Here are your Tottenham Hotspur evening headlines for Wednesday July 8.
Spurs have advantage in Hojbjerg race
According to the Telegraph , Tottenham Hotspur have the upper hand in the race to sign Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer. However, despite their extended pursuit of the 24-year-old, they now have competition.
The report states that Ajax are also interested in signing the Danish international, who was stripped of the captaincy earlier this season as he refuses to sign a contract extension. His current deal expires at the end of next season and he could leave for free should a sale not be completed this summer.
Ajax can offer Hojbjerg Champions League football, which is looking increasingly unlikely at Spurs, but it is said that staying in the Premier League is an attractive prospect, too.
Mourinho has struggled with his central midfield options this season. Club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele has underwhelmed with reports of attitude problems, while Eric Dier has moved into centre-back following his struggles earlier in the season.
Hojbjerg would provide added central midfield quality for a below-market price, thought to be £15million, due to his contract situation.
Mourinho delivers Eric Dier update
After Eric Dier was suspended for four games for pursuing a fan in the stands before lockdown, Jose Mourinho revealed that Spurs will not appeal the decision.
The Tottenham boss had previously said that the Englishman would not deserve any ban as Matteo Guendouzi escaped without FA punishment when he put Neal Maupay in a chokehold.
“I don't think so honestly, because if you appeal you have other risks,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “At least let's start next season without a suspension and we all know how it works at these FA decisions.
“You have access if you want to the record of successful appeals and unsuccessful appeals.
“I don't think so, I don't think we're going to appeal.”
Mourinho was asked for his response, but he said he preferred not to comment due to fear of getting in trouble.
“No reaction. I prefer no reaction,” he said. “I am not going to answer, if I answer I am going to be in trouble and I don't want to be. So no comment on that.”
Mourinho wants two wonderkids in first-team squad
While his reputation suggests that Jose Mourinho does not offer young players opportunities, since he has arrived in north London, several young talents have emerged as potential long-term options in the first-team squad.
Japhet Tanganga, Troy Parrott, and Malachi Fagan-Walcott have all made first-team appearances this season under the guidance of Mourinho. And now two others, Harvey White and Dennis Cirkin, seem set to join the senior set-up.
Asked by football.london whether he will rotate through his squad during the remainder of the season, he said he is still keen to fight for a European place but would like to have White and Cirkin as a part of the first-team squad next season.
“We're fighting for European positions,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “If you ask me would I prefer not to be in European football or play in the Europa League, I prefer Europa League so we have to fight for that.
“Other players have a chance to play, of course they have a chance to play but not because points are not important for us.
“They can play because they're good players and we trust the players. So at any time they can play. Even in relation to Cirkin and Harvey White, I already told the club that I would like them to be with me next season in the first-team squad.
“It's the easiest way for them to develop, it's to train every day at the most demanding level. So we trust the kids and we're going to develop the kids.”
