TBR Football

As Tottenham Hotspur push to offload several unwanted players before next week’s deadline, perhaps there is still potential for one or two more deals.

Tottenham are following Hayden Hackney extensively at Middlesbrough in the Championship right now, their scouts have been at both of the club’s opening league games.

But whilst they keep an on the market, perhaps hoping to sign a new number eight or another forward to add further fire-power to their attack, Spurs have three players to sell.

Whilst it wouldn’t be a surprise if any of the trio stayed beyond the deadline, it’s believed that Tottenham are seeking permanent exits for Sergio Reguilon, Manor Solomon and Giovani Lo Celso.

Three talented players in their own right, but profiles that Ange Postecoglou simply doesn’t need right now.

That being said, if Tottenham are able to sell both Solomon and Lo Celso then perhaps they will target a versatile forward, someone who can play as a number 10 or out wide.

And given his availability this summer, perhaps Federico Chiesa remains the perfect candidate.

Federico Chiesa now happy to join Barcelona after no Tottenham bid arrived

Chiesa has played predominantly as a winger for Juventus, but was often deployed as a second striker during his excellent years at Fiorentina.

Fortunately, Chiesa is prepared to join Tottenham this summer, at least that was the situation in recent weeks.

However, it would appear via reports in Spain that Chiesa’s head has now been turned by interest from Barcelona – which is a lot more forthcoming than anything on Spurs’ end.

Tottenham are yet to bid for Chiesa despite their interest.

And judging by an update by Sport, it would seem that any pursuit of Chiesa in the final week of the window may not be off the table for Spurs.

Chiesa has now green-lighted a move to Barcelona, excited to embark on the next chapter of his career at 26-years-old.

The ‘superstar’ Italian is yet to play outside of the Serie A, and in all honesty it is something of a surprise that a Premier League side haven’t made a more concerted effort to sign the winger.

But as the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and even Newcastle United watch on, it seems as if Chiesa will now become a new Barcelona player, unless there’s a late twist.

Wilson Odobert has begun training with his new Tottenham Hotspur teammates.

Spurs shocked everyone after signing the talented French attacker from Burnley just before the start of the new Premier League season.

The move came out of absolutely nowhere, but Tottenham have got themselves a really exciting talent who could become a star in the coming years.

Odobert could make his Tottenham debut when Everton come to town this weekend.

Wilson Odobert’s position in Tottenham training

Ange Postecoglou has been getting his side ready for the game against Everton after a disappointing result in their opening fixture.

Spurs were held to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City in a game that they should’ve won comfortably. However, plenty of missed chances later, Jamie Vardy got the hosts a point.

Tottenham will want a win against Everton, and at some point in the game, there is a chance we will see Odobert make his Spurs debut.

The 19-year-old played 29 games in the Premier League for Burnley in the 2023/24 season and he was deployed across the frontline by Vincent Kompany. But, most of his appearances came from the left flank.

Postecoglou may have a different plan for young Odobert at Tottenham.

Football London reveal that ‘Odobert was playing from the right side in the training session’ and he was spotted scoring from Manor Solomon’s crosses.

The Frenchman was also seen alongside Dejan Kulusevski later on.

The good thing for Tottenham with Odobert is the fact that the teenager can play on either flank, as a striker and also in a number 10 role.

Odobert ‘bamboozled’ one Tottenham teammate in training

Odobert is still only 19 years old, so he should be given the time he needs to adapt to the way Tottenham play under Postecoglou.

However, it looks like he is already impressing in training.

During a session at Hotspur Way ahead of the game against Everton, Odobert rinsed new Tottenham teammate Archie Gray, who has been a revelation himself,

Here’s how Football London described what he did: “Odobert showcased in training that he is extremely pacey, tricky and that he is more than capable of scoring a goal.

“Finding the net on a couple of occasions, his best strike came when he bamboozled Gray, who was operating as a centre-back alongside Dragusin, by turning him inside and out and producing a Cruyff turn to get a yard of space to blast the ball into the bottom corner beyond Whiteman.”

Tottenham Hotspur continue to add top young talents under Ange Postecoglou but are set to allow another prospect to leave the club.

Tottenham Hotspur are building quite the team for the coming years.

Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Ashley Phillips and Wilson Odobert are just a handful of the young talents Tottenham have signed in recent windows.

Ange Postecoglou must now develop these young players whilst attempting to achieve Premier League success.

That is quite the juggling act and with more and more young signings arriving, some Tottenham prospects have to move on.

Jude Soonsup-Bell to leave Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham have sold some young players this summer with Nile John joining Feirense and Yago Santiago returning to Spain with Elche.

Spurs are not done yet though and are now ready to let another young talent move on.

The Mirror’s Dan Marsh reports that Tottenham have agreed to sell Jude Soonsup-Bell to Spanish side Cordoba.

It’s stated that Soonsup-Bell will be undergoing a medical imminently with Spurs happy for him to leave permanently.

Cordoba have just been promoted to Spain’s second tier and are looking for signings to help them avoid immediate relegation.

Fabio Paratici was a fan of Soonsup-Bell

Soonsup-Bell joined Tottenham from London rivals Chelsea in January 2023.

Fabio Paratici was excited upon signing Soonsup-Bell, backing him as a ‘big talent’ for the future at Tottenham.

“He’s a big talent. He was always a big talent in England and when we got the opportunity to sign him, we signed him,” Paratici said.

Previously a highly-rated forward in the Chelsea ranks, Soonsup-Bell trained with the Tottenham first team last season but hasn’t been able to break through.

In 34 games for Tottenham’s Under-21’s, Soonsup-Bell has managed 14 goals and eight assists.

That is an encouraging record but Soonsup-Bell will now head to Spain to try his luck abroad with Tottenham allowing him to go permanently rather than on loan.

Tottenham Hotspur are still on the hunt for signing and one player Ange Postecoglou rates highly is available for a modest price before the transfer deadline.

Tottenham Hotspur needed major recruits this summer and Ange Postecoglou has been handed a new striker to lead his attack.

Dominic Solanke has arrived from Bournemouth and earned praise from Gary Neville for his debut display against Leicester City.

Tottenham may still look to do business before the window closes though and defensive additions may be on the radar.

Djed Spence is back at Tottenham and being given another chance to shine but a versatile defender who can play in multiple positions without breaking the bank may tick the boxes for Spurs.

Ko Itakura latest after Tottenham Hotspur interest

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura has been linked with Tottenham for some time now.

Reports last summer indicated that Spurs were interested in bringing Itakura to North London.

The rumours returned in January with Tottenham still understood to be chasing Itakura – even after signing Radu Dragusin.

De Telegraaf now claim that PSV Eindhoven are interested in taking Itakura to the Netherlands.

It’s suggested that Itakura’s release clause is set at just €15million (£13million), which would be a new transfer record for PSV.

That makes a deal a little unlikely but Itakura is a key target having previously impressed in two seasons on loan at fellow Dutch side Groningen.

PSV have given up hope of signing Liverpool’s Sepp van den Berg and Itakura is viewed as a cheaper alternative.

The deal still isn’t cheap for PSV though and Gladbach may well stick to that release clause value.

The former Manchester City defender could be on the move this month and Tottenham will surely have one eye on his future given Ange Postecoglou’s admiration.

Ange Postecoglou a big fan of Itakura

The Australian’s love for Itakura goes back a number of years.

Postecoglou is very familiar with the Japanese market from his time in charge of Yokohama F.Marinos.

The Daily Record claimed in 2021 that Postecoglou wanted to bring Itakura to Celtic – and then tried again in 2022 according to The Manchester Evening News.

That interest has made its way to Tottenham too and Itakura may tick some boxes for Tottenham.

Itakura predominantly plays as a centre back but has also operated as a defensive midfielder, playing a number of games there for club and country.

Bringing Itakura in a cut-price move as a fourth-choice centre back and potential holding midfield option may be appealing to Postecoglou.

Hailed as ‘incredibly fast’ by analyst Hans Kraay Jr, as quoted by FCG Fans, Itakura would surely be a squad depth option if Spurs were to make a move.

This move won’t be a top priority for Spurs right now but a cheap deal later this month may spark that interest back up again.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side have already been busy in the transfer market this summer, eclipsing their record-buy to bring Dominic Solanke to north London.

Solanke enjoyed a promising Tottenham debut, even if he may have been a little bit disappointed not to have taken one of his chances.

Solanke is now an established scorer in the Premier League, netting 21 goals for Bournemouth last season, but the striker arguably made his name in the Championship.

And after signing Archie Gray from Leeds United already this summer, Spurs are now considering a swoop for another top EFL talent.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham have had scouts present to watch Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney during the side’s first two games of the new season.

Spurs are long-term admirers of the ‘outstanding’ midfielder, but Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is determined not to lose his star talent this summer.

Michael Carrick refuses to lose Hayden Hackney amid interest from Tottenham

Carrick has made it clear to club bosses that he does not want to lose any of Middlesbrough’s star names heading into the final week or so of the window.

Carrick will be aiming for promotion once again this season, despite recent disappointment of losing against newly-promoted Derby County at Pride Park.

And in addition to Hackney, Boro’s prized assets Emmanuel Latte Lath and Rav van den Berg have also been linked with moves away – even if no offers have been received.

Spurs have seemingly been on the lookout for homegrown talent this summer, and Hackney definitely fits the bill, a number six who could improve Postecoglou’s midfield immediately.

And along with Tottenham, all of Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United have watched Hackney during Boro’s opening two Championship games as well.

After Monday’s draw, Solanke praised two Tottenham youngsters, and the future is evidently very bright in north London.

However, after being frustrated against Leicester, it does still feel as if Spurs would benefit from a signing or two who can make an immediate impact, in a similar vein to Solanke.

And unfortunately for Boro, a fully-fit Hayden Hackney would definitely fit the bill.

Tottenham Hotspur have made five exciting recruits so far this summer and their business isn’t finished just yet.

Spurs outlaid £65m on their latest addition Dominic Solanke, who made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Leicester City on the weekend.

They’re now looking to add another midfielder to their squad with Ange Postecoglou keen to bring in cover for Rodrigo Bentancur, who suffered a head injury at King Power Stadium.

With that said, Tottenham have now identified their man ahead of the transfer deadline.

Tottenham consider late bid for Joao Gomes

Tottenham have been linked to Wolves’ Joao Gomes in recent months and now they’re set to formalise their interest.

According to GiveMeSport, the North Londoners are plotting a late swoop to sign Gomes in the remaining nine days of the window.

Wolves are reluctant to sanction his sale so late on but it’s thought a bid worth up to £50m could be enough to tempt them.

The Brazil international has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Liverpool over the summer.

Pep Guardiola called Joao Gomes quality

Gomes has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in the Premier League since arriving from Flamengo in January 2023.

In fact, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola even labelled him as ‘quality’, per Manchester World, after his side defeated Wolves 5-1 back in May.

If Tottenham were to outlay such a sizable sum on his signature, he’d likely partner Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison in the midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to win on the road on Monday night, drawing 1-1 at Leicester City in a frustrating display for Ange Postecoglou.

This was a frustrating night for Tottenham Hotspur and an encapsulation of why many still have doubts about their top four aspirations.

Tottenham were superb in the first half and should have been more than 1-0 up against Leicester City as Pedro Porro found the net.

Spurs just couldn’t find the killer second goal and were made to pay with Jamie Vardy heading Leicester level.

Cristian Romero has been slammed for his defending for that goal and Tottenham just lost control of the game from that point.

Spurs couldn’t get back on track and had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a game which so easily could have been wrapped up at half time.

Jamie Carragher on Guglielmo Vicario

These are the games Tottenham need to be winning, especially having been on top with some scintillating attacking football.

This kind of result and second-half panic will leave pundits questioning Tottenham and their top-four credentials this season.

Tottenham do have quality players at Ange Postecoglou’s disposal but knitting it all together on a consistent basis is the challenge.

One area of concern heading into the season surrounds goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The Italian stopper impressed last season but came unstuck on set pieces with teams targeting his lack of physicality.

Pundit Jamie Carragher has now shared his view on Vicario whilst speaking on Sky Sports (19/08, 19:50).

Carragher suggests that Vicario does have ‘really good’ aspects to his game, such as his shot-stopping and his ability to play behind a high line.

However, Carragher feels that Vicario simply ‘hasn’t got any presence’ when the ball is being fired in at him from crosses and set pieces.

Carragher feels that Vicario is simply ‘not aggressive enough’ in dealing with crosses and urged him to fix it as soon as possible.

“He’s got some really good qualities, we saw his shot-stopping last season, being high off his line for the Tottenham high line but he hasn’t got any presence in dealing with that,” said Carragher. “He’s not aggressive enough in coming to punch and people know that now and he’s got to fix it very quickly,” he added.

Vicario can bounce back

It’s only a few months ago that Carragher was hailing Vicario as ‘brilliant’ having been impressed with his displays at Tottenham.

Everton exploited Vicario back in February though and that really sparked a run of teams trying to target Vicario on set pieces.

There were no major problems on Monday night but until Vicario proves that he can handle the aerial bombardment, the concerns will remain.

This is somewhat similar to the criticism David De Gea received early into his time at Manchester United before the experience of Premier League action toughened him up a little.

Vicario can do the same but he isn’t a youngster like De Gea was; he is 28 in October and needs to make changes to his game quickly.

Vicario certainly has the talent to progress and add to his game but Tottenham need to see it soon – or those set-piece issues could linger.

Daniel Levy is potentially one of the most divisive figures in football, but there is no denying that the Tottenham chairman and co-owner knows how to run a business.

The ENIC Group, whose former owner Joe Lewis has now divested his stake in the club following his conviction for insider trading last year, paid less than £50m for an 86 per cent stake in the 2000s.

Levy, now the top ENIC representative at Spurs, owns around 30 per of the club. His stake is now worth 75 times what it was worth two decades.

As part of the clubs search for strategic investment to strengthen its capital base, Spurs valued themselves at £3.75bn.

Strategic investment is likely to take the form of a minority buy-in, but a full takeover at that price would make Spurs the most expensive football team in history.

Some analysts have balked at the valuation, but the mere fact that Levy and his peers in the boardroom believe they can justify that valuation is testament to how far they have come.

And the latest data illustrates one of Levy’s key tactics when it comes to creating value.

Tottenham among the clubs least reliant on TV cash

The Premier League’s TV deal is worth more than £10bn over its current rights cycle and, relative to country size, is the biggest sports broadcasting agreement in the world.

Around half of that figure comes from the domestic rights, while the remaining half – and the one that makes the Premier League far more successful than its competitions – comes from overseas.

Spurs earned £228m in commercial income over the course of the last financial year and have been one of the most successful clubs at monetising their international fanbase.

However, while some clubs are almost solely reliant on the broadcast deal as their main source of income, Spurs have one of the most diversified revenue bases in the Premier League.

According to Sports Business Institute Barcelona, Tottenham are second only to Man United in terms of their lack of dependence on the TV deal.

The North London club earned £204m in media income in 2022-23, the last financial year on record. That was 37 per cent of their turnover.

For context, Bournemouth got 87 per cent of their revenue from the TV deal, while the so-called Big Six’s percentage ranged from 44 per cent (Chelsea) to 32 per cent (Man United.

What groups or individuals might invest in Spurs?

A diversified revenue base is all well and good, but what profile would take a minority stake in Spurs without being guaranteed significant operational power?

Speaking to TBR Football earlier this summer, Liverpool University football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire said Daniel Levy is likely to stay as CEO whatever the outcome of the Spurs talks.

It seems likely that a private equity firm, such as Raine Group or Carlyle who wanted to invest in Man United before Sir Jim Ratcliffe beat them to it, is the best bet.

These groups are prepared to wait a long, long time before they get a return on their investment.

Tottenham’s move to the new stadium in 2019 is widely viewed as the single most transformative event in the club’s history, but the club appear to have missed the mark in one particular area.

Spurs now expected to generate over £100m in matchday income each and every season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while concerts and NFL rental fees significant increase the venue’s value.

What’s more, Spurs recently received permission to almost double the number of non-football events they can hold annually.

The 62,850-seater stadium is a money-printing machine and played a huge part in Spurs’ commercial income of £228m over the last financial year.

And while Daniel Levy and his ENIC colleagues continue to want Tottenham to fund themselves, the revenue generated is absolutely central to Ange Postecoglou‘s recruitment budget.

But there is currently a conspicuous absence from the department whose chief responsibility is to raise commercial revenue to facilitate improvement on the pitch.

Todd Kline still yet to formally leave Tottenham despite official announcement in February

When Spurs took residence in their new stadium, much was made of the possibility of stadium naming rights and how lucrative they could be for the club.

When he was appointed as chief commercial officer and board member in 2021, Todd Kline said his number one priority was to secure a naming rights deal.

Reports suggested that the club was looking for a partnership worth £150m to £250m over the next decade.

However, those aspirations appear to have been a touch misguided as five years into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the club still does not have a deal.

In February, Spurs announced that Kline had left the club in a cursory statement that subsequent reports claimed may have said something about the manner of his departure.

It has since emerged that Kline will join Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s Chelsea.

But six months on, Spurs are yet to announce Kline’s successor, while Chelsea have not announced that Kline has formally joined the club.

In the first update in months, The Telegraph have reported that Kline is still seeing out his notice period at Chelsea and is expected to join the club soon.

After that juncture, Spurs will presumably announce their new chief commercial officer.

How much are Spurs stadium naming rights really worth?

Naming rights are historically an American phenomenon that has gathered a head of steam within British sport in recent years.

In rugby, the Twickenham Stadium has recently signed a £100m, 10-year deal with German finance firm Allianz, who also sponsor Bayern Munich’s stadium and were previous in talks with West Ham.

That will have given some comfort to Spurs fans, who have been told by some analysts that the value of their rights has declined markedly since 2019.

The pressure on Ange Postecoglou’s job will ramp up during his second season in charge.

Having lost Harry Kane just weeks after his Spurs appointment, Ange Postecoglou earned himself a lot of admirers by leading Tottenham to a fifth-placed finish last season.

His energetic and gung-ho style of play was welcomed warmly by fans who previously had to put up with the bore-fest football played by Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Now heading into his second season, the expectation at Tottenham will be for Postecoglou’s side to improve and compete for a top-four finish.

If Postecoglou wasn’t already feeling the pressure, he certainly will be now after his side surrendered a lead and took just one point from their opening game against Leicester City.

Tottenham transfer figures add to Postecoglou pressure

After an impressive first season as manager, the hierarchy at Spurs have reached into their pockets to back Postecoglou this summer.

Tottenham have made five new signings, including a headline £65million deal for Dominic Solanke.

Solanke, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall all featured in Tottenham’s draw against Leicester, and it is now Postecoglou’s job to make sure he gets the most out of his new arrivals.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham have the highest net spend of any Premier League side this summer at £104million – joint with Manchester United.

Tottenham’s club chiefs will be expecting a return on their investment this summer or else fingers will be pointed in Postecoglou’s direction.

Tottenham can have no excuses

There can be no complaints about any other side’s spending if Tottenham top the net spend charts when the window slams shut at the end of August.

Tottenham’s spending this summer may not yet be over too, with Spurs preparing a £27m bid for Vanderson as they look to strengthen at right-back.

Ultimately, there is nowhere to hide for Postecoglou this season. He is under huge pressure to get Spurs ticking and he must begin with their upcoming clash against Everton.