Football.London

When Yves Bissouma trudged off the Craven Cottage pitch at half-time on Sunday he probably had an inkling of what might be coming next.

For the Mali international had been told by Ange Postecoglou that he would not be coming back on for the second half in his previous Premier League start for Tottenham against Bournemouth. So it was that Bissouma's fate was sealed yet again as 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall was sent on in the 28-year-old's place at Fulham.

Footballers always back themselves and they need a reasonably-sized ego to make it to the top level of the game, but even Bissouma would have had little complaint after a performance marked by mistakes at the weekend.

During an otherwise dull first half by the River Thames, Bissouma looked at times like he was taking to the turf in a meaningless pre-season friendly and at others controlled the ball like a nervous teenager with little awareness of where anyone was around him, either in a Spurs shirt or a Fulham one.

The experienced Premier League player lost five of his seven duels and was poor in possession whenever Spurs attempted to burst up the pitch.

He kept playing panicked passes which were either too powerful, misplaced or put team-mates under pressure. On one occasion, he advanced down the left-hand side of the pitch and a simple forward pass would have sent Destiny Udogie on a raid down the flank. Instead Bissouma knocked the simple, short pass behind the left-back and out of play.

This is not a one-off display either. The Yves Bissouma who made a big name for himself at Brighton and seemed to be a steal for Spurs at just £30million in 2022 appears to have left the building. Other than the odd unplayable performance in a Spurs shirt, he's making himself unplayable nowadays in a very different way.

On Sunday Postecoglou was asked why the Mali international has been taken off at half-time in recent games.

"I just feel Biss can sometimes let the game drift by him. He needs to be a little bit more dominant in the way he gets on the ball. At times I think the game gets away from him and today we needed more in that position," said the Spurs head coach.

"I needed him to play though, because he hasn't played a lot. At the same time you've got to perform. It's fair to say, Biss and a few others are probably lacking a bit of confidence. That's affecting him but we're at the point of the season now where we need guys to get out there and put those things to one side and perform."

He added: "It's not about getting through to him or a lack of effort. I just think with players sometimes they go through these spells and he needs to find a way to break through that and we need to find a way to get that out of him."

It comes in a season when Bissouma should have been desperate to prove himself after starting the campaign by being suspended by the club after filming himself inhaling nitrous oxide - known as laughing gas - from a balloon and then posting it on social media, despite it being deemed a criminal offence from 2023.

"I've been in the game for a long time. When a situation like this arises, I've tried to look at them in a couple of ways," said Postecoglou back in August. "First there as a person, and it's Biss, and he's made a poor decision. There are still sanctions involved, and some of those are educational. He is a footballer with responsibilities.

"He won't be available on Monday. We've suspended him from Monday's game. He needs to build that trust back with both me and the group. The door is open for him and we can help him realise the decisions he makes impacts the group."

When asked how Bissouma can build back that trust, Postecoglou replied: "Behaviour, mate. It's that simple. It's about making better decisions. He was very apologetic to me, the club and everyone involved, but that's just part of it."

The most disappointing part of it all is that Bissouma had found someone in Postecoglou who had his back, yet he has never repaid that support. For all the talk of adoring the Australian and seeing him as an uncle-type figure, the midfielder has repeatedly taken a step back every time he has seemed to be progressing with the head coach.

He has the ability to dominate matches and when Bissouma plays well, so do Spurs. When Postecoglou first arrived, he called on Bissouma to become more of a leader to the young players in the group.

"I was lucky because Biss was here from the first day I arrived. Many of the boys were playing international football, and I kind of grabbed him. The way he was training… at the time, the first three or four sessions, we mainly had young guys," Postecoglou told TalkSPORT a month into last season.

"I said ‘you can be a leader in this group’. I already knew of his ability, and the way he was training, I could see he got a lift with that. He was late the next morning, and I said 'to be a leader means to be on time', and he has been good since then.

"So, there is always lessons to be learned, but I think with him and all the other players, it is about creating an environment and framework to say, 'well you should not have any excuses'. I am not going to allow you to have any excuses, and not be the best you can be. In that context, the rest is up to them."

Bissouma would later claim that his car had a flat tyre which resulted in his lateness but regardless of the reason it was yet another example of him not being able to do what was asked.

He is a popular figure in the squad and does take players under his wing like Pape Matar Sarr and Wilson Odobert, who he pushed towards the crowd to get the recent congratulations after the win against AZ. After that game, Bissouma made a point of going over to Troy Parrott to console the former Spurs youngster.

Yet Bissouma has not made his own impact at Spurs, other than the opening 10 matches or so of the Postecoglou tenure.

Antonio Conte had not been the biggest fan of the Mali international and told football.london a month into the player's first season at the club: "The only player that is struggling a bit with the tactical aspect is Bissouma, but also he is improving a lot in every aspect. I am sure when we start again and play 12 games, for sure he is another player I can count on but I try to take the best decision for the player because I want to protect the player."

Bissouma would start only 10 games in the Premier League that season, not helped by a broken ankle in February. In Postecoglou's first campaign he managed 26 starts in the league, but three different suspensions caused problems for him as his discipline became an issue - then followed up by that club suspension to start the current season.

In this campaign, Bissouma has started only 14 Premier League games and at 28, he already looks a player of the past compared to 19-year-olds like Bergvall and Archie Gray.

Spurs are reportedly expected to begin contract talks with Rodrigo Bentancur and with just over a year left on Bissouma's deal, it's difficult to see the club committing to the player for a longer period unless there is a big U-turn in what he is producing.

That means this summer represents a last chance for Tottenham to get some return on their £30million investment but few of the bigger sides will have seen much in Bissouma to warrant taking the risk. The player himself may not want to step down to what he might deem a smaller side.

For both Bissouma and Tottenham, there needs to be a change. Exactly what form that takes will be shown in the final months of the season.

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Tottenham could potentially reap the rewards in the years ahead of a transfer agreement struck last summer. In a move that saw Giovani Lo Celso join Real Betis for £8.4million plus add-ons and a sell-on clause, Spurs also agreed on further terms for one of Betis' brightest talents.

Since Lo Celso's return to Andalusia, plenty of Tottenham fans will have been keeping close tabs on United States international Johnny Cardoso. A player who has earned rave reviews since making the move to La Liga from Brazilian side Internacional in December 2023, the 23-year-old may possibly soon be playing his football for Ange Postecoglou's Spurs.

As part of the deal involving Lo Celso, the north London club have the option to sign Cardoso in a reported two-week window for €25million (£21million). If they choose not to take up that option then that deal instead becomes a sell-on clause for a player they do not even own.

A deal that raised eyebrows at the time given the unusual nature of it and Lo Celso's low price tag, Spurs may be the ones who have the last laugh if they do indeed lure him to N17. Whether he is to become a Tottenham player or not, Cardoso looks on course to feature heavily in the headlines this summer one way or another.

Johan Lange and Tottenham have plenty of work to do in the transfer market given their current Premier League struggles and a new No.6 has to be at the top of their priority list. Yves Bissouma is clearly not the solution in the role and Rodrigo Bentancur's performances continue to fluctuate when deployed there.

With Bentancur, it may be a case of signing a new No.6 to allow him to play further forward and have an impact in the final third as was the case when he had Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg behind him. Lucas Bergvall has demonstrated that he can take on the role but Postecoglou may believe he is more effective as a No.8, while we have seen very little of Archie Gray in what is seen as his long-term position due to Tottenham's lack of defensive options across the campaign.

The agreement struck between Tottenham and Real Betis back in August may be a complete no-brainer for the Lilywhites to activate come the summer as they plot for the 2025/26 campaign. After all, Cardoso is a key cog in Manuel Pellegrini's side and has become a highly-regarded player in La Liga in the process after delivering some top performances against Spain's best sides.

One of those came in late October as Cardoso played his part in Betis bringing Atletico Madrid's unbeaten start to the campaign to an end following a 1-0 victory. Making four passes into the final third and creating two chances, the Denville-born player was also successful with three of his five dribbles and three of his seven long balls.

In regards to his defensive play, he won three of his five tackles, made five clearances, four interceptions and eight recoveries. He also won nine of his 14 duels as Diego Simeone's men tasted defeat at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Atletico's fierce city rivals Real Madrid also fell victim to Cardoso and Betis at the beginning of March following a 2-1 defeat in Seville. The United States international did in fact get his name on the scoresheet with a powerful header from Isco's cross that Thibaut Courtois could not keep out.

Completing 33 of his 38 passes on that day, Cardoso also made four passes into the final third, he was accurate with his one long ball, he registered two shots on target from a possible three and Real only dispossessed him the once. The youngster would also make 15 defensive actions, five interceptions, five recoveries and three clearances.

Betis are in a strong position in the league standings to qualify for Europe once again and Cardoso, who has two goals and one assist in 33 games this term, could potentially sign off from the Spanish side with a Europa Conference League winner's medal as they are one of the favourites to reach the final. Pellegrini's team would undoubtedly like to keep Cardoso at the club for the long-term future, hence his new contract that ties him to the club until 2030, but Tottenham could have a major say in his next destination if they are to activate their transfer clause.

Going on his performances in La Liga and his current progression in the game, £21million could turn out to be quite the snip for Tottenham if Cardoso continues to go from strength to strength at the base of midfield. He may well be the first part of the puzzle when it comes to Tottenham's transfer plans for the 2025/26 campaign.

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Lucas Bergvall has admitted "it's fun" to receive praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Having suffered two defeats against Tottenham earlier in the season, City secured a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of February following Erling Haaland's first-half goal.

On a night where much didn't go Tottenham's way, Bergvall was a big positive for Ange Postecoglou's side with another impressive performance in the middle of the park. It was a performance that caught the eye of Guardiola.

“Bergvall, every time he has the ball and runs, he’s unstoppable," said Guardiola in his post-match press conference, as reported by Manchester Evening News. "Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, Kulusevski, Son. It’s an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play really good.”

Now on international duty with Sweden, Guardiola's comments were put to the Tottenham ace and he delivered his verdict. “Of course it’s fun, but in the big picture it doesn’t really matter," he said in an interview with SVT Sport.

"I just try to play football and develop all the time and help the team. It’s always fun to get praise and you should take it in. But I try not to put too much emphasis on it."

In a dismal season for Tottenham with the club languishing 14th in the Premier League table, the performances of youngsters Bergvall and Archie Gray have been a rare bright spot for all connected with the club. Amid the host of injuries Postecoglou has had to try and deal with, Bergvall doesn't believe "it's been a fair season" and that "it's not human" for certain players to have played virtually all of the minutes.

"I don't think it's been a fair season to be honest. Not considering how much damage we have had," confessed Bergvall in an interview with Swedish publication Aftonbladet. "I don’t know what the reason is but as we have talked about with Dejan [Kulusevski], there are many who have played an incredible number of minutes. It’s not human, so of course it’s a big factor.”

Bergvall currently has four senior Sweden caps to his name but he has yet to start for his country. That will change this weekend, though, when he starts in their friendly against Luxembourg following confirmation from boss Jon Dahl Tomasson.

"It's fun but it's not something I've thought about that much," he said on his upcoming first start. "Jon and I have talked a little bit but nothing more specific, we'll do it during the days here I think. I'll just play like I did at Tottenham and be able to contribute as much as possible."

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

One of Tottenham's three shirts from this season could potentially become iconic if the club are to triumph in the Europa League come May. Ange Postecoglou's side are five games away from glory in Bilbao, starting with a quarter-final double-header against Eintracht Frankfurt next month.

As Tottenham only have nine Premier League games left on the calendar and hopefully a further five to come in Europe, it will not be too long at all until the term draws to a conclusion and the club's kits for the 2025/26 season are unveiled. As ever, Nike will be producing Tottenham's kits after penning a long-term agreement with the club that lasts until 2033.

The American sportswear giant have so far produced some rather eye-catching shirts, most notably Spurs' away and third designs from the 2021/22 campaign, and plenty of fans are looking forward to their next offerings. Over the past few months a number of images have emerged of the kits Tottenham will be wearing from August onwards.

Here we take a look at what Son Heung-min and Co. could be donning in the 2025/26 campaign:

Home kit

Nike switched things up with this season's Tottenham home shirt after opting from navy blue sleeves. Certainly something different going on their previous designs, Spurs' current home kit is reminiscent of the Kappa shirt they wore in 2005/06 when they went agonisingly close to a Champions League finish under Martin Jol.

Well, it appears that blue will once again feature prominently going on the latest images posted on popular football shirt website Footy Headlines. 'Binary Blue' will not be the only colour to feature on the sleeves as there will also be white and light grey (Lt Iron Ore). 'Lt Iron Ore' also features down the side of the shirt.

Tottenham's shirt for next season will also have a different look about it as the club crest will sit above the Nike logo in the middle of the jersey. The shirt will then be completed with the AIA logo.

Away kit

Tottenham look set to have a black away shirt for the 2025/26 campaign. Tending to opt for a shade of blue with their second shirt in years gone by, Spurs have worn black before during the 2014/15 season but that design featured yellow down the middle, on the sides and also on the cuffs.

According to Footy Headlines, Tottenham's black away shirt comes with grey (Lt Iron Ore) accents and white logos. The design does feature a simple square tile pattern across the shirt and the letters 'SPURS' can be seen along the lines.

Unlike the home shirt, the club crest and Nike logo are not centralised and will instead be in their usual position on the jersey. The shirt is then rounded off with grey piping around the collar.

Third kit

Yellow is set to make a return next season when it comes to Tottenham's third kit. The latest rumours and kit leaks suggest that Nike will be bringing back their iconic Total 90 template in the 2025/26 campaign, with the design set to be used on Spurs' third shirt.

Not only that, the jersey will have a retro feel about it as Tottenham's old crest that was used between 1999 and 2006 is set to make a comeback. As is the case with the home shirt, the Spurs logo will sit in a centralised position above the AIA sponsor but the Nike logo will feature towards the top right of the shirt.

'Dynamic Yellow' is the main colour of the shirt but it will be complemented by navy blue (Blue Void) and light blue (Pacific Blue) down the side of the shirt. 'Blue Void' will be used on the cuffs of the shirt, the round neck collar and also down the side of the shorts.

Footy Headlines have stressed that the images on their website are not of the final design as is it merely based on early leaks and predictions. However, if it is indeed the final design then it will undoubtedly go down well with Tottenham fans.

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

When times are tough at a football club there is a tendency to look towards the past so we thought it would be as good a time as any to check on how the players who left Tottenham Hotspur in the past year have got on.

The north London outfit has undergone a major rebuild in the Ange Postecoglou era with the average age of the squad and therefore the wage bill reduced dramatically. In all, 15 players who have been in around the first team squad at times have left in the past 12 months, following on from those who departed in the Australian's first season.

football.london has taken a look across England and Europe to find out how all of the former Tottenham first team players and a couple of notable U21s have got on since making their way out of the club permanently in the past 12 months.

Tanguy Ndombele

Tanguy Ndombele left Tottenham as the club's biggest ever flop after arriving from Lyon for a club record fee worth more than £60million in all. He played just 91 times over half a decade before having his contract mutually terminated last summer.

All the Frenchman, now 28, wanted was to play football and he's had that on the whole since joining Nice, making 25 appearances this season, scoring twice and laying on two assists over 1,407 minutes of football. The main issue for the midfielder has been troublesome injuries.

The first was a hip problem that gave him some woe earlier in the season and then from January onwards, Ndombele admitted that he was playing with a constant sports hernia issue.

Three weeks ago, his manager Franck Haise confirmed during a press conference that the Frenchman had again complained about the issue, and had seen a surgeon about the problem. During the meeting it was decided that surgery was not required but the issue has meant that Ndombele has only played 35 minutes of football since the turn of the year.

It's a shame because Haise had said of Ndombele earlier in the season: "He is someone who needs – and he isn't the only one – a climate of trust and that is what we are trying to bring to him, but beyond the atmosphere around the club that has been put in place, it is Tanguy first and foremost who is ensuring that it is going well.

"Little by little, we are re-discovering the player that we knew a few years ago. What I see from his matches, I think in terms of confidence, it is going pretty well. Confidence comes from working hard, through your investment."

Giovani Lo Celso

Just to show that muscle injuries are not purely a Postecoglou thing, Giovani Lo Celso has also not been able to escape his injury-hit past after returning to Real Betis.

Now 28, the Argentine had started the season on fire with goals in four consecutive La Liga games - five scored in total across those games. However, he missed much of October with a hamstring problem and then after a couple of months back in the team, including scoring in back-to-back La Liga games against Barcelona and Villarreal, Lo Celso suffered an adductor injury.

Then another muscle injury has wiped him out of action since February. It was announced last month by Betis that the midfielder has "suffered a moderate-grade injury to the middle third of the soleus muscle in his right leg. His reintegration into the squad will be determined by his recovery progress".

In all, Lo Celso has started just 11 La Liga games this season, playing 20 times in all across all competitions and has been left out of the current Argentina squad for their World Cup qualifiers this month.

Lo Celso exited Tottenham after five years in a deadline day transfer last summer that will net the club £8.4million plus add-ons with a sell-on clause as well as an agreement that means they could potentially sign midfielder Johnny Cardoso for a cheaper fee this summer or get a sell-on fee of sorts for the USA international.

Troy Parrott

The biggest success among the departing players from Spurs this past year has without a doubt been Troy Parrott, who joined AZ Alkmaar in July in a £6.7million deal which also includes a 20% sell-on clause for the north London side.

The 23-year-old Republic of Ireland international has started all but one of his new club's Eredivisie games this season and has impressed in the Europa League as well. In all Parrott has netted 17 goals this season and provided three assists, meaning 20 goal involvements in 41 matches and 3,091 minutes of football.

He has also faced Tottenham three times in the Europa League, causing them plenty of problems in the first leg of the round of 16 especially this month. The striker scored four goals in the European competition before AZ's exit at the hands of his old club.

"For me it just didn't happen [with Spurs]. I'm OK with that," Parrott said this month. "I look back with a smile. It's a place where I grew up. I moved away from home quite young, so when I went there I was in a phase of going from a kid to a teenager and then past that. It helped me become the person and player I am now, so I can only look back on that with good memories."

Postecoglou also spoke about the young forward, saying: "Troy's done really well, he did really well in Holland last year. It was a really good loan move for him. I think sometimes for players like Troy, getting away from the UK and seeing whether they can do it in a different style of football, whether it suits them, and I think the Dutch league certainly has allowed him to develop further. He's doing really well, really pleased for him and hopefully we we keep him quiet tomorrow night.

"He's still a very good goalscorer. His goals, you know, as a striker, he's a good finisher, but apart from that, I think he's a good link-up player. He works hard for his team as well, and we saw that the other night, both with and without the ball. He's a hard worker and I think it's good to see him develop in those areas."

Oliver Skipp

Oliver Skipp has struggled to find regular football at Leicester City and is yet to surpass the 24 matches he played for Tottenham last season. The 24-year-old left Spurs last summer after 18 years at the north London club and more than 100 first team appearances to join up with fellow academy product Harry Winks at the Foxes. The transfer will bring Tottenham more than £20million plus a sell-on clause.

However, Skipp has started just seven Premier League games this season and played 20 times across all competitions, with just 965 minutes to his name, albeit surpassing the 861 he got last year at Spurs. He has played bits and pieces here and there in Leicester's difficult season with two managers and has been an unused substitute on the bench 10 times in the Premier League and has not even made the matchday squad under Ruud van Nistelrooy in the past couple of fixtures.

Emerson Royal

Emerson Royal is another who has had a season marred by injury woes. The Brazilian's woe came in one go with a calf injury that has kept him out since January.

The right-back moved to AC Milan last summer in a deal worth £12.6million plus add-ons and has played 26 times for the Serie A side. However, the 26-year-old has not been well received at the Italian outfit, with plenty of criticism from fans and the media, and it was heavily reported that Milan tried to sell him at the first chance they got in the winter transfer window only for that injury to scupper plans.

Milan have since brought in Kyle Walker from Manchester City on loan and are looking to sign the England international permanently, with Italian reports suggesting the sale of Emerson would help them achieve that.

Ryan Sessegnon

Tottenham fans got to see what Ryan Sessegnon is up to on Sunday unfortunately as the left-back scored the second goal of the defeat at Craven Cottage with a well-taken right-footed curling effort.

Spurs decided not to take up the option of the additional year on Sessegnon's contract last summer and his return to Fulham meant that all of Tottenham's arrivals in the 2019 window went back to their previous side at some point after joining the north London club.

Sessegnon has been working his way back to full fitness after so long out of the game and Fulham have been playing it cautiously with him. He has only made seven Premier League appearances, scoring twice, and has played 12 games in all competitions.

"I spent five years at Spurs and I'm grateful for my time there. So that's why I didn't celebrate," the 24-year-old said after Sunday's game. "I'm feeling good, sharp and strong. I just want to play a little bit more. When I get the chances I want to prove I can play at this level."

Postecoglou was asked about Sessegnon's big moment and said: "It's a great story but you're asking the guy in me who's feeling the pain of defeat now. I couldn't be happier for Sess but that's his story."

Joe Rodon

Joe Rodon continues to be an ever-present for Leeds since joining permanently as part of the deal that brought Archie Gray in the opposite direction to N17 last summer.

The 27-year-old Wales international has played 3,531 minutes across 40 matches at centre-back and will be hoping to go one step better than last season with the Elland Road club.

Leeds currently sit top of the Championship on goal difference of a tight top three and will want to avoid a repeat of last year's play-off final pain and return automatically to the Premier League.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

We're including Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in this list even though he's on loan at Marseille because he technically joined the Ligue 1 outfit with an obligation to buy.

The 29-year-old midfielder has been a near ever-present and has captained the Ligue 1 side on a handful of occasions, having also been named as the new skipper of Denmark, taking on the armband from Simon Kjaer ahead of previous vice-captains Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel.

The Dane has played 26 matches this season, with Marseille sitting second in the table and 19 points behind unbeaten leaders PSG. Hojbjerg missed the most recent 3-1 defeat to the Parisian side because he has a calf injury that is set to keep him out for a few weeks.

Japhet Tanganga

As with Sessegnon, Spurs did not take up the option last year to extend Japhet Tanganga's contract by its final 12 months. Instead the 25-year-old signed on a free transfer for Millwall after impressing for the Championship side on loan last season.

Unlike other players in this list who have continued to struggle with the same injuries they had before, Tanganga has been completely injury-free so far this campaign.

The centre-back has played 3,420 minutes across 38 games for Millwall, scoring twice and has continued to relish his time on the other side of London.

Ivan Perisic

Ivan Perisic stopped being a Tottenham employee last summer, having already joined Hajduk Split in January on loan until the end of his contract. He had agreed a deal to play for the Croatian side this season. However, the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso altered the outlook on his future at the club and the 35-year-old's contract was mutually terminated.

Perisic then added yet another new league to his remarkable career after moving to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. The 36-year-old has got plenty of minutes for them and impressed across 28 appearances with nine goals and nine assists.

The Croatian missed out on Champions League football in the league phase after signing after the registration period closed but more than made up for it with three goals in four knockout matches after being included at the next chance, including a goal at the Emirates Stadium this month.

Eric Dier

Dier has got more Bundesliga starts in the second half of this season so far after being an observer for much of the early stages of the campaign under Vincent Kompany.

The 31-year-old joined Harry Kane at Bayern Munich on loan last year with an option for the Bundesliga club to sign him permanently, which was triggered before the last campaign ended and he moved officially when his contract ended this summer. He has played 38 times for the Bavarian giants since with 18 games this season across all competitions.

Dier's contact ends this summer and there have been reports in recent days that Bayern could look to extend his stay in Germany with Kompany talking about the defender in a recent press conference that suggested more of a future beyond this summer.

Jude Soonsup-Bell

Jude Soonsup-Bell had to watch on from the bench a lot after moving to Spanish second division side Cordoba in a deal that came with no fee but a 40% sell-on clause instead.

The 21-year-old made seven appearances in La Liga 2 without starting a match, and was handed a loan move to the Spanish third tier and Atletico Sanluqueno where he has played six times so far, starting four of those matches.

Soonsup-Bell had a great season before leaving Spurs U21s and helped them to the Premier League 2 title and play-off trophy. However, a first team breakthrough wasn't on the cards in north London and the 20-year-old instead departed for the move to Spain.

Yago Santiago

Another former Spurs Premier League 2 title-winner who moved to the Spanish second tier is Yago Santiago. The 21-year-old was enjoying a promising season at Elche with 20 appearances, scoring twice and registering three assists.

Unfortunately the winger suffered a cruciate ligament injury in January and will be out for a considerable chunk of this year. He recently stopped by Hotspur Way during his recovery and spoke to the Tottenham staff, his old team-mates and current academy players.

Nile John

Nile John, one of Soonsup-Bell and Santiago's former Spurs U21s team-mates, is in Portugal with second tier side Feirense after spending eight years at Tottenham and having made two first team appearances for the north London side.

The 22-year-old midfielder has been a pretty regular performer in the league for his new side, having played 18 matches in Liga Portugal 2, scoring four times and starting most of the games since December.

Charlie Sayers

Sayers left Tottenham in the summer and had signed for Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle on a three-year deal. The 21-year-old defender joined Spurs from Southend in 2021 and was involved in the first team pre-season tour to South Korea two years ago. However, an eye injury and further injuries interrupted his progress and he was released by the club last summer.

Sayers made eight appearances for his new Scottish side and was starting regularly though December after a long spell on the bench, but he parted ways with the club by mutual consent in January.

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan explained: "It was a bold move from Charlie to move 500 miles north and sample senior first team football for the first time. He moved up himself and, when you do that you want to be playing however Harry Milne’s form meant that he was kept waiting on the sidelines.

"Harry returned to the side last weekend after injury and following discussions with Charlie it was agreed that leaving Firhill now and giving him the chance to look for another club was the best course of action."

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou fell into a familiar trap after Tottenham's defeat at Fulham on Sunday and one of his senior midfielders looks to be playing himself towards the exit door.

Spurs slipped to a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League at Craven Cottage after conceding two late goals on Sunday from Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon. After the encounter Postecoglou clashed with a supporter in one of the home stands on the walk back to the dressing room.

The Australian was being mocked by someone filming him on their phone and shouting from that section: "Ange, what the (insert swear word) was that, you (insert abusive word)? What was that? What was that?". The 59-year-old stopped and glared at the person who was filming and shouting before responding: "Just behave yourself."

As two of his players - Djed Spence and Mathys Tel -tried to lead him away to the dressing room, Postecoglou said to the person: "You're a young man, just learn some manners." Tel then turned to the person himself and said: "Hey, hey, hey, hey, respect, respect man."

It is not the first time that Postecoglou has bitten back at abuse from a football fan and our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest discussed the incident as well as plenty more, including the alarming decline of Yves Bissouma, in the latest episode of their podcast Gold and Guest Talk Tottenham.

You can listen to the show by heading right here or you can watch the episode on YouTube by going right here.

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Talented young striker Mason Melia will be using 2025 and a full season in Ireland to prepare for his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Last month Spurs agreed a deal with St Patrick's Athletic for the 17-year-old worth an initial £1.6million - a record transfer for the League of Ireland - but with the potential to rise further with add-ons that could double that figure. Melia has been one of the most sought-after Irish youngsters of recent times and Tottenham saw off competition from clubs across the Premier League and Europe to land his signature.

Due to the UK's exit from the European Union, Melia's move cannot go through until after he is 18, which happens in September, so his transfer will officially happen in the January window next year.

Melia has remarkable experience already for someone so young and his big frame means he made his debut for St Pats at just 15 and has now played in 60 senior games for the club, scoring 11 goals and laying on four assists. He also has European experience, having played up front for the team during their Conference League qualifying run in July and August last year as a 16-year-old.

On Friday night, Melia scored his first goal of the new League of Ireland season, turning home St Pat's second in the second half of their 3-0 win at home against Bohemians. It was a classic close range goal, with the forward making a great run into the box before sliding home a bit of wing play, with a defender deflecting the ball on to his leg and over the line.

Melia chose Tottenham over his many other suitors due to the north London side's repeated use of young players in recent seasons with Ange Postecoglou having given minutes to plenty of teenagers like Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and academy product Mikey Moore among others this season.

The young Irishman was invited to watch Spurs' 4-3 defeat to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season and agreed a long deal until 2031 with the north London outfit. After the contract was signed he spoke to Postecoglou and Tottenham have put Melia on a tailored conditioning programme to prepare the teenager for the rigours of the Premier League when he arrives next year.

Melia will be hoping to make his Ireland U21 debut this month after being called back into the squad for friendlies against Scotland and Hungary, having missed the last games for his country through injury.

All eyes will be on the big young striker to see how he progresses over the coming nine months for club and country and then how he takes the huge step into a Premier League club in 2026.

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Toby Alderweireld has made a heartfelt declaration that he will do everything in his power to play one more game of football for his hometown club.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender announced earlier this season that he was going to hang up his boots this summer at the end of his current campaign as captain of Royal Antwerp. However, disaster struck in the 85th minute of Sunday's 0-0 draw at Standard Liege when the 36-year-old went in for a challenge and felt something wrong in his thigh.

A scan on Monday has confirmed the news that Alderweireld has torn a quadriceps muscle. Such an injury normally rules players out for up to three months and the Belgian league season comes to an end on May 25 with a potential play-off match a week later.

"Recovery from such injuries often takes a considerable period of time, which unfortunately makes Toby's appearance in the play-offs uncertain. From today on, everything is focused on his rehabilitation. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Captain!" read a statement on the Antwerp website.

Alderweireld, who played 236 times for Tottenham, released his own heartfelt statement on social media on Monday evening.

"I never expected this… Right now, I don’t have the words for this," he wrote. "What I do know is that I will do everything I can to wear that beautiful shirt one more time. To be captain of the most beautiful club in the world one more time… It will be a tough battle against time, and I know I’m not on the winning side. I want to thank everyone for the heart-warming messages and the support I’ve received. You are all fantastic!"

The former Ajax man has otherwise had a dream end to his career at Antwerp since arriving in 2022. He won the Belgian Cup in his first season and then a week later scored a dramatic 94th minute goal to hand his hometown side their first league title in 66 years. The following campaign he led the team into the Champions League group stages for the first time in their history.

This season has been a farewell tour of sorts for the Belgian and football fans will be hoping that his last chapter is still to be written.

Wilson Odobert's starring role and how is Djed Spence not in the England squad? - Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Pressure is mounting on Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou following their latest Premier League defeat against Fulham, and speculation over potential successors is gaining traction.

The London club suffered their 15th league defeat of the season on Sunday when they were beaten 2-0 at Craven Cottage. Late goals from Rodrigo Muniz and former Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon put the result beyond doubt, while the visitors failed to convert any of their four attempts on target.

Despite Tottenham's progression in the Europa League, as a quarter-final tie against Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt awaits next month, some sections of the media and Spurs fanbase are calling for a change in leadership before the end of the season. Outside of the bottom three, Postecoglou's side have accumulated the fewest Premier League points in 2025 so far, a damning example of just how far they have fallen this season.

Among the favourites to replace Postecoglou, should he be sacked by Tottenham, is Brentford boss Thomas Frank, as well as Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola. The latter has done a remarkable job since taking over at the Vitality Stadium in the summer of 2023.

The 42-year-old has put Bournemouth in contention to qualify for European football this season, having finished outside of the top 10 in the last two campaigns following their promotion in 2022. Not only that, they have also qualified for the FA Cup quarter-finals with a huge game against Manchester City to come later this month.

Therefore, it is no surprise to see Iraola linked with jobs across football, including Tottenham. A report from The Telegraph claims he would be a leading candidate if the role were to become available., although there has been no suggestion from Spurs that they intend to part ways with their manager.

The article states that, while Iraola would be interested in the prospect of taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bournemouth are expected to fight and try to keep him. The Spaniard is currently under contract until 2026, but the Cherries are eager to extend his deal and Bournemouth owner Bill Foley is expected to speak with him personally when he visits in April.

Iraola's desire to stay will likely depend on Bournemouth's ability to remain competitive and keep their best players. Defenders Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez are among those attracting interest from Europe's top clubs, including Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Mirror reported over the weekend that Bournemouth are planning to open talks with Iraola over a new contract to extend the Spaniard's stay at the Vitality Stadium, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario previously praised Iraola for turning Bournemouth into the best 'pressuring' team he has played against.

In a press conference earlier in March, Vicario said: "On Sunday we faced a team that was very, very committed in pressure. It was the best team in pressuring and it was a good challenge for us."

But the goalkeeper still threw all his weight behind Postecoglou, adding: "We made some mistakes but it was 2-2, and to come back from 2-0 shows the belief we have in ourselves and the manager.

"[Postecoglou's] approach has been very committed since the day he came here. He delivered to us the way to play the game because he truly believes in this and we can be successful this way. We are fully behind him and very committed to doing that. I think we've proved that when we've been 100% in the brain and committed, we've proved what we can do."

Barely a week goes by at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club when the pressure does not ramp up on head coach Ange Postecoglou. After making it through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday night, Spurs returned to their poor Premier League form at the weekend.

A 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage to Fulham left supporters scratching their heads once more. It was Spurs ' 15th defeat of the Premier League campaign - more than half of the matches they have played.

Postecoglou's side are 14th in the table, thankfully 17 points clear of the relegation zone. The season hinges on the Europa League. It's all or nothing in that now.

football.london chief Tottenham writer Alasdair Gold made it clear just how the Australian is hanging by a thread in his position as the club's head coach. In his talking points after the defeat to Fulham he wrote: "Whether it's the lack of current viable mid-season alternatives, in terms of experience or playing style, or everything being hedged on the Europa League, Postecoglou has received more patience than ever dished out before by one of the Premier League's most impatient clubs.

"Others have departed north London for far less and perhaps it would entirely suit the absurd and chaotic nature of life at Tottenham Hotspur if they were to end up winning the silverware they crave so much at the end of one of the most rotten seasons in recent memory."

A report in the Telegraph has claimed that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola and Fulham's Marco Silva are both of interest to Tottenham if they decide to relieve Postecoglou of his duties in N17. Chances are Postecoglou will be allowed to see the Europa League campaign through and may even make it to the end of the season regardless, but his future is clearly in the balance.

We asked football.london writers to have their say on the Australian and who should replace him if he is indeed sacked.

Lee Wilmot

Does Ange Postecoglou keep his job? Probably until the Europa League campaign ends. But that could only be for another few weeks, with Eintracht Frankfurt looking a tough proposition in the quarter-finals with the way Spurs are playing.

Spurs have been favourites or near favourite for the Europa League for much of the season. But it is very, very hard to see why given the way they have been playing.

Postecoglou has a near-full strength squad to choose from now, and while the performance against Fulham was not bad, the result was all too familiar.

Who replaces him if he is to be sacked? Andoni Iraola would be a popular choice, given how he has got his young Bournemouth team playing. Thomas Frank would be another interesting one.

And then there's the small matter of a certain Argentinian former manager that many fans would love to see return. Pochettino is contracted to the USA national team until the end of the 2026 World Cup now, but that will not stop me and others dreaming.

Spurs have sacked managers for much less than what has happened this season and with more than two weeks until the next match it would be no surprise to see the 'Club Statement' social media post.

Alasdair Gold

If Tottenham were to decide in a change of head coach and bring in yet another 18-month hire for the conveyor belt, I'd go for Andoni Iraola.

The 42-year-old has done well at Bournemouth on the whole and certainly knows how to get a tune out of Dominic Solanke. He also knows how to deal with injuries aplenty, albeit with half the fixtures. The Spaniard has Pochettino vibes about him with his style of football which would go down well with the Spurs fanbase.

The other contenders all fall down in various aspects, whether it's in that brand of football or just lacking experience outside of one club and to have had dealings aplenty with the battering ram that is the Premier League already is a big tick for Iraola.

It's a brave man who takes the helm at Tottenham Hotspur or someone who has self belief big enough to be convinced that they can finally change the course of a boulder that has been rolling down the Premier League hill for some time now.

Joe Doyle

Ange Postecoglou's style is unquestionably thrilling. He has brought exciting football to north London - the only problem being that's as true for away teams as it is for the hosts.

I think in terms of the managers out there Spurs could reasonably expect to get if they do part company with Postecoglou, Andoni Iraola would be my pick. At Bournemouth he has knitted together a cohesive style of play that has the club batting above their average, with a somewhat comparable list of injuries to Spurs throughout this season.

There may be scepticism about him with Bournemouth the highest-level of his management so far and how his team would deal with the addition of European midweek games - though it's not certain Spurs will have it next season anyway. He does seem to be flavour of the month at the moment, though that's not exactly a stick to beat him with.

Marco Silva as an alternative would be interesting, but I'm not sure there's the enthusiasm there about his style of football. Fulham seem to be a bit more functional rather than entertaining, though that arguably could be exactly what Spurs need.

Tom Coley

It's been a case of Europa League or bust for a while but that is delaying the inevitable. Even if Tottenham were to win that competition and qualify for the Champions League, has Postecoglou shown enough over the past 18 months to warrant keeping his job or being the man to oversee next season? It's increasingly hard to say he is.

The replacement options are appealing but not certain to bring an improvement. Iraola's aggressive, high-pressing style is definitely attractive and he is a manager on the way up. The problem is that it isn't certain that Tottenham would be able to tempt him away from the upwardly mobile Bournemouth side he is currently at.

Silva is another who deserves the opportunity to do it at a club with more money. His Fulham side have been quietly impressive for a long time even when losing big players. Outside of that and the managerial market is thin, especially at the elite end. There is definitely a draw to Pochettino again but it won't be happening.