The truth about Houssem Aouar to Tottenham, Jules Kounde latest and Tomiyasu timeframe


kianlem2: “Anything on Houssem Aouar to Spurs?”

Alasdair says: “I know this will probably upset people who have decided they want him but, at this current moment in time, there does not appear to be anything concrete in that link, just a player the club have looked at in recent seasons.

“As I’ve said before Tottenham are very much focusing on getting central defenders in through the door first and they’re working through that renowned Fabio Paratici method of negotiating for up to 10 players in that position before making the move on one or potentially in this case two of them.


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“Whether they come back around for Aouar later in the window is another thing (and whether he will still be available), but he doesn’t sound like a priority right now with any funds being put towards Nuno Espirito Santo‘s defence.”

abdi4z: “Are Jules Kounde or Milan Skriniar big possibilities?”

Alasdair says: “Spurs really like Kounde and it helps enormously that Sevilla are understood to be interested in Davinson Sanchez. I understand the player’s first choice would be a move to Real Madrid, but if that does not materialise then Tottenham would come into the picture.

“He’s an interesting target. He’s not the tallest but he does have an incredible spring to his jumps which negates it somewhat. He’s also worth a lot of money which is why the Sanchez element could be crucial, if the Colombian would like to move in the opposite direction. As I’ll find myself saying repeatedly this summer, Paratici will have many options on the go at one time and Skriniar is certainly another the club will still be looking at.”

Okan5858: “Any news about Takehiro Tomiyasu?”

Alasdair says: “The Japan international is definitely someone Spurs would like to sign and they see him playing in a similar role to Japhet Tanganga in being able to play at right-back or anywhere across the backline. I’d be surprised though if they were able to finalise anything before the Olympics with Tomiyasu currently involved with Japan and with their first game coming on Wednesday.”

COYS In Texas: “With understanding that defence is the priority, once that is figured out, what is the next highest priority in the transfer window?”

Rob says: “Attacking areas of the pitch will then need to be looked at. Spurs haven’t replaced Christian Eriksen since his departure in January 2020 and they really could do with bringing in a creative player to ease the pressure on Kane’s shoulders. Hopefully that will be the case with the money they have available. A new striker does need to come in with Carlos Vinicius heading back to Benfica after his loan deal came to an end. Spurs cannot have just one experienced out-and-out striker at the club this season as that has proved costly before when Kane got injured. There’s a lot of games coming up and Kane simply cannot play in them all.”

Joe: “From the press conference today, what did you make of Nuno? Was he how you expected in terms of relations with the media at press conferences. Did his answers give you any confidence for Spurs’ season going forward?”

Rob says: “I thought he came across well when speaking in his first press conference. He was pretty much as I expected him to be after watching a number of his Wolves ones previously. It was good that he made the club’s stance on Harry Kane clear and also that the players are responding to him so well in training in his first two weeks in charge. He’s feeling very confident that Tottenham fans will like what his team offers this season so hopefully he is proven right.”

Okan5858: “Why do you think it takes time for us to do something in the transfer market, both additions and departures?”

Rob says: “Well the first priority this summer was getting a new head coach in and that took a lot longer than expected. Spurs aren’t the only club who haven’t been busy in the market as a lot of clubs have been rather quiet in the transfer market so far. Transfer business should ramp up now with Euro 2020 and the Copa America finally done and dusted. There’s plenty of time for incomings and outgoings with the window closing at the end of the month.”

Jack00: “Is there any truth to the rumours surrounding Maxence Lacroix?”

Alasdair says: “Lacroix is certainly one on Paratici’s long list of potential central defenders. He ticks a lot of boxes for a Tottenham signing with his profile and age, but we now await to see who the Italian moves forward with, and it could come down to what happens with Kounde.”

Ryangoles: “Away from the ‘big names’ of Kounde and Skriniar, who would your preference be out of Milenkovic, Andersen and Lacroix?”

Alasdair says: “Good question. I think they’ve all got different things to bring to the table. Milenkovic and Andersen have leadership qualities, Lacroix brings the pace. Andersen also has Premier League experience. They’re all very talented young defenders, but I’d have to make my decision based on the one I’ve seen more of and that’s Andersen, who I think would fit in well at Spurs with his international team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.”

Steve Sharpe: “Anything at all on the stadium naming rights that is potentially close to giving an extra £25 million per year?”

Alasdair says: “I haven’t heard anything on that myself at this point but Mike Keegan, who wrote that story last week is an excellent journalist so he may well have heard something I hadn’t. It could well be finally in the works as Todd Kline, the club’s chief finance officer, was brought in to sort out that deal among others.

“My understanding, which I wrote about the other day, is that a training kit sponsorship deal has been agreed and should be announced sooner rather than later and that will bring in a decent amount of money each season, with deals out there among Premier League clubs ranging from around £10m to £20m a season.”



Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo speaks to Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura during pre-season training at Hotspur Way
Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo speaks to Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura during pre-season training at Hotspur Way

dtp1987: “With constant articles and hints of a “squad overhaul” why hasn’t there been any outgoings yet? I don’t like how slow this is going considering the start of the season is only a few weeks away.”

Rob says: “Obviously you need clubs to come forward first of all and make a bid for your players. It has been quiet at Tottenham so far but it’s exactly the same for the vast majority of Premier League clubs with very little incomings. Now that Euro 2020 and Copa America are finished we should hopefully see a bit more movement in the transfer market.”

Suyog_Rajbhandari: “Considering we’ve been linked with these players Aouar, Sabitzer, Pellegrini, who would you want and think would be the best suited for us?”

Rob says: “I think they would be all excellent additions and would subsequently strengthen the team. I’d go with Sabitzer out of those three players as Spurs are crying out for a creative player in the team and he can also play in a variety of different positions. I don’t think they’d be many complaints if any of the trio signed for Tottenham.”

Okan5858: “Can you imagine that we could get Ozan Kabak? We need central defenders and Kabak wouldn’t cost much because Schalke have to sell him.”

Rob says: “Fabio Paratici will assess a number of options when it comes to his defence as that’s how he operates. Kabak may be available for a small fee compared to some other targets but for Tottenham it’s about signing quality rather than trying to just bring players in because they are cheap and can save the club some money in the process. Nuno Espirito Santo made it clear in his press conference that it’s not easy for Spurs to sign players as they have a lot of quality and it’s more about finding the right players. As I said, Paratici will have a number of options when it comes to centre-back and hopefully who he signs will be a huge success.”

Steve Sharpe: “I’m really positive that with Nuno and Ian Cathro we could have actually found our next Poch. Fitness first, building the family second, getting the right players that Tottenham can afford to bring in and doing it differently. Do you think there is a high level of excitement inside the club even if they are being a little more withdrawn externally?”

Alasdair says: “I can only go on what Japhet Tanganga told me when I interviewed him this week but he seemed genuinely excited about the new head coach and seemed really touched by the amount he had checked in on him and Oliver Skipp as they recovered from their injuries. He also said the players already “loved” Espirito Santo, which seems too strong an expression to use unless he actually meant it.”

hufferh: “Is there any reason to think clubs want to buy our deadwood? Not just talking Spurs, are “squad players” getting sold around Europe or has the COVID economy made those transfers not financially viable this season?”

Alasdair says: “Finances are tight across the game, other than for a few super rich clubs, and for Tottenham it’s about getting the agents of those players they want out to help drum up interest. Premier League players are wanted across the game but the problem that also comes with them is those wages and replicating them elsewhere. Take Toby Alderweireld for example. He wants to leave and preferably return to Belgium or the Netherlands, but who there can afford his wages and with a transfer fee as well. There are so many moving parts to any deal.”

samhammond: “Southampton fan here but have heard the reports throughout the summer regarding Spurs, Ings and Vestergaard. Are there any updates on the club’s interest in those players? Could those moves materialise?”

Alasdair says: “Spurs certainly have wanted Danny Ings for a while but it’s all about whether they make a serious move – his contract situation helps – and whether Ings wants to potentially play second fiddle to Harry Kane on the whole. There’s always talk that Spurs will switch to two up front but when you’ve got Son to fit in as well, that’s unlikely to happen regularly as others have found. Vestergaard was always someone I was told Mourinho was keen on rather than being a typically Tottenham signing. I think others will be above the long centre-back list ahead of him.”

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CMTHFC: “With Nuno’s focus on high fitness levels, do you think that any of the returning international players may not be ready by GW1 or GW2? Might we see Kane/Lo Celso/Hojbjerg/Sanchez not ready for a full 90 minutes by August 15?”

Rob says: “Hojbjerg and Kane are certain starters out of those four players and it would be a shock if they weren’t in the starting XI on the opening weekend. I could see Sanchez and Lo Celso starting on the bench, however, given the options Espirito Santo has in both defence and midfield. Ndombele has been back since the first day of pre-season so you’d fancy his chances of starting next to Hojbjerg providing he impresses the boss, while Rodon has had a strong Euros and there could also be a new centre-back at the club for the opening game which could subsequently see Sanchez miss out on the XI.”

Violet500: “What are Tottenham’s plans for Maksim Paskotsi? Already a full Estonian international and seems to have a big future ahead of himself. Also anyone else from the u18 squad from last season we should be keeping an eye on?”

Rob says: “Maksim Paskotsi has been spotted in first-team training at Hotspur Way this week so he could well come into the head coach’s thinking for the Leyton Orient friendly. He’s enjoyed quite the year since joining the club and he’s clearly making big strides having now progressed to the Estonia national team. Spurs are short on experienced centre-backs at the moment with a number still on their summer breaks so the opportunity may come his way and hopefully he will take it with both hands as he’s a very talented player.

“In terms of others from the U18s from last season, I think Nile John could be a contender for some first-team opportunities. Starting off in the U18s in 2020/21 before playing for the U23s, Jose Mourinho quite clearly saw something in the player as he was handed his senior bow in the Europa League. He’s looked rather good in training under Espirito Santo so far in the clips Spurs have published to their social media channels.”

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