Sports Mole

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper is facing an unwelcome attacking conundrum for Monday's Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power Stadium.

During their final match of pre-season - a 3-0 loss to Lens - Patson Daka suffered a severe ankle injury which required surgery, and the striker faces a few months on the sidelines.

Daka is one of two Leicester strikers in the medical bay, as the veteran Jamie Vardy has been plagued by a knock throughout the summer and is still a couple of weeks away from a comeback.

With Daka and Vardy sidelined, Tom Cannon is the only out-and-out striker in Cooper's ranks, but the Foxes boss may instead side with ex-Arsenal youngster Stephy Mavididi in a central role.

Bobby Decordova-Reid and Abdul Fatawu will likely flank Mavididi in Leicester's attacking trident, while former Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks should feature from the off against his old club.

Should Cooper opt for a more conservative shape, Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare may join the Englishman in the middle, but the injured Conor Coady (hamstring) will not be manning the defence.

Instead, Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes could act as Mads Hermansen's central shield, in between full-backs James Justin and Ricardo Pereira; Luke Thomas requires a late fitness test.

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; Reid, Mavididi, Fatawu

Premier League Monday night football makes its long-awaited return on August 19, as Tottenham Hotspur provide Leicester City with a stern test of their top-flight credentials at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes are adjusting to life without Championship-winning coach Enzo Maresca, while Spurs have top-four desires to fulfil after coming so close yet so far last term.

Match preview

© Imago

With the Arsenal-Tottenham rivalry still as bitter as ever, a chunk of Lilywhites fans happily relinquished their hopes of watching their side play Champions League football in 2024-25 at the expense of the Gunners' title dream, as a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City in the closing stages of the campaign proved telling on two fronts.

After an apoplectic Ange Postecoglou ranted and raved about supporters siding against their team, Spurs still wound up in a respectable fifth position to earn direct entry into the Europa League, but there was a palpable sense of what could have been for the North London crop.

No manager had ever taken more than 25 points in their first 10 Premier League games before Postecoglou hit the 26-mark, but as injuries and inconsistency began to take its toll, Tottenham spent most of the campaign hovering on the periphery of their title-chasing rivals.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou always insisted that a top-four finish was never the priority for his first campaign in charge - rather serious signs of progression - and a praiseworthy start to pre-season saw Tottenham put all of Hearts, Queens Park Rangers, Vissel Kobe and Team K-League to the sword.

However, two defeats against two Bayern Munich sides - the latter of which featured departed top scorer Harry Kane - disrupted Spurs' summer momentum, but only one of the visitors' last eight opening-day contests in the Premier League has seen them come out on the wrong end of the scoreline.

© Imago

As Postecoglou prepares for season number two at the Tottenham helm, Monday's match will mark a maiden competitive game for Steve Cooper as Leicester head coach, after 2023-24 title-winning boss Enzo Maresca could not resist the pull of a long-term Chelsea contract.

Some members of the King Power faithful became disenchanted with Maresca's style towards the end of his reign anyway, as after leading the Championship back for months on end, a downturn in form plunged Leicester's automatic promotion hopes into serious jeopardy.

However, the 2015-16 Premier League winners ultimately survived that late scare to pip Leeds United and Ipswich Town to the crown, finishing with 97 points on the board to jump back up to the big time at the first time of asking, before swapping Maresca with ex-Nottingham Forest boss Cooper.

Like Postecoglou, the Leicester coach also oversaw a strong start to pre-season - wins over Villarreal and Shrewsbury Town - before three straight losses to Palermo, Augsburg and Lens, and the threat of a potential points deduction for alleged financial breaches is also a highly unwelcome distraction.

Leicester are not expected to learn their possible punishment fate until 2025, though, and full focus now turns to Monday's reunion with Tottenham, whom they memorably demolished 4-1 at the King Power during their most recent showdown in February 2023.

Leicester City friendly form:

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Team News

© Imago

Tottenham boss Postecoglou has been laying down the law in pre-season, suspending midfielder Yves Bissouma for Monday's game after the Mali international recently filmed himself inhaling laughing gas.

Fraser Forster (foot) and Richarlison (calf) are on the touch-and-go list, but the latter has now been bumped down the pecking order by £65m arrival Dominic Solanke, who should be in line for his full Lilywhites debut on Monday night.

No Tottenham debutant since Steven Bergwijn in 2020 has netted on their first Premier League appearance for the club, while long-serving captain Son Heung-min has 13 direct involvements from 14 previous meetings with Leicester, nine of his own and four assists.

Sticking with the attacking theme, Leicester have already been dealt a devastating injury blow up front, as Patson Daka has undergone surgery for a serious ankle injury - which he sustained in the loss to Lens - and is facing a few months on the sidelines.

Jamie Vardy - a tormentor of Big Six sides during his Premier League prime - is also still on the mend from a pre-season knock, while Conor Coady (hamstring) misses out too, and Luke Thomas will require a last-minute fitness test.

With neither Daka nor Vardy available, Leicester should turn to either Tom Cannon or Stephy Mavididi to fill the void up top, while Harry Winks should be a nailed-on starter against his old club in the middle.

Leicester City possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; Reid, Mavididi, Fatawu

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke

We say: Leicester City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

As Leicester are lacking two of their principle goal threats and failed to score in their last three matches of pre-season, those backing a Tottenham clean sheet should be left with a smile on their face come full time.

The Lilywhites were not exactly solid at the back in pre-season either, but Postecoglou's men have a taste for goals and should subject their hosts to a harsh welcome back to the Premier League.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of English striker Dominic Solanke in a club-record deal from Bournemouth.

The 26-year-old has penned a six-year contract with the Lilywhites until the end of the 2029-30 campaign, and the Cherries are expected to receive an initial £55m plus £10m in add-ons for Solanke's sale.

Bournemouth confirmed in their statement that Solanke is now the most expensive sale in their history, and the £65m man also becomes Spurs' record signing of all time, eclipsing Tanguy Ndombele's £54m switch from Lyon in 2019.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker becomes Spurs' third arrival of the summer after Archie Gray and Yang Min-hyuk, and the Reds are also set to receive around £10m as part of the deal thanks to a sell-on clause.

Speaking to the Cherries website, Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake paid tribute to Solanke's professionalism while negotiations rumbled on in the background and revealed that the South Coast club were braced for a European-competing team to come calling for Solanke eventually.

Bournemouth chief offers "sincere well wishes" to Solanke

"When we identified Dominic as a target and brought him to the club five years ago, we did so with the understanding that this was always a possibility," Blake said.

"As he began to realise the great potential we knew he had, it quickly became in the club's best interest to protect his value and so we were delighted to agree terms on a new contract last summer.

"After Dominic's performances for us - in particular his impressive 2023/24 season - it has come as no surprise that a team of Tottenham's calibre has shown an interest.

"This move has developed quickly but Dominic has remained professional throughout and I'd like to thank him for that. It's a testament to the character he has always shown while at this club, on and off the pitch.

"His development since arriving in 2019 is a credit to his work rate and endeavour, as well as the platform AFC Bournemouth gives young talent to grow. We're pleased to secure a club record fee for Dominic and he also leaves with everyone's sincere well wishes at AFC Bournemouth."

Solanke steps into Harry Kane's Tottenham shoes

Solanke - who was also labelled a "club icon" by the Cherries in their exit announcement - leaves Bournemouth with a record of 77 goals and 31 assists from 216 matches across all competitions, including a terrific 19 Premier League strikes in 2023-24.

Only Cole Palmer, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland netted more goals in last season's English top flight than Solanke, who will be expected to come straight into the Tottenham XI as Ange Postecoglou's new number nine.

Having failed to secure a big-money replacement for Harry Kane last year, only bringing in the young Alejo Veliz and loaning him to Sevilla in the second half of the campaign, Tottenham relied on Richarlison and Son Heung-min as their chief attacking threats last season.

However, Richarlison could now be given the green light to leave the club amid links with Saudi Arabia, while Son is in the last year of his contract, although his terms do include a 12-month extension option.

Solanke is not expected to face Bayern Munich in Sunday's friendly, but he should be in line for his Tottenham debut in their opening Premier League match away to Leicester City on August 19. body check tags ::

Five years on from Tanguy Ndombele's failed club-record Tottenham Hotspur transfer, a Basingstoke-born striker is set to overtake the Frenchman as the Lilywhites' most expensive signing of all time.

Indeed, Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke is believed to be on the verge of joining Ange Postecoglou's side in a £65m deal, including a £55m upfront fee and a further £10m in performance-related add-ons.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker is expected to complete his medical imminently before putting pen to paper on a six-year contract in North London, where he will attempt to fill the boots of all-time leading scorer Harry Kane.

Solanke departs the Cherries on the back of netting 19 goals in 38 Premier League matches during the 2023-24 campaign - a tally bettered by just three players - and will become Spurs' third signing of the summer after Archie Gray and Yang Min-hyeok.

Ahead of Solanke's North London arrival, Sports Mole looks at which shirt numbers the 26-year-old could be available to the striker at Tottenham.

While he started out as Bournemouth's number 29 following his mid-season arrival from Liverpool in 2019 - a number currently taken by Pape Sarr at Tottenham - Solanke has been the Cherries' number nine in every full season he has spent at the Vitality Stadium.

That jersey is unsurprisingly in the possession of Richarlison at Tottenham Hotspur, but Solanke's arrival could very well push the Brazilian out of the door; clubs in Saudi Arabia are believed to be pushing to sign the ex-Everton man.

Should Richarlison indeed depart and vacate the number nine, Solanke should have a clear run at that revered striker's jersey, which has been sported by attackers at both ends of Spurs' success scale such as Jimmy Greaves, Les Ferdinand, Roberto Soldado and Vincent Janssen.

Interestingly, all-time leading scorer Kane was never in possession of the '9' during his illustrious Tottenham career; the England skipper spent most of his time in North London as Spurs' 10, which was inherited by creator-in-chief James Maddison last summer.

As a result, Solanke is unlikely to don the '10' that he previously wore at youth level for both club and country, but an intriguing option could free up if Giovani Lo Celso leaves amid interest from Aston Villa.

Indeed, the Argentine is currently sporting the number 18 shirt for Tottenham, which Solanke wore briefly for Chelsea's Under-19s, and star attackers such as Kane, Jermain Defoe and Jurgen Klinsmann have also donned Spurs' '18' down the years.

In terms of currently available jerseys, the '11' has been freed up by Bryan Gil's move to Girona, while the 19, 25 and 28 shirts are also awaiting their next takers; the '26' has been unofficially retired in honour of Ledley King.

A surprise exit for Son Heung-min either this summer or the next - when his contract is due to expire - would also leave the '7' available, but all of the signs surely point towards Solanke lining up as Tottenham's newest number nine in 2024-25.

body check tags ::

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly attempted to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto before a deal was agreed with Chelsea.

Despite suffering a number of injuries over recent seasons, Neto has been frequently linked with a transfer to a bigger club in the Premier League.

That is a consequence of his impact when fit, with two goals and nine assists coming from just 20 outings during the 2023-24 campaign.

Wolves have been in no rush to cash in on their most prized asset, yet widespread reports emerged on Friday afternoon that Chelsea would be signing the Portugal international.

The West Londoners have allegedly agreed to pay Wolves a fee of almost £54m, including add-ons, for the playmaker, who will now undergo a medical.

However, it could have seemingly been a different story had Spurs succeeded with their own offer for Neto in recent days.

Spurs made part-exchange bid

According to the Express & Star, Spurs proposed a player-plus-cash deal for Neto that was ultimately rejected.

Wolves were allegedly presented with the opportunity to sign midfielder Oliver Skipp as part of the discussions that were held between the relevant parties.

Instead, officials at the West Midlands outfit opted against substantially reducing the fee that they would recoup and proceeded with a club-record sale with Chelsea.

There is no indication as to whether Skipp would have accepted a move to Molineux, although he remains down the midfield pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While Spurs are well stocked for options on the flanks, Neto would have likely got the nod over the likes of Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Timo Werner when fit.

Money being allocated elsewhere...

Despite having money to spend this summer, it is highly unlikely that Spurs would have splurged well in excess of £100m on just two players at this stage of the transfer window.

Spurs are now allegedly preparing to sign Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke in a deal that could be worth £65m, providing that the player's release clause is met.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has revealed he has turned down an offer from the Saudi Pro League.

Richarlison spent four years with Everton before completing a reported £60m move to Tottenham in the summer of 2022.

The Brazilian has experienced mixed fortunes during his time in North London, having failed to nail down a guaranteed spot under Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou.

After scoring just one Premier League goal in 2022-23, Richarlison did at least manage to net 11 top-flight goals in the 2023-24 campaign.

Richarlison turns down Saudi Arabia offer

Despite being under contract until June 2027, Richarlison has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Al-Hilal have been touted as the main contender for Richarlison's signature, with the Saudi Arabian club seemingly keen to add the Tottenham man to their list of high-profile names which include Neymar, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Richarlison has now revealed that he has received an offer from the Saudi Pro League, but he seemingly has no plans to leave Tottenham this summer.

The 27-year-old told ESPN Brasil: "There has been an offer but my dream of playing for the Brazilian Selecao and in the Premier League speaks louder. The money is big but my dreams are bigger."

Richarlison is evidently keen to force his way back into the national set-up after missing out on selection for the recent Copa America due to injury.

Will Richarlison get regular playing time this season?

Richarlison made 18 Premier League starts last season as Postecoglou tended to alternate between the Brazilian and Son Heung-min as his sole centre-forward.

While Richarlison will be keen to establish himself as a regular starter, there is a risk that he could fall down the pecking order for the 2024-25 campaign.

Tottenham are currently searching for a new number nine to fill the void created by Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich last summer.

Spurs are believed to be pursuing a move for Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke, who is attracting interest after scoring 19 goals in 38 Premier League games last season.

Tottenham Hotspur conclude their pre-season preparations in North London with another friendly encounter against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon.

The Bundesliga giants condemned Spurs to their first defeat of the summer last weekend, running out 2-1 winners in Seoul.

Match preview

Tottenham were in buoyant mood heading into last weekend's clash with Bayern after winning each of their previous five friendly fixtures against Cambridge United, Hearts, Queens Park Rangers, Vissel Kobe and a K-League XI, scoring 21 goals in the process.

However, Ange Postecoglou's men came up short against their German counterparts, falling behind in the fourth minute after a mix-up between Guglielmo Vicario and Djed Spence was punished by young striker Gabriel Vidovic, before Leon Goretzka added a second for Bayern just before the hour mark.

Spurs pulled one back with 25 minutes remaining when Pedro Porro fired a superb long-range strike past Sven Ulreich, but the equalising goal ultimately eluded a jaded Lilywhites outfit, whose summer tour of Asia ended in defeat.

Postecoglou felt that his players "paid the price" after a challenging 10-day training camp in hot and humid conditions in Asia, but the Spurs boss has insisted that his team will reap "enormous" benefits from their pre-season experience further down the line.

Spurs will be keen to return to winning ways and put in a positive performance against Bayern at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before preparing for their opening Premier League match of the 2024-25 season away against Leicester City on August 19.

Bayern may have beaten Tottenham by a slender scoreline in Seoul, but their dominant performance demonstrated a vast gulf in quality between the two teams which is sure to have impressed new head coach Vincent Kompany.

The 38-year-old Belgian boss was particularly pleased with his side's tempo and the high press implemented which helped them create a total of 22 chances during the 90 minutes - twice as many as Spurs.

Bayern improved greatly on their performance seven days earlier when they rescued a 1-1 draw with German fourth-tier side Duren, having previously recorded a thumping 14-1 victory over FC Rottach-Egern in their opening friendly of the summer.

Saturday's contest will represent Bayern's penultimate pre-season match before they conclude their summer programme in Unterhaching against Austrian minnows WSG Tirol next Tuesday.

The Bavarian giants will then prepare for their first competitive game of the new season against newly-promoted second-tier outfit Ulm in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on August 16, nine days before travelling to Wolfsburg for their opening Bundesliga fixture of 2024-25.

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Bayern Munich friendly form:

Team News

Tottenham are still having to cope without striker Richarlison and left-back Destiny Udogie as they continue to recover from respective calf and thigh injuries, while young centre-back Ashley Phillips is doubtful with an unspecified issue.

However, the Lilywhites have welcomed back Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovani Lo Celso to training this week and the quartet could be in contention to feature in some capacity on Saturday.

Should either Romero or Van de Ven be handed an immediate start at centre-back, Ben Davies would presumably move over to his favoured left-back position, while Spence battles with Porro for the right-back berth.

As for Bayern, both Harry Kane and Eric Dier will be returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since leaving Spurs last season and it has been confirmed by the North Londoners that the English duo will be presented with commemorative gifts by Spurs ambassador Ledley King before kickoff.

Kane returned to training earlier this week along with Alphonso Davies and both players are in line to start, with the former set to replace Vidovic up front as the latter competes with Raphael Guerreiro for a start at left-back.

It remains to be seen whether star attacker Jamal Musiala will be involved on Saturday; the 21-year-old is still building up his fitness following his extended break after representing Germany at Euro 2024 and did not feature against Spurs last week.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Davies; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Neuer; Boey, Kim, Dier, Davies; Kimmich, Palhinha; Gnabry, Muller, Tel; Kane

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Bayern Munich

Tottenham looked jaded and vulnerable at the back against an energetic Bayern side last week, but they have had a week to rest, regroup and welcome back a few key players as they now attempt to end their pre-season on a high in front of their own fans.

Goals are to be expected once again in this contest, and while the prospect of Kane haunting his former club cannot be ruled out, we think Spurs may find a way to claim a share of the spoils this time around in an entertaining score draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to make a €50m (£43.06m) offer for one of Tottenham Hotspur's star players.

Earlier in the summer, Los Blancos finalised the acquisition of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, as well as saw Endrick complete his transfer from Palmeiras.

Even though experienced trio Nacho, Toni Kroos and Joselu have all left the Bernabeu, it did not stop Carlo Ancelotti from declaring that there would be no more incomings before the end of August.

From a central-defensive standpoint, Ancelotti stated that Jesus Vallejo returning from a loan spell with Granada was his reason for not intending to directly replace club stalwart Nacho.

However, if a recent report is to be believed, the European champions are ready to act in order to strengthen their options in the middle of their backline.

Real identify Romero as desired addition

According to Doble Amarilla, Spurs defender Cristian Romero has emerged as their ideal candidate to join the squad.

Romero has spent the past three seasons at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, making a total of 96 starts and two substitute outings in all competitions.

Although Spurs were not always defensively sound in 2023-24, the Argentina international is deemed to be an untouchable first choice alongside Micky van de Ven.

His stock has also been enhanced from playing a key role in another major tournament triumph for his country, who recently lifted the Copa America.

Argentina conceded just one goal in five matches with Romero on the pitch, highlighting his influence on the global stage.

How are Spurs likely to react?

With three years remaining on his contract and having paid £42m for his signature in 2021, it is inevitable that Spurs will demand far more than Real are allegedly prepared to offer.

Furthermore, Romero has recently indicated that he wants to spend at least another season in North London, despite acknowledging speculation regarding his future.

Much may depend how strong Real president Florentino Perez is prepared to push. With Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba above the age of 30, the La Liga giants will soon require younger alternatives.

Spurs would also be required to find an immediate replacement, something that would not be a simple task at this stage of the transfer window. body check tags ::

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly prepared to submit a player-plus-cash deal for Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke.

Spurs have completed a number of deals this summer, including the signings of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

They also recruited Yang Min-hyuk for January, while Timo Werner has returned to the club on a season-long loan deal.

Spurs will be keen to make further additions as they look to build upon last season's fifth finish in Ange Posteoglou's second season in charge.

The number nine position is one area where Spurs are keen to strengthen, having failed to replace Harry Kane following his exit last summer.

Spurs devise plan to sign Solanke

The North London club have recently been linked with a potential move for Bournemouth's Solanke, who is under contract until the summer of 2027.

A recent report suggested that Spurs were unwilling to break their transfer record to sign Solanke, with the Cherries believed to be holding out for the player's reported £65m release clause.

With Tottenham reluctant to meet Bournemouth's financial demands, TEAMtalk are reporting that Spurs are preparing to propose a player-plus-cash deal.

The report claims that Spurs are ready to offer £50m and use one of their squad members to entice Bournemouth to part ways with one of their most prized assets.

Who could Spurs offer in Solanke deal?

While it is unclear who Spurs are willing to offer, there is a belief that they could Sergio Reguilon, Djed Spence, Giovani Lo Celso and Oliver Skipp.

Tottenham could also offer Argentine forward Alejo Veliz, who could help Bournemouth fill the void left by Solanke's potential departure.

However, Andoni Iraola will be reluctant to part ways with a forward who set up a new club record with his impressive performances last season.

Solanke racked up 19 goals in 38 Premier League matches to set a new club record for the most goals scored by a Bournemouth player in a single top-flight campaign.

The former Chelsea man missed Bournemouth's recent friendly against Iraola's former club Rayo Vallecano due to an injury issue.

The Cherries boss is hopeful that Solanke will be fit for Saturday's friendly against Girona, before the South Coast club turn their attention to their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly received a £12.9m bid for Emerson Royal from AC Milan.

The Brazilian is one of many players within Spurs' squad who is set to be a victim of Ange Postecoglou's sweeping changes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Royal managed 22 Premier League appearances last season, although only 11 of those were from the start of top-flight matches as the Australian coach moved in a different direction with his backline.

Postecoglou preferred to utilise the talents of summer arrival Pedro Porro at right-back, often leaving the former Barcelona man with a watching brief.

That being said, Royal has been relatively prominent for Spurs during the early stages of pre-season, playing at centre-back in the absence of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

© Imago

AC Milan 'offer' £12.9m for Tottenham man Royal

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Royal's three-year stint at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could reach its conclusion before the end of the summer window.

The report states that Italian giants AC Milan are interested in securing the services of the 25-year-old ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

It is understood that the Rossoneri have tabled a £12.9m bid for Royal, who has played professional football in England, Spain and Brazil to date.

There is said to be add-ons to complement the initial fee of nearly £13m, likely to be based on the Brazilian hitting certain performance metrics for Milan.

Negotiations between Spurs and the Rossoneri are ongoing, with both parties supposedly hopeful of completing the final stages of the deal in the coming days.

© Reuters

Tottenham's state of play at right-back

With Royal heading towards the exit door in North London, it is believed that Spurs have already begun the process hunting for a suitable replacement.

Starting 35 Premier League matches during his debut term in England, Spaniard Porro is currently first choice, with Postecoglou wanting to recruit further depth in that position.

Although a midfielder by trade, summer signing Archie Gray operated at right-back for Leeds United for the majority of last season as Daniel Farke's side narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight.

Highlighting the lack of current lack of alternatives, Porro has started all five of Tottenham's friendlies in the space of three weeks.