FootballFanCast.com

To say that it's been a mixed start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur this year would probably be an understatement.

In their three Premier League games thus far, they have drawn away to Leicester City, won at home to Everton and lost away to Newcastle United. However, against the Foxes and the Magpies, Ange Postecoglou's side produced a higher expected goals figure, suggesting that a lack of cutting-edge up top is letting them down.

The North Londoners did spend big on Dominic Solanke this summer, but a minor injury has seen him miss the last two games, and as effective as the Englishman is sure to be in this Lilywhites side, he, along with almost every other striker in the league will be battling for second place in the top goalscorers list behind the unstoppable Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian goal machine has started this season on fire and looks like the best striker on the planet, but interestingly, Spurs have had a player that, in 2024 money, would be worth even more than the treble-winner.

Haaland's incredible form

Yes, similarly to how the vast majority of fans and pundits have tipped Manchester City to finish atop the Premier League table again this season, there is a feeling that should he remain fit, Haaland will win the Golden Boot with relative ease.

For example, during his time with Borussia Dortmund, the Norwegian powerhouse scored 86 goals and provided 23 assists in 89 appearances. Whereas in England, he has already scored 97 goals and provided 14 assists in just 102 games for City.

This season alone, he has already bagged seven goals in four matches, including hattricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United within the space of a week.

Simply put, there is no stopping the Leeds-born phenom, and understandably, his valuation is enormous, with Football Transfers valuing him at €144m, which converts to about £121m.

However, while that's an incredible amount of money, Spurs actually sold a star of their own in the past for a sum that would translate into even more money when adjusted for the current transfer market.

Gareth Bale's valuation in 2024

So, the former Spurs ace in question is none other than Wales legend Gareth Bale, who left the club to join Real Madrid for a massive £85m in the summer of 2013.

Now, that figure alone is obviously less than Haaland's current valuation, but thanks to the smart folk at Totally Money, we can adjust that fee for the rapid inflation football has experienced in the 11 years since and work out that, in today's money, the Welshman would have been sold for a mammoth £166m—or about £45m more than the Norwegian is currently worth.

Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.

It's certainly an incredible amount of money, but the former Southampton gem was a massively important part of Spurs' squad and had just come off an astounding season in which he had scored 26 goals and provided ten assists in just 44 appearances for the club, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games.

Moreover, the "world-class" attacker, as he was dubbed by former manager Andre Villas-Boas, was only 24 at the time and, therefore, had plenty of time to reach another level in Spain, and indeed he did.

In all, the Cardiff-born superstar won five Champions Leagues, three La Liga, one Copa del Rey and a whole host of smaller trophies in Madrid and even returned to North London on loan for the 2020/21 season, in which he scored 16 goals and provided three assists in 34 games.

Ultimately, while his most trophy-laden years came in the Spanish capital, Bale has still played a significant part in Tottenham's recent history, ending his career with 71 goals and 53 assists in 237 appearances for the club.

While it's a lot of money, it makes perfect sense that his transfer fee is higher than Haaland's valuation when adjusted for today's market.

It's been a mixed start to the Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side drew 1-1 away to Leicester City in their opening game of the campaign, then smashed Everton 4-0 at home the following weekend before falling to a 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle United last week.

However, while the results certainly haven't been ideal, the performances have given fans reasons to be hopeful, and just like he was last season, Son Heung-min looks like he's going to be one of the club's biggest goal threats this year.

However, as talented as the South Korean superstar is, he is also 32 years old. Therefore, the Lilywhites have to start thinking about a long-term replacement for him, although the good news is that they may well already have one.

Son's Spurs career

Tottenham fans have been blessed with some incredibly talented players in their recent history, from Luka Modrić and Gareth Bale over a decade ago to Harry Kane and Son in recent years.

However, while the others eventually left, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace has remained in N17 and has established himself as a bonafide modern-day legend amongst the fanbase, and for good reason.

Since making his £22m move to the club in 2015, the Chuncheon-born dynamo has made 411 appearances, in which he has scored a staggering 164 goals and provided 84 assists to boot, meaning that he has averaged a goal involvement every 1.65 games since his arrival - talk about world-class.

In fact, he is such an elite goalscorer that in the 2021/22 season, he won the Premier League Golden Boot alongside Mohamed Salah, but what's so impressive is that none of his 23 league goals that season were penalties.

In all, Son is an icon of the Premier League and will go down as one of the Lilywhites' best-ever players, but at 32 years old, the club must plan for his eventual departure or decline, and while he's got enormous shoes to fill, the North Londoners might already have the perfect heir in their academy.

Why fans should be excited about Mikey Moore

The youngster in question is Spurs' academy gem, Mikey Moore.

The 17-year-old has been a tour de force in the Lilywhites' youth sides in recent years and, in just 33 appearances, has already racked up a seriously impressive haul of 20 goals and 15 assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 0.94 games, or 1.06 per match.

The "outstanding" talent, as dubbed by Postecoglou, has been so impressive in the junior sides that he has now made two senior competitive appearances despite still being just 17 years old.

However, while his small cameos in the Premier League this season show how highly the club rate him, his performances in preseason showed how special a player he is.

For example, the Southwark-born star scored against Hearts and Vissel Kobe during the summer, and while they were friendlies, it's still a massive step up from playing against kids.

Interestingly, the "brilliant" youngster, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, has played in a variety of positions, from centre-forward to attacking midfield, for the Lilywhites' youth teams.

However, his most played position remains left-wing, meaning that he could potentially come off the bench for the captain at points this season, in a bid to get more first-team minutes.

Ultimately, Moore is still a kid, and Son looks like he could play at the top level for another couple of years, but when he does eventually need to be replaced, Spurs should already have the perfect candidate.

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as a possible destination for a £25 million player by a foreign club chief, who suggests that a 2025 transfer to north London is indeed possible.

Spurs finish summer transfer window with four signings totaling £113m

Manager Ange Postecoglou, technical director Johan Lange and chairman Daniel Levy and their wider recruitment team strengthened the Spurs squad in a variety of key areas over the summer window, spending a total of around £113 million on four key additions.

Timo Werner extended his loan deal with the Lilywhites to run through to the end of this Premier League season, with the new temporary agreement including a cheaper buy-option set at around £7.5 million.

After agreeing to keep the German, Spurs moved to sign 18-year-old Archie Gray from Leeds United for around £40 million, strengthening Postecoglou's midfield options with the arrival of an English sensation who starred at Elland Road in the Championship last season.

Their biggest marquee deal, a £65 million (including add-ons) move for striker Dominic Solanke, also provided Postecoglou with a proven Premier League goalscorer to lead the line this campaign - and he's expected to be a highly crucial player for them throughout 2024/2025.

Spurs ended their productive window with the swift and largely silent transfer of Wilson Odobert from Burnley, summing up their transfer business and not counting moves for youngsters Lucas Bergvall and South Korean wonderkid Min-hyeok Yang.

Levy and Lange also offloaded a host of players in that time, including a deadline day exit for midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, who completed a permanent switch back to former club Real Betis in La Liga.

Manu Fajardo names Tottenham as 2025 move for Johnny Cardoso

A condition of the agreement was first refusal on a potential future swoop for Betis star Johnny Cardoso. Spurs reportedly have opening rights to sign the 22-year-old USA international for around £25 million, which could be a possibility considering his impressive performances in the Spanish top flight lately.

Betis sporting director Manu Fajardo has publicly confirmed Tottenham's involvement in a potential future move for Cardoso, hinting that a summer move to N17 in 2025 is a possibility for the player.

"He has played an important role in terms of his rights for the future," said Fajardo in a Q&A with Marca this week. "Leaving next summer? It would depend on Tottenham and other offers that come in."

The summer transfer window of 2024 was not one where Tottenham blew the Premier League away but they did seal some impressive captures.

Archie Gray, hailed as a "future £100m" midfielder by some is viewed as an elite talent in the making while the £65m addition of Dominic Solanke, although pricey, will certainly add more goals to Ange Postecoglou's ranks.

Wilson Odobert has started his Spurs career brightly and looks a real talent, although he will have to improve his decision-making and end product to make it long-term in north London.

There were also a series of important departures with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Emerson Royal, Joe Rodon and Giovani Lo Celso heading for pastures new.

With such a long list of departures, whether it was permanent or loan deals, it may well intrigue supporters to learn how some of those players are getting on.

Let's have a look at the enigmatic Emerson.

Emerson's time at Milan so far

It's safe to say that the Brazilian was never the most consistent player in a Tottenham shirt.

Despite racking up 101 appearances for the club, the 25-year-old never really set the world alight having arrived from European royalty in the form of Barcelona.

Branded as a "liability" by the ever-outspoken Jamie O'Hara, a series of defensive errors and total indecision often cost him during his days in north London.

Whether it was that red card challenge on Gabriel Martinelli in 2022 or what may have proven to be the final straw - an error against Hearts in pre-season - the full-back was given chance after chance but rarely repaid his manager's faith.

As a result, the defender was sold this summer, heading to AC Milan in a move worth around £13m according to reports.

How's it all gone then? Well, as Italian football editor Kaustubh Pandey stated on Saturday, Spurs have secured a "deal for the ages" given his price tag and subsequent performances on the continent.

Yeah, it's not started very well for Emerson. Should we be surprised? Probably not, but the level of criticism he has attracted since moving is quite something.

Handed 5/10 ratings by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport for his performances against both Parma and Lazio in recent weeks, the full-back was further described as "woeful" by Milan writer Isak Moller and "terrible" by The Athletic's Martino Puccio.

The error in the clip below rather sums up what they're talking about.

So, what do the numbers say? It's not great viewing either for the recently departed Spurs defender.

What type of performance can we ascertain purely on the stats alone? Well, Emerson offered absolutely nothing in forward areas at the weekend and also struggled defensively, rarely involved in many good things that Milan did on the day.

To think he took Kaka's number 22 as well. Sheesh, good luck getting the Rossoneri fans back onside quickly.

It's rather safe to say that Tottenham don't particularly like travelling to St James' Park. It's been a bleak away fixture for the Lilywhites who just can't seem to defeat Newcastle United.

Their record in recent years has been dreadful, with that iconic 6-1 defeat where the Magpies ran rampant in the first half still rather fresh in the memory.

Spurs' fortunes were no better on Sunday afternoon, even if the performance was more convincing than in recent years.

On another day, Ange Postecoglou's side could quite easily have left Tyneside with all three points. They struck the bar, forced Nick Pope into some nervy moments and should probably have scored through Wilson Odobert. It said it all, however, that they had to rely on an own goal during the 2-1 loss.

Cristian Romero wasn't at the races and was caught out of position for both goals, notably for the second when Jacob Murphy was given the freedom of the pitch to run in behind and lay it on a plate for Alexander Isak.

Isak's performance in numbers against Spurs

The performance of Isak would no doubt have intrigued Postecoglou, particularly after the arrival of their own big-money striker this summer in the shape of Dominic Solanke.

Spurs were arguably stifled by the Englishman's injury on Sunday and lacked a focal point, someone to aim for in the box to take advantage of their constant second-half pressure.

As it happens, it was that man Isak who scored the winner. The Swede hasn't looked his normal self this term but he loves playing against Tottenham and added to his tally over the weekend. The finish was simple, tapping into an empty net from a matter of a few years after Murphy had taken Guglielmo Vicario out of the game.

Besides that, the centre-forward perhaps didn't have his best outing, winning just three of his 14 duels and giving away possession on ten occasions.

That said, the £60m-rated talent is one of the most menacing attackers in the division. His 21 goals in 30 Premier League matches last season says it all.

Postecoglou will no doubt hope that Solanke reaches those dizzy heights once fit and firing. The former Cherries star was prised away for a £65m fee, more than Isak's current valuation, as per Fotmob. He's not the only man in the white of Spurs who's worth more though.

James Maddison's season in numbers

Signed for a fee of £40m during the Australian manager's first summer in the dug-out, James Maddison has had a topsy-turvy Spurs career.

The attacking midfielder started last season on fire, scoring three times and supplying five assists in his opening 11 matches. Injury struck, however, and since then he hasn't been the same player, missing out on a place in the squad for Euro 2024, a decision that understandably left him gutted.

Returning at the start of 2024, Maddison endured a run of 17 matches where he scored only once. At the start of the new campaign, he's looked more like his older self. Maddison has failed to score again but he's picked up assists versus both Leicester City and Everton.

You sense that once this Spurs team begins to fire, those numbers will only improve. Indeed, the thought of the England international featuring in a three-prong attack alongside Heung-min Son and the aforementioned Solanke is an exciting one.

Although he's endured a tricky year, this is still one of the division's premier creators we're talking about here. Last term, the "incredible" midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ranked inside the top 8% of positionally similar players in the Premier League for assists per 90 and among the best 3% for key passes, as per FBRef.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that one youngster is set for a big role at Tottenham this season in the wake of their 2-1 loss to Newcastle United.

Mixed Premier League start for Tottenham

In 2023/24, Ange Postecoglou's side set Premier League records, with eight wins and two draws in their opening 10 games seeing them take home 26 points, the most of any manager in their first 10 matches in the competition's history. This time around, expectations are higher and they are yet to truly impress in the same way that they did this time 12 months ago.

Defeat at St James' Park meant that they have now won one, drawn one and lost one in their opening three games of the season, leaving them 10th in the Premier League heading into the first international break.

Just as against Leicester City in their opening game, their defeat to Newcastle was a game in which Tottenham looked on top but squandered several excellent chances to move out of sight, before being punished clinically by their opponents to leave them ruing missed opportunities and dropping points early in the season.

Speaking after the loss, Postecoglou admitted he is happy with his side's performances despite the early results, though he bemoaned the lack of clinical edge to his frontline.

"I thought we were handling the transitions. The goal we conceded in the second half was sloppy and we lost focus. The game should have been put to bed a lot longer before that.

"What I know is if we continue to play like that we will get our rewards. It's not an easy place to come. For the most part, I thought we handled that really well. The way we controlled the game was really pleasing."

And despite the result, he may have found a potential breakout star for this season.

Postecoglou reveals bigger role for young defender

That comes as Ange admitted that January addition Radu Dragusin is set for a much bigger role at the club this season. The Romanian defender arrived from Genoa in the winter window, turning down a move to Bayern Munich to move to north London in search of regular game time.

But the 22-year-old managed just 9 appearances in the second half of the campaign, starting only four Premier League games. With an injury to Micky van de Ven, he was thrust in against Newcastle United, and made an excellent last-ditch tackle to deny Alexander Isak with the score at 1-1.

He also won seven of his nine duels to go with a block and two clearances in an all-action performance which caught the eye. And Ange revealed after the game that he expects to see him much more this season.

"I thought he was good Radu. It was a great opportunity to expose him. I mean, he's only 22. He's still a young man, especially for a defender and I thought exposing him to this atmosphere and the threat, the particular threat that Newcastle posed with Isak up front, he had to be really concentrated and I thought he was. I think he's going to play a big part in our season. Him coming through that, that whole experience, will set him up well."

With Van de Ven having missed parts of last season through injury, and Romero no stranger to a red card in his career to date, having a third elite centre-back will come as a major boost to the Lilywhites as they look to push for a spot in Europe once more this season.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has revealed what left Ange Postecoglou fuming on the sidelines as Tottenham fell to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.

Spurs suffer first defeat of the season

A late goal from Alexander Isak ensured that Tottenham suffered their first Premier League loss of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United at St James' Park.

The winning goal for the home side came after a sustained spell of pressure from Tottenham, who dominated much of the ball after equalising and looked certain to find a winner. It was a tough loss for Spurs and Postecoglou to swallow, as he made clear in the aftermath of the game.

"Another one that got away from us. We played well enough, certainly had the chances to win the game comfortably but you walk away with nothing, so [it's a] bitter pill to swallow but it is what it is," the Spurs head coach explained.

"We created chances and if you don't get the second goal when you have the momentum...

"I thought we were in control of the game, we were playing in their half. The 'keeper's pulled off a couple of really good saves. We had the opportunities to test him even further but we didn't.

"The amount of chances we have, we really should be getting more than what we're getting as a return at the moment."

The result leaves Tottenham 10th in the Premier League heading into the international break, while their next game pits them up against north London rivals Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But there was one moment that Postecoglou particularly disliked during their trip to St James' Park.

Postecoglou left fuming by booking

That came late in the second half, with his side chasing the game and susceptible to the counter-attack. As Anthony Gordon raced away down the left touchline, he was met by a firm sliding challenge by Rodrigo Bentancur, with the Uruguayan appearing to make strong contact with the ball.

The referee thought otherwise, penalising the Tottenham substitute and dishing out a yellow card for good measure.

The decision, dubbed "woeful" by Tottenham journalist Alasdair Gold, left Postecoglou perplexed and irate, and Gold added that the Spurs boss "made his feelings known" to both the referee and fourth official.

Though an improvement on the 4-0 thrashing that Spurs suffered last season at St James' Park, the defeat raises many of the same questions about Postecoglou's side, chiefly their inefficiency in both penalty areas, which is sure to cost them throughout the season unless they can find a fix, sharpish.

A high-earning member of the Tottenham squad could make a high-profile exit from N17 "in the coming days", despite the 11pm transfer window cut-off on Friday.

Spurs spend £113 million on four senior summer signings

With the UK transfer window now shut, Spurs can look back on their summer business with real pride, having shored up a variety of key areas for manager Ange Postecoglou as the Australian seeks to build upon last season's fifth-placed finish.

The Lilywhites spent around £113 million on four senior summer arrivals. Timo Werner came in on a season-long loan, with the German originally only meant to stay until the end of last season, while English sensation Archie Gray, striker Dominic Solanke and winger Wilson Odobert also put pen to paper on moves to Spurs.

Some reports also suggest that Tottenham were offered a late summer chance to sign Josh Brownhill from Burnley, but the move didn't come to fruition as technical director Johan Lange and co appear satisfied with their dealings.

Teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall and South Korean wonderkid Min-hyeok Yang also agreed transfers to Tottenham, but the former's deal was sorted back on January deadline day and the latter isn't currently in the squad - given he'll properly link up with Postecoglou in January 2025 as he spends the next few months out on loan at Gangwon.

The north Londoners also did very well to ship out deadwood and trim Postecoglou's bloated squad of unwanted fringe players. Giovani Lo Celso sealed a deadline-day switch back to Real Betis in La Liga, joining Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Ashley Phillips and Dane Scarlett in leaving Tottenham - either permanently or on loan elsewhere.

One player who couldn't leave before the deadline, regardless of much speculation throughout the window, was left-back Sergio Reguilon.

Sergio Reguilon could still leave Tottenham "in the coming days"

The £120,000-per-week defender isn't in Postecoglou's first team plans this term, with Manchester United displaying an interest in Reguilon during the transfer window, among others, but a deal couldn't quite come to fruition for him.

Football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, taking to X, now claims that Reguilon could still quit Spurs "in the coming days", as a host of transfer windows across Europe remain open, like the Dutch, Portuguese, Belgian - with Saudi sides still able to sign players too.

The 27-year-old, signed from Real Madrid back in 2020, will be eager to find a new home and finally restart his career away from Spurs on a permanent basis.

Tottenham Hotspur drew their opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League season, then won emphatically in their second clash, as was the case last year.

Having thrashed Everton 4-0 last weekend, Tottenham are preparing to visit their bogey ground, St. James' Park, and take on Newcastle United, having lost their past two trips to Tyneside by an aggregate scoreline of 10-1.

Ange Postecoglou is shaping Spurs to his design and looks to be gearing up for a concerted drive toward Champions League qualification and perhaps even an elusive slice of silverware.

There's so much to like about this Tottenham side, mixed with youth and experience, dynamism and depth across the park. Injuries ruined last term's electric-paced start, however, and fans will be desperate to see the Lilywhites' collective fitness level hold up this time.

The primary frustration Postecoglou is dealing with ahead of this afternoon's fixture is the absence of Dominic Solanke, who missed out last week after picking up an ankle injury in training.

The centre-forward, who signed from Bournemouth in a club record £65m deal this summer, will play no part today but Postecoglou has allayed fears of a lengthy setback, revealing in his pre-match press conference that he is "close" to returning but won't be risked with the international break forthcoming.

Spurs' striker issue is exacerbated by the expected absence of Richarlison, who pulled up with a muscle injury in training and will play no part. Heung-min Son will be expected to retain his spot at the spearhead.

Rodrigo Bentancur missed out last week too, having suffered a concussion during Tottenham's opening-day draw against Leicester City, but he is back in the frame now and must start in the middle of the park.

He can't seem to catch a break. Bentancur missed the majority of 2023 after injuring an anterior cruciate ligament against Leicester in February of last year, ending an impressive 2022/23 campaign.

His misfortune spilt heavily into Postecoglou's first term at the helm, and he managed just 13 Premier League starts. It's a cruel sense of irony to see him start the fresh season off in such a manner, having suffered the blow at the King Power Stadium once again.

He's the complete package, dynamic, skilled and hard-working, fuelled by a ceaseless engine. When fit and at his best, Bentancur is comfortably one of the best players on the pitch.

Described as a "Rolls-Royce" by football writer Tom Robinson, he ranks among the top 9% of centre-midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area and interceptions per 90, emphasising his technical skill and athleticism.

Alongside Yves Bissouma or Archie Gray in the engine room, blending with James Maddison in the central spot, Bentancur could be the difference-maker, proving combative out of possession and influential when on the ball.

His redeployment to the starting line-up would see Dejan Kuluesvski displaced, and while such a change should be enforced, the Sweden international must start too.

Kulusevski, of course, is typically a right-sided forward. He doesn't have the fleet feet of Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert or Timo Werner, but his intelligence, creativity and hands-on style could be crucial in allowing Son to shine against the Magpies.

Benched for the opening game of the term, Kulusevski excelled against Everton, picking up an assist, completing 95% of his passes and two dribbles, and winning four of his seven contested duels, as per Sofascore.

Odobert did a decent job against the Toffees, but Newcastle are one of the best-drilled and coherent outfits in the Premier League, and a player of Kulusevski's quality could be crucial in ensuring the hosts are outthought and outfought.

After all, he was handed an 8/10 match score by football.london after his recent display, with reporter Alasdair Gold writing: 'Back in the team in midfield and he had a big part to play in the opening goal with his dribbling in the Everton final third and then teeing up Bissouma. A bright return to the team and has shown that he's a very good option as a member of that midfield three.'

Sky Sports' Jamie Weir summed him up nicely, saying: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."

He's not just a workhorse: he's a thoroughbred creative sensation. Last season, the indefatigable winger created 14 big chances in the English top flight and averaged 1.5 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per game.

The South Korean skipper bagged twice last time out and will fancy his chances up front once again today. However, he's only scored five goals in 16 fixtures against the Toon, who will seek to marshall him and subdue his attacking threat.

But you wouldn't bet against the 32-year-old finding the back of the net if Tottenham turn up on Tyneside, with Postecoglou even hailing his talisman as a "superstar" and "world-class".

He's much, much more than just a goalscorer though. As per FBref, Son ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90.

Effectively, he can return the favour and pull defenders away, thread balls through, to keep Tottenham's attack multi-dimensional, allowing Kulusevski to find space and work on his ball-striking too.

It's pretty clear that Son will start as the centre-forward against Newcastle, but some supporters might be concerned that Kulusevski could lose his place given Bentancur's been given the green light to return to the pitch.

He simply has to shift up to the right flank, where he can wreak chaos and work in tandem with his many-faceted captain.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has been tipped to unleash an "exciting" teenager this season, especially in the Europa League, with the north Londoners looking ahead to a long and congested fixture calendar.

Transfer window closes as Spurs prepare for Newcastle trip

The summer transfer window is now officially closed, and no more new arrivals will come through the door until January, so Postecoglou will have to make do with his current crop of players as he aims to compete on a quartet of fronts.

Tottenham will be aiming to secure a place in the top four and subsequent qualification for the Champions League, and Postecoglou will also have his eyes on clinching the club's first piece of major silverware since 2008.

To boost the north Londoners' chances of a successful 2024/25 campaign, chairman Daniel Levy managed to get a quartet of summer deals over the line before transfer window deadline at 11pm on Friday night.

Tottenham signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for around £60 million, while Timo Werner extended his loan at the club to run through to the end of this season. Alongside Werner and Solanke, both English sensation Archie Gray and young winger Wilson Odobert completed moves to N17, with both men carrying stellar reputations.

Solanke unfortunately injured his ankle away to Leicester City on the opening weekend, so he won't be available for Spurs' trip to Newcastle United on Sunday.

"Dom is close but we're going to be a bit cautious with him, we've got a big programme post the international break, so he'll miss out on Sunday," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's team news for Newcastle.

"The only other one we got midweek is Richarlison, who unfortunately picked up an injury in training, so he'll probably miss the next few weeks.

"Rodrigo is all good, he's passed all the protocols we need to, and more importantly he feels really good and the medical team are really comfortable with him being available for Sunday."

Tottenham tipped to unleash Wilson Odobert with "a lot" of minutes

While Solanke recovers, it is unclear as of yet if Postecoglou will unleash fellow summer signing Odobert at St. James' Park.

Pundit John Wenham, speaking to Tottenham News, has tipped Odobert to get "a lot" of minutes at Tottenham this season, particularly in Europe, calling the Frenchman's acquisition an "exciting" signing, albeit a pricey one.

“He was at the Olympics with France, which shows that they’re aware of his potential,” Wenham said.

“Last season he played 33 times in the Premier League, so he has got that experience behind him. I think he will get a lot of opportunities at Tottenham, especially in the UEFA Europa League.

“It is an exciting signing. However, I think his fee was expensive, it was perhaps a little much. I consider myself a bit of a football fanatic and I don’t remember him from his time with Burnley last season.

“However, I trust the scouting team at Tottenham. Our signings over the last 18 months have been good, so I expect this to be more of the same.”