The Hard Tackle

Tottenham will reportedly demand £80 million to sell Manchester City target Pedro Porro, as Pep Guardiola is looking for a replacement for Kyle Walker.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham will demand a significant fee of £80 million to sell Pedro Porro. The right-back has been in consistent form since joining Spurs in January 2023, which has made Manchester City consider the prospect of re-signing the Spanish full-back as a long-term replacement for Kyle Walker.

Kyle Walker will be 35 by the time the 2025-26 season begins next year, as Manchester City is already thinking about a succession plan for the well-served right-back. For now, the England international is not showing any signs of slowing down despite his age, but the club are making plans to bring in a solid competitor.

Rico Lewis has emerged as a solid talent from their academy and is a versatile full-back, which suits Pep Guardiola. However, he is young and can’t be relied on to carry the team from that position for a whole season, as they will need a seasoned professional in that role to compete and replace Walker.

Guardiola likes Pedro Porro in that role and could push the club to re-sign their former player. The Spurs man was on the books of Man City but left to join Sporting CP in 2022 without playing a single senior game. He has been a consistent presence for Tottenham since his arrival there in January 2023 and is a crucial man under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham consider Porro a key member of their squad and are open to offering him a new deal. However, they will not let him leave easily, as Daniel Levy has a reputation for being a shrewd negotiator in the business and will reportedly demand £80 million to sell the 25-year-old.

Will Manchester City pay £80 million to sign Pedro Porro?

Manchester City has deep pockets and a healthy financial situation to show readiness to pay the £80 million Spurs might potentially demand. However, they might even look at other viable targets, and in truth, the club has the power to sign any player in the world.

A host of Premier League sides are interested in Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, as approaches in January could be on the horizon.

According to Caught Offside, a host of Premier League clubs could target a move for Liam Delap ahead of the January transfer window. The Ipswich Town forward has made a name for himself following a stellar start to the season, and Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, and former side Manchester City are all showing interest.

Liam Delap cost Ipswich Town a fee in excess of €17 million in the summer, as Kieran McKenna decided to spend big on the forward. The decision seems like the right one following the striker’s adaptation to the Premier League, where he has four goals already in the first eight games.

Ipswich Town are hoping to stay in the Premier League for a long time to come, and for that they need to keep hold of all their critical stars ahead of the January transfer window. However, with Delap’s current form attracting some top teams ahead of the winter window, these are testing times for the Tractor Boys and McKenna.

Chelsea held an interest, while some other sides are showcasing they could make approaches in January. Former club, Manchester City, only after selling him in the summer to Ipswich Town, are among those interested in re-signing the forward.

The report states that Ipswich rate him at around €40 million, and a sale at that price would represent massive business in a short period. Arsenal are also in the mix, as they are keen to sign a new striker at some point in the future, while Aston Villa could consider Delap a significant addition to their plans.

Tottenham considered the front-runners for Delap

Delap’s performances have led to suggestions that he might be ready for one of the big clubs, as Tottenham are keen on signing him. The €40 million-rated striker could effectively come into the North London side as a possible replacement for the ineffective Richarlison and provide ample competition to the likes of record-signing Dominic Solanke.

Either way, the forward will have plenty of offers on the table should he decide to leave Ipswich Town. However, with McKenna’s side already in the mix for the Premier League relegation battle, it will be a big blow to lose their central striker in January, as only a hefty fee would do justice to the decision to sell him.

Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Tottenham are all closely monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.

According to a report from Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Carlos Baleba’s impressive rise at Brighton & Hove Albion has not gone unnoticed. Multiple top clubs from across Europe are keeping a close eye on him and Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Tottenham are the Premier League clubs who have shown interest in the young defensive midfielder.

Baleba came up the ranks at LOSC Lille. After impressing in his debut season at the French club, Brighton forked out £23 million to acquire his services in the summer of 2023. The 20-year-old hardly took any time to settle into life in the English top flight.

He was seen as a successor to Moises Caicedo, who had joined Chelsea in a big-money move. While the Cameroonian international is in the early phase of his career, he has already established himself as a regular at Brighton, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.

So far, he has featured in 46 matches for them. In the ongoing season, he has started eight out of his nine appearances and has even contributed towards four goals. While his contract with the Seagulls runs until the summer of 2028, he could be on the move in the near future as there is no shortage of interest in his services.

Baleba could join an English giant in the winter

Even before he joined Brighton, Arsenal and Liverpool were amongst the sides keeping a close eye on Carlos Baleba’s progress. While they could not sign him back then, the duo have retained interest in his services.

Both clubs want a new number six. Arsenal are looking to prepare for life without Thomas Partey, while the Reds seek an upgrade on Wataru Endo. Liverpool want someone who can compete with Ryan Gravenberch, who has taken up the defensive midfield role this season.

Both English giants have been closely monitoring him of late. However, they face competition from Aston Villa as well as Tottenham Hotspur. The Villans made quite a few signings to replace Douglas Luiz, but they are still in search of more quality in the centre of the park. Baleba could help their cause.

As far as TottenhM are concerned, they parted ways with quite a few of their midfielders in the summer. Spurs lack depth as well as quality, and Baleba is a perfect fit for their new project will revolves around signing the best young players. With all four Premier League clubs watching him closely, it will be interesting to see if either of them make a concrete move in the winter.

A lot of Premier League sides are looking closely at Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro, with a future move likely to be on the cards.

According to Fichajes, Raul Moro is steadily emerging as a big target for Premier League sides. Tottenham, NManchester City, and Liverpool are closely monitoring the winger’s progress with Real Valladolid, as a future approach could be on the cards in the following windows.

Premier League sides are always on the lookout for the best young talents from around the world. Given how stringent the scouting programs have become, finding players who absolutely suit one system is rather a difficult prospect, but English clubs often tend to find a solution.

Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham are the Premier League giants in the mix to improve their first team not only through experienced players but also with emerging stars closer to the senior group. Real Valladolid star Raul Moro has emerged as their latest target in the market.

Moro is impressive this season at Real Valladolid, with some stunning displays in wide areas. He might not have the most prolific numbers to show for it, but the impact he has in attacking play is what is attracting the interest of those big clubs ahead of future windows, with the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City scouting.

Real Valladolid has a long-term contract in place with the 21-year-old La Liga attacker, meaning they will demand significantly. However, given his current market value of €4 million, La Liga is at least hoping to fetch €10 million for the 21-year-old La Liga attacker, given the level of clubs keen on him.

Premier League clubs looking at young talents

Starting with Tottenham they have already begun recruiting young stars. They did make a few exciting signings, such as Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, and Archie Gray, as more such stars could come into the equation. Liverpool is also looking to bring some young stars, with recent links to Facundo Buononatte along with Manchester City clear of their trajectory in the transfer market.

Antoine Semenyo is reportedly flattered by Tottenham’s interest, as he would be open to following Dominic Solanke to north London.

According to Football Insider, Antoine Semenyo is open to joining Tottenham amid heavy interest from the North Londoners. The 24-year-old winger is also a big target for other teams, as he might leave Bournemouth sooner rather than later.

Bournemouth made a record sale in the form of Dominic Solanke after selling this striker to Tottenham in a £65 million deal during the summer. The forward settled well at Spurs and could soon have former teammate Antoine Semenyo in north London.

Bournemouth might have recently signed the Ghanaian to a new long-term deal, but they will be powerless to stop his move to a bigger club. A host of clubs within the Premier League are keen to secure the 24-year-old’s signature ahead of future windows, with Newcastle United pushing to sign him in January.

The Cherries are set to demand significantly, which will be difficult for clubs to negotiate given the 24-year-old’s long-term contract at the Vitality. Tottenham is also pushing for the winger, and they, too, could make an approach in January, as the winger is flattered by their interest.

Spurs are eager to bring in new attacking talent in the wide areas, more in the immediate term, while keeping the long-term future in mind. They do have a few talented outlets like Brennan Johnson on their side, but they need more upgrades in the final third, although they will be in for tough negotiations with Bournemouth.

Semenyo set for a big move

There are question marks on whether Bournemouth would want to lose a key star like Semenyo in January, although clubs that match their asking price could sell. Spurs are intent on his signing, and Newcastle is, too, with Semenyo likely to want to join either of them, even though the report portrays him to be leaning towards north London.

Either way, it’s the nature of the game for mid-table sides like Bournemouth to expect an important departure in the middle of the season. Hence, there’s every chance the 24-year-old will leave in January, although the more realistic view is for the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are front-runners to acquire the services of Lecce teenage sensation Patrick Dorgu.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness, Tottenham are keen on acquiring the services of Patrick Dorgu. While there is no shortage of interest in the Danish international’s signature, the North London club are believed to be leading the race at this stage.

Dorgu was a part of the FC Nordsjaelland’s youth ranks. He was already a big name in Danish football because of his heroics in age group football, his incredible rise and huge potential resulted in a move to Lecce in the summer of 2022.

He had an impressive loan spell and the move was made permanent in the following summer window. The 19-year-old wide player has only gone from strength to strength over the last 18 months. Last season, he was involved in 34 matches and racked up more than 1,600 minutes of first-team action.

Thanks to his consistent performances last season, he has become a regular starter for the Italian club. The majority of his appearances have come as a left-back or as a left-winger but what makes him special is that he can feature in any role on either flank.

His potential along with his abilities have made the 19-year-old Danish international a rare commodity and there is no shortage of interest in his services. Tottenham are one of the clubs that have been interested in Dorgu for some time.

Tottenham are leading the race to sign Dorgu

The North London club have made a major change to their transfer approach. They now prefer to sign young players with huge potential and the Danish wide player fits the bill.

They wanted to sign him during the summer but things didn’t work out because Lecce were looking for around €30-35 million and Spurs were not ready to invest that big an amount in someone who was still an unknown commodity in the world of football.

While they decided against signing him back then, Tottenham have retained interest in the youngster and they look all set to make a move in the near future. Dorgu penned a new deal with Lecce on Friday (18 October) which runs until the summer of 2029 but that won’t stop Spurs from trying to lure him away.

They are believed to be leading the race for his signature despite interest from other top clubs from across Europe. With multiple top clubs keen, a bidding war could be in place for the 19-year-old but for now, Spurs are in the driving seat.

Tottenham are eager to keep signing some of the best young talents from around, as Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu the latest to be linked in that regard.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are interested in Lecce’s left-back, Patrick Dorgu. Spurs are keen to keep signing young talents, and they have adopted a new transfer policy that has seen them accumulate several young talents.

Tottenham have given their transfer policy a new direction since the summer, continuing to buy young players. The north Londoners are thinking about the future in a big way, as their investment in some promising talents demonstrates.

This summer alone, Tottenham signed Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, and Yang Min-hyeok, as they are now targeting newer talents in the market. Italy has lately become a common hunting ground for the north Londoners, as many of their best performers are from Serie A.

Destiny Udogie is also from Italy, and now Ange Postrcoglou seeks a perfect cover for the Italian international, with their interest in Patrick Dorgu. The Danish international has been a good presence for Lecce, as he could soon be departing Serie A for a more significant challenge.

It’s not even been 24 hours since Dorgu signed a new deal at Lecce until 2029, but there’s already an extensive report linking the 19-year-old defensive prodigy to Tottenham. Many more clubs are interested in Dorgu, but Spurs’ immense network within Italy could help them sign the young defender.

Spurs are moving in the right direction

Spurs are keen to build a solid foundation for the future, and their idea of signing young stars is a step in the right direction. They have not moved away from any deal because of the price, as their huge deal for Archie Gray shows they are willing to invest the right money where it deserves to be.

They have also managed to bring some emerging stars on the cheap, and they will be ready to invest big going forward. Any potential deal for Dorgu will be a big signal of intent about their future, as the Danish star could come in as a solid deputy or competitor for Udogie.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will be desperate to clinch three points when they clash in North London on Saturday.

The dreaded international break is behind us, and the 2024/25 Premier League season resumes with Gameweek 8 on Saturday. The latest round of fixtures kicks off with a London derby, with Tottenham Hotspur hosting West Ham United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur would have hoped to be the dark horses in the Premier League title race this season after finishing fifth last term. However, Ange Postecoglou’s men have blown hot and cold thus far in the new campaign, winning as many games as they have won in the Premier League. So, the Australian tactician will be eager to make amends after the latest international break.

As for West Ham United, they were slow off the blocks in the first few weeks of the 2024/25 season. So, the pressure was ramping up on Julen Lopetegui, considering the East London club managed only one win in the Premier League after Gameweek 6 and bowed out of the EFL Cup. However, the Spanish tactician would have heaved a sigh of relief after the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town before the international break.

The corresponding fixture last season saw West Ham United come from a goal down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, with James Ward-Prowse scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Tottenham Hotspur

Ange Postecoglou has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against West Ham United on Saturday, the Tottenham Hotspur manager should be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.

Son Heung-min should be fit and available after missing the last few games due to a hamstring injury. In addition, Richarlison (calf) and Lucas Bergvall (niggle) will likely feature in the matchday squad. So, Wilson Odobert is the only absentee due to a long-term thigh injury.

Guglielmo Vicario is the automatic pick between the sticks, with Tottenham Hotspur lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against West Ham United. The backline should feature Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie. Interestingly, three of the four defenders are on Real Madrid’s radar.

As for the midfield unit, Dejan Kulusevski has been a revelation in the middle of the park since Postecoglou changed his role. The Swedish international should accompany Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison in the central areas. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for the home side against West Ham, with Brennan Johnson and Son Heung-min completing the numbers in the attack.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

West Ham United

Unlike his counterpart in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout, Julen Lopetegui has not greeted any positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The West Ham United manager will be without one first-team player.

Niclas Fullkrug is the only absentee, with the German international recovering from a calf injury. However, Lopetegui is unsure about the experienced striker’s return, thus adding to the summer signing’s frustrations.

Alphonse Areola will take his spot between the sticks, with West Ham United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Tottenham Hotspur. The backline should feature Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, and Emerson Palmieri.

As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will pair up with Guido Rodriguez in the middle of the park. Lucas Paqueta will reprise the no. 10 role, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus being the two wide attackers. Finally, Michail Antonio will spearhead the West Ham attack this weekend.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Rodriguez, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio

Key Stats

Tottenham Hotspur have only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham United (26). The Hammers came from behind to win the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season. However, they have not won on consecutive league visits to Tottenham since doing so in April/November 1966.

Tottenham have lost four of their last six Premier League London derbies (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D3). However, they beat Brentford 3-1 in their most recent derby.

West Ham United are unbeaten in three Premier League away London derbies (W1 D2), with those results coming in their games on the road thus far this season. The Hammers most recently had a longer away London derby run without defeat between January and December 1999 (6).

Brennan Johnson has scored in his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham, with his six strikes in these outings more than he had netted in his first 38 appearances for the North London club (5).

Michail Antonio has scored more Premier League goals against Tottenham than he has vs any other opponent (6). Five of his six goals against the North London club have been the opening goal of the match, with only Ryan Giggs (6) netting the opener more often vs Tottenham in Premier League history.

Player to Watch

Son Heung-min

Embed from Getty Images

While some players have stepped up in his absence, none of them have the perennial game-changing ability that Son Heung-min possesses. The Tottenham Hotspur captain looked in decent touch in his first few outings of the 2024/25 season.

However, a hamstring injury has kept him on the sidelines for several weeks, although he will likely return this weekend. So, that should put a spring in the step of his Tottenham teammates as Son looks to inspire an unbeaten run in the coming weeks.

Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 West Ham United

Tottenham and West Ham lock horns this weekend after contrasting results before the international break. However, the Hammers have not won consecutive league games since March, although they will fancy their prospects of ending that run this weekend. In addition, the visitors are on an unbeaten run on the road in the Premier League this season.

So, Julen Lopetegui and his charges will have a handy opportunity to continue that streak. However, Son Heung-min’s return will galvanise the home side, although they might not have enough quality to return to winning ways against the buoyant West Ham. The Hard Tackle predicts the Gameweek 8 opener to end in a 2-2 draw.

Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown rules out Tottenham being in the race for Angel Gomes as he thinks the midfielder is similar to James Maddison.

Angel Gomes could be a big transfer topic in England as he enters the final six months of his deal at LOSC Lille. The newly capped England international is looking to keep rising in stature with his game and would like a return to the Premier League.

Gomes previously spent time at the Manchester United academy, and he recently refused to rule out a return to the club. The midfielder’s profile is something that most clubs do not have, including the Red Devils, who are keen on re-signing him for a free transfer next summer.

Newcastle United are ready to rival Manchester United for his signature, which does make Gomes’ case rather interesting ahead of January or next summer. His cheap availability is likely to ensure a transfer battle of sorts, as a return to England looks imminent for the 24-year-old midfielder.

Tottenham was also linked with a move, although former Manchester United scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game things, Spurs are not in the chase. His comments on Football Insider suggest Spurs are not keen on the midfielder, as he views Gomes very similar to James Maddison.

Brown said, “I don’t think Tottenham are among those interested. They’ve already got James Maddison who can play a similar role.”

“I would see those two as being not too dissimilar. I know Gomes plays a bit deeper but we’ve seen Maddison drop into that space in recent games.”

“They’re both players who want to see a lot of the ball and look to make things happen, they’re clever passers and good in possession. I’d be surprised if Tottenham made a move for Gomes because of that.”

“Angel’s skill has never been in question, the only concerns are about whether he’d be physically good enough to keep up in the Premier League. I’ve heard there are clubs looking at him and his contract situation, not just Tottenham.”

There might be an element of truth in the comparisons with Maddison, as the two midfielders do occupy similar spaces and their style of play has a resemblence. Tottenham are linked with a number of new attacking midfielders with different profiles, although the 24-year-old midfielder’s availability on a free transfer might be a factor in those links.

However, one cannot rule out Spurs out of the race just yet, unless they explicitly say so or make a signing that makes the Gomes signing senseless. They do have Maddison, who has been performing well of late, but Ange Postecoglou might consider strengthening that position and bringing in another competitor.

Tottenham have reportedly submitted a bid for Irish teenager Mason Melia from St Patrick Athletic as they hope to beat the competition.

According to reports via Lillywhite Rose, Tottenham have reportedly made a bid for Irish sensation Mason Melia as they hope to get ahead in the race for the teenager. Spurs have maintained an interest in the St Patrick Athletic star, although he can leave only when he turns 18, which will be next year.

Tottenham are going ahead with their plans to bring some of the most exciting youngsters who are closer to the first team than the youth sides. The north Londoners have made some important additions in terms of young talents over the last few seasons, and in the previous six months, they might have added two first-team teenagers.

They beat Barcelona’s competition for Swedish teenager Lucas Bergvall, for whom they paid an important price to sign him from Djurgarden. Similarly, they invested heavily in Leeds United teenager Archie Gray, with the two teenagers primed to be the future of Tottenham’s midfield in the coming seasons.

Now, they are in the process of securing the signature of one other sensation, Mason Melia. The Irish teenager has performed admirably, with many Premier League sides showing an interest prior to the summer, although there’s an important aspect that might have seen them back away.

Everton was also keen before the summer window, but going by the rules, Melia would only be allowed to leave Ireland once he turned 18. His birthday falls on September 6, which might even prevent him from leaving St Patrick’s Athletic next summer, as January 2026 will be the closest time he could leave Ireland.

Tottenham make Melia bid

Tottenham has reportedly made an offer for the 17-year-old Irish attacking sensation ahead of their rivals, although the details of the offer are under wraps. This could be a big deal for Spurs, especially in the race for the teenager, as other clubs are sniffing around.

Meanwhile, there’s no agreement between the clubs for the teenager, although there’s a level of confidence that an agreement could be stuck. With the 17-year-old Irish attacking sensation, Tottenham would have a group of talented teenagers ready for future first-team football.