The New York Times

The Lewis family have injected another £100million ($132m) into Tottenham Hotspur.

The injection, via the purchase of new shares in ENIC Group Ltd., will provide fresh working capital for the club, rather than being specifically for the summer transfer market.

The investment is the fourth such equity injection in recent years, and is a similar mechanism to the investment of £100m in October last year.

The Athletic has approached representatives of former executive chairman Daniel Levy, who was deposed in September last year but still owns 29.88 per cent of ENIC via a family trust, whether he participated in the injection.

The news comes after Spurs finished the season with clear promises from the club hierarchy that there would be more investment in the summer following a second consecutive 17th-place finish in the top flight.

Peter Charrington, appointed as non-executive chairman by the Lewis family following Levy’s dismissal last year, wrote at the end of last season that the family “will provide the stability and investment needed at every level to move us forward.”

So far this summer, Tottenham have already been busy in the transfer market, signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Hove Albion in a £52m deal, and capturing free agents Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka. Pedro Porro has also been given an improved new contract, while The Athletic has reported that Antonin Kinsky is in talks over an improved deal.

Spurs are also targeting big-money moves for West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

Explaining the latest cash injection

Analysis by football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon

What was an outlier is now a theme.

This latest £100m from ENIC is Spurs’ third cash injection from shareholders inside the past 18 months, and a fourth in four years. Since May 2022, £332.5m in owner funding has flowed into the club.

That is a stark departure from the two decades prior. Then, net funding from ENIC totalled just £24.6m, with Spurs being run, to all intents and purposes, off its own back. Huge debt was taken on board to build the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the club was — and still is — required to service the payments.

The sharp shift toward a benefactor-type funding model is one born of both circumstance and necessity.

Levy’s abrupt departure in September 2025 saw the Lewis family assume control in north London, and repeated nine-figure injections — £100m was also provided last October — reflect that changing of the guard. It will doubtless be held up as a sign of the family’s ambition, and their desire to move very far away from two consecutive 17th-place Premier League finishes.

Yet anyone paying attention will not be surprised at this development. It was inevitable. The Athletic has repeatedly detailed Spurs’ precarious cash position, a point only underlined when the club’s 2024-25 accounts were published in March.

Alongside the October injection, Spurs also pulled forward a reported £90m of its Premier League distributions in a factoring arrangement, whereby they received cash upfront from a lender in exchange for taking a haircut on the payments when the Premier League makes them. It is an arrangement employed fairly regularly elsewhere but never before at Spurs, and, alongside the ENIC money, spoke to a club in need of funds.

That stems from hefty operating costs and big recent transfer spending, which have in large part not translated to on-field success. Between the summer of 2019 and the end of last season, roughly £900m net has been spent on transfers.

At the end of June 2025, a net £243m was owed to other clubs even before £159m was spent last summer. Already this close season, £52m has gone on Van Hecke, and the free transfers of Robertson and Senesi were hardly small additions to a wage bill which has previously been held at a level south of England’s elite. Big money moves for Fernandes and Tonali have been mooted and would need to be funded.

With no Champions League football this coming season and Premier League earnings mired at the wrong end following two awful domestic showings, ENIC had a choice: invest to improve, or make do. The route selected should be of little surprise.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened discussions with Antonin Kinsky over a new improved contract.

The Czech goalkeeper was one of the integral players in Tottenham’s Premier League survival push last season, starting all seven games under Roberto De Zerbi and helping to keep Spurs in the top flight.

Now the club are hoping to tie him down to a new contract on better terms, one that would recognise his importance to the club and his new status as Spurs’ number one goalkeeper. Tottenham have just signed Martin Dubravka as a new experienced understudy, with the future of long-standing number one Guglielmo Vicario in doubt.

Kinsky joined Spurs in January 2025 from Slavia Prague on a long-term deal that still has five years left to run. Kinsky was initially the back-up to Vicario, playing sporadically in the 2024-25 season when the Italian was injured.

Last season Kinsky only started twice for former head coach Thomas Frank in the League Cup, and was thrown into the first team by the Dane’s successor Igor Tudor when Spurs went to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 first leg. But he repeatedly lost his footing and was taken off for Vicario after 17 minutes with Spurs already 3-0 down.

But when De Zerbi took over, and Vicario required hernia surgery, Kinsky became first choice for the run-in and produced a series of impressive performances to help Spurs leapfrog West Ham United to stay in the Premier League. If Kinsky’s future at the club is secured with a new deal, it points to a summer departure for Vicario.

An incredible redemption story for Kinsky

Analysis by Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris

What a remarkable turnaround. Everybody winced when Igor Tudor dragged Kinsky off the pitch after 17 minutes of Tottenham’s embarrassing defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Kinsky slipped on multiple occasions and was at fault for Atletico racing into a 3-0 lead. At the time, it felt like his career with Spurs was over.

Within three months, the former Czech Republic Under-21 international has changed the narrative. The 23-year-old was given an opportunity to redeem himself sooner than expected after Guglielmo Vicario’s hernia surgery. Kinsky started five games in a row under Roberto De Zerbi and then held into his place even when Vicario recovered in time for Spurs’ final two league fixtures.

Kinsky’s quality on the ball has never been in doubt but he stood out with some superb saves against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United. Kinsky’s right-handed stop to deny Sean Longstaff from scoring what would have been a stoppage-time winner for Leeds was crucial to Spurs eventually avoiding relegation by two points.

Kinsky told a group of reporters, including The Athletic, after the final day victory over Everton that the hardest part of the season was spending “six months on the bench”. A new contract is a deserved reward and suggests he might have permanently replaced Vicario as the No 1. The Italian has two years left on his contract and The Athletic has previously reported there is uncertainty over his long-term future. The best option for Spurs might be to sell the Italy international and put all their faith in Kinsky.

Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks to sign goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The 37-year-old is a free agent after Burnley confirmed on June 10 that he will leave the club following the expiration of his contract at the end of this month.

Tottenham have been looking to add a reserve goalkeeper, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jason Steele among the names considered. Guglielmo Vicario has spent the majority of his three seasons in north London as first-choice goalkeeper though underwent hernia surgery in the spring. Antonin Kinsky started Spurs’ last seven games of the season, helping the side avoid relegation, and retained the starting role after Vicario returned for the team’s final two matches.

Vicario’s future at Tottenham is uncertain, with Kinsky a candidate to assume the No 1 position full-time. Academy graduate Brandon Austin has served as the team’s third-choice goalkeeper.

Dubravka made 35 Premier League appearances for Burnley last season, keeping four clean sheets, but was unable to prevent the side from finishing 19th in the table and being relegated to the Championship.

He signed a one-year deal at Turf Moor in August after spending seven-and-a-half years with Newcastle United. Dubravka had spells with clubs in his native Slovakia, Denmark and the Czech Republic before joining Newcastle on loan in January 2018. The move was made permanent that summer and he went on to feature 179 times on Tyneside. He had a brief spell on loan at Manchester United in the first half of the 2022-23 campaign.

Dubravka has been capped 60 times by Slovakia.

Aston Villa are in talks to sign Flamengo full-back Emerson Royal.

Villa are yet to submit a formal offer but have discussed the parameters of a deal. At this stage, Flamengo would be reluctant to sanction a sale of the former Tottenham Hotspur defender as the club’s other right-back, Guillermo Varela, is representing Uruguay at the World Cup. Flamengo are due to resume their Brazilian Serie A season on July 22, shortly after the tournament’s conclusion.

The Athletic reported earlier this month that finding an alternative to Matty Cash at right-back is again a priority for Villa during the window.

Villa want someone to take the load off and provide competition for Cash, and Royal is considered a more affordable option as the club attempts to adhere to financial restrictions.

Both deputy right-backs, Andres Garcia and Kosta Nedeljkovic, are expected to depart Villa this summer while young right-back Triston Rowe, 19, is likely to leave on loan once more, having spent last season on loan at Ligue 2 side Annecy.

Royal, 27, joined Flamengo from Milan last summer. His contract with the Brazilian club runs until 2028.

The 10-time Brazil international spent three years in the Premier League with Tottenham, where he made 101 first-team appearances after joining from Barcelona in 2021.

He departed Spurs for Milan in 2024 for an initial fee of €15million plus €3m in add-ons.

The seemingly impossible task of replacing Elliot Anderson has begun for Nottingham Forest.

Since Anderson arrived from Newcastle United two years ago, for £35million, Forest have not signed a holding midfielder on a permanent deal.

Only Douglas Luiz and James Ward-Prowse arrived on loan in that time, making 14 starts between them and returning to their parent clubs by January.

But with Manchester City bidding and rivals Manchester United interested in the England international, Forest have identified 20-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall as a potential replacement for Anderson.

Bergvall, who is at the World Cup with Sweden, would arrive with similar positional uncertainty to Anderson but has the attributes and Premier League experience to slot into Forest’s midfield neatly.

They cannot attempt to replace everything Anderson brings, but Bergvall’s traits fit those they will miss the most, and would complement his potential midfield partner Ibrahim Sangare well.

In their successful partnership, Anderson was the all-action, box-to-box option, where Sangare was the calming influence, working together in triangles with Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of them.

Bergvall’s ball-carrying traits mirror those of Anderson, a player who can wriggle out of tight spaces and works hard off the ball. Bergvall has averaged 2.98 take-ons per 90 in the last two league seasons with a 50 per cent success rate; Anderson was 2.8 at 49 per cent.

This passage of play from Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in 2025 shows Bergvall’s ability to drive into space.

Bergvall receives the ball on his weaker left foot, under pressure from Nico Gonzalez.

He shifts the ball onto his right foot and breaks past Gonzalez.

He progresses Spurs 10 yards and creates two passing lanes.

In 2025-26, Anderson averaged 89.3 touches and 64.4 pass attempts per 90, with a completion rate of 86 per cent. Bergvall, across varying positions and over the last two seasons, has averaged 60.4 touches and 41.2 pass attempts per 90, with a success rate of 87 per cent.

His physicality is similar too, something he developed during his time at Tottenham, affectionately described as a “lump” by team-mate James Maddison in 2025.

Bergvall is not the finished article, though. He has not looked comfortable dropping deep and receiving the ball off the back four, a job Forest’s midfield duo shared.

Sangare and Anderson excelled at firing the ball forward into Gibbs-White with regularity, with 14.4 and 15.8 lines broken per 100 passes for the past season, compared to Bergvall’s 9.2.

Anderson’s involvement was more in his own half and tended to drift left.

Bergvall operated more to the right and wasn’t required to be as involved in build-up play.

Forest are no strangers to signing young players with desire to prove themselves, and have a track record of providing an environment for them to flourish.

Nobody shows that more than Gibbs-White, who swapped Wolverhampton Wanderers for Forest in 2022 to shake the thinking he would always be that “kid from the academy.” He has since become their captain, had 71 goal involvements and been nominated for the Premier League’s player of the season award.

Callum Hudson-Odoi signed from Chelsea at 22 and is now a regular starter, and Anthony Elanga was 21 when he arrived from Manchester United. He gained confidence and conviction in front of goal before departing for Newcastle last summer, Forest making £37m profit on the £15m spent on him in July 2023.

Anderson failed to nail down a starting place at Newcastle and, when he arrived at Forest, played off the wing and across the midfield until consistent minutes as a holding player.

Bergvall faces a similar quandary. He won Spurs supporters’ and players’ player of the season in 2024-25 operating as the more forward-thinking option of a holding midfield duo but struggled to build on that last campaign.

Despite making 33 appearances, he only started four matches in 2026 (but did miss two months with an ankle injury) and his best position has remained blurred. He has operated as a No 6, No 8, No 10 and even out wide.

Signing a young player fits with Forest’s recruitment model and Bergvall’s two seasons in England means he should not take months to get up to speed.

Pereira brought the best out of Forest’s depleted dressing room and, in Gibbs-White and Sangare, Bergvall would have midfield partners who know the system, and play it well.

The big question, though, is — does he have the quality and discipline to step up in Anderson’s absence?

Where else could he go?

Aston Villa and Newcastle United stand out as teams in need of a squad refresh. They ranked 19th and 15th respectively for average age across their squad in 2025-26 (via Transfermarkt), and have not added enough young or peak-age players in recent years due to struggles with profit and sustainability rules.

There are questions, however, on whether Bergvall immediately improves either team’s starting XI.

Villa’s position, as reported by The Athletic, is that a sale would be necessary for them to sign him. In their midfield department, they have Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Ross Barkley and Youri Tielemans, the latter of whom is entering the final two years of his contract.

While Villa hope to renew Tielemans’ deal, the 29-year-old does have interest from elsewhere. In that reality, Bergvall would come in but only as a replacement for Tielemans or any other midfield exit.

Tielemans has been an integral part of Villa’s success under Unai Emery as a tempo-setter. Among central and defensive midfielders with 900 or more minutes across the last two Premier League seasons, his 19.3 lines broken per 100 pass attempts ranks first.

Bergvall has not shown a similar passing arsenal, preferring short exchanges to circulate possession and relying more on his dribbling. Only Maddison, Tottenham team-mate Dejan Kulusevski and Tijjani Reijnders, of Manchester City, among central and defensive midfielders, have attempted more take-ons (2.98 per 90) than him since 2024-25.

Bergvall’s playstyle map from 2024-25, when he played 1,206 league minutes compared to 966 under four different managers in 2025-26, shows a midfielder who excels at retaining the ball and relishes snapping into tackles in the middle third. He has not yet developed into a passer and deep-lying playmaker like Tielemans or an attacking midfielder who creates and scores regularly.

In Kamara, Villa have a player who can take on the Tielemans’ role, having averaged 15.5 lines broken per 100 attempts since 2024-25. The 26-year-old has been sidelined with a knee injury since January.

Bergvall, who is of a similar mould to Onana, would prove a complementary partner for Kamara when he returns, while bolstering Villa’s depth before a return to the Champions League.

It is a similar story at Newcastle.

Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali have formed Eddie Howe’s first-choice midfield trio for the last three seasons. In 2025-26, Guimaraes and Joelinton missed time with injury, making fewer than 30 Premier League appearances. Tonali’s future at St James’ Park is uncertain, with The Athletic reporting on June 20 that Tottenham have opened talks with Newcastle about signing the 26-year-old Italy international.

As is the case with Tielemans, Bergvall has not yet shown that he can be a Tonali replacement. While he has had a handful of minutes for Spurs as a No 6, he is at his best in a more advanced role. He profiles better as a replacement for Joelinton due to his athleticism, tenacity and dribbling ability.

The Athletic reported on June 12 that Joe Willock, with one year left on his contract, is likely to depart too. Willock is a similar profile to Joelinton and has stepped in for the Brazil midfielder as a No 8 when required.

Bergvall, six years younger than Willock and nine years Joelinton’s junior, would provide more future upside. Regular minutes, having played only 32 per cent of the team’s league minutes in two seasons at Spurs, and injury luck (14 games missed due to concussion and ankle and groin issues) will be key.

Nottingham Forest have identified Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall as a potential replacement for Elliot Anderson.

The Athletic reported earlier on Sunday that Bergvall’s preference is to move on from Tottenham and seek a new challenge this summer — and his situation has alerted suitors in England and beyond.

Forest are interested in a deal as they consider a future without Anderson, who has been the subject of bids from Manchester City and interest from their rivals Manchester United.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, previously expressed an interest in Bergvall and remain admirers of the 20-year-old, but are not actively looking at a midfield acquisition without first making a sale. In their midfield department, they have Amadou Onana, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, Ross Barkley and Youri Tielemans, the latter of whom is entering the final two years of his contract. While Villa hope to renew Tielemans’ deal, the 29-year-old does have interest from elsewhere.

Bergvall is under contract at Spurs until 2031.

He is at the World Cup with Sweden and has made two substitute appearances, providing an assist in their opening 5-1 win over Tunisia.

Tottenham fended off interest from Villa and Chelsea for the midfielder in the winter window, as both clubs made direct contact with the north London side before it was made clear they did not intend to consider his departure.

Since head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival in March, Bergvall was given one start against Sunderland but only tallied 54 minutes in substitute appearances thereafter.

This summer, Tottenham have opened talks with Newcastle United over Sandro Tonali, and are also in pursuit of West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes.

Bergvall arrived in north London from Swedish side Djurgarden in 2024 and has made 78 appearances since. In his first season, he was Tottenham’s player of the year and helped them win the 2025 Europa League, the team’s first trophy in 17 years.

Lucas Bergvall has informed Tottenham Hotspur of his preference to seek a new challenge elsewhere, amid strong interest from sides in England and across Europe.

The 20-year-old midfielder is competing for Sweden at the 2026 World Cup but Spurs are now aware that he would like to depart this summer in search of a fresh start.

Bergvall joined from Swedish club Djurgarden in 2024 and remains under contract until June 2031.

The Athletic revealed in February that Tottenham could face a battle to keep hold of him after rebuffing enquiries during the winter market.

Bergvall’s first campaign saw him occupy a key role under Ange Postecoglou — he was named Spurs player of the year and helped them win the 2025 Europa League, the team’s first trophy in 17 years.

Postecoglou’s replacement as head coach, Thomas Frank, used the midfielder less frequently and often out wide, rather than the central area he favours and tends to operate best in.

Frank’s exit saw Igor Tudor take charge for a brief spell, in which Bergvall appeared twice, as a substitute on both occasions.

The arrival of Roberto De Zerbi in March led to Bergvall getting a start at Sunderland, however he was substituted during the second half and barely featured thereafter. His preferred number eight position does not appear best suited to the 4-2-3-1 system De Zerbi used at the end of last season and that is said to be noticeable in training, too.

Furthermore, Tottenham pursuing options like Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes perhaps gives a glimpse of De Zerbi’s vision for the future.

Bergvall’s case has alerted suitors in the Premier League and beyond.

Previously, both Aston Villa and Chelsea established contact with Spurs to check if an opportunity existed — but it was clarified they had no wish to consider a sale and the matter did not advance.

Bergvall became his country’s youngest player to make a World Cup appearance when he emerged from the bench against Tunisia on June 14, providing an assist in a 5-1 win for Graham Potter’s men.

He was also introduced in the second half during Saturday’s heavy loss to the Netherlands by the same scoreline, which leaves Sweden’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage in the balance.

Would a departure for Bergvall make sense?

Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke

Tottenham Hotspur beat competition from around Europe when they signed Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden two years ago.

But for all his obvious talent, he was not an integral player under Roberto De Zerbi as Tottenham fought their way to Premier League safety. De Zerbi preferred Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha sat in front of the defence with Conor Gallagher running hard in the no10 role. And Bergvall was left on the sidelines.

It was never quite clear last season what Bergvall’s best role was. Thomas Frank tried to use him as someone who ran hard and arrived late in the box, but he rarely got the chance to showcase his technical skill. He started to look like a midfielder who relied more on his physicality than what he could do on the ball. Two years after arriving, it is still not certain whether he is a 6, an 8 or even a 10.

Spurs’ early moves in the transfer market this summer have shown that they want to upgrade the midfield, with a focus on Premier League experience. And with Tottenham out of European competition for the forthcoming season, they will not have a lot of games to be shared out.

That means that chances for Bergvall could be few and far between. And he may not get the opportunities that he would need to continue to his development.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Newcastle United over a deal for Sandro Tonali.

The north London club are vying with Manchester City to sign Tonali if he leaves St James’ Park — but by making club-to-club contact, it steps up the pursuit and underlines their intent to strike a deal.

Discussions between the 26-year-old midfielder’s representatives and both suitors continue, as they attempt to strike an agreement on personal terms.

Newcastle will seek about £100million ($133m) to consider selling the Italy international, whose contract runs until 2029 and has a 12-month extension option.

The Athletic reported on June 16 that Tottenham were in positive talks with Tonali’s camp, they had yet to engage Newcastle on the matter.

This has now changed and Spurs will hope that a high salary offer, head coach Roberto De Zerbi pushing for the transfer and the appeal of London may help swing the situation in their direction.

In addition to Tonali, Spurs are among multiple sides targeting Mateus Fernandes of West Ham United. Likewise, City’s push for Tonali does not impact their work to recruit Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Newcastle have remained open to selling Tonali this summer, should a bid meet their demands, having already sold winger Anthony Gordon for £69.3m to Barcelona.

In February, The Athletic reported that Arsenal had been offered Tonali by his agent towards the end of the January transfer window, but Newcastle were unwilling to entertain a deal so late on.

Tonali made 53 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions last season, scoring three times, as they finished 12th in the Premier League and reached the last-16 of the Champions League.

He moved to St James’ Park from Milan in July 2023 for a fee in the region of £60.5m, but received an immediate 10-month suspension in October of that year after being found guilty of breaching rules on gambling by the Italian Football Federation, subsequently missing the remainder of the season and Italy’s Euro 2024 campaign.

Since his return in August 2024, he has made 110 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 10 and assisting 10, forming a stellar partnership with club captain Bruno Guimaraes in midfield.

Tonali was born 19 miles south of Milan in the town of Lodi, coming through the youth set up at Serie C side Brescia and joining Milan initially on loan in 2020, signing permanently a year later.

Tonali signing would be statement of intent from Spurs

Analysis from Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

Spurs should be admired for the ambition they have shown in this transfer window. They have already completed the signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi and have submitted two offers for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

They have acted shrewdly but pulling off a deal for Tonali would be a real statement of intent under De Zerbi. Fans could start truly getting excited again about the future after narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of last season.

Spurs’ midfield has needed upgrading for the last two years. Yves Bissouma is leaving when his contract expires at the end of the month and there is uncertainty over whether Joao Palhinha’s loan from Bayern Munich will be made permanent. Rodrigo Bentancur impressed after returning from a hamstring injury for the final six games of the season and Conor Gallagher showed flashes of his quality following De Zerbi’s appointment. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are talented prospects but Tonali would instantly raise the team’s level.

The Italy international is a powerful box-to-box midfielder and pairing him alongside James Maddison and Bentancur is a tantalising prospect. It will be a difficult deal to pull off though. Tottenham’s club-record signing is the £65m they paid Bournemouth to sign Dominic Solanke in August 2024. Newcastle signed Tonali from Milan in July 2023 for a fee in the region of €70m and could expect to make a significant profit.

Spurs are committed to overhauling their squad this summer but the awkward question remains of how they will fund all these moves. Along with their interest in Tonali and Van Hecke, The Athletic has reported they want to sign a new left winger this summer with Manchester City’s Savinho a target. They need to sell players to raise funds and Brighton have given them a tricky dilemma by making multiple bids for centre-back for Luka Vuskovic. There is a strong chance captain Cristian Romero will leave, but they might have to wait until after his commitments with Argentina at the World Cup, and there is also uncertainty over the futures of Richarlison, Guglielmo Vicario and Radu Dragusin.

Spurs have traditionally held back on huge wages but senior figures have spoken in public about the need to address this. Convincing Pedro Porro to sign a new deal and following it up with the signing of Tonali would go some way to convince Spurs fans that this truly is a new era — even if the same majority shareholders, the Lewis family, remain in charge.

Leeds United vs Tottenham Hotspur Box Score - January 16, 2027 - The Athletic  The New York Times

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur Box Score - September 05, 2026 - The Athletic  The New York Times