The New York Times

Tottenham showed more evidence they will be a different proposition this season under Roberto De Zerbi as Richarlison scored once and Mikey Moore twice in a 3-0 win over Hoffenheim, the first of a friendly double-header this weekend.

De Zerbi fielded a strong line-up, with new signings Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali all starting.

Spurs opened the scoring after 35 minutes when Tonali played Robertson in on the left and the full-back’s cross was met with a crisp, first-time finish from Richarlison in the box.

If anything, the second was more impressive in the 59th minute. After a long passing sequence with much of the team involved, Mathys Tel showed skill and persistence to beat his marker and deliver a low cross that Moore converted.

Moore then scored his second, 11 minutes from time, with a composed finish after another assist from the lively Tel.

Jay Harris breaks down the key talking points from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Could Lucas Bergvall have a Spurs future after all?

Before the pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, it appeared Bergvall was destined to leave. The Athletic reported that the midfielder had expressed a preference to move on but Spurs rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. De Zerbi said he “would like” Bergvall to stay but he cannot guarantee anybody a place in the starting XI.

Something must have clicked because Bergvall started twice on tour and was electric against Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old’s first major involvement in the game was to relentlessly press Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and intercept a loose pass which nearly led to Tel scoring.

A few minutes later he allowed the ball to roll across his body inside his own box after receiving a risky pass from Antonin Kinsky while surrounded by multiple opponents. Bergvall twisted away from the pressure and launched an attack. The Sweden international then dropped deep to collect the ball from Senesi, drove forwards up the entire pitch and saw his shot saved by Baumann.

There are encouraging signs Bergvall is developing a good understanding with record-signing Tonali. In the 30th minute, Bergvall nudged a first-time pass towards his Italian team-mate who then released Moore into space on the right wing. Moore’s cross should have been converted at the back post by Richarlison or Tel.

However, he faded in the second half and gave the ball away sloppily on a few occasions.

The biggest question mark for Bergvall is what happens when £85m summer signing Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur are fully fit. Will he drop out of De Zerbi’s plans straight away? On the basis of his recent performances it would be hard to let him go but he deserves to play regularly whether that is in north London or somewhere else.

Will Richarlison start the season at No 9?

Richarlison has played under five different head coaches since he joined Spurs in July 2022 and, despite never feeling like the perfect fit for any of them, somehow keeps surviving. Dominic Solanke has been used sparingly during pre-season by De Zerbi after struggling with injuries for the last 12 months which raises the prospect of Richarlison starting the opening game against Brentford next weekend. It is a strange situation to be in with the forward who “sometimes wants to leave” according to De Zerbi.

Richarlison showed his value against Hoffenheim. He tried to combine with his team-mates by dropping into space and turning on the ball but it is a skill which does not come as naturally to him compared to Solanke. The 29-year-old battled with Hoffenheim’s centre-backs and at one stage in the first half was flattened by Albian Hajdari when they jumped for an aerial duel.

Richarlison’s biggest strength has always been his ability to anticipate where the ball will land in the box and he could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Robertson’s move from Liverpool. The pair used to be on opposite sides of the Merseyside Derby to each other but the signs suggest they complement each other well. Robertson’s desire to whip first-time crosses into the box led to Richarlison giving Spurs the lead in the 35th minute with a sweeping left-footed shot. It was a move which had been started by an elegant touch from Tonali around Nathan De Cat which allowed him to drive into space unchallenged.

Richarlison was Tottenham’s top goalscorer last season even though he missed a chunk of the season through injury. He has been valuable as a back-up option but it seems like he could be desperately needed in the first few weeks of the campaign despite only having a year left on his contract.

How did Jan Paul van Hecke perform?

On the day that Cristian Romero officially joined Atletico Madrid, Spurs supporters got their first proper opportunity to take a look at his replacement Van Hecke. The biggest difference between the pair is how they communicate with their team-mates. Romero was Tottenham’s captain last season but he was not a vocal leader. Van Hecke is the complete opposite. There were multiple occasions on Saturday where Van Hecke could be heard bellowing instructions, including to older and more experienced team-mates Senesi and Robertson, over the crowd.

The Netherlands international is not quite as physically dominant as Romero but they are both blessed with a beautiful passing range. Van Hecke appears to be more emotionally and tactically disciplined than Romero although there was a bizarre moment in the second half when he chased a clearance from Hoffenheim’s corner all the way back to their goalkeeper.

Senesi will be Micky van de Ven’s understudy and he is a massive upgrade on Radu Dragusin. The 29-year-old always looked composed under pressure and his intricate reverse passes led to multiple goalscoring opportunities. On the basis of Van Hecke and Senesi’s performances, nobody will be worried about saying goodbye to Romero.

Should Mikey Moore be kept as an attacking option?

At a time when there is a growing concern about Tottenham’s attacking options next season, supporters will be wondering why Moore is being sent on loan to Koln. De Zerbi is desperately short on options out wide and Tel is the only fit winger he has available. Mohammed Kudus will hopefully be fully fit soon but Spurs’ pursuit of Manchester City’s Savinho has dragged on for the window.

This could be the perfect opportunity to give players from the academy an opportunity and Moore made a strong case as to why he should stick around. Moore, who was 19 this week, has a slight frame and can be bumped around by defenders but he possesses the agility and skill to skip between them.

Spending last season on loan at Rangers has clearly toughened him up and added different elements to his game. Moore predominantly plays on the left wing and likes to cut inside onto his stronger right foot. He started on the right against Hoffenheim and both of his goals came from attacking space at the back post. Moore’s first goal came just after half-time when he nimbly side-stepped in front of his marker to score a clever half-volley from Tel’s cross.

The England Under-19 international’s second goal was supplied by a smart piece of skill from Tel. Moore opened up the angle with his first touch after running into space and fired a shot past Baumann. Moore is one of the most highly-regarded players to emerge from Spurs’ academy over the last five years and fans desperately want him to succeed. It will feel strange and bittersweet to see him head out on loan to Germany after such an impressive performance.

When do Spurs play next?

The second game of this friendly double-header with Hoffenheim takes place tomorrow (Sunday Aug 16), before De Zerbi’s side then open their Premier League campaign with a trip to Brentford on Aug 22.

Middlesbrough have signed defender Ashley Phillips from Tottenham Hotspur, with the defender signing a five-year contract with the Championship club.

The Athletic reported on August 6 that an agreement had been reached between the two clubs over a deal consisting of an initial £7million fee, plus up to £13m in potential additional bonuses and add-ons.

Phillips is the second Tottenham player to sign for Middlesbrough this summer, after academy graduate Will Lankshear also joined on a five-year deal.

Upon joining Middlesbrough, Phillips told the club’s in-house media: “I’m very excited to be here and can’t wait to be on the pitch. This is an amazing club and it deserves to be in the Premier League.

“I hope to be a good addition to what’s already a fantastic squad, and hopefully we can achieve great things together this season.“

Phillips joined Spurs from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2023 for around £3m but departs without making his senior competitive debut for the club, after spending the last two-and-a-half seasons on loan in the Championship.

He joined Plymouth Argyle for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, winning the club’s young player of the year award, before making 83 appearances across the past two seasons at Stoke City.

Middlesbrough have made a number of signings from Premier League clubs this summer, with Phillips and Lankshear joining goalkeeper Radek Vitek, who signed permanently from Manchester United, alongside striker Kyle Joseph from Hull City and Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Kim Hellberg’s side had money to spend following the departure of Hayden Hackney to Everton, in a deal which could rise to just under £25m if all clauses, which are based on appearances, England selection and Everton’s qualification for European competition, are met.

They are also due a significant sell-on fee from Morgan Rogers’ £117m move to Chelsea, having inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal which saw the England international join Aston Villa in January 2024.

Middlesbrough were defeated by Hull City in last season’s Championship play-off final after a fifth-placed finish.

Serie A champions Inter have agreed a deal to sign full-back Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur in a transfer worth €35million (£29.9m), a figure which includes add-ons.

Inter’s move for the England international is for an upfront fee in the region of €30m (£25.6m), with personal terms not expected to be an issue.

The Italian club have been targeting a new full-back after Denzel Dumfries joined Real Madrid.

Spence, who arrived in Milan on Thursday night ahead of the move, is coming off a successful World Cup campaign with England, appearing in all eight games as Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the semi-final stage.

The 26-year-old represents a versatile option, able to play on the left and right side of defence. Tottenham are well-stocked in both full-back positions with World Cup winner Pedro Porro first choice on the right and Archie Gray available as cover, and Andy Robertson joining Destiny Udogie and Souza as options on the left.

Spence’s exit will continue the renovation of Tottenham’s defence this summer and follows the arrivals of centre-backs Marco Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, along with left-back Andy Robertson.

Luka Vuskovic has joined Brighton & Hove Albion on a permanent deal, while Cristian Romero is closing in on a move to Atletico Madrid.

Inter have undergone somewhat of a defensive change of their own, with centre-backs Manuel Akanji and John Stones both joining from Manchester City.

In August 2025, Spence signed a new long-term contract with Spurs, with his previous terms due to expire in 2028. It followed him breaking into the team under Ange Postecoglou in the 2024-25 campaign.

Spence struggled to make an impact in the seasons immediately after joining on a five-year deal from Middlesbrough in July 2022.

He did not start a single match for Spurs in his first two seasons at the club, and was sent out for loan spells with Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, during that time, and previous coach Antonio Conte described the defender as a “club” signing.

Postecoglou integrated him into the side in the 2024-25 season and he has gone on to make 79 appearances for Spurs, helping the team win the Europa League that campaign.

There will never be one truth about Cristian Romero’s time at Tottenham.

He has been a leader, a liability and a talisman. In five or 10 years, there will still be an argument about who this complex, compelling and confounding character was.

There are complications, of course, but there is also tribute to be paid to a player about to move to Atletico Madrid after both clubs agreed a €40million (£34.1m; $46m) deal.

Romero’s finest performance for the club arguably came on its biggest night. Son Heung-min was the captain in Bilbao in May 2025, when Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Manchester United 1-0 to win the Europa League, but Romero led the team out at San Mames, wore the armband for most of the game, and was the soul of a performance that nobody will ever forget.

Would Spurs have won that game without him? It’s inconceivable. Romero could be an erratic player. He seemed to lose concentration easily. But a few times each season, when in rare equilibrium, he could perform at an unfathomably high level.

Those games were rare, but Bilbao was one of them. The quality of his defending — his tackling, his heading, his blocking — was of a remarkably high standard. From the kick-off onwards, when he barged into Manchester United’s half to gather the players in that pre-match huddle, he got right under Manchester United’s skin and stayed there.

Spurs have often been callow in the modern era. In the biggest games, they have tiptoed onto the pitch and played as if being there was enough. How wonderful it was to see the way Romero carried himself that night, with an abrasive energy that almost had Harry Maguire swinging punches at full time.

That was Cristian Romero. One of the versions, at least.

This is a confusing legacy. Most simply, because Romero was not always there. In his five seasons, he appeared in more than 27 Premier League games just once. Between injury and suspension, he was never someone who could be depended upon to be in the side. And when he was, who knew what kind of performance he would give.

Romero could lock Erling Haaland entirely out of a game. He would kick him early, smash him to the floor in the first five minutes, and then keep him there, cowed, for the rest of the match. But he could also be caught hopelessly out of position by an utterly mundane team or gift a chance to some five-goal-a-season forward.

He was both of those players. He could be absolutely magnificent or utterly baffling, sometimes in the same half of a match.

Then there was Argentina, and the suspicion that playing for his country mattered a lot more to him. Maybe it did? Maybe it’s fine if so? Romero was part of a generation of Argentinian internationals who had a devotion to helping Lionel Messi win a World Cup. It was a rare, unique situation. But among those who wanted to see it, it created a sense that he never belonged to Tottenham in the way that other players did. Or even wanted to.

The bigger issue, often, was in the optics and the contradictions they showed. In January, as Spurs plunged towards relegation, he appeared to criticise the club’s decision makers on Instagram, accusing them “only showing up when things are going well”.

He verbalised what many felt at the time and his name was sung home and away in the weeks after. All together, always. But by April, he was making that meagre effort to prevent Nottingham Forest’s second goal in that devastating 3-0 home defeat. A month later, in the final week of the season, before safety was secured, he was rehabbing his knee injury back home in Argentina, as a terrified squad fought for their lives.

He had leave to do it. He did nothing wrong and whether he always intended to, or had a last-minute change of heart, he flew back to London for the final Sunday of the season and was in the stadium for the Everton game. At a time of incredible sensitivity, the decision to return to Argentina was always going to be provocative.

Was he right? Was he wrong? Had everyone just lost the capacity to be rational? Fans are entitled to their own perspective. But then, now, and always, there have been so many to choose from with Romero. He has always inspired such conflicting emotions that nobody could ever be certain what they felt for him.

Maybe it could have been different. Romero frequently seemed provoked by the club’s weaknesses and whatever imperfections lay in the coach of the time. What if he had played for Mauricio Pochettino, beside Toby Alderweireld or Jan Vertonghen? It’s natural to wonder, but pointless to dwell upon.

He’s Atletico Madrid’s riddle now.

The new Premier League season is almost upon us and we want to gauge the mood among fans of every club going into the 2026-27 campaign.

It is the time of year when a new signing can mean optimism abounds. Alternatively, a less-than-impressive pre-season and a lack of transfer activity can leave supporters fearing the worst.

Let us know how you feel about your club’s prospects this season via our simple poll below and, as has become tradition, George Caulkin will analyse the results and report back with The Athletic’s hope-o-meter, a not particularly scientific reflection of fans’ hopes and fears for the coming season.

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement to sell captain Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid for €40million (£34.1m; $46m).

The deal will also include a 15% sell-on fee. Romero, 28, has agreed personal terms with the La Liga side and will complete his move pending a medical.

The Athletic reported last week that Atletico had renewed their interest in Romero, who had also attracted interest from Serie A champions Inter and Premier League champions Arsenal.

The Athletic previously reported that Romero is likely to depart Spurs this summer. He was not involved in the club’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand after starting in seven matches for Argentina at the World Cup, including in the final defeat to Spain on July 19.

Romero was named as Tottenham’s captain for the 2025-26 season by previous head coach Thomas Frank. He appeared 32 times, recording six goals and four assists. The defender signed a new four-year contract last year, extending his terms until 2029.

The centre-back has previously appeared to be critical of the Spurs hierarchy. After the January defeat to Bournemouth, Romero apologised to the club’s supporters, while appearing to point blame for their situation towards senior figures.

“At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t as has been happening for several years now,” he said. “They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies. We’ll stay here, working, sticking together and giving our all to turn things around.”

Weeks later, Romero said his side’s lack of squad options was “disgraceful” for their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, in the wake of an injury crisis.

Romero has suffered back-to-back seasons disrupted through injury. His 2025-26 campaign was curtailed by a knee problem. The previous season, Romero was restricted to just 26 appearances, missing over two months with a hamstring injury.

Romero joined Spurs from Atalanta in the summer of 2021. An initial one-year loan was made permanent in 2022 for €53m, with the Argentinian centre-back making 123 Premier League appearances for the club. He was also part of the side that won the Europa League in 2025 and was appointed captain ahead of the 2025-26 season.

He started in all but one of Argentina’s matches at this summer’s World Cup, and scored in the round-of-16 victory against Egypt.

Spurs have signed two centre-backs this summer, adding Marco Senesi on a free transfer after his Bournemouth contract expired and signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £52m deal.

What does this mean for Tottenham?

Analysis by Jay Harris

This is probably the best possible outcome for Spurs.

It has been apparent for a long time that they needed to move on from Romero and, crucially, they have agreed to sell him to Atletico before the new season starts.

If the defender had returned to first-team training following an extended break after his involvement with Argentina at the World Cup, the uncertainty around his future would have been an unwelcome distraction. Atletico have been courting Romero for over a year and are a far better option than the prospect of selling him to rivals Arsenal.

Some people will be wondering why Spurs could not command a bigger fee for their captain who only signed a new long-term contract last year and has won multiple trophies at international level. The 28-year-old’s injury history and poor disciplinary record would have worked against Spurs during negotiations.

Romero leaves a complicated legacy behind in north London. Romero’s centre-back partnership with Micky van de Ven was crucial to Spurs winning the Europa League in the 2024-25 season, which was their first piece of silverware in 17 years.

Romero was nearly faultless in the knockout stages of the competition and rallied his team-mates at half-time in the final against Manchester United. Over the last 12 months, he has popped up with some crucial goals, including an overhead kick in stoppage time to rescue a point against Newcastle United.

However, there have been six red cards since he initially joined them on loan from Atalanta in August 2021 which is more than any other Premier League player in that period, while he criticised the club’s senior figures on multiple occasions via social media.

Spurs have already moved on by buying Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton earlier this summer. Romero’s dramatic five-year spell with Spurs finally appears to be over.

What does this mean for Arsenal?

Analysis by James McNicholas

Improbable as Tottenham agreeing to sell Romero to their north London neighbours may seem, Romero was a target for Arsenal.

He has a good relationship with Mikel Arteta’s assistant, Gabriel Heinze, and Arsenal admired his quality, versatility and strength of personality. A deal was never particularly realistic, however. Spurs were insistent throughout that they would not negotiate with Arsenal for Romero.

With the player now set to join Atletico Madrid, Arsenal’s search for defensive reinforcements continues. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa remains a target, although the clubs are still some way apart on valuation.

Villa value Konsa at around £60 million. With the end of the window approaching, are Arsenal prepared to get closer to that figure to secure a deal?

It was only four weeks ago that Tottenham Hotspur team-mates Djed Spence and Cristian Romero were on opposing sides in a World Cup semi-final, competing on behalf of their countries for the right to face Spain in the final.

Both players played well, Romero shackling Jude Bellingham for much of the evening, Spence producing a famous recovery tackle on Giuliano Simeone when England were 1-0 up.

While it was Argentina who made it through — and their club colleague Pedro Porro’s Spain who won the whole thing — both Spence and Romero clearly had good World Cups, helping their respective nations get to the business end of the competition. Both players left the United States with different colour medals from the gold version they will have dreamt of on arrival, but with reputations enhanced.

But now, in the middle of August, with the new Premier League season just around the corner, both Spence and Romero find themselves in the same position. It is an unusual one for a Tottenham first-teamer to be in, as the club decide whether to sell them before the games begin next weekend.

There has been speculation about the duo’s futures for some time. That in itself is nothing new. But with Spurs’ first Premier League game — away at Brentford — on Saturday week, it is coming up to decision time for these two players.

Inter moved into pole position to sign Spence this week, entering into talks with Spurs over a €30million deal. The reigning Italian champions were also in for Romero — The Athletic reported last week that they even verbally agreed the principle of a €40m fee with Tottenham — but they have now been joined in competition by Atletico Madrid. Romero has also been of interest to Arsenal.

As it stands, nothing has been agreed in either case, but it has increasingly felt this week that the direction of travel has been towards a sale for both players.

If that turns out to be so, and if Spence and Romero do go before the September 1 deadline, then it would be one of the most significant moments of the post-Daniel Levy era. Not simply for the importance of the departing players, or what the money would allow Spurs to do, but for the strategic pivot it would imply.

We have already seen this month that Tottenham have changed their attitude to buying players.

That much is clear from the fees spent on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali. They have also changed their attitude to salaries, as proven by the big wages to attract those two players, as well as to get established ones in Porro and Micky van de Ven to re-commit to new contracts.

If Romero and Spence are sold this month, it will show that Tottenham have transformed their attitude to selling, too.

The club have traditionally had a complicated relationship with this aspect of the transfer market. They were never going to be the apex predator of the football food chain. And yet while some clubs of a similar size were happy to keep selling players to re-invest, Tottenham generally only did so with first-team players in very specific circumstances.

If they had a top talent who was sought after by a bigger, richer club than them — that is to say, if Spurs had all the leverage in the negotiation — then Levy would exploit that position and sell for a big fee. Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United, Luka Modric and then Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, Kyle Walker to Manchester City, Harry Kane to Bayern Munich and so on.

The fees that Levy was able to extract in part justified the policy.

Real Madrid paid a world record €100million (£85m) for Bale in 2013. Four years later, Walker became the joint most expensive defender of all time when he moved to City. And three years ago, Spurs got a fee equivalent to the Bale one for Kane, even though he only had one year left on his contract.

The problem was not the big deals. It was everything else.

While they were generally happy to sell top players for top money, Levy did not want to do deals just to get players out of the door. There was a limit to how much Tottenham wanted to be seen as a ‘selling club’. There was a degree of status-anxiety here, as Spurs tried to prove to the world they would not be pushed around.

This reluctance to sell players beyond the big-ticket deals — Bale, Walker, Kane — had a profound strategic impact on the club. It meant that the process of refreshing Mauricio Pochettino’s team, moving on tired, old players, replacing them with new, vibrant ones, was so hard to do. There was neither the space nor the money for new recruits. Staff said privately that it was like a swimming pool that needed to have the water refreshed. Without change, it would go stale.

During the course of those years, so many opportunities were missed to sell players — beyond Walker — to generate money to refresh the team.

United wanted Eric Dier in 2017, the same summer that Chelsea wanted Danny Rose, and would have paid £50million for him. Jose Mourinho wanted Toby Alderweireld at United the following year. Napoli wanted Lucas Moura in the summer of 2019 after his Ajax hat-trick. Big fees could have been generated for Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen if Tottenham had played their cards right.

But in almost every case, Spurs failed to sell at the right time. They missed the opportunity to move players on when they were at their peak and there was a genuine market for them.

It felt as if Tottenham would only sell under what you might call ‘Gareth Bale conditions’. They would never compromise to move someone on apart from that. (Kieran Trippier going to Atletico in 2019 is a rare counter-example.)

This meant that a whole generation of players — Walker and Kane aside — stayed far too long, and left for practically nothing. Rose and Lucas on free transfers, Dier on an initial loan made permanent, Dele on a performance-related move to Everton, Alderweireld for Qatar, Eriksen for Inter on a cut-price deal with only six months left on his contract, Erik Lamela in part-exchange with Bryan Gil.

Hundreds of millions of pounds of potential market value was allowed to diminish to practically nothing.

Ever since Levy’s dismissal as chairman almost a year ago, one of the key points for improvement that the club hierarchy have spoken about has been the importance of selling players, especially in the new era of financial regulation.

There was some consternation when Brennan Johnson went to Crystal Palace in January for £35million, but this was precisely the sort of deal that Tottenham never used to do. Johnson was not in the team, the money was on the table, and his valuation was probably more likely to go down from there rather than up. It made sense. And when CEO Vinai Venkatesham spoke to the Fans Advisory Board in June, he pointed to that transfer as an example of the attitude to sales the club want.

If Romero and Spence go in the next couple of weeks — and nothing has happened yet — you could look at those deals as comparable to Johnson’s departure. There will be a lot of people who will say that Spurs should keep the players, or push for more money, rather than letting them go so easily.

But that attitude — allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good — has been precisely Tottenham’s problem over the years. Sometimes, the right answer is just to shake hands, take the money and use it to refresh your squad.

This was the part of the transfer market Spurs struggled with for so long.

Maybe, depending on what happens with Spence and Romero, they have found a new approach.

The Lewis family, who own Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, are exploring a bid for the NBA Europe team in London.

It would represent a foray into other sports for the family, who have owned Spurs since Joe Lewis acquired a controlling stake in 2001. The Lewis family own 70.12 per cent of ENIC, Tottenham’s parent company, which in turn owns 87.62 per cent of the club. They are primarily represented by Vivienne Lewis, Joe Lewis’s daughter, and Nick Beucher, Vivienne’s son-in-law and co-chief executive officer of Tavistock Group.

Joe Lewis ceased to be a person of “significant control” at Tottenham in October 2022. In 2024, he pled guilty to insider trading and was fined $5million by a New York judge, before being given a presidential pardon by President Donald Trump the following year.

The Lewises are part of a consortium alongside two other families with experience in sports investment. One of these is the Checketts family, who have previously owned MLS team Real Salt Lake and the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. David Checketts, a businessman and executive from Salt Lake City, Utah previously served as general manager of the Utah Jazz and president of the New York Knicks in the NBA.

Also part of the proposed bid is the Eccles family, who, like the Checketts family, are investors in English second-tier team Burnley and Spanish club Espanyol, and also invested in venues, facilities and events for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and the upcoming 2034 games in Utah.

NBA Europe, organised by the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), is a proposed basketball league made up of European franchises that is slated to begin in 2027. It is set to be made up of 12 permanent teams, plus four sides that qualify on an annual basis.

London has been earmarked as one of the league’s 12 target cities, alongside Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Athens, Istanbul, Rome and Milan.

The Athletic reported that American technology billionaire Nikesh Arora, leader of consortium that purchased English cricket’s most lucrative franchise in the Hundred competition, has assembled a consortium of investors prepared to offer more than $1billion (£740million) for the London team.

Battersea Power Station’s undeveloped estate has also been touted as a potential arena for the franchise.

Under the Lewis family, Tottenham have regularly recorded finishes in the top half and top six of the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League through their league position on six occasions and finishing as high as second in 2017. However, silverware has been hard to come by, with just two trophies during ENIC’s tenure: the 2007-08 League Cup and the 2024-25 Europa League.

The team finished 17th last season for the second year in a row, narrowly avoiding relegation, prompting the family to issue a rare statement.

“The problems we found were deeper than we realised and were allowed to build over the last few years,” the family said at the end of the season.

“We know that has eroded trust and we have to win that back. As owners, we take ultimate responsibility for the situation in which the club finds itself.”

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with Inter Milan over deal to sell Djed Spence to the Italian side for a fee in the region of €30million (£25.6m).

A source close to the situation, granted anonymity to protect relationships, said Spence is keen on a move to the Serie A champions, who are in the market for a new right back after the sale of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid.

Spence is capable of playing at left or right-back but Destiny Udogie and Spain’s World Cup winner Pedro Porro are Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first-choice options in those positions.

Andy Robertson’s arrival from Liverpool earlier this summer has given Udogie extra competition at left-back, along with 20-year-old Brazilian prospect Souza. Archie Gray prefers to play in midfield but can provide cover for Porro on the right. Spence’s gametime could be limited next season as a result, especially as Spurs are not in any European competition.

The Athletic reported earlier this summer that Everton were interested in signing the 26-year-old but Inter are now negotiating with Spurs.

Spence joined the north London side from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth up to £20m but was labelled a “club signing” and overlooked by then head coach Antonio Conte. The full-back then spent 18 months on loan with Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, before finally making his first start for the club under Ange Postecoglou.

Spence became a valued member of the first-team squad during the 2024-25 campaign under Postecoglou and helped Spurs to win the Europa League. Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs last summer but Spence was rewarded with a new long-term contract in August 2025 and made his debut for England the following month. He remained an important player under Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and De Zerbi.

Spence’s form over the last two years led to his inclusion in England’s squad for the World Cup where he made some crucial contributions as Thomas Tuchel’s side reached the semi-finals.

‘Fans would be torn over Spence’s departure’

Analysis by Jay Harris

Spence’s career at Spurs has never been straightforward. He joined Spurs from Middlesbrough after a fantastic season on loan at Nottingham Forest who he helped earn promotion to the Premier League.

However, he was labelled a “club signing” by Conte and for a couple of years it felt like the move would never work out as he spent time on loan in Italy, France and the second tier of English football.

Spence became a cult hero during the 2024-25 campaign after Spurs suffered an injury crisis. Postecoglou gave Spence a chance and he responded by producing excellent defensive performances and offering a threat with overlapping runs.

Spence was rewarded with a new contract at the beginning of the 2025-26 season and impressed in Spurs’ penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. His form dropped off at times last season and there was an incident in November when he appeared to ignore and walk straight past then head coach Thomas Frank. Frank revealed a few days later that Spence had apologised.

Despite sharing game-time with Udogie and Porro over the second half of the season, Tuchel included Spence in his World Cup squad. Spence popped up with some important cameos, including in England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina when he chased after Guiliano Simeone and pulled off an incredible sliding tackle.

Spurs fans would be torn over Spence’s departure. Spence’s versatility is invaluable while the proposed fee of €30m seems cheap for somebody who started in a World Cup semi-final last month and still has years left on his contract.

Charlton Athletic vs Tottenham Hotspur Box Score - August 25, 2026 - The Athletic  The New York Times