Football Addict

Today at 14:38

Tottenham Hotspur could soon have to deal with an approach for one of their defenders from a club in Turkey, where the window remains open.

The north London side had an eventful transfer window in terms of new signings and outgoings.

After making a big money move for Dominic Solanke, they offloaded the likes of Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp and Giovani Lo Celso to trim the squad.

The Turkish transfer window is open until 13th September and the country’s champions are now keen on a Spurs star.

According to Turkish daily Takvim, Super Lig giants Galatasaray are showing interest in 31-year-old Ben Davies.

It has been suggested that Cimbom's manager Ozan Buruk has suggested the club go ahead for the left-footed defender.

Davies has yet to play under Ange Postecoglou this season and Galatasaray have noted his situation.

The Turkish side did business with Tottenham around this time last year when they signed Davinson Sanchez on a permanent deal and Tanguy Ndombele on loan.

Wales international Davies is in his final year of contract in north London and he will be free to talk with clubs outside of England regarding a potential free transfer in January.

Today at 00:15

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven is likely to return in time for the highly anticipated North London derby against Arsenal on 15 September, following the international break.

According to sports scientist Dr. Rajpal Brar, the Dutch centre-back is making good progress in his recovery from a knee injury and could be available for the crucial clash.

Van de Ven picked up the injury during a tussle in Spurs' match against Everton, forcing him to miss their 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, where Radu Dragusin filled in for him.

While the specific nature of the injury remains unclear, Dr. Brar confirmed that Tottenham has taken a cautious approach to his recovery to avoid any long-term issues.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Dr. Brar said:

"He injured the knee during a tussle in the Newcastle game and has been making progress since. I'd expect him back in contention for the game against Arsenal."

Van de Ven has quickly established himself as a key player in Ange Postecoglou's defence since joining Spurs last summer for €50 million.

His performances have been pivotal, earning him the club's Player of the Season award for the 2023-24 campaign.

Yesterday at 22:00

The international break can cause chaos for scheduling and player fitness, with Premier League clubs sweating on the condition of their star players this week. Unfortunately for Arsenal, one of their latest signings may now be ruled out of the upcoming North London derby due to injury.

Riccardo Calafiori a doubt for NLD

Arsenal splashed the cash this summer to snap up Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna in a reported £42m deal (Sky Sports).

The 24-year-old has featured in the last two games for the Gunners, albeit as a second-half substitute, and has largely filled in at left-back rather than in his preferred centre-back role.

Calafiori continued his blossoming international career with Italy on Friday night, starting the 3-1 win over France. But, he only made it through 70 minutes of the game before being replaced after picking up a rather bizarre injury.

France’s Ousmane Dembele was running through the Italy defence, took a tumble, and caught Calafiori on the calf, leaving him in some discomfort.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has commented on the situation, and revealed Calafiori will not take part in any further international action for Italy this week.

He tweeted: “Riccardo Calafiori leaves Italy camp as the staff will take no risk after his injury against France. Calafiori will return to London and he will be assessed by Arsenal medical staff.”

However, he later added a more positive update, stating: “Sources insist Riccardo Calafiori injury is not serious and it's just a knock, nothing worrying. Arsenal also didn't want Calafiori to take any risk and he will be assessed next week.”

No mention of injury on social media

Calafiori took to social media after the game to celebrate his country’s win, and made no reference to his condition, suggesting it might not be that serious after all.

Italy manager Luciano Spaletti had previously told the press (via Football.London) that he hoped Calafiori might be fit for the next game against Isreal on Monday night.

It now remains to be seen whether he will be passed fit to face Tottenham on Sunday in the first North London derby of the new Premier League campaign.

Spurs Web Opinion

I think Calafiori will be cutting it fine to make it for the North London derby at this rate. He’s got a week to recover, of course, but that includes testing, getting back into training, and being match-ready. He will probably be on the bench again.

Today at 18:00

Darren Bent reveals that the Leeds supporters he spoke to were devastated when Archie Gray joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

Archie Gray was a hit at Leeds United

Gray won many admirers after breaking into Leeds’ starting eleven at the start of last season, delivering the sort of mature displays that one would not expect from an 18-year-old.

The young midfielder, who can also operate as a full-back, won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, and the Elland Road faithful might have hoped that he would become a legend at the club, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Frank Gray and his great uncle Eddie Gray.

However, the Lilywhites seized on the opportunity to swoop for the youngster this summer, paying £40m to bring him to N17, which is a sizeable fee for a player with just one year of experience in the Championship under his belt.

Leeds fans were sad to see Archie Gray go

Gray is yet to start a game for Ange Postecoglou’s men and it remains to be seen how important a role he will play this season, but Bent believes that losing the teenager is a blow to Leeds’ prospects of winning promotion.

The former Spurs striker told talkSPORT (03/09/24 at 4:30 pm): “He (Farke) has done it before where a fanbase hasn't been keen on him and, all of a sudden, he has put an unbelievable run together and they get promoted.

“I like that they have given him a bit more time. They battered Hull, it was 2-0 and it probably should have been more. Fair play to them, they got off to a slow start. At least, you are starting to see signs of them getting a bit of momentum.

“Now, that they have got the players that have left out of their system, the likes of Archie Gray. I know Leeds fans, that was the one that hurt them the most. Him leaving.”

Spurs Web Opinion

While some Tottenham fans are critical of the club for investing in young, up-and-coming talents rather than established stars, what is clear is that the club and Postecoglou view this as a long-term project.

The aim is to regularly be able to compete for all the biggest honours in a few years and the Australian coach will fancy his chances of getting the best out of players like Gray.

However, we know that in modern football, there are very few long-term projects and Ange will be aware that he will have to pick up results this season to secure his future at the club.

Today at 17:30

It is bound to be another thrilling and highly competitive Premier League season this year, with so many clubs battling to be in the upper echelons of the league table come May 2025. However, thanks to one big managerial change this summer, Spurs can climb into the top three this season.

Arne Slot will need time

Admittedly, it has been a less-than-spectacular start to the season for Spurs, with Ange Postecoglou‘s men registering one win, one draw, and one defeat so far.

It’s early days, though. And that’s why nobody should be getting carried away with how well Liverpool have started the campaign under their new manager, Arne Slot.

Liverpool have won three out of three and haven’t even conceded a goal yet. Their win at Old Trafford last weekend was a devastating signal of the gap between the two old rivals.

But, I am convinced that, like any new manager, Slot will see his Liverpool team falter as we get further into the season.

The Dutchman is making a big step up to the Premier League, he has the Champions League to navigate, too, and as with most clubs, there will likely be upsets and injuries along the way that will affect Liverpool’s momentum.

I would (begrudgingly) say the top two will be Manchester City and Arsenal, barring any disaster for those teams. After that, with Aston Villa having the Champions League to worry about, Manchester United looking miles off the pace, and Chelsea doing whatever Chelsea are doing, I can see Spurs sneaking into the top three.

Postecoglou’s sophomore success

Of course, it’s not enough to just rely on Liverpool (or any other team) to struggle for Spurs to automatically jump up the table. We have to earn it.

I have faith that we will, though. Postecoglou’s teams historically perform better in his second season, once his methods have been allowed to settle and he is able to add the kind of players he needs for his system.

He has done just that over the last year, with very smart signings making our squad a lot stronger. Results may not have quite gone our way yet this season, but there are promising signs that we are improving already.

Spurs are controlling games more, creating even more chances, and appear to be mentally stronger. Once Dominic Solanke is back fit and hopefully starts converting all those opportunities, the results will come, and Tottenham will climb the table.

Today at 17:00

Tottenham Hotspur’s best player has been receiving a lot of credit from a Chelsea star, believe it or not, as Noni Madueke can’t help but pick the Spurs attacker over a number of other top players like Luis Diaz and Michael Olise.

Sonny is the top pick

Madueke, a former Spurs man himself, has been tearing it up at Chelsea lately, including an impressive hattrick against Wolves in a 6-2 win.

However, his latest task was a tricky one, with talkSPORT asking the young winger to pick between a number of the world’s best wingers in a game of stick or twist.

When asked to choose from Michael Olise or Heung-min Son, Madueke said: “I'm going to go with Son.”

Then, the Chelsea star was given the choice between Son or Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, and said: “I’m going to stay with Son.”

Madueke will know all about Son‘s talents from his time at Spurs as a youngster, and will no doubt be well aware of the South Korean’s quality still to this day.

A world-class talent

He may be 32-years-old now, but Son continues to perform at the top of his game, most of the time. The Spurs skipper may have found it more difficult to play through the middle for Ange Postecoglou‘s side, but he does already have two goals to his name this season.

Meanwhile, Olise made a big move to Bayern Munich in the summer and has broken into the French national team as a result.

Luis Diaz has made an impressive start to life under Arne Slot, registering three goals and one assist in his first three games of the season (Transfermarkt).

Spurs Web Opinion

I would love to see what Olise and Diaz could do at Spurs, and annoyingly, we very nearly had the latter back before he signed for Liverpool. But, still, I would not pick either of them over Sonny. He is an all-time great, and a club legend.

Today at 16:00

Tottenham will be eager for any advantage they can get when it comes to the North London derby, but one Arsenal player appears to be fit and ready to go after being included in his national team’s latest squad.

Odegaard is in for Norway

The Gunners will already be without Declan Rice for the clash with Tottenham on September 15, after the midfielder picked up a red card in controversial circumstances against Brighton last weekend.

Arsenal had feared they may be unable to call on their captain, Martin Odegaard, too, with the playmaker suffering a knock in that draw against Brighton.

However, Odegaard actually started the first of Norway’s Nations League double-header against Kazakhstan and played the full 90 minutes, suggesting he is not struggling with any potential injury.

The 25-year-old took a knock from a challenge with Yankuba Minteh and received on-field treatment before continuing with the game. However, he appeared to be off the pace and was eventually replaced by Gabriel Martinelli.

Odegaard himself insisted he is not facing any time on the sidelines, saying: “I feel good. I took a couple of knocks in the match [against Brighton], but feel better now. Yesterday I trained as normal without any problems and I am ready for the match.”

Spurs need to regain control

Tottenham have not had the best time of it in North London derbies of late. The Lilywhites have lost the last two meetings between the two sides at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and have only one point from the last four fixtures.

This early-season test will be hugely important for both sides as they look to recover from dropping points in their previous games.

Spurs Web Opinion

If Arsenal were missing both Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, that would have been a huge boost for Spurs.

As it is, we will now have to make sure we keep the latter quiet, as when he gets going he can be really dangerous at pulling the strings and making things happen for the Gunners.

Today at 15:00

Tottenham Hotspur can be pretty difficult to negotiate with, and the club made it hard for one player to leave the club this summer despite making it clear that he has no future in North London.

No easy deal for Reguilon

It was a busy summer for Spurs, with 16 players leaving the club; from loan spells for young players, to contract terminations, to a few successful player sales.

However, one player remains. All signs pointed to Sergio Reguilon being shipped out last month, but he is still with Tottenham and now risks being frozen out entirely for the next six months.

According to Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, Spurs have not allowed themselves to roll over and give away the Spaniard on a deal they weren’t happy with.

Jacobs said: “I think the Reguilon situation is very interesting at Tottenham, because he had options during the course of the European window, but Tottenham were quite tough on terms.

“And it made it very difficult to resolve the Reguilon situation, which has been throughout the window, frayed more around a loan than a permanent deal, albeit a loan with an option, potentially, or from Spurs' point of view, an obligation, if they can get it.”

Where did it all go wrong?

Reguilon made a fairly strong start to his Spurs career under Jose Mourinho, but has not been utilised by Ange Postecoglou, or indeed Antonio Conte before him.

A report from The Athletic recently revealed that some figures at the club have described Reguilon as difficult when things don’t go his way and he isn’t being played regularly.

He is thought to be eager to play Champions League football, but there has been ‘minimal interest’ in his services this summer.

Spurs Web Opinion

I get that we want and almost need to get rid of Reguilon, but that doesn’t mean we should just bow down to whatever paltry offer we get just for the sake of it.

Hopefully, he gets a move soon, most likely to Turkey.

Today at 14:30

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a lot of players over the last few months, but one defender in particular has discussed that speculation and insists he is only focused on his role at his current club right now.

No talk regarding Tottenham links

While Spurs are pretty well-stocked when it comes to centre-backs, with the first-choice pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven supported by Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies as cover.

However, many suspect the latter will need replacing at some point in the near future. And, it seems Spurs may well look at finding their next defender from within the Premier League.

Bournemouth’s Ilya Zabarnyi has been mentioned in conjunction with the Lilywhites in recent times, but the player himself has dismissed the speculation and made it clear that he is only concerned with doing well for Bournemouth at this moment in time.

Alasdair Gold said that Zabarnyi remained on Tottenham’s radar back in March ahead of the summer transfer window.

Speaking to Dynamo Kiev UA about the transfer talk, Zabarni said: “There have always been rumours, but I haven't talked to my agents about it, and I'm focused on playing at Bournemouth. And then we'll see, I don't know anything yet.”

Postecoglou has his own plans

While some may think Spurs need to sign a new centre-half, Ange Postecoglou appears to have other ideas, and it’s all thanks to two young players he has on his books.

According to GiveMeSport, the Tottenham boss is planning to give Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic a chance next season. The pair are currently on loan at Stoke City and Westerlo, respectively.

Spurs Web Opinion

I would personally rather us get Ashley Phillips in there as the fourth-choice centre-back next season.

There’s no point in signing these brilliant young players and then blocking their path to the first team with more new signings. I would give Zabarnyi a miss.

Today at 21:00

Bournemouth defender Ilya Zabarnyi has been linked with a move away from the club in recent months.

The 22-year-old central defender has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur, but the player has revealed that he is focused on succeeding with Bournemouth and he has not spoken to his agent regarding a potential move away from the Cherries.

When asked about Tottenham's interest, the player has revealed that he is not concerned about the transfer links for now and he is focusing on his football.

He said to Dynamo.Kiev.Ua: "There have always been rumours, but I haven't talked to my agents about it and I'm focused on playing at Bournemouth. And then we'll see, I don't know anything yet."

It is no secret that Tottenham need a central defender and the 22-year-old could prove to be a quality addition. He has proven his quality in the Premier League and he could make an instant impact at the North London club.

Tottenham currently have three quality central defenders in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin. They could use another central defender and Zabarnyi would complete their defensive unit for the foreseeable future.

The opportunity to join Tottenham can be quite attractive and the 22-year-old could be tempted to secure a move to the North London club if there is a concrete proposal on the table.

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham follow up on their interest with an official proposal in January. They need more quality and depth in the side if they want to secure Champions League qualification and fight for trophies this season.