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Pep Guardiola puts Man City struggles down to four players as he reacts to Spurs rout

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Pep Guardiola blamed Manchester City's problems on the fitness issues of four of his key players after seeing his side hammered by Tottenham at the Etihad. Just two days after confirming he had agreed to extend his contract with the club through until 2027, the Spaniard saw his side beaten 4-0 which was a fifth successive defeat.

It means that if Liverpool beat Southampton tomorrow, City will be eight points off the top of the Premier League ahead of a trip to Anfield next week.

And afterwards, he cited the long-term absence of Rodri, as well as the recent injuries to John Stones, Jack Grealish, and Kevin de Bruyne, as a primary reason for their poor form.

He told Sky Sports: "Of course Rodri is important but we knew that for many months. But Stones can only play 45 minutes. Jack has been injured many times. Kevin, two months and five months."

England defender Stones did return to the starting XI against Spurs but after the home defence were pulled apart in the first 45 minutes, was replaced at the break by Nathan Ake. De Bruyne and Grealish, meanwhile, both featured as late substitutes.

Guardiola has been vocal about the issue of players being called up for international duty and picking up injuries while representing their countries. And he also implied that the most recent break had denied his squad the chance to regroup.

"The players came back late from internationals," he added. "There were a few reasons we're not able to be consistent. Now the balance is not in the right moment. We have to do it, talk, and on Tuesday against Feyenoord have the chance to try."

He also insisted his squad can turn around their form and vowed to confront City's current problems head-on. "Run away?" he said. "Absolutely not, we have to stand up more than ever. What will define us is when we fail, we stand up and face it.

"I don’t know what will happen this season, but not for one second will I not believe in these players. There is no team in the world that can sustain success for eight, nine, ten years in a row.

"Of course everything is not fine, but what we try to do is analyse it, let’s go to next game and see what happens."

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However, he also sounded a warning to his stars ahead of their game at Liverpool. By the final whistle next Sunday, City could be as far as 11 points off the top, and their manager fears they could face another humiliating afternoon if they don't improve on today's showing.

"It's a great game to turn it around and take three points from the team who sit above you," he added. "But we can't put in a performance like that or we'll get walked over."

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Tottenham player ratings vs Man City: One incredible 10/10 as Spurs thrash hosts 4-0

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Tottenham romped to a stunning 4-0 victory at Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday evening, bouncing back from their shock home defeat to Ipswich Town last time out. Ange Postecoglou's side condemned City to a fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions to emphatically get back on track.

James Maddison scored a first-half brace as part of a sensational performance before Pedro Porro added a third on the other side of the break. Brennan Johnson made it four in stoppage time.

Express Sport runs through the Tottenham player ratings on a memorable night in Manchester.

Tottenham player ratings vs Man City

Guglielmo Vicario: 9

One of the most deserved clean sheets you'll see all season. Looked like a man on a mission to deny Erling Haaland, and he did.

Pedro Porro: 8

It felt like his third goal put the game out of sight, but he also heavily contributed to an inspired defensive performance by Spurs.

Radu Dragusin: 7

Rock solid throughout the match and produced a crucial block in stoppage time to frustrate Haaland further.

Ben Davies: 7

Will deservedly receive plenty of respect for filling in at centre-back in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven's absence. Impressive showing.

Destiny Udogie: 8

So tenacious in the tackle, making more than any other player on the pitch. Also won five ground duels.

Pape Sarr: 7

Came out on top in seven duels to go with three tackles in an energetic midfield performance.

Yves Bissouma: 5

A rare underperformer for Spurs. Felt like it was going to be a long night for him and Spurs after he was booked in the 17th second. It wasn't.

James Maddison: 10

Are you watching, Thomas Tuchel? A near-perfect showing from Maddison, scoring twice to send Spurs on their way to a momentous victory. Nine duels won, five fouls drawn, 100 per cent take-on and tackle success rate. Tonight is his night. Superb.

Dejan Kulusevski: 9

He could easily be Spurs' second 10/10 performer. Ran City's left side ragged, winning all five of his ground duels, completing four take-ons, creating three chances and adding an assist. Sweden are in the money with their attack.

Heung-min Son: 6

Created two chances before withdrawing after the hour mark.

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Dominic Solanke: 6

Only took 25 touches across the 90 minutes. Didn't need to contribute to the goalscoring but provided the assist for Porro's strike.

Substitutes

Brennan Johnson: 8

Huge impact off the bench. Hit the woodwork before adding a fourth by pouncing onto Timo Werner's cross at the back post. Five Premier League goals this season.

Timo Werner: 7

Wasn't on the pitch long but added an assist to his tally.

Djed Spence: N/A

Stoppage-time introduction as Spurs played down the clock.

Lucas Bergvall: N/A

The same applies.

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Spurs to get second transfer chance with 'unhappy' Real Madrid star

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Tottenham Hotspur could reignite their interest in Real Madrid's young sensation Arda Guler after the player's challenging start to the season. The 19-year-old Turkish talent, who made a move from Fenerbahce to Madrid last year, has been struggling for game time at the Spanish club.

Despite a delayed debut due to injuries, Guler finished his first season impressively, netting six goals in just 10 league appearances and clocking up 373 minutes on the pitch. His prowess was on display at Euro 2024, where he scored a remarkable goal against Georgia, helping Turkey reach the quarter-finals.

Spurs had shown an interest in the midfielder earlier this year, but talks of a transfer quickly dissipated. Now, following comments from one Turkish pundit, it appears that Guler is discontent with his situation at Madrid, particularly after a lacklustre international break.

"Arda has shown rustiness in his performance. That's natural," Mustafa Denzil told HT Spor after Turkey's draw with Wales.

"Arda no longer comes back from Real Madrid with high morale as he used to. He is not experiencing psychological happiness there. We know that he has had few minutes and few opportunities, but his rivals in the dressing room have increased their performances."

This development could potentially open the door for Tottenham to make a move for the promising youngster, reports Football London. Guler has found himself starting only three times in 12 appearances this season for Madrid, who trail behind Barcelona by six points in the league standings.

Denzil commented on the situation, noting that manager Carlo Ancelotti seemed more inclined to give Guler game time last season when Madrid were on track for a La Liga and Champions League double.

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"It doesn't matter. In terms of score and results, it's worse. The team's performance has dropped," Denzil said. "When the team's performance was higher, he played more; when the team is doing worse, he gets less playing time, and that has a significant negative impact."

Even in Turkey's Nations League campaign, Guler has been substituted in four out of five matches, including in the dying moments against Wales. With Turkey aiming to top their group with a win over Montenegro on Tuesday, manager Vincenzo Montella faced questions about his decision to substitute the Real Madrid prodigy.

"Getting Arda Güler off the pitch is a really difficult task because you would never want to take him off," Montella said. "He is a talented player and a fast player, but he has not played continuously for a long time. I was convinced that he would not be able to continue due to physical problems."

Meanwhile, Ancelotti seems uninterested in any offers for Guler, firmly stating in April: "Arda is going to be a very important player for us in the future, and there is no doubt that he will stay here next year."

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Rodrigo Bentancur free to make Tottenham return next week despite seven-match ban

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Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven games and fined £100,000 by the FA, but he will be free to play for Tottenham as early as next week.

The Uruguayan was charged by the governing body in September over comments he made while appearing on TV in his home country. Bentancur was asked for South Korean star Son Heung-min's shirt by an interviewer, to which he replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

Bentancur denied the charge and apologised to his team-mate, but the FA dished out a hefty punishment due to it being an 'aggravated breach' of their guidelines, and an independent regulatory commission panel upheld their view.

Although Bentancur has been ordered to sit out seven Spurs matches, the FA ban only applies to domestic games. The punishment will rule him out of Premier League and Carabao Cup action until Boxing Day, but he will be eligible to play in Tottenham's Europa League clash with AS Roma next week, as well as their trip to Rangers on December 12.

That will come as a relief to manager Ange Postecoglou, who is battling a host of injury problems in north London. Wilson Odobert and Richarlison are both long-term absentees, Micky van de Ven is out with a thigh injury, while forwards Timo Werner and Mikey Moore were both sidelined before the international break.

Bentancur has appeared in all bar one of Tottenham's 11 Premier League games this season, starting seven of them and scoring once. The 27-year-old is an important member of Postecoglou's engine room, and has been with Spurs since signing from Juventus in 2022.

The north Londoners lost two games on the spin before the two-week break - away at Galatasaray and at home to newly-promoted Ipswich Town. And things aren't about to get any easier, with a trip to Manchester City scheduled for this Saturday evening.

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Postecoglou played exciting football in his first season at the helm and got Tottenham to within two points of a Champions League spot. This time round they are 10th in the table with the same number of league defeats as wins.

One major source of encouragement for Postecoglou is the number of goals his team have scored. Nobody in the Premier League has bettered their haul of 23, with six different players netting more than once.

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Chelsea flop has chance to escape Stamford Bridge nightmare - he must take it

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Chelsea flop Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may be handed the perfect opportunity to end his Stamford Bridge misery with three Premier League clubs reportedly willing to rescue him from the west London club.

Signed in a £30million deal from Leicester City in the summer, Dewsbury-Hall has resembled a square peg in the round hole at Chelsea. He simply doesn't fit into the makeup of the squad, despite reuniting with Enzo Maresca in the capital, which leaves him hung out to dry and the midfielder is waiting patiently for a chance to escape.

That opportunity may arrive sooner than later, as Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing reports Tottenham, Newcastle and Aston Villa are all interested in acquiring Dewsbury-Hall on loan. It may prove tricky considering the sizeable fee Chelsea shelled out to acquire him, but the Blues may accept as the move simply hasn't worked - and it was never going to.

With Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Cesare Casadei all competing as natural central midfielders, it has been difficult to find room for Dewsbury-Hall. Even further forward, there is Cole Palmer, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku queuing up for the No 10 role.

Some 18 weeks into his Chelsea career, Dewsbury-Hall is still yet to make his first start for the Blues. Of course, he has been given minutes from the bench, but it often feels like a show of mercy rather than a case of the manager believing he can change the game.

For all of Maresca's positive points - bringing discipline to the squad, making them more potent in front of goal and changing the playing style - his brutal, no-nonsense approach has resulted in some drawbacks too.

Players appear to be little more than commodities with Maresca, which is why he had no trouble in forming a 'bomb squad' of players who were out of favour and excluded from training with the first team.

Dewsbury-Hall is firmly entrenched into the 'B team', the alternate starting XI selected by Maresca to play together in the UEFA Conference League and Carabao Cup.

Some would argue his performances haven't warranted more game time, with one goal and zero assists in eight appearances. But his treatment is only further evidence of the Italian's ruthless methodology.

The 25-year-old spoke in glowing terms about the impact Maresca had on his career, yet he hasn't been afforded the same respect: “I always knew Chelsea were admirers. When Enzo left Leicester, we were on fantastic terms," Dewsbury-Hall said in July.

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"I wished him the best of luck and he did the same to me. I never in my head thought: ‘He's going to take me when he goes to a big club.’ I don't think I can be that arrogant. But when it came about, I was very happy because it meant I could work under him again and continue to evolve. It was perfect for me."

Three months into his big-money move, he's barely in contention for a substitute appearance - let alone a start. On the rare occasions where Dewsbury-Hall has stood out - his performance against Panathinaikos was solid - he wasn't given a chance to impress from the start in the next game.

The good news is that his stock hasn't plummeted, with clubs still believing he can add value to their squads. No one could blame Dewsbury-Hall for sticking it out a little longer, but his career is stagnating at Chelsea.

If the chance comes along to leave in January, he must snatch it with both hands.

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Tottenham star forced to undergo surgery as Spurs release injury statement

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Tottenham have confirmed that Wilson Odobert has undergone surgery on the hamstring problem that has hampered the 19-year-old winger's start to the season. Odobert has gone under the knife after being limited to just 162 Premier League minutes since his £25million summer switch from Burnley.

The France Under-23 international started two of Spurs' opening three league games before suffering an issue with his right hamstring.

He was sidelined for over a month before returning to action in the dying embers of the 1-0 Europa League win against AZ Alkmaar on October 24.

A setback followed, though, which Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou later confirmed was "serious" in a frustrating blow.

"The only one missing out, which is a bit of a disappointment, is Wilson," Postecoglou explained in a press conference.

"He's had a setback during the week and it seems like it's a serious one, so we're waiting for more information. It's not exactly the same [injury] but same area."

Tottenham have now revealed that Odobert underwent surgery on Saturday to, hopefully, fix the issue for the long-term.

A club statement read: "We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November).

"The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."

Tottenham have been relatively injury-free compared to their rivals during an underwhelming start to the Premier League season.

A 2-1 home defeat against Ipswich Town - the Tractor Boys' first victory since their top-flight return - left Spurs 10th, having lost as many games as they've won (five).

And Odobert's continued absence isn't the only availability issue Postecoglou faces ahead of the hectic festive fixture schedule.

Micky van de Ven and Richarlison are also battling hamstring problems, while 17-year-old winger Mikey Moore missed the Ipswich loss.

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Spurs return from the international break to two tough matches at the end of November, first travelling to Manchester City in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites then host Claudio Ranieri's Roma in the Europa League before a daunting block of tests to enter 2025.

Postecoglou's side will travel to Bournemouth, Rangers and Nottingham Forest and host Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in north London.

Pressure is mounting on the Australian boss to guide Spurs to improvement this season due to their mediocre league position.

However, just four points separate third and 13th after 11 matches, leaving the door for Champions League qualification wide open for clubs capable of putting a run of results together.

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Lucas Bergvall speaks out after reality check from Ange Postecoglou

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Lucas Bergvall has broken his silence after receiving advice from Ange Postecoglou about the "levels" required at Spurs, confidently asserting he can "learn" from the challenges he's faced.

The young Swede, who was signed by Tottenham in the summer from Djurgardens, has seen limited action, playing just 46 minutes of Premier League football and a little over an hour in the Carabao Cup against Coventry City. Despite this, the 18-year-old has enjoyed some success on the field, particularly in the Europa League.

The midfielder has participated in all four matches, contributing two assists. His contributions were highlighted when he won a penalty leading to Richarlison's decisive goal against AZ Alkmaar and the key role he played in securing a 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros.

However, he struggled to leave his mark during Tottenham's 3-2 defeat in the Europa League at the hands of Galatasaray and was substituted early during Spurs' 3-0 triumph over Qarabag. After a tough outing in Turkey, where he played for 66 minutes, Postecoglou expressed empathy for Bergvall and suggested that the player needs to face more challenges to enhance his skills, reports Football London.

“The same with Lucas, giving him an understanding of the levels here," The Spurs boss said to the club's official website. "It is not easy when you are playing away in Europe. You can only allow them to learn that by exposing them to it."

Bergvall has now responded over a week later, and openly expressed his determination to learn from a challenging match, acknowledging the valuable experience it provided. He said: "Yes, it's clear that there is a lot I can take from that match. It was a tough game for the whole team. We were not up to par.

"We have to do everything we can to improve for next time, because these are the kind of games you play in Europe. With an incredible setting, a lot of fans and a good opposing team."

"Especially us youngsters who haven't played that many games in Europe can learn from it. It's part of a career. It's important to capitalise on it."

Speaking in October on Postecoglou's decision to hook him after just 12 minutes against Qarabag, Bergvall spoke to the Swedish Press about letting go his disappointment around the game. "Of course you were disappointed, as you should be," he said to Aftonbladet.

"But after that it was just a matter of letting it go and moving on. I completely understand the decision that he is making. It was just a matter of letting it go and moving on.

"It was incredibly fun. Something you've dreamed of since you were little to debut in the Europa League, so it was big for me."

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Postecoglou, speaking to the press after the victory over Qarabag, addressed Bergvall's response to being subbed off. The Spurs manager praised the youngster's attitude in training, insisting Bergvall was "flying" and understood that the substitution was part of a strategic change.

Postecoglou expressed solid backing for the player he recently put in charge of starting a crucial match, confirming the team's high regard for him. "We entrusted him with starting a really important game for us, so he knows how we feel about him," he said.

"It was a tactical decision. He was disappointed. I expect him to be disappointed, but he's going to have plenty of moments like that in his career. It's always about how you respond to those things, how you grow from those things. He was training this morning - and he was flying - so he's all good."

Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson has now included Bergvall in the squad for the ongoing international break, potentially giving him the opportunity to shine in the upcoming Nations League games against Slovakia and Azerbaijan.

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Tottenham 'send emergency request' to £3m wonderkid as injuries mount for Ange Postecoglou

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Tottenham are reportedly hoping to fast track Yang Min-hyeok's arrival in north London after striking a deal for him during the summer.

Injuries have hit Spurs' attacking players particularly hard. Timo Werner and Mikey Moore are currently out, while Richarlison and Wilson Odobert face even longer spells on the sidelines.

Spurs originally planned for Yang to join up with his new team-mates in January after sealing a transfer worth just over £3million for him in July. But according to South Korean sports outlet Chosun, the north Londoners have now requested that the 18-year-old travels to England in mid-December.

Despite his age, Yang has had a hugely effective season for Gangwon FC in the K League, scoring 11 goals and notching five assists. His duties in South Korea will be over by the end of the month, and he is now expected to take only two weeks of rest before embarking on his new challenge.

And the Aussie head coach is likely to need as many hands on deck as he can get hold of once domestic action resumes, due to a hectic fixture schedule in December.

Tottenham will compete in the Premier League, the Europa League and the Carabao Cup next month, before FA Cup action commences in January. Postecoglou will therefore hope that Yang is in a position to affect games straight away.

The manager has already shown a willingness to put trust in talented youngsters. Moore is 16 months younger than Yang, and he has made eight first-team appearances so far this season.

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray - both 18 - have also been handed frequent opportunities to impress.

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On top of bringing Yang on board earlier than scheduled, Postecoglou may look towards the January transfer window as an opportunity to bolster his squad. Spurs spent big during the summer but three of their big signings - Gray, Odobert and Bergvall - are still teenagers.

In the same window they lost a handful of experienced campaigners such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and Emerson Royal. The need for a turnaround was given extra urgency just before the international break, with Postecoglou overseeing consecutive defeats to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town.

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Tottenham star 'facing seven-match ban' over alleged racial slur of team-mate

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Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur is facing a seven-match ban for an an alleged racist remark about club team-mate Son Heung-min. The 27-year-old appeared on Uruguayan TV in June, where he was asked to supply a jersey worn by a fellow Spurs player.

"Sonny’s?" he replied, before adding it would also be the striker's cousin because they are "more or less they are all the same."

Following an investigation, the FA confirmed in September the midfielder had been charged for an 'aggravated breach' of their regulations.

And according to the Mail, the authority are now set to confirm that Bentacur will be unavailable to Ange Postecoglou for seven matches. It represents another hammer blow to the Australian manager following Sunday's harrowing 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich.

That loss came after Thursday's European defeat in Galatasaray. But despite the stuttering team form, the ex-Juventus man has been among his side's best performers this season.

If a seven-match sanction gets confirmed, Postecoglou will be without one of his key men for Premier League games with Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Southampton. He'll also be absent for the crucial Europa League matches with Roma and Rangers.

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Shortly after the controversy arose in the summer, club captain Son swiftly spoke out to reveal the pair had spoken about the comments. "I've spoken with Lolo (Bentancur)," he said on Instagram.

"He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised. Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all. We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one."

Spurs vowed to address the issue. A club statement read: "We will continue to educate players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives. We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead."

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Bentacur, who has won 65 caps at international level, has been recalled to the Uruguay squad after being suspended for the World Cup qualifying games against Peru and Ecuador last month. His side now host Colombia on Saturday, before heading to Brazil four days later.

He mas made 82 appearances for Spurs since his move from Juve in January 2022. His 2023/24 campaign however, was plagued by injury problems after tearing ankle ligaments.

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Real Madrid 'to watch Tottenham star' on international duty after interview

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Real Madrid are set to watch Spanish international Pedro Porro play during the international break with a view to potentially bid for the Tottenham star.

The 25-year-old has been one of the club's most consistent performers in their stuttering season, leading to a call-up for his country's games with Denmark and Switzerland.

Last month, Porro publicly admitted to being excited by Real's rumoured interest. "It fills you with excitement, doesn't it?" he told Relevo. "You have to focus on your work, but the fact that Real Madrid is interested in you is because you are doing things well."

The Spanish media outlet have now reported that the La Liga giants will be monitoring how Porro performs in the two Nations League mathes. Despite their 4-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti's side saw their injury crisis deepen.

Centre-back Eder Militao was one of three players to leave the field, and is now set to be ruled out for nine months after being diagnosed with a torn ACL. Right-back Lucas Vazquez was also forced off, along with forward Rodrygo.

Another defender in David Alaba is already sidelined having also torn his ACL, and is now not expected back until 2025. Veteran Dani Carvajal is also a long way off a return after suffering a serious knee injury against Villarreal in October.

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It leaves Ancelotti short of cover at the back, a situation the club are likely to address in January. And despite being linked to Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, it's Porro who now appears their primary target.

However, the Champions League holders are also said to be prepared for tough negotiations if they make a move. Porro is currently contracted at Tottenham until 2028, with Chairman Daniel Levy renowned for making transfers difficult for clubs.

It's a trait the Bernabeu chiefs are all too aware of following their prolonged pursuit of Gareth Bale in September 2013. Levy eventually got his wish for a world record fee, with the Welshman moving for £85.3million.

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Despite Tottenham's back-to-back defeats, Pedro notched assists in the games against Galatasaray and Ipswich last week. He also has previous La Liga experience, playing for Girona for two years before moving to Manchester City in 2019.

After failing to play a top-flight game for City, he headed to Sporting CP before going to Spurs on loan in 2022. He signed on a permanent deal the following year, and has now racked up 65 appearances for the north London club.

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