Barcelona have already held initial talks over the surprise signing of a Tottenham player Spurs will be banking on to win promotion back into the Premier League next season, according to reports.
There’s precious little to shout about right now at Tottenham, though it can always get worse. Spurs are staring down the barrel of their first relegation since 1977, but given the club’s resources, you’d think they’d be a shoo-in to come straight back up.
A recent report from The Athletic listed the 15 players Tottenham are expected to part ways with if they drop a division.
The outlet also cited a number of fringe and younger stars who’d walk straight into Spurs’ starting XI in the Championship, and who would be relied upon to achieve promotion at the first time of asking.
One of those named was highly-rated centre-back, Luka Vuskovic, who is currently thriving on a season-long loan at Hamburg.
But per the latest from Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Barcelona could poach the 19-year-old Croatia international before he ever kicks a ball in a Tottenham shirt.
Taking to X, Plettenberg wrote: “FC Barcelona are closely monitoring Luka Vuskovic and have added him to their shortlist for the summer.
“Hansi Flick appreciates him. Initial talks have already taken place. Hamburger SV are pushing for a second loan.
“Tottenham’s clear plan is to bring the 19 y/o gem back in the summer.”
Of course, the simplest way for Spurs to avoid yet another nightmare scenario is by avoiding relegation. They sit one point clear of the relegation zone with nine games remaining.
Igor Tudor has shown little in his three matches so far to suggest he’s the man to guide Tottenham to safety, and yet more change is reportedly on the horizon.
Our colleagues over at TEAMtalk have been informed Tottenham are giving serious consideration to firing Tudor before their next match – a Champions League Round of 16 clash with Atletico Madrid.
Spurs bosses are beginning to acknowledge they got the Tudor appointment wrong, while signs of the players and fans not buying in are there for all to see.
Sources also explained it’s club icon, Robbie Keane, who Tottenham are likely to turn to if Tudor is fired.
At the very least, the return of Keane would get the increasingly disillusioned fans back on side and prevent the mass early exoduses we saw in the stands against Crystal Palace on Thursday night.
The Irishman scored 122 goals in two spells at the club and has earned rave reviews in his brief managerial career so far at both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros.