Tottenham Hotspur are set to increase their stadium capacity, the club have confirmed.
What’s the word?
Spurs’ new stadium, built at a cost of £1bn, currently has a capacity of 62,062, making it the largest in London.
And they have now announced that they have received the green light to add 152 seats to the state-of-the-art arena.
That will take the new capacity to 62,214, with the seats to be situated in the North and South stands.
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Not a player
One imagines that fans would have rather seen the club announcing a signing on Monday, instead of a barely noticeable capacity increase.
Of course, Spurs have spent huge money to ensure that their stadium is one of the best in the country, if not the very best.
But, really, with transfer deadline day looming – the club have until Thursday to complete their business – and only one first-team acquisition, Tanguy Ndombele, having been made, this feels like a bit of a joke.
Let’s not forget that just last week fans were passionately calling for the Lilywhites to show more support to Mauricio Pochettino after what they deem to be an underwhelming window.
The links with Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso and Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes continue apace, while Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon is said to be close to a move.
The club, though, are announcing the addition of 152 seats to their stadium.
According to The Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur youngster Troy Parrott will be given the opportunity to be Harry Kane’s understudy in the first team this season.
The 17-year-old is currently with the Spurs squad preparing for the 2019-20 campaign and was actually named in the starting XI against Juventus last time out.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are currently short of options in the final third when considering Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen have both moved on.
However, according to The Daily Star, the capital outfit will not be moving for a new striker this summer as Parrott will be given the chance to be Kane’s understudy.
The Spurs fans have been on social media reacting to the claim.
And it would be fair to say that a number have differing views.
Indeed, whilst many would be pleased for Parrott to be promoted, others are fearful that the teenager is not quite ready to be placed under that sort of pressure.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Tottenham Hotspur fans have waxed lyrical about defender Jan Vertonghen after the club commemorated the anniversary of his transfer to the club.
Spurs signed Vertonghen in 2012 from Ajax and marked the date with a tweet from the club’s official account on Friday.
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Indeed, the Belgium international has gone on to make a total of 286 appearances in north London, having been through three managerial reins at the club.
Signed when Andre Villas-Boas bossed Spurs, he then endured the reign of Tim Sherwood prior to the appointment of current head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
While Vertonghen has yet to win a trophy at the club, he played a key role in the club’s run to the Champions League final last season and has been integral to multiple qualifications for the competition.
At the age of 32, he remains a major part of the club’s squad and fans have lavished praise upon him as they remember the signing of the ex-Ajax centre-back.
Crystal Palace’s official Twitter account posted a video on Wednesday of an impressive tackle from youngster Tyrick Mitchell, and it’s fair to say that Eagles fans on the popular social media platform were impressed with what they saw.
The 19-year-old is yet to make his competitive first-team debut for the south London outfit having signed a contract extension back in January, but the left-back has been regularly training with Roy Hodgson’s first-team squad.
He was handed a chance by the 71-year-old manager after replacing Patrick van Aanholt in the 65th minute of his side’s pre-season friendly against FC Luzern on Tuesday evening.
He may have only been on the pitch for 25 minutes, but the teenager made a big impression and his well-timed tackle in the penalty area on Christian Schneuwly was quite brilliant.
Palace supporters were quick to respond to the video posted by the club, and unsurprisingly many were quick to compare him to another young full-back in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who of course left for Manchester United for an initial £45m fee earlier in the summer.
Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…
While one fan demanded to “get him in the first team”, another commented suggesting that he too could be worth “£45m in 12 months”.
Gary Kirsten believes his side have made great improvements and are keen to be acknowledged as the best
Firdose Moonda13-Aug-2012The admission has finally come. South Africa truly, madly, deeply want to become the world’s best Test team.Everybody suspected as much, given their constant hovering at No. 2 or No. 3 and always being one series win away from better. But no-one could confirm it because South Africa, like every other team that were not No. 1, maintained a stoic stance that rankings did not actually matter.Maybe they don’t. After all, the team ranked top, England, have lost five of the ten matches they have played this year. Their opponents, South Africa, have not lost once in the same period, winning three and drawing three matches, but have not played the same number of matches and are third on the list. The second-best team, Australia, have won more than anyone else in 2012, with five victories and a draw.The international calendar, timings of individual series and the quality of cricket contribute to debates that the rankings may not present a full picture, except of course, if you are on top of them. Then, you can see what lies below. After years of looking up and around and pretending to be content with that, South Africa have decided that they too want the bird’s eye view and know they are closer than ever to getting it.Perhaps that is the only reason their coach, Gary Kirsten, was willing to talk about how much value teams place in being ranked the best. “Some people say ‘We are not sure about the rankings, do they hold any water?’ But deep down every team aspires to and would like to know that they are the No. 1 team in the world,” Kirsten admitted.”We certainly take it importantly as well, as you would in any team. If you are setting goals, you want to be the best and if that’s the yardstick that determines you are the best then you take it seriously.”Sticking to the task at hand has been trickier than usual in England. Gaps between Test matches have meant rhythm is constantly broken and although the Kevin Pietersen sideshow has not directly affected the South African squad, it has also been impossible to ignore.Kirsten and his management team have had to fill the gaps with out-of-the-box activities, like fancy dress parties and dinner with a reality television star. He is confident South Africa have “given ourselves the best chance of success in every game,” not only because of the emphasis on alternative style preparation but because of the unit they have been moulded into. “When we execute in the right way, we are a difficult team to beat,” Kirsten said.That may be true for many South Africa teams over the years but holds a different truth for this one. The rest have visited the brink of greatness often but actual greatness was just a door they knocked on and a room they were never let in to. Kirsten seems to believe the current crop hold the key, one he may have given them, although he would never say so.South Africa now seem to be the complete package. In cricketing terms, their formula of six batsmen, which since Mark Boucher’s retirement has increased to seven, complements the three-pronged pack attack perfectly. Add the legspinner and the all-round abilities of Jacques Kallis’ and they have an extra edge. It only became enough recently, with a missing ingredient that cannot be quantified exactly, save to say that sprinkling of creativity and excellent identification of resources seems to have been it.What makes Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel different to pairings of the past – Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers or Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini – is that they are not a pairing. They have Vernon Philander. Donald and de Villiers perhaps had too few years together and Pollock and Ntini could have done with a touch more pace at the end but imagine if someone like Andre Nel was as consistent a performer as Philander.They also have Imran Tahir, who has not had sensational individual success yet but whose presence alone has made an impact. Gone are the days that South Africa’s spinner was called on only to bowl the over before tea, to hold up an end or to chew away at time until a second new ball was available. Now, the spinner is someone who can attack on his own, break open a stubborn partnership or eat his way into the tail. He has done so in small instances so far and the confidence the team has in him to do it in bigger ways is evident.What makes Kallis part of a more imposing batting line-up than he was before is not just that he has the strength of Graeme Smith above him, the style of Hashim Amla next to him and the daring of AB de Villiers below. It is that he has the determination of Alviro Petersen and the promise of Jacques Rudolph and JP Duminy too. Rudolph and Duminy could end up jostling for the same place, if a specialist wicket-keeper is brought in, but for as long as they operate together, they stand as an illustration of the depth of the line-up.What makes South Africa a better side than they were at readmission, five years after that or even five years ago is that Graeme Smith is cricket’s most experienced Test captain. He has led for almost a decade and has just about done it all. That makes him more willing to play what Kirsten called a “brand of attacking cricket which we think is the key to our success”. Smith has no reason to fear failure because he has already faced it.Under him, South Africa’s have learnt to adapt to all conditions, which Kirsten thinks is essential to being the best in the world. “Whatever is out there, we’ve got to deal with,” he said. That includes if nothing is out there and South Africa have recently found ways to make something out of very little. Evidence enough was that on an Oval pitch where England could only take two wickets, South Africa managed 20.”There has been a great improvement in this team in that we can make things happen out there,” Kirsten said. “If we are not having a great session, we can turn it around. The team takes a lot of pride in that; it’s one of our strengths.” It’s that sort of strength that turns teams from good to great and South Africa have admitted great is what they are after.
Ex-winger Stewart Downing joined Liverpool as a global talent scout earlier this year and expects Marc Guehi to arrive by January at the latest.
Downing weighs in on Guehi saga
Billed as long-term successor Van Dijk
Transfer could also prompt Konate exit
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Downing, who is involved in identifying and recommending players rather than negotiations, suggested that Guehi would be a short-term boost alongside Van Dijk and then eventually take over the skipper's mantle. It could even pave the way for Ibrahima Konate to leave sooner rather than later, with the Frenchman out of contract next summer and showing little interest in signing a new one.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
With time in the transfer window running out, Liverpool were reported on Saturday evening to have presented an offer to Crystal Palace for Guehi worth a flat £35 million ($47m). That will test Palace's resolve and their ability to move quickly and source a replacement. Like Konate, Guehi is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave as a free agent if he isn't sold.
WHAT DOWNING SAID
"I think Guehi would be coming in as the cover and I can say in a couple of years time he will probably be Van Dijk's successor, I can see that yeah," Downing told who offer the latest sports betting apps.
"I thought they were going to get him last summer actually when they were linked with him quite a bit. Konate's situation is going to be difficult because if he keeps turning down contracts, Liverpool are going to have to get to a point where they're selling him. He's going to have to go now or in January. We could see a surprise departure this summer for him, you never know. Right at the end of the window they'll just go, actually he's not going to sign, let's just get rid of him after signing Guehi, or maybe signing Guehi puts the pressure on Konate?
"Does he really want to leave or is he using this situation as leverage to get a better deal? I've got a sneaky feeling that Konate might leave and Guehi’s a very good replacement, isn't he? He's not a bad player and I think they'll get him for a decent price. I think it'll definitely happen. If it's not now, I think it'll be January."
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WHAT NEXT?
Time is very much of the essence. The transfer deadline for Premier League clubs to sign players falls at 7pm (BST) on Monday evening, rather than late at night like it has been in previous years. Even just a matter of hours could make a huge amount of difference to whether deals get done. Palace have shown interest in getting Joe Gomez as part of any Guehi transfer, but Liverpool are reluctant to let that happen.
Kylian Mbappe will reportedly not travel to North America in pre-season with the rest of the Real Madrid squad.
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Los Blancos will travel to the USA on July 28
Mbappe will be on a break from football
Will return to training at Valdebebas on August 7
WHAT HAPPENED?
The reigning champions of Spain and Europe will cross the Atlantic for their USA trip on July 28 where they will engage in friendly matches against Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea. However, according totheir latest Galactico, Mbappe, will not be a part of the trip and will instead commence his pre-season training alongside his new teammates at the Valdebebas training facility from August 7 onwards.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mbappe had been involved with the French national team in the European Championship and hence did not get an opportunity to take a break from action after a demanding club season with Paris Saint-Germain. And following France's exit from Euro 2024 at the semi-final stage against Spain on July 9, Mbappe, Carlo Ancelotti, and Real Madrid's management have collectively opted for a period of rest and recuperation for the star forward. It is expected that the forward will now embark on a vacation to unwind before getting back on the grass in the first week of August.
WHAT MBAPPE SAID
At his introductory press conference as a Real Madrid player, Mbappe revealed that he is ready to join Ancelotti's troops but will comply with the club's decisions regarding his participation in pre-season activities. "If the club wants me to go, I will go," he told reporters.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?
Real Madrid aim to synchronize Mbappe's return to training with his compatriots from the French national team, including Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga. It is believed that the club want Mbappe to make his debut in the European Super Cup clash against Atalanta, scheduled for August 14 in Warsaw, Poland.
Reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold has shared an interesting bit of detail from "within" Tottenham concerning a "sensational" player of theirs.
Postecoglou praised for excellent debut season at Spurs
The appointment of manager Ange Postecoglou was arguably one of chairman Daniel Levy's best decisions in recent memory, as the difference in mood compared to this time last year is vast.
Tottenham now willing to back Ange with transfer bid for £79m "magician"
Spurs are prepared to make an offer.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 10, 2024
Around 10 months ago, Spurs were gearing up to sack ex-head coach Antonio Conte after his very public outburst, with the Italian lambasting Levy, his players and Tottenham's culture in a fiery tirade to the media.
The Lilywhites completed 2022/2023 without Champions League football with the future looking bleak, especially with former technical director Fabio Paratici receiving a 30-month worldwide ban from FIFA as well.
However, Postecoglou's arrival soon turned the tide in Spurs' favour, with the Australian implementing an intense, high-pressing style of play to win over many admirers. Levy and co have also proved successful in the transfer market with a new data-driven recruitment model, something which has paid dividends thus far with the successful signings of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison among others.
“He’s put something in place that’s breathtaking to watch but actually, is quite complex when you watch it from a football point of view," said Sky pundit Gary Neville on Postecoglou earlier this season.
Tottenham's best-performing players per 90 in the league this season
Match Rating (via WhoScored)
James Maddison
7.51
Son Heung-min
7.37
Pedro Porro
7.18
Cristian Romero
7.06
Manor Solomon
7.05
“Spurs fans won’t like this but he is amazing, and if you’re Manchester City losing Pep Guardiola in a year or two, you’d be looking at Ange Postecoglou now thinking ‘wow that’s exactly what we want to see’.
“But for the time being Spurs have just got to enjoy this because it’s brilliant to watch. What they can do is enjoy one of the best brands of football I’ve seen in 10 years since I finished playing football. I love watching Tottenham Hotspur play.”
Another great aspect of Spurs' season has been the return of star midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who made his long-awaited comeback from a long-term ACL injury earlier in the campaign.
Alasdair Gold shares Bentancur doubts from "within" Tottenham
Speaking on his YouTube channel, football.london correspondent Gold has shared an interesting bit of detail on this, claiming some "within" Spurs have held the belief Bentancur won't be back to his best till next season.
“From what I understand from people within the club, as he was going through his rehabilitation and getting towards the end of it, there was this feeling last year that you weren’t going to see the best version of Rodrigo Bentancur until next season, so the 24/25 season," said Gold.
Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.
“And that’s not particularly down to him, that is purely because when you’ve had a serious, long-term injury, your body needs to rebuild itself. And it’s almost like the player has to re-educate themselves on all the things that were natural and instinctive, because they just haven’t done it for so long, or they’ve barely done it.”
The "sensational" Uruguay international has still managed nine league appearances, scoring once in that time, so if insiders believe he isn't even at his best yet, then supporters could have yet another thing to look forward to alongside the prospect of potential Champions League football.
After playing a pivotal role in a flawless Bundesliga triumph, the 31-year-old is now perfectly placed to make more history with his country
Switzerland's 3-0 loss to Italy at Euro 2020 has long bothered Granit Xhaka. He felt his team failed to turn up for the group game in Rome. Last weekend was different, though. Last weekend, Switzerland didn't just take to the field at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, they made it their own private playground, dumping the defending champions out of Euro 2024 with the most dominant of 2-0 wins.
"I have never seen the Azzurri in such difficulty on the field as against us," Xhaka enthused after the last-16 showdown in Berlin – and with no shortage of justification. "We won even before going on the pitch, just as they did with us three years ago. They were scared."
One wonders if England will be feeling a little fearful themselves right now, because despite picking up a minor adductor injury against Italy, Xhaka is expected to start against the Three Lions in Saturday's quarter-final clash in Dusseldorf, which means that there is a very real chance that a player in the form of his life will deliver another midfield masterclass on the biggest stage.
'In Granit we trust'
One Switzerland supporter showed off a poster during the dismantling of Italy that read, "In Granit we trust." And why wouldn't they? Xhaka is not just proving himself a great leader at Euro 2024; he's also proving himself a great player. Indeed, he's been one of the best central midfielders on show in Germany, alongside Toni Kroos and Rodri.
He's already claimed two Player of the Match awards, after Switzerland's 3-1 win over Hungary and the 1-1 draw with Germany, taking his overall Euros tally to five – only Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo have claimed more (six apiece).
His most impressive performance to date, though, came against Italy.
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Xhaka's 'positive' passing
For an awfully long time, Xhaka was renowned for his more destructive qualities: making interceptions, winning crunching tackles, hoovering up loose balls. However, it was telling after the opening-round win over Hungary, Xhaka said his focus is on helping his team "by being positive" – and he's unquestionably delivering in that regard.
Working wonderfully well in tandem with Remo Freuler, and within what is a dynamic, disciplined and well-drilled Swiss side, Xhaka is dictating games and constantly putting his team on the front foot with his swift and precise use of the ball.
Against the Azzurri, no other player on the pitch had more touches (101), completed more passes (94/98) or created more chances (three). Even more significantly, he made a whopping 25 line-breaking passes – a single-game tally that only Kroos has bettered so far this summer.
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Alonso's special six
Of course, anyone who watched Bayer Leverkusen last season will be unsurprised by Xhaka's excellence at the Euros. The German outfit made several astute signings last summer, but Xhaka's arrival from Arsenal was utterly integral to their historic domestic double.
Under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates, Xhaka was deployed in more of an advanced role, like a box-to-box No.8, but fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso saw the Swiss as a No.6 and made him the fulcrum of his team.
Xhaka may not have dominated the headlines last season in the same way as Florian Wirtz, for example. He didn't even register a single assist across the unbeaten Bundesliga campaign, but absolutely everything Leverkusen did went through Xhaka.
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'I have come to lead'
Alonso didn't just want Xhaka for his play-making skills, though. His character was also key. Alonso had an abundance of promising players at his disposal in Leverkusen; what he needed was someone with experience and an insatiable will to win. Consequently, he saw Xhaka as an "essential" addition to his relatively young squad.
"I also think that Granit had a vital need [to change] after his time in London, where he spent seven years," Alonso explained. "I motivated him to return [to Germany] to take on a different role, and he did so with a different level of maturity, saying, 'I have not come to follow anymore; I have come to lead.'"
He did exactly that at Leverkusen – and now he's doing likewise with Switzerland.
Derby County are interested in completing the signing of a free agent once described as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer, but they aren't alone in the chase for a new goalscorer.
Derby transfer news & promotion hopes
The January transfer window is now done and dusted for another year, meaning Paul Warne knows he won't be available to spend on new signings until the summer, barring the acquisition of free agents. While January proved to be a relatively quiet month for the Rams, they did bring in Charlton Athletic attacker Corey Blackett-Taylor on loan, which could prove to be an excellent piece of business by the club by the time May arrives.
While he is yet to score or assist in his first two appearances in a Derby shirt, eight and six apiece for Charlton earlier in the season suggests that he will provide firepower in his side's League One promotion quest, as they look to return to the Championship.
Warne's side sit right in the promotion picture currently, finding themselves fourth in the league table and only one point behind the automatic promotion spots, albeit having played two games more than second-place Bolton Wanderers.
This suggests that Derby were right not to bring in a host of new players, with the manager generally happy with the squad that he has, but a new update claims that a well-known player is being looked at as an option.
Derby want Dwight Gayle
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Derby are keen on signing free agent Dwight Gayle, with the striker without a club after leaving Stoke City on deadline day. They are far from alone in showing an interest, though, with some Championship teams believed to be in the mix, too.
"Charlton, Barnsley, Derby County, Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday are already showing interest in Dwight Gayle. He’s now available as free agent after terminating contract at Stoke City."
At 34 years of age, Gayle is admittedly not getting any younger and may not be the striker he used to be, but that's not to say that he wouldn't be a shrewd short-term acquisition by Derby. The Englishman has a wealth of experience at a high level, not least scoring 26 times in the Premier League and on 62 occasions in the Championship, and Newcastle United legend Shearer lauded him back in 2020 after he scored a goal for the former England striker's beloved Magpies:
"Oh yessssssss Dwight Gayle! A magnificent header from a great cross Jacob Murphy! Toon! Toon."
Dwight Gayle key career stats
Appearances
Goals
Premier League
145
26
Championship
145
62
League Two
18
7
The fact that Gayle would join for free erases the risk element of spending lots of money on him, so Derby could almost see it as something of a free hit. If he comes in and scores goals, helping the Rams go up this season, it will be a roaring success, and if he fails to impress it won't be the end of the world, allowing him to move on at the end of the season.