Football.London

Tottenham are set to pass on the opportunity to sign Timo Werner for just £8.5m this summer following an underwhelming loan spell, according to reports this week.

The 28-year-old forward has endured a turbulent career so far, despite his promising breakthrough at RB Leipzig between 2016 and 2020. His performances for the Bundesliga club during his first spell caught the attention of Europe's top clubs and he was signed by Chelsea for £45m ahead of the 20/21 campaign.

During his two years at Stamford Bridge, Werner failed to live up to expectations and was ultimately sold back to Leipzig in 2022. There, he struggled to re-establish himself as a regular first team player and in January 2024, he was signed by Tottenham on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Since returning to London. Werner has scored just three goals in 41 appearances in all competitions and has so far amassed less than 1,000 minutes of action. It is for that reason The Mirror now claim sources close to the forward believe he will not be at Tottenham beyond this summer.

It has been suggested they anticipate he will return to his parent club, RB Leipzig, and will then consider his options. A move to MLS side New York Red Bulls has been mooted, but the article emphasises any deal will hinge on whether Werner is ready to end his playing career in Europe given he will still only be 29 come the end of the season.

Ange Postecoglou has previously criticised Werner's attitude, having taken him off at half time during a Europa League game against Rangers. In 45 minutes of action, the striker completed less than 70% of his passes, lost all of his duels and lost possession 16 times.

"When you've got 18-year-olds [in the squad], it [that performance] is not acceptable to me," Postecoglou said after the game in December. "I said that to Timo, he's a German international."

Tottenham already bolstered their attacking ranks in January with the loan signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, who they intend to keep beyond this season. Postecoglou addressed the Frenchman's future last month, telling reporters "I didn't bring him here for six months."

The Mirror also claim that Richarlison's future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be assessed in the summer due to the Brazilian's long-standing injury problems. He was signed from Premier League rivals Everton in 2022 but has already missed 28 games across all competitions this season due to injury.

Dele Alli has been named in his first matchday squad in more than two years as Como prepare to take on Roma in Serie A on Sunday.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has not played a game since February 2023, when he was on loan from Everton at Besiktas, but he looks to be in line to make his return and debut for Como at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening. Dele, who turns 29 next month, has battled back from injury problems and the expiration of his contract with the Toffees to get to this point, while also bravely opening up about his mental health issues and childhood trauma in 2023.

Dele was one of the most exciting young players in Europe during his time at Spurs, under the management of Mauricio Pochettino in particular, and racked up 67 goals and 55 assists in his 269 matches for the north London side. However, he would only play 13 times for Everton and 15 for Besiktas before facing a lengthy spell trying to get back to full fitness.

He began training with Como over the New Year, after Everton had let him continue working with them during pre-season, and he did enough to earn himself a contract with the Serie A club, managed by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, that could run until next year.

Last month Fabregas had said of Dele: "He's working off the pitch at the moment. I don't want to put extra pressure on him, he hasn't played for months. From tomorrow [Monday] he will be at full capacity with the group, after the personalised work of the last few weeks.

"He needs time, I spoke to him and I was clear with him. We are here to help him. We believe we can do it. We need patience to see him back on the pitch: please, let's stay calm. The last few months will be used to get back in shape for next season."

That knocked down hopes of seeing the midfielder, who has made 37 appearances for England and scored three times, again this season. However, it now appears that he has reached a stage where he can play some part in the campaign after he was named on Sunday in the squad that will visit the Italian capital for the match, which kicks off at 5pm GMT, and he will wear the shirt number eight.

All eyes will be on whether he returns for 13th-placed Como, who earned promotion to Serie A last season for the first time in 21 years.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham may have left it very late in the January transfer window but the acquisition of Kevin Danso from Lens already appears to be an excellent piece of business. The 26-year-old has immediately looked at home at the heart of Ange Postecoglou's defence and all connected with Spurs cannot wait to see how he develops over the coming years.

Danso's move from Lens is initially a loan deal but it will become permanent in the summer for £20.9million due to an obligation to purchase clause in the agreement struck between both clubs. The fee could prove to be an absolute snip for Tottenham if Danso's first five appearances in a Spurs shirt are anything to go by.

Perhaps helped by his time growing up in England and also ten appearances for Southampton in the 2019/20 season, the Austria international has settled into life in north London so quickly to become a key member of Postecoglou's backline. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will be expected to come straight into the Tottenham team upon their return from injury but Danso will certainly have something to say about that.

Born in the Austrian city of Voitsberg before moving to Milton Keynes at the age of six, Danso spent time with Reading and MK Dons as a youngster prior to departing for German club Augsburg in 2014. However, things could have panned out very differently for the defender as he was also a talented rugby player when growing up.

"I had a few scholarship offers for rugby clubs, for private schools as well," said Danso (via The Evening Standard). "At one point I had to decide because it was getting more serious and with the injury risk the older you get, I just decided to play football."

Rugby's loss was certainly football's gain. On his journey to becoming a Tottenham Hotspur player, Danso endured plenty of ups and downs that come with a career in football after making his debut for Augsburg in the Bundesliga in March 2017 at the age of 18.

Featuring a bit more regularly over the following two seasons for the German club, Danso would return to England in the summer of 2019 after securing a season-long loan to Southampton. The opportunity to play in the world's best league and against some of the best players from across globe, his switch to St Mary's unfortunately turned out to be a disaster.

Speaking at the time, Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl hailed the capture of Danso and mentioned the defender's "existing qualities and the potential to develop even further". His development would unfortunately stagnate on the south coast after only making ten appearances for Saints across the campaign.

Making six Premier League outings in Southampton's first 11 games of the campaign, he would not feature again in the top flight for Saints after a 15-minute cameo against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in early November 2019. Failing to appear in the matchday squad in 14 of their remaining league games, Danso would head out on loan again the following season as he dropped down to 2.Bundesliga to link up with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

It was not how the Austrian had envisaged things after 12 months earlier getting his big move to the Premier League. However, it provided him with a big wake-up call and proved to be a pivotal moment in his career that put him on the path to becoming the footballer he is today.

"Two very different loans spell. I had been at Augsburg for about five years, two years as a pro, and obviously at that age I didn't feel like I was getting enough playing time. Obviously being young, the most important thing is actually playing and just to gain experience," said the defender on his Southampton and Fortuna Dusseldorf loan spells when speaking in an interview with Rising Ballers.

"I think when you're young, you dream of being a football player, you dream of playing at the highest level and you can only do that by playing games and showing your potential. I didn't feel like I was getting that at Augsburg anymore. Being from the academy, obviously they have established players that have been playing there for years and some playing at bigger clubs and then coming to Augsburg.

"After the Under-21 Euros, which I did really well in, we got eliminated in a group stage but I had two very good games and one decent game, I just wanted to make that next step. I had a lot of offers from Italy and from Germany as well, but I think being from England, growing up in England, dreaming of always playing in the Premier League, I chose Southampton.

"I started off amazingly, I started off really well and I was playing left-back and I was a centre-back. I started off playing left-back, played right-back, played one game or two games at centre-back. Like I said, I started off really well and then started playing less and less, which is quite frankly my own fault as well. I take responsibility for that.

"I've got to the Premier League, playing in the Premier League and it's a dream come true, so I started taking my foot off the gas a bit. I think that's the point in my career I learnt most about myself and I just really understood what it took if you want your dreams to become a reality, like the work you have to put in and I learnt that from a lot of the players at Southampton.

"Even though I wasn't playing a lot then after a few months, just the support from the players, the likes of Ryan Bertrand, Nathan Redmond and, which I will always say, James Ward-Prowse, just the professionalism, the things that he put in place, the things he did. I definitely took a leaf out of his book because he's the the most professional player I've ever played with. There's no stone unturned and he just works at everything.

"That's when I thought, 'okay, you can never take your foot off the gas' because if you want to be a player at a high level, you've got to work as hard as some of these players did and change your mentality. I learnt a lot from those players around me.

"I started amazing and I was playing, and I was doing well and then, like I said, taking your foot off the gas and you can't afford to do that, especially in the Premier League, which is definitely the toughest league I've played in so far.

"After obviously not playing a lot, not doing anything, I went back to Augsburg and then went on loan again to Fortuna Dusseldorf. I was in 2.Bundesliga and the first few games didn't go so well because I was playing a little bit with a chip on my shoulder that I shouldn't be here. My level is the Premier League. I've already kind of showed that I can play at the highest level, I'd played in the Bundesliga. Like why am I here?

"When you take a foot off the gas that's normally what happens and the first few games didn't go so well. I was playing but I wasn't playing amazingly and then I think the minute where I realized that I was like, actually I really just have to be head and shoulders above the rest of everybody, the people in the league, was when we went to play, and no disrespect to them, Wurzburger Kickers.

"Nobody probably would have heard of them but from playing at the Etihad Stadium to Wurzburger Kickers' stadium was the absolute wake-up call for me. You dream as a kid to be playing at the stadiums like the Etihad, Old Trafford and Anfield on these big stages and then here I am playing at the Wurzburger Kickers' stadium.

"From that point on now my head was screwed on and I was fully focused. Then I had a really good rest of the season for Dusseldorf and I think it was something like I was man of the match for Dusseldorf in 30% of the matches for the whole season. I think it was a good decision to go to the 2.Bundesliga just as a wake-up call and to just to prove myself that this isn't actually where I belong and I have the potential to be better.

"It's just about proving that every day and that's what I learnt from that loan spell that it doesn't matter how much potential you have, how good you think you are, you actually have to prove it every day in every training session and in every game.

"You can't take your foot off the gas and I think you see it in football a lot that there's players with loads of potential that then don't end up making it. I've played with some amazing players that definitely should have made it but I think they played too long in their comfort zone or I think they believed that their potential would get them to where they think they should be but the reality is if that you've go to work hard."

Perhaps at the time looking to be a huge downgrade after his time in the Premier League with Southampton, Danso's temporary switch to Fortuna Dusseldorf and his experience at Wurzburger Kickers could be viewed as the best thing to have happened to him. The ex-Augsburg man's career has only gone in one direction since then, both in terms of his club career and on the international stage.

Having excelled for Fortuna, the player would be on the move for the third successive summer as he headed to France to sign for Lens. That is where Danso would really make a name for himself and eventually result in his move to Tottenham.

Becoming a permanent member of the Lens backline and going on to make 35+ appearances in his first three full seasons with Les Sang et Or, Danso's form was acknowledged in the 2022/23 campaign with a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. It was a year that saw Lens agonisingly losing out on the league title to PSG, with the side from the French capital pipping their rivals to first place by a single point.

It would only be a matter of time before Danso would return to the Premier League for a second time. Maybe something he took for granted first time around, he was never going to do the same again when given the opportunity.

"It feels amazing to be here at the club, I always wanted to play for a big club in the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur is exactly that," said Danso after signing on the dotted line in N17. "I think as soon as you here Tottenham Hotspur is interested then I think the only thing you can do is say yes. It's an amazing project and I'm happy to be here."

Everyone connected with Tottenham is very happy that Danso is here and already playing a key role in Postecoglou's team. A rare shining light in the Liverpool and Aston Villa cup defeats, the defender has impressed in his Premier League outings and it has duly left his head coach waxing lyrical about him.

When it comes to completing transfers, Postecoglou is always a pivotal figure in convincing a player to join and many have noted the power of a conversation with the Australian. What the 59-year-old looks for in potential new signings is character and he does also like to sign someone who maybe hasn't had the conventional route in the game and has had to drop down the divisions before making their way back up.

That was the case with Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper's father, Michele, detailing his son's chat with Postecoglou and that the boss had chosen him "because Guglielmo worked his way up just like him". Danso's route to Tottenham is not too dissimilar to that of Vicario's, with the defender's wake-up call at Fortuna Dusseldorf and his realisation that "you can't take your foot off the gas" making him the perfect Postecoglou player.

It has been some journey for Danso in the eight years since stepping onto the field for Augsburg in the Bundesliga for the very first time. There are many more chapters to add to his story, with all the best lines hopefully still to be written at Tottenham.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou should be spoilt for choice very soon when it comes to his centre-back options. Going so long with limited numbers in such a key position of the Tottenham team, March will see the return of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to action.

The duo will then compete with Kevin Danso and Ben Davies for a starting spot as Spurs look to finish strongly in the Premier League and hopefully triumph in the Europa League. There is also Archie Gray to consider for a centre-back role after filling in expertly in the position over the past few months.

Tottenham's centre-back numbers will only increase come the summer as they have three players currently playing their football away from the club. So what does the future hold for Tottenham's centre-backs heading into the 2025/26 campaign? football.london takes a look below.

Cristian Romero

It shouldn't be too long until Romero is back on the pitch for Tottenham after a long injury layoff. The World Cup winner has been missed during his absence and Postecoglou's selection is going to be quite interesting now with Danso performing well since making the move to N17.

Romero will enter the final two years of his Tottenham contract this summer and the club will soon have a decision to make over him as they will not want him to enter the last 12 months of his deal considering his market value. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Real Madrid previously and that may well see him in the headlines prior to the 2025/26 campaign. KEEP, UNLESS A MAJOR OFFER COMES IN AND HE SIGNALS HIS INTENTION TO MOVE.

Micky van de Ven

March should also see the return of Van de Ven as the Dutchman has not featured since his 45-minute cameo against Elfsborg at the end of January. Tottenham just need to keep the youngster fit as he has missed chunks of the past two campaigns through injury. KEEP.

Radu Dragusin

It will be next season when Radu Dragusin returns to action for Tottenham after suffering an ACL injury in the Europa League win against Elfsborg. Amid question marks over how much football the Romanian would play this term, the 23-year-old has featured regularly and made 28 appearances prior to his season-ending injury. KEEP.

Kevin Danso

Danso was a late arrival in the January transfer window after Tottenham struck a loan agreement with French club Lens for his services. The agreement between both clubs contains an obligation to buy for £20.9million this summer. PERMANENT TRANSFER.

Ben Davies

Davies is very much considered a centre-back at Tottenham now despite playing the vast majority of his football for the club as a left-back. The 31-year-old is a dependable figure at the back for Postecoglou and the boss needs to ensure the Welshman remains in north London for the foreseeable future.

Davies' current deal expires at the end of June but it was reported back in November that Spurs have decided to take up a one-year extension, keeping him at the club for the 2025/26 season. The club have yet to officially confirm a new contract for the ex-Swansea City man, however. NEW CONTRACT.

Luka Vuskovic

Tottenham fans cannot wait to see Luka Vuskovic in action going on his exploits for Hajduk Split, Radomiak Radom and Westerlo. The 18-year-old is already viewed as one of the most talented youngsters coming through in world football right now and Tottenham ensured they got their man after confirming a deal for the Croat back in September 2023.

It remains to be seen how much football he will play next term but you would have to say there's a fair chance he does go on to play for the Spurs first team in 2025/26 going on his experience so far. If his football is to be limited then there is of course the opportunity to send him out on loan to enhance his game even further. KEEP, THEN REVIEW THE SITUATION IN JANUARY.

Ashley Phillips

Ashley Phillips has yet to make a senior appearance for Tottenham but he will be hoping that changes next season. Impressing at Championship side Plymouth Argyle in the second half of last campaign, the 19-year-old is now doing likewise for Stoke City.

Phillips will return to Tottenham in the summer and the club will then decide on whether to keep him for the season or loan him out again. With Danso now at the club, Vuskovic set to join and of course the possibility that Spurs look to enhance their backline even further, Phillips may depart on loan once again. LOAN.

Alfie Dorrington

Alfie Dorrington has found starts hard to come by since making the move to Aberdeen in January. The academy ace has played five games for the Dons so far but only one of those appearances has come from the start of a match.

Another loan move has to be on the cards for the 19-year-old next season to help aid his first-team development. LOAN.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham return to Europa League action on Thursday evening with a showdown against AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. The sides have already met in the competition this season and it was Spurs who come out on top back in October with a 1-0 win thanks to Richarlison's second-half penalty.

Following the draw for the Europa League round of 16 eight days ago, Ange Postecoglou and his players will face AZ once again in a two-legged tie for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition. Playing the first leg of their tie at AFAS Stadion on Thursday, the sides will then meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the following week.

As UEFA club competition is operating with a new format this season, clubs now know their route to the final and who their potential opponents could be. football.london takes a look at Tottenham's best and worst route to glory as they target lifting the Europa League trophy in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.

Best route to glory

Quarter-finals - Ajax/Eintracht Frankfurt

It really is a bit of a toss up between Eintracht Frankfurt or Ajax for Tottenham in the Europa League quarter-finals should they beat AZ in the round of 16. Unfortunately we just cannot separate them as both sides are extremely dangerous opponents, especially with the second leg coming away from home.

A glance at the Europa League league phase table would suggest that Ajax are the best opponents for Spurs considering they finished 12th and Eintracht came fifth. However, the Dutch side are currently on course to win the Eredivisie as they lead the way with a five-point cushion over nearest challengers PSV.

Eintracht, on the other hand, are third in the Bundesliga standings but their form in the league has been somewhat patchy over the last five games.

Semi-finals - Viktoria Plzen

Should Tottenham make it to the final four of the competition, Viktoria Plzen would be their ideal opponents with a place in the final up for grabs. However, that would all depend on Plzen coming through a round of 16 double-header against Lazio this month.

The Czech outfit did finish 16th in the league phase table after eight games following a mixed run of results. It is worth noting, though, that they beat Real Sociedad 2-1 at home in November and they also came from 3-1 down to draw at Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of their campaign.

Postecoglou and Spurs would certainly fancy their chances against Plzen over two legs.

Final - FCSB

The dream final for Tottenham would be coming up against Romanian side FCSB in Bilbao. There are some good sides in the other side of the Europa League draw, most notably Athletic Club, Real Sociedad, Roma and Manchester United, but FCSB would probably be the opponent of choice for many.

Missing out on a top-eight finish in the table on goal difference, FCSB beat PAOK 4-1 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs to set up a date with French side Lyon. It would be some achievement for Elias Charalambous' side to make the final as Real Sociedad or Manchester United await in the quarter-finals if they go through, with one of Fenerbahce, Rangers, Roma or Athletic Club to follow in the semi-finals.

Worst route to glory

Quarter-finals - Ajax/Eintracht Frankfurt

The issue for Tottenham in the quarter-finals is that they will be away from home in the crucial second leg. Both Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt have very strong records at home this campaign and they will be backed by their passionate fans.

Ajax have yet to lose at home in the Eredivisie this season after winning 11 and drawing one of their 12 games. They did lose to Lazio in the Europa League league phase in December and also to Union Saint-Gilloise in the second leg of their knockout phase play-off tie, with Kenneth Taylor's late penalty seeing them make the last 16 despite losing on the night to their Belgian opponents.

Eintracht have only lost one of their 11 home games in the Bundesliga this term, winning seven times and drawing on three occasions. The German side were unbeaten at home in the Europa League during the league phase of the competition.

Tottenham are going to face a huge test whoever they face in the quarter-finals if they are to progress beyond AZ in the round of 16.

Semi-finals - Lazio

Lazio are one of the favourites to win the competition in Bilbao after topping the league phase table with six wins from eight games. The Italian side have also enjoyed a strong season to date in Serie A and they look to be in a good position to contest for a Champions League spot come May.

Lazio will be expected to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League as they play Viktoria Plzen in the round of 16 and then one of Olympiacos or Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals. The Rome-based club, who are now managed by Marco Baroni, boast some good players such as Pedro, Mattia Zaccagni and Matteo Guendouzi.

Final - Athletic Club

The nightmare final for Tottenham would have to be coming up against Athletic Club at their San Mames home. It wouldn't be ideal facing the Spanish side in their home city but Postecoglou and Spurs would undoubtedly still be confident of beating them on their own turf.

Ernesto Valverde's side finished second in the league phase table with an identical record to Lazio and they are also flying high in La Liga right now as they currently sit fourth after 25 games. Nico Williams is the standout player in Valverde's side but the likes of Oihan Sancet and Inaki Williams are also ones to watch.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham have work to do in the summer transfer market as they look to take Ange Postecoglou's squad to the next level. After making some key changes ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, Spurs were once again active in the winter market as they clinched deals for Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

After suffering so many injuries across the campaign to date, Spurs look to be in a much better position with their squad right now and they will be targeting a big end to the campaign. Once the current season has come to a conclusion, Postecoglou and Johan Lange will need to make decisions over a handful of players as they look to refresh the options available to him.

Starting with the goalkeepers on Tottenham's books at present, football.london takes a look at whether Spurs should keep, sell or loan the shot-stoppers prior to next term getting underway.

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has made an instant impact in the Tottenham team since returning from injury. The Italian was missed during his three months on the sidelines, with his leadership skills there for all to see in the matches he has played since making his comeback.

A leader in the dressing room and on the pitch, Vicario is a pivotal member of Postecoglou's Tottenham team. KEEP.

Antonin Kinsky

Kinsky made an instant impression in the Tottenham XI after making the move from Slavia Prague at the beginning of January. However, he was always going to drop out of the team once Vicario returned.

Kinsky can really push the Italian for his spot in the team and it is going to be fascinating to see them both battle for the No.1 shirt over the coming years. KEEP.

Brandon Austin

Brandon Austin finally got a taste of first-team action for Tottenham at the beginning of the year after waiting so long to make his senior bow for the club. Impressing on his debut for the club in the defeat against Newcastle United and in the Europa League ties against Hoffenheim and Elfsborg, the academy graduate has since dropped a place in the pecking order following the arrival of Kinsky.

Austin's chances of football are going to be limited but he's here to stay after penning a five-year contract last May. KEEP.

Fraser Forster

Fraser Forster is another goalkeeper who has dropped down the pecking order with Kinsky and Austin now ahead of him. The goalkeeper has played 13 times for Tottenham this season but there's a good chance he has already played his last game for the club given his contract status.

The 36-year-old is out of contact at the end of the season and it is probably the right time for both parties to go their separate ways. SUMMER EXIT.

Alfie Whiteman

Alfie Whiteman is also out of contract in the summer after last signing a deal with Tottenham two years ago. The boyhood fan has only made one appearance for the Lilywhites and it's hard to see him adding to it.

With limited senior experience to his name at the age of 26, this summer represents the perfect opportunity for Whiteman to exit and become a first-choice goalkeeper elsewhere. If Postecoglou wanted to ensure they have four senior goalkeepers on the books, with Spurs also retaining a club-trained player for Europe at the same time, then of course they could possibly consider extending his stay. SUMMER EXIT, IF NO CONTRACT EXTENSION.

Josh Keeley

Josh Keeley has made a huge name for himself this season after playing a major role in Leyton Orient's push for a play-off place. Not only has he kept a total of 13 clean sheets in League One but he also contributed with a last-minute goal that kept Orient in the FA Cup prior to coming up against Manchester City in the competition last month.

As well as the Irishman has done across the capital this campaign, opportunities at Tottenham are going to be extremely limited for him due to the goalkeepers ahead of him. Another loan move should be on the cards for next season, with the Championship appearing to be the obvious choice after his time in the National League and League One. LOAN.

Luca Gunter

Luca Gunter is now getting valuable first-time experience to his name with Wealdstone in the National League. The youngster has so far made seven appearances for the Ruislip-based club but he is still waiting for that elusive first clean sheet.

Spurs should look at securing Gunter another loan move in the 2025/26 campaign, with a step up to the English Football League his next destination. LOAN.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be busy in the summer transfer window once again. Spurs horrendous luck with injuries this season shows that more strength in depth is required in N17.

The young players brought in last season will have a year's experience under their belts come next season and that will stand them in good stead. The likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have perhaps played more than they would have expected, while Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel - if he signs permanently - will also feel the benefit of a year or half year already under Ange Postecoglou.

Kevin Danso arrived at the club in the January transfer window, to bolster their ailing defence, while Antonin Kinsky also arrived as back-up to Guglielmo Vicario. And when everyone is fit and available, the Australian has a strong starting lineup.

Djed Spence has come into the team and become almost undroppable with his performances, with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie now both at risk of being dropped. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero remain the first choice centre-backs, but Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin can stake their claim as understudies, as can Gray now too, although his preferred position would be in the midfield.

There, Spurs have Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Bergvall to choose from in a more defensive setup, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski the more attacking choices.

Up front, with Tel now in the side, there's Son Heung-min, Brennan Johnson, Mikey Moore and Odobert, as well as strikers Richarlison and Dominic Solanke. Timo Werner is likely to return to RB Leipzig at the end of his season-long loan spell.

Richarlison's injury record makes him a bit of a problem, with Spurs perhaps another striker light of real depth if he were unable to be counted upon or if he were to leave, with plenty of rumours around his future at the club in the past year or so.

Jonathan David would be a free transfer this summer with his contract at Lille coming to an end. Twelve goals and three assists in 21 games make him a potentially perfect new signing, particularly given he will not cost a penny.

At the back, Spence's emergence gives Postecolgou food for thought, but there remain just three players for two positions and one more full-back would certainly make things more palatable should there be injuries.

Milos Kerkez and Antonee Robinson have both shown they can be Premier League stars at so-called lesser teams and wither would be a good signing for Spurs in the summer, although Kerkez has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool.

The midfield has been a cause of persistent concern when it looked the most well-stocked during this season's injury nightmare. Bentancur has real quality on his day and is in negotiations over a new deal in N17. Bergvall has been a shining light, while Gray's ball-playing ability at centre-back have shown he can be the perfect midfield player in Postecoglou's system too.

Bissouma may not stick around and that may open up a position for a signing. Eighteen-year-old Sverre Nypan has been heavily linked with Arsenal, but fits the bill as a Spurs signing of the future. Morten Hjulmand has been linked with Spurs before and at 25 could slot straight into the first team without any problems.

Mathys Tel is just five games into his Tottenham Hotspur career but is already finding out how quickly Premier League players are judged.

The 19-year-old arrived from Bayern Munich in the winter window on loan with an option that Ange Postecoglou made it very clear will be taken up and Tel will become a Spurs player for years to come. The teenager scored in his second game, with a volley at Aston Villa in the FA Cup, but has found it difficult in a lone front man role in his three Premier League matches since.

The Frenchman is getting used to the fast and physical nature of the Premier League and being so young, he will be going through the same adaptation process as fellow new teenage arrivals this season like Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, regardless of his extra experience in Germany. Tel is already finding himself on the end of some social media criticism for his performances but it is still very early days.

"If anyone is expecting him to come in as a 19-year-old and take the Premier League by storm by scoring multiple goals, it's not realistic, it just can't happen,' said Postecoglou this week. "What we're trying to do is work with him. He needs to get his physical fitness up because he hasn't played a lot of football. We've thrown him in and kept him in there because I want to build up his fitness."

He added: "He's a different type [to Dominic Solanke]. I see in him the outstanding attributes to be a really good number nine, and he can play wide as well. In training his movements are becoming a bit more fluent. He's getting used to the way we play and the level of competition.

"What I do love is that he's a hard worker. Watch him in games, he's closing people down, he's doing the things we need him to do. He may not be getting goals and accolades, but he's certainly contributing to the way we want to play. That's the most important thing. He's got so much growth in him and I'm sure we'll see that."

Our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discussed Tel's performances and early weeks in north London as well as plenty more in the latest episode of their podcast Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham. You can listen to the latest show by heading right here or you can watch it on YouTube by going right here.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Yves Bissouma could only watch on from the substitutes' bench on Wednesday evening as Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester City. Previously an undroppable in Ange Postecoglou's first season as Spurs boss, the Mali international has unfortunately found himself in and out of the team this campaign.

In the Premier League, Bissouma has started 12 games, come on as a substitute on eight occasions and remained unused three times. The 28-year-old has quite clearly dropped down the pecking order in the 2024/25 campaign and you would have to say it doesn't look too promising for him at present.

Lucas Bergvall has leapfrogged him in what looks to be Postecoglou's preferred midfield of choice alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and one of James Maddison or Dejan Kulusevski. In Tottenham's last five Premier League games, Bissouma started and played 68 minutes against Brentford, was brought on as a late substitute in the Manchester United and Ipswich Town wins and then did not feature altogether in the home defeats to Leicester City and Manchester City.

Bissouma's mixed form has subsequently seen him cut from the Tottenham XI and Bergvall has fully seized his opportunity since coming in. Given his current predicament and his contract situation, Tottenham have a call to make over the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man in the summer as they plan for the long-term future.

Bissouma's current deal expires at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, meaning this summer is the ideal opportunity to cash in on him if they do not plan on offering him fresh terms. Postecoglou has been unable to find the perfect solution to the No.6 role in his team and that may well see Johan Lange look for an alternative option there before the start of next season.

Tottenham do have the opportunity to clinch a deal for Real Betis ace Johnny Cardoso as part of their agreement with the Spanish side last August that saw Giovani Lo Celso head back to the Estadio Benito Villamarin. The north London club have an option to sign the United States international in a reported two-week window in the summer for €25million (£21million).

Regardless of whether it is Cardoso or another player for the No.6 role, Tottenham need to address that position as they look to take their midfield to a whole new level. Bissouma is not the only Spurs midfielder out of contract in 2026 as Bentancur is also in a similar boat, with reports indicating that the club have opened talks with the Uruguayan about extending his current deal.

"Rodri has been great. In terms of his contract situation that is handled by other people and obviously a lot of our strategizing is not just about the short term but the longer term," said Postecoglou when asked about a new contract for Bentancur in his press conference ahead of the Manchester City fixture.

"Rodri, this latter period, is getting back to the levels he wants to be. He was coming off a long term injury last year, came back looked really good and then got another injury. It’s really disruptive. Even this year he got off to a false start with his long suspension.

"You can see he just needs regular game time and he is getting up to speed. Really good guy around the group as well. He is experienced now. From our perspective, in this run-in he is going to be really important."

Whereas Bentancur is viewed as going to be "really important" for the team between now and May as they chase Europa League success and a strong finish to the league campaign, it remains to be seen what role Bissouma will play. Right now, it's hard to visualise him getting the consistent minutes he wants in the Premier League and the same also goes for the Europa League as Postecoglou will surely go full strength in Europe with silverware on the line.

Just never getting going in his first season at Tottenham and enduring a frustrating second half to the 2023/24 campaign, Bissouma's third year as a Spurs player looks to be heading in the same direction. As Postecoglou, Lange and Tottenham plot for the years ahead, they have a big decision to make over Bissouma and the same goes for Cardoso.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Guglielmo Vicario was not about to stand around feeling sorry for himself after Erling Haaland scored for Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Spurs goalkeeper could not stop the Norwegian's close range shot from Jeremy Doku's deflected pass but as his team-mates trudged away disappointed to restart the game, the Italian started rallying the troops. First he turned to teenager Archie Gray and started to gee the youngster up and did so to a couple of other Tottenham players.

Then Vicario shouted across to Wilson Odobert, making his first start since September, motioning twice towards him and then pointing diagonally to the other side of the pitch in an animated fashion. It could have meant a number of things, including getting the ball over there or running inside more often, but it was noticeable that the 20-year-old had trotted back slowly as City broke for the move that led to the goal, especially after centre-back Kevin Danso had come well out of position towards him to try to press high up the pitch.

Vicario also spoke to Danso and consoled him before going over the referee and saying something to the official before speaking to Danso again and then Odobert across the pitch.

Vicario was a constant presence around the turf, along with the four saves he made during the game, including one moment when he ran almost to the halfway line before an attacking corner was taken to say something to Gray before giving the 18-year-old a hug.

It all lends further weight to Ange Postecoglou's decision to appoint Vicario to the team's leadership group and the goalkeeper is certainly going to be in the running to wear the armband whenever Son Heung-min cannot captain the side.

"I included him in the leadership [group] this year because I have just seen his growth," Postecoglou explained when he made the decision. "He is one of those guys who is really positive. He comes in every day wanting to work; he comes in on his days off wanting to work."

"He is a great example for everyone and a great human being as well. I thought he could add something to our leadership group."

Postecoglou also said this season: "As soon as I had a conversation with him, I knew he was the right bloke for us. Beyond being an outstanding goalkeeper, he is an outstanding human being.

"If you bring a person like that into your dressing room, it’s going to give you more than just a goalkeeper. He is the kind of guy who is going to have an influence over everything we do. He is going to have an influence over what I do and that’s how I keep learning — by bringing these kinds of players in."

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.