last season under the ex-Celtic boss.

Spurs brought in two new central midfielders this summer with the captures of 18-year-old pair Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Their arrivals are likely to limit Skipp’s opportunities further this term, although Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg left for Marseille and Giovani Lo Celso is also set to move.

Ironically, Spurs begin their Premier League campaign on Monday at Leicester, who signed midfielder Harry Winks from Tottenham last summer.

The Foxes have not been the most active in the market this summer due in part to past issues with Prem spending rules.

The club are facing two separate points deductions from the Premier League.

Leicester were charged by the Prem in March with breaching the £105million loss limit for the period ending 2022-23.

But the case was delayed as the club have launched a legal challenge.

Leicester’s lawyers say the Prem had no right to charge them while they were in the Championship.

The Premier League charges relate to Foxes’ top-flight seasons between 2020 and 2023 when they lost £215.3m, more than £110m over the limit.

While the EFL are forecasting another large overspend for last season.

The EFL even began investigating Leicester’s 2023-24 finances in real time last season due to concerns that they would breach the limits again.

An attempt to impose an EFL-run business plan on Leicester was defeated on appeal but the club was given a transfer ban in the second half of the promotion season and the matter was passed on to the Premier League.

SPURS ace Yves Bissouma filmed himself inhaling deadly laughing gas just days before the new season kicks off.

The £55,000-a-week Tottenham star laughed manically between taking hits from a balloon in footage which will dismay the footie player’s boss and millions of fans.

The midfielder last night apologised for his “severe lack of judgment”.

He had headed out to party following his side’s last pre-season warm-up match against Bayern Munich in North London on Saturday evening.

During a raucous booze-fuelled night, the star, 27, was seen taking nitrous oxide in a chauffeur-driven limo carrying him and pals.

The player bafflingly shared the video of himself committing the crime to pals on Snapchat.

Possession of laughing gas with intent to get high was made illegal last year, with repeat offenders facing up to two years in jail and an unlimited fine.

A witness said: “It beggars belief any Premier League star would openly take hippy crack. It’s a criminal offence and Yves now likely faces a police probe, let alone severe club sanctions.

“The new season kicks off next weekend and he has let down every single Spurs fan.

"Boss Ange Postecoglou will see red. Sharing the footage himself is utterly brainless.”

Use of nitrous oxide can lead to brain disorders, depression, memory loss, incontinence, hallucinations and nerve damage.

Last night, Bissouma said: “I want to apologise for these videos. This was a severe lack of judgment.

“I understand how serious this is and the health risks involved, and I also take my responsibility as a footballer and role model very seriously.”

Tottenham Hotspur told The Sun: “We are looking into the events.

"This will be dealt with as an internal matter.”

Bissouma, who joined Spurs from Brighton in 2022, is the latest in a long line of Prem stars to inhale the gas.

In May, it was revealed one unnamed player was treated by paramedics months after it emerged he had a nitrous oxide addiction.

Chance

Bayern continue to knock on Tottenham's door and get a shot with Gnabry who just misses the target.

Both defences have been quite shaky with each offensive line finding space to attack and create threats.

Bayern are trying to hit back with a high press, but so far Tottenham aren't struggling in their bid to play out the back.

Lots of happiness in midfield so far for Postecoglou's men who are winning most duels.

Tottenham heroes Kane and Dier were honoured before kick-off by club icon and ambassador Ledley King on their return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both men received a warm ovation while the England captain struggled to hide his emotions when the trumpet started playing before kick-off.

What a start for Tottenham who open the scoring less than one minute into the match against an opponent they have never beaten at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Kulusevki dispossesses Kim and passes to Johnson on his right.

The winger gives it back to Kulusevski who beats Neuer with ease!

Dominik Solanke done deal

Tottenham have agreed a £65million deal for Bournemouth star Dominic Solanke that would smash their biggest transfer record.

Solanke is now set to undergo a medical with Spurs on Friday night and Saturday ahead of his move to north London.

According to The Athletic, the striker will sign a six-year deal to keep him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2030.

The 26-year-old's contract at the Vitality Stadium expires in June 2029 but includes a £65m release clause which the Cherries are now set to receive.

It will be a club record sale for Adoni Iraola's side, who watched the England international score 21 goals in 42 appearances last season.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is understood to have identified the ex-Chelsea and Liverpool ace as a "top target".

Bayern Munich formation

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany has also opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Tottenham.

Captain Manuel Neuer starts in goal with Josip Stanisic at right-back and Raphael Guerreiro on the other side, while Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae team up at centre-back.

Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic link up in midfield with Jamal Musiala at No10.

Thomas Muller covers the right flank with Serge Gnabry on the other side, while Mathys Tel leads the attack.

Tottenham formation

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou appears to have opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation against Bayern Munich.

Guglielmo Vicario starts in goal with Pedro Porro at right-back and Djed Spence on the other side, while Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies link up at centre-back.

Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr team up in midfield with James Maddison at No10.

Dejan Kulusevski covers the right flank with Brennan Johnson on the other side, while captain Son Heung-min leads the attack.

De Ligt & Mazraoui benched

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has included Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to his bench.

That is despite the fact the two defenders appear to be set to join Manchester United.

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Mazraoui has signed a five-year deal with the option to extend for another one following a €20m (£17m) deal that includes add-ons.

The agreement was completed after Aaron Wan-Bissaka left United for West Ham.

De Ligt will also sign a similar deal as Mazraoui but cost a €45m (£38.5m) fixed fee, plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons.

The payment will also be spread over the next three-year period.

Head-to-Head

Tottenham and Bayern Munich's first ever encounter took place way back in 1982 during the Last 16 of the Cup Winners' Cup in north London and the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.

Since then, the two sides have faced off a total of six times across all official competitions.

Bayern won a vast majority of four meetings while Spurs only emerged victorious once in the Last 16 of the Uefa Cup back in 1983 when they picked up a 2-0 triumph which led to the quarter-finals.

The two teams also faced off in another friendly this summer in South Korea last week.

The Bavarians won 2-1 thanks to goals by Gabriel Vidovic and Leon Goretzka before Pedro Porro's consolation.

Good afternoon from Tottenham

Welcome to SunSport's live blog coverage of the pre-season friendly between Tottenham and Bayern Munich at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Kostas here and I will be bringing you all the live action from north London today.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is expected to be without Richarlison and Destiny Udogie as they continue to recover from a calf and thigh injury respectively.

Ashley Phillips also poses as a doubt as he is dealing with an unspecified issue.

However, Postecoglou has welcomed back Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovani Lo Celso to training this week.

This promises to be an emotional friendly with Harry Kane and Eric Dier both returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since their departures last season.

Kane and Dier will be presented with commemorative gifts by the North Londoners' ambassador Ledley King before kick-off.

Both Spurs heroes look set to play a big part for Bayern during this game and may even start.

However, the Bavarians' new manager Vincent Kompany may have to make a late call on Jamal Musiala.

Musiala is still building fitness after his extended break following an impressive Euro 2024 campaign with Germany in June.

Ndombele joined from Lyon in 2019 with huge expectations after shattering Tottenham's transfer record.

But he would go on to play just 91 times for the club, scoring 10 goals and is now set to leave one year before the end of his contract.

Richarlison almost broke the £50m mark when he arrived from Everton in 2022 as Harry Kane's back-up.

And while his tally of 12 goals this season was a significant increase on the three from his opening Spurs campaign, he is being linked with a departure this summer.

Johnson was signed by Ange Postecoglou last summer and has impressed in patches during his first season in North London.

He scored five goals and 10 assists in 38 games and will look to build on that in the 2024/25 campaign.

Romero initially joined on loan from Atalanta in 2021, before his impressive displays saw him secure a permanent deal the following year.

He is two games shy of 100 for Spurs and, while he can be reckless with his tackling at times, is beginning to form a promising partnership with Micky van de Ven.

Maddison was handed Kane's No10 shirt after arriving at Spurs and hit the ground running with three goals and five assists in his opening 11 matches.

But after getting injured against Chelsea in October, he failed to return with the same sharpness - managing just five goal contributions in 15 league matches as he missed out on England's final 26-man squad for the Euros.

Sanchez joined Spurs from Ajax in 2017 and played more than 200 games across a six-year spell.

But he was always considered a somewhat erratic defender who did not play more than 20 games in a Premier League season from 2020 onwards.

Porro was another signing who originally arrived on loan in January 2023, before he signed permanently last summer.

He has 54 appearances for Spurs under his belt, scoring seven goals and impressing under Postecoglou this season.

Rapid Dutch centre-back Van de Ven was named Spurs Player of the Season in his first campaign at the club.

His pace, athleticism, and technical ability on the ball have made him arguably Postecoglou's best signing to date.

Sissoko came to North London for a substantial fee after being relegated with Newcastle and went on to enjoy five years at Tottenham, playing more than 200 games.

Unfortunately for the French midfielder, he is best-known for giving away a controversial penalty for handball in the first minute of Spurs' 2-0 Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in 2019.

Lo Celso joined on loan from Real Betis in 2019 - a deal that was made permanent the following season.

He has 10 goals and eight assists in 108 games, with some Spurs fans still unsure about the Argentine.

Live Blog

IN AND OUT

Transfer news LIVE: Solanke to Tottenham SIGNED, Chelsea close in on Pedro Neto, Zubimendi targeted by Liverpool

Chelsea sign Jorgensen

Calafiori joins Arsenal

Guardiola on contract extension

Man City's Olmo offer

DOMINIC SOLANKE has reportedly signed his contract to move to Tottenham from Bournemouth in a deal worth £65million

Meanwhile, Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Pedro Neto from Wolves, according to reports.

But the Blues are set to part ways with Conor Gallager, who has completed his medical ahead of a £34million move to Atletico Madrid.

Elsewhere, Martin Zubimendi is a target of Liverpool's this summer and the Reds could decide to trigger his £53million release clause soon according to reports.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

Follow all the latest news, moves and completed deals below...

Todibo 'has signed' for West Ham

Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo has signed for West Ham according to Fabrizio Romano.

He'll cost the club £34million.

Todibo has historically also attracted interest from Manchester United and Tottenham.

Spurs to announce Solanke

Dominic Solanke is set to be announced by Spurs imminently after completing his medical at Hotspur Way, according to reports.

Spurs are set to pay Bournemouth around £60million for their talisman.

He is set to sign a six year deal at Tottenham

Hammers to announce Todibo

West Ham will announce the signing of Jean-Clair Todibo later today.

The Hammers hijacked the defender's deal to Juventus after the Italian club failed to agree a deal with Nice.

The Frenchman becomes the club's seventh signing this summer, following Crysensio Summerville, Nicolas Fullkrug, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Wes Foderingham, and Luis Guilherme through the door.

Neto set for medical

Pedro Neto arrived in London last night in order to complete his move to Chelsea.

The Wolves winger will undergo his medical today before signing his contract.

The West Midlands club have been linked with a move to sign Carlos Forbes from Ajax to replace Neto.

Gassova price lowered

Brazilian outfit Corinthians have reportedly lowered their asking price for Wesley Gassova.

The exciting Brazilian has earned plenty of interest from the Premier League after emerging.

West Ham, Fulham and Nottingham Forest are among the clubs keen on signing him.

However, a transfer may no longer break the bank as Corinthians are only demanding £17m.

Inter make move for Kiwior

Inter Milan have reportedly contacted Arsenal over a move for Jakub Kiwior.

Sportitalia have claimed that the Italian outfit have proposed a loan deal with an option to buy.

The report has also claimed that the loan could become permanent should certain conditions be met.

Sterling attracting interest

Raheem Sterling could be set for a shock summer exit from Chelsea.

The forward is reportedly on the list of Serie A giants Juventus who are keen to replace Federico Chiesa.

Sterling however is highly rated at Stamford Bridge and is keen to succeed at the Blues.

Defender waiting on United

Noussair Mazraoui is still waiting to complete his transfer to Manchester United.

The Moroccan ace has agreed to move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich.

However, he is still waiting to complete the move as Aaron Wan-Bissaka needs to complete his transfer to West Ham.

Zaha twist

Wilfried Zaha's return to Crystal Palace is in serious doubt and Premier League rivals are set to pounce.

The winger had attracted interest from West Ham but it is now Leicester City that are keen on a deal.

The Athletic have claimed that the Foxes want to sign Zaha on a loan deal for the season.

Wolves have 'Neto replacement'

Wolves have reportedly already identified the replacement for Pedro Neto once he completes his switch to Chelsea.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the West Midlands club will make a move for Carlos Forbes from Ajax.

The winger was formerly of Manchester City before moving to Holland last summer.

Barca open to selling De Jong

Barcelona are reportedly willing to sell Dutch star Frenkie de Jong this summer.

The Spanish club will reportedly demand a fee worth £51million plus add-ons.

The midfielder has been rated among some of the best in Europe and could finally seal a move to the Premier League.

O'Neil signs on

Gary O'Neil has extended his contract at Wolves by signing a four year extension.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: "I think the club has a positive future, building a new cycle for growth, better results on the pitch and ambitions to realise.

"To prepare for that, we need a very good team, and I think Gary is a key member of the team, maybe even the most important member, so we are very happy to have him here for the long term.

"The team together – me, Gary, Matt Hobbs and all the staff – we are working very closely to prepare for the new season. Gary is key and we are happy to have a very young, talented, capable and outstanding manager here.

"He works very hard and is very humble.

"He might be the humblest manager I have ever worked with and one of the most hard-working coaches I’ve ever met. His strengths are around his tactics and his chemistry with the players."

Chelsea goalkeeper leaves

Gabriel Slonina has left Chelsea for the season.

The goalkeeper has joined Barnsley on a season-long loan deal.

Zaha Palace move 'OFF'

Crystal Palace's move to resign Wilfried Zaha is reportedly off.

The club were keen to bring the forward back to Selhurst Park one year after he left as a free agent

He joined Galatasaray on a free transfer but has was set to be allowed to leave on loan.

Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that while talks had taken place the deal has now stalled and is currently off.

United 'contact Hermoso'

Manchester United have reportedly made contact with defender Mario Hermoso.

The former Atletico Madrid star is a free agent having seen his contract expire at the end of last season.

Reports in Spain have claimed the Red Devils have made a start in negotiating a deal with Hermoso.

It is believed he is looking for a three-year contract worth £5.14million a year.

Gunners give Nketiah green light

Arsenal are continuing negotiations with Marseille over Eddie Nketiah.

The Gunners are in talks with the French giants over a season-long loan move with an obligatory fee of around £25m.

Marseille are yet to agree to those terms with discussions ongoing – having initially made an offer of around £17m for the player last month.

Personal terms are believed to already be in place on a five-year deal.

Olmo joins Barcelona

Dani Olmo has been confirmed as a Barcelona player.

Multiple clubs were linked with a move for the Spanish midfielder while he was at RB Leipzig.

However, he has now joined Barcelona, who also beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City to complete the deal.

Wan-Bissaka closes on exit

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is reportedly closing in on an exit from Manchester United.

The defender is a key target for West Ham and remain in talks despite the imminent signing of Jean-Clair Todibo.

Fabrizio Romano tweeted: "West Ham remain in active talks for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, even after Jean-Clair Todibo deal."

United ‘prepare Berge big’

Manchester United are reportedly preparing their first bid for Sander Berge.

The Burnley midfielder has been identified as an alternative to Manuel Ugarte, according to TEAMtalk.

The Clarets value the Norweigian at £30million but United are hoping to tie up a deal for £25m.

Zaha back to Palace

Wilfried Zaha is reportedly close to rejoining Crystal Palace in a shock move.

The forward is a legend at the South London club but left in 2023 on a free transfer to Galatasaray.

He was not in the squad for the Turkish team today.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that he is in talks over a loan deal with the Eagles.

It will be the third time he has moved to Selhurst Park in his career.

Wolves defender out on loan

Wolves defender Hugo Bueno has agreed a loan move to Feyernoord.

The 21-year-old Spaniard joined Wolves as a scholar five years ago and went on to establish himself as a first-team left-back, making 25 appearances under Gary O'Neil.

However, Wolves are prepared to let the Spanish Under-21 international out on loan and Feyernoord's Danish boss Brian Priske has beaten off Leeds United, Celtic and Norwich to land Bueno on a season-long loan.

Bueno is expected to fly to the Netherlands early next week for a medical and to complete the formalities of his move.

De Gea in medical

David de Gea is doing his medical ahead of his move to Fiorentina.

The goalkeeper has been out of football since leaving Manchester United in 2023.

He will sign a one-year deal with the Italian outfit with the option for a further year.

Ramsdale wanted on loan

Southampton are reportedly keen on signing Aaron Ramsdale on loan.

The goalkeeper struggled for game-time at Arsenal last season and was second fiddle to David Raya.

The Saints would be able to offer the England international the first-team spot for their return to the Premier League.

TOTTENHAM fans may be less keen on transfer target Dominic Solanke after discovering what team he used to follow.

The Bournemouth striker has been heavily linked with Spurs as Ange Postecoglou looks to strengthen his frontline.

Earlier this summer, the Bournemouth owner revealed that the 26-year-old has a £65m release clause in his contract on the south coast.

But an old clip of Solanke has revealed his connection to Spurs' north London rival Arsenal.

In an interview with BBC's Football Focus in May, when asked what his first-ever football shirt was, the forward said: “[It] would have probably been Arsenal."

He continued: "Yeah, my dad was an Arsenal fan so I used to follow them.

"I went to a few Emirates Cups back in the day."

Luckily for Spurs fans Solanke’s next comments paint him in a more favourable light.

When questioned about his past allegiances when facing Arsenal, the former Chelsea youth player responded: “Not anymore. Back in the day, when you’re young, you just love watching football.”

"When you actually grow up and you start playing against teams, I think it's a bit hard to support a team."

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

Solanke's contract at the Vitality Stadium expires in June 2027.

The forward played 38 times for the Cherries in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals and providing three assists.

And after scoring as many goals as Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins, Postecoglou has shortlisted the star as a transfer target this summer amid the uncertainty of current No9 Richarlison.

Tottenham are waiting for a side to meet their £60million asking price for the Brazilian, who is said to be the target of several clubs in Saudi Arabia.

TOTTENHAM are growing in confidence that they will land striker Dominic Solanke this summer.

The North Londoners hold a long-term interest in the Bournemouth star, who netted 19 Premier League goals last season.

Advertisement

Ange Postecoglou wants a new centre-forward after regularly using winger and captain Son Heung-min through the middle last season.

Solanke, 26, has a £65million release clause in his Cherries contract.

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley admitted in July that the club have “two or three” replacement targets lined up in the event of the one-cap England striker leaving.

The South-Coast side signed Solanke for £19million in 2019 from Liverpool, who have a 20 per cent sell-on clause.

Advertisement

Should Spurs activate Solanke’s release clause, they would break their transfer record which is currently set at the £60m they paid Everton for Richarlison two summers ago.

There has been interest from the Saudi Pro League in Richarlison, 27, but SunSport understands a move for Solanke is not dependent on the Brazilian being sold.

Other strikers including Lille’s Jonathan David, Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres have been considered - though the latter’s price tag of £80million would likely be too steep.

A new winger is also on the wanted list in N17 with Wolves’ Pedro Neto and Crystal Palace’s England star Eberechi Eze among those admired.

Advertisement

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

Spurs have made four signings so far this summer including 18-year-old midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, as well as the re-loaning of Timo Werner and the capture of young South Korean winger Yang Min-Hyuk who will not join the club until January.

They have also offloaded a number of players including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joe Rodon, with more departures expected.

Advertisement

Striker Alejo Veliz was yesterday loaned to Espanyol, Emerson Royal is nearing a move to AC Milan while Manor Solomon could go out on loan in search of regular football.

Homegrown midfielder Oliver Skipp has interest from the three promoted clubs.