Midsummer Dispatch
Well, it's been a while!
I hope everyone is having a nice summer and enjoyed as much or as little of the Men's World Cup as you liked. I did not stick to my intended full boycott, mostly because it felt increasingly futile as the tournament went on, and caved when Germany ended up in a penalty shootout (let's not talk about how that went, though). I gave up settling on any post-Germany-exit rooting interest after Norway got knocked out (I've always had a soft spot for Haaland) and really couldn't care less who won, but congratulations to Pedro Porro at least. I'm still looking forward to next summer's Women's edition, however, and fervently hoping that FIFA gets its act together by then. The optics certainly can't be worse than this tournament's!
In this issue: Transfer talk | Kit room | News from around the Lane
Neither Spurs team has started playing pre-season friendlies yet (though only two days to go for the Men's team!), so the agenda for today is just transfers, kit releases, and sundry news. The Tottenham Hotspur news cycle has not slowed down one bit during the World Cup.
Transfer talk
While there will surely be some more outgoings and possibly a few more incomings across the club, there has already been plenty of transfer business completed since last writing.
To refresh your memory, at that point Spurs Women had made two signings (Shekiera Martinez and Caitlin Dijkstra), and Spurs Men had made one signing (Andy Robertson).
I'll quickly list all the contract extensions, outgoings, and incomings for each team since the last issue, then share a few thoughts on how these players will fit into their respective teams.
Spurs Women
Outgoings
- Eleanor Heeps (transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion on a permanent deal)
- Maika Hamano (end of loan confirmed)
Kit Graham and Beth England were previously confirmed to be leaving the club ahead of the transfer window opening; Graham has now signed with Ipswich Town in WSL2, where she spent the second half of last season on loan, while England has signed with Crystal Palace. Charli Grant has also found a new club at Malmö FF in the Damallsvenskan.
Incomings
We had already been heavily rumored to sign Hanson, so her transfer came as no surprise. There's also no mystery about the role she's brought in to play: she's a proven goal-scorer at WSL level. Great move, no notes.
Pelova is a riskier proposition since she had a major injury (ACL) just two seasons ago. After a fairly solid start at Arsenal, she missed the majority of her third season with the injury but put up goal contribution numbers in the most recent season that were pretty similar to her first two seasons. The question is if she's already hit her ceiling in the WSL, or if Martin Ho and staff can help her reach new heights at Spurs.
Finally, Panengstuen's transfer went fairly under the radar compared to our other summer signings. I have to admit I'm a little disappointed about this one because I have become quite attached to Lize Kop and worry about what this means for her status as Spurs' #1. However, Panengstuen is five years younger than Kop, and could have been brought in as a future successor to develop alongside Kop instead. Time will tell who the manager favors as a starter, though it does seem telling that Panengstuen played under Ho previously at Brann and has now been actively recruited by him, whereas Kop was signed during Robert Vilahamn's tenure.
Heeps' outgoing transfer was another consequence of bringing in a second keeper who is already established at senior level; now Sophie Jackson will be the homegrown backup option, though far less likely to get any actual game time than Heeps ever was. That being said, it's probably for the best for Heeps' career that she exited the now even more competitive goalkeeper ranks at Spurs.
Pelova and Panengstuen both have Champions League experience that will be valuable if Spurs can reach their stated ambition of qualifying for the European competition in the coming seasons.
There's still plenty of time left in the window, so after a few pre-season games we may see some more players move on and even another signing or two. We're a bit light at the winger positions until Jess Naz returns from injury (with Lenna Gunning-Williams' availability also up in the air—see the news section below), and since we weren't able to convert Maika Hamano's loan into a permanent deal.
Spurs Men
Contract extensions
- Ben Davies signed a new deal, extending his stay as the most-tenured player on the team
Outgoings
- Yves Bissouma has left the club at the end of his contract
- Alejo Véliz has departed for Bahia after spending last season on loan at Rosario Central
- Alfie Devine has turned his loan to Preston North End into a permanent transfer
- Radu Drăgușin has transferred to Fiorentina on a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent
- Luka Vušković departs on a permanent transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion
Incomings
Defense has obviously been an area of opportunity for this squad for several seasons now, so it makes sense to bolster the centerback ranks with two international-level signings. Cristian Romero's future is still up in the air, so we may yet find ourselves just an injury or two away from another availability debacle.
It seems there will be a shuffling of the goalkeeper ranks on the Men's side, too. Although Guglielmo Vicario has not yet left the club, his departure has been heavily rumored. Dúbravka represents an experienced backup for the squad, while Antonin Kinský is clearly being groomed for the starting spot. I have to think Brandon Austin will be kept around for another season if Vicario does depart, though his homegrown, club-trained status is less important in a season without European competition and its stricter squad requirements.
Fernandes and Tonali are both versatile additions to the midfield contingent, particularly for their ability to play a more defensive role—a major liability in our squad over the last few seasons—without sacrificing attacking intent. While Fernandes is a developing prospect with lots of potential at only 21 years old, Tonali is an experienced, peak-age talent at 26. Both players represent an upgrade on some of our current options thanks to their strong passing skills and creativity. But extending that logic, that means we're likely to see at least one more outgoing transfer from the midfield.
We should be getting the traveling squad list for the upcoming pre-season tour within the next few days, and that will give some hints as to who is still likely to move on this summer.
Men's Academy
Contract extensions
Outgoings
- Luca Gunter is going on loan to Boreham Wood in the National League for the season
- Yusuf Akhamrich is going on loan to Leyton Orient in League One
- Tynan Thompson has departed on a permanent transfer to Manchester United
- From the U21s: Pele Arganese-McDermott, Tyrell Ashcroft, Leo Black, Dante Cassanova, Matthew Craig, and Calum Logan all depart the club
- From the U18s: Jamel Beggs, Samal Bangura, Leon Myrtaj, and Elijah Upson all depart the club
Incomings
- Cole Ramsey joins the U21s from Aston Villa
- The club announced the new group of first-year scholars for the U18s
Kit room
The club has revealed three new kits already for the 2026/27 season, two outfield kits and one keeper kit.
It's worth noting before discussing the individual kits that they're all going to have the same persistent issue with the shoulders not lying right that we've seen in many Nike kits already during the World Cup. "But you can steam it." Sure...
Home kit
For this season's home kit, Nike prioritized textural detail over accent colors to elevate the signature lilywhite shirt.
It's kind of nice that the texture on the main part of the kit echoes the detail in the away kit, but it's not going to stand out much from afar. The angular, nested folds of the collar and the dark trim on the end of the sleeves are equally subtle. If it weren't for that terrible crypto sleeve sponsor, this would be a good candidate for a classic Spurs shirt that can be worn season after season as a fan. Alas, with the sponsor I cannot bring myself to consider buying it (or any of the kits, for that matter).
My grade: B-
Away kit
With such a tame home kit, why not go a bit wild with the away?
I have two issues with this kit, much as I think it will look great on matchdays: 1) the bold pattern is really the only interesting thing about it 2) my brain instantly sees "WSL rebrand".
I'm sorry, I can't unsee it.
On a positive note, I appreciate that the base color is navy rather than black. Not every club needs to have a black kit.
My grade: A-
Keeper kit
All right, this one is kind of bold, too. And from what I've heard, the color looks even brighter in person!
If you squint, the pattern looks faintly like psychedelic windmills, which is perfect for our bolstered Dutch ranks.
It's a bit too much look for my taste, as is the color scheme, but at least you will definitely be able to see our goalkeepers easily on the pitch!
My grade: C
News from around the Lane
• The Premier League 2026/27 schedule has been confirmed, though of course many of the times and even dates will change throughout the season because of broadcaster requests and cup competition conflicts.
A few of the most notable fixtures for Spurs Men include:
- August 22 @ Brentford, season opener
- August 26, League Cup second round (opponent TBD)
- August 29 vs Newcastle United, first home game
- December 5 vs Arsenal, home NLD
- December 26 vs Bournemouth, Boxing Day game
- January 9/10, FA Cup third round (opponent TBD)
- May 1 @ Arsenal, away NLD
- May 23 vs Manchester United, last home game
- May 30 @ Aston Villa, season closer
Before the season begins, there's a full slate of pre-season fixtures:
- July 22 vs MK Dons*
- July 25 @ Auckland FC
- July 29 @ Sydney FC
- August 1 @ Chelsea (in Sydney)
- August 8 vs Getafe*
- August 15 vs Hoffenheim
- August 16 vs Hoffenheim*
*Behind-closed-doors matches at Hotspur Way
All of the friendlies will be streaming on SpursPlay.
• The WSL 2026/27 schedule will not be released until July 30. As a reminder, there will now be four additional fixtures due to the league expansion by two teams. With Leicester City losing the promotion/relegation playoff game on penalties and therefore getting relegated, there will be three new teams this season: Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, and Charlton Athletic. Opening weekend is September 4-6.
• Lenna Gunning-Williams underwent brain surgery and is doing well in recovery; there is no timetable yet for her return to training.
• Jessica Naz is back on the grass training as she ramps up her recovery from an ACL tear.
• Sabiha Jamal has left her role as Women's Academy U19s Head Coach to become the First Team Manager at Wimbledon Women.
• Stuart Lewis has left his role as Spurs Men's First Team Academy Transition Coach to join Ipswich Town's coaching staff.
• In Spurs manager alumni news, Rehanne Skinner has a new role as Technical Director at Sunderland Women, while Ange Postecoglou has been appointed Head Coach of Al-Nassr.
• Conor Gallagher has switched to the #8 for his squad number.
• Yang Min-hyeok was selected in South Korea's squad for the Asian Games.
This turned into a bit of a bumper issue, and it's wild to think that the off-season news might not be anywhere close to done. I suppose this is an exciting time to be a Spurs fan, even if I still have a lot of complicated feelings around the Men's team.
But on a general note, it's nice to be shifting back into club mode after the World Cup—though I have of course still been watching plenty of the US leagues. Cheers to Son Heung-min for breaking his MLS goal drought the other night! It was a beautiful goal, classic Sonny.
Issues will be coming more regularly now that the friendlies are about to begin, so see y'all back here shortly.
COYS
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