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It has been a nightmare of a 2025/26 Premier League season for Tottenham Hotspur, who are sliding further into the relegation battle after a second 4-1 humiliation to Arsenal in the North London Derby, but all the losing may have a positive consequence so long as Spurs don't get themselves relegated; they may be breaking up their stringent wage structure.

According to a new report from The Guardian's Matt Hughes, Tottenham are planning on ripping up the wage structure that they were notorious for under Daniel Levy, who was fired after the summer 2025 transfer window. So long as Spurs are not demoted this season, they will change their approach and have reportedly acknowledged internally that they have routinely underspent on player wages for years.

For their revenue generation, Spurs are indeed woefully underinvesting their squad, and that has largely priced them out of the biggest transfers. Although Atletico Madrid signing Conor Gallagher is no superstar, his addition in the winter transfer window is pointed to as evidence early on of Spurs new wage plan, as he is now the club's top earner at 200,000 euros per week.

Tottenham are ready to spend on player wages

Now, Spurs supporters can debate until the cows come home about whether or not Gallagher is worth either the wages or the transfer fee the club has paid for him, and Spurs really should have signed more than just Gallagher this summer - including another midfielder and a better forward so that the "what if?" relegation questions would not be as frightening or palpable.

But if The Guardian's information proves to be true and Spurs actually follow through on yet another ambitious promise - and, again, Spurs don't shoot themselves in the foot first by getting sent packing to the EFL Championship - this could be the tangible bit of progress the club needs to right the ship.

You can't sign players like Antoine Semenyo, Savinho, Omar Marmoush, or even Ademola Lookman if you aren't going to pay dynamic attacking talent, and if you can't sign one of these players, it makes you less likey to sign two or three.

Tottenham Hotspur made fools of themselves when they counted their chickens before they hatched with Johnny Cardoso, signing the rights for him to make a decision on joining them, only to realize that the player thought Atletico Madrid would be a better opportunity for him, leaving Real Betis for a bigger club in La Liga.

Although Cardoso has actually been pretty unremarkable in La Liga with the bigger side this season, Atleti have been in the Champions League places and are now through to the Champions League Round of 16 with Tottenham, recently beating contenders Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey first leg.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are out of both cups in England, fighting relegation in the Premier League, and coming off a second 4-1 loss to North London Derby rivals Arsenal. To make matters worse, it was Cardoso who had a spellbinding performance in his club Atleti's 4-1 statement-making win over Club Brugge after their tense 3-3 first leg.

Johnny Cardoso helped lead Atletico Madrid to glory

Cardoso's brilliant volleyed goal from the edge of the box gave Atleti a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish, with star striker Alexander Sorloth adding two more to make it a hat trick. Los Rojiblancos exercised their full might, clamping down defensively after an early set piece goal from Brugge.

What made Cardoso's performance all the more impressive was his defending. He led the way with five interceptions and added a tackle, too, playing a complete game on both ends of the pitch, working hard and defending the most intelligently he has to date under Diego Simeone.

Maybe this goal and performance are the signs of Cardoso turning it around. He has not been great for Atleti this season, but in the very same league for Los Verdiblancos last season, Cardoso was legitimately one of the top center midfielders in all of La Liga.

Meanwhile, Tottenham signed Conor Gallagher for a lot of money this past winter transfer window, paying him more in wages than any other current player in the squad. And they have very little to show for it, with Gallagher having a decent performance or two but otherwise nothing to show that he is starting caliber for Spurs - and certainly nothing resembling this big-game performance from Cardoso against one of the Champions League's most plucky underdog sides perennially.

Spurs shouldn't feel like they missed out on Cardoso too much - the regret should be for his attacking teammate Ademola Lookman - but Cardoso's display against Brugge only adds more insult to another bad week for Spurs.

After losing 4-1 to Arsenal again this season, Tottenham Hotspur need a better performance next weekend against another rival in Fulham. They are likely going to get defensive stars Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso back for this all-important tilt.

Every game for Tottenham is vital now, because they are only a few points above the drop and have recently been playing much worse football than Wolves and West Ham. Perhaps interim manager Igor Tudor can rescue the situation for Spurs after they finally fired Thomas Frank, but despite a decent track record, it could be a big ask for him since he is not a top manager and is dealing with some serious problems at Spurs.

Thankfully, things should get a little bit easier for Tudor and Tottenham next weekend, as the injury crisis will likely soften with two key players expected to return from recent, minor injuries. According to a report from The Evening Standard's Dom Smith, there is optimism within the Tottenham Hotspur ranks that third center back Kevin Danso and starting right back Pedro Porro will be cleared for the Fulham game.

Tottenham could get Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso back

While this reporting does not guarantee the duo will be back against Fulham, it is nonetheless a positive update, and it would honestly be a surprise if these two needed more time to make their returns to the Spurs lineup.

Porro has been badly missed, but the time away from injury could end up helping both him and Spurs. He looked burned out starting every week and was bound to miss time due to injury, and a fully fresh Porro is the two-way workhorse Spurs need, especially in the new Igor Tudor system.

Danso is not as key since he does not start for Tottenham, but even though he is behind Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven on the depth chart in a back four, Spurs seem to be shifting to a more defensive back five under Tudor, unless this was a one-off against Arsenal.

Clearly a superior player to Radu Dragusin, especially on the ball, Danso's return to the Tottenham lineup will be a much more welcome return under Tudor than under Thomas Frank, given this tactical discrepancy. Danso has been an unsung hero for Spurs again this season after playing a key role in their Europa League triumph during the 2024/25 campaign. He could have a key role to play, too, at the end of what promises to be another tense game against the Cottagers.

Tottenham Hotspur are gearing up to face Arsenal in their second North London Derby of the 2025/26 Premier League season, and new manager Igor Tudor is giving refreshingly straight-to-the-point injury updates, including relieving news on Dominic Solanke's status.

Arsenal are in the lead in the Premier League table, whereas Tottenham are five points above relegation. These two historic rivals could not be in any more different positions heading into Sunday's derby, but after losing 4-1 in an embarrassing and cowardly defeat the first time out, Spurs have all the pressure off them because they can't do any worse.

New manager Igor Tudor inherits a talented Tottenham side that his predecessor Thomas Frank did an emabarrassing job of coaching, failing to get the most of the quailty in his side. However, Tottenham are ravaged by injuries, with James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, and Mohammed Kudus all out with long-term absences.

Tottenham will have Dominic Solanke available

The good news is that Tottenham are getting key players back from short-term issues. In the press conference prior to Sunday's derby, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, Tudor revealed that striker Richarlison will be ready to play in the match. Starting striker Dominic Solanke will also be out there after a throat issue, which required antibiotics. And although he stated right back Pedro Porro will not be available against Arsenal, he will be healthy enough to return next week against another London rival in Fulham, so that's also technically a significant positive for Spurs.

Tudor said, "[Dominic Solanke] had some problems during the week with his throat. He has taken some antibiotics but he'll be available for the game," he said. "Richy is back. Tel was there. Others you already know. [Porro] no. Next week."

The most crucial injury update here for Tottenham is Solank'e availability against Arsenal. Honestly, Tottenham would not be in a good position to beat the Gunners without the star striker, who has been the team's most in-form attacker since recovering from a severe foot injury that cost him the majority of the season.

But Solanke has hit the ground running with no issues, even exceeding expectations on an attacking team otherwise performing at a poor level. So confirmation that the well-rounded Solanke, who has been in form in front of goal of late, will be ready to challenge Arsenal's all-world center back duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes is another boost of hope Spurs need with Tudor aiming to shock Mikel Arteta.

Richarlison tends to turn it up in derbies, dating back to his days with Everton against Liverpool, and he at least shows more effort than Randal Kolo Muani. Having him as an option off the bench to run at Arsenal and hound out goal-scoring opportunities late if Tottenham need a goal would also be a positive.

Finally, having Mathys Tel out there on the left wing will be a boon, and Spurs fans hope Tudor can actually use him and believe in their potential future superstar, as opposed to whatever malpractice Frank was committing with him.

Then there is Porro. The time off might actually be good for a player who was looking leggy and even fatigued with his decision-making. Djed Spence can start at right back competently until Porro is ready to be 100 percent for Tudor vs. Fulham.

Arsenal are expected to have Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard available for Sunday's North London Derby, according to Mikel Arteta.

So much is riding on the upcoming duel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs aiming to secure their first result against the Gunners since Ange Postecoglou's maiden NLD at the start of the 2023/24 season.

Arsenal have won all four since, occasionally comfortably, and they enter Sunday's game as Premier League leaders. However, there's a sense that Arteta's side should be well clear at the summit, and not merely five points ahead of Manchester City. It could be just two on derby day.

Gooners tend to play up the extent of their injury woes, while us lot over here are having to deal with the reality of about six senior players being fit. We're doing well to put 11s together, and Igor Tudor has confirmed that no players will be back in action this weekend. Arsenal, on the contrary, have two big players back.

Arsenal receive double injury boost in time for North London Derby

While Ødegaard has come under scrutiny over the past couple of seasons, with some sensing that Arteta's project has evolved beyond its captain, Arsenal's recent creative woes have shown that the grass potentially isn't greener in Ødegaard's absence.

While Eberechi Eze had his big day out in the reverse fixture, he's otherwise been ineffective since joining Arsenal in the summer. Arteta clearly doesn't yet trust him, and Ødegaard will surely be reintroduced to their midfield on Sunday after shaking off a minor knee issue.

The more significant news is that of Havertz, who was expected to miss Sunday's game when he suffered a muscle injury at the start of the month. But no, Arteta has said there's a "big possibility" that both the German and Ødegaard will be fit.

Arsenal managed the first half of the season well in Havertz's absence, but their success seemingly came in spite of Viktor Gyökeres, who continues to be a sight for sore eyes every time the ball accidentally lands at his feet. Mikel Merino was a handy alternative, but he's been out with a foot injury, so Arteta has leant on Gyökeres more as of late.

However, without Havertz, Arsenal lose a superb presser and excellent dueller. He's not as imposing as Gyökeres, but he's far smarter with his body and better in the air. Defenders would much prefer facing the Swede than the astute German, who could trouble our backline with his shrewd box movement and set-piece threat.

His return is huge for the visitors not just this weekend, but for the remainder of the season. We can only hope to receive such positive news on the injury front soon!

Perhaps no figure in professional sports was as maligned as Daniel Levy, and though revisionist history is a fallacy not worth falling into, the loss of a high-profile sponsor and the potential for more to follow have Tottenham Hotspur wondering if they made a mistake.

Tottenham were actually one of the more active teams in the Premier League this past summer transfer window, which is what made Thomas Frank's woeful half-season with Spurs all the more difficult to forgive - and, prior to that, what made Levy's sacking all the more surprising.

Spurs actually dismissed Levy shortly after the transfer window ended. It was a window that included the signing of two legitimate superstar attacking players in Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus, who have gone on to become arguably the most important players on Spurs. Additionally, Levy signed Joao Palhinha, another key starter, on loan from Bayern Munich and signed Mathys Tel from the Bavarians permanently at a rate lower than anyone expected.

All told, it was a successful transfer window by Levy, and certainly much better than what Spurs mustered without him in January. They overpaid out of desperation for Conor Gallagher and literally signed nobody else, ending the window somehow thinner on the wings than before and with no striker depth behind Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham's sponsors have several issues with the club

So while Tottenham fans were blown smoke about more signings and investment without Levy, who was presented as the Boogeyman, it seems as though the Lewis Family were the real problem all along. Meanwhile, the new man in charge, former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham, has been so woefully inept that Spurs were forced to sit on the sinking Frank ship for months simply because the new Spurs brass had no contingency plan for his sacking - a sin so unforgivable that it would have been unimaginable under Levy.

But now, there are serious consequences to the new Tottenham regime that make those promises of new investment seem all the more ridiculous in hindsight. According to reporting from the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law, Tottenham are set to lose millions after the 2025/26 Premier League season ends, because one of their "major" sponsors is pulling out of their deal with the club, citing several issues. And there are other sponsors, per Law, who are also considering ending their relationship wtih Tottenham for the same reasons.

The reasons are legitimate and as follows. Firstly, Tottenham have not proven to the sponsors that they even have a plan for improving their results, which include a 17th placed Premier League finish in 2024/25 and what looks like an even worse finish in 2025/26. Secondly, they are not attracting big enough stars to the club, as evidenced by Antoine Semenyo literally rejecting them before the transfer window started.

There's more, too. The sponsors are also upset with how Tottenham have treated the fans and the angry fan sentiment towards the club's results, pointing to the increasing number of empty seats at the venue. And to the club's leadership itself, Law reports that the sponsors are very discouraged by the lack of communication from both Vinai and the Lewis Family, with some sponsors stating that they have yet to be formally introduced to the new leadership after Levy.

All of this points to serious levels of dysfunction permeating the club that, if anything, are only getting worse without Levy. Although Levy was an unlikable grouch, he was able to get things done and had Spurs competing for something; he was also highly successful financially. Right now, the club is suceeding at nothing and sinking fast, alienating players, sponsors, coaches, the media, and any other stakeholders. Somehow, Levy is missed, which is a statement I never thought I would utter, but it only reenforces just how far the standards at Spurs have fallen - fallen to a low that is almost inconceivable.

Will Igor Tudor steady the sinking ship that it Tottenham Hotspur? Well, no one really knows, but we're about to find out. Following Thomas Frank's dismissal that, frankly, had been coming for quite a while, Spurs confirmed on Valentine's Day that Tudor will take charge until the end of the season.

The Croatian has had a full week to work at Hotspur Way ahead of Sunday's North London derby against league leaders Arsenal, and his fixtures between now and the March international break are far from straightforward.

Tottenham's next 7 fixtures

Sunday 22 February. Arsenal (H). Premier League. Kick off 16:30.

Sunday 1 March. Fulham (A). Premier League. Kick off 14:00.

Thursday 5 March. Crystal Palace (H). Premier League. Kick off 20:00.

Sunday 15 March. Liverpool (A). Premier League. Kick off 16:30.

Sunday 22 March. Nottingham Forest (H). Premier League. Kick off 14:15.

Considering Spurs have not won any of their eight Premier League matches in 2026, claiming just two victories from their last 17, the only way is up. Well, at least they'll hope so, given that Tudor takes over a team 16th, just five points above the relegation zone.

Of course, no one, including chief executive officer Vinai Venkatesham nor sporting director Johan Lange believe that Tudor is the solution long-term. Come the summer, there is only one man most Spurs supporters want to be hired, or more pertinently re-hired, but is this really a sure thing?

Would re-appointing Mauricio Pochettino bring success back to Spurs?

The overwhelming majority of Tottenham fans would like Mauricio Pochettino to be re-appointed at the end of the season. The Argentine led Spurs to their most successful period of modern history, securing four consecutive top four finishes, as well as reaching an EFL Cup Final and the club's first-ever Champions League Final.

Since being sacked in November 2019, just five months after that historic occasion in Madrid, none of his successors, namely José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou nor Frank have been able to replicate Pochettino, albeit the Aussie did win a trophy, as he would be quick to point out. However, there are reasons why going back to Pochettino is not a sure-fire guarantee of success. Since leaving Tottenham, he has enjoyed little success anywhere else.

Mauricio Pochettino's managerial career

With PSG, he failed to win the Champions League while, at Chelsea, he did stabilise the club, finishing sixth and reaching a Carabao Cup Final, but was sacked after just one season.

Now in charge of USA, the expanded World Cup could cause issues should he return to Spurs. The World Cup Final, which the U.S. are unlikely to feature in to be fair, is scheduled for 19 July, but, even if the co-hosts reached the round of 16, their campaign would not end until 6/7 July, which is a miserly 46 days before the Premier League returns.

Also, Tottenham now is very different to the club Pochettino found 12 years ago that had just finished sixth under Tim Sherwood. What the Argentine achieved allowed Daniel Levy to build one of the biggest and best stadiums in Europe, but this has led to a massive rise in expectations. The idea of Spurs being part of the "big six" just over a decade ago would've been fanciful.

So now, Spurs supporters expect their side to be challenging towards the top of the table as well as for silverware, which is not being met by reality on the pitch, finishing 17th last year and currently 16th, actually four points worse off than at the same stage a year ago.

Pochettino has publicly, on many occasions, spoken about his desire to return to Tottenham, but this may prove to be something of a poisoned chalice as the club searches for a quick fix to all their issues, when a fundamental a major revolution is required.

Tottenham Hotspur have been ravaged by injuries this season, and one of their latest significant injuries was to Swedish center midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who went down in a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League with an ankle injury.

Like with Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur, Bergvall ended up being diagnosed with a muli-month injury after what initially seemed like just a knock. Bergvall was not as important as he should have been under Thomas Frank and got miscast by the Danish manager as a No. 10, but he is still one of Tottenham's best and more important pieces in a midfield that has played below its talent level this season. And in the 2024/25 campaign, Bergvall was vital to winning the Europa League before his first significant injury.

Bergvall's latest injury didn't just have Tottenham worried about competing this season with the threat of relegation looming due to rampant losses. No, Spurs had to be worried about Bergvall's health, too, because he is only 20 years old and now already has a couple of injuries on his legs, including this latest ankle issue which did require surgery.

Lucas Bergvall is out for another six weeks

Finally, though, Tottenham are getting a bit of a reprieve and some positive news on Bergvall for a change. According to Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt, the young Tottenham star is shedding his protective boot and actually making tangible progress on the injury. His timeline for a return is now in six weeks, which would put him at a return in April. That would be around two months from his injury in late January against Dortmund, which is on the lower end of the intiial, rough timeline of two to three months that was given.

Tottenham are going to have to make do with the likes of Joao Palhinha, Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and new signing Conor Gallagher in the center midfield positions for the next couple of months. Of those players, Gallagher, Bissouma, and Sarr are, like Bergvall, box-to-box profiles.

It's hard to say how Spurs will look without Bergvall since a lot has changed in the time since he has been injured, most namely Spurs finally fired Thomas Frank after they got embarrassed by Newcastle. So heading into the North London Derby this weekend, it's anyone's guess as to how Igor Tudor will line the midfield up and who he trusts.

But for most players, it can't get any worse than whatever Frank was doing as manager. Bergvall may feel that sentiment more than most of his teammates, because he was probably the most maligned of the young stars in the midfield, as only Mathys Tel had a bigger bone to pick with Frank's selection.

So far, Bergvall is trending in the right direction. Thankfully, it appears the surgery went well and he is hitting all the right benchmarks in his recovery. And when he comes back, he will presumably get to play more heavy metal football under Tudor than whatever Frank was making him pretend to be. With six more weeks remaining, that puts Bergvall in contention for Sunderland on Apr. 11. In addition to the North London Derby, that means Bergvall will likely miss games against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

You probably think Tottenham's transfer window couldn't have gone any worse, right? Well, it would appear that our Premier League rivals really tried to stick the boot in.

This was a winter where major reinforcements were needed. Admittedly, Thomas Frank's precarious position at the helm rendered things difficult in terms of squad planning, but this was a window where Tottenham, no matter who was in charge, needed to fill holes due to player sales, injuries and underperformance.

But, as we know, it was Conor Gallagher and João Souza. That was it. Damningly, we ended the month weaker than how we started it.

Among those currently sidelined and unable to contribute to what was a helpless cause under Frank is Lucas Bergvall. The Swede enjoyed a breakout debut season but struggled to impress with the Dane in charge, largely due to little fault of his own. Frustratingly, Bergvall suffered a serious ankle injury last month that required surgery, and recent reports suggest it'll be another six weeks until he's back in action.

But hey, it could've been worse. You know, we could've decided to sell him to one of our fiercest rivals...

Spurs rejected advances for Bergvall in January transfer window

David Ornstein reported earlier this week that Chelsea and Aston Villa were among those to have Bergvall enquiries rebuffed in the winter, with Tottenham affirming that the bright young midfielder is not for sale.

However, with our position desperate, such snooping doesn't bode well for the summer. Even if we avoid the drop, which we still have to regard as likely, clubs may well turn to disgruntled Lilywhite stars. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have already been linked with departures, and Ornstein seemed to suggest that Bergvall will receive plenty of interest.

That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given that Spurs fought off Barcelona to secure his services two years ago. The midfielder then quickly came of age during the second half of 2024/25, supplying a semblance of hope during troubled times under Ange Postecoglou.

This Tottenham team undoubtedly could've done with Frank profiling him correctly, and we can only hope that Igor Tudor nurtures him well once he's ready for action again. If the latest reports are accurate, the midfielder should be back at the start of April, meaning he'll miss the World Cup play-offs in March.

On Friday, it was widely-reported that Igor Tudor will take charge for the rest of the season on an interim basis. Well, we hope that the former Olympique de Marseille, Lazio and Juventus boss realises he is inheriting a team in a relegation battle. The Lilywhites are currently 16th, just five points above the drop zone, with the small matter of a North London derby against the leaders up next.

When Tudor's tenure ends in the summer, most Spurs supporters are dreaming that Mauricio Pochettino will return to North London. Currently in charge of the United States, so, depending on how far the World Cup co-hosts go, he may have a very tight turnaround between the end of that tournament and next season commencing in mid-August. Whoever is in charge long-term will want to reshape this squad, but is one key player, above all other, currently tanking their market value.

The Spurs star who may prove untradeable

Few Tottenham players in modern times have proved to be as divisive as Cristian Romero. On his day, the World Cup winner is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, but times and time and time again he proves to be a liability. Following the recent unexpected 2-2 draw with Manchester City, Romero criticised the club's hierarchy for leaving them with only 11 available player.

Well, less than a week later, around half an hour in Spurs' trip to Old Trafford, the Argentine was sent off for a completely unnecessary, overly aggressive tackle on Casemiro. Man United went on to make their man advantage count, prevailing 2-0, with Romero serving a four-match suspension, thereby unable to return until 15 March at Anfield.

List of Cristian Romero's red cards for Tottenham

November 2021. Tottenham 3-2 Vitesse Arnhem. 59th minute. Second yellow card.

February 2023. Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City. 87th minute. Second yellow card.

March 2023. Tottenham 0-0 AC Milan. 77th minute. Second yellow card.

November 2023. Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea. 33rd minute. Straight red card.

December 2025. Tottenham 1-2 Liverpool. 93rd minute. Second yellow card.

February 2026. Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham. 29th minute. Straight red card.

Each of Romero's last three red cards have come in high-profile Premier League defeats, while the one before saw them crash out of the Champions League, failing to beat AC Milan at home following a first leg defeat at San Siro.

Then-manager Frank was surprised to learn that Romero has collected the most red cards of any player in the Premier League since he joined Spurs from Atalanta in the summer of 2021.

Players with 3+ Premier League red cards (2021/22-present)

So, what now for Romero? Well, he is always under extra intense scrutiny as club captain, but this epitomises the lack of leadership at the club, following the departures of Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-min, Eric Dier and other high-profile players in recent times.

Also, as soon as Romero is available again, he will be straight back into the team, as there is simply not enough accountability for his actions. Thus, sacrificing him would surely be an easy early statement for any new manager to make. Well, this won't be easy. He cost £42.5 million to recruit and is under contract until 2029, having signed an extension as recently as August, thereby making him the club's highest earner, according to Capology.

Atlético Madrid have been perennially purportedly interested in the defender, that feels like a match made in heaven, but another red card could put off any potential suitors.