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Tottenham Hotspur are still in the market for another striker, with one Bundesliga star targeted.

This summer has been the busiest in N17 for some time, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes and Savio signed for a combined £300 million, and Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi both joining on free transfers.

But even though Tottenham are on the cusp of announcing Omar Marmoush next, the transfer business still isn't complete, as another Bundesliga hitman has been targeted.

Tottenham Hotspur in the market for another striker

Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that Spurs are in for Igor Matanovic of Freiburg, along with Manchester United.

Despite the Lilywhites having landed Marmoush, to add to a forward line that also includes Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, they would reportedly like to add Croatian Matanovic – which is complicating Fiorentina's pursuit of the forward.

To add further drama to the saga, Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici is now at the Viola, as the North Londoners look to get one over on a familiar face from the Daniel Levy years.

Spurs and Paratici are believed, however, to be on good terms, and even did business over the summer with Fiorentina signing defensive flop Radu Dragusin on loan.

As relayed by Sport Witness, “The Italian side believe Matanovic is the heir to Mario Mandzukic for the Croatian national team,” thanks to his excellent aerial ability – something that Solanke offers a little more than Richarlison or Marmoush.

United are also looking to the 23-year-old to bolster their attacking depth, though their interest may hinge on Joshua Zirkzee's status as a Red Devil by the end of the transfer window.

Spurs were humbled 3-0 at the weekend against Brentford but recovered to beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup third round last night, as manager Roberto De Zerbi looks to turn around a dreadful two seasons in North London, in which the club have suffered back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.

Heavy spending in the transfer market has been offset by big sales in the form of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Luka Vuskovic, all fetching over £30m each in transfer fees.

Spurs have also been busy renewing key players' contracts, with Ben Davies, Pedro Porro, Antonin Kinsky and Micky van de Ven all rewarded with bumper new deals.

For some reason, Jon Bon Jovi was in the crowd at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday evening to watch Brentford take on Tottenham.

It would be too easy to reach for a Bon Jovi joke, but the visitors’ desperate defending relied on hope, faith and luck in an opening game that could easily have ended in a 5–0 defeat.

An unmarked Keane Lewis-Potter opened the scoring on 12 minutes, and a Richarlison mistake swiftly led to a second, but the goals were symptoms of a bigger story.

Tottenham at sixes and sevens in Premier League opener

Tottenham made seven changes from their last competitive game; many players had never played together, and midfielder Archie Gray had to fill in at right-back.

The result was a side that looked naïve, under-schooled and unprepared — less like a team than a collection of strangers still learning each other’s names. They also played every bit like an outfit that has finished 17th in the last two seasons.

Mikey Moore, 19, was the clearest example of the problem. Just back from a loan spell in Glasgow, he was almost invisible for the first 35 minutes. He later found himself in front of goal three times and, while he forced a save from goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher each time, still lacks a predator's instinct and remains in an awkward teenager phase. He needs to be shipped back out on loan somewhere that will put more hairs on his chest.

It is the manager who must take responsibility for the strangers he has assembled; this was easily Roberto De Zerbi’s worst performance. Making Gray, 20, Tottenham’s youngest-ever captain was a baffling decision, as was playing both kids on the same wing. Veteran James Maddison, who came on late and made little impact, was part of a squad dinner that De Zerbi organised in Mayfair during last season’s relegation battle. These kinds of team-bonding exercises clearly haven’t worked at Tottenham. A posh dinner can unite a bunch of players over three courses; it cannot make them a team.

The Spurs defence looked like strangers, too. It was at sixes and sevens for Michael Kayode’s third on 49 minutes, and six minutes later only an Igor Thiago penalty miss prevented a fourth. There were brief glimpses of brightness for Tottenham: Mathys Tel’s skill on the ball and Lucas Bergvall’s incessant engine. But individual flashes are not the same as cohesion.

The game will be remembered for some miserable debuts: Jan Paul van Hecke, who couldn’t win a header, and £100m signing Sandro Tonali, who was totally dominated by Mamadou Sangaré.

At full time, Tonali moped off the field with a swapped Brentford shirt over his shoulders, though who knows why he would want a souvenir from such a torrid game.

Tonali's shooting only troubled spectators in the upper stands, who chanted “What a waste of money!” Tottenham desperately need help up front from Manchester City winger Savinho, with a reported £75m initial fee, who, if his move is completed and he is registered in time, could appear against Charlton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. But another new signing would only add to the sense that Tottenham are assembling strangers, not teammates.

The stadium DJ also resisted the urge to play Bon Jovi’s hit “Livin’ on a Prayer,” which describes a struggling couple who keep going only because they believe things can improve. It also describes the malady of being a Tottenham supporter.

As the sun dipped behind the stadium and darkness descended on Hounslow, one of the 1,725 travelling Spurs fans was pictured with his arms stretched wide in the manner of “can things get any worse?”

Roberto De Zerbi. One step. Winning the race for Mateus Fernandes. Another step. Breaking up Newcastle United's midfield unit with an audacious Sandro Tonali swoop. Another.

Tottenham Hotspur have taken three huge strides away from the nadir of their banter era – namely back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, a wound that, at points, even a Europa League triumph failed to strap up.

But one moment this summer threatened to plunge them right back to the unedifying start.

We’re talking, of course, about the mooted transfer of Cristian Romero to sworn enemies Arsenal.

The Argentinian centre-back, while clearly one of their more gifted talents in these dark years, had been a thorn in the side of Spurs for some time off the pitch.

Unafraid to call out higher-ups, Spurs fans quite liked some of the spikier elements of the defender's personality. But when he was missing in action for the Lilywhites’ relegation-decider against Everton at the end of last season, positive feelings soon evaporated. From then, the writing was on the wall.

A parting of the ways was somewhat telegraphed, but that one sensational transfer link to the other side of north London threatened to take a knife to Spurs’ patchwork quilt of a reputation.

It’s not that Romero would have vastly improved a rival. In fact, he’d have probably struggled to break the Gabriel-Saliba duopoly over the Gunners’ backline, dependent on the latter's fitness.

Football is a patch of grass and 22 players chasing around a bag of air. But in the modern day, with the vast sums of money involved, it is also a game of hubris.

Its exponents can try to rise above that petty truth, but it is a truth. These things matter. They feed into how a club views itself.

Luis Figo. Ashley Cole. S*l C******l.

These transfers not only come to define the career of the individual involved, but also entire eras in football teams and their cities.

Joan Gaspart, Barcelona’s president as Figo made that move, said it “destroyed” the club. And that’s Barcelona.

In a frenzied race to try and save face amid the backlash, the former executive admits he rushed to get new faces through the door.

It didn’t work. The Catalans didn’t lift another major trophy for another five years, when 2004/05 brought LaLiga back to Camp Nou.

Five years. An entire peak of a player’s career gone in the click of one transfer. That’s how damaging these moves can be.

Now, it would be hyperbolic to suggest Romero rocking up at the Emirates would have been anywhere near as seismic as Figo’s move – pigs need never have feared for their heads in the English capital – but it illustrates a point: history has shown it’s a game to be avoided at all costs.

Thankfully, those at Tottenham recognised this, with concrete talks seemingly never countenanced. Each and every report carrying the same disclaimer that they wouldn't even enter the discussion.

As the Sky Sports News ticker unfurled with the story, it threatened to swipe Spurs’ recent progress with it. Instead, in this new-era, cold-faced Spurs, the drama fizzled out as soon as it had sparked.

It was replaced by news that Romero was heading to the stage for that Figo scandal 26 years earlier, to Madrid. Only it was Atletico rather than Real for the 28-year-old.

A match made in heaven, Romero will be at home under Atleti’s legendary Argentinian coach, Diego Simeone, and his Dark Arts enthusiasts – an apt resolution for all parties involved, even if the defender's exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium did his legacy in N17 no favours.

A development that at one point may have derailed Tottenham, their progression train continues to chug ahead without a scratch.

Spurs look serious and decisive this summer. And they might just mean it this time.

A Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has agreed an exit, with his departure now at an advanced stage.

That's according to a new report, which claims that the Lilywhites are starting to accelerate outgoings, having committed well over £160 million on bringing Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali into the engine room.

With Tottenham also said to be interested in signing both Omar Marmoush and Savinho, they may have to trim the deadwood a little more to avoid heading into the season with a bloated squad.

Pape Matar Sarr on the cusp of Tottenham Hotspur exit

According to a report from Africa Foot, Galatasaray are closing in on signing Pape Matar Sarr.

Sarr has reached an agreement for a three-year contract, having been offered what is described as a “lucrative contract”.

The 23-year-old played 26 games in the Premier League for Tottenham last term, but only played just over an hour of football under De Zerbi.

The Senegalese international joined as a highly-rated young prospect from Metz in 2022 and has impressed sporadically – but with De Zerbi favouring a double-pivot, Sarr may not be one of the first few options in the pecking order.

Fernandes and Tonali will likely be Spurs' most-favoured pairing this term, with Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur all options in the centre of midfield.

Lucas Bergvall – another young player from before De Zerbi's era – is also an option, though FourFourTwo understands he could well leave, too.

Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski are all options in the no.10.

Turkish outlet Takvim noted earlier on this year that Fenerbahce were in for Sarr, though they appear to have dropped out of the race completely now.

Africa Foot states that talks are progressing well between the North Londoners and Galatasaray over Sarr, with the move now expected to happen.

The pieces are beginning to fall into place for Newcastle to land one of their long-term summer transfer targets before the September 1 deadline.

Earlier in the window, highly-rated Swedish international Bergvall emerged as one of Newcastle's midfield targets after having slipped down the pecking order in North London.

Despite holding an interest throughout the summer, the Magpies' approach to formalising a transfer has left supporters asking what the delay could be.

Lucas Bergvall to Newcastle United delay revealed

A potential reason for Newcastle’s hesitation could be due to UEFA legislation termed 'the 45-day rule'.

On July 6, Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham in a reported £92.5 million deal. Under the newly enforced regulations, if two clubs buy and sell from one another within a 45-day window, the transactions are officially classed as a 'swap deal' for accounting purposes.

The rule was introduced by the Premier League's financial regulators to close an accounting loophole created by reciprocal transfer arrangements designed to artificially inflate a club's short-term profits in order to comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Newcastle fans will recall one major example of this reciprocal arrangement two summers ago, when ahead of the June 30 accounting deadline in 2024, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest avoided breaching PSR limits by agreeing two technically separate transactions.

Newcastle sold academy graduate Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35m, meanwhile Forest sold goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to Newcastle for £20m.

Both clubs netted an immediate PSR benefit helping them abide by the admittedly flawed PSR parameters.

Fast forward to this summer, and had Newcastle signed Bergvall in the 45-day period following Tonali's move, they would have been required to record only the net difference of the two transfers, effectively wiping out the accounting benefit of Tonali's big-money departure. The 45-day period in question ends on August 20.

From the 2026/27 season onwards, the existing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) will be fully replaced by the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) framework.

This incoming legislation limits a club's total on-pitch spending, covering transfer amortisation, player wages, and agent fees, to 85 per cent of their overall football-related revenue.

A club's pure profit from player sales directly dictates their spending threshold, too. By ensuring Tonali's exit and Bergvall's arrival remain completely separate transactions, Newcastle’s hierarchy can book the full profit upfront. This will provide essential headroom to adhere to the incoming Squad Cost Limits and will help the club's spending power for critical transitional years ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur are about to sign their second Liverpool player of the summer.

The Lilywhites started their transfer window by landing veteran full-back Andrew Robertson on a free transfer, months after they tried to snare him in the winter window.

And now, Tottenham have agreed terms with Cody Gakpo in principle to join from Anfield.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo agrees terms with Tottenham Hotspur

Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof has said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “all parties” believe Gakpo to Spurs is “very realistic”.

Blaauwhof's outlet Voetbal International concur, noting that there's an agreement in principle.

The fee is said to be around £60 million for the 27-year-old, who joined Liverpool in the winter transfer window of 2023, with the Reds still wanting to sign Bradley Barcola as a replacement.

FourFourTwo understands that Spurs are still keen to land Savinho – and may well use him on the opposite wing.

Gakpo has had a relatively successful time on Merseyside, winning a Premier League title and establishing himself as one of the Netherlands' better players during his time in English football.

The arrival of Barcola would complicate his position, however – and with Liverpool also boasting the likes of Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha at left-wing, there's a clearer path under De Zerbi to flourish.

Blaauwhof has described De Zerbi as wanting “Gakpo all the way” for his left wing.

Spurs have been busy during this transfer window, signing the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali from Premier League rivals – but the question of who will play in forward positions for De Zerbi is still unclear.

Dominic Solanke has suffered with chronic injury problems since joining, while Richarlison has had periods of poor form.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence is leaving N17, with an agreement in place for the full-back to move to Inter Milan.

After a poor season with Spurs in which the club were nearly relegated from the Premier League, Spence was a surprise hit at the World Cup in North America, becoming one of the Three Lions' better players in their run to the semi-finals.

But a report from Italian journalist, Orazio Accomando of SportMediaSet claims that a deal has been struck for around £30 million, plus bonuses.

Djed Spence leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Inter Milan

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Accomando confirmed the “imminent closure” of Spence to replace Real Madrid-bound Denzel Dumfries at Italian champions, Inter Milan.

The move appears to have come from seemingly nowhere, with Inter negotiating the fee down from an original £35m.

Spence enjoyed a positive summer with England and was thought to be a player who could perhaps kick on under Roberto De Zerbi.

The Kensington-born defender joined Spurs in 2022 after winning promotion to the Premier League on loan with Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, but hasn't been a first-team fixture during much of his time in North London.

Loan spells at Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, followed after his initial signing, with Spence only becoming more of a regular under Ange Postecoglou before he won his first of 14 England caps in 2025.

The 26-year-old has played both as a right wing-back and on the left for both club and country in recent seasons, and follows international team-mate John Stones to the San Siro this summer, as manager Cristian Chivu looks to defend the Scudetto.

The defender is reportedly signing a long-term deal until 2031.

Spurs are heading into the Premier League season with World Cup winner Pedro Porro as the starting option at right-back, and Destiny Udogie likely to be the first-choice left-back.

Cristian Romero is all but certain to leave this club in the coming days, too, with Inter themselves having fought Atletico Madrid and Arsenal for the Argentine's signature.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero is reportedly open to joining North London rivals Arsenal this summer, according to a report from transfer journalist Ekrem Konur.

Arsenal have entered the market for defensive reinforcements following injury to William Saliba, who suffered a long-term back injury while representing France at the 2026 World Cup.

Saliba's absence leaves Mikel Arteta short of options in central defence as Arsenal look to defend their Premier League title.

Cristian Romero is 'open to' Arsenal move

Romero has seemingly made clear to Tottenham management that he intends to leave the club before the transfer window closes.

A potential move to the Emirates Stadium would allow the 28-year-old Argentine international to remain based in London while competing in the UEFA Champions League with the reigning domestic champions.

However, Tottenham executives would be understandably reluctant to sell one of the core members of their squad to their local rivals, even if an exit has been in the offing for some time.

Spurs' hierarchy would prefer a transfer to an overseas club, with interest previously registered from LaLiga club Atletico Madrid.

Any formal approach from Arsenal would likely face significant opposition from both groups of supporters.

From Spurs' perspective, agreeing a deal with Arsenal would draw criticism from supporters, largely due to the principle of strengthening a direct rival and past cross-North London transfers.

Sections of the Arsenal fanbase remain skeptical about Romero as a player of interest, too. His poor disciplinary record in the Premier League, in addition to his conduct with the Argentine national team during their recent World Cup campaign only served to further alienate many English supporters.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, Romero joining Arsenal would ruffle more than a few feathers, to say the least.

Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence has been offered to both Liverpool and Manchester United, according to transfers journalist Ben Jacobs.

The defender is reportedly seeking guaranteed first-team football following an impressive international campaign with England at the 2026 World Cup, amid uncertainty as to whether he is in Roberto De Zerbi's plans this season.

Spurs are said to be open to sanctioning a departure for the 25-year-old as De Zerbi continues to raise transfer funds for a rebuild in North London.

Djed Spence could be on the move from Spurs this summer

Tottenham's valuation is £35 million (€40m) for the right-back, who penned a new long-term contract only 12 months ago.

Despite his international displays, Spence faces stiff competition at club level, and is seen to be behind World Cup winner Pedro Porro in De Zerbi's defensive pecking order.

Spence's representatives have reportedly reached out to top Premier League sides in order to explore potential landing spots.

Manchester United and Liverpool are the two sides named in the initial report as being linked with Spence, but neither have made a formal approach as of yet.

The Old Trafford club are currently well-stocked in the full-back department with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui on the right-hand side, although both could feasibly be usurped by Spence.

Meanwhile, Liverpool do have a vacancy that could do with being filled at right-back with Conor Bradley still sidelined through injury. Joe Gomez is another who is currently injured, while back-up solutions Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai don't look entirely suited to the role.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven is to commit to a new deal in N17.

That's according to new reports that claim Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has pulled off a masterstroke to convince his player to remain a part of the project, and turn down some of Europe's elite circling.

Van de Ven joined Spurs from Wolfsburg in 2023 and has been a hit – with TEAMtalk claiming that a five-year extension beckons for the 25-year-old.

Micky van de Ven commits his long-term future to Tottenham Hotspur

According to the report, De Zerbi has “transformed the mood” at the club and played a huge role in convincing Van de Ven to remain at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and complete a U-turn on his future.

The Lilywhites have endured 17th-place finishes in the past two seasons, with the Netherlands international one of the bright sparks in a patchy team – but injuries have blighted his career in English football thus far.

With Cristian Romero edging ever nearer to the exit door, Van de Ven has taken on more importance in the squad – and with Jan Paul van Hecke joining from Brighton & Hove Albion, De Zerbi may look to build on the Dutch partnership next season.

FourFourTwo understands, meanwhile, that Van de Ven will be leaned on post-Romero as one of the leaders in the Italian's squad, and may well be given the captaincy once his fellow centre-back departs.

The fastest player ever recorded in the Premier League, Van de Ven's Spurs career started brightly under Ange Postecoglou, as the club went on an unbeaten run at the start of the 2023/24 season until November, and a first international call-up came mere weeks into his journey with Spurs.

Postecoglou's first Premier League loss of the season, however, coincided with a game in which the defender was withdrawn with a hamstring injury – a theme of his time in the capital, with Spurs enduring several injury crises at the back during their relegation battles.

Tottenham have recruited the experience of Andrew Robertson at left-back, but the Scotsman turns 33 this season: and De Zerbi may well be leaning on the recovery pace of Van de Ven on that side of the pitch this season, with this extension coming as an important part of the Italian's project.

Earlier this summer, World Cup winner Pedro Porro committed his future to the North Londoners, too.

“Internally, Spurs view renewals as every bit as important as their summer signings, believing they have secured the core of the squad for years to come,” TEAMtalk says.