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The 11 Tottenham players out on loan in 2024-25 & how they’ve been faring

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Tottenham made further moves in the transfer market over the summer, signing the likes of Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert as they looked to further shape the squad in Ange Postecoglou’s image.

While there have been a number of fresh faces through the door, a number – ranging from senior players to younger academy graduates on the fridges – have been shipped out on loan, with no role to play in Postecoglou’s immediate plans for the 2024-25 campaign.

We figured this would be a good opportunity to check in on how the 11 players that Spurs have sent out on loan are faring elsewhere so far this season.

Matthew Craig

Having made 18 appearances in League Two for Doncaster Rovers in the latter half of last season, it was always unlikely that Scotland Under-21 defensive midfielder Craig would make the giant leap to feature for his parent club this season.

But he’s continuing his development, once again in South Yorkshire, at a higher level – this time at League One Barnsley. He’s been a near ever-present at the base of midfield for the Tykes so far this season, having started nine of their 10 matches in the third tier.

Barnsley currently sit underwhelmingly bang in midtable, with a mixed record of four wins, three draws and three defeats, but this ought to prove a useful learning curve for the youngster.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

A pragmatist might have suggested that Hojbjerg’s experience might have been useful in stodging things up in Spurs’ recent 3-2 defeat to Brighton, but for better or worse the club appear intent on going Full Angeball – and last season the Dane never looked the most natural fit for that full-blooded, front-footed style.

You might say the say the same about Roberto De Zerbi’s football, but here we are. Hojbjerg has played almost every minute in Ligue 1 for Marseille, who started the season like a house on fire but have since suffered a blip with dropped points against Strasbourg and Angers.

Title talk was probably a bit premature, but Hojbjerg looks at home for a side that ought to have realistic ambitions of Champions League qualification.

Bryan Gil

It’s never quite happened for the Beatle-looking Spaniard at Tottenham, has it?

It’s increasingly looking as though Gil is more suited to one environment than another – a bit like Giovani Lo Celso, currently thriving at Real Betis – and is now onto his third loan back to his home country in as many years.

Following his stints at Valencia and Sevilla, the winger is now turning out for Girona. He notched in a 4-0 mauling of Osasuna back in August but has failed to score or assist in eight appearances since then, finding himself in and out of their starting XI.

Girona massively punched above their weight to finish in the top four last season, but a repeat looks altogether less likely after a summer exodus. The early indications are that replacements such as Gil aren’t quite at the level required to maintain that stupendous form.

Alejo Veliz

A £13million signing from Rosario Central last summer, Argentina youth international Veliz is still finding his feet in European football.

He never made it beyond the periphery of Postecoglou’s first-team squad and spent the latter half of last season struggling for opportunities at Sevilla.

But newly-promoted Espanyol appear more keen to give him a chance; he’s already notched over 500 more minutes so far this season than he mustered in his last loan.

It hasn’t been especially easy for the striker at a side that are battling in the lower reaches of the La Liga table, but he does at least boast a 96th-minute match-winner in a vital 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano.

READ NEXT: David Bentley: ‘My 10-year-old son has rekindled my love for football’

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every manager to take charge of Tottenham in the Premier League?

Dane Scarlett

Talked up as one to watch for a few years now, Scarlett’s still never made it beyond making the odd cameo for his boyhood club. He’s now onto his third loan in the Football League, now at Oxford United after the fringe role he played in Ipswich Town’s promotion last term (recalled in December due to a lack of playing time).

The 20-year-old forward may have similar frustrations this time around, with all five of his appearances in the Championship so far off the bench, and late on at that. He’s played just 57 minutes of football in the second tier at the time of writing.

Jamie Donley

A homegrown forward who made his debut in the madcap 3-3 draw with Manchester City last season, 19-year-old Donley – who has represented both Northern Ireland and England at Under-19 level – is now getting his first taste of regular(ish) senior football at League One side Leyton Orient.

He’s featured fairly prominently so far for Orient, with seven appearances (five starts) in the third tier. He’s yet to score or assist but has impressed manager Richie Wellens, albeit with some constructive criticism thrown in.

“On the ball, he has the world at his feet,” Wellens told The Athletic. “He can play at the top level if he wants to.

“But you look at the top teams now, as soon as they lose that ball, they sprint back. That is something Jamie needs in his game — the reaction as soon as the ball turns over, whether it is to go and press or slide back into shape. It is something over the next six to eight months, while he is with us, we will try to develop. If he gets that, he will be a real top player.”

Ashley Phillips

Another signing from last summer that was made with one eye on the future, Phillips joined shortly after his 18th birthday after catching the eye for Blackburn Rovers.

The England Under-20 centre-back spent his first six months developing his skills in Spurs’ youth ranks before going on to get more experience in the Championship for relegation-battling Plymouth Argyle. After helping the Pilgrims stay up in the end, he’s since joined Stoke City on a season-long loan.

Phillips, 19, has found game time harder to come by at the Bet365 Stadium. Two of his three appearances to date have been in the League Cup. Concussion protocol kept him sidelined for a short while but he’s yet to feature under the Potters’ new boss Narcis Pelach.

Manor Solomon

We’re sure Tottenham fans will be shocked to hear that Solomon has spent time on the treatment table since moving to Leeds United in the final days of the transfer window.

The Israeli winger has bolstered Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing squad following the departures of key attackers Crysensio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

His first two appearances for Leeds were something of a mixed bag. He did well to assist the opener in a 2-0 victory over Hull City on his debut but suffered a misfortune slip against Burnley, the mistake proving costly for the only goal in a 1-0 defeat at home to Burnley.

He’s remained sidelined over the recent international break but is expected back soon.

QUIZ: Can you name Tottenham’s top 30 goalscorers in the Premier League?

George Abbott

Islington-born right-back Abbott made his debut for his boyhood club in the last game before the Postecoglou era, the 4-1 victory away at Leeds that sent them down.

A second appearance was not forthcoming under Postecoglou last season but he continued his development by captaining Spurs’ Under-21s to the Premier League 2 title last term.

Now the 19-year-old is getting his first taste of regular men’s football in League Two with Notts County. He’s impressed so far, often featuring in midfield, and registered his first assist of the campaign in their recent 2-2 draw with Chesterfield.

Josh Keeley

Last season, the Republic of Ireland youth international featured regularly for Barnet in the second half of the campaign.

He’s now made the step up to League One, sharing a dressing room with his fellow Spurs youth prospect Donley at Leyton Orient. But the 21-year-old is currently a back-up and has thus far only featured in their 3-1 League Cup defeat at Brentford.

Alfie Devine

Like Scarlett, Devine is one of those names we’ve been aware of for a few years now. But so far he’s only played a couple of cup games for Spurs, prior to more experience in loans at Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle last season.

Now the attacking midfielder has made the slightly leftfield, eyebrow-raising move to Belgian outfit Westerlo. So far he’s featured in four of their 10 league matches as they sit respectably in sixth place in the Jupiler Pro League.

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EPL: Full list of players leaving for 2025 AFCON

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At least 25 players in the Premier League are set to travel for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast, DR Congo lead the way in terms of players based in the English topflight, with four selected from each club for the AFCON.

FIFA has directed clubs to release the eligible players from Monday, December 15.

Full list of players confirmed

Sunderland (5):
Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo (Mozambique), Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo).

Manchester United (3):
Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).

Fulham (3):
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria).

Burnley (3):
Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).

Nottingham Forest (2):
Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast).

Brentford (2):
Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria).

Manchester City (1):
Omar Marmoush (Egypt),

West Ham United (1):
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)

Wolves (2):
Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast).

Brighton & Hove Albion (1):
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon).

Crystal Palace (2):
Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal), Cheick Doucouré (Mali)

Liverpool (1):
Mohammed Salah (Egypt)

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NNL bars fans from Ranchers Bees vs Adamawa United

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The Nigeria National League, NNL, has announced that matchday six fixture between Ranchers Bees and Adamawa United will be played behind closed doors.

The announcement was made in a statement by the league body.

Only the State Football Association representatives, staff of both teams, kit managers and medical personnel will be allowed into the stadium.

Others are the match officials, security personnel and camera men.

The reason for the decision to play the game without club supporters wasn’t stated by the league body.

The encounter will take place at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna on Saturday (today).

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Nigeria vs Egypt Friendly Gets New Date

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Nigeria’s preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have taken a fresh hit, with Egypt confirming that the highly anticipated friendly between both nations has been shifted from 14 to 16 December.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced the adjustment late Friday, noting that FIFA’s updated international release directive, which allows clubs keep African players until 15 December, made the original date unworkable.

EFA Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly explained that the new rule left both Egypt and Nigeria without full squads for the initial date.

Key Pharaohs players, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, are now expected to arrive only after the new release window.

Egypt had already named its 28-man provisional squad and opened camp in Cairo, with head coach Hossam Hassan accelerating final preparations for a Group B campaign that includes South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.

Nigeria’s disruption is more extensive. The Super Eagles were originally scheduled to open camp on 10 December and progress through a streamlined friendly schedule before departing for Morocco. That entire framework has now been dismantled.

Under the revised timeline, camp will open on 14 December, leaving Eric Chelle with barely a week to prepare before AFCON kicks off.

The venue for the friendly is also now uncertain, with Cairo no longer feasible and both federations considering shifting the match to Morocco.

Nigeria’s build-up has been further destabilised by injuries to Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu.

The shock retirement of captain William Troost-Ekong, winner of the 2023 AFCON Player of the Tournament award, creates an additional leadership vacuum in defence.

Chelle, who released a 55-man provisional list, must now trim his squad to 28 within a compressed window. Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania as they chase a fourth continental title.

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