The Spurs News

James Trafford is expected to be granted a move away from Manchester City this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur one of the clubs keen on signing him.

Tottenham are ready to replace Guglielmo Vicario in the summer, and the City shot-stopper has emerged as a key target.

🧤 Which goalkeeper should Totttenham sign to replace Guglielmo Vicario?

Trafford is not getting many opportunities at City, having played just 14 times this season, but when he does start, he has really impressed.

Spurs’ hopes of landing the goalkeeper now look to have increased, with the 23-year-old expected to be on the move again this summer.

Man City expected to sell James Trafford amid Tottenham interest

Man City are expected to sell James Trafford this summer, according to the Manchester Evening News, amid Tottenham interest.

The 23-year-old looks set on leaving the Etihad Stadium this summer in search of more regular first-team football.

Currently, Trafford is the number two for Pep Guardiola’s team, sitting behind Gianluigi Donnarumma in the pecking order.

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Having not played much football this season, Trafford now looks set to miss out on England’s World Cup squad, which will surely frustrate him.

Tottenham are among the clubs to join the race to sign the England goalkeeper this summer, according to The Sun.

Spurs are ready to replace Vicario in the summer, and Trafford is one of the names that have emerged on their list of targets.

However, they will not be alone as Newcastle United are also believed to be chasing him after missing out on his signature last summer.

James Trafford will be better suited to Roberto De Zerbi’s system than Guglielmo Vicario

Trafford is likely to be better suited to Roberto De Zerbi’s system than Vicario, given his ability to play out from the back.

The Italian manager often uses his goalkeeper as almost a third centre back when building out from the back, meaning his number one needs to be good on the ball.

Vicario has shown that is certainly not the case for him; meanwhile, Trafford is renowned for being quite comfortable with the ball at his feet.

In the final few weeks of the season, it will be interesting to see how Vicario deals with the demands of playing out from the back under the new Spurs boss.

James Maddison has alleviated Tottenham fans’ concerns about the size of his leg after surgery on his ACL by revealing there is nothing to worry about.

Maddison is yet to kick a football this season, although there is some hope that the Spurs midfielder could return before the campaign ends.

Who starts in the number ten when both fully fit: James Maddison or Xavi Simons? 👀

The 29-year-old has now been sidelined for seven months, and he looks to finally be getting closer to returning to the field.

Recently, fans noticed something worrying about Maddison’s leg after training footage emerged; however, he took to social media to prove there is nothing to worry about.

James Maddison shuts down Tottenham fans’ concerns over his injury

Tottenham Hotspur supporters were worried about the size of James Maddison’s injured leg after training footage emerged of him in the gym.

But the midfielder took to social media to show that it was just a bad angle and there was nothing to be concerned about over his injury.

Back on Tuesday, Tottenham posted footage of Maddison training in the gym, and fans noticed that one leg was visibly larger than the other.

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Maddison then responded by saying, “Admin needs to work on the angles of videoing,” along with a video of both legs looking strong.

What position would Spurs be in NOW if James Maddison did not get injured?

Against Nottingham Forest, Maddison was spotted being very animated on the touchline, and he would love to be helping his teammates.

The former Leicester City man has had to watch on as the team has struggled and is in serious danger of being relegated to the Championship.

Maddison failed to make a single appearance under Spurs’ last two managers, but he could finally make his return to play for Roberto De Zerbi.

The 46-year-old would love to have a player like Maddison available for the number ten role, given the way he likes his midfielders to play.

But for now, both Maddison and De Zerbi will need to be patient as they wait for him to be finally ready to make his return from a lengthy injury.

Roberto De Zerbi has already taken a real shine to Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who could become key under the Italian coach.

The former Brighton boss has already been working very closely with the Swedish international during his first week at Hotspur Way.

👀 Which Tottenham player will benefit the most from Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment?

The 46-year-old has been tipped to get along really well with the young midfielder, given his serious qualities on the ball.

Bergvall has struggled with injuries this season, but in the final seven matches of the season, he could suddenly become a hugely influential player.

Roberto De Zerbi is working closely with Lucas Bergvall at Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi has already been working closely with Lucas Bergvall during Tottenham training this week, according to Alasdair Gold.

The Italian manager is likely to implement a very different style of football from what fans saw under Thomas Frank, and technical players like Bergvall should flourish.

Tottenham players are loving De Zerbi’s hands-on approach in training, and it’s becoming quickly apparent that he has big plans for Bergvall.

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Speaking on Talking Tottenham, Gold said: “I think from what I understand, he’s taken a real kind of hands-on approach to Lucas Bergvall as soon as he’s come in.

“I think we saw it in the video, him having a chat with him, and I think that’s kind of been the way behind the scenes as well. I think he’ll like him a lot because he’s so versatile, he could play as his 10, couldn’t he?

🤔 SAFETY or RELEGATION: Will Roberto De Zerbi keep Tottenham in the Premier League?

“He can play in midfield. You want these young players who can receive the ball, turn in tight spaces and do exactly what he needs to.”

Bergvall really impressed with Sweden over the international break as the midfielder continues to get back to his best after returning from injury.

Archie Gray could be another youngster who continues to impress under De Zerbi, with the two 20-year-olds featuring in a double pivot.

Meanwhile, in attack, De Zerbi could be a big fan of Mohammed Kudus, although the Ghanaian winger is yet to make his return to training.

Ashley Phillips has been nominated for the Championship Young Player of the Year award, as the Tottenham defender has really impressed on loan at Stoke City.

Tottenham are getting excited about the return of Luka Vuskovic from his loan spell at Hamburg, but they should not be overlooking the talent that is Phillips.

Finish the sentence: Tottenham’s most promising youngster is _____________

The 20-year-old has now spent two seasons in the Championship and looks ready to make the step up to the Premier League next term.

Phillips could be another of the youngsters returning from successful loan spells to Hotspur Way in the summer and potentially becoming an option for Roberto De Zerbi.

Ashley Phillips nominated for Championship Young Player of the Season

Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips has been nominated for Championship Young Player of the Season after doing well at Stoke City.

Phillips is very highly rated by Tottenham, and they will be delighted to see that his performances for Stoke have been recognised.

Despite being young, the defender has become a key player for the Potters, making 40 appearances this season.

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Stoke have had a mixed campaign, although Phillips has undoubtedly been one of their standout performers.

Last season, Phillips really impressed on loan at Plymouth, and there was a real battle to land him back in the summer after a successful first loan.

Tottenham now have a plethora of talented, young centre-backs, with Vuskovic and Juani Byfield also showing serious promise.

Vuskovic is wanted by several major European clubs; meanwhile, Byfield is only 17 and has already made his Champions League debut for the club.

🔮 You predict: Where will Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic be playing next season?

With the futures of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven unclear at Tottenham, the North London club are in safe hands for the future.

De Zerbi will get the chance to assess his defensive options in the summer and could opt to sell one of Spurs’ current two starters if any of the youngsters impress him enough.

But if Tottenham were to be relegated to the Championship, Phillips would surely become a key player for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham Hotspur could return for Yan Diomande in the summer after failing to land the RB Leipzig attacker back in January.

Tottenham’s summer transfer strategy remains unclear yet, as they are still picking a new sporting director and need to secure their Premier League status.

Who should be Roberto De Zerbi’s first Tottenham signing?

Roberto De Zerbi is set to be given a key role in transfers at Tottenham in the summer after agreeing to take the reins now.

But one of the names who could be back on their radar in the summer is the very highly rated Diomande; however, they are set to face a battle to sign him.

Tottenham could return for Yan Diomande in the summer

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to potentially return for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande in the summer by Fabrizio Romano.

The big issue now facing Spurs is that Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all also keen on him.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Don’t forget that, for example, Tottenham were also keen on the boy in January, but it was not possible to make it happen.

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🔮 How many points will Roberto De Zerbi take from his first five matches at Spurs?

“Let’s see what’s going to happen with Tottenham in general before they have a summer transfer strategy. But as you can see, many clubs are really, really keen on Yan Diomande.”

Tottenham are keen to improve their attacking options in the summer, especially given the injury issues they have suffered this season.

Mohammed Kudus is due back from injury soon, but the Lilwyhites need greater depth going into next season.

RB Leipzig value Yan Diomande at 100 million euros

However, the German club are looking to renew the player’s contract and set a release clause which would allow him to leave in 2027 or 2028.

Leipzig are believed to value him at around 100 million euros, which would likely rule Spurs out of the running for his signature.

“The understanding is that RB Leipzig have proposed to Diomande to stay at least for one more season, sign a new contract at the club, and improve the salary,” said Romano.

“He’s probably an 80, 90, 100 million euros player, but with a salary compared to these numbers, really different.

“So sign a new deal, stay one more season, eventually play Champions League football at Leipzig if they qualify, and then leave in summer, maybe 2027 or 2028, with the potential inclusion of a release clause.

“So Leipzig could be open to including a release close into the contract of Yan Diomande if he stays for at least one more season.”

Mohammed Kudus is expected to be the ‘perfect fit’ under Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham, with the winger nearing a return from injury.

Kudus is expected to return against Sunderland next week, with the winger finally close to playing for the first time since early January.

👀 Which Tottenham player will benefit the most from Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment?

Tottenham are not rushing Kudus back to avoid a recurrence of the issue, but it seems that he is almost ready to start playing again.

The 25-year-old will return to action under a new Spurs boss, and although he did impress under Thomas Frank, De Zerbi has been tipped to take him to the next level.

Mohammed Kudus tipped to flourish under Roberto De Zerbi

Mohammed Kudus has been tipped to flourish under Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham Hotspur, according to Jack Pitt-Brooke.

The Tottenham journalist was told that the Ghanaian winger could be one of the biggest winners from De Zerbi’s appointment at Spurs.

The Italian manager has been tasked with keeping Spurs in the Premier League, and having Kudus available will considerably aid that bid.

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“Kudus has obviously not played for a few months with an injury, but he’s been improving. He’s been, I don’t know exactly where he is at the moment, in terms of time scale to return,” Pitt-Brooke told The View From The Lane.

“But I think I’m right in saying that De Zerbi tried to sign him for Brighton when he was at Ajax, or at least Brighton tried to sign him when De Zerbi was there.

🤔 Can Roberto De Zerbi keep Spurs in the Premier League with this line up?

“I think, someone said to me the other day, he could actually be a perfect fit for how De Zerbi wants to play, right, because he wants the kind of strikers to sort of pull off and create space, which the wingers can kind of attack in behind. I mean Spurs have not had a lot of that recently.”

Having Kudus back will be a massive boost for the Lilywhites as they have been left very short of attacking players.

Currently, Randal Kolo Muani is the most likely candidate to start on the right, highlighting the importance of getting the winger back soon.

Roberto De Zerbi is now ready to keep Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, despite links with a move to Inter Milan.

Tottenham are set for big changes under De Zerbi, and that could involve Vicario now remaining in North London.

True or false: Tottenham MUST upgrade Guglielmo Vicario…

Inter Milan are keen to sign the goalkeeper, and a move back to one of the Serie A’s top clubs could well appeal to the Italian.

However, Spurs’ new boss is now ready to convince the 29-year-old to reject their interest and commit his future to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Roberto De Zerbi wants to keep Guglielmo Vicario at Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi wants to keep Guglielmo Vicario at Tottenham Hotspur, according to Marco Barzaghi, which could frustrate plenty of supporters.

Vicario has been really poor for Tottenham this season, and signing an upgrade felt like a priority for the Lilywhites.

However, the Italian goalkeeper could now become part of De Zerbi’s plans in the English capital following his appointment as manager.

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Barzaghi told his YouTube channel: “Roberto De Zerbi has been officially appointed: Watch out, because he wants to convince Vicario to stay in England.

“Ignore those already talking about a contract with Inter Milan, that ‘Inter insider’ from Radio Tristeza makes something up every day.”

Currently, Vicario is sidelined with a groin injury, although he could make a swift return to be ready in time to face Sunderland in 11 days.

Ideally, Tottenham would not want to play Antonin Kinsky, who looks short of confidence following his 17-minute appearance against Atletico Madrid.

🔮 How many points will Roberto De Zerbi take from his first five matches at Spurs?

The big issue De Zerbi could find with Vicario is his inability to play out from the back, which is a key feature of the Italian’s system.

Typically, De Zerbi’s goalkeeper acts as a third centre back during the build-up phase, and that could be tricky with Vicario looking very uncomfortable in possession.

In case Vicario does leave Spurs, Bart Verbruggen has been linked with a move, and he could be a much more suitable option for De Zerbi.

The 46-year-old worked with Verbruggen during their time together at Brighton, and the Dutch goalkeeper has proven to be one of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers.

Tottenham Hotspur very briefly considered the return of Ange Postecoglou before eventually opting for Roberto De Zerbi.

The North London club spent the international break considering solutions to replace Igor Tudor, with Roberto De Zerbi being the chosen one.

👀 AGREE or DISAGREE: Ange Postecoglou deserved the chance to have SEASON THREE at Tottenham…

Spurs significantly pushed the boat out to land De Zerbi, and the Italian manager is now tasked with keeping the North London club in the Premier League.

But before bringing him in, the Lilywhites discussed the most sensational of returns to bring back Postecoglou as head coach.

Tottenham considered Ange Postecoglou’s return

Tottenham Hotspur’s board actually thought about reappointing Ange Postecoglou before quickly dismissing that idea, according to Alasdair Gold.

Just when you think it cannot get any crazier at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they do something like consider bringing back the manager they sacked before the start of the season.

The Tottenham journalist suggests that the consideration was nothing serious, but at one stage, they did think about bringing him back.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold said: “I am told that they very briefly did consider a short-term return for Ange Postecoglou.

“When I talk briefly, I mean literally like ‘Yeah, no’. You know that really shouldn’t be made into anything more than that.”

🔮 How many points will Roberto De Zerbi take from his first five matches at Spurs?

Postecoglou recently spoke about his sacking at Tottenham, and it’s very hard to think that he would have accepted coming back.

But like with Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham quickly moved on from the idea of bringing back a new coach and have got in De Zerbi.

Having thought about all three coaches, it’s clear that the North London club wanted a manager who was going to play more attacking football.

Postecoglou would have been such an interesting appointment considering he knows the squad, but it feels right that Spurs have moved on from him with De Zerbi’s arrival.

Paul Merson is certain that the huge finances involved in Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment is the actual reason he has agreed to join Tottenham Hotspur now.

De Zerbi is close to agreeing to join Tottenham and is tasked with keeping the North London club in the Premier League.

🗣️ Spurs fans, who would you prefer as YOUR next manager: Mauricio Pochettino or Roberto De Zerbi?

Tottenham saw De Zerbi as their ‘dream appointment’ and look to have thrown the kitchen sink to bring the Italian coach in now.

Merson has now been discussing the arrival of the 46-year-old, and he believes that the former Brighton man is a very good manager.

Paul Merson on Roberto De Zerbi to Tottenham

Paul Merson believes that Tottenham simply had to ‘throw the kitchen sink’ at Roberto De Zerbi to bring him in and save them from relegation.

Initially, De Zerbi was not keen to join Tottenham before the end of the season, but the North London club have seemingly made a big play to get him in.

The former Arsenal player now believes that the Lilywhites must have offered him a huge financial package to try and lead them to safety.

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“100 per cent, there was talk that he wanted to come in at the end of the start of next season, and now he’s coming, he’s going to come in now,” Merson told Sky Sports.

“So, they have to throw the kitchen sink at him. They have to, you know, they can’t afford to go down. If they go down, it’s just unthinkable.

“So, you’ve got to take that chance, and whatever the bonus is, it’s a cup of tea in football terms if he keeps them up.

“If he doesn’t keep them up, everything goes out the window. You know that they’re a business now. They get concerts, they have go-karts, and they have American football.

“Throw in another four home games on top, and then all of a sudden, you can’t be booking Robbie Williams to do a concert because you might be in the playoffs.”

🔮 How many points will Roberto De Zerbi take from his first five matches at Spurs?

Merson also admitted that he is impressed that Spurs have managed to attract a manager of the calibre of De Zerbi, whom he is a big fan of.

He added: “So, all this stuff changes now, you know, and it’s huge. But it just shows you how big Tottenham is because they can get him.

“This lad is a top top manager that a lot of clubs would have. But they’ve had good managers. They’ve had very good managers and look where they are. They’re 17th in the league.”

De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Spurs is now in 12 days, in which the team travel away to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland.

Roberto De Zerbi will not stay at Tottenham Hotspur if the club is relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.

Tottenham are close to appointing De Zerbi as their new manager after sacking Igor Tudor following a run of five Premier League matches without a win.

🔮 How many points will Roberto De Zerbi take from his first five matches at Spurs?

The Italian coach is now tasked with keeping the North London club in the Premier League with just seven matches remaining this season.

However, were the 46-year-old to fail in his mission to keep Spurs up, then the former Brighton boss is very unlikely to stay and manage in the Championship.

Roberto De Zerbi would not stay at Tottenham in the Championship

Roberto De Zerbi will have a clause in his Tottenham Hotspur contract which would allow him to walk away if the club end up in the Championship, according to Julien Laurens.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi’s wages at Spurs would be halved if the N17 club are relegated, and the Lilywhites also hold their own break clause.

Speaking on Monday Night Club, Laurens said: “He’s not a Championship manager. There is no doubt in my mind, and I was told that again earlier, that there will be a clause for him to walk away.

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“There’s a break clause obviously if they do go down from the club’s point of view, but he would not stay in the Championship if they were to go down.”

De Zerbi sees Tottenham’s potential, and if they did complete the great escape, then a massive squad rebuild would be in order over the summer.

🗣️ Spurs fans, who would you prefer as YOUR next manager: Mauricio Pochettino or Roberto De Zerbi?

Laurens adds that Spurs’ current group of players are not particularly suited to De Zerbi’s high-risk style of football.

“He would certainly feel that he failed if he didn’t keep them up. If he keeps them up, then he stays there. I think he sees the great potential of the club,” claimed the French journalist.

“But they will have a massive rebuild to do, because there are not many players in that current squad that fit for him and his philosophy.”

The Lilywhites are now just 13 days away from their next Premier League fixture, which is away at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland.