Currently, Tottenham have three out-and-out right-wing backs – new signing Djed Spence, Matt Doherty, and Emerson Royal.

On top of that, it seems like Antonio Conte is also considering Lucas Moura for the position, based on the fact he used the Brazilian in that position in each game so far this pre-season.

Antonio Conte has also used Dejan Kulusevski to fill in at right-wing-back at times, so, suffice to say, Spurs have plenty of cover in that area of the pitch.

Tottenham can and should sell one of their current three right-wing backs before the transfer window slams shut, thus guaranteeing the remaining options a realistic chance of minutes on the pitch.

So, who goes? Clearly not Djed Spence as he just joined the club this summer. So it’s down to Doherty and Emerson in terms of the out-and-out right-wing-back options. I can’t see Lucas Moura being sacrificed as he covers so many different roles in this squad.

But who should go? The answer should be obvious. One has proved to be one of the best attacking wing-backs in the league, and the other has hardly been able to complete a cross.

It’s not entirely Emerson Royal’s fault. The young Brazilian was signed to be up and coming full-back who was solid defensively but had room to grow offensively.

Unfortunately, Nuno Espirito Santos’ swift sacking, Antonio Conte’s arrival, and the subsequent switch to a back five, ruthlessly exposed Emerson’s shortcomings while also minimising his strengths.

The 23-year-old has shown his defensive prowess in a handful of games, most notably against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal… games in which Spurs had to defend for large periods.

But still, Paratici and Conte should be confident in the Irish alternative Matt Doherty and his ability to both defend and contribute in the attacking third when it matters… particularly after he had such a strong end to the campaign before his injury.

Matt Doherty and Djed Spence offer the club a good blend of experience and promise. This is more than good enough for the upcoming season and undoubtedly strengthens our options from last year.

Having said that, I still wish Emerson Royal all the best. He looks like he could become a great player, but because he is more suited to a flat back four and will fetch a decent price this summer, he has to be the one to make way.

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Perhaps most obviously, a new signing at right wing-back needs to be made. Yes, Spurs do still have Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty in that position.

But, if we are to be brutally honest, we can improve on both those players. Although only one new signing in that position is needed this summer.

It appears Spurs are ‘one the brink’ of sealing a deal for Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence, although we have been hearing that for weeks on end (The Mirror). This is one of those signings that is probably sorted by Spurs fans won’t believe until they see.

Another position that Spurs need to sign is a creative midfielder, with the club never properly replacing Christian Eriksen.

The only names mentioned in that position thus far this summer have been Christian Eriksen himself, although it seems he will make the move to Manchester United, and Lucas Paqueta (Alasdair Gold).

The Lyon midfielder was on fine form last season, netting 9 goals and adding 6 assists in 35 Ligue 1 appearances (32 starts). [transfermarkt]

Another signing Paratici may have to negotiate this summer is a deal for a winger. As of now, Spurs have Richarlison, Lucas Moura, Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, and Dejan Kulusevski as established first-team attackers. However, an inevitable injury to one of those five would leave us with only one forward on the bench.

Yet, Antonio Conte could decide that Bryan Gil is ready to take his place in the Tottenham first team. If that were the case, no new signing would be necessary. However, if he goes out on loan, I believe Spurs will need an additional forward signing.

Lastly, a marquee centre-back feels like a must. Although Clement Lenglet is a fine signing, in my opinion, Spurs need to add one more.

Despite his poor form for Barcelona in the last two seasons, Antonio Conte’s system feels tailor-made for the Frenchman. It gives Lenglet the opportunity to display his technical prowess, while reducing the amount of ground he has to cover defensively.

Tottenham’s current options at centre-back are Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Clement Lenglet, Cristian Romero, and Davinson Sanchez.

Spurs do also have Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga, although it feels like neither of them are in Antonio Conte’s first-team plans and thus loans away for the season are more likely.

A centre-back who specializes in playing in the middle of a back three or on the left side of a back three feels like the best situation this summer – leaving Lenglet to either backup Eric Dier or battle for the starting role with Ben Davies.

If Spurs were to make these 3-4 new signings it would be, by far, the best transfer window we’ve seen in a long, long time.

The post Opinion: What Spurs need to do to wrap up this transfer window appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

Winks will forever embody the Mauricio Pochettino era. A hard-working midfielder who linked up Spurs’ play and kept the ball ticking.

Winks gave us some truly amazing performances, from bossing it at the Bernabeu to scoring on his full debut in the league against West Ham, and who could forget that audacious goal against Ludogorets from near the halfway line.

The former academy player has spent his entire professional career at Spurs, never even taking a loan away from his precious boyhood club. He is one of only two current first-team players to have done that, the other being Japhet Tanganga.

Winks wasn’t the best academy product to come out in recent times, that would be Harry Kane. Neither was he the best midfielder of this era, that would be Moussa Dembele.

But, what Winks was, was a player who knew what it meant to play for Tottenham Hotspur. Winks lived the dream we’ve all had. Stepping out in that famous lilywhite kit and representing this beautiful club in the world’s best league, as well as representing and scoring for his country.

While the Englishman did suffer criticism from pundits and fans alike, he showed a never say die attitude.

Winks always made himself available to the Spurs manager. Whether that was Mauricio Pochettino or Antonio Conte, or anyone in between. He showed he knew what it meant to play for the badge.

His imminent departure is inherently sad. Although he isn’t the most blessed player, not given size nor strength nor pace by the footballing gods, Winks’ self-driven tenacity is what set him apart from others. Something that I for one will miss.

We wish you all the best Winksy, you deserve it.

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Therefore, we wanted to take a look at five names we think could surprise fans and stand out amongst the crowd…

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil is obviously an incredibly talented player. However, the Spaniard has struggled to break into the Spurs first team since his move to the club in 2021.

Although Gil has made 20 appearances for Tottenham, he is still yet to start a league game for the club (transfermarkt).

Antonio Conte opted to send him out on loan for the second half of the 22/23 season, implying that he did so because Gil needed to work on his strength and physicality (Football.London).

While Gil did quickly earn rapport with the fans of Valencia, he struggled to influence the team in the final third. Only one assist and no goals in 13 La Liga appearances (9 starts), is not what Gil or Spurs will have wanted to see (transfermarkt).

But this preseason, Gil will have a point to prove. The Spaniard will be desperate to show that Spurs did not make a mistake in signing him. He’ll also want to show that he can become a star player for Spurs in the future.

Particularly with an open spot in Spurs forwards due to Bergwijn’s departure (assuming Richarlison is primarily Kane’s backup) Gil will think he has a real shot to take his place alongside Son, Kane, Lucas, Kulusevski, and Richarlison as early as this season.

Troy Parrott

After ending last season on a hot streak for MK Dons and Ireland (8 goals and assists in his last 14 appearances – via FotMob.com), Troy Parrott will want to build on that momentum.

Parrott will also want to show the Spurs coaching staff that he is a legitimate option for the future. The striker has clearly modelled his game on Harry Kane’s. The Irishman shares Kane’s ability to drop in and operate as a 10 as well as push up and be the target man.

If nothing else, Parrott will want to show potential suitors that he is worth taking on loan this season.

Davinson Sanchez

Although Davinson Sanchez was not a starter for Spurs last year, he could play a crucial role in Tottenham’s season. The Colombian will want to build on the momentum he built up at the end of last season, when he put in several quality performances during Cristian Romero’s injury sideline.

Davinson showed in glimpses that he can be calm and collected on the ball, something that has previously evaded him and he will be looking to continue that this pre-season.

The key thing to look for in Sanchez is his aggression (something he has always had) but also to see whether he can keep his cool and be confident on the ball. The back three formation could be the making of him.

Ryan Sessegnon

Sessegnon seems to have cemented his place in the first-team squad as one of Conte’s two left-wing backs. This comes after Sergio Reguilón was left behind for the pre-season tour of South Korea.

The Englishman showed last season that he has what it takes to become an elite player. If he can stay fit and get minutes, Sessegnon has the potential to become world-class.

Sessegnon will want to show more of what he’s made of and impress Antonio Conte with what he can do in the final third.

Look for him to be energetic going forward as he battles with his Croatian counterpart Ivan Perisic to become a consistent member of the starting eleven.

Pape Matar Sarr

The majority of Spurs fans have no idea what to expect from Pape Matar Sarr. This will take the pressure off and allow the young Senegalese international to show people exactly what he is made of.

Unfortunately for Sarr, the strength of Tottenham’s central midfielders means he will likely head out on loan again this season.

However, the youngster will want to show Antonio Conte and his coaching staff what he can do either way. Still only nineteen, Sarr will want to leave them with the impression that he could be a genuine option in the next few seasons.

Look for Sarr to be working his socks and getting on the ball consistently from box to box.

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In the 2020/21 season, Bale proved he can be an asset to the club, whether he starts or comes off the bench to make an impact. In limited game time, Bale still managed to score 11 goals and provide 2 assists in the Premier League alone.

To put that in context, the only players with more goals in the league for Spurs that season were Harry Kane (23)  and Heung Min Son (17).

With the current form of Spurs attackers, namely Kane, Son, and Dejan Kulusevski, Bale would not start. However, with the Welshman’s age that would suit him well. You get the impression he would prefer a season with a bit-part role to stay fit for the World Cup.

But having Bale to bring off the bench when we are struggling to break down low blocks would be an invaluable asset.

Spurs’ only attacking options off the bench in recent games have been Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura. Lucas Moura has not scored a single goal when coming off the bench this season, while Bergwijn seems to be on the way out (Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic).

Bale would be an improvement on both players, in my opinion, coming off the bench to replace Deki towards the end of games, or starting in his place when the Sweden international needs to be rested. Bale can even do a job in a number 9 role.

It would be especially nice to see Bale come back to the Lane for the second time as fans were not allowed in the stadium for most of his last season.

All things considered; I think Bale would be a great option for Spurs to look into this summer!

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In fact, it hasn’t just been these past couple of games in which Romero has stepped up. This entire season, Romero has been a godsend to Spurs’ backline when fit.

Time and time again, Romero has come to the Lilywhite’s rescue. Whether it’s marking one of the best players in the league, covering other defenders’ mistakes, or picking a pass to jump-start an attack, Romero has been truly excellent at just about everything this season.

The Argentinian has been guilty the odd mistake, but for his first season in the Premier League, he has been amazing. Of course, his no-nonsense high press style is always going to yield yellow cards and fouls – but you have to take the risk-reward mentality.

As long as you can cover for his shortcomings by defending set-pieces, he will likely more than make up for it in turning over possession and kickstarting counters, as we have seen all season long.

It’s important to consider he’s only 23-years-old as well. Despite his young age, which is years before most centre-back’s peak, I find myself saying “Wow, Cristian Romero, well done,” multiple times per game.

On top of his pure quality, Romero’s aggressiveness is much needed in a team that lacks any passion whatsoever. Particularly in matches that possess any meaning whatsoever. The fire the Argentinian has is reminiscent of his countryman Erik Lamela.

While Romero himself has been amazing, credit is also due to the recruitment staff for finding him. It is truly impressive that Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy managed to convince him that Spurs was his best option with nothing but Europa Conference League to offer in return.

Here’s to hoping Romero can continue to build on his performances and be a mainstay in the Spurs backline for years to come.

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Time and again this season, it has been proved that Spurs and Conte are at their best when the Italian has had a full week to prepare for the next game.

Since Conte’s arrival, Spurs have played 9 games in which the Italian has had 5 or more days to prepare for the next game. This isn’t counting the first game after an international break, because Conte only has a few players to prepare with. Out of those 9 games, Spurs have won 6, drawn 1, and lost 2 with a win percentage of 66.67% (TransferMarkt).

Spurs have played 18 games with Conte in which they have had less than 5 days to prepare. Out of those 18, Spurs have won 8, drawn 2, and lost 8, with a win percentage of just 44.44% (TransferMarkt).

This proves how much Tottenham benefit when Antonio Conte has more than just a couple of days to instil his instructions into this Spurs team.

Since Conte had COVID the week leading up to the Brighton game, it is fair to assume the Italian was not able to do as good of a job preparing the Spurs team as he would have liked, especially considering he had to observe social distancing during training.

Could this have resulted in some of the back-passing, unadventurous, dismal play we witnessed from Tottenham on Saturday? Or was it simply a bad day at the office?

Should Tottenham close out the season by qualifying for the Champions League, or any  European competition for that matter, this lack of ability to compete in games without a full week of training would be concerning.

If Spurs are to be successful in Europe or England next season, Conte will have to figure out how to eliminate this characteristic from the Tottenham squad.

The post Opinion: Looking at how Conte’s COVID could have hurt Spurs vs Brighton appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

The 20-year-old striker was sent out on loan to Northampton in League 2 to get some minutes under his belt, as well as some senior experience.

Things went well for Etete in Northampton. He ended up notching 6 goals and 2 assists during his time with the club (TransferMarkt).

Things went so well in fact, that Spurs opted to end the 6’6” striker’s loan with Northampton and send him up a league to Cheltenham.

Etete has taken to League One just as he did to League Two. So far, Etete has 2 goals and 3 assists in just 8 appearances (6 starts) (TransferMarkt).

These numbers are particularly impressive when put into perspective of how many minutes Etete has played. Since leaving Spurs at the start of the season, Etete has averaged a goal contribution once every 164 minutes.

This is no mean feat considering he has had to bed himself into two different clubs and two different squads during that time.

Etete has managed to soar under the radar at Spurs. This is thanks to other academy strikers flourishing, namely Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett.

However, the Englishman’s recent performances should bring more attention his way, especially as he brings something very different to the party with his height and power.

Kion will be hoping to help Cheltenham secure a strong end to the season. The club currently sit 14 points clear of the relegation zone and 18 points behind the promotion playoffs.

It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on this kid…

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In a defence that looked extremely shaky last season, Dier has managed to bring a sense of calmness this campaign in a new-look formation. In fact, he was one of the few that impressed under both Nuno and now Conte.

The Englishman’s ability to be a leader in the backline is what has made him so vital to the squad thus far in the campaign.

Dier was ever-present in all three recent Spurs wins against Manchester City, Leeds, and Everton. The centre-back could be seen shouting directions in offensive moves as well as in defence, showcasing his importance to the squad.

The Englishman has been a favourite of the past four Spurs permanent managers now, showing his quality and how hard he must work behind the scenes.

Antonio Conte even went as far as to say Dier could go on to become one of the best in the world in that central back three sweeper role (Tottenham).

That is high praise from a man who has managed such talented defenders as Milan Skriniar, Antonio Rudiger, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and more. It’s safe to say Conte knows what to look for in a player of that position.

On top of that, Jose Mourinho called Dier world-class before he even had an opportunity to coach the 28-year-old (Metro). This is yet another manager who has coached many many players regarded as the best in the world in that position.

Unfortunately, Eric did not have his best game at Old Trafford yesterday as he failed to close down Ronaldo’s opening goal and played a foolish offside trap in the build-up to the second, but a small blip on an otherwise consistent season is nothing to scoff at.

Ultimately, Eric Dier’s fitness and availability will play a key part in Spurs’ hopes to make the top four before the end of the season.

The post Opinion: This player has been the most underrated at Spurs this season appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

Davies, Dier, and Romero occupy the three centre-back roles based on Antonio Conte’s starting eleven when everyone is fit. Neither Rodon nor Tanganga are in the mix.

Then in terms of backups, Sanchez has been Romero’s since the Argentinian’s injury. Conte has said publicly admitted he sees Rodon as a backup to Dier. And Tanganga has found himself filling in occasionally as Ben Davies’ or Davinson Sanchez’s deputy.

So should Spurs sign a second left-footed centre-back, Tanganga could be the odd man out in terms of first and second choices for positions across the back line.

However, Tanganga has the benefit of being English and an academy player in a time in which Spurs are struggling to fill their homegrown quota. Unless Spurs sign a plethora of English players in the near future, the 22-year-old will likely be safe in North London.

So, who goes?

The logical answer would be Joe Rodon, who has yet to play in the league since Conte’s appointment. The Welshman has only played against NS Mura in the Conference League since the Italian joined the club. Rodon has been given very few opportunities under either Nuno or Conte, despite making very few mistakes when given the chance.

Still, Spurs must be ruthless. If Conte and Fabio Paratici feel Tanganga or Rodon departing is what is best, that is what must be done.

Myself, I would prefer Tottenham to loan out Rodon to a mid-level Premier League side as I think he could be very promising if given the chance to impress week in week out.

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So far this season Lloris has made 48 saves, with a 71.2% save percentage, putting him sixth in the league in the latter (FBRef).

Particularly since the arrival of Antonio Conte, Lloris and the defence have improved dramatically. Tottenham has conceded only four Premier League goals in the eight games since the Italian’s arrival.

And yet, Hugo Lloris’ contract is set to expire at the end of this season and the club has not yet signed him to a new deal or a contract extension.

On 1 January, non-English clubs were allowed to contact Lloris over possible summer pre-contract agreements, when he would be able to leave Tottenham on a free deal.

Losing a keeper of the Frenchman’s talents, not to mention our captain, on a free transfer would be one of the worst, if not the worst piece of business Daniel Levy has ever done for our club.

This is especially the case when we do not have a suitable replacement lined up. Pierluigi Gollini has not made a good impression thus far (plus he is only on loan) and there are not many world-class keepers on the market.

Tottenham’s only other option would be either Brandon Austin or Alfie Whiteman from the academy. And while they both have bags of potential, Whiteman in particular, neither is ready to step into the first team.

Ultimately, Daniel Levy needs to get Lloris to sign a contract extension. That would cement the Frenchman’s position in the Tottenham team for the 22/23 season.

Fortunately, Fabrizio Romano reported this week that Spurs are in talks with the Frenchman over a new contract extension until the summer of 2023. Antonio Conte has apparently given his deal of approval for one more season with Lloris.

To be honest, with Lloris showing no signs of slowing down, I think we could sign him onto a deal even beyond that, even if he is 35. The keeper is arguably playing his best-ever football at the moment, so age really is just a number in these negotiations.

Life would seem extremely strange without our captain, who has been with us for a decade, so I am not keen to experience life without Hugo Lloris any time soon.

There are no ready-made replacements on the market of Lloris’ quality for a good price. Spurs have no one ready to step up. And the Frenchman remains one of the best in the league.

Put those three things together and his extension becomes the most important piece of January business for Tottenham.

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Winks will be feeling confident and looking to build on this performance after most Spurs fans met his inclusion in the team with groans and sighs of disbelief.

Despite this lack of faith, Winks has put together a neat run of form, starring in not only the match against Liverpool, but also making solid appearances against Leeds, and making a bright cameo against Dutch side Vitesse since Antonio Conte’s appointment.

Although it must be noted Winks was up against a very weak Liverpool midfield of Milner, Keita, and Morton, he was a vital cog in the system Tottenham played on the day.

Winks played a key role in breaking up Liverpool’s attacking play as well as jump-starting Tottenham’s counterattacks.

Winks played a role in both goals the Lilywhites scored, winning the ball back with an uncharacteristically aggressive slide tackle in the opposition’s half leading to Kane’s goal and playing a more direct role in Heung Min Son’s goal, playing a pass behind Liverpool’s backline to Son who was able to finish, thanks to a mistake from Allison.

However, this was only one of many progressive passes Winks made on the day. Uncharacteristically, the Englishman was constantly looking to threaten the Liverpool backline, frequently finding Kane, Dele, and Son in dangerous positions.

The centre mid connected 8 of his attempted 14 long balls, many of which were threatening the Liverpool backline (sofascore).

Winks was also a rock defensively. He was only dribbled past once, made 4 interceptions, blocked 3 shots, and won 4 duels (sofascore).

Winks rediscovering form would be extremely beneficial to Spurs. It would add another solid midfielder and help the club out with their homegrown player quota.

Winks will be hoping his performance against Liverpool will be enough to keep one of Skipp or Højbjerg out of the starting eleven when Tottenham comes up against West Ham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday – as well as the match against Crystal Palace in the league on Sunday.

Could this be the Harry Winks revolution?

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Yes, the Dutchman seems to have lost his shooting boots over the past season, but he still plays an important role in this Tottenham team.

Last season, when Spurs were top of the table, Bergwijn was a consistent starter in the team. Then, he was dropped and Spurs simultaneously had a drop in form.

When Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son were at their best, Steven Bergwijn was present playing alongside the world-class duo. He was and still is incredible at drawing defenders away from our more dangerous players.

And this season, prior to his injury, Bergwijn showed his creative side. Against Manchester City, Bergwijn created the most chances out of any player in the match.

Against Wolves, he created a further two chances (more than every other Spurs player). And against Watford, the Dutchman won the freekick from which Son scored our only goal.

Unfortunately for Spurs and Bergwijn, the 24-year-old picked up a knock during international duty and then another injury against Rennes in the Conference League.

Tottenham have undoubtedly suffered from a lack of creativity thus far this season, however, Steven Bergwijn was critical in those first few games when we were struggling to get the ball into dangerous areas.

After Bergwijn’s injury, the club went on a three-game run of losing by at least two goals. In that run, Spurs conceded three in each fixture as well. Another underrated aspect of Bergwijn’s game is his defensive work and this could have well played a part in that.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping that Bergwijn is available against Newcastle after the international break and the Netherlands winger will be looking to add to his goals and assists tally for the season.

Hopefully, Stevie can start adding returns to his game and a consistent end product to show people exactly how valuable he can be.

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The pair were incredible in the first three matches of the season but have shown their inconsistencies since then. Thankfully, Spurs have two other centre backs who they can call upon, Cristian Romero and Joe Rodon.

Rodon proved with his appearances in the Premier League last season that Nuno can rely on him, and Romero proved he is world-class last season in Serie A by winning the best defender in the league award.

Rodon and Romero featured together for the first time in Tottenham’s 5-1 win over Mura in the Europa Conference League. Although it is embarrassing to have conceded to a team from the Slovenian league, neither Romero nor Rodon were personally at fault for the goal.

The pair looked very comfortable overall on the day with Mura only creating one chance throughout the match.

Both Romero (94%) and Rodon (92%) had over a 90% pass completion rate and the pair also hit a combined 9 out of 11 accurate long balls. This is even more impressive when you consider Spurs’ last central defensive pairing, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, hit a combined 15 out of 25 long balls in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Romero and Rodon being able to accurately play diagonal balls out of the defensive third could help the squad to solve part of the creativity issue we are lacking.

Rodon and Romero’s playstyles also complement each other very well. Rodon likes to drop off when Tottenham are defending whilst Romero likes to attack the ball carrier.

This is a perfect combination that has been seen in many world-class centre back pairings, such as Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos where Varane would sit back and Ramos would push forward.

After conceding three goals in the last three league matches, it is time to give a new centre back pairing a chance to impress.

The post Opinion: Deciding on Tottenham’s current best centre-back partnership appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

Emerson had a rough start to life at Spurs. First, having to face off with one of the best wingers in the league in Wilfried Zaha, then against the Champions of Europe Chelsea, and then coming on at half-time in the North London Derby when Spurs were already three goals down.

Despite this tough start Emerson still showed his promise. Against Crystal Palace, Emerson had the most tackles in the match and against Chelsea he won the most duels.

Against Aston Villa, Emerson finally played when Spurs were going forward instead of being pinned back for the majority of the match. In the game, Emerson won the most duels, coming out on top in 10 separate occasions.

Defensively, Emerson was impressive with six clearances, four interceptions, and six recoveries. The 22-year-old had a shot cleared off the line by an Aston Villa defender and thread one key pass showing what he can do going forward.

Despite all of this, Emerson still has more to come. There is a reason Barcelona gave him a €300 million release clause.

Emerson showed in his last season in La Liga just how influential he can be. The Brazilian made 33 key passes from right-back averaging a key pass per 90.

Now that he is feeding those crosses and passes into Son and Kane instead of 40-year-old Joaquin and seven goals in two seasons Cristian Tello, Emerson is sure to have more assists than he did with Real Betis.

Not only has Emerson showed just how capable he is offensively but he is a monster defensively as well. Emerson had 87 clearances, 52 tackles succeeded, and 61 interceptions during the 20/21 season.

On top of all that, Emerson is only 22 years old, posting the above numbers as a 21-year-old. Ultimately, Spurs fans have a lot to be excited about when it comes to Emerson Royal.

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Unfortunately, Bergwijn seems to let his confidence dictate his game…

Prior to the game against Liverpool, last season – in which he missed two clear-cut chances – Bergwijn was a regular starter in the side and consistently put in solid performances, despite the lack of goals and assists.

However, after the Liverpool game, Bergwijn lost his place in the side, and you could see that his head metaphorically dropped.

Thankfully, Bergwijn had a solid pre-season and first match of this season this time around.

After returning to Hotspur Way, Bergwijn was one of two players Nuno Espirito Santo was said to have been impressed with. The Dutchman, reportedly returned in “brilliant” shape, as relayed by Alasdair Gold.

Bergwijn put in some solid pre-season performances, despite Son stealing the headlines. With a goal and assist to his name, he looked as though he should have been full of confidence going into the new season.

That was evident as the winger registered an assist in the opening day fixture against Manchester City, while also running his socks off for the team in an impressive performance.

Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come as Stevie only registered four assists in the entirety of the last Premier League season.

My gut feeling is that this could be the year Bergwijn finally realises his true potential in a Lilywhite shirt… but only time will tell.

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Milenkovic would be a perfect signing for Spurs. First off, he matches the mould of a Daniel Levy player. The young Serb is only 23 years old, so could theoretically play for the club for years to come, would only cost €15 million, and is only on £24,000 a week.

More importantly, Milenkovic fits what this Spurs team desperately needs, a solid centre-back. One of Tottenham’s biggest weaknesses last season was the number of goals conceded via set-pieces.

Milenkovic would significantly help with this issue as the Serbian is 6’5” (1.95 meters) tall and won 136 aerial duels in Serie A, which is the fourth most in the Italian League.

Of the 297 players that had 100 or more aerial duels in Europe’s top 5 leagues last season, Nikola Milenkovic had the highest success rate (77.1%).

This is not the only area Milenkovic is strong in as he is ranked 5^th in Serie A for interceptions getting 213.

Milenkovic would also help the team to improve on passing out of the back as the Serbian had an 86% pass completion in Serie A last year.

By comparison, Toby Alderweireld had 82.5% pass success, Eric Dier had 83.2% pass success, and Davinson Sanchez had 84.5% pass success in the Premier League last season.

Another benefit to Milenkovic is that he is left-footed. Spurs have not had a left-footed centre-back at the club since Jan Vertonghen’s departure in 2020.

Nikola Milenkovic would offer a sizeable upgrade on Tottenham’s current options at centre-back and if the Romero deal falls apart for whatever reason, Milenkovic could be a leader in defence.

If the deal goes through and Spurs sign the Argentinian, Milenkovic could even be the perfect partner for Romero.

The post Opinion: Why Nikola Milenkovic would be a great signing for Spurs appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

This current Spurs squad is a mess and has endured back-to-back disappointing seasons.

However, with the appointment of Fabio Paratici, Nuno will not have to put much thought into negotiating transfers and can instead focus on getting the squad ready for the season.

I believe that there is one specific thing that Nuno needs to do before anything else. That is to prevent Arsenal from winning the Mind Charity Event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

If you were unaware, Spurs, Arsenal, and Chelsea have arranged a pre-season tournament, ‘The Mind Series’.

The proceeds of the event go to the Mind Charity (as well as the respective club foundations). Mind is a mental health charity that provides “advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.”

Spurs first play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 4 August and then Arsenal on 8 August at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Arsenal also play Chelsea on 1 August.

This means that if Arsenal beat Chelsea in their first fixture, they would win the tournament by beating Spurs in our own stadium (The Schedule).

This would mean that Arsenal could potentially win more trophies in our stadium than Tottenham – a fact the Gooners would be unlikely to forget. Do not think for a second that it being a pre-season trophy will matter to the mockery from our North London rivals.

A defeat here would also immediately get the fans on Nuno’s back and, with our first game against Manchester City, Nuno and his coaching staff do not need any extra pressure.

It may seem like a small pre-season friendly, but I believe it has the ability to serve either as a springboard or a lead balloon.

On the other hand, Arsenal just lost to Hibernian FC, so maybe this won’t be a problem…

The post Opinion: Nuno’s first job at Spurs – And it involves a summer trophy appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

During his time in North London, Blanchflower made over 330 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 15 goals in that time before eventually moving to Durban City in 1965.

Later in his career, he went on to manage Northern Ireland and Chelsea, although he never came back around to lead the Lilywhites. Unfortunately, Danny passed away in 1993 at the age of 67.

Known to be quite sarcastic, Danny left many unforgettable quotes in his wake, as well as some memorable moments on the pitch. These quotes remain a part of the club to this day, so we wanted to take a look at some of our favourites.

Here are our top five Danny Blanchflower quotes:

1 – “The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom.”

If only Danny could have met Jose Mourinho.

2 – “We’ve got a good side here. We will win the double this season”

A prediction made before the beginning of a season; Spurs went on to win the double that year. Can you imagine that happening nowadays?

3 – Duchess of Kent at the 1961 FA Cup Final: “Why do the other team have their names on their tracksuits and yours’ don’t?”

Blanchflower: “Ah well, ma’am, you see we all know each other.”

As I said, he was sarcastic.

4 – Interviewer: “Well Danny, what is the secret to the Spurs winning every match so far this season?”

Danny: “Most probably because in each match we have scored more goals than our opponents.”

Another great example of the midfielder being sarky.

5 – Spurs Director: “The trouble with you is that you think you know all the answers.”

Blanchflower: “Ah, God love you, you don’t even know the questions.”

If only Blanchflower was alive to meet Daniel Levy…

Quotes found by tottenhamblog.com

The post Opinion: Five of the best Tottenham Danny Blanchflower quotes appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

Vlahovic is a 21-year-old, Serbian striker who plies his trade for Fiorentina in Serie A.

The young Serb enjoyed a breakout year for La Viola last season notching 21 goals and 2 assists in 37 league appearances (34 starts). His best season prior to that was 19/20 when he made 30 appearances (13 starts) and scored 6 goals.

Vlahovic has been a classic poacher for Fiorentina with 20 of his 21 goals coming inside the box. Of his 21 goals, 18 of them came as one-touch finishes (UnderStat).

This means that, should Spurs sell Kane, the club would need to sign a playmaker as well as Vlahovic does not seem able to consistently create chances for himself.

He is more of a centre-forward target man who can bring others into play but really does rely on that final pass or cross for his game. In comparison, Kane has the ability to create a goal from nothing, inside and outside the box.

However, when Kane was Vlahovic’s age, he himself was accused of being a “tap-in merchant” by some fans, as they claimed that he was unable to create opportunities for himself.

You never know, under the proper tutelage, Vlahovic could grow into a Kane-like forward for Spurs.

Overall, Vlahovic has established that he can be an elite goal scorer in a top-five European league. The 21-year-old could be a solid signing for Spurs and lead the line for years to come, hopefully alongside Kane, but we must prepare for the worst.

The post Opinion: Dusan Vlahovic – A look at a potential Kane replacement for Spurs appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.