CaughtOffside

Former Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown has already ruled the club out of the Premier League title race and believes the ‘pressure is starting to mount’ on manager Ange Postecoglou.

After an initially strong start to life under Postecoglou, Spurs fell away last season and ultimately ended up finishing fifth, despite Champions League qualification long being within their grasp.

The Lilywhites haven’t exactly made the best start to the new campaign, either, taking just four points from three Premier League matches so far.

Up next is a vitally important North London derby clash at home to Arsenal on Sunday as the Premier League returns from the international break.

Is Ange Postecoglou already under pressure at Tottenham?

Spurs certainly have a point to prove after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle last time out, meaning they sit 10th in the table despite attempting the second-most shots in the Premier League (20).

Brown believes the nature of Tottenham’s performances so far have been enough to warrant more time for Postecoglou.

However, the ex-midfielder believes his old club are already out of the title race, with pressure mounting on Postecoglou to improve things quickly and deliver silverware.

“This Spurs side has quality with players that can hurt you but the pressure is starting to mount because of the results at the end of last season,” Brown told BBC‘s The Football News Show when previewing the North London derby.

The 47-year-old, who appeared 64 times for Spurs during his playing days, added: “The start of this season hasn’t really gone as expected and he talks about winning trophies. It certainly won’t be the Premier League so cup competitions will be important.

“I feel like he [Ange Postecoglou] needs a bit more time, I really like his approach but they’re going to be open and at risk of being punished.”

Chris Sutton believes ‘Angbeball’ will come out on top for Tottenham in Sunday’s North London derby clash with Arsenal.

The two arch-rivals clash as the Premier League returns from the international break this weekend.

Both sides will be desperate to pick up all three points not just for bragging rights, but also to strengthen their claims for places at the top of the English top flight; Tottenham have taken just four points from their first three games, while Arsenal have seven.

Arsenal go into the match on a run of just one defeat in their last seven against Tottenham and none in their last four, most recently winning 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April.

Chris Sutton’s Spurs vs Arsenal prediction

Despite the Gunners’ dominance of this fixture recently, along with their status as title challengers and better start to the season, Sutton is making a bold prediction for Sunday’s game.

The former Blackburn, Celtic and Chelsea striker believes Spurs will begin to convert their numerous chances in this game.

Sutton also made the dramatic prediction that defeat for Arsenal here could already spell the end of the title race, handing the crown to reigning champions Manchester City.

“Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has just signed a new contract, so maybe his mind has been on that new deal and how he can spend it on furnishing his house rather than the north London derby,” Sutton told BBC Sport.

“Being serious, though, Rice and Odegaard are such big losses that I can’t help but feel it will have an impact. Arsenal have got quality players like Jorginho and Thomas Partey to come into their midfield, but they are missing two of their best players.

“The Gunners will get chances in this game and I expect them to score – they won this fixture 3-2 last season and drew 2-2 at the Emirates, and I am expecting more of the same.

“This time, however, I am going to back Spurs. I know everyone who is reading this will probably go for a draw but I am not going to do that. Instead, I am going to stick my long neck out and say ‘Angeball’ will come out on top.

“Spurs have dominated games and created chances this season, but they just need someone to stick the ball in the back of the net and I have a feeling that will happen for them here. If I am right, then we may as well hand the title to Manchester City.”

Ange Postecoglou has provided a positive injury update on two key Spurs players ahead of Sunday’s North London Derby.

The Lilywhites are preparing to host Arsenal in the first North London Derby of the Premier League season, and looking to get one over on their bitter cross-town rivals, Postecoglou’s side have been handed a huge double injury boost.

Ange Postecoglou on Spurs injuries ahead of North London Derby

The no-nonsense Aussie has revealed that defender Micky Van de Ven and £65 million striker Dominic Solanke are both in line to make their returns from injury.

“It’s fairly positive,” he told the Spurs official website.

“Micky’s [Van de Ven] good, he’s trained all the way through the international break and it was good for him to stay with us to build him back up so he’s ready to go.

“Dom’s [Solanke] improved as well and trained the back half of this week. We still have two days to go with those guys so hopefully they get through training ok and are available.”

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta haven’t been so lucky with injuries in recent weeks though.

Captain and leading midfielder Martin Odegaard has been ruled out for several weeks after injuring his ankle while on international duty with Norway at the start of the week.

Elsewhere, Declan Rice will also be missing for the Gunners after the former West Ham talisman was shown a red card for his involvement in an incident with Brighton’s Joel Veltman last time out.

Sunday’s blockbuster league game, which will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is set to kick off at 2 p.m. (UK time) and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Tottenham have been tipped to make a massive profit on one of their signings.

Spurs signed defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January and the centre-back has warmed the bench at the club after playing back up to their first choice defenders.

The 22-year-old has hardly played and now he has been backed to leave the club after just nine months at the club.

Due to Micky van de Ven’s injury in the match against Newcastle United, the defender was selected in the starting line up.

However, in the next match against Arsenal, he is expected to be dropped from the side.

FC Steaua București owner George ‘Gigi’ Becali claims during a conversation with Fanatik that the defender can be sold in the future by Spurs for €70-80m.

“He [Dennis Man] is a valuable player, of European stature, but €60/70/100m players, those are the ones… I told you €30m for Drăgușin and that’s what they sold him for, €30m,” he said.

“Drăgușin is a centre-back. He can grow. How old is he? [He’s 22.] Drăgușin, yes. He can be sold for €70-80m. He’s young, he’s tall, a centre-back. You rarely find it.”

It is difficult to see him go for that money if he hardly plays for Spurs.

Ange Postecoglou would have to give more chances to the defender to show his talent at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is once again in the spotlight for his fiery temperament, this time during international duty with Argentina.

Romero’s passionate nature came to the forefront during a heated FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia, which Argentina lost 2-1.

According to Clarin, Romero was visibly frustrated by the result and became a focal point of post-match protests. His actions during the match earned him a yellow card, which, due to accumulating previous cautions, has resulted in a suspension for Argentina’s next qualifier against Venezuela.

Impact on Argentina and Tottenham

The suspension is a significant setback for Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who relies heavily on Romero’s defensive prowess. Romero has been a crucial part of Argentina’s defensive line and his absence could impact their World Cup qualifying campaign.

For Tottenham Hotspur, however, there may be a silver lining. With the Premier League and European fixtures mounting, Romero’s suspension from international duty could allow him to stay fresher for Spurs’ upcoming crucial matches.

His absence from the national team could be a welcome opportunity for Tottenham to ensure he is in top form for their domestic and European challenges.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Romero will miss the Europa League group-stage match against Qarabag, due to a suspension dating back to Spurs’ 2022 Champions League campaign.

Romero has been a key figure in Tottenham’s defence since joining the club on loan from Atalanta in 2021, and subsequently making the move permanent in 2022 with a contract running until 2027.

His leadership qualities were further acknowledged when he was named vice-captain last season.

Tottenham Hotspur are actively pursuing Leeds United’s highly-rated young striker, Harry Gray, as part of their ongoing strategy to invest in emerging talents.

According to TBR Football, Spurs have expressed keen interest in signing Harry Gray, the younger brother of Archie, who made his own move to North London for a reported fee of £40 million.

Archie has already impressed since his arrival, and Tottenham are eager to maintain a positive relationship with Leeds United to facilitate Harry’s potential transfer.

Harry Gray, who has represented England at the U16 level, has garnered attention from multiple Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United.

His standout performances in the U18 Premier League—scoring eight goals in 11 appearances last season—have positioned him as one of the brightest young prospects in English football.

Tottenham are hopeful that Harry will follow in his brother’s footsteps and make the move to North London.

With their emphasis on youth development, bringing in Harry would align with Spurs’ long-term vision of building a dynamic and successful squad through nurturing top-tier talent.

Tottenham continue to invest on emerging talents

Adding Harry Gray to their ranks would further solidify Tottenham’s ambitions of creating a strong foundation of young, skilled players.

The club has recently been focusing on investing in future stars, ensuring they have the resources and talent necessary to compete at the highest level in the coming years as well as the possibility of selling them for a profit in the future.

Over the last couple of transfer windows, they have signed several highly-rated youngsters, including Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Min-hyuk Yang, Ashley Phillips, Wilson Odobert, and Alejo Veliz to name a few.

Should the deal for Harry Gray go through, the young striker would be another significant addition to Spurs’ investment in future talent.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keeping tabs on the Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder is highly rated in Italy and he was recently in action for his country in the UEFA Nations League. According to HITC, Tottenham scouts were in attendance and they were keeping tabs on the talented young midfielder on Monday night.

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham follow up on their interest to sign the player in the coming months.

They could certainly use another quality defensive midfielder and Ricci could compete with Yves Bissouma for the starting spot. He will add creativity, control and defensive cover to the side. Apart from his ability to contribute defensively, he is very accomplished on the ball and his distribution will add calmness and composure to the Tottenham midfield.

The player has been likened to the Manchester City superstar Rodri because of his playing style and he has the quality to develop into a top-class midfielder. Tottenham could nurture him into a key player for the club.

Samuele Ricci would be a long-term asset

The reported valuation of the player stands at £25 million right now and the North London club certainly have the finances to get the deal done. It will be interesting to see if they come forward with an official offer to sign the player when the transfer window reopens in January.

The midfield could easily justify the investment and prove to be a bargain in the long term.

A move to the Premier League will be quite exciting for the player and it should be a major step up from Torino. He would get to test himself at a higher level and compete for trophies with Spurs. Regular football in England could accelerate his development and help him fulfil his tremendous potential as well.

Monaco right-back Vanderson is attracting strong interest from Chelsea ahead of upcoming transfer windows, while Manchester United and Tottenham are also among his admirers, CaughtOffside understands.

The talented 23-year-old has impressed in his time in Ligue 1 and it led to some speculation during the summer that he could be on the move, particularly as Monaco are often in the position of having to sell some of their best players.

Monaco ended up selling Youssouf Fofana to AC Milan, which perhaps eased their need to raise funds elsewhere, but it seems Vanderson’s future is still likely to be one to watch in the near future, sources with a close understanding of the situation told CaughtOffside.

Chelsea have had issues at right-back for some time now as Reece James has badly struggled to stay fit for a sustained period, though French youngster Malo Gusto has largely performed really well as the club’s first choice in that position.

Still, one imagines the Blues could benefit from another option in that position, especially as Vanderson looks like a huge talent who could have a big career ahead of him.

Vanderson transfer: Will he end up at Chelsea, Man Utd or Tottenham?

Monaco want around €35-40m to sell Vanderson, and while the strongest interest is currently understood to be coming from Chelsea, it’s not surprising to see that Man Utd and Spurs are also keen on the Brazilian.

The Red Devils brought in Noussair Mazraoui during the summer to give them extra depth in both full-back positions, but they could perhaps do with a better specialist on that right-hand side.

Vanderson would likely be an upgrade on Diogo Dalot, while he could also surely be an option worth considering for Tottenham, even if they have the excellent Pedro Porro as a top class option in their starting XI at the moment.

Danny Rose has revealed Tottenham Hotspur players used to be ‘laughed at’ by England teammates regarding their wages.

Rose recently called time on an impressive career that saw him play 214 times for Spurs across all competitions, as well as representing the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle and Watford.

Of course, Rose was also a regular for England between 2014 and 2019 — at which point he was counted among the best left-backs in the Premier League — playing at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup with the Three Lions.

However, despite his high standing in the game at the time, it became clear to Rose during an England training camp that he and his Tottenham teammates weren’t quite getting paid at the same level as other Three Lions stars.

That was the source of plenty of amusement for Rose’s international colleagues.

Rose reveals Tottenham stars teased by England teammates over wages

“When we would go away with England, the lads would laugh at us at what we’re being paid. And I have one friend who was at another club,” Rose told the In The Zone podcast (via Football.London).

“I remember one season where West Brom were fighting relegation while we were near the top and some of their players were on more than what we were on. That wasn’t right. With Spurs and win bonuses, you had to win by at least a couple of goals to get a bonus from it.

“At the time, I don’t regret saying anything about it because it was the truth but now I think the lads are being paid appropriately.”

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies has been linked with a move away from the north London club in recent weeks.

It appears that Turkish outfit Galatasaray would be willing to provide him with an exit route. According to a report from Takvim, they are looking to add more depth to the defensive unit and they have identified the 31-year-old Welsh international as a potential target.

The defender is reportedly valued at €10 million (£8.5m) and it remains to be seen whether the Turkish giants are ready to pay up. It is a reasonable amount of money to pay for a player of his quality and experience.

Davies will provide cover in the left-back position as well as in the central defensive areas. He has shown his quality in the Premier League over the years, and there is no doubt that he could be a quality acquisition for the Turkish club as well.

A move to Turkey could be ideal for Davies at this stage of his career. He needs to play regularly and Galatasaray will be able to provide him with that platform. He is unlikely to start games for Tottenham this season, and it would be ideal for him to move on. The window in Turkey closes on 13th September and the Turkish side will be hoping to get a deal done before that.

Ben Davies could be available for a nominal price

Tottenham are unlikely to demand a premium for a player who is surplus to requirements and Galatsaray must take advantage of the situation and secure his signature. Even though he is 31, Davies has a few years left at the top level and he could be a very useful player for the Turkish club in the coming seasons.

A move to Turkey will be an exciting challenge for the experienced defender at this stage of his career and he will look to prove himself in a foreign league now.