Tottenham Round-Up, Monday 9th November: Spurs Lodge Formal Complaint Over Bogle Red Card as January Striker Search Gathers Pace
Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Elland Road is still the main talking point this evening, with Tottenham having formally complained about referee Jarred Gillett's decision not to send off Leeds United's Jayden Bogle for his challenge on Mathys Tel (Evening Standard) (Football.London). Former official Mike Dean's verdict has reportedly backed up Spurs' stance that it should have been a red card (Football.London), while ex-Premier League referee Graham Barber has suggested VAR could learn lessons from how technology is used in rugby union following the controversy (GiveMeSport). Keith Hackett has gone further, suggesting Tottenham are expected to receive a letter of apology from Pro Ref this week over the handling of the incident (Spurs Web). Not everyone is sympathetic to Spurs' reaction, though, with Danny Murphy branding the club's decision to appeal "not acceptable" (Spurs Web).
The defeat has prompted plenty of inquest. Football.London has raised doubts over Vinai Venkatesham's stated ambition for Tottenham to become English champions given the problems exposed at Leeds (Football.London), while Opta's supercomputer has reportedly downgraded Spurs' expected Premier League finish to the bottom half following the result (Spurs Web). Data also suggests Jan Paul van Hecke and Antonin Kinsky were let down by their teammates on the day (Spurs Web), while Sandro Tonali has given his own honest assessment, pointing to Leeds' pressing as something Tottenham found especially difficult to deal with (Spurs Web). Jamie O'Hara was far more pointed in his criticism, labelling one of Spurs' summer signings a "fraud" after the display at Elland Road (Spurs Web). Roberto De Zerbi is now plotting a response, with 13 players set for extra training at Hotspur Way as he looks to iron out three specific problems (Football.London).
The international break has also brought injury updates, with Mathys Tel, James Maddison and Savio among those whose return dates are being tracked, while Wilson Odobert continues his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered against Newcastle back in February (Evening Standard). More positively, Spurs Web reports that four players could be available again once the break ends and Tottenham face Ipswich Town, with longer-term absentees possibly back by December (Spurs Web).
On the transfer front, the striker search dominates. David Ornstein says Tottenham are "prepared to go big" in January as they hunt for a new number nine (TeamTalk), a need Alan Shearer has also publicly highlighted (GiveMeSport). Names in the frame include Vitor Roque, with Spurs reportedly in a scramble with two Premier League rivals for his signature (Spurs Web), and Monza's Gustavo Varela, whose price tag has reportedly more than doubled, dealing a blow to Spurs' hopes (Spurs Web). At the back, Tottenham and Newcastle United are said to be monitoring AC Milan's Koni De Winter (TeamTalk) (Spurs Web), while Barcelona's Alejandro Balde has emerged as a left-back target as Spurs look to rival Manchester United for his signature (Sports Mole). There are also reports linking Tottenham with a young Palmeiras right-back costing around £20.8m (Spurs Web), Antonio Nusa as a left-wing option they're being warned to pursue ahead of Arsenal (Spurs Web), and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki (Spurs Web).
Conor Gallagher's future is a recurring theme, with conflicting reports on where things stand: one claims De Zerbi has no intention of letting him leave in January despite Premier League interest (Spurs Web), while another suggests a decision has already been made to offload him amid links to Everton and Crystal Palace (TeamTalk). Elsewhere, a current Tottenham player has reportedly made clear he wants to leave, with suggestions De Zerbi already has a replacement lined up (GiveMeSport), and an insider is said to agree with Ornstein's reading of Spurs' January plans (Spurs Web).
Away from the pitch, former striker Will Lankshear is reportedly attracting Newcastle's interest after some impressive form (Spurs Web), while Djed Spence paid a reunion visit to Hotspur Way, his first since leaving for Inter Milan in the summer (Spurs Web). Mauricio Pochettino could be in line for another Premier League job (Spurs Web), and Thomas Frank is reportedly leading the race to become Crystal Palace's next manager, with Spurs potentially facing him in January (Spurs Web). On a lighter note, Dele Alli apologised to Spurs fans by burning an Arsenal shirt after losing a bet (The Sun).
Tottenham's Under-12s have taken part in the Premier League's Christmas Truce Challenge as part of Remembrance commemorations (TottenhamHotspur.com), while the club shared images of the near 3,000 fans who made the trip to Elland Road for the lunchtime kick-off (TottenhamHotspur.com). A host of players have now departed for Nations League duty and other fixtures during the final international break of 2026 (TottenhamHotspur.com) (Spurs Web), while 13 players remain at Hotspur Way, with De Zerbi able to call upon just seven of them for training (Spurs Web).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
