Daniel Levy has said “not in a million years” did he see signs during his time as Tottenham chairman that the club might end up in a relegation battle.
Speaking to the Press Association at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, Levy, who stepped down from his role after almost 25 years in September, said “relegation was not something we ever considered” when he was overseeing the building of the £1billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019.
Spurs are two points clear of the Premier League drop zone, having secured just 38 points from 36 games so far this season, taking until April 25 to win a league game in 2026.
Asked how he felt about the club’s league position, he said: “Emptiness… but I’m optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League.”
He answered “never, no, not in a million years” when asked if he saw any signs the club would end up in a relegation scrap.
Despite the team’s poor showing in the league Levy said he would continue attending matches, adding: “It’s in my blood.”
Levy was made a CBE by the Prince of Wales for services to charity and the community in Tottenham, supporting education, health and social inclusion and creating jobs through the construction of the stadium.
“I think Tottenham fans should be proud that the club has made such a fantastic contribution to the local population,” he said.
Having been in charge of Tottenham for 24 years, Levy was the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman, but he was accused by fans of prioritising the club’s business interests over delivering success on the pitch.
If Spurs stay up, Levy's replacements have the unenviable task of transforming the squad into one capable of surging up the table next season under Roberto De Zerbi, and they have now held talks over their first signing of the summer.
CEO travels to London for Spurs transfer talks
According to reports in Italy, via Sport Witness, Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali flew to London recently to hold talks over the sale of Tarik Muharemovic, and Tottenham have now been named as the club making enquiries.
The 23 year-old centre-back has been phenomenal for I Neroverdi this season, and has attracted interest from Serie A giants Inter.
But with Sassuolo set to demand €35m (£31m) for his signature and not accepting player-plus-cash offers, Tottenham now have the advantage, with the fee much more affordable to them than it is for Inter.
Sport Witness say the signing would be instead of Marcos Senesi, who has reportedly agreed terms to join as a free agent this summer but has not signed on the dotted line yet.
Tarik Muharemovic Serie A stats 25/26
Muharemovic, a Bosnia international who stands at 6 foot 2, has played 31 times in the Italian top flight this season, leading his team in aerial duels won per game, interceptions, clearances and blocks.