Dominic Solanke is a “top pro” who is exactly what Tottenham expected when they paid big money to sign him from Bournemouth, so says Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs splurged a club-record fee – reportedly up to £65million – on Solanke, who scored 19 Premier League goals for the Cherries last season.
Solanke could be in line to make his Tottenham debut on Monday, when Spurs open their Premier League campaign away at newly promoted Leicester City.
And Postecoglou spoke highly of his new addition.
"Thankfully, it's what we expected,” said the Australian.
“He's a top pro and a good guy – he's settled into the dressing room really well.
“Football-wise you can see he has all the attributes we need. We've still got a couple of training sessions to go but he's doing well.”
While Postecoglou confirmed Spurs will have a full squad to choose from, bar the suspended Yves Bissouma, at the King Power Stadium, hosts Leicester are not as fortunate.
Steve Cooper, who is preparing for his first league match in charge of the Foxes, confirmed Patson Daka was set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering an injury against Lens in pre-season, with the striker set for a long spell out.
“Patson [Daka] obviously is not great news,” Cooper said. “He suffered quite a serious ankle injury last week in the game in Lens and he is going to be out for a good few months.
“He’s having an operation. That’s really unfortunate for him because he was looking good in pre-season.”
Jamie Vardy is also absent.
Cooper, whose last Premier League game was a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham in December last year with Nottingham Forest, added: “Vards, similarly, he’s been injured since the second week of pre-season now, when we were on one of our pre-season camps.
"He’s closer to returning but it will be a little while, although he’s itching to get back. But it’s not great at that end of the pitch.
“He’s right at the latter stages of rehab now and just making sure he can fight past those final stages before he returns. With experience and age a little bit, he really understands his body and he knows what it takes.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leicester City – Stephy Mavididi
Mavididi scored 12 league goals for Leicester in their push for promotion last term, a tally bettered only by Vardy (18). The winger created 72 chances, providing six assists. Only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has since joined Chelsea, crafted more goalscoring opportunities (109) for the Foxes.
Tottenham – Son Heung-min
Son has been involved in 13 goals in 14 Premier League appearances against Leicester (nine goals, four assists), only having a hand in more against Southampton (15). Indeed, the South Korean has scored five and assisted once in his last three against the Foxes.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Leicester have lost half of their Premier League games played on Mondays (21/42) – only in Friday games do the Foxes have a higher loss rate in the competition (61.5% – 8/13).
Tottenham’s last four Premier League wins of 2023-24 came against each of the sides to finish in the bottom four (Forest, Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United). They won all six of their league games against promoted sides last term, accounting for 30% of their overall victories (6/20).
This is the seventh time Tottenham are starting their Premier League campaign against a promoted side; they have won five of the previous six, losing the other 1-0 against Sunderland in 2007-08.
However, Leicester are unbeaten on the last nine occasions they have begun their league campaign with a home game (W6 D3).
Expect goals in this one. Of all Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 30 times, Leicester against Tottenham has the highest goals-per-game average (3.8 – 128 goals in 34 games). There have been 28 goals scored in the last five meetings between the sides alone (5.6 per game).
Spurs have only failed to score in one of their 17 Premier League away games against Leicester, a 3-0 loss at Filbert Street in September 1997.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Leicester City – 26.5%
Tottenham – 49.9%
Draw – 23.6%
'It is better to leave', says Chelsea boss Maresca as he shows Chilwell exit door
Ben Chilwell has been told it would be best to leave Chelsea by head coach Enzo Maresca ahead of their Premier League opener against Manchester City on Sunday.
Chilwell, who has made 106 appearances for the Blues since his reported £45m move from Leicester in 2020, has struggled with injuries in recent years.
The 27-year-old featured 21 times in all competitions last season, missing 26 games with a hamstring injury which was then followed by a knee issue.
His subsequent misfortune with injuries has seen him drop down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, with Marc Cucurella impressing with Spain at Euro 2024.
Chilwell played 64 minutes in Chelsea's six pre-season games, failing to feature in their final three fixtures before the new campaign against Real Madrid, Manchester City and Inter.
“Chilly [Chilwell] is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill,” Maresca said.
“The reason he did not play versus Inter was because, with Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position.
“This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday. But that is impossible.
"When you train every day and do not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me.
“I need to make a decision and probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we’ll see what happens.”
Chelsea kickstart their campaign against reigning champions City on Sunday in what will be Maresca's first competitive game in charge of the club.
The Blues have continued to add during the transfer window, with Wolves' Pedro Neto the latest of nine new arrivals at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca now has over 40 players in his squad despite the loan departure of Lesley Ugochukwu and the permanent sale of Diego Moreira earlier this week.
“We spent 20 days in America with 28 or 29 players, so it was quite good to manage the squad,” Maresca added.
“Now we have guys who are not part of the squad and are training apart.
“At the moment, it is not difficult, but if I start to think I have 43 players, it’s not good.”
Nottingham Forest welcome Paraguay international Sosa from Talleres
Nottingham Forest welcomed their seventh addition of the transfer window with the arrival of Paraguay international Ramon Sosa from Talleres.
Sosa, who grabbed a goal and an assist at this year's Copa America for Los Guaranies, has signed a five-year deal at the City Ground for a reported £11m transfer fee.
The 24-year-old scored six goals and added seven assists in all competitions for Talleres last season.
Sosa began his career in his native country where he won the Copa Paraguay with Olimpia in 2021 before moving to Argentinian side Gimnasia.
He contributed 13 goal contributions (six goals and seven assists) in his debut season with the club, which led to a move to Talleres.
Sosa registered 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 appearances for the Albiazul, impressing at the Copa America despite playing only 133 minutes of football at the tournament.
"Ramon has been coveted by many clubs but was so clear in his desire to join Nottingham Forest," said Ross Wilson, Forest's chief football officer.
"We could all feel his energy, emotion, pride and excitement to be here from the first minute he arrived.
"He can't wait to get started and we are delighted that he is here with us."
The signing follows Forest's recent deals to bring in Jota Silva, Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenkovic, Eric da Silva Moreira, and Carlos Miguel.
Ugochukwu joins Southampton on season-long loan from Chelsea
Lesley Ugochukwu has completed a season-long loan move to Southampton from Chelsea.
Ugochukwu, who made 15 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last season, was not registered in time for the Saints' Premier League opener against Newcastle.
The 20-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge last year in a reported £23.2m deal from Rennes but missed 20 Premier League games as he struggled with a hamstring issue.
He was welcomed to St. Mary's on the same day Cameron Archer sealed a £15m permanent switch from Aston Villa, with the pair adding to Russell Martin's ranks.
The duo join 12 new faces on the South Coast, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes, Ben Brereton Diaz and Ronnie Edwards all signing in the window.
“It was a very easy decision, Ugochukwu said. "They just came back to Premier League.
"When I heard Southampton, when I spoke to the gaffer as well, I said, 'I have to come here.'
“I’m just here to work hard and give everything for the fans and for myself as well.”
Head coach Russell Martin added: “Lesley is a brilliant athlete who has all the ingredients to be a really top player in the future, and we want to help him achieve that.
"He combines his size and power with real composure in possession.
“He’s another young player we’ve brought in who has sampled the Premier League already, which is important, and someone we feel can help us in the midfield area with the physicality that he brings to the game.”
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