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Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender Cristian Romero has poured cold water on rumours that he could join Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

Despite earning a reputation as a rash and bad-tempered defender during his time in the Spurs jersey, the 26-year-old has quickly become a cornerstone of the Lilywhites team.

Romero rose to prominence while playing for Atalanta BC on loan from Juventus during the 2020-21 season, and he joined Tottenham just one day after making his move to the current Europa League champions permanent.

The Argentina international will soon hit a century of competitive appearances for Ange Postecoglou's team, and his first 98 matches across all competitions have brought six goals and one assist.

Tottenham shelled out £44.3m to make Romero's move permanent in 2022 following his successful audition, and the centre-back is still under contract in North London for another three seasons.

Romero outlines ambition to win trophy at Tottenham

While Romero is yet to win a trophy with Tottenham, he has achieved continental and international stardom with Argentina, winning two Copa America titles either side of the 2022 World Cup.

The ex-Juventus man was a regular starter during La Albiceleste's run to glory in Qatar and their 2024 Copa America victory, supposedly catching the eye of Real Madrid in the process, as Los Blancos were said to have touched base with his agents back in June.

However, Romero recently told ESPN F90 that he was giving no thought to a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and expressed his desire to help Spurs win their first trophy since the 2007-08 EFL Cup next season.

"I always strive to play at my best. I have a lot of respect for Tottenham. They've always given me a lot of support here, so I like playing here. I don't think about other clubs or their possibilities," Romero said.

"I know there's a lot of talk about a possible move, but I'm calm. At my club I play differently to the national team, more forward. I still have years left in Europe and I want to see where I can go. Hopefully this year we can win a title at Tottenham."

What is Tottenham's stance on Romero's future?

Romero's stance is thought to be in line with Tottenham's, as Postecoglou views the South American as a crucial member of his squad, and the board are not expected to entertain any offers either.

That sentiment appears to have been taken on board by the Real Madrid offices, as a report from The Mirror claims that Los Blancos have not followed up their initial enquiry with a formal bid for Romero's services.

However, Spurs have had no qualms about letting other centre-backs depart in the summer transfer window, offloading Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon as part of their cull.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke this summer.

Spurs are still looking to replace their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane, who left the North London club for Bayern Munich last summer.

Last season, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou tended to use Son Heung-min and Richarlison as his main centre-forward options.

Despite the pair's valuable contributions, Spurs are keen to recruit a new number nine for Postecoglou's second season at the helm.

Tottenham have been linked with a number of names this summer, including Brentford's Ivan Toney and Lille's Jonathan David.

© Imago

Spurs exploring Solanke move

While Spurs are seemingly keeping their options open, it appears they have taken their striker search to the Vitality Stadium.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are currently exploring a move to sign Bournemouth's Solanke.

Spurs are yet to submit a formal proposal and it will be a difficult deal to pull off due to Solanke's importance to Andoni Iraola's side.

The update also claims that Tottenham are looking to sign a winger as well as adding a new striker to their squad.

© Imago

Why do Spurs want Solanke?

Solanke has established himself as a key part of the Bournemouth side since completing a move from Liverpool in January 2019.

The 26-year-old has made 216 competitive appearances for the Cherries, scoring 77 goals and providing 31 assists.

Spurs have seemingly been impressed with Solanke's efforts in the 2023-24 campaign, where he scored 19 goals in 38 top-flight matches to finish as the joint fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League.

The forward also set a new Bournemouth record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season, with his impressive campaign catching the attention of some of the Premier League's biggest clubs.

Chelsea were believed to be considering a move for their academy product, but they were seemingly put off by Bournemouth's considerable asking price.

The Cherries are in a relatively strong negotiating position, with the striker currently under contract until the summer of 2027.

Concluding their pre-season tour of Asia with a heavyweight contest, Tottenham Hotspur test their mettle against Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich in Seoul on Saturday.

Ange Postecoglou's men prolonged their perfect friendly record for the summer with a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Team K-League on Wednesday, while the German giants drew 1-1 with Duren last time out.

Match preview

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Now four for four in official pre-season friendlies - and five for five if their behind-closed-doors crushing of Cambridge United is taken into account - Spurs came out on the right end of a seven-goal spectacular versus a K-League XI on Wednesday thanks to South Korea's favourite son.

After his shot led to the rebound for Dejan Kulusevski's opener, Son Heung-min stole the Seoul World Cup Stadium spotlight with a brilliant first-half brace, although his thunder was soon stolen by an unlikely source in Russian striker Stanislav Iljutcenko.

The FC Seoul attacker sparked a K-League fightback with a quickfire second-half brace, but after a Will Lankshear tap-in and sublime Oberdan volley, Tottenham avoided the most calamitous of second-half collapses to maintain their 100% pre-season record, while continuing to demonstrate their commitment to all-out attacking.

Each of Spurs' pre-season battles so far has seen the Lilywhites notch at least two goals - striking twice versus Queens Park Rangers, three times against Vissel Kobe and five times in their crushing of Hearts - and with young stars also making their mark, the friendly period has been full of positives for Postecoglou.

Saturday's battle of the behemoths represents one of two back-to-back contests between Tottenham and Bayern, as the Lilywhites welcome their German counterparts to North London on August 10, their last exhibition battle before their Premier League opener at Leicester City nine days later.

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Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has now been brought crashing back down to earth twice in the past few months. After his Burnley side failed to earn their Premier League stars, the Belgian's Bavarian crop lost their attacking powers and then some against Duren on July 28.

Four days before their trip to meet the minnows, Bayern breached the FC Rottach-Egern defence an astronomical 14 times in their opening friendly of the summer, but they could only manage the one effort in front of a 9,500-strong crowd at the Karl-Knipprath-Stadion.

Kompany's men entered the break needing to make up a 1-0 deficit as Rafael Garcia drew first blood, and it took a 69th-minute equaliser from Nestory Irankunda to prevent a relatively strong Bayern side from suffering a chastening defeat to their fourth-tier hosts.

While Tottenham have had ample time to acclimatise to the Korean conditions, Saturday's match will represent the only game on Bayern's Seoul schedule, as Kompany's men prepare for a quick jaunt to North London later this month for their Spurs reunion.

Austrian outfit WSG Tirol will then provide one final pre-season test for Bayern, who memorably crushed Tottenham 10-3 over two games in the group phase of the 2019-20 Champions League, leaving the English capital with an incredibly emphatic 7-2 win to their name.

Bayern Munich friendly form:

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Team News

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Still without the international quartet of Rodrigo Bentancur, Giovani Lo Celso, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Tottenham also saw Oliver Skipp suffer an apparent knock in the win over Team K-League, although he is seemingly not nursing anything serious.

Lilywhites fans are also yet to get a glimpse of Richarlison in pre-season, while Destiny Udogie is also working his way back from a quadriceps operation, and it is unclear if Ashley Phillips will be available after a training-ground injury.

However, Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin enjoyed a 20-minute run-out in the midweek victory and could now come back into the heart of defence over Emerson Royal, who started the win over Team K-League despite persistent talk of a possible switch to AC Milan.

As for last season's Bundesliga bronze medallists, Kompany has called up 26 players for their brief Asian sojourn, including new arrival Joao Palhinha, who could make his unofficial debut for Bayern after returning from his post-Euro 2024 holiday.

There will be no Harry Kane Tottenham reunion in Seoul, though, as the England captain is still recovering from his feats in Germany, while Michael Olise, Leroy Sane, Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies are also absent due to injury or international commitments.

Nevertheless, Kompany still has the luxury of calling upon revered names such as Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Jamal Musiala, as well as one erstwhile Spurs man in Eric Dier, likely to start against his old employers.

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:

Ulreich; Kim, Dier, Ito; Boey, Goretzka, Laimer, Guerreiro; Gnabry, Tel, Bryan

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Spence, Dragusin, Davies, Donley; Gray, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Johnson

We say: Bayern Munich 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur

As Bayern are still acclimatising to life under Kompany's wing and have had less time to become accustomed to the Asian heat, do not be surprised to see Tottenham dominate this battle.

Postecoglou's men remain vulnerable at the back but should launch a barrage of attacks against a hotchpotch Bayern team, thereby extending their perfect pre-season record and doing so in style.

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

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Tottenham Hotspur survived a second-half capitulation to run out 4-3 winners over a K-League XI at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea and maintain their 100% record in pre-season.

Ange Postecoglou's men threatened to run away with the contest in the opening 45 minutes, where Dejan Kulusevski drew first blood before home favourite Son Heung-min bagged a brilliant brace to put the Lilywhites' three goals to the good at the break.

However, the half-time introduction of Stanislav Iljutcenko breathed new life into the K-League XI, as the Russian struck a quickfire brace before the young Will Lankshear restored Tottenham's breathing space.

A beautiful late volley from Oberdan Alionco set up a tantalising finale, but there would be no more twists to the thrilling tale in Seoul, as Tottenham made it five wins from five in their friendly period.

Following up previous successes over Cambridge United, Hearts, Queens Park Rangers and Vissel Kobe, Spurs once again dazzled and delighted in attack, but their defensive collapse in the second 45 may trigger an alarm bell or two.

The Son shines bright in first-half whitewash

© Imago

There were no prizes for guessing which Tottenham player stole the pre-game fanfare, as Son Heung-min enjoyed a typical hero's welcome in Seoul and did not let the expectant crowds down.

The South Korea international played a significant role in Spurs' first goal of the contest in the 29th minute, as Hyeon-woo Jo parried his strike back into the danger area, where Kulusevski reacted quickest to chip the K-League goalkeeper.

After playing provider - of sorts - Son remained up to his usual tricks on the left-hand side and got his name on the scoresheet just eight minutes later, twisting and turning his marker before finding the top corner with a sublime strike from just inside the box.

The cherry on top arrived in first-half injury time, where Son and Kulusevski's devastating central link-up ended with the former skipping past a K-League defender as if he was not even there, before coolly slotting home a well-earned second.

Inspired Iljutcenko threatens K-League comeback

© Imago

Postecoglou kept his changes to a minimum during the half-time interval, only making three alterations for the second 45, but Team K-League boss Park Tae-ha did not shy away from shuffling the pack, swapping out all but one of his troops.

One of those alterations saw the introduction of FC Seoul attacker Iljutcenko, who needed just seven minutes to have a telling impact, firing home from an unmissable angle after Brandon Austin could only parry an effort into his path.

Just two minutes after wiping out Spurs' clean sheet, Iljutcenko astonishingly cut the arrears down to one thanks to a terrific diving header, giving Emerson Royal the slip and meeting a well-placed cross from the right.

Lankshear tapping in from Timo Werner's cross allowed Spurs to breathe a little easier, that was until Alionco smashed in a wonderful volley from an Austin punch, but even though Spurs held out for the spoils, the K-League stars gave a brilliant account of themselves in the second 45.

Emerson raises eyebrows before and during the match

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Even before the first ball was kicked in Seoul, Spurs' team news was dominated by the inclusion of Emerson Royal, who started at centre-back as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall linked up in midfield.

For weeks on end, the Brazilian has been linked with a switch to Italian giants AC Milan, and it has been reported that negotiations are now heading in the right direction, but his selection for Wednesday's game suggests a deal is not quite imminent.

Whether Emerson believes he can reignite his Tottenham career only he and Postecoglou know, but he did not do himself any favours for Team K-League's second goal, where he was caught completely unawares by the movement of Iljutcenko.

What next for Tottenham in pre-season?

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Now two games into their tour of Asia, Tottenham conclude their South Korea stopover at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Saturday, where Bayern Munich provide their toughest opposition so far.

Postecoglou's men then re-acclimatise to English soil and host the German giants in North London on August 10, before travelling to Leicester City for their Premier League opener on August 19.

No Data Analysis info

Continuing their pre-season preparations in Asia, Tottenham Hotspur will pit their wits against a K-League XI on Wednesday night in Seoul.

The hosts have an array of the top players from throughout the K-League, whilst the Lilywhites are likely to name a strong XI against their Asian opponents.

Match preview

Following a promising first season in charge at the North London club, Ange Postecoglou is aiming to compete for major honours as Tottenham head coach during the 2024-25 campaign, with the Lilywhites only managing a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last term.

Spurs have commenced their pre-season schedule in empathic fashion, recording four straight wins over Cambridge United, Hearts, Queens Park Rangers and Vissel Kobe on Saturday night, when Pedro Porro, Son Heung-min and Mikey Moore all got onto the scoresheet for the visitors.

Plotting to break into Postecoglou's first-team thinking this season, 16-year-old Moore has impressed massively so far over the summer, also finding the net against Scottish Premiership side Hearts at Tynecastle.

The Lilywhites will be aiming to record their second win over a K-League XI after their trip to South Korea in July 2022, when the Premier League side smashed their hosts 6-3.

Following Wednesday's clash, Spurs will face German giants Bayern Munich twice over the space of eight days before a top-flight opener at the King Power Stadium against newly-promoted Leicester City on August 17.

After failing to beat either Barcelona, Juventus or Spurs in previous forms, the K-League XI produced a remarkable win over La Liga side Atletico Madrid this time last year, condemning Diego Simeone's troops to a 3-2 defeat.

All of the hosts' strikes arrived during the course of a pulsating second half, meaning that goals from Thomas Lemar and Carlos Martin were not enough to claim any bragging rights for the Spaniards.

During their most recent loss, the K-League XI were battered 6-3 by Spurs two years ago, when Son, Harry Kane and Eric Dier were all on the scoresheet, with the former the only remaining member of that trio in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Team News

Scoring a hat-trick in the 7-2 smashing of Cambridge at the start of pre-season, Brennan Johnson appears to be in good form this summer and could start on Wednesday.

Summer arrival Archie Gray has been earning rave reviews for his performance so far for the Lilywhites, with the former Leeds United man set to feature once again here.

Lucas Bergvall is another young talent who will be hoping to make major waves in the first team this season, and the Swede is set to provide the creative spark against the K-League XI.

Jesse Lingard was named in the initial K-League XI squad but has been forced to pull out of contention for the Spurs clash due to injury.

At just 17 years of age, attacker Yoon Do-young is being described as a prodigy by some South Korean outlets and could play a major part against the Premier League visitors.

K-League XI possible starting lineup:

In-jae Hwang; Mun-ki Hwang, Park, Italo, Jeong; Yoon, Oberdan, Cesinha, Anderson; Iljutcenko, Tuci

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Royal, Gray, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Maddison, Son; Kulusevski

We say: K-League XI 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

With a number of top players pulling out of the squad, the K-League XI are set to struggle against top-class Premier League opposition on Wednesday night.

Tottenham have been firing in the goals so far this pre-season, and we see no reason why that trend cannot continue in Seoul against the K League's best.

body check tags ::

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Continuing their pre-season preparations in Asia, Tottenham Hotspur will pit their wits against a K-League XI on Wednesday night in Seoul.

The hosts have an array of the top players from throughout the K-League, whilst the Lilywhites are likely to name a strong XI against their Asian opponents.

Match preview

© Imago

Following a promising first season in charge at the North London club, Ange Postecoglou is aiming to compete for major honours as Tottenham head coach during the 2024-25 campaign, with the Lilywhites only managing a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last term.

Spurs have commenced their pre-season schedule in empathic fashion, recording four straight wins over Cambridge United, Hearts, Queens Park Rangers and Vissel Kobe on Saturday night, when Pedro Porro, Son Heung-min and Mikey Moore all got onto the scoresheet for the visitors.

Plotting to break into Postecoglou's first-team thinking this season, 16-year-old Moore has impressed massively so far over the summer, also finding the net against Scottish Premiership side Hearts at Tynecastle.

The Lilywhites will be aiming to record their second win over a K-League XI after their trip to South Korea in July 2022, when the Premier League side smashed their hosts 6-3.

Following Wednesday's clash, Spurs will face German giants Bayern Munich twice over the space of eight days before a top-flight opener at the King Power Stadium against newly-promoted Leicester City on August 17.

After failing to beat either Barcelona, Juventus or Spurs in previous forms, the K-League XI produced a remarkable win over La Liga side Atletico Madrid this time last year, condemning Diego Simeone's troops to a 3-2 defeat.

All of the hosts' strikes arrived during the course of a pulsating second half, meaning that goals from Thomas Lemar and Carlos Martin were not enough to claim any bragging rights for the Spaniards.

During their most recent loss, the K-League XI were battered 6-3 by Spurs two years ago, when Son, Harry Kane and Eric Dier were all on the scoresheet, with the former the only remaining member of that trio in North London.

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Team News

© Imago

Scoring a hat-trick in the 7-2 smashing of Cambridge at the start of pre-season, Brennan Johnson appears to be in good form this summer and could start on Wednesday.

Summer arrival Archie Gray has been earning rave reviews for his performance so far for the Lilywhites, with the former Leeds United man set to feature once again here.

Lucas Bergvall is another young talent who will be hoping to make major waves in the first team this season, and the Swede is set to provide the creative spark against the K-League XI.

Jesse Lingard was named in the initial K-League XI squad but has been forced to pull out of contention for the Spurs clash due to injury.

At just 17 years of age, attacker Yoon Do-young is being described as a prodigy by some South Korean outlets and could play a major part against the Premier League visitors.

K-League XI possible starting lineup:

In-jae Hwang; Mun-ki Hwang, Park, Italo, Jeong; Yoon, Oberdan, Cesinha, Anderson; Iljutcenko, Tuci

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Royal, Gray, Davies; Sarr, Bissouma, Johnson, Maddison, Son; Kulusevski

We say: K-League XI 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

With a number of top players pulling out of the squad, the K-League XI are set to struggle against top-class Premier League opposition on Wednesday night.

Tottenham have been firing in the goals so far this pre-season, and we see no reason why that trend cannot continue in Seoul against the K League's best.

No Data Analysis info

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Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are set to provide Arsenal with competition for the signature of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to a report.

The Swedish international enjoyed an impressive two-and-a-half-year stint at Championship side Coventry City before securing a move to Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth around £20m.

Gyokeres has been on the radar of several big clubs across Europe this summer after a sensational first season in the Primeira Liga.

In 50 matches across all competitions last season, the 26-year-old found the back of the net 43 times while providing 12 assists.

The Gunners, who have been actively looking for a new centre-forward, have been rumoured to be the frontrunners for the Sporting striker, but a report this weekend suggests that they may face stiff competition to secure the Swede's signature.

Spurs and Liverpool planning Gyokeres hijack?

According to Football Insider, Ange Postecoglou's side have entered the race for the 26-year-old as Spurs look to bolster their attack ahead of the new season.

Following Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich last summer, the Lilywhites have not yet found a direct replacement for him as a dedicated number nine, with Heung-min Son and Richarlison primarily filling that role throughout most of last season.

The report also states that Liverpool and Chelsea are both interested in the striker, who is expected to cost around £86m.

Despite the new developments, Gyokeres is still very much on the Gunners' radar and it is understood that Mikel Arteta's side are planning to test the water with a bid of around £55m for the attacker in the coming days.

Arsenal's current attacking duo of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah only managed a combined total of nine goals last season, and the latter has been linked with an exit from the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Quiet summer expected at the Emirates?

The Gunners have had a fairly quiet transfer window so far, with their only confirmed piece of business being the permanent signing of David Raya from Brentford.

Reports suggest that Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori is likely to be the next done deal with the Italian believed to be completing his medical in London this weekend.

While Arsenal fans will be hoping for more arrivals before the transfer window slams shut, Arteta emphasized that his primary focus is on developing his current squad of players.

In an interview before their pre-season match against Manchester United in the United States, the Arsenal boss said: "The full focus is on trying to improve these guys and get the best out of them consistently so they can perform every three days at the level that we want. We know that we have certain parts in the squad that we would like to improve, but that is dictated by the market.

"At the moment we already have a great squad, and and we are giving the opportunity for our young players from the academy to be with us and it's a joy to have them on tour with us."

The Gunners will face the Red Devils in the early hours of Sunday morning and Liverpool on Thursday before returning to England.

Ryan Sessegnon has re-joined Fulham following his Tottenham Hotspur exit earlier this summer.

Sessegnon rose through the youth ranks at Fulham before going on to make 120 appearances for the first team, contributing 25 goals and 18 assists.

The 24-year-old left the Cottagers in the summer of 2019 to move across London to Tottenham in a reported £25m deal.

Unfortunately for Sessegnon, he saw his time with Spurs disrupted by a series of injuries, restricting him to just 57 appearances in all competitions.

Sessegnon was released by Tottenham earlier this summer after playing just seven minutes of first-team football last season.

Fulham announce first summer signing

Despite Sessegnon's recent injury struggles, Fulham have decided to sign their academy graduate on a free transfer, making him the club's first signing of the summer transfer window.

The left-sided player has put pen to paper on a two-year contract, with the option to extend by a further 12 months.

"It's amazing to be back," Sessegnon told FFCtv. "Emotional, as well. It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.

"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."

Fulham "thrilled" to re-sign Sessegnon

Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan has admitted he his delighted to bring Sessegnon back to the club for a second spell.

"I'm thrilled to announce that Ryan Sessegnon has returned to Fulham Football Club!" Khan said. "Ryan grew up in our academy, he spent 11 years at the club, as he developed here into a wonderful young man and a phenomenal talent.

"I remember travelling to Leeds for the first league start of his career on 16/8/16 as if it was yesterday. We're all so pleased that Ryan has come back, he is beloved here at the club by our staff and supporters, and we know that he'll be right at home, working with old friends and new, under Marco Silva's great leadership. Welcome home, Sess!"

The former England Under-21 international could be a shrewd addition if he can prove his fitness for an extended period.

Sessegnon can play anywhere on the left flank, providing Silva with the option to play him as a full-back or in more advanced areas. body check tags ::

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has insisted that there has been no change to the club's transfer plans for the summer window.

Ahead of his second season in charge, Postecoglou is looking to make further alterations to his squad in a bid to move into the top four of the Premier League standings.

Spurs must also contend with the return of European football to their schedule, and the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have been added to the group, as well as Timo Werner returning on loan.

However, Spurs have made no new senior additions since July 2, the lack of developments inevitably causing some unrest among the fanbase.

With Spurs currently on a pre-season tour of Asia, which lasts until August 3, there is little chance of any fresh faces being integrated into the squad before the final friendly of the summer against Bayern Munich on August 10.

Postecoglou stays calm over transfers

Ahead of a showdown with Japanese club Vissel Kobe on Saturday, Postecoglou held a press conference with the media with the subject of transfers on the agenda.

Giving a detailled account of the situation to football.london, the 58-year-old revealed: "At this time of year, it's pretty hard for supporters because they don't have all the information and it's fair to say there's plenty of misinformation out there.

"We're working hard to bring players in and it's a process that you sometimes have to be patient with.

"But in terms of what we set out to do, that's still the plan and you have to stay disciplined with that. Sometimes the timings don't work out and it doesn't happen as quickly as you want and you don't get them (players) in at the right time but I think it's really important you stay disciplined and not run off and chase other things.

"So, what we started with at the start of summer are still there, and I wouldn't want to put timelines on it. A lot of that is out of our control and we just need to be patient. From where I sit at the moment we're still in that phase where what we identified is still what we're after."

Latest on South Korean prospect

Widespread reports have indicated that Yang Min-hyuk will soon become a Spurs player, the 18-year-old having made an impression at Gangwon.

On that transfer, Postecoglou added: "Yeah, again I'm well aware of the quality of the K League. When I was at Celtic we were looking to bring over at least a couple of Korean players at the time and I think they've brought a couple over.

"So yes, we'll be looking far and wide for players and as you rightly said, it is difficult for me to discuss."

Min, who is expected to remain with Gangwon until at least the start of 2025, has contributed seven goals and three assists from his 24 senior appearances. body check tags ::

Vissel Kobe are set to play Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season friendly at Japan National Stadium on Saturday.

The home side are currently fourth in the J1 League with 42 points from 24 games, while Tottenham finished fifth with 66 points in the Premier League last term.

Match preview

© Imago

Vissel Kobe's 2024 campaign is still ongoing, with the J1 League champions currently fourth in their division and seven points behind leaders Machida Zelvia.

With 14 games remaining, the home side are averaging 1.75 points per game in the league, and this is a sizeable drop from the 2.09 points per game they averaged in the 2023 season.

Ushi have scored 37 goals and conceded 21 times so far, and this makes them the top flight's joint fourth best offensive and third best defensive team respectively.

Manager Takayuki Yoshida has been in charge since June 2022 and previously played for Vissel Kobe between 2008 and 2013.

Considering Yoshida's side finished 13th in 2022, his title winning campaign in 2023 was an impressive feat.

© Imago

Spurs have already played two pre-season games but their tour of Asia will begin on Saturday before they play the K-League Allstars on July 31.

Tottenham started life under manager Ange Postecoglou well, with the team winning eight of their first 10 Premier League fixtures and drawing the other two.

This strong early-season form saw some predict that Spurs could challenge for the title, but injuries to key players such as James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, as well as poor performances from several members of the squad, meant that this form dissipated quickly.

Postecoglou's team ended the season with five losses from their last seven matches, but regardless of that poor form, fans are rather optimistic for the season ahead.

Indeed, with an entertaining and at times breathtaking style of play, Spurs have always been exciting to watch under the Australian.

With Spurs' ambitious moves for the likes of Archie Gray, who is highly regarded and touted to have immense potential, there is every chance that Tottenham can improve on last season's showing.

Vissel Kobe friendly form:

Vissel Kobe form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur friendly form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Vissel Kobe will be without defensive midfielder Mitsuki Saito, who has not played since August 2023 due to a torn lateral knee ligament, although he is expected back in late August this year.

Right-back Gotoku Sakai has not played since June 30 as a result of a broken foot and is not scheduled to return until September.

As for Tottenham, defender Radu Dragusin has joined the squad after returning from Euro 2024.

Richarlison has been named in Spurs' travelling squad despite not playing since May 5 due to injury, as well as links with a move away to the Saudi Pro League.

Summer signing Lucas Bergvall was forced off with an injury last time out against Queens Park Rangers, but Postecoglou has said that he does not believe the injury is particularly serious.

Bergvall was in fact pictured training in Japan, as was defender Ben Davies, who has not featured for Spurs since their 3-2 loss to Arsenal on May 28.

Left-back Destiny Udogie was also named in Tottenham's squad for their tour of Asia, but given he underwent surgery to his left quadriceps in April, the potential for his return on Saturday is not certain.

Vissel Kobe possible starting lineup:

Maekawa; Hirose, Yamakawa, Thuler, Hatsuse; Ideguchi, Ogihara, Sasaki; Muto, Osako, Patric

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Austin; Porro, Skipp, Dragusin, Donley; Kulusevski, Gray, Bissouma; Maddison, Son, Werner

We say: Vissel Kobe 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Postecoglou has named relatively strong XIs in his side's pre-season friendlies so far, and should he do so again on Saturday then Tottenham should have enough quality to win.

Additionally, Dragusin's return to the team could bolster both defence and midfield if Gray is moved into the middle of the pitch as a result.

No Data Analysis info

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