Here are the Tottenham Hotspur morning headlines for Friday, July 17.
Spurs calling Hojbjerg 'every day'
Tottenham are reported to be one of the clubs hoping to sign Southampton central midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and have been making attempts to get him to choose them over other potential options.
Everton are reported to have made a bid for him, with Saints leaving Hojbjerg out of recent line-ups after he opted against signing a new contract.
But Tottenham’s approach is a little more personal, according to Football Insider, who say Spurs have “been calling Hojbjerg’s camp every day” even though no formal bid has been submitted.
An offer of around £20million is expected to be enough to secure the 24-year-old’s signature this summer.
Right-back set for permanent exit
January moves saw Southampton take Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham, as their own defender Cedric Soares headed to north London instead - to Arsenal.
While he has now signed permanently at the Emirates, Saints still need to complete a deal for a replacement themselves and they now appear convinced that Walker-Peters should be that man.
A £10m offer could be forthcoming, as the loan did not include any option to buy when the 23-year-old made the temporary switch earlier in the year.
Given the aforementioned links with Hojbjerg it’s no surprise to see that discussions over a move incorporating both players is possible.
Walker-Peters has featured in the last seven matches for Saints, though not always as starter.
Bale told to leave after disrespecting Real Madrid
Former Spurs winger Gareth Bale has been on the fringes at Real Madrid again and his latest off-pitch antics have not gone down well in some quarters.
Ex-Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has criticised the Welshman for joking around while substitute against Alaves, pretending to snooze after all the allowed changes were made by Zinedine Zidane.
“When I saw it I couldn’t believe it. I watched him put his mask over his eyes and pretend to be asleep. I cannot support that. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to Real Madrid,” Berbatov told Betfair.
“Madrid need to find a solution to the Bale saga. It’s not good for Bale or the team. The only solution is for Bale to leave Real Madrid.
“Bale should be asking for a solution, even if it is a loan move. It was a show of power, it was as if he was saying: ‘Play me or I’ll do whatever I want.’ That doesn’t sit right with me.”
The winger was, however, part of the team which celebrated winning LaLiga last night after a 2-1 win over Villarreal, with Bale making just 12 starts in the league campaign so far.
