ToTheLaneAndBack - Tottenham Fan Site

Tottenham’s recent form has been full of surprises. After a rough spell of games, they bounced back in stunning fashion with a dominant 5-0 win over Southampton. Tottenham secured a commanding lead in the first half and comfortably maintained control, leaving Southampton with no chance of a comeback.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo Bentancur is reportedly frustrated following the outcome of his appeal against a seven-match suspension. The midfielder received the ban from the Football Association after making a remark during a June interview in Uruguay, where he stated that South Korean teammate Son Heung-min and his cousins “all look the same.”

Tottenham confirmed on their official website that they lodged an appeal against Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-match suspension, a move that reportedly cost the club “many thousands.”

Despite their efforts, Sky Sports News revealed on Tuesday that the appeal was dismissed. As a result, Bentancur remains ineligible for Tottenham’s upcoming Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday and the Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday — both fixtures set to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Former Spurs scout Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, criticised the decision, calling the punishment unjust.

Bentancur ruled out for Tottenham’s clashes with Man United and Liverpool

Bryan King criticised the FA’s decision, calling it “ridiculous” and highlighting the frustration it has caused both Ange Postecoglou and Rodrigo Bentancur. King argued that Bentancur had apologised for his comments, which Son Heung-min had accepted, allowing both parties to move on. Despite this, the FA maintained a seven-game suspension, a punishment King believes is unnecessarily harsh given the circumstances.

Postecoglou and Spurs had hoped the ban would be reduced to six matches, potentially allowing the 27-year-old to return against Liverpool. However, that hope has been dashed, forcing Postecoglou to navigate an already injury-hit squad without Bentancur. The ongoing crisis has sparked speculation about possible behind-the-scenes dismissals as Spurs look to extend their winning streak.

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Lucas Bergvall made his full Premier League start for Tottenham Hotspur in the Lilywhites 5-0 win over Southampton in the Premier League over the weekend, and his first start donning the Spurs badge has triggered a significant financial bonus for his former club, Djurgårdens IF, according to Fotboll Direkt (as relayed by Sport Witness).

The North Londoners secured Bergvall’s signature from Djurgårdens IF in February (with a deal for the 18-year-old to move to N17 in the summer) for a fixed fee of SEK 113m (€9.8m), and the deal includes performance-based bonuses that could potentially take up the total fee to SEK 220m (€19.1m).

Bergvall start triggers financial windfall for Djurgårdens

The Swede moved to White Hart Lane in the summer and has already been showing glimpses of his potential despite his young age, and that has got Spurs supporters quite excited about what is to come, especially if he maintains the current trajectory of development.

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has shown he is not shy about putting young players in the far end if they deserve to play, and that is replicated in the teenager’s minutes, with Bergvall clocking 482 minutes from 17 games in all competitions in the ongoing campaign. And while that first start would massively please the North Londoners supporters and the player himself, his former club Djurgårdens would be celebrating Bergvall’s Premier League debut.

His first Premier League start on Sunday activated a “super bonus” where Djurgårdens will now receive an additional SEK 35-40m (€3-3.5m).

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The Stockholm-based side (like Tottenham supporters) would hope that this is just a start to what is a long career for a teenager at White Hart Lane.

Manchester United’s new boss, Ruben Amorim, took a ballsy decision with Marcus Rashford’s omission from their recent win over Manchester City, which has sparked a few conversations, though that being said, it is something Tottenham Hotspur would be celebrating given how the England international could trouble the North Londoners with a moment of magic given the upcoming Carabao Cup quarter-final against the Lilywhites in the midweek.

However, according to pundit Simon Jordan, the Man United academy graduate will likely return to the squad for the midweek fixture.

Amorim dropped Rashford vs City, but he could return vs Tottenham

The former Sporting Lisbon manager left both Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out of the squad for the derby in what can now be aggregated as a calculated risk given how it ultimately paid off as the Manchester Reds secured a 2-1 win over City, which was their first win over the city neighbours in three years.

And Jordan, speaking in an interview with talkSPORT, compared the decision from Amorim to that of Mikel Arteta’s when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dropped for disciplinary reasons in 2021. However, he suggested that Rashford’s situation is different from that of former Gunners captain and has backed the forward to return back to the squad for the game against Tottenham. He said:

“I would wager that Rashford will be back in the squad for the next game. I’m not sure Rashford is an ‘Aubameyang moment’ for Amorim because Arteta’s decision came later in his tenure at Arsenal, and Aubameyang was arguably more divisive and influential than Rashford.

“Rashford is wasting his own time as well as potentially everyone else’s”.

While this is a cause of concern for United supporters, for Tottenham, given how Rashford has looked underwhelming throughout the season, he would be hungry to prove his credentials (especially if he starts on Thursday night), and that is something Ange Postecoglou will need to plan for, given how this defensive setup has struggled against transitions (that is where Rashford’s strengths lie as well).

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Do you think Rashford playing against Spurs is an advantage given his form or a disadvantage owing to his hunger to prove his credentials? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin has been subject to aggressive links with a move away from White Hart Lane given how his minutes at N17 were restricted owing to Cristian Romero’s and Micky van de Ven’s presence at the heart of defence.

The North Londoners signed the Romanian centre-back in a highly anticipated transfer from Genoa at the start of the calendar year, where Daniel Levy infamously beat Bayern Munich’s late hijack attempt to secure Dragusin’s signatures. However, the headlines for the transfer haven’t been replicated into performances, and multiple clubs from Serie A are looking to snap up his signature.

Fiorentina interested in Dragusin

The 22-year-old has now reportedly attracted interest from another Italian side, Fiorentina, ahead of the winter transfer window, per TuttoMercatoWeb (via. Sport Witness).

There have been reports linking the player to Juventus and Napoli’s interest in the 22-year-old, albeit his agent, Florin Manea, has ruled out an exit for Dragusin in the middle of the season, though that hasn’t stopped Fiorentina, who have already initiated contact with the Premier League heavyweights regarding a potential move for the Romania international.

While La Viola’s have shown keen interest in bringing the 22-year-old to Artemio Franchi Stadium, the current injury woes at White Hart Lane should prove a stumbling block for any probable Dragusin exit, especially until the defensive setup stabilises.

Given the circumstances, it looks highly likely that Radu will stay at Tottenham for the foreseeable future, and any persistence from Fiorentina (or other clubs) for his signature could be taken into possible consideration in the summer window.

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Do you think Tottenham should sell Radu Dragusin next summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Yang Min-hyeok is set to arrive at Tottenham from Gangwon FC ahead of his schedule

Appointed in July 2023, Ange Postecoglou has since been leading a rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur. He enjoyed a fine first season in the Premier League, where Spurs finished fifth and subsequently qualified for the Europa League.

To help his project go to another level, the chiefs at the Hotspur Way backed the Greek-Australian tactician heavily in the past summer transfer window. The Lilywhites broke the transfer record to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, while also acquiring the services of young talents such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert. In addition, they agreed on a deal with Gangwon FC for Yang Min-hyeok to arrive at the Hotspur Way in January.

Throughout the K-League campaign, Yang Min-hyeok proved to be an indispensable asset, concluding the campaign with an impressive tally of 12 goals and six assists in all 38 matches. He showcased his remarkable talent and skill set at such a young age.

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Signed by Spurs until 2030, he is also noted for being the youngest South Korean to join a Premier League club. He is now on his way to Tottenham, and ahead of starting his new adventure in England, the explosive winger spoke to local reporters at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.

Excited to start his new journey with Spurs, Yang Min-hyeok admitted he couldn’t sleep and “watched” Tottenham’s game against Southampton at the St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.

The arrival for South Asia would have been ecstatic after watching his new club on Sunday put up a show as Tottenham smashed Southampton 5-0 away. A brace from James Maddison, accompanied by goals from Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr, helped the North Londoners end their five-game winless run across all competitions.

Son delivered a captain’s performance on the night, scoring a goal and supplying two assists. The Spurs skipper is an icon in South Korea, and Min-hyeok feels he will be “very honoured and grateful” to play alongside Son and showcase his talent at White Hart Lane.

Min-hyeok is poised to team up with Tottenham officially a month ahead of schedule. The new arrival cannot come any sooner for Big Ange, who is in desperate need of fresh energy and vigour in his squad that has been decimated by injuries. Tottenham had nine first-team players unavailable for the trip to Southampton, of which three were wide players.

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Thus, the South Korean prodigy arriving at Spurs a month earlier than his schedule would be beneficial for both parties. This would allow him to get acclimatized to the demands of the physical and fast-paced nature of Premier League football, while Big Ange gets time to integrate him slowly into his squad.

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While he is deemed an investment for the future, the Tottenham boss would hope Min-hyeok settles in quickly at the club and provides him with a rotational option in attack.

Tottenham keen on a January swoop for Club Brugge left-back Maxim de Cuyper

Despite Tottenham Hotspur’s emphatic 5-0 slaughtering of basement club Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

The shine of the Lilywhites’ big win at the St Mary’s Stadium was taken away slightly by Destiny Udogie’s first-half injury. Udogie was forced off the field with Ange Postecoglou confirming it to be a tight quad. While the Italian’s substitution was to prevent it from aggravating, Spurs cannot afford to let go of another transfer window without addressing the left-back position.

According to an exclusive report from TBR Football, Tottenham are among the host of clubs to have scouted Club Brugge left-back Maxim de Cuyper.

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Maxim de Cuyper has been a standout performer for Club Brugge this season. The left-back, who has already earned six caps for Belgium, has scored once and registered four assists in 24 appearances this season for Club Brugge, demonstrating his attacking prowess. He is not slouch defensively either, with the Belgian more than capable of making important interceptions and tackles.

While primarily a left-back, De Cuyper is equally capable of playing as a left midfielder or winger, offering tactical flexibility that could be invaluable to Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs. The left-back area has been a concern for Postecoglou.

With the veteran Ben Davies into the final six months of his contract and used mostly as an emergency centre-back by Postecoglou, Udogie has had to cover most of Tottenham’s games from the left-back position. Now, with Udogie expected to miss a couple of games as a precautionary measure to avoid a quad problem and Davies already sidelined, the North Londoners don’t have a fit left-back right now.

Thus, De Cuyper’s signing would make a lot of sense for the club. At 23, the six-cap Belgium international is still not the finished article and would improve with the right coaching and guidance.

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Under Big Ange, he can perform the inverted full-back’s role to great effect and take his overall game to another level. Plus, the Knokke-Heist-born talent will be an exciting option to cover and challenge Udogie for a spot in Big Ange’s first XI at the Hotspur Way. However, the aforementioned report adds both Arsenal and Manchester City are working on a deal to sign De Cuyper.

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That said, if Tottenham is seriously interested in De Cuyper, we must start making plans to sign him from Club Brugge next month.

Tottenham Hotspur cannot afford to fire Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham Hotspur face a massive decision if their results for the remainder of December do not improve drastically as far as Ange Postecoglou is concerned. The former Celtic boss’ position has come under grave scrutiny over recent weeks with the Lilywhites failing to impress in a number of outings now across all competitions.

A defeat against Manchester United in their upcoming fixture in the midweek round of the Carabao Cup could really put Postecoglou’s job at risk although it would come at a massive financial cost to Tottenham Hotspur, who would need to pay out the remainder of the Australian’s contract if they decide to fire him as opposed to mutually parting ways.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King believes that the club does not have enough money, however, as he was quoted saying the following to Tottenham Hotspur News when asked about Ange Postecoglou’s continuity at the club beyond the foreseeable future.

“I’m not sure whether Levy can afford to sack him. Postecoglou has quite a big team at the club. Therefore, I think it would require big money for him to be sacked.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been sacking managers left, right and centre for the last several years and though this time a fair share of the pressure on Postecoglou is justified, the main man under scrutiny should be Daniel Levy for his incompetent business for the football club and having more concentration on the club’s business unrelated to the sport for the last several years.

It is difficult to think, however, that Levy might not actually be ‘afford’ to sack Postecoglou. Spurs have not spent any good money in the past few years, apart from signing Dominic Solanke though even his signing was sanctioned using the fee the club yielded by selling Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 for a record sum that exceeded Gareth Bale’s swoop to Real Madrid.

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Only time will tell what comes of Postecoglou’s future at Hotspur Way though it is fair to say that there are bigger problems than him within the club.

Tottenham Hotspur have been looking for defensive reinforcements when the winter transfer window comes around, with the Lilywhites being subject to links with a move for Leeds United centre back Pascal Struijk, who played with Spurs sensation Archie Gray during their shared time at Elland Road before the latter eventually moved to White Hart Lane last summer.

There have been ample injuries at Hotspur Way at the moment, and with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven serving the sidelines, Ange Postecoglou has had to rely on makeshift options like Archie Grey (who started at the heart of defence in the Lilywhites 1-1 draw against Rangers in the midweek and in 5-0 over Southampton yesterday), which has left defensive depth exposed and the Australian head coach short of options.

Levy eyes Leeds defender Pascal Struijk

Daniel Levy has been looking at a possible replacement for Struijk, who has been an integral figure in Daniel Farke’s Leeds United, where he is not only marshalling the troops but also excelling as a distributor, with the latter being an asset that the former Celtic manager in charge of Tottenham will love to use in an all-attacking style of play.

The Belgium-born defender who went on to represent the Netherlands in U17s is primarily a left-footed centre-back who is versatile enough to be deployed in the left-back as well as defensive midfield role, and he brings a blend of defensive solidity and technical ability to the side, both of the qualities that suit Postecoglou’s high-tempo playing style.

The 25-year-old is only entering his prime and not only offers Premier League experience but also tactical depth and flexibility to the Lilywhites if they are to snap his signature. Moreover, his ability to play as a left-sided centre-back would complement Spurs’ existing setup while providing much-needed cover for Van de Ven, who has a bit of hamstring problems every now and then.

Graeme Bailey backs Tottenham move for Leeds defender

And transfer expert Graeme Bailey has backed the Lilywhites to move for the defender in 2025, saying (via. Leeds United News):

“Struijk is coming into his prime and has really been under the radar to a lot of people—not Leeds fans—but he is very much on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs.

“A left-sided defender, and he is real quality, and I am told Tottenham are amongst those who have checked on him. Clearly Leeds want him to stay and will look to tie him down to a new deal, but him staying long-term will be dictated by Leeds getting back to the Premier League.”

It is to be seen if Daniel Levy can sit down with Leeds United and negotiate a deal for the defender, given the Whites are also keen to tie down the 25-year-old to a new contract.

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Will you take Struijk at White Hart Lane in 2025? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham told to consider Thomas Frank appointment

Tottenham Hotspur have been started to be linked with a number of other managers following their poor run of form, which might see Ange Postecoglou lose his job. The Australian’s position in the immediate future is unlikely to be very fragile, though there could be a decision on the board’s hands if there is no marked change in proceedings by the time 2025 gets underway.

Jan Molby, a former Liverpool player, has advised Tottenham Hotspur to consider the appointment of Brentford boss Thomas Frank to replace Ange Postecoglou if indeed he were to be shown the door. Frank has done a fantastic job with Brentford, who have become a regular team in the Premier League in recent seasons and have played some attractive football alongside that.

TBR Football quoted Molby saying the following words about his compatriot, Thomas Frank.

“I have no more doubts, he is the right man for Tottenham. he squad they have fits Thomas Frank, 100 per cent. Look at the players and the way Thomas Frank plays. I think it’s perfect.”

Much of Brentford’s success in the past few years can be attributed to Thomas Frank, who has gotten the job done with limited resources. His tactical brilliance has been visible this season in particular as well after Ivan Toney’s departure for Saudi Arabia, thus prompting links with bigger clubs, including Manchester United before they eventually ended up hiring Ruben Amorim.

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For him to join Tottenham, however, would be a backward step as in a few more years, he could be on the verge of joining someone far bigger and better. At Hotspur Way, he will join a long list of managers who have been deemed as failures solely due to the board’s terrible business in building the squad, like they are seeming to do with Postecoglou in due course.

Tottenham Hotspur have been looking at a possible move for 6ft 5in goalkeeper from Botafogo, John Victor, ahead of the upcoming winter transfer window, with the North Londoners looking to revamp their goalkeeping department amid recent injury concerns.

Victor is someone who not only brings much-needed physical dominance but also has the technical ability to play all attacking football under Ange Postecoglou. The fact that the Lilywhites have also been looking at Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson shows how Daniel Levy is prioritising recruiting in the position ahead of January, especially given how the North Londoners have relied on veteran Fraser Forster of late following Guglielmo Vicario’s ankle surgery that has kept him on the sidelines.

Tottenham and Manchester United eye Botafogo’s John Victor for January move

Spurs will be met by competition from English top-tier rivals Manchester United for the 28-year-old Brazilian, per Football Insider. However, by the current needs (owing to injuries), a potential move to Spurs gives the player an opportunity to establish himself as the first choice given how he will play as a backup to Andre Onana at Old Trafford.

John Victor has decent numbers for his current employers with 22 clean sheets in 51 appearances, and Spurs could do a bit with those nil on the conceding at the moment.

That being said, there is nothing concrete about the rumours as of now except interests from Premier League clubs. There should be much along the lines of price range coming out if the clubs fortify interest in the 28-year-old ahead of January.

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Given the necessity to bring in another goalkeeper this winter, would you take John Victor at Hotspur Way? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.