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According to Estadio Deportivo, a long queue of clubs have now joined in the race for a Tottenham target ahead of January, even though the Lilywhites remain in the driver’s seat for the player.

Spurs have the option to buy a midfielder

The player in question is Johnny Cardoso, who Spurs have the option to buy for £25m next summer, with the North London club securing the option as part of Giovani Lo Ceslo’s sale to Real Betis in the summer (Telegraph).

It remains to be seen if the Lilywhites activate that option but reports from Spain suggest that it is certain to happen.

This was reported most recently by ABC Sevilla (via Sport Witness) last week, who claimed that the 23-year-old’s future ‘points to’ Tottenham.

Johnny Cardoso is now a wanted man

Estadio Deportivo have now also discussed Spurs’ option to buy the midfielder but they reveal that the player’s list of admirers is now growing.

They claim that Atletico Madrid are big fans of Cardoso, with Diego Simeone having asked the club’s hierarchy to secure the services of the USA international.

Additionally, the likes of AC Milan are also keeping an eye on the Betis star’s situation while the midfielder’s entourage have also fielded enquiries from Turkish, Greek and Saudi clubs.

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Tottenham’s option may be useless

This report adds that the feeling at Betis right now is that Cardoso is likely to end up at Tottenham.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that Spurs’ option to buy the midfielder next summer may be useless if Atletico land the midfielder in January.

It would thus be interesting to see if Tottenham accelerate their approach for Cardoso if they find out others are plotting a move in the upcoming transfer window.

South Korea’s head coach Hong Myung-bo has been speaking about how involved Heung-min Son will be in the upcoming international break in light of the forward’s recent injuries.

Son working his way back to full fitness

Son is still not 100 per cent fit, as evidenced by the fact that Ange Postecoglou withdrew him in the 55th minute of Tottenham‘s win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

The 32-year-old was far from happy to come off, but the Spurs boss insisted in his post-match press conference that his captain was never going to play more than 55 minutes, given his recent injury issues (Football.London).

Tottenham now face Galatasaray and Ipswich Town in back-to-back away matches before Son joins his national team for the international break.

Hong Myung-bo’s confession about Son

South Korea have two big World Cup qualifiers coming up during the international break against Kuwait and Palestine.

Hong Myung-bo has insisted that Son‘s minutes will depend on how he fares over the next week, admitting that he would be careful not to burden his captain with more minutes than he is ready for.

Hong said about Son’s availability (via Yonhap News Agency): “We will see how much his playing time increases in the next two matches, and that will be part of our preparation for the two November games.

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“I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to push him hard on the national team just because he has returned to action for his club. We’ll first have to see how much he plays in his next club match, and we’ll go from there.

“I obviously understand he wants to play for the national team. But first and foremost, we have to protect his health.”

Son is unlikely to feature against Galatasaray

Postecoglou is evidently being very careful with Son as he knows how important the forward is to his side.

One would thus expect the Spurs captain to sit out the game against Galatasaray, with Timo Werner likely to be back in the starting eleven.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man would be expected to play against Ipswich Town but Postecoglou will be managing his minutes again, and he will hope that Hong Myung-bo does the same during the international break.

Pedro Porro will donate a part of his salary to aid the rescue and rehabilitation efforts for the victims of the flood in Valencia, with the Tottenham man admitting to a feeling of helplessness at the situation.

Tragedy in Spain – What happened?

Parts of Eastern Spain received over a year’s worth of rainfall in less than a week, leading to devastating floods in Valencia.

The death toll currently stands at 214 but a lot of people remain missing, with search operations currently underway (Guardian).

Thousands of volunteers have been helping in the clean-up, and with search and rescue, with Pedro Porro admitting that he would be doing the same if not for his football commitments.

Pedro Porro’s admission about the flood

Porro described the scenes back in his home country as heartbreaking and dedicated Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa to the people of Valencia. He also revealed that he would donate a part of his salary to the victims of the disaster and the rehabilitation efforts.

Porro said (via The Standard): “For a Spaniard, today, for all Spaniards, it’s a sad day. I think we’ve had three, four, five days of terrible suffering, especially.

“I can’t even imagine what it’s like for everyone involved in Valencia. And, as I posted on social media, I want to dedicate this victory to them.

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“There’s a sense of helplessness. Helplessness about not being there, because I know what it’s like to be ‘in the mud’, as you say. I’d be the first one there to help, to show up but I’m in London, I have competitions, [so] I can’t.

“I’d say it’s [a feeling of] helplessness because I’d like to help, but I’ve already spoken to my agents, and I’m going to donate part of my salary to cover whatever they need, to buy shovels, food, especially. Anything they need.”

Porro now confident about his own game

Porro also spoke about his own development since his move to Tottenham, admitting that he feels a lot more confident about his role in Ange Postecoglou‘s system.

When asked about the progress he has made, the right-back said: “Above all, [I feel] very confident, also because it’s not my first season.

“I already played last season in a back four, so I’m more used to it, correcting what I’m not doing well, taking advantage of what I’m doing right,” he said when asked about his progress in English football.

“And that’s also helped me get back into the national team. Yes, really, [I feel] confident and ready to keep going.”

James Maddison reveals what Ange Postecoglou said during the half-time interval on Sunday, which inspired Tottenham to blow Aston Villa out of the water in the second period.

The game followed the usual pattern

Tottenham have made it a habit of going a goal down at home before coming back to win resoundingly, and the same script unfolded against Villa.

Unai Emery’s men kept things tight in the first period, restricting Spurs to a few chances, but they were unable to cope with the home side’s intensity in the second-half and buckled under the pressure.

It was the sort of result that sent a clear message out to the rest of the Premier League and saw Tottenham move to within two points of fourth place.

Ange Postecoglou’s half-time message

Maddison explained that Postecoglou was extremely calm in the interval and insisted that Spurs could blow Villa away if they kept their heads and played their football.

The attacking midfielder pointed out that the Lilywhites have shown that they can put three or four goals past sides in quick succession if things click for them.

Maddison told The Mirror about the 4-1 win: “We turned the screw and they couldn’t live with our intensity. But that’s why the manager at half-time, he stayed so calm because he knows that we have got a chance to blow teams away in quick periods.

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“Even at 1-0 down, he’s just like, ‘Get your heads up’. We know we can go and score four goals in a half against any team because that is what we do with our intensity. Thankfully that’s exactly what we did. And we blew them away.”

Reason for Spurs’ improved second-half displays

It is certainly not a coincidence that Tottenham‘s record in the second half of matches is considerably better than their record in the first 45 minutes.

While opposition teams are able to close down the space and prevent Spurs from having too much joy for 45 minutes, they are unable to match the North London side’s intensity for 90 minutes and eventually buckle in the latter stage of matches.

That is exactly what happened to Villa, with three of Tottenham’s four goals coming in the 75th minute or later.

Argentine journalist Gaston Edul has provided an update on the injury to Cristian Romero, and it is good news for Spurs fans.

Major concerns when Romero hobbled off against Villa

Romero is not one to go off unless he has a serious problem, which is why some Tottenham fans would have been concerned when he asked to be taken off against Villa after injuring his toe.

The situation was particularly concerning, given that his centre-back partner, Micky van de Ven, is already sidelined with a hamstring problem and is not expected to be fit until the end of the international break.

However, it sounds like Tottenham have some good news regarding Romero, whose injury is not as bad as initially feared.

Romero injury update

Gaston Edul has taken to social media to reveal that the 26-year-old has injured the ligaments in his right toe. However, thankfully, there is not thought to be any fracture.

The injury is thus milder than many feared, with the player expected to be back in action in a week or ten days.

That means that Romero could be included in the Argentina squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.

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One worry for Ange Postecoglou

This means that Cristian Romero will almost certainly miss the Spurs clashes against Galatasaray and Ipswich Town through injury, but the timing of the international break will be a worry for Postecoglou.

We know that the centre-back will be desperate to play for his country even if he is not 100 per cent fit.

TyC Sports provide an update on Cristian Romero’s injury, with the outlet explaining why things are not looking positive for the Argentine.

Several injury concerns for Ange Postecoglou

Micky van de Ven joined Wilson Odobert and Djed Spence on the treatment table last week after picking up a hamstring problem in the Carabao Cup win over Manchester City.

Another couple of players were added to the injured list in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa, with Richarlison limping off with a hamstring problem while Cristian Romero was also forced off the pitch.

The Tottenham vice-captain seemed to injure his foot while going in for a challenge with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.

Things not looking positive for Cristian Romero

TyC Sports have now provided an update on Romero’s fitness ahead of Argentina’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru over the coming weeks.

They say that the Tottenham man’s injury has ‘set off alarm bells’ at the national team, with some fearing that he may have sustained a ‘bone injury’ on his right toe.

The 26-year-old is expected to undergo tests soon to confirm the extent of the damage but the publication adds that the ‘outlook is not encouraging’ for the centre-back.

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A serious injury will be a major blow for Spurs

With Micky van de Ven already out injured, it would be a significant blow for Ange Postecoglou to also lose his other starting centre-back.

However, the one thing that works to Tottenham’s advantage is the timing of the international break.

Dane Scarlett is in quite the purple patch right now, and this hot streak may have come at exactly the right time for the Spurs starlet as he looks to keep his career on track this season.

Five goal contributions in five games for Dane Scarlett

Scarlett joined Oxford United on loan this summer, and there were high hopes that this move could be the one to take the striker to the next level.

He endured a difficult start to the campaign, though, which saw him register just 59 minutes of football across five substitute appearances in the league. The 20-year-old failed to score a goal in that time.

However, since his injury-time header against West Brom on October 19, Scarlett has been in rampant form for his club and has now been rewarded with ample opportunities to show what he can do in the second tier.

He scored three days later in the draw with Derby, and scored again this past weekend against Swansea. Scarlett also notched a goal and an assist for England Under-21s in a European Championship qualifier on October 15, which ultimately looks like it may have been the boost he needed to get going this term.

That makes it five goal contributions in his last five games for club and country, and Scarlett appears to be thriving now.

Make or break for Scarlett this season

It sounds a little dramatic, perhaps, but this is a really important season for Scarlett and one that will very likely define his career.

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His previous loan spells at Portsmouth, and especially Ipswich last year, have been far from successful. As such, Scarlett’s development has been hampered, and it would be fair to say that Will Lankshear has now jumped ahead of him in the pecking order at Spurs.

Making it at the very top level is not easy, and if Scarlett were to come out of this season with little to no progress once more, there’s a high probability he would have been cast aside by Tottenham.

Tottenham’s former recruitment consultant David Pleat has been speaking about the shortcomings of data in recruitment and the importance of having eyes and ears on the ground to watch players.

David Pleat recently left Tottenham Hotspur

David Pleat worked as a scout and a recruitment consultant for Spurs for a long time, helping the club identify the best emerging talent in the English Football League.

However, he vacated his role earlier this summer, with Tottenham’s new regime going for a more data-based approach to identifying players.

It has been well documented that the club’s technical director Johan Lange and his recruitment team use data analysis to narrow down their list of targets and identify players with the specific attributes that Ange Postecoglou is looking for (GiveMeSport).

Pleat says data is incomplete without scouting

Pleat has now acknowledged that while data is an increasingly more useful tool in recruitment, he insisted that the numbers cannot tell you certain things about a player.

He insisted that you need scouts doing the painstaking work on the ground in order to develop a more complete understanding of each potential transfer target.

Speaking about his exit from Spurs, the 79-year-old told Sky Sports: “They are more data-driven now, all clubs, not just Tottenham. There is still room for the eyes and ears, for men that go on with the cloth caps on a horrible evening to wherever to look for talent.

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“Data is a massive help to people who are out scouting, but they still need the scouts. They still need to know certain things. You might find out something more about the player by speaking to a manager of another club.

“You might find out if the player is particularly popular with his teammates, whether he is a good trainer – all sorts of things that data cannot tell you.”

Scouting has to accompany data analysis

I do not think you will find a single top club in Europe that has done away completely with scouting and relies purely on data.

Tottenham will have a trusted network of scouts who will run the rule over players after the club initially uses data to narrow down their search to a set of names.

Ange Postecoglou has said that one Tottenham youngster gets better and better with each training session and game, backing him to evolve into a top player.

Underused Spurs man has to step up

Radu Dragusin has not had as many minutes as he would have liked since his switch to Tottenham at the start of the year.

However, the Romanian now has an opportunity to impress over the next three games after Micky van de Ven picked up a hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him out until after the international break.

The 22-year-old will be keen to show everyone what he can do, and Postecoglou certainly does not doubt his capabilities.

Ange Postecoglou praises Radu Dragusin

Postecoglou has now spoken in glowing terms about Dragusin’s attributes and his mentality, revealing that the centre-back works hard every single day on different aspects of his game.

When asked about the defender’s time at Tottenham so far, Postecoglou told Football.London: “Radu’s been with us 10 months now and I think he’s been great.

“We signed him because we saw some really strong attributes in him in terms of his defending capabilities, his mindset and again a really unique journey that he had to fight hard to get where he wants to. So, he had all those things I look for.

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“He is still young and he is working hard every day on his game and all aspects of his game. Defenders you know they tend to get better with age with experience, the good ones, and with him, guys like Micky and Destiny, the reason we signed them at the age they did is we really believe in years to come they’ll get stronger and he is doing that. Every time he is out there I think I can see improvements.”

Dragusin adapting to Tottenham’s system

Postecoglou pointed out that the centre-back has had a steep learning curve, having arrived from a Genoa side who play very differently to Spurs.

The Tottenham head coach revealed that Dragusin has really embraced his system and is now getting more comfortable with the demands placed on him.

The Spurs boss added about the defender: “He is really embracing the way we play. It is very different to where he came from, playing so aggressively with our line and defending one-on-one but he’s embracing that and enjoying that.

“I thought he was great the other night. Not just in his football but in terms of his presence and demeanour, he took some leadership there. Obviously, we lost two of our back four during the game with Micky going down and then Cuti (Cristian Romero) out.

“He had Archie next to him who is 18 and I thought he really stood up in that time just to make sure with those disruptions, we maintained our organisation and I thought he was really good.”

Ange Postecoglou admits that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a much more intimidating venue for opposition sides when the fans are vocal and get behind the team.

Tottenham’s excellent home record

In contrast to Tottenham’s poor away record under Postecoglou, their record at home has been outstanding, with teams struggling to get much joy when they come to N17.

That has been the case this season as well, with Spurs having won seven of their eight home matches across all competitions so far in 2023-24.

Their biggest win of the campaign so far came against Manchester City on Wednesday, with the Lilywhites consigning Pep Guardiola’s men to their first loss of the season and progressing to the quarterfinal of the Carabao Cup.

Ange Postecoglou’s confession about atmosphere

Postecoglou admitted that part of the reason the stadium is such a happy hunting ground for his side is due to the boisterous support that they get from the home fans.

He praised the atmosphere that the Spurs faithful create, claiming that it makes it uncomfortable for opposition players.

When asked about Tottenham’s excellent home record, the Australian told Football.London: “It’s been strong and it has to be. The supporters play a big part in that.

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“I thought they were brilliant on Wednesday night and that’s part of it because if they can generate that energy in the stadium, the players certainly feed off it and it makes the opposition uncomfortable.

“Particularly with the way we play because we want to be at the opposition all the time and if the crowd is up all the time, it gives the opposition the sense they can never get composed or recover. It’s a big part of it and hopefully, we continue to grow.”

Postecoglou on the team’s role

Postecoglou also acknowledged the players have a responsibility to produce moments that get supporters excited about what they are watching.

He added: “Of course, we need to give our supporters a reason to make that atmosphere but when it goes hand in hand like it did on Wednesday night it’s a great place to be and certainly can help us in terms of becoming the football team we want to.”

The Tottenham boss will be hoping that a similar atmosphere awaits his side at every Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fixture this season, with some huge European nights on the horizon.