TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies was in international action on Friday night as Wales took on Turkiye in Cardiff.

The Tottenham stalwart has made a name for himself as a solid and dependable option at N17, with so many managers rating him highly.

Davies is also a key player for the Dragons. The Spurs ace is now closing in on 100 appearances for his nation and has captained them on many occasions.

Friday saw a new chapter for Wales as Craig Bellamy took his country’s reins for the first time, and first up were the Euro 2024 quarter-finalists.

Wales weren’t quite at their best in attack as they failed to breach Turkiye’s defensive lines, but they stood firm at the back and kept a clean sheet.

As per Sofascore, Davies won two ground duels and two aerial duels against his opponents, took 115 touches of the ball and completed 100 of his 115 passes.

The Tottenham veteran also weighed in with two interceptions, one tackle and one block. All this meant the Welsh media sung his praises after the game.

Tottenham star Ben Davies kept Arda Guler quiet throughout

Wales Online gave Davies an 8 out of 10 rating and wrote: “Did everything asked of him all night. A colossal performance.”

Likewise, Y Clwb Pel-Droed awarded the Spurs ace an 8 out of 10, adding: “Davies was solid at the back playing up against Real Madrid talent Arda Guler keeping him quiet through the game.

“He provided a crucial block following poor pass from (Danny) Ward and made some key interceptions to deny the away side opportunities.”

Davies’ Tottenham teammate Brennan Johnson was also in action for his country, receiving a mixed reaction from the Welsh press.

What next for Davies?

Davies’ Wales are next in action on Monday night as they take on Montenegro in Niksic, and the £10million Spurs ace is likely to start once again.

That will be Wales’ last international game this month, so Davies is then set to return to Hotspur Way, where preparations for next Sunday’s North London derby will be in full swing.

Tottenham Hotspur signed a number of youngsters in the summer months, and it appears as if it’s already starting to pay off for Ange Postecoglou.

The Lilywhites’ transfer approach appears to be heading in the direction of younger players under Ange Postecoglou.

Wilson Odobert, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Yang Min-hyeok all put pen to paper on deals at Tottenham, though the latter won’t join until January.

It’s been claimed that Bergvall and Gray could get a fair bit of game time in the months to come, and from what we’ve seen of them already it certainly looks like they can handle the pressure.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has predicted that Bergvall would have a big future with his national side after his performance during the international break.

But, it was the turn of another youngster to catch the eye last night for his country…

£30m Spurs talent catches the eye with international display

Archie Gray has already been tipped for big things by Harry Redknapp at Tottenham after joining for around £30 million in the summer.

And, England fans were blessed with an eye-catching performance from him last night for the Under-21 side as they drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland.

The 18-year-old started as a right wing-back almost, which is a position that he has played in before.

He had 101 touches, won 4/4 of his duels, had a 90% pass success rate and completed both of his dribbles in a very accomplished display.

What does Ange Postecoglou think of Archie Gray?

It didn’t take long for Ange Postecoglou to praise Archie Gray in pre-season as he said this after his performance against Hearts.

“Yeah no Archie did well and yeah look him, Skipp and Jamie probably weren’t expecting to be starting in our back four.

“But, that’s okay, you know, it’s about guys like Archie getting accustomed to how we play and how we train.

“He’s an intelligent kid and he coped with it okay today and like I say it’s just about letting him and Lucas settle into things.

“But I thought he was good today, Archie really good today, you know, he did things we know he can do today.

“He’s adapting to the intensity and tempo, so yeah he did well.”

Tottenham Hotspur will look to get their season fully up and running after the international break.

Spurs picked up just four points from their opening three Premier League games, and the coaches and players know they could’ve easily won all three.

Tottenham host Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday 15 September, and they’ll be eager to use that match as a springboard for the rest of the season.

Likewise, Lucas Bergvall reportedly has similar plans in store for his own career at Tottenham, as reported by GiveMeSport.

Lucas Bergvall plans to kickstart Tottenham career this month amid possible EFL Cup start

According to GiveMeSport, Bergvall plans to use the rest of September as a launchpad for his Tottenham career, with a starting spot in his sights.

The 18-year-old is ‘desperate to make an impact in his new surroundings’ after making the decision to swap Djurgarden for the Premier League.

In addition, Bergvall has reportedly been earmarked to make his debut in the EFL Cup third-round trip to Coventry City on Wednesday 18 September.

There’s also be scope for Bergvall to play a ‘key role’ when Tottenham get their Europa League campaign underway at home to Qarabag on Thursday 26 September.

The report says Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has been left impressed by the Swede’s ‘ability and the way in which he has carried himself’.

Though Postecoglou is still eager to remain cautious over Bergvall’s game time, the expectation is that the player will soon start causing him a selection headache.

Exciting times ahead for Bergvall and Tottenham

Bergvall is an “extraordinary” talent with the world at his feet and, at just 18 years of age, is already in and around the starting picture for club and country.

Hopefully September will prove to be a fruitful month for the Sweden international as he looks to really kick off his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham have put their trust in youth since Ange Postecoglou took over and it’s beginning to pay off for the North London club.

The Lilywhites did spend a hefty sum of money on five additions this summer though four of them are below the age of 20, so they’re very much building for the future.

Postecoglou has looked to give younger players a chance in the current campaign, with Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert all enjoying minutes in the side.

Dominic Solanke was the big-money striker signing that Ange craved at Tottenham but he’s not been able to play much football due to an injury.

But, it looks as if another deal caught the eye of the people behind the scenes at Spurs…

Tottenham think they have secured an absolute bargain signing

Bergvall has been earning all the plaudits after his second cap for Sweden, while Harry Redknapp has backed Archie Gray to become a ‘top player’.

But, as promising as they are, they’re not the player who Spurs believe has huge value potential.

According to Give Me Sport, there is a desire for Yang Min-hyeok, who joined for £3.4 million, to turn into one of their best summer signings as he has the potential to go on and be worth significantly more than the amount they paid, while following in his fellow countryman’s footsteps would go down well.

It’s stated that the South Korean’s next outing will be crucial in helping Tottenham to identify how far along he is with his game-changing ability in pivotal clashes as Gangwon will go head-to-head with fellow title-chasers Ulsan in a top-of-the-table encounter later this month.

Who is Yang Min-Hyeok?

Joel Kim provided the full lowdown on what Tottenham fans can expect from Yang Min-hyeok.

“If Yang Min-hyuk can be described in two words, it’s power and pace. Add adaptability, and he becomes a versatile asset for Tottenham’s attacking football,” Kim said.

“At just 18, Yang brings incredible speed to the attack, running with youthful vigour. His surprising physical strength allows him to dominate veteran defenders in the K-League 1, Asia’s most physical league.

“His greatest asset might be his adaptability; like Son Heung-min, Yang is two-footed and can play on either the left or right wing. Comparisons to Anthony Gordon and Federico Chiesa highlight his potential.

“Yang loves to charge forward with the ball, whether along the flanks or through the middle, overwhelming defenders with his pace. Defensively, he’s underrated, often intercepting passes and reading plays before they unfold.”

Kim continued and revealed what Min-hyuk needs to improve on: “His weaknesses include occasional clumsiness and dispossession, common among downhill running wingers.

“Recently, he has struggled to find space when tightly marked by several defenders, preventing him from even touching the ball. He needs to step up in those moments and make his presence felt.”

As Daniel Levy looks to sell a stake in Tottenham, he has the chance to use the cash to pull off one of the biggest moves in the club’s history.

It has long been an open secret that Levy and ENIC are willing to listen to offers for Spurs, whether that be for a full or partial takeover.

Levy confirmed that Tottenham are seeking investment earlier this year and it has since emerged that the club values itself at around £3.75bn.

Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners were linked with buying into Spurs in July, but there has been little movement on the takeover front since that juncture.

Previously, a number of American private equity firms have explored Tottenham.

And TBR Football understands that at least one of those groups, MSP Sports Capital, went as far as to conduct full due diligence with a view to a full takeover.

However, the New York-headquartered firm turned their attention to Everton last year. And although that attempt was unsuccessful, there has been no word that they have revived their interest in Spurs.

Levy’s £3.75bn appraisal of Spurs appears to be a sticking point, especially given that a minority investor would not be guaranteed any operational control.

However, if the cash generated from an equity investment was fed back into the club, it could prove to be an opportunity that could establish the clubs as a global force.

Tottenham’s multi-club ambitions

Previously, TBR Football has been told that Spurs have explored the multi-club model that is now the go-to ownership structure for elite football investors.

The likes of Man City‘s City Football Group and the Red Bull network are the most prominent cases, but there are countless many more low-key examples.

Spurs are known to have previously explored a partnership with Djurgardens, Swedish club from whom they signed 18-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall.

The status of those talks is not known, but that would likely be a strategic link-up as opposed to an equity investment from Spurs in any case.

But the capital from a minority investment in Spurs, which could be worth as much as £750m, could be funnelled into various capital expenditure projects, like the acquisition of a new club.

Industry sources have also told TBR that the appointment of ex-Man City operator Scott Munn as chief football officer is perceived within the industry as a signal that Spurs are keen on the multi-club model.

ENIC, Spurs majority owners, were also previously involved in the multi-club racket before regulations about owning multiple clubs in the same competition tightened.

They held stakes in Rangers, Slavia Prague, AEK Athens, Basel and Vicenza.

The merits of the multi-club model to Spurs

The multi-club model allows clubs to pool certain costs and provides a strategic advantage in terms of recruitment and retention.

Spurs have focused heavily on commercial income since the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, and another club could help them promote their brand in a different market.

The likes of Man City have benefited from this, just as they have through their muti-club’s capacity to act as a worldwide. development pathway to the first team.

Tottenham Hotspur endured a busy summer of transfers which has failed to see them make a bright start in the Premier League.

With three games now under Tottenham‘s belt in the 2024/25 campaign, there may well be scratching their heads as to what has gone wrong.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side have only come away with one win from those opening three games and face the North London Derby next time out.

Although fans will not want to think about derby day defeat, a loss would see them having taken just four points from a possible 12.

And that will certainly see questions asked about whether enough was done over the summer window which was dominated by player exits.

But there is already one player sale which has been slammed with the player’s new club torn into for ever purchasing him.

Champions League club slammed for buying Tottenham player

Postecoglou promised change over the summer and that is certainly what was on offer for the Spurs fans.

However, many may have wished to see more players brought into the club as to just a considerable number of players departing.

Another player is now set to leave on loan with Alfie Devine having travelled to Belgium ahead of his move to K.V.C. Westerlo.

But it is the AC Milan signing of Emerson Royal which has now been slammed by some in the media following his £13m move to the San Siro.

After weeks of speculation, Emerson was finally handed his dream move to Milan after a few years in north London.

“His €15 million transfer from Spurs seems like the biggest donation in the history of the Milan Foundation, which is charitably trying to fulfill his dream of becoming a footballer,” said journalist James Horncastle on The Athletic FC podcast.

Emerson Royal’s early AC Milan displays are being torn into

The BRazilian right-back has now made two appearances in Serie A for his new side having started in the latest against Lazio.

However, there may be questions as to whether he will retain that spot in the starting XI after his showing against the side from Rome.

The Italian media tore Emerson’s first Milan start apart against Lazio with verdicts of being one of the worst players on the pitch handed out.

It has been a really underwhelming start to the season for Milan who are still in search of their first win and Emerson’s signing is not going down well/

Tottenham Hotspur have not exactly made the best of starts to their 2024/25 campaign in the Premier League.

Although only three games have been played so far, Tottenham already look as if they still have a lot of work to do to be where they aspire to be.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side looked incredibly sharp against Everton in their only home game of the season but the Lilywhites proved incredibly wasteful against Leicester City and Newcastle united.

Question marks remain over the business done in the transfer market with Tottenham having only actually seen three new faces land for the start of the season.

Spurs spent big on Dominic Solanke but there may be doubts as to whether Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray were enough to otherwise bolster the squad.

But it seems as if interest in one of their summer targets remains after the north Londoners failed to acquire him.

Tottenham still interested in £60m playmaker

The recent form of James Maddison may be concerning some at Tottenham after he has failed to rediscover his best form since picking up the injury last season.

Even Roy Keane was left criticising Maddison following his display for Tottenham against Newcastle on Sunday.

And it seems as if Spurs may well have their eye on a potential upgrade for the former England international.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are one of the sides to appreciate Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze after this summer’s window.

The England international was subject to interest from Spurs but no official move materialised with Palace pointing clubs towards his £60m release clause.

“No club did trigger the release clause and there were no concrete contacts so in the end, that was the reason he remained at Selhurst Park,” said Romano in his Daily Briefing.

“Man City for sure had him on their list in 2023, and it’s true that Tottenham appreciate him, but there was never any formal bid presented from either club or any other this summer.”

Eberechi Eze is already impressing this season

Despite seeing his partner in crime leave this summer in Michael Olise, the ‘superstar‘ Eze has already made a bright start to the new campaign.

The Englishman got on the scoresheet over the weekend with a fine effort against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Eze has already registered the second-highest number of shots (15) of any player in the league which shows just how active in front of goal he has been.

In comparison, Maddison has only recorded six shots and has failed to find the back of the net in that time.

Tottenham Hotspur players have headed off for international duty having suffered a frustrating 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday.

The September international break always feels a little frustrating.

The new Premier League season is only just up and running but, after only three games, players are now heading away with their countries.

Ange Postecoglou may have wanted to work with his plays after Sunday’s defeat at Newcastle, having seen Tottenham dominate the game and yet still lose.

Instead, Postecoglou has to watch his players from afar and no doubt sit nervously waiting to hear of any injury news ahead of the North London derby against Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur star praised

One Tottenham player is about to take an enormous step in his career.

Winger Dejan Kulusevski has linked up with Sweden for their games against Azerbaijan and Estonia.

That isn’t incredible in itself; Kulusevski already has 39 caps for Sweden at the age of 24.

The big news is that Kulusevski will captain Sweden against Azerbaijan on Thursday evening as skipper Victor Lindelof is unavailable.

Kulusevski has taken on a leadership role in the Sweden ranks of late and admitted giving a Postecoglou-inspired team talk back in March.

Now ready to put on the armband for Sweden, Kulusevski has been praised by Sweden left back Ludwig Augustinsson whilst speaking to TV4.

Augustinsson feels that Kulusevski is a natural leader as he is always pushing his Sweden teammates forward in the dressing room.

The former Aston Villa full back added that Kulusevski is more outgoing now and is still growing as a leader, feeling that his step-up as Sweden captain is ‘natural’.

“He has natural leadership qualities. He is a pusher. He wants to move forward, he takes the initiative. He drives the team on the pitch and more and more in the dressing room,” said Augustinsson.

“He is much more open and outgoing than before. He is growing more and more into a leader and he has a lot of experience at the highest level. It feels natural that it is he who takes the armband,” he added.

Dejan Kulusevski still a conundrum for Ange Postecoglou

Kulusevski certainly has quality in his locker but he remains something of a question mark under Postecoglou.

Signed as a right winger in a £25million deal, as noted by BBC Sport, Kulusevski doesn’t quite possess the athletic qualities Postecoglou likes out wide.

The Australian loves pace on the flanks, hence the signings of Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert.

Kulusevski has guile and creativity but speed is not one of his calling cards, meaning we have actually seen him pushed infield as an attack-minded midfielder.

That could work for Kulusevski but playing both him and James Maddison won’t work for every opponent and Postecoglou is more likely to go with Maddison over Kulusevski if given a straight choice.

Kulusevski played well as a false nine in pre-season but Tottenham have now splashed out on Dominic Solanke, so the Swede isn’t the answer there either.

We love watching Kulusevski at his best but his long-term role at Tottenham is a little unclear, even if he has developed as a person under Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur have had a bright summer on the transfer front, making a host of exciting signings for the present and future.

Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert all signed for Spurs this summer, while Timo Werner has rejoined on loan from RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall arrived from Djurgarden after Tottenham struck a deal in January, while Yang Min-hyuk is set to link up with Spurs next year.

Although the transfer window is now shut, there are numerous free agents that Spurs could potentially target if they so wish.

However, one player who Tottenham have been linked with is now no longer attainable for Ange Postecoglou.

Mats Hummels snubs Tottenham to join Roma

The player in question is Mats Hummels, who won the World Cup with Germany back in 2014.

Graeme Bailey revealed that Tottenham held talks with Hummels after his departure from Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season as Postecoglou aimed to bolster his defence.

However, Hummels has now completed a move to Serie A and Europa League side Roma, reportedly penning a one-year contract at the Stadio Olimpico according to Reuters.

Apparently, West Ham also showed a desire to sign Hummels, after Julen Lopetegui allowed Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd to depart.

However, the Hammers have now also missed out on the former Borussia Dortmund star along with the Lilywhites.

Who else could Tottenham target in the free agent market?

Although Spurs have missed out on Hummels, there are some other high-profile players without a club.

The likes of Adrien Rabiot – another World Cup winner – is available after leaving Juventus.

Meanwhile, Anthony Martial also up for grabs following his departure from Manchester United.

Furthermore, Memphis Depay, Andre Gomes, Wissam Ben Yedder and Joel Matip are also still free agents.

As one of the Premier League’s biggest PSR advocates, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be unsettled by the latest developments in the world of football finance.

Levy, who owns 29 per cent of Spurs as well being the club’s most senior executive, has long steered the North London club in a self-sufficient direction.

Spurs made a combined profit of £434m between 2009 and 2019, before they moved into the sparkling Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since then, the club have posted four losses in a row adding up to £307m, although that period included the pandemic which obliterated Spurs’ £118m-plus annual matchday income.

However, profit is essentially an abstract concept in accounting. It includes elements such amortisation and depreciation, which are not cash expenses.

PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules – or Financial Fair Play, in old money) also does not count things such as depreciation on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, currently over £70m per year.

With that and other PSR-deductible expenses factored in, there are only a handful of Premier League clubs that have more PSR capacity (AKA ability to spend within PSR) than Spurs.

And various metrics show that, as a business at least, Spurs are among the best run clubs in Europe.

The last thing that ENIC and Levy need therefore is disruption to the existing financial rules.

The Leicester City PSR ruling and its impact on Tottenham

Many commentators were confident that Leicester City were set to join Everton and Nottingham Forest in the unfortunate group of clubs charged by the Premier League for breaching PSR in 2022-23.

However, the Premier League have now released a statement confirming that Leicester had been cleared by an independent appeal board.

As has been well documented, Leicester have admitted that they exceeded the three-year £105m PSR threshold by £24m, giving them a total PSR loss of £129m.

But the Foxes have essentially been cleared on a technicality because they moved their accounting period back and had technically already been relegated by their year-end, 30th June 2023.

As such, the appeal board ruled that the Premier League did not have jurisdiction to charge Leicester as they would had it been Tottenham or any other top flight club in their situation.

The ruling has sparked outrage among clubs in the Premier League and EFL, threatening to undermine the PSR system entirely at a time when it is perpetually under the microscope.

One excerpt from the Premier League’s response to the verdict will be of particular interest to Spurs:

“If the Appeal Board is correct, its decision will have created a situation where any club exceeding the PSR threshold could avoid accountability in these specific circumstances. This is clearly not the intention of the rules.

“It is of critical importance that the Premier League is able to enforce its rules consistently to maintain the principle of fairness. The League will now consider what further action it can take to ensure this is the case.”

Levy and ENIC are actually among the least rich owners in the Premier League, especially when compared to their peers in the so-called ‘Big Six’.

At present, they can compete with clubs whose owners are far wealthier because the PSR system acts as an anchor to the likes of Newcastle United.

Only 14 clubs need to vote to remove PSR for it to be scrapped and it the Leicester case further erodes faith in the system, there is a greater chance of that happening – to Spurs’ detriment.

Spurs could flourish under new PSR system

Spurs’ cost control is very attractive to investors and the club have the lowest wages to turnover ratio in the Premier League.

Only Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs have greater annual revenues, and Spurs’ is rising the quickest than any of their rivals’.

As Levy is looking for investment in Spurs and values the club at £3.75bn, these achievements will be a major selling point.

They are also factors that mean Tottenham are likely to thrive when the Premier League moves to a squad cost ratio system from next season.

Mirroring the principles of UEFA’s PSR system, the Premier League are expected to limit clubs’ spending on wages, transfers and agent fees to 85 per cent of revenue.

Spurs’ revenue last term was £550m, giving them a PSR budget of £467.5m.

For context, Spurs their expense last season (wages and amortisation) were £282m. This would give them more wriggle room than almost any other club in the new PSR era.

Whether the owners – and perhaps new minority investors – are willing and able to bankroll greater expenditure is a separate issue.