The Spurs Web

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has explained why Tottenham Hotspur are the most attractive club on the market for Amanda Staveley and other interested parties.

Takeover talks progressing

It has been an open secret for a long time that Tottenham are on the lookout for minority investment, with Daniel Levy confirming that fact on a number of occasions over the past year.

Over recent weeks, it has been heavily reported that Amanda Staveley, who was formerly a co-owner at Newcastle, is plotting a move to buy a stake in Spurs.

Staveley is now allegedly being backed by ‘serious money’ from the Middle East and is thought to be ‘advancing on plans’ to buy around 25 per cent of the North London club (Football Insider).

Spurs very lucrative

It has also previously been reported that other investment firms, including MSP Sports Capital (Daily Mail) and Liberty Media (The Times) have also held discussions over buying a stake in Spurs.

Maguire has now explained that it is the revenue-generating potential of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that makes the club particularly attractive to potential investors.

He told TBR Football: “The stadium is now a multi-function venue that happens to host a football team. It has to be seen in that light because there is more non-football activity taking place there than there is football itself.

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“So you have got to give the club a lot of credit in terms of its ability to generate relationships with a variety of partners. They will be targeting £250m this year. That is further vindication of the decision to move out of the old stadium.

“In the old stadium, commercial income in the final season was £73m. That means they will have multiplied that by three-and-a-half times in seven or eight years. That is magnificent.”

No issues for Staveley

Staveley’s plan to take over Tottenham appeared to hit a roadblock earlier this month when it emerged that her company, PCP Capital Partners, had gone into liquidation (TBR Football).

However, Maguire insisted that this will not impact the 51-year-old’s hopes of buying into Spurs.

The finance expert said regarding the latest development: “I don’t think this will have any significance in terms of minority investment. Staveley is an intermediary. She is almost like an agent figure. Her role is to bring parties together, using her very large and extensive book of contacts.

“That will be the focus here. I understand that there is certainly a lot of interest in Spurs from both the US and the Middle East. They are probably the most attractive club in play in the market at present, so you can see why that might be the case. There are no infrastructure costs required because they are class leaders in both departments.

“They are in London, so they have a fanbase that is used to paying premium prices. Matchday revenue last season was £118m. In a good season, you could expect them to potentially overtake Man United.

“So there is a lot of upside with Spurs. Staveley is someone who has a lot of experience at the executive level and a contact list to get a deal over the line.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing a move for a Bundesliga sensation, who is turning a lot of heads with his performances this season.

Englishman flying in Germany

The player in question is Jamie Gittens, who showed plenty of promise at Borussia Dortmund last season.

The winger’s reputation is now skyrocketing on the back of an explosive start to the new campaign, which has already seen him score four goals and register two assists across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

It is now being reported that the 20-year-old could be offered a route back to England by Premier League clubs in January.

Tottenham in the race

This information is carried by Bild, who say that Spurs are one of several clubs who have sent scouts to Germany to watch Gittens in action.

The youngster is also said to be on ‘the list’ of other big sides, including Chelsea and Liverpool, which suggests that the Lilywhites might have a battle on their hands to land the youngster.

The outlet points out that the winger previously spent some time with the Blues academy but it is not suggested if that is expected to give the West London club any advantage in the race.

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Complicated deal?

The outlet points out that Gittens will not be easy to poach in January as he is contracted until 2028 at the Westfalenstadion.

The publication reveals that the England Under-21 international is represented by Elite Project Group, who have the likes of Bakayo Saka and Jadon Sancho on their books.

Spurs fans will love hearing what the Swedish media have written about Dejan Kulusevski on the back of his latest performance.

Kulusevski coming of age?

Kulusevski’s talent has been clear for all to see from a young age and it finally feels like the Tottenham man has started to add consistency to his game.

Back at Spurs, that has undoubtedly been aided by the fact that the 24-year-old is now being used in his best position, shining in the number eight role alongside James Maddison.

However, it appears Kulusevski is also shining on the international stage this week.

Media rave about Kulusevski

In the Nations League clash against Serbia on Friday, the Spurs star played as one of two strikers alongside Viktor Gyokeres as Sweden lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.

Kulusevski was a constant threat throughout the 90 minutes, creating a number of chances for his side and coming close to scoring on a few occasions as the two sides played out a 2-2 draw.

Fotbollskanalen wrote about his display: “Definitely the best player on the pitch. Often did almost whatever he wanted. Served Gyokeres in a great position before he came close to drilling in 1-0 for the away side, and then was most involved in the first goal. Also involved in the second goal. Things happened when the Tottenham star had the ball.”

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Svenskafans gave Kulusevski a four out of five for his performance and wrote: “Consistently Sweden’s biggest threat together with Ayari. Sometimes looks to be by far the best on the pitch, but in some strange way not much gets done anyway in the protocol. Should be able to ensure that Sweden scores more goals.”

Going from strength to strength

It certainly feels like Kulusevski has unlocked a new level this season, with the attacker growing in confidence with each game.

A player of his ball-striking ability should be getting more goals and assists than he does, and perhaps the floodgates will soon open.

Ben Davies has been impressed with how one Tottenham teammate has responded to criticism, insisting that there were never any doubts in the Spurs camp that he would do so.

From villain to hero

Just a little over a month ago, Johnson was widely written off as a big-money flop. The winger even had to deactivate his Instagram profile on the back of the intense criticism he received on social media.

It feels like the 23-year-old almost clicked a switch at that point and has been unstoppable ever since, with his latest goal for Wales on Friday being the seventh consecutive game in which he has found the back of the net.

High praise from Ben Davies

Davies, who shares a dressing room with Johnson for both club and country, admitted that he is delighted to see how the youngster has responded to the criticism that has come his way.

He suggested that the sky is the limit for the former Nottingham Forest man if he continues banging in the goals.

When asked about Johnson having to prove a lot of his critics wrong, the Tottenham defender told The Guardian: “Maybe the outside world was on his case a little bit but as teammates, we certainly weren’t.

“It shows what a strong character he is. It is difficult to know what someone is going through at a particular time and if you’re receiving criticism it’s not a nice place to be, but Brennan has come out, let his football do the talking.

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“The outside noise isn’t something you can control but you can control what you do on the pitch and he seems to be doing that pretty well now. He is still a young player but the hardest thing in football is to score goals. If he can keep doing that regularly, who knows where he can go?

“As a teammate, I’m delighted to see him scoring as regularly as he is and doing as well as he is, but we can see how quickly opinions can shift as well.

“Even when he was going through the so-called tough patch, it was a couple of games but he was still getting the chances, he was still in the right areas and we would be having more issues if he wasn’t doing that.”

Johnson crucial for Spurs

With Ange Postecoglou currently without some of his key attacking players, Johsnon has stepped up massively over the last month, netting some crucial goals for the Lilywhites.

A young South American starlet who Tottenham are reportedly scouting has been likened to Gareth Bale, and the youngster has demonstrated just why those comparisons have been made.

Spurs plotting a move for Dario Osorio?

The player in question is Dario Osorio, who first hit the spotlight with his performances in the Chilean top flight and has set Danish football alight since his switch to Midtjylland last year.

It was reported by GiveMeSport a few days ago that the wide-man’s displays had caught the eye of Tottenham, who had sent scouts to Denmark to watch the youngster in action.

The outlet added that Spurs were not the only ones eyeing a move for the 20-year-old. The Lilywhites will have to beat out competition from the likes of Manchester United, Brentford and Crystal Palace to land the player.

Gareth Bale comparisons

Curiously, TBR Football have now dug up old quotes where Osorio’s former teammate likened the youngster to Spurs legend – Gareth Bale.

In an interview with Todos Somos Tecnicos last year, Universidad de Chile goalkeeper Johnny Herrera suggested that his former teammate plays similarly to Bale when he is in form.

He said about the winger: “I think that when he stands out more is when he plays like Gareth Bale.”

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Bale-esque goal

Osorio did justice to those comparisons with the goal he scored in Midtjylland’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim in the Europa League last week.

In typical Bale fashion, the winger brought down a cross-field pass with an exquisite first touch, before cutting in and unleashing a curled effort in the far corner beyond the goalkeeper.

Watch the goal below:

Former Premier League striker, Troy Deeney, claims current Tottenham vice-captain, Cristian Romero, is not an effective enough leader because he is too ‘erratic’.

Romero is Tottenham vice-captain

Usual Spurs captain, Heung-Min Son, suffered a hamstring injury in Tottenham’s win over Qarabag with Cristian Romero taking on the armband against Brighton last weekend. (The Athletic)

Romero led Tottenham to two previous victories, most notably an emphatic 3-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

However, a spectacular collapse against Brighton, with Romero losing his man for the host’s winner, raised questions over whether he wields the ability to be an effective captain.

Deeney suggests Romero’s ill-discipline makes him a poor leader

Speaking on the Up Front podcast, Troy Deeney has explained that he does not believe Romero is an effective leader, asking: “Who do you think the leaders are at Tottenham when you look on that pitch?”

Simon Jordan questioned: “Romero?”

“I wouldn’t call Romero a leader in my opinion, he’s too erratic, he’s a bit like Martinez at United, good in the tackle, but he’ll get sent off a couple of times this year,” Deeney replied.

“You would’ve liked to have played against him wouldn’t you?” Simon Jordan questioned.

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“Absolutely,” Deeney insisted.

Romero’s discipline has been immaculate this season

While fans and pundits may berate Cristian Romero for his defending so far this season, after the Argentine failed to track his man for both goals conceded against Leicester and Brighton, the centre-back does boast a perfect disciplinary record so far.

Wales boss Craig Bellamy has revealed why Brennan Johnson was taken off at the interval in Wales’ 2-2 draw against Iceland on Friday.

Johnson’s hot streak continues

Johnson has been on fire in front of goal for Spurs, having found the back of the net six times in six matches for the Lilywhites leading into the international break.

He made it seven in seven matches when he opened the scoring for Wales in Reykjavik with a tap-in from close range after an initial save by the Iceland goalkeeper.

Harry Wilson doubled the Dragons’ lead before the home side hit back with two goals in the second period to salvage a point.

Concerns around Johnson?

Wes Burns replaced the Tottenham winger at half-time, which raised some concerns among Spurs fans about a potential injury.

BBC Wales reporter Dafydd Pritchard reveals that Craig Bellamy confirmed the decision to take off Brennan Johnson was taken as a ‘precaution’. This seems to have eliminated any worries of a potential knock.

Given the injuries that Ange Postecoglou is dealing with in his forward line, he cannot afford to be without the former Nottingham Forest man at the moment.

Return to Hotspur Way?

With Johnson suspended for Wales’ game against Montenegro on Monday, one would expect the winger to return to Hotspur Way.

Tottenham are back in action in the early kick-off on Saturday against West Ham, where Johnson will likely have a chance to make it eight goals in eight games.

Tottenham Hotspur have stumbled across a potential transfer target while watching Alejo Veliz on loan with Espanyol this season.

How is Alejo Veliz’s loan spell going?

Veliz struggled out on loan last season at Sevilla, only playing 31 minutes across six matches for the La Liga side. As such, some Spurs fans would have been hesitant to see him head back on loan to Spain again this summer.

Fortunately, Veliz’s time with RCD Espanyol is going much better. The young striker has already played 9 games for his new club, racking up 574 minutes on the pitch and scoring one goal (TransferMarkt).

While Tottenham will want to start seeing the ball hit the back of the net with a little more regularity, Postecoglou and co will be thrilled to see Veliz getting so much game time.

Tottenham are interested in Javi Puado

According to FootballTransfers, Tottenham have stumbled across one of Veliz’s Espanyol teammates, Javi Puado, while watching their on-loan striker.

Puado caught the eye of the Lilywhites during a match against Real Vallecano at the beginning of September. The winger has already scored three goals in eight appearances so far this season.

The 26-year-old Spaniard is out of contract in 2025 and he has allegedly ‘piqued the curiosity of Tottenham’ over the past month.

Tottenham need a new winger

While Tottenham went into the season with two players in every position, they are arguably a little short out on the wings since Dejan Kulusevski switched to a creative midfield role.

It would not be surprising to see Postecoglou dip into the market to sign a new back-up right-winger to serve as competition for Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert in January.

Tottenham Hotspur have had to accept the lure of Real Madrid has proven to be too tempting for some of their previous players.

Pedro Porro has been tracked by Real Madrid for some time

Tottenham lost both the legendary Gareth Bale and Luka Modric to Real in consecutive seasons back in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Pedro Porro has become the latest Tottenham player to be linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu following a solid string of performances.

The 25-year-old firmly established himself as Ange Postecoglou‘s first-choice right-back last season ahead of Emerson Royal, with his attack-minded play having suited the forward-thinking style of the Australian.

The Athletic are now reporting that Real have been monitoring the progress of Porro for a number of years, which has resulted in ‘positive reports’ being filed in the Spanish capital.

Real are fully aware Porro’s situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which sees him under contract until the summer of 2028 and acknowledge a significant obstacle would be the tough negotiating style of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

The current Champions League holders are reportedly in the market for a new right-back and Dani Carvajal’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury has also strengthened their desire to bolster the position.

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Would Pedro Porro turn down Real Madrid?

The opportunity to play for Real Madrid would be a huge desire for any player in world football, let alone a Spanish international.

Earlier this week, Porro admitted that he was proud to be linked with Real Madrid but did try to downplay the speculation by insisting his focus was on Tottenham.

The fact that Porro still has four years left on his contract following his move from Sporting would put Levy in a strong negotiating place and could give Djed Spence the opportunity to step up and become the club’s new right-back next season.

Porro is currently on international duty with Spain and will be back in action for Tottenham on October 19th when they host West Ham United.

Tottenham Hotspur have their eyes on one of the highest-scoring midfielders in Europe, but they would have to beat off competition from a number of other top clubs if they wish to sign him.

There’s a gap in Ange Postecoglou’s squad

Over the summer, Spurs offloaded a number of players, mostly squad members on the fringes and players who had no future at the club.

Among them was Giovani Lo Celso, who rejoined Real Betis after five years with Tottenham, and the Argentine has been a revelation since returning to Spain.

With his departure, though, Spurs were left with a real lack of a goal threat in the playmaker role, with James Maddison now the main man in the number 10 area.

A move for Eberechi Eze never came to fruition this summer, though it might next year, but if Tottenham cannot land the Crystal Palace star, they may have stumbled upon a cheaper, and arguably more creative talent instead.

Spurs and Villa watching Pavel Sulc

According to a report from TBRFootball, the Lilywhites have been tracking Viktoria Plzen midfielder Pavel Sulc, who has six goals and three assists to his name already this term.

The 23-year-old scored an incredible 22 goals and registered a further eight assists in 2023/24, too, and is now emerging as one of the most sought-after attacking midfielders in Europe.

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It is said Spurs and Aston Villa are the clubs that have been sending scouts to watch Sulc in action the most of late. However, they face competition from Manchester City, Napoli, Atalanta, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen in the race to sign the Czech star.

A budget option

Miroslav Koubek, Sulc’s manager at Plzen, has already admitted he will not stand in the player’s way if a suitable offer comes in.

We don’t know Sulc’s price tag yet, but it is surely going to be a lot less than Eze’s release clause, and this is a transfer Spurs could get done in January to help boost their run in the backend of the campaign.