The Spurs Web

Lecce coach Dan Thomassen gives a ringing endorsement of rumoured Tottenham target Patrick Dorgu, and his words might only serve to increase Spurs’ urgency in pushing through a deal.

The Serie A’s best young wing-back

Tottenham have had plenty of success when it comes to recruiting from the Italian top-flight, with the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Romero, Desinty Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario proving hits at N17.

It looks like Spurs are now looking towards the Serie A market again, and this time, it is Patrick Dorgu who is in their sights.

The 20-year-old left-back has come on leaps and bounds over the past 18 months at Lecce and Tottenham are thought to be one of the front-runners to land the player in January (FiorentinaNews).

Dan Thomassen’s ringing endorsement

The Lecce head coach has insisted that he never doubted the youngster’s ability and that he is not surprised that the likes of Tottenham are after the player.

When asked about Dorgu, Thomassen told TipsBladet: “Those of us who deal with him every day quickly find out how great the potential is. People on the outside only watch the games, of course, but I am in no way surprised by what he is up to and the interest in him.”

When asked about Dorgu’s promise, the Lecce boss responded: “I could already see that from the first week I arrived. It does not surprise me at all that there is such great interest in him. He is exploring his potential.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“I don’t think the club has had any doubts about the potential. Over the past six months, it has been an upward curve for Patrick and I also think the club can see that potential has turned into continuous performances on the pitch. This has meant that he has joined the national team. I see it as a natural development that he has extended towards us.”

The deal will not be easy for Spurs

Reports over the last month have indicated that Dorgu is valued by Lecce at around £30m (The Mirror), which should not be an issue for Tottenham

However, Ange Postecoglou‘s men are expected to face intense competition for the full-back, with Napoli and Chelsea also said to be keen on him (Fabrizio Romano).

Harry Redknapp has given his BetVictor Player of the Week award to a Tottenham player whose performance against Aston Villa has been described as ‘brilliant’.

Solanke on target for Spurs

Dominic Solanke has struggled in front of goal for most of this season. Although the centre-forward has repeatedly been praised for his link-up play, ability to hold the ball up and constant pressing, he has not looked like the clinical goal scorer that he was at Bournemouth.

But it was a different story on Sunday, as the 27-year-old bagged two second-half goals. His first was outstanding, as he ran behind the defence and chipped the ball over Emiliano Martinez, while his second was a standard striker’s finish from close range. Solanke displayed both great positioning and pinpoint accuracy in his goals.

And Solankes’s performance has prompted Ange Postecoglou to describe him as ‘unbelievable,’ praising him not just for his goals, but for making Tottenham a better team (Echo).

Redknapp names Solanke as his player of the week

Harry Redknapp recently praised Solanke as an improved player, while speaking on talkSPORT (22/10 at 9:23 am), but described him as levels below Tottenham’s former goal machine Harry Kane.

But Solanke’s performance against Aston Villa has turned the focus away from comparing him with Kane, but rather focusing on what he brings to the team, and Redknapp has nothing but admiration for the striker after the match he had.

Naming Solanke as his player of the week, Redknapp said: “My player of the week is Dominic Solanke, a brilliant performance.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“I actually think he’s been playing very well this season without getting the goals to go with his performances. That changed here!

“He took his two goals very well as well, that’s a much harder finish than he made it look. He’s always been a very good finisher.”

Solanke should not have been judged so early on

With two goals in one match, suddenly, Solanke’s stats do not look so bad. Discarding his first few matches at the club, when he was still finding his feet in a new side, Solanke has been exceptional.

As Postecoglou, Redknapp and many supporters have said, Solanke is playing well, whether he scores or not, and the goals are an added bonus to his important contributions for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur fly to Turkey this week ahead of their Europa League clash against Galatasaray, and Pascal Chimbonda offers his prediction as to who will come out on top.

Galatasaray welcome Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs are currently second in the League Phase standings, behind Lazio only on goal difference. Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to maintain that 100 per cent record on Thursday evening.

Galatasaray have a mean record from set-pieces so far this season and Tottenham have proved fragile at defending them, so that could be something to keep an eye on.

Spurs are also without Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, and more due to a fresh injury crisis running through the squad.

Heung-min Son made his return to the starting line-up last time out against Aston Villa. However, he only managed 55 minutes before being replaced.

Ange Postecoglou may be tempted to hand starts to young duo Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear in order to avoid burnout for the likes of Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke.

Galatasaray vs Tottenham score prediction

Pascal Chimbonda thinks Tottenham will give up their 100 per cent record by dropping two points away to Galatasaray. We, meanwhile, are backing a much-changed Spurs XI to get the job done.

Pascal prediction – 2-2 Draw

Spurs Web prediction – 2-1 Tottenham win

The Table

What do you think the Galatasaray vs Tottenham score will be?

Tottenham Hotspur face a tough away trip to Galatasaray in Turkey this week as they look to maintain their perfect record in the Europa League.

Galatasaray vs Tottenham Hotspur

So far, Tottenham are yet to drop a point or concede more than one goal in the League Phase of the competition, with wins over Qarabag, Ferencvaros, and AZ Alkmaar.

However, Galatasaray may prove to be a far sterner test for Ange Postecoglou and co, especially due to their rather daunting set-piece statistics this season.

Let’s take a look at our predicted Spurs XI to face Galatasaray away on Thursday evening.

Predicted Spurs XI vs Galatasaray

Goalkeeper: Fraser Forster is named between the sticks after his impressive performance last time out against AZ Alkmaar. This also gives Guglielmo Vicario the chance to have a rest.

Right-back: Archie Gray comes in to give Pedro Porro a rest. The former Leeds man has struggled a little defensively at right-back of late but always offers a lot on the ball.

Centre-back: Radu Dragusin has arguably enjoyed his two best-ever Tottenham games over the past week against Man City and Aston Villa. He will be looking to continue that form with Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven out injured.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Centre-back: Ben Davies was Tottenham’s unsung hero against Aston Villa and always proves an able deputy when called upon. The only question is whether he has the pace to play 90 minutes in such a high line.

Left-back: Destiny Udogie continues his run of games at left-back with Djed Spence not included in Tottenham’s Europa League squad. There is a chance that Gray covers for him instead of Porro though.

Pivot midfielder: Yves Bissouma returns to the starting XI in the midfield pivot role after Pape Matar Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur put in a shift against Aston Villa.

Central-midfield: Lucas Bergvall gets another chance to shine in Europe. He hasn’t hit the ground running in a Spurs shirt quite yet but he is still so young. Any minutes are valuable at that age.

Central-midfield: James Maddison will be captain for the day and he certainly has a point to prove after back-to-back games on the bench. That free-kick goal will have done his confidence some good though.

Right-wing: Mikey Moore starts on the right-hand side of attack. Spurs are having somewhat of an injury crisis on the wings and Brennan Johnson needs a rest at some point.

Striker: Will Lankshear starts with Richarlison out injured and Dominic Solanke playing so many minutes recently. A big chance for the young striker to impress.

Tottenham Hotspur may not have won a trophy for a while, but the club is still one of the most successful British teams in the history of football.

In fact, Spurs have won some of the biggest trophies in the game, and even made history with some of their triumphs in the past.

So, we’ve rummaged through the Tottenham trophy cabinet and taken a head count to give you a rundown of how many trophies Spurs have won over the years.

How many trophies have Tottenham won in total?

Since their inception in 1882, Tottenham have won a total of 26 trophies.

Their first piece of silverware was the FA Cup, in the 1900/01 season. Their most recent was the League Cup win in 2008.

The club’s haul of 26 trophies puts them sixth in the ranking of English clubs and major trophy wins. Only Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea have more silverware than Spurs.

Tottenham have a number of firsts to their name, too. They were the first team to do the league and FA Cup double, in 1960/61. They were also the first British club to win a European trophy, in 1963.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Spurs have won league titles before

While Spurs have not won the Premier League yet, they have won the English top flight twice before.

Tottenham’s two First Division wins came in the 1950/51 season, and then a decade later in the 1960/61 campaign. The latter came as part of that famous double, with Spurs winning the FA Cup in the same season.

The club has also won the second tier of English football twice. Spurs were crowned Division Two champions in the 1919/20 season, and again in 1949/50.

Multiple FA Cup wins for Spurs

Of all the trophies Spurs have won, the FA Cup is where they have found the most success, winning the famous competition on eight occasions.

Their first FA Cup victory came in 1900/01, when Spurs became the first (and still the only) non-league club to lift the trophy.

They won it again 20 years later in the 1920/21 campaign, but had to wait another 40 years for more success in the competition.

When it came, it came in abundance, though. Spurs won the FA Cup in 1961 and retained the trophy in 1962. They also won it in the 1966/67 campaign, to crown a stunning period of success under Spurs legend, Bill Nicholson.

Another three FA Cup wins came in the early-80s and 90s, with Spurs again securing back-to-back victories in 1981 and 1982, before lifting it for an eighth time in the 1990/91 campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur, champions of Europe

Tottenham have three major European trophies to their name, winning the UEFA Cup twice and the European Cup Winners Cup once.

The European Cup Winners Cup was the first European trophy won by a British team, with Spurs lifting the trophy in the 1962/63 season.

Spurs won the UEFA Cup for the first time in the 1971/72 campaign, with Spurs securing a victory over fellow English side, Wolves, over a two-legged final.

The Lilywhites won the trophy again a little more than a decade later, with Bill Nicholson’s hugely successful side taking the crown in 1983/84. Tottenham defeated Belgian outfit Anderlecht over two legs in that final, though they needed a penalty shootout to do so.

Spurs are yet to win the Champions League, but they did get to the final in 2019, where they lost to Liverpool after a controversial penalty was awarded to the Merseyside club in the opening two minutes.

The League Cup was Tottenham’s last trophy win

As we all know, the League Cup was lifted by Spurs in 2008, and the club has not won a trophy in the 16 years since.

Tottenham have actually won the League Cup four times now: In 1970/71, 1972/73, 1998/99, and the 2007/08 season.

They came close to winning the trophy for a fifth time in 2021, losing to Pep Guardiola’s Man City team in the final. Jose Mourinho had steered the club to that final, but was sacked just a week before, leaving Ryan Mason in temporary charge.

The Charity Shield counts, too

It may not be a prestigious trophy, per se, but Tottenham have won the Charity Shield (now known as the Community Shield) on seven occasions.

The North London side first claimed the shield in the 1920/21 campaign. They had to wait more than 30 years to lift it again, though, taking the award in the 1951/52 season.

Spurs would win the Charity Shield three times in the 1960s, though they did have to share it with Manchester United after the game ended in a draw.

They would share the shield a further two times, in 1981/82 (with Aston Villa), and in 1991/92 (with Arsenal).

Cristian Romero expresses one concern to the Spurs hierarchy ahead of holding any negotiations over a potential new contract, TBR Football have now revealed.

Cristian Romero an important part of the project

It is clear that Ange Postecoglou sees Romero as a crucial part of the project that is underway at Hotspur Way. Losing him would certainly be a blow to the manager’s plans in North London.

The Australian made the Argentine the vice-captain soon after arriving last year and the centre-back is one of the few players with a lot of experience in what is one of the youngest squads in the Premier League.

With the former Juventus man’s current deal ending in 2027, it has emerged that Tottenham are now ready to begin negotiations to hand him a new deal.

Romero expresses contract concerns

TBR Football have now revealed that while negotiations over a new contract are yet to start, Spurs are now actively trying to get Romero to the negotiating table.

However, the centre-back has expressed one big concern about committing his future. While he is said to be happy at Tottenham, he is thought to be worried about the fact that they are not in the Champions League.

The outlet adds that the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are all observing the Spurs man’s situation and are ready to pounce.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Tottenham’s stance on Romero

TBR Football say that Tottenham are well aware that Romero is attracting plenty of interest around Europe.

They have reportedly told the defender that getting back into the Champions League is firmly in their plans, but there are said to be worries at the club that they may lose some of their star players if they fail to do so this year.

The publication adds that Spurs have also made it clear to Romero during the initial conversations that they would give him a deal that would put him on par with some of Europe’s top defenders.

One experienced Tottenham star has been elected by his peers to represent them on the Professional Footballer Association’s Players’ Board.

What is the PFA’s Players’ Board?

The PFA have now confirmed the list of players who have been elected by their fellow members to be part of the Players’ Board.

The Players’ Board plays a vital role in the running of the PFA, ensuring that the organisation is working on the issues that are important to the players.

The board will consist of a total of 13 members, including two players elected from the Premier League, each division of the EFL, and the Women’s Super League (WSL), as well as three former players.

Tottenham man elected

Tottenham‘s Ben Davies is one of the ten new names that has been inducted to the board after the latest round of votes.

According to the PFA’s website, the Welshman will now act as one of the ‘the voices of the changing room’, ensuring that the concerns of the Premier League players are heard by the organisation, and assisting in the running of the PFA.

Ben Davies is the perfect man for the job

Davies is certainly not your average professional footballer, having earned a business and economics degree from the Open University back in 2021 (The Athletic).

The 31-year-old is extremely experienced and knowledgeable about the business of football, and he is the right man to ensure that the players’ interests are addressed effectively in the PFA.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race for a 17-year-old striker, who is wanted by a host of top Premier League clubs.

Tottenham eyeing another young gem

Spurs have signed an array of talented young players over recent years and it now looks like they have set their sights on another emerging starlet.

According to TEAMtalk, the player now in the North London club’s sights is Irish teen sensation Mason Melia, who is turning a lot of heads with his displays in the League of Ireland.

The teenager made his debut for St Patrick’s Athletic at just 15 years of age and has scored 10 times in 54 appearances for the club, while also netting nine goals in 19 appearances for Republic of Ireland’s Under-17s side (Transfermarkt).

Spurs at the front of the queue

The report says that many see Melia as the best young talent across his age group in Irish football at the moment and a host of Premier League clubs have been alerted to his talent.

This includes Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, who have all watched the striker closely and are known admirers of the youngster.

However, currently, it is Tottenham who are said to be in ‘pole position’ to land the player during the upcoming transfer window.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Tottenham’s transfer plans

The report says that the feeling at the North London club is that Melia is a ‘potential star in the making’, with Ange Postecoglou’s men thus not wanting to waste any time.

The Lilywhites are said to be ‘keen to steal a march on their rivals’ in the pursuit of the striker and want to firm up a move ‘as soon as possible’.

The publication adds that Tottenham are eager to continue building a strong base of youth in their academy set-up and see Melia as the ideal profile.

The Daily Mirror’s Ryan Taylor believes that one Tottenham star’s value has skyrocketed since he arrived in North London and that the player is now worth around £75m.

Tottenham man is getting rave reviews

It is not just Tottenham fans who are in awe of Dejan Kulusevski, but the Swede is also starting to win admirers across the Premier League.

Pundits have been waxing lyrical about his performances after each game and Pep Guardiola became the latest to join the Spurs man’s fan club, admitting after his side’s loss in the Carabao Cup that he is a big fan of the 25-year-old (Hayters TV)

Taylor believes that the former Juventus man’s value has skyrocketed over the last couple of years and Juventus will be ruing their decision to let him leave.

Ryan Taylor on Dejan Kulusevski’s market value

The journalist pointed out that Tottenham initially paid a loan fee of £8.3m for the attacker before spending a further £25.6m to sign him permanently, thus bringing the total transfer to £33.9m.

However, he insisted that Kulusevski‘s value has almost tripled since then, suggesting that he is now worth close to £75m.

Taylor wrote in his column for The Mirror about the Sweden international: “He is right at the heart of everything that is currently exciting about Tottenham, their aggressive pressing, their speedy counter-attackers, their endeavour and the lingering sense of anticipation that Spurs possess the power to hurt you at any given minute despite their ongoing defensive vulnerability.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“He also deeply cares about the club and it shows. Players of Kulusevski’s mould are hard to come by and in the modern transfer market, they are also certainly not cheap.

“He is now surely worth £50m at the very least, if not close to £75m – which effectively means his valuation has tripled in the past year or so. Juve will now be living to rue their decision to offload the player for what now looks like peanuts.”

Kulusevski is worth more than £75m to Spurs

Whatever one deems Kulusevski’s market value to be, there is no doubt that Daniel Levy and Tottenham will laugh off a £75m bid for the attacker right now.

One Tottenham Hotspur man is on Juventus’ transfer list ahead of January as they look to reinforce a key area of their squad.

Speculation continues over Spurs man’s future

There continues to be plenty of speculation linking Radu Dragusin with a return to Italy, even though the defender only swapped Genoa for Tottenham at the start of this year.

Friday’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claimed that Juventus are plotting a move to re-sign the Romanian on loan.

The report stated that the Serie A giants are keen to sign a centre-back after learning that Gleison Bremer will miss the rest of the season due to an injury.

It was suggested that should they prove unsuccessful in their efforts to sign Milan Skriniar from Paris Saint-Germain, they would turn their attention to the Tottenham man.

Radu Dragusin is Juventus’ top target

However, journalist Pierfrancesco Vecchiotti has now revealed that Dragusin is at the top of the Bianconeri’s list of centre-back targets.

The reporter claimed that the Tottenham man could be allowed to leave N17 on loan and he would be an ideal option for Thiago Motta’s since since he already knows the club well.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Vecchiotti told TuttoSport (as translated by Sport Witness): “The names studied by Giuntoli are many and among these, that of Radu Dragusin stands out.

“The Romanian defender seems to be the most suitable solution because he already knows the Juventus environment well, having grown up with the next-gen, and more generally knows the Italian championship.

“Dragusin, moreover, is finding very little space with Tottenham and this could lead Spurs to think about a loan, a solution this last one very welcome to Juventus.

“The Bianconeri would find themselves with a defender young, strong, ready because he knows the environment and is skilled in marking even in open field situations, a component that should not be underestimated, given the game and tactical system of Tiago Motta, who would thus find himself with an important additional solution, among other things at zero cost.”

Juventus living in dreamland

There is next to no chance that Tottenham would consider weakening their squad by letting Dragusin leave in January, particularly given Micky van de Ven’s injury record.

However, the suggestion that they would loan him out is even more ridiculous as Postecoglou’s men have nothing to gain in that situation.

The likes of Juventus and Napoli might have to wait at least until next summer if they are to harbour hopes of signing the 22-year-old.