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Tottenham Hotspur may be watching their academy product impressing in the Championship with regret for letting him leave as a free agent.

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There was method to the madness that saw Tottenham Hotspur allow defender Japhet Tanganga to leave the club as a free agent this summer, despite his outstanding form for Millwall this season, according to a club legend.

The 25-year-old spent the back end of last season on loan at The Den and Lions head coach Neil Harris had made no secret of his desire to have the player back. Tanganga helped Millwall steer clear of relegation last season, providing two vital goals to clinch points, as well as defensive stability.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy product has picked up where he left off this season as well. A mainstay in the Millwall defence, he's been part of the backline that has kept seven clean sheets in 18 outings and a side that is unbeaten since the start of October.

Those results have included 1-0 home victories over promotion-chasing Leeds United and Burnley, in which Tanganga stood out. In the match against Leeds, LondonWorld rated the player a 10/10 and wrote: "A sublime shift. So up for it tonight, confident and decisive in everything he did. The goal topped off a great performance with a clever finish that any striker would be proud of."

With such head-turning performances, it's led to some questioning why Spurs allowed the player to leave so easily. The Premier League side didn't make any profit from a sale with no new contract agreed, despite Tanganga sharing his desire to work with Postecoglou.

Former Spurs and Birmingham City defender Stephen Carr, who made 377 Premier League and 33 Championship appearances during his career, has reasoned that it is hard to criticise the defender's former club for how they handled the situation.

Millwall on ‘terrific run of form’ with Tanganga

When asked if Tottenham Hotspur could be regretting their decision to release Tanganga, Carr told William Hill: "Great question and spot on. Tanganga is doing really well at Millwall and has a good partnership with Jake Copper.

"Millwall are on a terrific run of form and defensively they are doing really well and have had some great results lately, which has also see Tanganga get on the scoresheet which is always a massive bonus for the team if you’re not only scoring from the attacking players but defenders are getting in on the act.

"Sometimes the timing isn’t right for players and that can be a reason why he was let go. You need a good run in a side to be confident with your fellow defenders and build a good relationship. You look at all partnerships and they don’t just gel at once and it’s difficult to come in and out of a side."

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Chelsea are dealing with a fresh injury blow following the 3-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend.

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca provided an update on the injury sustained by Wesley Fofana against Aston Villa last weekend, in what he has described as a 'big loss' for the club ahead of the busy festive fixture schedule.

The matches are coming thick and fast in the top flight with Premier League clubs all in midweek action before another round of fixtures this weekend. The Blues make the trip to Southampton on Wednesday before a journey across London to take on Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur in a derby on Sunday afternoon.

Chelsea will be without Fofana for those fixtures with the 23-year-old not expected to be back in first team action until the New Year due to a hamstring injury. The former Leicester City man stood on the ball against Aston Villa and went down injured.

At the time, Maresca predicted an absence of 10 to 12 games based on his experience with similar problems in the past. He said: "Unfortunately it is bad new. A hamstring problem.

"These kind of things usually require three four, five weeks. In this moment, we lose him for 10 or 12 games. In the way he was playing, it is a big loss for us but we have more players and we can find a solution.

"It's a big loss, it's a big loss. He is doing fantastic but it is normal when you play this amount of games. Fortunately, it was his first injury of the season but we will find a solution."

Enzo Maresca provides Wesley Fofana update

Chelsea supporters will have been hoping for a more positive update as Maresca sat down to talk to the press on Tuesday, but the manager was unable to provide that, doubling down on his worries about the injury.

Maresca said: “We don’t have any updates at the moment in terms of two days ago. We will have to wait a bit and we hope for some news in the next day.

“But for sure he will be out for a few weeks. James is getting better but it is weeks to come back. For sure it is a big loss. Wes was doing fantastic, but we need to assess and respond.”

Fofana has been a mainstay at the heart of Maresca's defence so far this season, with Chelsea impressing under their new stewardship. The only league match the defender missed was the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in October, which came through suspension having picked up five yellow cards.

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AFC Bournemouth have made the Viatlity Stadium the scene of two giant killings ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur.

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Tottenham Hotspur hit the road once again this week as Ange Postecoglou takes his side to the south coast with a tough-to-beat AFC Bournemouth ready to play hosts under the floodlights of the Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries have got the better of Arsenal and Manchester City at their home ground in October and November and will be buoyed by putting four past Wolves on their travels last weekend.

Both managers will no doubt be eyeing rotation with another round of fixtures this weekend and a busy festive fixture schedule ahead. Here's your early team news.

AFC Bournemouth team news

Midfielder Lewis Cook has been a mainstay in the AFC Bournemouth midfield this season but missed out for the first time this term against Wolves last time out. Andre Iraola confirmed that was as a precaution with the player nursing a small muscle injury.

Julian Zuniga has missed the last two with a hamstring injury and is expected to be absent against Tottenham Hotspur with no return date known on his problem. Luis Sinisterra is another with a hamstring problem, which is a recurring issue and therefore the winger is not being rushed back into action.

Alex Scott will also miss out. The former Bristol City man underwent surgery on his knee in October and is on the path to recovery, but isn't expected back in first team future imminently.

Doubts - Lewis Cook. Outs - Julian Zuniga, Luis Sinisterra, Alex Scott.

Tottenham Hotspur team news

It's a more complicated situation on the injury front for Ange Postecoglou. Fraser Forster is set to continue in between the sticks with Vicario out for months due to an ankle injury.

In defence, Micky Van de Ven continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury and could be back in first team action later this month, but the trip to the Vitality Stadium will come too soon. Cristian Romero has missed the last two with a foot injury but is close to a return.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's draw against Fulham, Postecoglou said: “Romero is closer but probably unlikely. I'm not ruling him out. He's got to get through a few things today, and then there's a session tomorrow.”

In midfield, Archie Gray picked up a dead leg on Sunday but could be in the squad against AFC Bournemouth. Wilson Odobert is set to miss out again with a hamstring injury while Mikey Moore will need a little longer to recover from an illness. Rodrigo Bentancur remains suspended by the FA.

Up front, Brazil international Richarlison isn't expected back from a hamstring injury until the New Year. Dominic Solanke was absent against Fulham because of illness, but there's hope he'll be fit again to face his former side on Thursday.

Postecoglou said ahead of Fulham: "He came in today and he wasn't looking the best, just under the weather. So we just sent him home. Hopefully a full recovery now ahead of the next one."

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Tottenham have been linked to an Everton striker and Borussia Dortmund’s star winger.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to add more firepower to their attack in the January transfer window as they have been linked to a Premier League striker and a Bundesliga winger.

Despite Ange Postecoglou’s team being the highest-scoring in the Premier League, they have suffered with inconsistency this season coming off a 4-0 win against Manchester City only to draw 1-1 against Fulham this past weekend.

Adding extra depth up front could help Postecoglou adapt his attackers more to cater for specific oppositions to avoid falling to inconsistency. Tottenham have been reportedly linked with Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens according to a report by Team Talk suggesting they could move for both in the January transfer window.

The Everton striker has struggled for fitness and consistency under Sean Dyche at Goodison Park this season, providing just two goals and one assist in 13 Premier League appearances, leading the Toffees to being the joint-lowest scorers in the league. He was linked to rivals Chelsea during the summer transfer window.

However, the report suggests that Spurs are monitoring Calvert-Lewin who Everton are trying to sign on a new deal as his current contract expires in the summer, meaning that teams outside of England could agree to sign him for free next month. If the striker wants to leave, the Toffees could sell in January in order to make some money amid competing interest from high-performing Nottingham Forest, who are also said to be keen on Calvert-Lewin alongside Tottenham.

The report also says that Newcastle and AC Milan are also interested in the striker, which could mean Spurs have some significant competition to sign him should the attacker leave in the January transfer window.

Borussia Dortmund man attracting Tottenham interest

Spurs also have a reported interest in Borussia Dortmund winger Gittens, who has four goals and three assists for the German side so far this season. The 20-year-old has played mainly on the left-hand side which is the same as in-form Spurs star Brennan Johnson.

However, according to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Dortmund have placed an £83m price tag on Gittens, which would likely be too steep for Spurs despite the fact that the winger has a sky-high potential.

Gittens came through the youth academy at Manchester City before he moved to Germany in 2020, aged 16. So far he has 13 goals and 13 assists for Dortmund in 77 appearances including 14 appearances in the Champions League. Chelsea are also reportedly interested in Gittens after he has impressed in Germany so far this season.

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All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Premier League.

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It was another weekend of exciting Premier League action, and a relatively successful one for the London clubs. West Ham were the only losers, falling to a heavy defeat to Arsenal, while Chelsea and Brentford beat Aston Villa and Wolves respectively.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace drew with Newcastle United and Tottenham and Fulham played out a 1-1 draw. Here we round up the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Premier League.

Spurs eye keeper

Tottenham are said to be considering a deal to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. Spurs have been left short between the sticks this season with Vicario sideline through injury.

According to The Sun, Ange Postecoglou wants more depth in the position and is considering a deal to sign Patterson amid impressive outings at the top of the Championship. Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be tracking the stopper, who Sunderland will want to keep amid a promotion push this season.

Solanke absence explained

Sticking with Tottenham, Postecoglou has confirmed that Dominic Solanke missed out on the Fulham clash through illness, with a short recovery period expected.

"He just came in today and he wasn't looking the best,” said the Spurs boss. “He was under the weather so we sent him home. Hopefully a full recovery and ready to go for the next one."

United get double blow

Manchester United have lost two key players for their mid-week clash with Arsenal. The Red Devils picked up a big win over Everton on Sunday, with Ruben Amorim getting the first three points of his reign.

But during the 4-0 win, both Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo picked up yellow cards. In doing so, the pair reached their yellow card limits and will be suspended for one game, this week’s clash with Arsenal. That will be seen as a significant boost for the in-form Gunners.

Arsenal beat West Ham United 5-2 in the Premier League on Saturday night

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Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp has described Martin Odegaard as the ‘glue’ in the Arsenal starting XI following Saturday’s 5-2 victory at West Ham United.

The Gunners cruised into a 4-0 lead with a rampant first-half display at the London Stadium and although the Hammers clawed two goals back, a fifth Arsenal goal before half time knocked the wind out of the Irons sails. The result puts the Gunners six points behind Liverpool and and two points above Manchester City ahead tomorrow’s meeting at Anfield between the north west clubs.

Odegaard scored a first-half penalty after Gabriel Magalhaes and Leandro Trossard had put the visitors 2-0 up. Kai Havertz added a fourth but there was life in West Ham as Aaron Wan-Bissaka pulled a goal back with Emerson netting a second home goal two minutes later. Bukayo Saka struck from the penalty spot in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to ease any Arsenal nerves.

Speaking afterwards, Redknapp said: “Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard linked up beautifully at times and they looked like the side we've seen over the last couple of years. It just shows everybody what Odegaard does for this team, he knits it together. He is the glue in the team. He is an absolute joy to watch and you see how much better they are with him. He frees Saka up and gives him that time in one on one situations that you can't really have unless Odegaard is playing.”

Saka provided two assists along with his goal from the penalty spot and he believes Arsenal are back to their best after a poor run of form before the international break. He said: "I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring but the greatest pleasure is to win. Let's keep this form going. Definitely the last three games we have been back."

Tottenham Hotspur have a number of injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Fulham

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has admitted that defender Cristian Romero is likely to miss a third-straight fixture but has yet to rule the player out of Sunday’s meeting with Fulham.

The 26-year-old has struggled with a number of problems recently. He missed Spurs’ Europa League loss to Galatasaray before the international break but did return for the Premier League loss to Ipswich Town and then jetted off to South American to join up with Argentina. He came off at half-time in a clash with Paraguay and then missed the following international contest with Peru. Since returning to England, he has missed the remarkable win over Manchester City and Thursday’s 2-2 draw with AS Roma in the Europa League. Ahead of Sunday’s game with Fulham, Postecoglou insisted he was not ready to rule Romero out but did admit he was unlikely to recover in time.

"Romero is closer (to returning), he is probably the closest," the Spurs boss explained, via the club website. "He's probably unlikely, but I'm not ruling him out, he's still got to get through some things today and the session tomorrow. From last night, at this stage, it is a clean bill of health. Mind you, I thought that last week and then I had a guy in surgery (Guglielmo Vicario) an hour later... I think everything is alright from last night."

Given that Romero is the closest to returning and is still a doubt, it can be safely assumed that Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Mikey Moore and Guglielmo Vicario all remain out with injury while Rodrigo Bentancur serves the second match of his seven-game ban. The positive news for Spurs is that Dominic Solanke is not facing a significant injury after a challenge from Mats Hummels on Thursday night. The former Liverpool and Bournemouth striker did not look completely comfortable but the Spurs boss revealed he is just a bit sore. He added: "He's fine. He is a bit sore. He's working hard for us but, at this stage, (there's) nothing too significant (injury wise).”

As mentioned, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has undergone ankle surgery. It was revealed earlier this week that the player would be facing months out. Postecoglou said of the injury and the possible timeframe for a return: "I guess it was a bit of a shock, first of all. We saw he'd picked up the injury during the game. We saw him at half time, but there was no doubt about him continuing. You digest that and then, post-game, he was sore but, you're kind of like, he's just played 60 minutes with a sore ankle, but we'll tape it up and go again.

"Externally people now realise, it's a testament to him as a person. He's as tough as nails and tough as they come. The fact that he played at that level for 60 minutes with a fractured ankle was quite outstanding. The shock of it wears off and then you have to process that he's going to be missing for a while. Knowing him, he'll push the limits of how long that is. Also, knowing him, you'll get daily updates about that on his Instagram! It's a big blow, and for him personally, because he was having an outstanding season for us and really growing as a leader within the group but we've dealt with setbacks before and we'll deal with this one.

"It's not going to be weeks. It'll be months. He's had his surgery and, you know with surgery, there's certain timelines and because it's Vic... I don't like giving timelines so early in the process as something like that as it puts undue pressure on the player and some expectations. I think once we're past the rehab stage and he starts getting out (onto the training pitch), we'll have a clearer idea."

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Tottenham Hotspur have been in Europa League action

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Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has slammed Yves Bissouma for his ‘lazy’ defending as Ange Postecoglou’s side conceded a late equaliser to Roma in their Europa League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The hosts drew 2-2 with the Serie A outfit in the end and were left kicking themselves at the end.

Spurs looked on their way to a 2-1 win after goals by attacking pair Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson. However, the visitors levelled things up in added-on time through defender Mats Hummels.

Bissouma failed to push out after a corner and played a few Roma players onside. Robinson was on pundit duties for BBC Live 5 and said : “It is (Yves) Bissouma who is standing in front of his goalkeeper. He is playing everyone onside. If Bissouma steps out of the six yard box, Hummels is two or three yards offside but he doesn’t, he’s lazy and he stays in the six yard box. How many times as a goalkeeper do you see that? He (Fraser Forster) makes an absolutely fantastic save. You think it’s a match winning save for your team but from the resulting corner a goal like that goes past you.

“It’s just the basics, it’s defending set plays. The corner was unavoidable because it was a fantastic save by Fraser Forster. The reaction that he had and the power he had in his hands to get it over the bar but then the lack of marking, the lack of awareness from Tottenham from the corner that followed that, everybody’s still admiring Fraser Forster’s save. Nobody is picking up the free cross that came in, Hummels (was) unmarked.”

‘Only got themselves to blame’...

He added: “They have only got themselves to blame. Defensively from the set play, it is all about organisation, it’s about leadership, it’s about marking players in the box. I think it was (Nicola) Zalewski or Angelino who put the cross in, the initial corner came all the way through Tottenham’s defence. As the ball came back in to Mats Hummels, there were two or three others who could have tapped it in at the far post. It is just the fundamental basics of defending corners and set plays, especially that late in the game.”

Spurs find themselves in 9th position in the Europa League table and would have gone inside the top four had they held on against Roma. They have 10 points on the board from their first five outings in the competition and have three more games to get through against Rangers, Hoffenheim and Elfsborg.

Postecoglou’s men beat Manchester City 4-0 last time out in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium and are positioned in 6th place in the league. They are now three points off the top four as they prepare for their upcoming fixture against Fulham at home on Sunday.

Spurs then have upcoming matches in early December against AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea and Southampton as they look to build some momentum this winter and put some pressure on the teams above them.

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Tottenham will take on AS Roma in the Europa League tomorrow night and Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the press.

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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou admits he’s been blown away by the mentality of injured goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who played on for 60 minutes despite suffering a high-profile ankle injury that requires surgery.

Keeping a clean sheet against Manchester City is tough for anyone, but to do that while injured is incredibly remarkable. It highlights a mindset that is the hallmark of born winners.

At the start of the campaign, Postecoglou promoted the Italian goalkeeper to the leadership group, and it’s that kind of mentality, where he’s the only one who turns up, even on an off day, that truly differentiates him from other professionals.

Postecoglou told reporters at the club’s training base: “Yeah, I think so. Externally, people probably now realise what we knew about him internally. It’s the reason I made him part of the leadership group this year. You can see the way he goes about his business every day. He has a really strong mentality."

"He wants to be better. I give the guys days off, and I guarantee he will be in anyway, doing something. He’s just that kind of person.

“An unbelievable performance. Irrespective of the injury, it was a really strong performance from him. But putting that in context, it’s certainly one for the record books of this club in terms of outstanding performances.”

The game against Manchester City showed a side of Tottenham that fans love, the resilience and commitment that defines top the teams. After the match, both Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie appeared tired and injured, but the Spurs boss confirmed they were fine.

He added: “Both of them are fine and ready to go.”

Tottenham will take a giant step toward qualifying for the knockout stage of the Europa League if they can win their next game against AS Roma, coached by 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri.

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Recent Tottenham Hotspur transfer rumours following their latest Premier League win.

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Tottenham Hotspur are back in Europa League action on Thursday when they host Roma, fresh from their sensational 4-0 win over Manchester City. Ange Postecoglou’s side pulled the reigning Premier League champions apart to add to their miserable run of form.

Spurs are currently sixth in the league table on 19 points, just three behind Brighton, rivals Arsenal, and Chelsea in a thrilling battle for the top four. As the final weeks of the year count down and the January transfer window approaches, we’ve taken a look at some of the latest transfer rumours surrounding Spurs.

Spurs tipped to offload key player to make room for midfield star

Spurs have been linked with PSV’s Malik Tillman recently as they look to bolster their options in midfield. According to TBR Football, the US international is being monitored by both Tottenham and Aston Villa. However, while he has been viewed as a good signing for Spurs, Bryan King is adamant they will first need to offload someone from the engine room.

Speaking to Tottenham News, King said of Tillman: “He has been part of a very successful PSV team over the past two seasons. However, I’d imagine if Spurs were going to bring in this type of player, they’d need to get rid of somebody.

“Therefore, they would have to look to sell at least one of the midfield players. I think it would either be Yves Bissouma or perhaps Pape Sarr who are made available.”

Sarr has featured in all Premier League fixtures so far this season, while Bissouma has made nine appearances and scored two goals.

Spurs ‘intend to trigger’ player contract option

Tottenham have a number of players approaching the end of their contracts next summer, including Son Heung-min. The club are planning on triggering an extension for the star winger and, according to a new report from The Athletic, they are also looking to keep hold of Ben Davies as well.

Spurs ‘intend to trigger’ the option in the defender’s current deal to keep him at the club for the 2025/26 season. The 31-year-old’s terms are due to expire at the end of this campaign, which is his 11th in Tottenham colours, but they plan to keep him on for a 12th.

Davies is the longest-serving player currently at Tottenham Hotspur and despite having limited minutes in the Premier League so far this season, he remains a solid option from off the bench and has started all Wales’ Nations League matches.