The Independent

Two men have denied charges of burgling Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the night Beyoncé played to a sell-out crowd.

Alirza Dag and Murat Kodalakoglu, both 23, are accused of accessing a VIP rooftop terrace at the north London venue.

The pair also face charges of causing £1,700 worth of damage to an electronic keypad used to gain entry to the exclusive terrace.

At Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, Dag admitted criminal damage to the door access control panel, while his co-defendant pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

Defence lawyers Tetevi Davie and Anisa Kebbati, representing Dag and Kodalakoglu respectively, stated that their clients had no intention to steal in relation to the burglary allegations. Ms Kebbati added: "(Kodalakoglu) denies any intent or involvement in criminal damage."

Their trial has been scheduled for 18 February 2030. Due to the significant time until the hearing, Judge Daniel Fugallo imposed a sole bail condition: that they inform their solicitors within seven days of any change to their address or contact number.

The prosecution had previously claimed at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court that the two men broke in "with intent to steal".

The incident occurred on 16 June last year, during the final night of six sold-out shows at the Spurs ground for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter world tour.

Dag, from Tottenham, and Kodalakoglu, from Chelmsford, are alleged to have burgled Lilywhite House, which houses administration offices at the £1 billion stadium.

They are accused of cutting wires on the electronic access panel to gain entry to a balcony terrace typically reserved for senior club executives.

Beyonce also performed a series of concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2023.

The pop star headed over to the English capital to play hits from her Renaissance album at the venue that officially opened in 2019.

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Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to secure the services of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke in a deal understood by the Press Association to be worth £52 million.

The move for the 25-year-old centre-back comes after a dismal 2025-26 campaign for Spurs, which saw them narrowly avoid Premier League relegation on the final day of the season.

After two initial bids were rejected, an agreement has been struck for the player, who was set to be out of contract next summer, with a fixed £52m fee bringing him to north London.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi previously worked with Van Hecke during his tenure at Brighton, where the ball-playing central defender blossomed into one of the league's standout players in his position.

Despite avoiding the drop, De Zerbi has stressed the need for significant lessons to be learned, with the club's majority owners, the Lewis family, pledging to be "all in" to fund a necessary rebuild following consecutive 17th-placed finishes.

Tottenham's defensive frailties were stark, conceding 122 goals across the last two Premier League seasons.

Van Hecke's arrival marks another step in De Zerbi's immediate efforts to bolster the backline, following the earlier acquisitions of left-back Andy Robertson and centre-back Marcos Senesi.

Van Hecke began his career in the Netherlands with NAC Breda before joining Brighton in 2020.

It was under De Zerbi during the 2023-24 season that he truly flourished with the Seagulls, making 40 appearances and playing a key role in their qualification for Europe for only the second time in their history.

He will now link up with his Netherlands international teammate Micky van de Ven at Tottenham.

Brighton, meanwhile, are expected to intensify their pursuit of Spurs centre-back Luka Vuskovic as a potential replacement, though two of their bids have already been rejected this month, PA understands.

Brighton have tabled a substantial £30 million bid for Tottenham's highly-rated Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic.

The 19-year-old is widely considered one of Europe's most promising young defensive talents, despite yet to make a senior appearance for Spurs since his 2023 move from Hajduk Split.

Vuskovic spent last season on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, where he enjoyed a breakout year in senior football.

He featured 30 times across all competitions, including 28 league appearances, and also made his full international debut for Croatia.

His impressive form has earned him a spot in Zlatko Dalic’s 26-man squad for the World Cup, where he could potentially face England next week.

Prior to Hamburg, he also had loan spells with Westerlo in Belgium and Radomiak Radom in Poland.

The Seagulls' pursuit of Vuskovic comes as they continue discussions with Tottenham over the potential sale of fellow central defender Jan Paul van Hecke, for whom two bids have already been rejected.

Brighton have already moved to bolster their defensive options under Roberto De Zerbi, having secured the signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi.

Robertson and Senesi have both arrived on free transfers after their contracts expired at Liverpool and Bournemouth, respectively.

Spurs are aiming to get back on track after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day of the 2025-26 season.

It was a torrid campaign for the north London club, which saw Spurs go through three managers after sacking Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor before finally settling on De Zerbi.

Meanwhile, Brighton want to bolster their own ranks ahead of their return to Europe after qualifying for next season’s Conference League.

It promises to be a busier season for Brighton due to their European commitments, and the potential signing of Vuskovic could set the club up well for another strong campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur have bolstered their defensive ranks with the signing of Marcos Senesi on a free transfer, marking another step in Roberto De Zerbi's ongoing squad overhaul.

The centre-back arrives in north London after his contract with Bournemouth expired at the close of the 2025-26 season.

Senesi, who made 128 appearances for the Cherries since joining from Feyenoord in 2022, opted against a new deal on the south coast to pursue a move to Spurs.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the new challenge, Senesi stated: "It’s a very special feeling to be a Tottenham Hotspur player.

“From the first moment, the club has shown why they want me and how much they want me to be a part of what they are building. It’s exciting and something I can’t wait to be involved in."

This acquisition aligns with De Zerbi's strategic vision for the club, particularly following his successful navigation of a relegation battle, where he secured 11 points from seven crucial matches.

The Italian manager had previously stressed the need for significant defensive investment and an overall squad overhaul, a directive that appears to be taking shape with Senesi's arrival.

Tottenham have conceded 122 goals across the last two Premier League seasons where they have finished 17th in back-to-back campaigns and the addition of ball-playing defender Senesi follows left-back Andy Robertson’s arrival on a free transfer.

De Zerbi said: “Marcos’ experience, quality on the ball, and competitive edge will strengthen us defensively, as well as giving us flexibility in formation.

“He’s comfortable playing in a possession-based team, reads the game very well and has the personality to thrive in a demanding environment.

“I also love his mentality and desire to keep improving and I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing the big contribution he can make to the team.”

Earlier on Wednesday it was announced Ben Davies had signed a new 12-month deal at Tottenham to extend his stay at the club into a 13th season.

Wales captain Davies only made five appearances during an injury-ravaged last season, but was praised by De Zerbi for his leadership during a tense and ultimately successful relegation battle in the Premier League.

Davies, who has appeared 363 times for Tottenham, was present for matches at Aston Villa and Chelsea before he helped with the team’s preparations before a final-day win at home to Everton.

However, Yves Bissouma will leave the club this summer when his contract expires on June 30.

Tottenham have had a second bid for defender Jan Paul van Hecke rejected, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has revealed.

Spurs made a move for Dutch centre-back Van Hecke earlier this month after a terrible 2025-26 campaign where only a final-day win over Everton secured Premier League survival.

An opening bid by Tottenham for Van Hecke was rejected after it fell short of Brighton’s valuation for the 25-year-old and Barber has confirmed another offer has been rebuffed for a player set to be out of contract next summer.

“There’s always going to be a lot of interest in our best players and certainly in the case of Jan Paul,” Barber told talkSPORT.

“Again, we’ve been very clear that interest has been ongoing for a while. It’s coming from multiple sources.

“Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids, so from that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player.”

Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi worked with Van Hecke across two seasons at Brighton and the ball-playing central defender has since emerged as one of the best players in his position in the Premier League.

Spurs made their first move of the summer window on Friday with Scotland captain Andy Robertson brought in on a free transfer from Liverpool, it’s understood free agent Marcos Senesi is expected to follow suit.

Van Hecke is the next big target for Tottenham, who are eager to move quickly this summer to bolster a squad which has finished 17th in back-to-back seasons.

A firm run by American tech billionaire Brooklyn Earick have claimed they have agreed to buy most of Daniel Levy’s stake in Tottenham.

However, their surprise announcement came as news to ENIC, the club’s majority shareholders, and it is understood there has been no communication between Eight Sports Capital, Earick’s company, and ENIC.

Eight Sports Capital said they had signed a sale and purchase agreement to take a 24.99 percent stake in Spurs from former chairman Levy, who who stood down last September after running Tottenham for a quarter of a century.

Earick, a boyhood Tottenham fan who had expressed an interest in buying Spurs last year, is an engineer turned entrepreneur who used to work for NASA. He has now raised more than £25bn in funds, including from sovereign wealth funds.

He is the CEO of Redacted RnD, a Singapore-based venture capital company while Eight Sports Capital is a sports investment firm owned by Triller, who have also been involved in pay-per-view boxing, including Mike Tyson’s fight against Roy Jones Jr.

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited stated: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC. We look forward to working with the club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fans to support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.”

However, ENIC remain Tottenham’s majority owners, with the Lewis family owning 70.12 percent. The billionaire Joe Lewis has been represented by his daughter Vivienne and her son-in-law, Nick Beucher, who have become prominent since Levy stood down, while Peter Charrington became chairman.

After Tottenham finished 17th for the second consecutive season, avoiding relegation on the last day of the Premier League campaign, they said in a statement they would not sell the club and promised investment.

Levy is yet to comment in public as to whether he is agreed to have sold his shares. If so, it would make him hundreds of millions of pounds, with Tottenham valued at around £3bn.

Thomas Frank will take a break from management after concluding this summer is not the right time to accept a new job.

The Dane, who was sacked by Tottenham in February, had been touted as a candidate for Fulham or Crystal Palace, but believes he needs more time to get the energy required.

Frank spent almost seven years in charge of Brentford, winning promotion in 2021 and twice earning top-half Premier League finishes, before his ill-fated seven-month spell in charge of Spurs.

He was dismissed with Tottenham 16th in the Premier League, though they had finished fourth in the Champions League’s group phase, but his achievements with Brentford had meant there was interest from other clubs in the last few months.

He said: "There have been conversations and opportunities since leaving Spurs, but I have decided not to rush into the next role. For me, this summer is not the right time to go back into management.

"When the time is right, I will look forward to my return as a manager, ready to embrace the job with great energy and dedication."

Frank will be a pundit during the World Cup but is also keen to taking time to try and learn from other managers and figures outside sport.

He explained: "Football remains a huge part of who I am, and I have chosen to use this time productively. Over the coming months, besides spending time with family and friends, I will continue studying, observing and learning from other leaders both within sport and beyond it.

"I am also looking forward to covering the World Cup for Danish television and the BBC, as well as experiencing the Tour de France. Time away from the touchline is allowing me to broaden my perspective and gather insights that I look forward to bringing into my next challenge.”

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Andy Robertson has joined Tottenham on a free transfer after his departure from Liverpool.

The 32-year-old Scotland captain was close to moving to Spurs in January after falling behind Milos Kerkez in the pecking order under former Reds manager Arne Slot, but has now sealed a move to the Lilywhites following the expiry of his contract at Anfield.

The first signing of manager Roberto De Zerbi ahead of an expected summer rebuild, the Italian said: “Andy is someone I've admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

"He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.

"I can't wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him."

Robertson’s immediate focus will be on captaining Scotland at this summer’s World Cup, but he will bring much-needed leadership at Tottenham once he officially joins a squad set for an overhaul after just escaping a humiliating relegation last term.

“I’m in America just now preparing for the World Cup, but I just wanted to send you a quick message to say I cannot wait to play for you guys,” Robertson said in a short video message from Scotland’s World Cup camp.

“I cannot wait to meet you guys, I cannot wait to play in the stadium for the first time in front of you and I’m already looking forward next season.”

Robertson became one of the world’s best left-backs after his bargain £8m from Hull City in 2017, collecting two Premier League winners’ medals while also lifting the Champions League as he won everything there was to win with Liverpool.

The Scot, made 378 appearances for the Reds during that time but was limited to just 11 Premier League starts last term.

He has long been admired at Tottenham with a winter move only collapsing after Liverpool failed to recall Kostas Tsimikas from Roma to provide cover, leading them to pull the plug.

But with Robertson becoming a free agent, Spurs have snapped him up with the defender officially joining the club on 1 July.

“We are delighted to welcome Andy to the club,” sporting director Johan Lange said.

"First and foremost, he is an outstanding left-back - one of the best of all time in the Premier League, and someone who will improve our squad.

"In addition, his quality, character and leadership have been evident throughout a career in which he has regularly competed for - and won - major honours.

"Andy's professionalism and commitment will also be invaluable to the development of our squad, and he shares our ambition and determination to bring success back to the Club.

"We are excited for Andy's new chapter with us and look forward to having him here after the World Cup."