CaughtOffside

Dominic Solanke is struggling with the weight of the Tottenham Hotspur shirt and needs to ‘calm down’, according to Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Spurs completed the £55m signing of Solanke from Bournemouth in August in a move that they hoped would finally replace Harry Kane, who left for Bayern Munich last summer.

Solanke caught the eye with 21 goals across all competitions last season, including 19 in 38 Premier League appearances.

However, that remains the 26-year-old’s best top-flight return to date, with Solanke only managing 10 goals in his previous 96 Premier League outings prior to 2023/24 for Bournemouth and Liverpool combined.

With that in mind, there may well be worries that last season was a one-off for Solanke, whose only previous seasons breaking double figures (2020/21 and 2021/22) both came in the Championship.

Those fears will be exacerbated among Spurs fans, with Solanke yet to register a goal or assist in three appearances for this new club.

Most recently, he had just 24 touches of the ball and failed to attempt a shot in 62 minutes as Spurs came from behind late on to beat Coventry 2-1 away from home in the EFL Cup.

Tottenham shirt ‘too big’ for Solanke?

It’s certainly not been the ideal start to life at Tottenham for Solanke who, according to Agbonlahor, appears to be struggling with the expectations at Spurs and needs to get back to basics.

“You know with Solanke, Solanke has just got to like, have a chat with the manager and just calm down,” former Villa striker Agbonlahor told talkSPORT. “He looks like he’s… the shirt’s too big for him at the moment.

“Just remember what you did last season for Bournemouth, you were outstanding, think about the things you were doing last season.

“Holding the ball up, making runs, being strong, being aggressive, getting in the box because, he doesn’t want to be that player that you go two or three games without scoring.

“When you’re at a new club, the pressure comes on. He got brought off last night again, perfect game at the weekend for him against Brentford at home to hopefully get off the mark.”

Agbonlahor then urged Solanke to believe in his own ability and why Spurs paid so much for his services, while calling on Ange Postecoglou to stick with him.

“The big advice I’d give him is that you’re a top player and there’s a reason why you were bought for big money,” Agbonlahor continued.

“At Bournemouth, he was a menace, he was bullying defenders and putting his body in the way. Just don’t think to yourself that you are at a bigger club now at Spurs that the pressure is on.

“He just needs that first goal now. Ange needs to keep playing him.”

Top photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is attracting interest from Italian champions Inter Milan.

They are prepared to sign the 27-year-old Italian international next summer as a potential replacement for Yann Sommer. It will be interesting to see if Tottenham are willing to sanction his departure.

According to a report from Milan Live, Inter Milan are willing to offer £25 million for the goalkeeper, but the report states that Tottenham will demand a lot more for him if they decide to let him leave.

Vicario has established himself as a key player for Tottenham since joining the club and he has adapted to the Premier League quickly. Even though he has been criticised for his vulnerability while dealing with set pieces, his overall game is quite assured and he will be expected to develop into a top class player for the club in the near future.

Inter Milan want Guglielmo Vicario

Sommer has a contract with Inter Milan until 2026 and the Italian giants are already planning ahead. Vicario is at the peak of his powers and he could prove to be the ideal replacement for the Swiss international. It remains to be seen whether Inter Milan follow up on their interest with an official offer to sign the player in the coming months.

Spurs are looking to put together a squad capable of pushing for trophies and competing in the UEFA Champions League regularly. Selling their best players would be a major blow for the club, and it would not be surprising if they decided to turn down any approach for the Italian.

Meanwhile, the opportunity to return to his homeland could be attractive for the player, especially when a big club like Inter Milan comes calling. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few months.

Top Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been linked with Real Madrid in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old Argentine international has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league and top clubs want to secure his signature. According to Football Insider, Tottenham are hoping to tie him down to a new deal, but the player will only commit his long-term future to the club if they can match up to his ambitions.

He wants to compete for trophies regularly and compete at the highest level. It remains to be seen whether Tottenham can secure Champions League qualification and improve their squad in the coming months.

Keeping Romero at the club will certainly be one of their priorities, but they need to raise their performance levels in order to keep the best players in the world. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are hoping to improve defensively and the South American has proven his quality for club and country. He is good enough to join a club like Real Madrid and he could help them improve defensively.

Cristiano Romero open to La Liga move

The report further claims that Romero is not ruling out a move to La Liga in future and he could easily follow in the footsteps of Gareth Bale and Luka Modrić, who have joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in the past.

That said, the North London club will demand a massive fee for the 2022 World Cup winner and it will be interesting to see if Real Madrid are ready to break the bank for him. He is one of the best defenders in the world right now, and he is at the peak of his powers. He could transform Real Madrid defensively and help them win major trophies in the coming seasons. There is no doubt that the South American could be worth the investment.

Top Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

The threat of one of Tottenham Hotspur’s senior players moving on would appear to be enough to ensure that contract discussions are high on the agenda.

Real Madrid are apparently interested in the services of Spurs’ Argentinian centre-back, Cristian Romero, however, the North Londoner’s are going all out to keep hold of the player known as ‘Cuti.’

According to Give Me Sport, the Lilywhites are willing to offer the defender a new contract worth £200,000 per week.

Tottenham preparing to make Romero top earner

This would make him the top earner at the club, as current captain, Son Heung-min, is on £190,000 per week according to the outlet.

Clearly, the club need to move quickly if they want to tie the 26-year-old down for what would be regarded as the peak years of his career.

As reigning European and La Liga champions, and with players such as Jude Bellingham, Vini Jr. and Kylian Mbappe as potential team-mates, the pull to join Real Madrid is obvious.

Romero’s importance to Ange Postecoglou cannot be overstated, and if Tottenham really do want to be seen as a force domestically and on the continent in the years to come, tying the defender down to a new deal is of the upmost importance.

“Whether it’s in the way that Arsenal have, or better, or worse, we will have to wait and see.”

Arsenal and Arteta are often used as an example to why managers should be given time after the Spaniard had a difficult start to life at the Emirates and there was a time many Arsenal fans were calling for him to be sacked.

Spurs are going through a rebuild and you can see with the signings made this summer they are targeting young players who they hope will be a success at the club for many years to come, but what fans want more than anything is silverware.

Postecoglou’s men will look to get back to winning ways on Wednesday evening as they travel to Coventry in the EFL Cup before they host Brentford on Saturday.

Top photo by Getty Images

According to Fichajes, Tottenham are interested in signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the summer transfer window next year.

Spurs were active in the summer transfer window and strengthened their squad in attack and midfield.

The club backed manager Ange Postecoglou in the transfer market to make new signings and provided him the funds needed to strengthen the squad.

Tottenham signed striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in a club record move. The attacker is yet to open his account for the Lilywhites this season.

Spurs are planning to add more firepower to their attack in order to provide competition to Solanke.

They have identified Everton attacker Calvert-Lewin as the ideal player who can do that.

The Everton striker has entered the final year of his contract at Goodison Park and he is expected to leave the struggling Premier League side for a new challenge elsewhere.

The Toffees are currently bottom of the league and their future looks in danger, which would force not only Calvert-Lewin but also other players to leave the club soon.

Spurs feel that the Everton attacker ticks all the boxes and fulfills their requirements.

Tottenham move could revive Calvert-Lewin’s career

If the English striker does not agree a new deal with the Merseyside club, Spurs will be ready to pounce and make their move.

The possible arrival of Calvert-Lewin might work against Richarlison, who has struggled to perform at the North London club.

The Brazilian attacker faces an uncertain future at the Tottenham Stadium and Spurs are looking for an upgrade on him.

It remains to be seen if Calvert-Lewin, who has had his fair share of fitness issues, is the right man to become a part of the Tottenham attack.

His career has failed to progress at Everton and perhaps a change of scenery can bring the best out of him.

Top Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images

Arsenal FC expert Charles Watts has admitted he thinks there are worrying signs for Tottenham ahead of the rest of the season following the North London Derby at the weekend.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Watts explained that although he likes Ange Postecoglou, he does seem to lack a Plan B when things aren’t quite going right.

Spurs had a big opportunity to beat their rivals in Sunday’s clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Watts noticed what seemed like a lack of belief in the side, as well as moments where there just weren’t any real ideas or the quality to break down the Arsenal defence.

Arsenal ended up winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Gabriel Magalhaes in the second half, and it was surprisingly comfortable for them despite being without key players like Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Still, Tottenham didn’t take advantage of the situation, and Watts made it clear he thinks there are worrying signs at the club.

Tottenham were poor against Arsenal, says Watts

“I thought Spurs were really poor on Sunday to be honest,” Watts said.

“I expected them to really take the game to Arsenal giving the players that Mikel Arteta’s side were missing.

“But after a bright opening 15 minutes they barely laid a glove on them. It just looked like they had no idea how they were going to break Arsenal down.

“I do like Ange Postecoglou and he does like to play football in the right way. But even the Celtic fans who adored him north of the border warned that he doesn’t really have a Plan B.

“That always seemed to cost Celtic when they played teams who were superior to them in the Champions League and right now it looks like it is costing Spurs.

“Given who Arsenal were missing on Sunday I turned up at the ground expecting to see a Tottenham side who believed they could get one over their neighbours.

“But instead I saw a team who looked like they had no real belief that they could get through such a good defence. There was no real quality or guile.

“If I was a Spurs fan I would have been really disappointed with that performance and would be a bit concerned about what was to come this season.”

Top photo by Alex Pantling / Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, has never appeared to be the most popular person in that part of North London, and a recent decision has exposed his attempts to fleece away supporters attending European games in N17.

Although Spurs missed out on the Champions League in large part due to an awful end to the 2023/24 campaign, they still managed to earn themselves a Europa League berth.

Qarabag are the first opponents in European competition for the Lilywhites this season, and if Levy had had his way, their supporters would’ve been paying through the nose for the privilege.

Daniel Levy’s attempts to fleece fans has come back to bite the Tottenham chairman

According to The Telegraph (subscription required), the North Londoners were, apparently, one of just three clubs to object to prices for away fans in Europe to be capped.

That has meant of course that Tottenham will be losing potential revenue, given that it’s highly likely the club would’ve charged more for tickets than they are being allowed to.

Football Insider note that there is an upper price limit of £33.70 for away supporters attending Europa League games, and the host club are therefore prohibited to charge more.

Football finance expert, Stefan Borson, doesn’t believe the cap is such a bad thing either.

“The away schemes are good schemes,” he told Football Insider.

“People are spending a fortune just to get to the location, they work well in the Premier League as well, but clearly you’re losing a revenue by having a cap.

“If you go to Spurs and you’re in the away end you will be 10 seats away from people who are paying maybe three times what you’re paying as an away fan.

“So as an away fan, you’re paying £30 or 50 Euros in Europe but just down the road there are people who are paying multiples of those ticket prices and so Spurs are saying they want to maximise.

“It seems to me to make sense for there to at least be some schemes that cap prices.

“Away fans are a perfect group to support because you’ve got very generally hardcore fans who go home and away and have got additional costs in getting to those games.

“If they can be subsidised for the price to get into the ground then that seems to make sense to me.

“An average away fan spends more than an average home fan in terms of refreshment and drink and everything else, so I don’t think it’s a disastrous idea.”

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were keen on signing the Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez during the summer transfer window.

According to Football Espana, the two English clubs enquired about the 21-year-old midfielder but the transfer did not materialise because Barcelona viewed him as a key member of their squad for the future and the player was not keen on an exit either.

Lopez has already established himself as an important player for Barcelona, and he helped Spain win the Euro 2024 and the Olympics as well. He is highly rated across the country and he has a bright future ahead of himself.

He has the physical and technical attributes to develop into a top-class player and it remains to be seen where he ends up in the future.

Manchester United could certainly use more quality and depth in the midfield and Lopez would have been a quality long-term investment for them. The 21-year-old would have added creativity and goals to the side. Meanwhile, Tottenham could use more depth in the midfield as well. They have sanctioned departures of Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in recent weeks.

Fermin Lopez would be a superb investment

It will be interesting to see if the two clubs decide to return for Lopez during the summer transfer window. Barcelona are unlikely to want to let him leave any time soon, but they are going through financial difficulties. If the English clubs can come forward with a tempting offer, the Spanish club might decide to consider a potential departure.

Lopez is still only 21 and he will only improve with coaching and experience. He could develop into a top-class player in the near future and justify the investment in the long term. He has the potential to develop into a key player for both clubs.

Top photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

Tottenham were hoping to win all three points against Arsenal on Sunday but the visitors surprised them and managed to win 1-0.

Gabriel scored for Arsenal in the second half of the match to give Mikel Arteta’s team a crucial win in the early days of the title race.

The Gunners were missing several first team players including Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

It was an impressive defensive performance from Arsenal, who put their bodies on the line after taking the lead from a set-piece situation.

Former Premier League striker Dean Ashton was particularly surprised with the way Spurs reacted to the goal scored by Arsenal.

He felt Son Heung-min looked disinterested in the match and should have inspired his team to do better.

Ashton said on talkSPORT’s Sunday Session:

“The one thing that really surprised me was, after the goal, the response.

“Son looking very disinterested, Maddison not being able to get into the game.

“Nobody at all supporting Solanke. They just said we’ll leave you to it, to two of the best centre-backs in the division.

“That is the biggest question for me, the reaction of the Tottenham players and manager after the goal.”

Despite dominating possession and having more shots on goal, Spurs still failed to beat the Gunners.

The way Arteta managed the difficult situation and the way the players responded deserves praise.

Arsenal came up with a solid plan against Tottenham

Kai Havertz dropped in the midfield due to the absence of Odegaard while Jorginho started the match in place of Rice.

Leandro Trossard played as a false nine, who worked hard for the team in an unfamiliar role.

Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling came on from the bench in the second half but had no impact on the match.

With four points in four matches, Spurs are currently in 13th place in the Premier League.