Tottenham Hotspur

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Tottenham have confirmed that full-back Andy Robertson will wear number three during his time at the club.

This is common for left-backs but it is not the Scotland international's go-to number; at his past three clubs (Liverpool, Hull City and Dundee United), Robertson opted to wear number 26.

"When I came here, I knew that the number 26 hasn't been used since the legend that is Ledley King and I wanted to respect that. He was an unbelievable player and has done so many good things for this football club.

"Number three means a lot to me – that's my national team number. I've had so many good memories as number three for Scotland so when I knew it was going to become available, it was a no-brainer for me.

"The number 26 is a really important number to me in my life and it will always stay like that, but number three is just as important and hopefully I can make as many memories in the number three shirt as I did in the 26."

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Tottenham have confirmed a 35-man travelling squad for their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia - with five injured senior players left behind.

Mohamed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Guglielmo Vicario will remain in England and continue their rehabilitation.

AS a result of their World Cup schedules, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Pedro Porro, Marcos Senesi, Cristian Romero and Djed Spence will miss the trip.

Out of the 10 Spurs players who featured in the World Cup, only Kevin Danso, Antonin Kinsky, Andy Robertson, Micky van de Ven and Lucas Bergvall will take part.

Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke, who joined Tottenham this summer, have all been named in the squad.

Spurs will play A-League champions Auckland FC at Eden Park on Sunday (04:00 BST kick-off).

Following that, they will then travel to Australia to take part in the Sydney Super Cup.

Tottenham's pre-season tour squad:

Damola Ajayi, Brandon Austin, Lucas Bergvall, Harry Byrne, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, Jamie Donley, Martin Dubravka, Mateus Fernandes, Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray, Tye Hall, Tyrese Hall, Malachi Hardy, Antonin Kinsky, Rio Kyerematen, James Maddison, Mason Melia, Mikey Moore, Richarlison, Andy Robertson, Reiss Russell-Denny, Dane Scarlett, Dominic Solanke, Manor Solomon, Kota Takai, Mathys Tel, Dylan Thompson, Tyler Tingey, Sandro Tonali, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Luca Williams-Barnett, Yang Min-hyeok.

Spurs' pre-season schedule:

• 22 July Tottenham 1-0 MK Dons

• 26 July Auckland v Tottenham - 04:30 BST

• 29 July Sydney FC v Tottenham (Sydney Super Cup) - 10:45 BST

• 1 August Tottenham v Chelsea (Sydney Super Cup) - 10:45 BST

• 8 August Tottenham v Getafe (H - behind closed doors) - 15:00 BST

• 15 August Tottenham v Hoffenheim (H) - 15:00 BST

• 16 August Tottenham v Hoffenheim (H - behind closed doors) -12:00 BST

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"It was my favourite goal of my career by a mile."

Those are the words of Tottenham's summer signing Mateus Fernandes after scoring inside three minutes of his club debut in a behind-closed-doors friendly against League One side MK Dons.

The £85m signing from West Ham United hit a first-time volley into the top corner via the post from 20 yards out to score the only goal in Wednesday's pre-season opener.

"I need to do this more and more times, to shoot outside of the box. I know that I can do it," Fernandes said.

"This just gives me the confidence for the rest of the days [of pre-season]."

Former Tottenham defender Sebastian Bassong was impressed by the central midfielder's goal, comparing the strike to Zinedine Zidane's famous volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

"What I'm impressed with is the balance, the quality, the connection, the fact that he is looking at the ball - he doesn't lose sight of it," Bassong told club media.

"He is such a gifted player."

As it was Tottenham's first pre-season fixture, head coach Roberto de Zerbi made 10 changes for the second half to get minutes in the tank.

Partnering Fernandes in a midfield double pivot was £100m signing Sandro Tonali, making his first run-out since joining from Newcastle United.

Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka also made his debut after being released by Burnley, coming on at the break for Antonin Kinsky.

Ben Davies, who has been sidelined with injury since January, featured, as did a number of players who spent last season out on loan.

Tottenham will now travel to New Zealand for their pre-season tour, where they will take on A-League side Auckland in a friendly on Sunday (04:00 BST).

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Pogon Szczecin have agreed a deal for Tottenham defender Alfie Dorrington to move to Poland in permanent transfer.

The 21-year-old's move remains subject to personal terms but Pogon have permission to conduct a medical.

Dorrington spent last season on loan at Salford City in League Two, narrowly missing out on promotion through both the league proper and later the play-offs, having also had two spells at Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen.

He has made a single appearance for Spurs since joining in 2018 and is an England under-19s international.

Pogon finished ninth in the Polish top-flight last season but typically harbour ambitions to compete for trophies and the European places at the top of the league.

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We asked you to pick one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want Tottenham to bring in before the transfer window shuts.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Tom: Easy, really: Romero out and Kroupi in. Cristian Romero was a toxic liability before Argentina's World Cup debacle, but is more so now. The rebuild is well underway otherwise, so we need to improve our front line and Eli Junior Kroupi is exciting and knows the league. If not him, I saw us linked to Ferran Torres and I would eagerly take him. With a year left on his contract, he'd be a great deal.

Raj: In: Dusan Vlahovic. A quality striker to provide a bit of competition up top and available on a free which is very rare. Out: Romero. It's clear he has checked out, he isn't needed anymore and he is a liability at the best of times. His exploits at the World Cup have also alienated him from the fans. We should cash-in while we can.

Frank: We should sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka as a backup or rotation player to Pedro Porro. There has been a theme with our signings and it's that they have all shown their ability to cope with the physicality of the Premier League and he has definitely done that. I think we should sell Destiny Udogie because he is still young so we can get some good money for him.

John: Striker upgrades needed! Richarlison is yesterday's player, goodbye. We need to keep Will Lankshear, he is tomorrow's player.

Laurence: We need a proper centre-forward to lead the line and score more goals. Sorry but Dominic Solanke and Richarlison must be sold because they are no way good enough and they have proven a total waste of money. Why not try our utmost to secure the services of Brian Brobbey from Sunderland? Somebody who I feel would be the ideal striker for us. Then we could do worse than nurture young Lankshear as the understudy to him.

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Roberto De Zerbi says he wants to build a team with "soul" at Tottenham and insists the summer spending is "not finished yet".

Spurs have already spent £237m on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke, while Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have also signed as free agents.

De Zerbi believes everyone is fully bought in to the "project", after he guided Spurs to safety at the end of last season with a final day win over Everton.

"I feel very good because we are working well," the Italian told club media.

"I think we are building a very good team, with some very important new players, and we are starting the project in another part of the history of the club.

"I spent a lot of time [understanding the club] before joining in April and I knew very well the ideas of the owner of the club and the plan was clear before the Everton game.

"Now we are inside (the project), we are excited with the idea to build a very strong team. Now we have to finish as it is not finished yet, our transfer market, in and out, but at the moment I am very happy, very proud and very positive.

"To build a soul, to build a new team with the qualities for sure but with soul, with passion, with all the values we have.

"Football now is not just on the pitch, it's not just with the ball, it is before in the private life, it is how many hours during the day you think you are doing your job and they have to be happy and proud to stay in Tottenham."

After consecutive 17th-place finishes, De Zerbi harbours higher ambitions for next season.

"I think Tottenham deserve to compete for the top of the Premier League," he added.

"I know very well the Premier League is very tough, but if you have a good motivation inside of the players, a good organisation on the pitch and outside of the pitch, I think you work well and at the end you reach your target."

Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are all plotting a move for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, 28, but the Old Trafford hierarchy do not want to sell him to another English club. (The I - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Now the dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, you can officially review your Predictor results for the tournament.

If you played more than four rounds, BBC Sport has done a deep dive into your predictions, tournament performance and compared you to other players.

Don't worry, though, Predictor isn't stopping at international tournaments! Pre-season has kicked off and there are plenty of friendlies and European qualifiers to keep us occupied before the new season gets under way.

So how do you fancy your chances of correctly predicting the scores for our six selected matches every week?

BBC Sport has launched a new weekly Predictor game to cover the 2026-27 season, allowing users to pick what they think will be the result from six fixtures from across the leagues.

There will usually be a Friday deadline and the game will also feature streaks, so make sure to build it into your weekly football habits.

Lock in your first round of predictions before Friday, 24 July here

If you're wondering how to play, here are a few easy steps:

• Click on the link above to take you to the selections page.

• For every match, you either choose a winning team or select a draw - once your prediction has been submitted you won't be able to change it, so be sure to pick carefully.

• Then wait for the results to roll in to see how you have done.

• Share your results with your friends and family.

• Every consecutive round you play adds one to your streak, but if you miss a round then your streak will reset to zero.

Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

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The Premier League's financial landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Since 2016 total summer transfer spending has risen from £1.16bn to a record £3.19bn in 2025 – an increase of almost 175%.

On the surface, that suggests transfer figures are continuing to accelerate. Headline fees, though, tell only part of the story.

Research by Kieran Maguire and colleagues at the University of Liverpool suggests some of the Premier League's earlier record signings represented even greater investments when measured against clubs' buying power at the time.

Using Premier League broadcasting revenues as an index, Alan Shearer's £15m move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in 1996 remains the league's biggest transfer relative to clubs' spending power. Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m move to Manchester United in 2002 and Juan Sebastian Veron's £28.1m arrival at Old Trafford in 2001 also rank above any of this summer's blockbuster deals.

The same model suggests Trevor Francis' £1m move from Birmingham City to Forest in 1979 – English football's first £1m transfer – would equate to about £173m in today's market.

That does not mean the fees paid for Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali were modest. Rather, it reflects how dramatically Premier League revenues have grown, allowing clubs to spend sums that would once have been unimaginable.

When Jack Grealish became Britain's first £100m footballer when joining City from Villa in 2021, the transfer marked another turning point in the evolution of the market.

Only five years later, nine-figure deals are no longer viewed as extraordinary. They have become a familiar feature of Premier League transfer windows.

The next milestone may not be far away.

While no Premier League club has yet paid £200m for a player, football's financial ceiling continues to rise and the first transfer of that magnitude no longer feels beyond the realms of possibility.

• Read more on transfer fee evolution

With the 2026 World Cup done and dusted, the return of club football is back on everyone's minds.

Pre-season preparations are under way and we want you to have a think about Tottenham's squad.

There have, of course, already been some big-money additions to Roberto de Zerbi's options, but tell us one realistic target you still want Spurs to bring in before the transfer window shuts and one player you would like to move on this summer.

Get in touch with your picks here

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Andrew Crofts has left his position as Brighton assistant head coach to take on the same role at Tottenham as Roberto de Zerbi's's assistant.

The pair previously worked together during De Zerbi's spell in charge of the Seagulls.

Brighton sporting director Mike Cave said: "Andrew has been a fantastic member of the coaching staff in both our men's first team and the boys' academy, adding a huge amount of value to every role he has undertaken.

"While we are disappointed to see him leave, we understand that this is a fresh opportunity for him to challenge himself in a new environment.

"He is a great example of the pathway at the club for both our players and staff. We wish him the best of luck for the future."

Tottenham have also confirmed the appointments of Ali James (head of medical services), Tom Tombleson (head of athletic development) and Agostino Tibaudi (strength and conditioning coach).

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Thirty-four years ago a £13m transfer caused national outrage in Italy.

When AC Milan signed Gianluigi Lentini from Torino in 1992 for a then world record fee, newspapers called the deal "obscene", while the Vatican's official newspaper described it as "an offence against the dignity of work".

Today that fee would barely register among the Premier League's biggest transfers.

This summer alone Chelsea have agreed a club record £117m deal for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest £116m for Elliot Anderson, and Tottenham spent a club record £100m on Sandro Tonali.

These are not the only major deals. Tottenham also agreed an £85m move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona paid £69m to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, and Manchester United spent £50m on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.

It is the first transfer window in Premier League history to produce three £100m-plus signings - and there are still weeks to go before deadline day on 1 September.

During the 2025 summer window English top-flight clubs spent a record £3bn.

So why are transfer fees continuing to climb? Why are clubs paying record sums for players already playing in England? And why are more clubs willing to sell some of their biggest stars?

Read more here on the big spending taking place in the Premier League

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Roberto de Zerbi is set to add Brighton's Andrew Crofts to his Tottenham coaching staff before the 2026-27 season.

Crofts is the Seagulls' assistant head coach under Fabian Hurzeler and also works as part of Wales boss Craig Bellamy's staff.

The 42-year-old has spent his entire club coaching career with Brighton, rising through the academy ranks before being appointed to the first-team staff in August 2024 following the arrival of Hurzeler.

Crofts played for clubs including Brighton and Norwich City, and won 29 caps for Wales.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United have signed teenage winger Tynan Thompson from Tottenham in a deal that could be worth £8m.

The 18-year-old England youth international scored 13 goals and contributed six assists last season across Under-18 to Under-21 level.

The initial fee will be £4m with a further £4m in add-ons related to the first team and there is a 15% sell-on clause.

It is unclear which squad he will join yet and whether he will be part of United's squad in Norway for Friday's pre-season game against Rosenborg.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro will return to North London as a world champion having played his part in Spain's 2026 World Cup win.

Porro followed up on his solid display in the semi-final against France to play a part in the move that produced Ferran Torres' winning goal in the second-half of extra-time in New Jersey.

Cristian Romero and Marcos Senesi's Argentina didn't produce one shot on target throughout the entirety of the game as Spain dominated.

Porro's success makes him the fourth Spurs player in history to win the World Cup, following Jimmy Greaves (1966), Hugo Lloris (2018) and Cristian Romero (2022).

Summer signing Senesi, Romero and Porro will now have three weeks to rest and recover, as per Fifa guidelines, before returning to Tottenham for the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Roberto de Zerbi's side kick off the new campaign at Brentford on Saturday, 22 August.

European champions Spain broke the resistance of 10-man Argentina in extra-time to win their second ever World Cup in New Jersey.

Barcelona's Ferran Torres was the difference maker in what was an overall disappointing final that was littered with interruptions.

Spain created the best opportunities against the defending world champions, who mainly resorted to spoiling tactics and had Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez sent off just before the game went into extra time.

Torres was the hero for Spain when he collected substitute Nico Williams' header to beat Argentina and Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot from close range after 106 minutes.

Seven Premier League players will now return to their five respective clubs for the new 2026-27 season having won the biggest honour in world football.

Everton could rival Inter Milan in the race to sign Tottenham's 25-year-old England defender Djed Spence. (Football Insider), external

Spurs are targeting Celtic and Belgium midfielder Arne Engels, 22. Football Insider, external

Meanwhile, Tottenham striker Will Lankshear is attracting interest from Championship side Southampton. (Darren Witcoop), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Tottenham are guaranteed to have a 2026 World Cup winner in their squad no matter who emerges victorious in Sunday's final.

Club captain Cristian Romero, who has been the anchor of Argentina's defence at this tournament, will bid for his second world title against European champions Spain live on the BBC from 19:00 BST.

International team-mate Marcos Senesi is yet to play for Spurs having signed from Bournemouth on a free transfer at the beginning of June.

The defender was an unused substitute for the sixth time in the semi-final victory over England, with his only start coming against Jordan in the group stage.

Meanwhile, Pedro Porro, who scored against France in Tuesday's semi-final, is almost certain to start the final as Luis de la Fuente's first-choice right-back.

The 26-year-old has said "it's a dream come true" to reach the final, but can he and Spain go one further and win their second World Cup, having lifted their first title in 2010?

Three-time champions Argentina stand in their way.

Watch the World Cup final on the BBC

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With pre-season officially in full swing, we asked you to tell us what you're looking forward to about club football returning.

Here are some of your replies:

Dan: I guess we're all looking forward to seeing the new players and how Roberto de Zerbi sets the team up. But most of all, I'm hoping to see our Dutch central-defensive partnership. It worked so well when we had the two Belgians together. But, this to come to fruition probably requires Captain Redcard's departure from the club.

Toby: Winning two games in a row at home.

Chris: I'm looking forward to seeing how all the new arrivals gel into the team. We cannot afford another start to the season like we've seen the past two years. This is now a De Zerbi team - the players arriving are ones he wanted, the club have backed him and he'll have had a decent pre-season despite the inconvenience of players being at the World Cup. Time to see if our manager is worth all the hype. I hope so. I'm sure there will be more business done in the window, both arrivals and departures (just hope none of the departures go to Nottingham Forest unless it's for massive money). So yes, I'm looking forward to seeing how De Zerbi builds this team of ours.

Rowli: Actually winning games with style, flair and great football.

HardcastleHotspur: The prospect of a season in which we actually play well and win games at the Lane. It's been a long time, and we can now hope that De Zerbi can produce some good results.

John: Watching us (hopefully) climb the table instead of hanging around in the bottom third. It will also be interesting to see the style of play we adopt under De Zerbi.

Doug: Seeing the brand of football De Zerbi has us playing and sets us up without the threat of relegation hanging over us.

Steve: Things going back to normal and Spurs having a distinctively average season.

Inter Milanare working on deals for Tottenham's England defender Djed Spence, 25, and Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero, 28. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external

Liverpool are leading the race to sign Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano from Mainz and are prepared to offer up to 60m euros (£50.9m) for the 25-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal,Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund.(Teamtalk), external

Tottenham Hotspur have rejected a loan offer fromIpswich Town for Mikey Moore, the 18-year-old winger who spent last season with Rangers. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

The World Cup has done a fantastic job of filling the Premier League void, but there is nothing quite like club football.

As the tournament in North America heads towards its climax and England supporters' disappointment sinks in, there is a Tottenham fanbase waiting for the 2026-27 season with anticipation.

So, it has got us thinking: what are you looking forward to most about club football resuming?

Get in touch with your views here