Tottenham agrees option for season-long Wembley stay

Wembley could play host to the rest of Tottenham's home matches in 2018-19 after a deal was struck with the Football Association (FA).

Wembley before Tottenham's match against Manchester City

Tottenham has reached an agreement with the Football Association (FA) for its remaining 2018-19 home games to be played at Wembley if required.

Spurs took up residency at England's national stadium last season while White Hart Lane underwent a complete rebuild.

The north London club intended to be in its new arena from the start of this campaign, but delays in the process forced it to return to Wembley. It expects to provide an update on the situation in December.

Spurs now have the option to stay put for the rest of the season, although the permitted capacity will be reduced to 51,000 following the match against Chelsea on November 24.

However, the FA has requested to Brent Council that from January it be increased to 62,000 and special dispensation be granted for a limited number of fixtures to be played in front of 90,000 spectators.

An FA statement read: "We can confirm that we have an agreement in place with Tottenham Hotspur to host any additional 2018-19 home games that they may have to play at Wembley Stadium, should they need the option.

"To plan for this, we have made a submission as a contingency on behalf of Tottenham Hotspur to Brent Council for a variation to the event cap which if approved would come into effect from late January, for their matches to be played at a capacity of 62,000, with limited games at 90,000."

Tottenham's statement read: "Special dispensation was granted by Brent Council for the 2017-18 season for WNSL [Wembley National Stadium Ltd] to be permitted to increase the number of events at full capacity as a result of our temporary relocation for the entire season.

"As a contingency measure to ensure we can stage our matches whilst we await certainty on the exact opening date of our new stadium, the club has reached agreement with WNSL to host any additional home games that we may have to play at Wembley Stadium."

The state of the pitch at Wembley has come under intense scrutiny, with Spurs' match against Manchester City on October 29 played just one day after the stadium hosted an NFL match between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles.