TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur were able to provide some fresh additions to their squad over the summer to bolster their squad.

However, Ange Postecoglou seems to already have his eyes set on the January transfer window and how he could add to his squad.

It has been a mixed start for Tottenham who have struggled to match their results with the performances which they have put on.

Against Leicester City and Newcastle United, the Lilywhites were made to rue their missed opportunities having taken just one point from the two games.

Coming into the 2024/25 campaign on the back of a dreadful season defensively, Spurs have only been able to keep one clean sheet in their three games.

And it seems as if that statistic may already be weighing on the mind of Postecoglou following the closure of the summer transfer window.

Ange Postecoglou already considering January signings

Over the summer, Spurs brought in five players with only three of those players new faces for the start of the season.

No defenders were signed but Archie Gray was used in central defence over the pre-season friendly games due to the senior players enjoying a delayed break.

But there have also been defenders leave the club over the summer with youngsters Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic departing on loan.

According to GiveMeSport, Postecoglou may already be considering the addition of a defender in January to bolster his options.

However, this would only be on a loan basis with the Australian not looking to disrupt the development of his two youngsters currently out on loan in Phillips and Vuskovic.

And it is believed the 59-year-old already has plans of utilising the two youngsters in his Spurs side next season.

The likelihood of Spurs signing another central defender this upcoming January is now extremely small with Postecoglou already eyeing the next generation of centre-backs from the Spurs youth pool.

Micky van de Ven injury latest

One major issue for Tottenham last season was injuries and it is apparent this season is going to be no different.

Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are already sidelined through respective issues and now so is Micky van de Ven.

After the victory over Everton, Van de Ven admitted he felt fine but the Dutch defender did not make the trip to Newcastle.

But it seems as if Postecoglou is confident he will be back in time for the North London Derby next week.

“Micky was close, he trained this week, but he’s not quite 100 per cent, part of me was keen to give Radu a run as well, especially at this venue, so we’ve gone with Radu today. It’s nothing serious,” he told the club website.

However, this does only highlight the importance of Spurs having solid depth in defence which the likes of Phillips and Vuskovic will provide next season.

Tottenham Hotspur managed to offload Giovani Lo Celso on transfer deadline day but one more player could leave the club this week.

There wasn’t much for Tottenham Hotspur fans to get excited about over the weekend.

Ange Postecoglou didn’t land a new signing on transfer deadline day and then saw his side lose 2-1 at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Losing the game was frustrating enough but Tottenham dominated the game and still ended up losing.

Spurs head into the international break with some frustration after that defeat to Newcastle and a quiet end the window.

Giovani Lo Celso did join Real Betis with Tottenham negotiating an option to sign Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso down the line.

Sergio Reguilon transfer latest

Lo Celso was let go in a cut-price deal with Postecoglou having no plans for the Argentinian midfielder.

Tottenham were also hoping to offload left back Sergio Reguilon but no deal materialised before the transfer deadline.

Reguilon is unwanted at Spurs after returning from loan stays at Manchester United and Brentford.

Postecoglou has made Reguilon available and reports suggest that a move to Saudi Arabia had been explored.

Fanatik in Turkiye now claim that Reguilon is wanted by Fenerbahce – and former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho.

It’s suggested that Mourinho is keen to snap up Reguilon on loan as the Turkish transfer window doesn’t close until next Friday.

That gives Fenerbahce some time to thrash out a deal but it may all hinge on wage contribution.

Working on a split of Reguilon’s wages is seen as being the key to Fenerbahce’s hopes of a deal as Mourinho pushes for a new left back.

Mourinho was in charge of Tottenham when Reguilon arrived from Real Madrid back in 2020.

Mourinho was even a fan of Reguilon during his days as a Real Madrid talent, earning praise from Mourinho in 2019.

“I say, from my perspective too, one of the players that could show that Real Madrid traditional desire to compete against Barcelona was another kid like Reguilon, who had a very good approach in both matches.”

It was no surprise when Mourinho took that admiration to Tottenham and signed Reguilon, and his best football at Spurs arguably came under Mourinho.

Antonio Conte and Postecoglou have both decided to move on from Reguilon and after a string of loan moves, the Spaniard needs to get his career back on track.

Reguilon has even called Mourinho a ‘tactical monster’ and a ‘world-class’ manager, meaning a reunion in Turkiye surely appeals – certainly more so than not even featuring for Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou was given the most expensive signing of his managerial career in the £65m Dominic Solanke this summer – although there was one player who escaped the Australian at Tottenham.

As well as the England international, Spurs added a top talent in Archie Gray to their squad – in addition to another gem in Lucas Bergvall – while Wilson Odobert was signed from Burnley too.

However, one player Ange Postecoglou badly wanted at Tottenham has now become an “idol” at the club who did manage to sign him…

Conor Gallagher shining for Atletico Madrid after Tottenham missed out

It is Conor Gallagher who has become a star elsewhere.

The England international has captured the hearts of Atletico Madrid fans, with Spanish news outlet AS writing that the man from Epsom is “already an idol” at the Wanda Metropolitano following his £34m move from Chelsea.

It comes after a story from Give Me Sport claimed that Gallagher was actually Postecoglou’s dream transfer target at Tottenham this summer – although a deal failed to materialise as Chelsea wanted Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid in a separate move.

AS explain that the 24-year-old has quickly become a fan favourite in Madrid thanks to a series of small gestures, in addition to his “pitbull” like efforts on the pitch, dressing his nephew up in Atletico Madrid colours while also ensuring he does not cut through the club’s name when adjusting his socks.

Gallagher is yet to taste defeat under Diego Simeone, playing 32 minutes of a 3-0 win over Girona, before making his full debut in Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao.

Spurs will be fine

While Gallagher was Postecoglou’s dream target during the summer transfer window, Tottenham have more than enough talent in midfield to cope.

The aforementioned Gray and Bergvall are two of the biggest midfield prospects in Europe, so it may actually be helpful that the Atletico Madrid No.4 is not in N17 to block their pathways.

Interestingly, Gray has been tipped to emulate Declan Rice – such is the England U21 international’s immense potential – whereas Bergvall has even been compared to Jude Bellingham already.

Add another top midfield talent in Pape Matar Sarr, and Postecoglou has more than enough quality in his midfield to handle missing out on Gallagher.

Tottenham are still able to sign free agents despite the transfer window closing – although one option has now moved elsewhere.

Johan Lange – Director of Football at Spurs – did explore the free agent market during the summer, while also bringing Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert to N17, with Tottenham even holding talks about signing one freebie.

Now – however – the player in question is no longer obtainable for Tottenham…

Mats Hummels chooses Roma after Tottenham talks

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Mats Hummels will be joining Roma on a free transfer.

The German has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Italian giants, worth a salary of €2m (£1.7m) in total.

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

The 35-year-old will bring a wealth of experience with him to Rome, having made 701 appearances at club level throughout his career, while also earning 78 caps for Germany – winning the World Cup in 2014.

Interestingly, West Ham also showed a desire to sign Hummels – after Julen Lopetegui allowed Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd to depart – but the Hammers will now miss out along with Spurs.

Other free agents Spurs can sign immediately

While Hummels – who has been called a “world class” footballer – was arguably the best freebie on the market, there are some other top players Tottenham can sign for nothing outside of the transfer window.

The likes of Adrien Rabiot – another World Cup winner – is available after leaving Juventus, with Anthony Martial also up for grabs following his departure from Manchester United.

Furthermore, Memphis Depay, Andre Gomes, Wissam Ben Yedder and Joel Matip find themselves without a club too, so there are plenty of quality options for Tottenham to explore despite missing out on Hummels.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a tricky start to the 2024/25 campaign with just four points on the board.

Going into the international break, Tottenham have one won, drawn one and lost one in their opening three Premier League games.

The game on the weekend against Newcastle was a seriously disappointing one for Ange Postecoglou as he watched his side fail to take their chances once again.

But there are some positives to take from the early stages of the season with some of the Tottenham youngsters knocking on the door to get into the starting XI.

One of those is Lucas Bergvall who came on for the final nine minutes at St James’ Park on Sunday for James Maddison.

Although he awaits his first start in the league, Bergvall has admitted there’s one player that has really impressed him since he joined.

Lucas Bergvall seriously impressed by £110k-per-week Tottenham player

Having landed in north London over the summer, Bergvall has really impressed Postecoglou with how well he has settled at Tottenham.

And with Maddison struggling for form, there are some calls for Bergvall to potentially replace Maddison in the North London Derby.

But it is something that another Spurs player has done behind the scenes which has seriously impressed the young Swede.

Speaking to Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, Bergvall has waxed lyrical about the £110k-per-week Dejan Kulusevski and what he has been doing for him away from the cameras.

“He has helped me a lot on and off the pitch. A good person and an incredibly good footballer,” he said.

“I have received an incredible amount of help. He’s a fantastic person and player, who has helped me get into the group and everything around it.”

“More generally an extra support if you have a tougher training. It could be a gym session or exercises. He helps, it can be anything.”

Lucas Bergvall has just earned his first senior Sweden call up

Since joining up with Tottenham, Bergvall has proven himself to be one seriously exciting youngster who could well be knocking on the door for his first Spurs start.

This comes at a time when Maddison is receiving a lot of criticism for his Tottenham performances.

However, he has now received a call up for the Sweden senior side on the back of his early showings at Tottenham.

Although a start in the North London Derby next week may be a big ask, the upcoming Carabao Cup trip to Coventry City may be a more realistic opportunity for him to make his first start.

Tottenham Hotspur’s coaches will be eager to put things right during the international break and many of their players link up with their national sides.

Spurs have had a rollercoaster start to the Premier League season, with some familiar issues coming to the fore once again.

Tottenham drew 1-1 at Leicester City in their season opener, a game they should have won convincingly but for a glut of wasted chances.

Ange Postecoglou’s charges then hammered Everton 4-0 in a display of what Spurs really can do when firing on all cylinders.

However, Tottenham went on to lose their next game as Newcastle United ran out 2-1 winners at St James’ Park, despite Spurs dominating on Tyneside.

The Leicester game at the start of the season also saw an incident between two Spurs players late on which split opinion among Lilywhites fans.

Lucas Bergvall made an error which resulted in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario having to make a save, and the Italian was seen reprimanding his teammate.

Now, Bergvall has spoken about the incident, and also shared what Vicario said to him in the aftermath of the game.

Lucas Bergvall says ‘all is calm now’ between himself and Guglielmo Vicario

Bergvall, speaking to Aftonbladet, said: “Sometimes you do slightly worse things, sometimes you do better things.

“We were 1-0 up with a fairly comfortable lead. We conceded 1-1 and then that happens [when he lost the ball].

“All is calm now. We have talked about it. Vicario said that there are hot feelings and things like that, that happen.”

Premier League baptism of fire

The Premier League, as everyone knows, is a difficult and unforgiving league.

The slightest errors by any players can be pounced upon and have serious consequences in terms of goals and results.

Bergvall was lucky to get away with his error against Leicester, and Vicario’s reaction shows just much it means to him, and how high the standards are at the club.

It’s good to hear that it’s water under the bridge now, and no doubt Bergvall will have learned from the experience.

Tottenham Hotspur were beaten at Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon as defensive problems continue under Ange Postecoglou.

After opening the season with a draw and a victory, Tottenham Hotspur headed to St James’ Park on Sunday.

This has not been a happy hunting ground for Tottenham having 6-1 there in April 2023 and 4-0 there in April 2024.

Tottenham’s fate this time around wasn’t quite as embarrassing but still painful.

Spurs dominated the game; 66% of possession, 20 shots, nearly twice the number of passes as Newcastle.

It’s all about putting the ball in the net though and Tottenham ended up losing 2-1 as the Magpies took their chances.

Former Romania star on Tottenham Hotspur’s Radu Dragusin

The winning goal was a major source of frustration for Tottenham.

Joelinton’s pass was able to take the Tottenham defence out of the game with Jacob Murphy racing clear to pick out Alexander Isak for a tap-in.

Tottenham had no way back into the game and Ange Postecoglou is now facing questions over his defensive approach once again.

The Spurs back line were stationed virtually on the half-way line as Joelinton played his pass in behind for Murphy.

Micky van de Ven was ruled out through injury so, without his blazing speed, Tottenham were left a little exposed.

Radu Dragusin came into the side and he did impress despite not being able to prevent that winning goal.

One moment saw Dragusin close down Isak in real Van de Ven fashion before executing a perfect sliding challenge.

Tottenham fans and even Postecoglou have been impressed with Dragusin, but the Australian doesn’t seem to be too popular in Romania.

Former Romania defender Florin Gardos – a one-time Premier League defender with Southampton – has offered stinging criticism for the Spurs boss.

As noted by Digispor, Gardos admitted that he is ‘not a fan’ of Postecoglou as he pushes his defence so high.

Gardos thinks that fellow Romanian Dragusin will continue to have problems in that high line, suggesting that even being as fast as Usain Bolt wouldn’t help.

“That’s why I’m not a fan of Postecoglou and I don’t think he’ll have any notable performances,” said Gardos. “Joelinton has the ball a few meters from the centre circle and Tottenham’s back line is in midfield.

“You can have Usain Bolt on defence, he still doesn’t get to those kind of balls. It’s a pity for Dragusin, he played well, but if something doesn’t change he will be exposed in every match,” he added.

Defensive frailty could be Postecoglou’s Tottenham downfall

We love watching ‘Angeball’; at its best, it is fast, incisive and brilliant to watch.

Tottenham fans have certainly had fun watching Postecoglou’s style of play, especially after the likes of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Those Spurs supporters won’t just want fun though – they will want success to go along with a more entertaining approach amid a strong defence from Chris Sutton.

The first year was almost a free hit for Postecoglou but the pressure will increase now he is into his second campaign at Tottenham.

Money has been spent, the squad has been moulded and Postecoglou needs to show that Tottenham are going in the right direction.

Losing games like Sunday, where Tottenham are on top and get caught out by one ball through the high line, will become increasingly frustrating.

Dragusin has shown his talent but there really wasn’t much that he could do about Newcastle’s winner on Sunday and Postecoglou may need to have a think about his defensive approach if he is to truly take Spurs to the next level.

The reasons that Tottenham and Daniel Levy are yet to finalise their search for fresh equity investment are becoming increasingly clearer.

Spurs officially announced that they were open to a takeover earlier this year, with chairman and co-owner Levy using language that left the door open for majority or minority investment.

Having raised £500m for a new football acquisition, former Newcastle United supremo Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners have been linked with investing in Tottenham.

Previously, Formula 1 owners Liberty Media have reportedly shown an interest, as have MSP Sports Capital, who recently failed in a bid to buy Everton.

But there has been next to nothing in the way of reliable reports suggesting that any investment is imminent – experts believe that may be because Tottenham’s £3.75bn valuation is too high.

What’s more, Spurs have actually been on the market for several years. The announcement in April merely confirmed what was already widely known within the industry.

Levy and ENIC’s stewardship of Spurs over the last two decades has been controversial among fans, but from a business perspective they are considered one of the best run clubs in the world.

So why have the hierarchy failed to get a deal of any description over the line?

Cost control a major hurdle to Spurs takeover

In recent years, US private equity funds have tightened their grip on football, investing en masse in the Premier League and further afield.

However, in the first genuine development in the investment saga in months, it was reported last week that private equity’s interest in the likes of Spurs is decreasing.

There are a number of factors at play here, but perhaps the most significant is the perception that cost control in the Premier League is almost non-existent.

Spurs are in the minority in that they live within their financial means.

Increasingly, clubs are spending as much as possible within the spending regulations. And that means that profitability is nosediving across the division. Not ideal for investors.

In a second development that illustrates this trend, FIFA have confirmed that almost £5bn has been spent this summer on international transfers, the second most of all time.

Unsurprisingly, the Premier League was by far the biggest individual driver even in a relatively fallow year by its own opulent standards.

The last thing would-be investors want from a club like Spurs is to get into an arms race. That is why the NFL or NBA, where costs are essentially fixed and predictable, are more attractive.

Champions League revolution could breathe life into Tottenham auction

The US investors that own more than half of the Premier League’s clubs are banking on there being a big bang moment in terms of revenue.

Otherwise, clubs will continue to sustain losses and owners will be unable to realise any value.

For clubs like Spurs, the previous solution had been the European Super League.

That would have transformed the North London club’s finances overnight, but the monumental fan backlash coupled with mounting legislative hurdles mean that is a near impossibility at present.

FIFA have promised that the expanded Club World Cup can bring revenues north of £35m per tournament, but that will be a sporadic financial uplift at Spurs because of the qualifying criteria.

The Champions League, however, has moved permanently to an expanded model that UEFA thinks can deliver 25 per cent more income for top clubs each year.

Spurs missed out on the inaugural edition of the revamped tournament in 2024-25, but they see themselves as regulars in the competition going forward.

As many as six Premier League clubs could qualify for the Champions League in future years, so investors might see these near-guaranteed revenues as the golden goose in terms of investing in Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have seen an influx of young talent over the last couple of years with their transfer strategy slightly changing.

This summer, Tottenham have already seen the likes of Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert arrive to bolster Ange Postecoglou‘s side.

But there is another youngster who has landed in north London over recent months despite having been signed earlier in the year.

Lucas Bergvall made his long-awaited move to N17 after signing for Spurs back in January before he returned to Djurgardens on loan until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Since landing at Spurs, Bergvall has seriously impressed those around Tottenham with the youngster showing his potential from the off.

And it seems as if there is another player in Tottenham’s ranks who could be set to replicate Bergvall’s fortunes in north London as he impresses out on loan.

Tottenham have seriously exciting youngster in Luka Vuskovic

Spurs signed Luka Vuskovic last summer from Hajduk Split for around £12m despite him being just 16-years-old at the time.

But the Croatian has been a long way from joining up with the Tottenham side having spent last season out on loan with Hajduk Split and Radomiak before then joining KVC Westerlo this season.

The youngster is already impressing over in Belgium having started all six of their league games this season where he has even netted one goal.

Over recent days, a stunning piece of footage has emerged from a training session which saw Vuskovic acrobatically picking himself off the ground before cannoning a half volley into the top corner.

It is early indications like this which are showing just why Tottenham invested such big money into the centre-back last summer.

And the decision to loan him back out – as they did with Bergvall – is looking like a smart decision from Spurs who are reaping the benefits of Vuskovic earning experience elsewhere.

Tottenham may have unearthed their Cristian Romero successor

It feels like an interesting season lies ahead of Cristian Romero and Tottenham with the Argentina international closing in on his final two years of his contract.

There is an expectation Tottenham will open talks with Romero over a new deal over the season but nothing is guaranteed.

Romero has already received interest from Real Madrid as his success at international level is failing to be matched at Tottenham.

If Spurs do not manage to get their hands on silverware this term then perhaps Romero has no other choice but to consider his options.

But in Vuskovic, Tottenham have a defender who Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has admitted has the potential to become a huge star.

Tottenham Hotspur have broken their transfer record this summer with Dominic Solanke now sitting at the top of the list.

Tottenham Hotspur have spent big money on signings over the years but have often seen deals come back to bite them.

The less said about the signings Tottenham made after selling Gareth Bale, the better.

Look down the list of Tottenham’s biggest signings and you will find the likes of Richarlison and Davinson Sanchez – decent players who maybe didn’t live up to expectations.

More recent investments such as Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Brennan Johnson appear better value for money and there is excitement around Archie Gray.

Yet look at the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn, Roberto Soldado, Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon and you will see considerable funds sunk into signings who didn’t work out.

Jamie Carragher on Tanguy Ndombele at Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham have now splashed the cash on striker Dominic Solanke, luring him away from Bournemouth.

Solanke has already impressed Gary Neville but has only been able to make on appearance for Spurs due to injury.

Solanke has become Tottenham’s most expensive signing this summer at £65million, narrowly eclipsing Tanguy Ndombele.

Midfielder Ndombele sums up the idea of a big-money, exciting signing who is backed for stardom but never lives up to the hype.

Ndombele looked set to become Mousa Dembele’s long-term heir after signing from Lyon but ended up playing just 63 Premier League games for Spurs.

One moment in the 2019-20 season saw Ndombele substituted at half-time in a 1-1 draw at Burnley just before the 2020 lockdown.

Jose Mourinho was losing patience with Ndombele and Jamie Carragher slammed him as a ‘disgrace’ in terms of effort out of possession.

Carragher has now told The Overlap that Mauricio Pochettino – the man who signed Ndombele at Tottenham – actually hit back at his criticism.

Carragher claims that Pochettino was convinced that Ndombele would come good and prove Carragher wrong, but it just never happened at Spurs.

“He was lazy, wasn’t he? I remember analysing him on a game, yeah,” said Carragher. “I remember a game away at Burnley because I looked at it on the Monday Night Football. Did Jose bring him off before half-time? It was something that stood out.

“I did analysis on him, because at the time everyone was having a go at Jose and I was almost sort of defending him and saying ‘well that’s why he’s done it’, and then a few weeks later, I bumped into Pochettino at a Champions League game at Anfield.

“He’d brought him and he was adamant saying ‘no, you’ve got it wrong, this fella’s a good player’, obviously he brought him in, but he never, ever showed anything did he?” he added.

Where is Tanguy Ndombele now?

Ndombele’s Tottenham contract was ripped up this summer after a series of loan spells away from the club.

The Frenchman returned to Lyon in 2022 before then moving on to Napoli and finally Galatasaray.

Ndombele showed flashes at times but it just wasn’t enough and his poor campaign in Turkey last season sealed his fate.

Tottenham have finally moved on from Ndombele but the 27-year-old has found a new club over the summer.

Nice have snapped up Ndombele, handing him a return to French football.

Ndombele has started all three of Nice’s Ligue 1 games so far this season and chipped in with an assist in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Angers.

Maybe this is the move Ndombele needed to get back on track but Tottenham will not feel any sense of regret over letting him go.