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A European side have confirmed that they have held constructive talks with Tottenham regarding close collaborations in the future both on and off the field.

Two Tottenham players shining on loan

Spurs have loaned two of their young talents, Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic, to the Belgian side KVC Westerloo, and the pair have been getting regular minutes in the Jupiler Pro League this season.

Vuskovic, in particular, has caught the eye, with the 17-year-old not only being solid defensively but also contributing significantly at the other end of the pitch, with four goals and an assist in 13 league matches so far this season.

On the back of the successful loan agreement from two clubs, it turns out that the Premier League side and the Belgian side are in talks to strengthen their ties.

Westerlo confirm talks with Tottenham

Westerlo have confirmed on their official website that while doing their monthly review of the performances of Devine and Vuskovic, Tottenham also held an additional meeting with the Jupiler Pro League side’s officials.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, chief football officer Scott Munn, and technical director Johan Lange met with Westerloo’s vice-president Hasan Cetinkaya and board member S. Berk Ercan.

The Antwerp-based club stated that the meeting could be a “catalyst for strengthening future collaborations” with Spurs both on and off the field, adding that the two sides have taken “the first step toward a future exchange of ideas, players, and resources.”

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Are Spurs taking steps towards a multi-club ownership model?

This sort of agreement is not a one-off, with Tottenham also agreeing a similar sort of partnership with Djurgardens IF earlier this year after striking a deal to sign Lucas Bergvall.

Djurgardens sporting director Bosse Andersson confirmed back in March that the Swedish club were discussing a partnership with Spurs which would facilitate the exchange of players and other collaborations in the future (Footballskanalen via Fotboll Direkt).

Perhaps, this is a sign that Tottenham want to move towards a multi-club ownership model like Manchester City, RB Leipzig and others.

Tottenham Hotspur are named as one of the admirers of a 17-year-old forward who is taking Portuguese football by storm, but it looks like it will be extremely challenging for the Lilywhites to get the youngster out of his club.

Portuguese starlet continues to dazzle

While Tottenham fans have been transfixed by what Mikey Moore has done at N17 this season, Geovany Quenda, who is of the same age as Moore, is doing even more impressive things in Portugal.

The teenager has not only established himself in Sporting Lisbon’s starting eleven but has dazzled onlookers on a regular basis with his exciting and inventive wing play.

It has now emerged that Spurs are one of the clubs eyeing a move for the young starlet ahead of January but getting him out of Sporting will be easier said than done.

Sporting Lisbon determined to hold onto Geovany Quenda

TBR Football name Tottenham as one of several Premier League clubs who admire Quenda, with Chelsea and Man City also said to be watching the youngster’s situation.

Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly to be one step ahead, having already made enquiries about the Portugal Under-21 international’s availability.

However, it is revealed that Sporting are desperate to hang on to the winger and want him to continue developing at the Jose Alvalade Stadium until the 2026 World Cup.

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The Lisbon giants are well protected as the player has a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract, which is not likely to be activated by anyone for the moment.

Quenda is the perfect profile for Spurs

While Ange Postecoglou has several options for the left-wing role, there is no natural right-winger at Tottenham other than Brennan Johnson, now that Dejan Kulusevski has moved to a central role.

Quenda is a natural right-sided player, who prefers cutting in on his left foot, thus offering a point of difference compared to Johnson.

His age and tactical profile match the kind of players that Spurs have signed under the current regime, but Sporting are notoriously difficult to negotiate with, which is why this will be a hard one for the North London club to pull off.

One of Tottenham’s most important players is reportedly set to push for a move away from the North London club if one side substantiates their interest in him next summer.

Spurs star’s head being turned?

Cristian Romero is one of the pillars of the Tottenham side under Ange Postecoglou, with his aggressive front-foot style of defending and his line-breaking passing ability being crucial to the way the Lilywhites play.

The Argentine is also one of the main leaders of the side, being the deputy to captain Heung-min Son, but it now looks like Spurs face the prospect of losing him next summer.

This is because it has now emerged that Romero has become Real Madrid’s main target for next summer’s window, with Los Blancos set to prioritise a move for the Tottenham man over Arsenal’s William Saliba.

Cristian Romero likely to seek a move away from Tottenham

This update comes from GiveMeSport who say that Romero is now ‘increasingly likely’ to seek a move to Madrid if the European Champions come calling at the end of the season.

The prospect of a fresh challenge at the Spanish capital is said to appeal to the 26-year-old, which is why Tottenham have had to remain patient in their efforts to tie their vice-captain down to a new contract.

The outlet explains that despite Romero‘s head being turned, Spurs ‘remain determined’ to tie him down to a new long-term deal on fresh terms.

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It is pointed out that Ange Postecoglou‘s men are in a strong position at the moment as the centre-back still has two and a half years left to run on his current £165,000-per-week deal.

What Tottenham are willing to do to keep Romero

GiveMeSport say that Spurs are willing to make Romero their joint-highest-earner alongside Heung-min Son in an effort to persuade him to sign a new deal.

The Lilywhites are reportedly ready to put him on the wage bracket as the South Korean, who takes home £190,000 per week, but it is unclear if this would be enough to persuade the former Juventus man.

The publication adds that Tottenham remain hopeful that the defender will commit his future but they fear that the situation could drag on for several months, given the player’s refusal to rule out a switch to Madrid.

Calciomercato provide an update on the contract talks surrounding one of Tottenham’s top midfield targets, and it is not good news for the Premier League side.

Spurs target in talks over a renewal

Tijjani Reijnders has emerged as one of AC Milan’s most important players since his move to the club in 2023, and his displays in the Serie A have reportedly caught Tottenham‘s attention (TBR Football).

However, the Lilywhites received some bad news regarding their pursuit of the Dutchman on Thursday as Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Rossoneri were making progress in their contract talks with the player’s entourage.

There has now been another update on the Netherlands international’s future and it appears like Tottenham‘s chances of landing the 26-year-old are slipping away.

Milan confident about future of Tijjani Reijnders

This latest update comes from Calciomercato, who name Spurs and Manchester City as the two clubs chasing Reijnders.

The outlet points out that the Lilywhites have been ‘following him for months’, but Ange Postecoglou‘s men may be frustrated in their attempts to land the player.

This is because Milan are now moving towards an agreement with the midfielder regarding a new long-term deal, and there is ‘great confidence’ at the San Siro that a contract will be signed.

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The publication adds that the expectation at the Serie A club is that Reijnders will put to paper on a new deal at the start of 2025, with his salary expected to rise from €1.7m to €3.5m per season.

What Tottenham’s interest in Reijnders tells us

While Reijnders can be broadly classified as a number eight, the player he is most similar to positionally in the Spurs squad is Pape Matar Sarr.

That ties in with what we heard in the summer transfer window, with Tottenham going after an energetic midfielder of the profile of Conor Gallagher and Jakob Ramsey.

Spurs’ player ratings

Guglielmo Vicario: Vicario wasn’t heavily troubled, although his parry led to one of Ipswich’s goals. The Italian was aerially dominant but it wasn’t enough to preserve a rare clean sheet. 5.

Pedro Porro: After a below-par first half display, Porro’s corners proved to be a threat for the home side. He picked up an assist for Bentancur’s fine header and was just much more of a threat in the second period. 6.

Cristian Romero: Romero wasn’t a standout player by any means, and outside of a few sideways passes he didn’t do much. 4.

Radu Dragusin: After a dreadful display in Istanbul, Dragusin struggled to make amends today as a parry from Vicario rebounded off him, straight into the path of Delap who fired home the visitors’ second. The Romanian improved in the second period slightly, but the damage was already done. 3.

Destiny Udogie: The left-back combined well with Son on the left-hand side but struggled to make an impact. 5.

Rodrigo Bentancur: After a solid first-half display, Bentancur pulled one back for Spurs with an emphatic header. He battled hard, constantly challenging loose balls, as well as linking defence to attack. 7.

Pape Sarr: Sarr got plenty of the ball throughout of the match, carrying it into the final third persistently. He was determined to make an impact however, he was substituted with an injury just after the hour mark. Another blow for Tottenham. 5.

Dejan Kulusevski: It wasn’t the type of performance we are used to today from Kulusevski, as the Swede failed to create any major chances. He was slow on the ball and in his decision-making, failing to find any decisive passes. 4.

Brennan Johnson: After missing a golden opportunity inside the first five minutes, Johnson was relatively quiet throughout the match. 4.

Dominic Solanke: Scored early on in the second half but the goal was ruled out due to handball. He battled hard for possession in the final third but didn’t have any clear-cut chances until deep into stoppage time, when he missed a huge one-on-one. 5.

Heung-Min Son: Son was a threat off of the left throughout the ninety, constantly swinging in balls and trying to wrap the odd one or two into the far corner. He was rather wasteful with the ball though, and he will undoubtedly be disappointed with his output today. 5.

Substitutes:

Yves Bissouma: Replaced Bentancur late in the match. N/A

James Maddison: Came on for Brennan Johnson late in the match. N/A.

It’s time for player ratings as the whistle has been blown and the first half of football between Spurs and Ipswich has come to a close, with the visitors on top at the interval.

Goals from Szmodics and Delap have helped Ipswich to a healthy first-half advantage in North London.

If results go their way, a win for Spurs could see them climb as high as third, whereas opponents Ipswich are still on the hunt for their first Premier League victory this season. The Lilywhites will be desperate to continue their fine run of home form ahead of yet another international break, but Ipswich will undoubtedly prove to be a tough test for Tottenham.

The two sides last met in the summer of 2020, when Jose Mourinho and Son led Spurs to a 3-0 victory in a friendly against the Tractor Boys. Competitively, however, Spurs are winless in three against Ipswich, with a 2-1 defeat in 2002 being the most recent occasion the clubs have met in the top flight.

Over the duration of the first forty-five minutes, we analysed each player’s individual performance, rating it on a scale ranging from 1-10.

Tottenham player ratings vs Ipswich

Guglielmo Vicario: The Tottenham goalkeeper wasn’t heavily troubled however he failed the first test that was thrown at him. Later, he parried a ball that could’ve been caught directly into Dragusin that led to Ipswich’s second. 4.

Pedro Porro: Porro bombarded down the right side throughout the first half, looking to make some form of attacking impact. None of his crosses were at all effective and were often claimed by Muric. 5.

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Cristian Romero: After an injury scare last weekend, the Argentine has recovered in time for Spurs’ final clash before the international break. His poor clearance fell perfectly for Szmodics who opened the scoring. Outside that, he hasn’t been great at keeping the Ipswich forwards quiet. 4.

Radu Dragusin: Looking to make amends after a dismal display in midweek, Dragusin returns to the eleven today. The Romanian effectively assisted Delap for the visitors’ second goal and he isn’t silencing any critics so far. Poor once again. 3.

Destiny Udogie: Combined well with Son and Spurs’ left flank but didn’t cause Ipswich too many issues, neither offensively or dfensively. 5.

Rodrigo Bentancur: The Uruguayan linked the defence and the forward line effortlessly, looking comfortable as ever in the 6. He swept up an abundance of loose balls with strong challenges. 7.

Pape Sarr: Sarr’s recent run of form has kept Maddison at bay as the Senegalese retains his spot in the starting eleven. He enjoyed plenty of the ball in the first forty-five, but was particularly wasteful with it. 5.

Dejan Kulusevski: The Swede has taken up a position on the left wing on multiple occasions, perhaps in an attempt to involve himself more. Spurs’ main creator hasn’t received the ball enough to create anything real, however. He will be disappointed in his first-half display. 5.

Brennan Johnson: Missed a golden opportunity extremely early on, poking the ball just wide of the post. Can’t remember him doing anything else notable. 4.

Dominic Solanke: Spurs’ striker continued to be effective deeper on the pitch, linking up with Kulusevski and Sarr cleverly. His hold-up play was exceptional as always, however Solanke will be desperate to receive more service in the final third. 6.

Hugo Lloris has given an insight into what it was like working under Antonio Conte, revealing that the players eventually had to detach themselves from the Italian’s emotional outbursts.

Things unravelled for Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte got a tune out of the players during his first 12 months at Tottenham, helping the club secure Champions League qualification in the 2021-22 season.

However, things started unravelling for the Italian a few months into his second campaign at the club as opposition sides came up with ways to nullify his system.

The Italian eventually departed the club in March of 2023, and we have now got an insight into what it was like in the Spurs dressing room when things were souring for the former Tottenham boss.

Hugo Lloris on what drives Conte

Lloris has now explained that Conte was ‘tormented’ whenever Spurs failed to win matches and had to get out his frustration by unleashing on the squad.

The former Tottenham captain confessed that some players developed a fear of failure under the 55-year-old and were unable to express themselves on the pitch.

Lloris said (via The Standard): “I found Antonio Conte to be quite a character, driven by victory, which gave him energy, but he found it very hard to control his frustration when we started drawing, let alone losing because his inner torment had to get out; and if he was tormented, then everyone had to share that torment too, and things could get very complicated very fast.

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“He told me once that in any given week, his happiness lasted an hour, just after winning, and that was it. In training, he oversaw everything, organising tactical sessions with 10 outfield players against one goalie; but it was hard for the creative players to find their places in his restrictive game-play.

“The rigidity of the structure and set sequences did us a lot of good at first but, after a few months, teams learned how to play against us and it became tougher to win. During matches, Conte was as extreme and eruptive as he appeared, garnering respect and fear. Such a strong personality pushed wingers to prefer to play on the side opposite the dugout.”

Lloris reveals players grew tired of Conte’s rants

The former Tottenham goalkeeper revealed that Conte was honest and had no filter, regularly unleashing on the players when results did not go their way.

The Frenchman further stated that the former Spurs boss was never interested in the process and only cared about the result, leading to the players eventually having to block out his words.

He added: “I have never forgotten our first defeat under Conte: a 2–1 loss to NS Mura in Slovenia in the Uefa Conference League. Even though I wasn’t playing, I was still entitled to his screams and reproaches, just like everyone else. In squad meetings, we would spend at least 30 minutes a day doing video analysis, not forgetting the interminable preparation camps at our training centre.

“After the defeat in Maribor, he had screamed: ‘Mura, Mura, who’s Mura?! We lost to Mura!’ I can still hear him. If a player needed a little love, he’d better not knock at Conte’s door. For Conte, trust is earned in training. He has no filter; he’s sincere and honest. He’s a manager who lives only by results, whereas, from a player’s perspective, performance is important too.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed one of Tottenham’s top midfield targets is now one step closer to signing a new contract with his current club.

Spurs reportedly want to bolster their midfield

Ange Postecoglou is not short of options in the middle of the park, with the Australian rotating between Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma.

In fact, Archie Gray has not even been used in the middle of the park, which many see as his best position, while Lucas Bergvall had to be content with opportunities in the Europa League.

However, it has been widely reported that Spurs are on the look for a midfield addition in January and several outlets have claimed over recent weeks that AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders is near the top of the North London club’s wishlist (TBR Football).

Fabrizio Romano provides Tijjani Reijnders update

The Dutchman has been exceptional since his move from AZ Alkmaar to Milan last year, having established himself as a mainstay in the Rossoneri midfield.

The Serie A club were always expected to do their utmost to hold on to the Netherlands international, and it has now emerged that they have made some progress in their efforts to do so.

According to Fabrizio Romano, talks over a new deal between Milan and Reijnders are now progressing, with the club considering the midfielder to be a key part of their project.

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Transfer speculation might be a ploy from Reijnders’ entourage

We often see a noticeable increase in transfer speculation when players are in talks with their clubs over a new deal, which is the case with Reijnders as well.

This is not a coincidence as agents often tend to feed rumours to the press in an effort to strengthen their position during the negotiations.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust is pleased to see that the club have listened to their views on ticketing for Spurs’ upcoming Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United.

Tottenham’s controversial ticketing decisions

Some of the decisions that Spurs have made over recent months on ticket prices have not been well received by parts of the fan base, with their decision to remove senior concessions being the most controversial.

The club’s decision to price their upcoming Europa League clash against AS Roma as at Category C level also received some pushback, with THST asking the club to reconsider their call.

However, the Trust are happy that the Spurs hierarchy have listened to their request for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal.

Tottenham’s decision on clash against Man Utd

Spurs will take on Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19 for a place in the final four of the Carabao Cup.

The club have decided to stick with the same price as the tickets for the previous round, which means that adults will have to pay £37 and those under 18 will have to pay just £10 for a ticket.

Here is how THST reacted to the announcement:

A good gesture by Spurs

The club would have likely sold out the allocation even if they had priced the tickets higher, given the magnitude of the game and the quality of the opposition.

It is a good gesture by Spurs to show some consideration for the fans on this occasion, and there is no doubt that the stadium is going to be rocking on December 19.

Dominic Solanke joined Tottenham in early August in a move that raised eyebrows amongst fans for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the amount of time it took for Spurs to sign a much-needed striker had many convinced that their targets were busy at international tournaments, and so they had to wait for their return to their clubs. Yet Solanke wasn’t part of Gareth Southgate’s last-ever England squad at Euro 2024.

Another aspect that was questioned was the 27-year-old’s club-record £65 million price tag (transfermrkt). Yes, Solanke hit brilliant form in the campaign previous, scoring 19 goals and assisting three while appearing in all 38 Premier League matches for Bournemouth (WhoScored?). But that had been the first time Solanke finished a season with a league goal tally in double-figures outside of the Championship.

Ange Postecoglou’s man

So why did Spurs spend all that time and money on the signature of Dominic Solanke? Ange Postecoglou was desperate to bring him to North London.

When asked earlier in the season about the signing, Postecoglou said “The reality was that Dom is the one that I wanted. It took the whole summer to get him in, but he was the one that fitted the profile that we wanted.” (Daily Mail)

Postecoglou decided that Solanke was the perfect player to lead his attacking line, not only for his goalscoring ability, but also his ability to press intensely, his impressive fitness, and his comfortability in dropping back to win the ball back at times. And it’s fair to say Solanke has showcased all these strengths in a Tottenham shirt already.

Slow beginnings for Solanke

Solanke suffered something of a slow start to life at Tottenham, battling a lack of fitness and an ankle injury, the England international didn’t bag his first league goal until the end of September in a 3-1 victory over Brentford (transfermarkt).

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Postecoglou was quick to dispel any early criticism saying “People are just so quick to judge, mate. It’s a small sample,” when asked about his slow start (BBC).

Solanke’s improvement has been more than evident in the past few weeks. The striker has racked up seven goal contributions in 13 appearances for Tottenham so far this season. While there is certainly more room for improvement with those numbers, they aren’t in any way poor, and his eye for goals was certainly unleashed at the weekend against Aton Villa, his performance hailed as “unbelievable” by Ange Postecoglou (Irish Independent).

Off-the-ball brilliance

Where Solanke has shone the most in recent weeks is his work off the ball. It has been key in Tottenham’s attacking improvements this season. His ever-determined press gives a sharp edge to Spurs’ notorious high-line, while his ability to track back and turn the ball over quickly, not too unlike Harry Kane, has added to Spurs’ clinical counter-attacking tendencies.

While it can be argued that Tottenham’s slight improvements in set-piece defending this season, having only conceded directly from two, can partly be owed to the addition of Dominic Solanke’s dominating stature. It’s these strengths that have proved Solanke the valuable missing link that makes this Tottenham side their most effective.

The Difference a year can make

Spurs spent last season with a mixture of Heung-Min Son and Richarlison up front, scoring 29 goals between them (transfermarkt), but they lacked these off-the-ball strengths that Solanke now brings in heaps.

Last season, Postecoglou brought his high-pressing philosophy to Tottenham, but it was seen all too many times that if the opposition found a way to beat their press, Spurs would find themselves in trouble.

The addition of Solanke transforms the effectiveness of this pressing system, and if the press is beaten, teams are finding it harder to race off on the counterattack thanks to Solanke’s ability to track back with the rest of the team. What Dominic Solanke brings to Tottenham could quickly become invaluable as he has the ability to harden the structure of Postecoglou’s system.

Tottenham must be careful

While Dominic Solanke is quickly becoming one of the most important players at Tottenham, it’s pivotal that Spurs don’t overwork the former Bournemouth star. This became clear quite early on when Solanke came from the south-coast club having appeared in every single league game for them last season, only to pick up an ankle injury on his debut for Tottenham.

Spurs’ injury woes seen last season have certainly transferred over to this campaign with Son, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, Mickey Van de Ven, and worryingly Richarlison all picking up injuries already this season.

Tottenham cannot risk losing Solanke for a long period of time given what he brings as they look to pick up consistent results throughout the Winter months. If Solanke can stay injury-free and continue performing, there is no doubt he can be one of the signings of the season.