TBR Football

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to accelerate contract talks with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

Thomas Frank has been impressed by Bentancur, as TBR Football has revealed, and the new Spurs boss is keen to reward him with a new deal.

Alan Shearer claims Bentancur ‘dominated’ Man City alongside Joao Palhinha and Pape Matar Sarr in their 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season.

Bentancur, who cost Tottenham £21m, has featured in all four of Frank’s matches at the club and is quickly becoming a key part of his plans in North London.

Exclusive: Vinai Ventaktesham is working on Rodrigo Bentancur’s contract

Vinai Ventaktesham has been tasked with sorting several Tottenham Hotspur contracts, and he is currently working on Rodrigo Bentancur’s new deal, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

Ventaktesham arrived at Tottenham over the summer and now holds a prominent role at the club following Daniel Levy’s departure last week.

Frank has made it clear that Bentancur is a key part of his plans, and the club’s new CEO is working hard to ensure he commits his future to Spurs.

Now the transfer window is shut, the North London club are accelerating these talks and hope to have the deal wrapped up by January.

The Uruguayan international’s current deal has less than 12 months remaining, hence the urgency to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Back in May, TBR Football revealed that some at Tottenham viewed Bentancur as captain material, but his close friend Cristian Romero was selected by Frank instead.

Recently, Romero also signed a new contract at Tottenham, showing that the club are certainly heading in a positive direction under Frank.

Rodrigo Bentancur to help nurture Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray

The Lilywhites have an array of talented young midfielders coming through at Hotspur Way in Lucas Bergvall, Sarr and Archie Gray.

Sarr once again proved how talented he is with two incredible performances for AFCON champions, Senegal, over the international break.

The midfielder netted in wins over DR Congo and Sudan, with his goal against the former being a stoppage-time winner in World Cup qualifying.

Therefore, having experienced players like Bentancur and Palhinha to guide youngsters like Sarr will be so useful for Frank and his staff.

Djed Spence made his England debut on Tuesday evening against Serbia as the Tottenham Hotspur defender’s rise continues.

Spence has taken Destiny Udogie’s place in the team at Tottenham, showing just how good the 24-year-old has been this season.

The defender’s rise over the last year has been seriously inspirational, having gone from being out of Tottenham Hotspur’s plans to an England international.

Rio Ferdinand has been so impressed with the Spurs star and has made a big claim about him ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Rio Ferdinand names Djed Spence as England’s best one-vs-one defender

Ferdinand believes that Djed Spence is now England’s best one-versus-one defender and is backing him to go to the World Cup next summer.

Spence made his England debut against Serbia, coming off the bench in the Three Lions’ 5-0 win on Tuesday evening.

The former Manchester United star is now backing Spence to make Thomas Tuchel’s squad and take Kyle Walker’s place.

Asked about whether he would take Walker to the World Cup, Ferdinand told Rio Presents: “If you’re going to play three centre backs, I would, but if you aren’t, then I wouldn’t.

“I think Djed Spence is primed and ready to take over the Kyle Walker role. He can play right and left back, and if you play right of the three, he’s so quick he can play right of the three.

“He is the number one one-versus-one defender in the England squad right now – no one comes near him.”

Recently, Spence signed a new contract with Tottenham, and it was thoroughly deserved given his hard work over the past year.

Djed Spence reacts to making England debut vs Serbia

Spence has admitted that making his England debut against Serbia was the ‘proudest day’ of his life, having dreamt about the moment for so long.

Spence wrote on his Instagram account: “Today is arguably the greatest and proudest day of my life. Honoured to make my England debut. A day I’ve dreamt of all my life and now has become a reality. God is the greatest!”

Spurs legend Harry Kane presented him with his legacy cap after the game and hailed him for the struggles he went through to become an England player.

“We had a new debut today. I asked to do this because I saw this player three or four years ago at Tottenham, and he had to go through a lot, he had to keep his head up, he had to work hard, and now he’s an England player,” said Kane.

“He fully deserves this. I’m a little bit emotional because I know how much it takes to get here, and I saw what it was like; it was tough for you. Credit to you, your family, everyone involved, you deserve this one.”

Richarlison returned to the starting line-up for Brazil against Bolivia, but it was not a successful evening for the Tottenham Hotspur star.

Thomas Frank won’t be best pleased to see how the Brazilian number nine fared during the international break, especially after his poor display against Bournemouth.

As TBR Football exclusively revealed, Frank is a big fan of Richarlison, but there is one issue he must fix, and that is the striker’s lack of consistency.

The Brazilian media have been assessing Richarlison’s latest display for Selecao, and it’s fair to say it doesn’t make for great reading.

Tottenham’s Richarlison disappoints for Brazil vs Bolivia

Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison was disappointing in Brazil’s defeat to Bolivia, and the Brazilian media have heavily criticised his performance.

The striker had made an impressive start to the season, however, Richarlison did disappoint against Bournemouth and has now struggled with Brazil.

Tottenham signed Randal Kolo Muani, which means he now faces stern competition for his spot in Spurs’ line-up.

The 28-year-old’s latest display for Brazil won’t have done him any favours, as he showed the inconsistency which has seen him receive much criticism in the past.

The striker was hauled off after just 61 minutes as he struggled to make much happen up top and was replaced by Chelsea’s Joao Pedro.

GE Globo gave him a 5/10 and wrote: “He was rarely called upon. On his only chance, in the 37th minute of the first half, he controlled the ball, burst into the box, and struck hard, but the ball deflected off the defender.

“He left the game during the first substitution, in the 17th minute of the second half. He has remained goalless for the national team since the World Cup in Qatar.”

Ben Foster has slammed Richarlison’s inconsistency, and, unfortunately, the Brazilian international is proving him right with his latest run of games.

Randal Kolo Muani’s chances of starting for Tottenham vs West Ham

Kolo Muani could be thrown straight into the Tottenham team against West Ham United, having spent the international break training at Hotspur Way.

The Frenchman hasn’t played since the FIFA Club World Cup, but that means he should be fresh and raring to go at the London Stadium.

The 26-year-old was seemingly signed as back-up for Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, but there is a good chance he could actually replace both strikers.

Nottingham Forest have made the first managerial change of the new Premier League season after hiring Ange Postecoglou.

Nuno Espirito Santo is out as Nottingham Forest boss, and while the timing was a little surprising, the end result had been on the cards.

Evangelos Marinakis has weighed up replacements for Nuno since August, after the then-Forest boss admitted a breakdown in his relationship with Marinakis.

Marinakis is a big fan of Ange Postecoglou and has now managed to bring the Australian to the City Ground.

Postecoglou left Tottenham Hotspur over the summer despite winning the Europa League, as a torrid Premier League campaign proved his undoing.

Nottingham Forest’s PSR situation as Ange Postecoglou arrives

Postecoglou was able to spend on the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke during his time at Spurs.

Results were mixed, and Postecoglou now inherits a Forest squad that underwent major changes in August.

Arnaud Kalimuendo, James McAtee, Omari Hutchinson, Nicolo Savona, and Dilane Bakwa have all joined Forest in recent weeks.

Postecoglou may fancy some spending money of his own ahead of the January transfer window, but TBR Football’s football finance expert Adam Williams believes there could be some issues on the horizon.

Williams believes that Forest are unlikely to face any problems with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Postecoglou was given a healthy budget at Tottenham, both in terms of transfer fees and wages.

Similar spending is unlikely at Forest, but PSR seemingly won’t be a problem for the new boss in the near future.

“There’s a few different things we’re considering when we talk about FFP or PSR,” said Williams.

“PSR only applies in the Premier League. Under that system, Forest aren’t allowed to lose any more than £105m over a rolling three-year period. In previous campaigns, including the one in which they were adjudged to have breached, the limit was lower because they’d been in the EFL during the rolling three-year period. The EFL has a lower loss limit.

“This is PSR on the domestic level. Here, I think Forest are fine. The £67m they lost in 2022-23 is now no longer part of the calculation, plus they made a profit in 2023-24 after player sales. Looking at their wage bill, amortisation costs and other expenses compared to their projected revenue, they are going to have returned to a loss in 2024-25, but not one big enough to jeopardise their PSR compliance for the assessment window up until the end of that season. That will be confirmed in January. And from 2025-26, they have the full £105m allowance.

“So they are okay on the domestic level, although they certainly won’t be able to spend at the levels Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham did – and that’s both in terms of wages and transfer fees. There was a narrative that Spurs were frugal, but in isolation they were registering nearly £140m in amortised transfer costs during his first year at the club and carrying a wage bill which, despite it being the Premier League’s smallest as a proportion of revenue, was still one of the biggest in the world at £222m.

“Spurs had lots of headroom under both Premier League PSR and UEFA’s financial rules. Forest are okay on PSR, but UEFA’s rules are much trickier,” he added.

Nottingham Forest could face issues with UEFA

Forest look set to face issues with UEFA’s financial rules, both with the Football Earnings rule and the Squad Cost ratio rule.

Williams believes that Forest are bracing for breaches on both fronts, but Postecoglou may not be seriously impacted, with Forest potentially able to agree a settlement and move on.

“They’re limited to losing about £75m for the three-season period, I believe,” said Williams on Forest’s potential issues with UEFA.

“And that’s calculated up until the season they qualified for Europe, i.e up until the end of 2024-25. Even excluding PSR-exempt costs like academy and women’s team investment, it’s going to have been difficult to get within that threshold. UEFA might also revise down some of the profits on the swap deals they did last summer. What’s more, there isn’t the option to do the kind of financial jiggery-pokery that we’ve seen Chelsea, Villa, and Everton do to bypass Premier League rules, because UEFA discounts profits on tangible asset sales like stadiums or the training ground.

“There’s also the Squad Cost ratio rule at UEFA level, which limits Forest to spending 70 per cent of their revenue plus player sale profits on first-team wages and amortisation costs. That’s an annual test, not a season-by-season one, so Forest will be assessed for 2025. That means the costs of dismissing Nuno and hiring Ange will hit them there. I don’t think they will pass either of those tests personally, though we can’t say for certain. The Squad Cost rule in particular seems a bridge too far.

“But in terms of how that affects Postecoglou, I don’t think it will make a huge difference. Forest will probably take the fine, agree a settlement with UEFA and then move on. There could well be a similar system about to be rolled out in the Premier League by that stage next year, incidentally. And in terms of what they can or can’t do in January, if you’re going to breach anyway, it’s probably a case of: in for a penny, in for a pound,” he added.

Ange Postecoglou will now have the chance to face Tottenham Hotspur twice this season, after becoming the new Nottingham Forest boss.

Tottenham Hotspur axed Ange Postecoglou in June, despite the Australian ending the club’s trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

Postecoglou’s exit divided opinion, as Tottenham were dreadful in the Premier League last season, but ended the campaign with a trophy.

The Australian is now back in English football after Nottingham Forest axed Nuno Espirito Santo in the first managerial sacking of the Premier League season.

Evangelos Marinakis is a big fan of Postecoglou and has now appointed him as the new Forest boss with immediate effect.

Matt Wells’ future at Tottenham Hotspur after Ange Postecoglou’s move to Nottingham Forest

As luck would have it, Postecoglou’s first game will come against Arsenal this weekend.

The Australian will hope to spring a real surprise at the Emirates Stadium, though there are bound to be teething problems.

Postecoglou’s style of play is completely different to Nuno’s, meaning his approach will need to change, or the Forest squad will need to adapt to a new philosophy.

Strong coaching will be needed in order to deliver Postecoglou’s ideas on the training pitch, and reports suggest that Mile Jedinak and Nick Montgomery will join Forest.

However, The Telegraph claim that Spurs coach Matt Wells is considered unlikely to follow Postecoglou to the City Ground.

Wells was a key part of Tottenham’s coaching staff under Postecoglou and took the lead on defensive coaching at Spurs.

Postecoglou rated Wells highly at Tottenham, but the 36-year-old’s next move could be as a head coach elsewhere.

That potential next step is ‘one of the reasons’ why Wells is expected to stay at Tottenham and overlook the chance to reunite with Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Matt Wells may eye EFL job

Wells is already a key part of Tottenham’s coaching staff, and he would be forgiven for feeling that a move to Forest would be a sideways step right now.

Instead, Wells may look to continue his work with Tottenham and then target a head coaching role.

Chris Davies left Tottenham to become Birmingham City boss last summer, before Ryan Mason moved on to West Bromwich Albion.

That means two highly-rated Tottenham coaches have secured EFL jobs, and Wells may see a similar pathway for himself.

Enfield-born Wells is still young and doesn’t seem to be agitating for a move away from Spurs, but head coaching opportunities may well arrive in the near future, especially with Davies and Mason thriving.

Micky van de Ven has been discussing his thoughts on the 2025/26 season and admitted why he’s been so impressed with Tottenham’s new boss, Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank has been quick to make a strong impression in North London, with the Lilywhites already looking considerably better organised as a team.

The North London club made some exciting additions to Frank’s squad over the summer, with the arrival of Xavi Simons at Tottenham the headline signing.

Van de Ven is confident that the Premier League will see a different Spurs side this season from the one that struggled badly last term.

Micky van de Ven backs Tottenham to prove doubters wrong

Micky van de Ven is backing Tottenham Hotspur to prove doubters wrong following last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

The Dutch defender is confident that with a clean slate, which includes a new manager, Spurs can show what they are really capable of as a team.

The North London club have made a solid start to the season with wins over Manchester City and Burnley, although they did suffer a shock defeat at home to Bournemouth.

Speaking about the new campaign, Van de Ven told Tottenham’s YouTube channel: “The new manager came in and it was like a fresh start for everyone, a new season, and to show what we can do differently this season.

“Everyone has their doubts about us because of last season, but I think we showed in the first two games that we can be a really dangerous side.”

Cristian Romero hopes to play more with Van de Ven this season, having featured alongside one another on just 15 occasions last term.

The pair have formed a great relationship in defence, but last term, injuries prevented them from playing more together.

Micky van de Ven has been so impressed by Thomas Frank

Elsewhere, Van de Ven claims that Frank’s attention to detail in training and during pre-season has really impressed him.

The Dutch international believes that Spurs’ squad are quickly understanding his message and already knows what he expects from them.

“You can really see he lives the game, he loves it, every time he speaks about it, he’s on everything,” added Van de Ven.

“Even in pre-season, his vision of football and plan, his tactical play in training, you have to do the drill every time, over and over and over, every day, every second he is on it.

“Even at this point, everybody knows what the gaffer expects and everybody just does it, I have the feeling that he has his way of playing and he’s translated quite quickly to the group.”

Nottingham Forest have replaced popular manager Nuno Espirito Santo with former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, looking to build on last season’s Europa League qualification.

Hiring the manager who won the Europa League last season is a positive move, although Forest finished ten places and 27 points above Postecoglou’s Spurs side so they will expect a better league performance than the Australian managed in North London.

However, Postecoglou finished fifth the year before, and came with a good reputation from his time with Celtic before joining Spurs.

Among his biggest supporters has been Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who had followed Postecoglou’s progress from their first meeting in Japan in 2019, when Postecoglou’s Yokohama F Marinos played City in pre-season.

Pep Guardiola blown away by first impressions of Ange Postecoglou, and backed him to succeed at Tottenham

Manchester City beat Yokohama F Marinos, managed by Ange Postecoglou, in a 2019 friendly, but it left a lasting impression on Pep Guardiola.

Reflecting on that game four years later in 2023, Guardiola told a press conference: “I saw clips of his team play and I said ‘wow’, there were things in there I really liked. I told my players we are going to face a good team.

“We won because we had better players, but I realised this was the first time I met him [but I would see him again]. And since then I have followed him and in a short time he is here [the Premier League].”

Guardiola continued to back Postecoglou when he was manager at Tottenham, beating Guardiola’s men twice and drawing once in six meetings – including a 4-0 demolition of City at the Etihad Stadium last season.

Pep Guardiola praised Ange Postecoglou tactics, tells Nottingham Forest what to expect from their new manager

Explaining what he likes about Postecoglou’s teams, Guardiola’s assessment tells Nottingham Forest that they will get a style of football that reflects the manager and does not change for any specific opposition.

Ange Postecoglou record vs Manchester City in competitive games (Source: Transfermarkt)

Guardiola said: “I am impressed at many things they do – the chances they create, and aggression in all departments. He came here with nothing and within a few months already you can recognise Spurs as his team. Every team that plays with desire and determination comes from the manager.

“He makes football a better place – a person like Ange. I enjoy watching them play and the approach they have. The impact he has made has been quick and really good.

“The courage, the high line – so aggressive. Lots of combinations, they use the keeper. They arrive on the [wings], so dynamic, doesn’t matter who they play against, they play their game. It happened in Glasgow and now here [Tottenham].”

Tottenham Hotspur star Djed Spence earned his first England cap as the Three Lions hammered Serbia 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Thomas Tuchel still needs to convince many England fans, but the 5-0 thrashing of Serbia was arguably the best performance of his reign so far.

Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford were all on the scoresheet in a fine England victory.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence made his England debut, coming on as a substitute for Chelsea right-back Reece James in the second half.

Spence recently signed a new contract and has now taken another huge step forward in his career.

Harry Kane praises Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence

Spence joined Tottenham from Middlesbrough in 2022, but struggled for first-team action under Antonio Conte.

Spence then endured mixed fortunes on loan at Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, with few backing him for Tottenham stardom.

The 25-year-old salvaged his Tottenham career last season, convincing Ange Postecoglou of his quality before also impressing Thomas Frank.

Spence’s displays at left-back have really caught the eye, and his rise has left England captain Harry Kane impressed.

Kane congratulated Spence on his England call-up last week and has now shared an emotional message after the Spurs star’s first cap.

As captured on England’s official X account, Kane admitted that he asked to be able to give Spence his first England cap.

Kane watched Spence go through ‘a lot’ at Tottenham, noting that life in North London was ‘tough’ for the defender.

Spence came through it all to become an England international, with Kane praising him for a deserved Three Lions cap.

“We had a new debut today,” said Kane.

“I asked to do this because I saw this player three or four years ago at Tottenham, and he had to go through a lot, he had to keep his head up, he had to work hard, and now he’s an England player.

“He fully deserves this. I’m a little bit emotional, because I know how much it takes to get here, and I saw what it was like – it was tough for you.

“Credit to you, your family, everyone involved, you deserve this one,” he added.

Tottenham Hotspur almost made a big mistake over Djed Spence

Spence’s turnaround at Tottenham is truly remarkable, and it almost never happened.

The Daily Mail reported in January 2024 that Tottenham had immediately put Spence up for sale after returning from a dismal loan spell with Leeds.

Spence instead joined Genoa on loan, and Tottenham will be very, very relieved that they didn’t find a buyer after all.

That transfer window was a real sliding doors moment for Spence, and his displays over the last year have deservedly landed him in the England squad – and in contention for the World Cup next summer.

Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, following his Tottenham Hotspur exit.

The first managerial exit of the new Premier League has already arrived, just over a week into September.

International breaks are rife for managerial changes, and Nottingham Forest have, rather unsurprisingly, announced Nuno Espirito Santo’s exit.

Nuno’s Forest job came under scrutiny in August as he admitted difficulties in his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Marinakis is a big fan of Ange Postecoglou and has now moved to appoint the Australian as Nuno’s successor.

Nick Montgomery set to join Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest

On the one hand, the Greek connections between Postecoglou and Marinakis mean this move to Forest makes some sense.

On the other, Postecoglou’s style of play is the polar opposite of Nuno’s, and implementing that new approach during the season will be tricky.

Postecoglou needs effective coaching to aid Forest’s transition, and two familiar faces look set to join him at the City Ground.

The Telegraph report that both Mile Jedinak and Nick Montgomery are poised to follow Postecoglou to Nottingham.

Both Jedinak and Montgomery were brought to Tottenham by Postecoglou and left the club after his sacking in June.

Jedinak and Montgomery have both started the season out of work, but will return to the Premier League by joining forces with Postecoglou once more.

Mile Jedinak and Nick Montgomery profiled ahead of Nottingham Forest moves

Jedinak was a Premier League regular for Crystal Palace in his playing days, captaining the side until his 2016 move to Aston Villa.

The 41-year-old played under Postecoglou in the Australian national team and joined forces at Tottenham after cutting his teeth in coaching with Villa.

Montgomery was also a Premier League midfielder during his playing career, featuring for Sheffield United in the 2006-07 season.

A Blades hero with almost 400 appearances to his name, Montgomery ended his playing days in Australia with Central Coast Mariners and Wollongong Wolves.

Montgomery caught the eye in charge of Central Coast Mariners, winning the A-League Championship in 2023.

A spell in charge of Hibernian didn’t work out, but Postecoglou was impressed enough with his work in Australia to bring him to Spurs.

Both Jedinak and Montgomery know Postecoglou’s demands and methods perfectly, and will now look to help Postecoglou get off to a fast start at Forest.

Tottenham have several elite players talented enough to represent their country.

Hotspur Way is often devoid of seniority during international breaks nowadays, as the likes of Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Richarlison and others are regularly called up for their respective nations.

Micky van de Ven is another who often jets off – accumulating 14 caps for the Netherlands so far – although the Tottenham No.37 has now been criticised by Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen.

Micky van de Ven told he is a “problem” for Ronald Koeman

Given the fact Virgil van Dijk likes to play as a left-sided central defender, the Tottenham star is usually forced to play at left-back by Ronald Koeman.

However, Driessen believes the Netherlands can do better than Van de Ven in this area, criticising the Dutchman and naming Burnley No.3 Quilindschy Hartman as a more suitable option.

The respected journalist told De Telegraaf’s Kick-off podcast: “The ultimate left-back plays at Burnley. That’s Hartman. He’s the best left-back (for the Netherlands) but he’ll need a few months to get back to his old level.

“Then I think he’s the best left-back on the Dutch national team… Van de Ven has a lot of energy, speed, and strength. He can run really fast to the byline, and then he doesn’t know what to do. That’s a problem.”

Fortunately for Thomas Frank, there is unlikely to be a need for the 24-year-old on the left at Tottenham, with Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence able to play in that role, as well as Ben Davies.

Therefore, Van de Ven, who Jean-Phillipe Mateta hates facing, is only a “problem” for Koeman, and remains one of the best players at Tottenham regardless of his struggles on international duty.

Thomas Frank has reason to ignore Valentijn Driessen and encourage Micky van de Ven

We cannot admit to watching many Netherlands games, but this verdict from Driessen is a surprise considering what Van de Ven has previously displayed in the final third at Spurs.

The Netherlands international memorably ran the entire length of the pitch at Old Trafford to assist Brennan Johnson last season, putting the ball on a plate for the Wales international.

Van de Ven, who Glenn Hoddle admires, also netted a stunning finish to seal a 2-1 win over Burnley back in May 2024, proving he is more than capable of hurting opponents with his technical ability and decision making, rather than just inflicting fear with his impressive physical attributes.

Hopefully, the comments from Driessen do not have a negative impact on the 24-year-old back at Tottenham.