The Mirror

Dominic Solanke is closing in on a move to Tottenham and Arsenal fans have been poking fun at their rivals over an old interview with the striker.

Solanke scored 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth last season and will look to fill the void left at Spurs after Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich last summer. Tottenham are set to trigger Solanke's £65million release clause, but the 26-year-old has previously revealed he grew up supporting their north London rivals Arsenal.

In an interview with BBC Football Focus earlier this year, Solanke revealed his family ties to the Gunners when asked what the first football shirt he ever got was. "[It] would have probably been Arsenal," he replied.

"My dad was an Arsenal fan, so I used to follow them. I went to a few Emirates Cups, back in the day." However, when asked if that was something he thinks about when he plays against them, Solanke insisted: "Not anymore.

"Back in the day, when you’re young, you love watching football and stuff. When you actually, like, grow up and you start playing against the teams, I think it's a bit hard to support a team."

And Arsenal fans have been quick to poke fun at Spurs over the clip, with one writing on social media: "Spurs do love buying Arsenal fans, I'll give them that." Another joked: "I think part of their recruitment checks are to make sure the player has supported Arsenal at some point".

A third wrote: "Another secret agent infiltrated the enemy lines". Another joked that Spurs had "finally replaced Harry Kane ", with the England captain growing up as a huge Arsenal fan and spending four years in the club's academy before getting released at the age of 12.

However, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to sign a striker who will thrive in his system. "What's important is the type of striker we get," Postecoglou explained during Spurs' pre-season tour of Japan.

"You know we play a certain way. We demand certain things from a physical perspective from the technical aspects of it that it’s going be a striker that fits that mould. It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us."

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Harry Redknapp revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson told him to drop Gareth Bale when the then-Tottenham ace was enduring a hapless spell.

Bale retired from football in January last year and is widely considered one of the finest British players in history. Yet, in his early days at Tottenham, the Welsh wizard appeared to be cursed. He went 24 matches without winning when he was on the field for Spurs, either as a starter or a substitute.

With all of the media attention he was receiving, Bale's confidence was on the floor. During this run, legendary Manchester United manager Ferguson told Redknapp he would not play Bale as he considered him to be bad luck.

Redknapp, who managed Spurs between 2008 and 2012, chose to ignore the advice of the Scot - and it proved to be the perfect decision.

In an exclusive interview with Mirror Football, Redknapp, who was in Portsmouth to visit Kellogg's Football Camps – a UK-wide summer football programme for local kids – said: "When I first got to the club, he had played 20 odd games and had never been on the winning team.

"I remember Alex saying to me: 'I wouldn’t pick him, Harry, he is unlucky' because he had played around 24 games and had never ever been on a winning team, since he had been at Tottenham, which is an incredible record.

“Not that it was his fault, it was just the way it had worked out. If he came off the bench, they didn't win, and if he started they didn’t win. Eventually, we broke that voodoo and never looked back. His confidence grew and he became an amazing footballer."

Not only did Bale go on to win a match at Tottenham, he became one of the best players in the world. Redknapp was the manager who switched Bale from left-back to left-wing, which led to the Welshman exploding onto the scene in the 2010-11 Champions League campaign.

The 77-year-old was on the touchline when Bale blitzed Inter Milan at the San Siro by hammering in a hat-trick after Spurs went into half-time 4-0 and a man down. Redknapp added: "Over that period, he was the third-best player in the world, behind Messi and Ronaldo.

"He destroyed the best right-back in the world. Maicon was arguably the best right-back in the world at the time and Gareth almost finished his career. We brought them back to White Hart Lane and he destroyed them again. Maicon never recovered from that. Gareth just went on and got better and better. The whole world saw him that night and realised what a player that was.”

Ferguson went on to say that Bale was one of the ones that got away from him. The Scot said that he had the chance to sign Bale, who went on to join Real Madrid and win five Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey and three Club World Cups, when he was still at Southampton.

In 2013, Ferguson said: "We were disappointed in Southampton at the time because we were first there, but they never came back to us. It was not the boy who turned us down, it was Southampton. Then a few weeks later he signed for Tottenham Hotspur. He (Bale) was a left-back when we tried to sign him. It wasn't until Harry (Redknapp) went to Tottenham that he converted him into a wide left player."

Jose Mourinho admitted he sometimes forgets that he was in charge at Tottenham.

The Fenerbahce boss spent 18 months in charge of Spurs but did not complete a full season with the north London side. Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of the Lilywhites in 2019 and was sacked before the Carabao Cup final in April 2021.

Tottenham went on to lose that final against against Manchester City having parted ways with Mourinho, who had won eight of the 11 domestic finals he had been involved in ahead of that. It also marked the first time the Portuguese had left a club without winning a trophy since 2002.

The 61-year-old next joined Roma and won the Europa Conference League with the Serie A side but was sacked after two-and-a-half seasons in charge. After six months out of work, Fenerbahce appointed 'The Special One' as their new boss and already his season is underway.

The veteran manager is in the rare position of requiring to tackle the qualification rounds for a European tournament. Already Mourinho has guided the Turkish Super Lig side past Lugano and now must navigate past Lille to keep Champions League football as a possibility.

After initially thinking the qualifying rounds were a new experience for him, Mourhino recalled his time with Spurs. ''This is not the first time for me, it is the second time," he said.

"I sometimes forget about Tottenham, that I played with them in the qualifiers. This is the second time this has happened to me, but it's the first time I'm starting the season in a summer month when there is a European Championship and a World Cup."

Mourinho has never been afraid to make a dig at Spurs since his departure. The former Chelsea and Porto boss took aim at Tottenham and Roma in his first press conference with Fenerbahce.

"My house is in London, to have a London club to fight to be six, seventh, eighth, ninth, and to try to make a miracle and qualify for the Europa League – is that ambition?" he said.

"Everybody knows I love Italy, to have a team in Italy where you have to make a miracle to win a European competition, and you stay always between fifth, sixth and seventh, is that ambition just because I love Italy?

"To be in Portugal, to be at home, to visit my mum every day, is that ambition? Ambition is to play to win, ambition is to feel the heat, ambition is to feel the pressure of having to win every match if you want to be champion and this is the reality of Fenerbahce."

Jose Mourinho admitted he sometimes forgets that he was in charge at Tottenham.

The Fenerbahce boss spent 18 months in charge of Spurs but did not complete a full season with the north London side. Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino at the helm of the Lilywhites in 2019 and was sacked before the Carabao Cup final in April 2021.

Tottenham went on to lose that final against against Manchester City having parted ways with Mourinho, who had won eight of the 11 domestic finals he had been involved in ahead of that. It also marked the first time the Portuguese had left a club without winning a trophy since 2002.

The 61-year-old next joined Roma and won the Europa Conference League with the Serie A side but was sacked after two-and-a-half seasons in charge. After six months out of work, Fenerbahce appointed 'The Special One' as their new boss and already his season is underway.

The veteran manager is in the rare position of requiring to tackle the qualification rounds for a European tournament. Already Mourinho has guided the Turkish Super Lig side past Lugano and now must navigate past Lille to keep Champions League football as a possibility.

After initially thinking the qualifying rounds were a new experience for him, Mourhino recalled his time with Spurs. ''This is not the first time for me, it is the second time," he said.

"I sometimes forget about Tottenham, that I played with them in the qualifiers. This is the second time this has happened to me, but it's the first time I'm starting the season in a summer month when there is a European Championship and a World Cup."

Mourinho has never been afraid to make a dig at Spurs since his departure. The former Chelsea and Porto boss took aim at Tottenham and Roma in his first press conference with Fenerbahce.

"My house is in London, to have a London club to fight to be six, seventh, eighth, ninth, and to try to make a miracle and qualify for the Europa League – is that ambition?" he said.

"Everybody knows I love Italy, to have a team in Italy where you have to make a miracle to win a European competition, and you stay always between fifth, sixth and seventh, is that ambition just because I love Italy?

"To be in Portugal, to be at home, to visit my mum every day, is that ambition? Ambition is to play to win, ambition is to feel the heat, ambition is to feel the pressure of having to win every match if you want to be champion and this is the reality of Fenerbahce."

Tottenham will have to get creative if they wish to formalise interest in Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.

That's because the Cherries are insistent the 26-year-old striker will only depart the Vitality Stadium this summer if his £65million release clause, which can reportedly only be triggered by certain clubs, is matched.

It's currently considered unlikely that Tottenham will put club-record cash on the table but if they're serious about landing Solanke, they could seek to test Bournemouth's resolve by including players in a potential swap deal package that helps them get close to the eye-watering figure.

England international Solanke struck 19 Premier League goals last season and has also been tracked by his former club Chelsea.

Andoni Iraola's side have always been mindful that Solanke would be the subject of interest this summer on the back of such an impressive campaign that saw him find the net 21 times in all competitions.

Additionally, Liverpool are set to receive a 20 per cent cut of any profit Bournemouth make from an onward transfer and that could further complicate Spurs' pursuit of the player.

Ange Postecoglou admitted earlier this week that Spurs were prioritising the signing of a new striker.

He stated during the club's pre-season tour of South Korea: “It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us. Looking forward to finishing things up in a positive manner and hopefully a good way to finish it off."

Speaking in Santa Barbara, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley also recently stated that he expects Solanke to stay put for at least another season. The Cherries chief said: "I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year. He has a release clause, which is very expensive.

"We shouldn't reveal anything about the contract, but that area [reported £65m] sounds roughly correct. I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him. We have two or three candidates that we have lined up, but I believe Dom will be here next year - and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals."

Ivan Toney has also been linked with Spurs and his Brentford future remains in doubt after entering the final year of his current deal with the Bees.

The England international is yet to return to training following his involvement at Euro 2024 but he could yet move onto pastures new before the transfer window closes.

Tottenham will have to get creative if they wish to formalise interest in Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.

That's because the Cherries are insistent the 26-year-old striker will only depart the Vitality Stadium this summer if his £65million release clause, which can reportedly only be triggered by certain clubs, is matched.

It's currently considered unlikely that Tottenham will put club-record cash on the table but if they're serious about landing Solanke, they could seek to test Bournemouth's resolve by including players in a potential swap deal package that helps them get close to the eye-watering figure.

England international Solanke struck 19 Premier League goals last season and has also been tracked by his former club Chelsea.

Andoni Iraola's side have always been mindful that Solanke would be the subject of interest this summer on the back of such an impressive campaign that saw him find the net 21 times in all competitions.

Additionally, Liverpool are set to receive a 20 per cent cut of any profit Bournemouth make from an onward transfer and that could further complicate Spurs' pursuit of the player.

Ange Postecoglou admitted earlier this week that Spurs were prioritising the signing of a new striker.

He stated during the club's pre-season tour of South Korea: “It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us. Looking forward to finishing things up in a positive manner and hopefully a good way to finish it off."

Speaking in Santa Barbara, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley also recently stated that he expects Solanke to stay put for at least another season. The Cherries chief said: "I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year. He has a release clause, which is very expensive.

"We shouldn't reveal anything about the contract, but that area [reported £65m] sounds roughly correct. I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him. We have two or three candidates that we have lined up, but I believe Dom will be here next year - and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals."

Ivan Toney has also been linked with Spurs and his Brentford future remains in doubt after entering the final year of his current deal with the Bees.

The England international is yet to return to training following his involvement at Euro 2024 but he could yet move onto pastures new before the transfer window closes.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham are all reportedly interested in Juventus' Federico Chiesa - a player who Jurgen Klopp had eyed as his ideal Mohamed Salah replacement.

Italian trickster Chiesa has been linked with a move to England for some time. He caught the eye during Italy's Euro 2020 triumph, proving a handful for every defender he faced.

An ACL tear in 2022 saw the winger sidelined for seven months, stunting his growth into what could've been one of Europe's best forwards. Chiesa now has a choice to make, as his Juventus deal has just a year left and a new contract has yet to be agreed upon.

Last summer, Jurgen Klopp lined up Chiesa as the man to replace Salah should he move to Saudi Arabia, but Liverpool's Premier League rivals have now shown an interest in the cut-price ace.

Liverpool's interest in the forward dates back to his Euros exploits. An ambitious £86million bid in 2021 was reportedly tabled but swiftly rebuked by the Old Lady.

With the Italian's deal winding down, however, his price tag has allegedly been slashed to just £30m after an unimpressive domestic campaign and zero goal involvements during Italy's early exit at the hands of Switzerland at Euro 2024.

This prospect has obviously attracted English heavy-hitters like moths to a flame, according to Turin-based outlet La Stampa. They report that Chiesa's agent, Fali Ramadani, is attempting to negotiate with Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal as per Tutto Juve.

"I’ve spoken about the renewal with the director. We’ll talk about it at the end of the season," Chiesa added. "We’ll sit down calmly, discuss our projects, and continue talking.”

These talks have not progressed well so far. The two parties remain in reported disagreement over the length of Chiesa's new deal and his salary, which Juventus allegedly wishes to lower.

Tottenham require a forward, having never entirely replaced Harry Kane's goals, but reportedly don't hold any concrete interest in the Italian. Arsenal need that catalyst to help them finally taste league title success while United may seek help up-top with Rasmus Hojlund sidelined for six weeks, and Chelsea also need another tricky winger to help them improve on their sixth-placed finish last season.

Liverpool, now under the guidance of Arne Slot, have not yet shown an interest in the Italian this summer despite the Salah conundrum remaining.

The Dutchman's side are yet to dip their toes into the transfer market but were interested in Newcastle's Anthony Gordon before his club's stance changed, and still hold an interest in the Englishman. Valued at a whopping £100m, rekindling interest in Chiesa may not be a terrible idea, as the Reds must prepare for life without Salah eventually.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou didn't hold anything back when angrily scolding his sluggish players during a pre-season friendly.

Spurs beat a K-League XI 4-3 on Wednesday to continue their preparations ahead of the new Premier League campaign. Spurs tailed off towards the end of last season before finishing fifth and Postecoglou wants more from his second term in north London.

Postecoglou named a strong starting XI for Wednesday's friendly which included South Korean icon Son Heung-Min, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson as well as new £30million signing Archie Gray. But after they failed to score inside the opening 25 minutes, the Australian-Greek boss wasn't happy.

During a drinks break in the sweltering Seoul heat, Postecoglou let rip and told his players: "I've got one f***ing thing to say. We go and have a crack, man for man."

His bellowing message clearly got through, as within minutes of the restart Kulusevski put Spurs 1-0 up before Son soon scored twice. The K-League All Stars hit back with two goals early in the second half before 19-year-old forward Will Lankshear gave Tottenham breathing room again heading into the closing stages.

The best players in South Korea's top flight pulled one back but it wasn't enough to stop Spurs from coming away with their fourth successive pre-season win, their second victory on tour in Asia. In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou was asked to explain why he addressed his players so furiously.

"[It was] nothing really specific," the former Celtic manager replied. "It was more just about making sure we kept pressing on, because with the conditions the way they are and the training loads been pretty high, I didn't want us to back off in that moment and really [wanted to] push to half-time just more for our fitness than anything else.

Your turn! Where will Tottenham finish in the Premier League? Give us your prediction in the comments section

"We thought it was a good opportunity for us to push on and try to be even more aggressive than we had been up to that point."

Postecoglou added: "I thought it was a decent game, obviously with the conditions and you know we've been training pretty hard so we didn't probably look as sharp as we have been, but within that, I thought the players still gave everything and some good passages of play. The game was very open at the end I think, very stretched.

"As I said, the conditions were really difficult for the players but they never stopped, they kept trying to play and I think overall we were better for that game."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou didn't hold anything back when angrily scolding his sluggish players during a pre-season friendly.

Spurs beat a K-League XI 4-3 on Wednesday to continue their preparations ahead of the new Premier League campaign. Spurs tailed off towards the end of last season before finishing fifth and Postecoglou wants more from his second term in north London.

Postecoglou named a strong starting XI for Wednesday's friendly which included South Korean icon Son Heung-Min, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson as well as new £30million signing Archie Gray. But after they failed to score inside the opening 25 minutes, the Australian-Greek boss wasn't happy.

During a drinks break in the sweltering Seoul heat, Postecoglou let rip and told his players: "I've got one f***ing thing to say. We go and have a crack, man for man."

His bellowing message clearly got through, as within minutes of the restart Kulusevski put Spurs 1-0 up before Son soon scored twice. The K-League All Stars hit back with two goals early in the second half before 19-year-old forward Will Lankshear gave Tottenham breathing room again heading into the closing stages.

The best players in South Korea's top flight pulled one back but it wasn't enough to stop Spurs from coming away with their fourth successive pre-season win, their second victory on tour in Asia. In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou was asked to explain why he addressed his players so furiously.

"[It was] nothing really specific," the former Celtic manager replied. "It was more just about making sure we kept pressing on, because with the conditions the way they are and the training loads been pretty high, I didn't want us to back off in that moment and really [wanted to] push to half-time just more for our fitness than anything else.

Your turn! Where will Tottenham finish in the Premier League? Give us your prediction in the comments section

"We thought it was a good opportunity for us to push on and try to be even more aggressive than we had been up to that point."

Postecoglou added: "I thought it was a decent game, obviously with the conditions and you know we've been training pretty hard so we didn't probably look as sharp as we have been, but within that, I thought the players still gave everything and some good passages of play. The game was very open at the end I think, very stretched.

"As I said, the conditions were really difficult for the players but they never stopped, they kept trying to play and I think overall we were better for that game."

Amanda Staveley said she could “move on to other projects” following her departure from Newcastle United.

Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghoudouss played critical roles in the Saudi Arabia-led £305million takeover of Newcastle in 2021 but have stepped away from the club earlier this month.

The pair’s influence on the club’s turn in fortunes is significant, with Staveley playing a particularly large role in helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades and reaching the Carabao Cup final. The 51-year-old businesswoman was also paramount in making the women’s set-up a fully professional operation.

Reflecting on her exit, Staveley said she was “devastated” to leave the Premier League side.

“It’s such a wonderful club, so it feels very bittersweet,” Staveley told The Athletic. “It has become part of my DNA, something you love so much and don't want to let go. It's very painful.

“And I would wish to be there every day, but it's also not fair. The club's management team need to have the chance to deliver their business plan. We did a great job and it's been a privilege to be part of it, but they need to be left to do their jobs, too.

“Maybe we were right for Newcastle for those few years. Maybe that's what they needed. But I'd be useless just standing there doing nothing and it wouldn't be fair on Darren [Eales] if we're always there telling them what we think. There's processes and accountability and they'll figure it out.”

Staveley and Ghodoussi left St James’ Park after selling their remaining shares to PIF, increasing their stake in the club from 80% to 85%.

But Staveley and Ghodoussi’s football investment days might not yet be behind them. Recent reports have linked the pair with Tottenham, with Staveley reportedly to have held talks about the possibility of investment after raising £500m through her investment fund PCP Capital Partners.

Asked as to whether there was truth to these reports, Staveley said: “My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn't always work out exactly how you want it to. Nothing is going to replicate that.

“I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people and that can't change, but I didn't want to get in Newcastle's way. It's got to be about what's best for Newcastle.

“Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We're hard-working people, I love to be very busy and to engage and I love football.

“Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club and that's difficult. But it's possible.”