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Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Aston Villa today (May 16) could have massive implications for two former Arsenal men. Ange Postecoglou's men travel to Villa Park with little to play for on the Premier League front amid sitting 17th ahead of next week's UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United.

The Lilywhites could jeopardise the Villans' hopes of Champions League football next season by pulling off an away victory. It would be a disaster for former Gunners duo Unai Emery and Emiliano Martinez, who come up against the Lilywhites with the West Midlands outfit.

Spurs could end ex-Arsenal duo's hopes of Champions League football

Villa impressed in the Champions League this season and advanced to the quarter-finals where they were knocked out by finalists Paris Saint-Germain. They were the second best competing club in Europe's top-tier competition, behind Arsenal who suffered defeat to the same French team in the semi-finals.

Martinez, 32, has been between the sticks for Villa ever since leaving the Emirates for Villa Park in the summer of 2020. He's endured a difficult time against Spurs during his career, conceding 22 goals in 10 games, the second highest amount against any club.

Emery's Villans sit sixth in the league, level on points with Chelsea who face next week's Europa League opponents United tonight. If Postecoglou's Lilywhites come away with at least a point it could spell danger for two of the club's arch-rivals' former employees.

Postecoglou hints at resting star men vs Villa

While it's always nice to get one over your rivals no matter the circumstance it's undoubtedly more important that Postecoglou focuses on next week's final in Bilbao. Champions League qualification is up for grabs alongside a first trophy in 17 years for the North Londoners.

Postecoglou spoke about what type of team he'll likely put out against Villa and it suggests he'll be resting many of those expected to start next Wednesday (via BBC Sport): "Look, in a normal world you use this to be sharpening up, but we're not living in a normal world.

He added: "Even with the best planning we're still getting hit with these setbacks. From my perspective I've got to take that into account when considering the [Aston Villa] game."

Tottenham romped to a 4-1 win over Villa in the reverse fixture in November, courtesy of goals from Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke (2) and James Maddison. The Villans got revenge in the FA Cup in February with a 2-1 win that knocked the Lilywhites out of the competition.

As Tottenham prepare to fight for their entire season next week on Wednesday in Bilbao against Manchester United in the Europa League Final, the background thought on everyone's mind around Spurs is the future of manager Ange Postecoglou.

He's been ridiculed and vilified by supporters throughout the campaign, as Tottenham stare down what is officially the worst season in club history. Tottenham's futility is irrefutable, but what is up for debate is whether or not Postecoglou should be able to save his job by securing Champions League football and bringing a major trophy to Spurs if the club beat Manchester Unitd in the final.

In an appearance on the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast, The Athletic's David Ornstein, who is the most respected transfer insider within Premier League circles, dropped the hammer on Ange Postecoglou by stating that it is unlikely the coach saves his behind by winning the Europa League:

David Ornstein draws Tottenham parallel to Manchester United

“I think it’s unlikely. I think the direction of travel is for Spurs to make a change in the summer, irrespective of the outcome of this match. I do take the point on the emotion, and we saw what happened with Manchester United [under Erik ten Hag], although that may serve as a warning why clubs shouldn’t repeat what they did."

Manchester United qualified for the Europa League this season by winning the FA Cup Final over crosstown rivals Manchester City. Despite an offseason of heavy investment and a new ownership group, Man United were even worse under Erik ten Hag and ultimately fired him anyway months into the season.

Ten Hag's situation serves as a cautionary tale that it seems like Tottenham are willing to heed. After all, as Ornstein later noted in his podcast appearance, Tottenham invested more in Postecoglou and the squad he had than what they gave bigger name managers like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte - and across a bigger sample size against better teams, Big Ange has led Spurs to their worst-ever season in league play.

Tottenham have already been working hard looking at coaching alternatives within the Premier League and abroad, mainly focusing on candidates already in the English top flight like Fulham's Marco Silva and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola. Given these coaches have outperformed Postecoglou with much less financial investment, it is actually less reactionary to fire Big Ange on a poor Premier League season than on beating Bodo Glimt and an Omar Marmoush-less Eintracht Frankfurt.

Although Tottenham need to primarily concern themselves with signing young players who can be potential difference-makers for the club, they have a sea of significant needs in their squad amidst a current placement of 17th in the Premier League, officially marking their worst season in existence.

Tottenham also can't underestimate the importance of signing quality backup players. Ange Postecoglou and some fans will point to injuries as an excuse for why Spurs have been so putrid this season, but the reality is that any Premier League team with aspirations of getting anywhere needs to understand that depth is important. Spurs don't have enough depth.

Although Tottenham have one of the world's finest right backs in Pedro Porro, they don't have anyone behind him as cover, save for inverting Destiny Udogie or Djed Spence. Tottenham need a true backup right back next season to take pressure off Porro and serve as an emergency option.

Tottenham don't have many RB options on the transfer market

According to a report from Graeme Bailey in an interview with Leeds United News, Tottenham are among the clubs interested in signing Southampton right back Kyle Walker-Peters, who will be a free agent this summer transfer window after contract talks between himself and the Saints went down the drain several months ago.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold off the table to Real Madrid, Walker-Peters is arguably the best option at right back on the free agent market, because he has extensive Premier League experience and is a solid two-way player who could comfortably back up a top team's starter, such as Porro at Spurs.

Walker-Peters spent three seasons with Tottenham as a promising backup before becoming an above-average starting right back in the Premier League for Southampton. Now in the prime of his career at 28, Walker-Peters will have several top teams in England lining up for his signature because he's free and he's one of the only established options at a scarce position.

As with any free agent, Tottenham have to be careful not to overpay in wages, because Walker-Peters is a prime candidate to get too much money as a 28-year-old with high demand due to his position and the league he has played in.

Other than that, Walker-Peters makes sense from a footballing perspective. Tottenham know him, and he knows the club. Known commodities are extremely valuable in backups, especially backup defensive players in positions where there isn't a whole lot of depth. Tottenham know they can depend on him to progress play and perform well in one-on-ones defensively, so if the price is right, reuniting with KWP isn't a bad idea at all.

What Tottenham need more than anything else in the summer 2025 transfer window is a game-changer. With Harry Kane gone to Germany and Son Heung-min perhaps entering the declining phase of his career at the age of 32, Tottenham don't have a superstar player who can take over a game.

They have a very good secondary star in playmaker James Maddison, and young loaene signing Mathys Tel could be that caliber of player next season with the potential to become a superstar in the future.

When Tottenham were at their best, they had two superstars in Son and Kane together, and the goal should be taking some calculated risks and putting a young nucleus of attacking stars together. With a bargain 22.5 million euro release clause, 21-year-old Lyon star Rayan Cherki has quickly entered into the picture as an ideal candidate for Tottenham to sign this summer.

Tottenham will have to compete with other big Premier League clubs

According to a report from GiveMeSport's Danny Rust and Dean Jones, Tottenham are, in the early going, among the favorites to land Cherki this summer and have made a new transfer approach for the 21-year-old French international. They note that Tottenham are "leading contenders" to sign Cherki, though the player is understandably unsure about the club because of their poor performances in the Premier League this season.

Of course, to most Tottenham fans, this report will sound too good to be true. Spurs are not, per the report, THE leading contender but rather among a sea of them, perhaps only because they have already reached out. Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and other top-five contenders around England will be in on Cherki, who was once a dream target of Real Madrid's a few years back when nobody had heard of him.

Now, Cherki is a well-known name among diehard football fans around Europe, and Tottenham supporters have surely heard of him and his playmaking exploits in Lyon. Cherki has a whopping 30 goals and assists between Ligue 1 and the Europa League, and he is a big-game player who can provide the individual moments of briliance in key moments of matches that Tottenham desperately need.

Tottenham are gearing up to face Manchester United in the Europa League Final on May 21 in Bilbao, Spain, and the entire balance of their season is on the line. Both Tottenham and Manchester United have fallen far below their standards in the Premier League, and both clubs are currently in the bottom five of the league. Qualifying for the Champions League by winning this game would be massive for both clubs, but especially for Spurs in finally winning a major trophy.

Spurs are at a disadvantage coming into the game after suffering three season-ending injuries. First, it was young center midfield standout Lucas Bergvall who went down, followed shortly by top playmaker James Maddison. And just a few days ago, it was revealed that Dejan Kulusevski's injury against Crystal Palace was more severe than initially anticipated; the Swedish international has already undergone knee surgery.

Amidst that backdrop of key injuries, there were rumblings that Bergvall could make a miracle return for the Europa League Final despite suffering an injury that carried a timeline more on the scale of months than weeks.

Tottenham need Bissouma and Bentancur to be at their best

As anyone reasonable - or anyone who knows better than to expect good injury luck for Tottenham Hotspur right now - expected, Bergvall won't be able to play against Manchester United next Wednesday.

Manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed Bergvall's absence by saying, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, “No, it’s still the same sort of timeframe. Never long term but he’s just got out of his boot and taking his first steps on the grass but he’ll likely be a while.”

So to any of the few people who were holding out hope for Bergvall's return and believe in the most bizarre of medical miracles, it's not happening. Tottenham are going to need to win against Manchester United without their 19-year-old sensation and most dynamic box-to-box midfielder.

The good news is that Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma have stepped it up big-time in key games this season, particularly across two legs in the semifinals vs. Bodo Glimt. Manchester United, of course, have higher caliber players than Bodo Glimt, but, still, this is a winnable game for Tottenham even without Bergvall.

If anything, the Maddison injury is even more concerning because of his playmaking, which is something Bergvall secondarily provides. And with Kulusevski also out, it's going to take a team effort from Tottenham to come up big in the clutch and make the plays on offense and defense that they need to in order to bring the Champions League - and a big trophy - back to North London.

Although signing a new striker isn't seen as a priority for Tottenham after the club spent 65 million pounds on Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth last summer, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou's praise for the new No. 9 shouldn't be taken as a clear sign that the position is 100 percent settled.

Solanke is a good striker who has stepped up in important games, but he isn't a top scorer. And with Richarlison potentially on his way out this summer with former club Everton interested, Spurs may not want to go into the 2025/26 season with Solanke, who is not a primary goal-scorer, as their only option at the No. 9.

Ideally, a cheaper market opportunity will open up for Tottenham, and a report from GiveMeSport's Danny Rust and Dean Jones seems to indicate that could be the case. Per GiveMeSport, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic could go to Tottenham this summer for as little as 20 million pounds, because the Bianconeri are keen on getting rid of the perenially disappointing big man.

Tottenham love to sign Serie A stars

While Juve ideally want 35 million pounds, a lack of interest and the fact that Vlahovic has just one year left on his contract after this season could force the Old Lady into taking a lot less for the Serbian international.

Tottenham's former executive Fabio Paratici had great success with bringing former Juventus players to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs have signed Radu Dragusin, Rodrigo Bentancur, Cristian Romero, and Dejan Kulusevski from Serie A over the last couple of years, and Vlahovic would the biggest name get yet.

Interestingly enough, Vlahovic used to be mentioned as a top striker transfer target for Arsenal, who are still in the market for a new No. 9. But Arsenal were understandably unwilling to spend big in transfer fee and wages for Vlahovic. Now that Vlahovic could be out of Juventus at a cheaper rate after a rock-bottom season at the Allianz Stadium, Arsenal seem to be more interested in more in-form options like Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal's lack of interest in Vlahovic could be Tottenham's gain. If Daniel Levy and Co. are interested in taking a bit of a gamble on Vlahovic now that his price could be discounted, they could reap the benefits and be the ones to regain the form of a 25-year-old striker who, in theory, should be one of the world's best No. 9's at this point in his career.

Vlahovic is a great technical player with above-average athleticism, sharp finishing, lethal free kicks, and underrated all-around play. There was a point in his career just before he joined Juventus that he was the second-hottest up-and-coming striker in world football after only Erling Haaland, who is a literal Premier League record-breaker and treble-winner for Manchester City.

Asking Vlahovic to reach those heights is probably too much, and the stench of his up-and-down tenure in Turin is admittedly concerning. But anyone who has watched both Vlahovic and Juventus play knows that it isn't all down to the striker. A former 17-goal forward at the age of 21 in a half-season with Fiorentina before moving to Juve, Vlahovic could be a world-class transfer at just 20 million pounds.

Tottenham could be in the market for a new manager this summer, as Ange Postecoglou's job is on the line with the Europa League Final coming up on May 21 against Manchester United. It stands to reason that with Spurs sitting 17th in the Premier League, Postecoglou is out if the club can't salvage Champions League football and bring in this major trophy.

In that case, Tottenham have been creating a shortlist of managers to replace Postecoglou, and it appears that Chairman Daniel Levy is most interested in hiring a coach with an established Premier League track record. The main candidates are Fulham's Marco Silva, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, and Brentford's Thomas Frank - all three have been outperforming Spurs with smaller clubs.

Out of all of these managers, Silva is apparently the favorite to take over for Postecoglou at this point in time, but even Silva isn't without serious competition for Spurs.

Tottenham could lose out to the Saudi Pro League

According to a report from Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Silva is interested in a move to the Saudi Pro League, and league giants Al-Hilal are most prominently interested in bringing in the Fulham coach. Al-Hilal would reportedly like to hire Silva in advance of the Club World Cup on June 14, and that timeline puts additional pressure on Tottenham.

If Silva chooses to coach in Saudi Arabia over Tottenham and picks Al-Hilal over similar interest from Spurs, that would be another ego blow to Levy and the club. Because what would it say about Tottenham that a manager would rather compete in Saudi Arabia than at a top Premier League club like Tottenham? It would say that Spurs, who would almost assuredly not be in the Champions League at the point of going after Silva to replace Postecoglou, are seen as second-rate by Silva.

That's a lot of conjecture at this point since nothing has happened, and there are probably a good amount of Tottenham supporters who would be ultimately happy that Spurs don't sign Silva. But from the perspective of perception, it's not a good look if Silva chooses the Saudi Pro League over Tottenham, and the fact that he's strongly entertaining a move to Saudi is a sign that maybe he isn't too thrilled with the Tottenham job.

And with how badly Levy has treated this club and how little he has backed most of the managers there, including some of world football's biggest names, it wouldn't be a surprise nor undeserved for an up-and-coming coach to snub Tottenham in this way. However, it wouldn't lessen the sting at all.

Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero is likely headed out the door this summer, even if Spurs win the Europa League, because he's already reportedly agreed to join Atletico Madrid after publicly stating his desire to join a team in LaLiga.

In addition to negotiating with Atleti on financial terms that benefit Spurs and represent adequate compensation for one of the most talented center backs in the Premier League, Tottenham now have to look for possible replacement options for Romero.

Their current search has landed some intriguing talents in Serie A - the same league they found Romero and fellow former Juventus prospect Radu Dragusin. Bologna's Jhon Lucumi and Genoa's Koni De Winter (another Juve product) are two good center backs Spurs have identified as options, and both could be better fits for what Spurs need in terms of pure defensive solidity.

Tottenham could sign one of Inter Milan's breakout players

Now, according to a report from Italian transfer expert Rudy Galetti, Tottenham are among several Premier League teams interested in Inter Milan breakout star Yann Bisseck, who has fought his way in to the Nerazzurri starting lineup as a right-sided center back amidst injuries to former Bayern Munich man Benjamin Pavard.

Bisseck is headed to the Champions League Final against PSG and has been rock solid for Inter whenever called upon. The 24-year-old could leave Inter this summer for a suitable offer, and given clubs like Bournemouth, West Ham, and Crystal Palace are reported as the competitors, Tottenham stand a great chance at landing Bisseck if they go after him.

An exceptional athlete and an intelligent defender who rarely makes mistakes and proved his worth at the highest level against Barcelona, Bisseck is a potnetial upgrade on Romero and may be the best possible replacement for the 26-year-old Argentinian international when combining athletic traits, current ability, future upside, and projected cost.

Tottenham have had great luck with finding players, including center backs, in Serie A, and their overall eye for talent in central defense is astute. Bisseck could be the next in line of strong signings for Spurs at center back, and since Bisseck is likely cheaper than Romero, this could be a positive transfer "swap" of sorts for Spurs.

Because Inter are headed to the Club World Cup, Tottenham would have to wait a bit in order to negotiate with the Nerazzuri for Bisseck, and there's always a chance that Inter decide not to sell the German international if he has a strong showing in the Champions League Final, the final games of the Serie A title race, and the Club World Cup. But he's absolutely someone Spurs must keep on their radar to replace Romero.

Tottenham will face Manchester United in the Europa League Final on May 21, and although Spurs are reeling with their own injury issues, they could face a Man United team hobbled at a key position.

Manchester United center backs Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt both went down with injuries and may not be able to play next week in the Final. De Ligt suffered a knee injury in his return from an ankle injury on May 4 in a loss to Brentford and has been out since.

Meanwhile, Yoro is a newer injury to the Manchester United defense, as the young Frenchman suffered a left foot injury over the weekend in a shock 2-0 loss to West Ham. Yoro had to limp off the pitch.

Tottenham could face a weakned Man United defense

According to a report from Samuel Luckhurst, Sam Truelove, and George Smith of Football.London, neither De Ligt nor Yoro were available at practice on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's big Premier League clash against top-five contenders and Conference League Finalists Chelsea.

This injury update doesn't bode well for Manchester United next week against Tottenham, and while there is time for both Yoro and De Ligt to return then, they may not be 100 percent even if they are able to play.

So that does bode well for Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke, who has been the most pivotal player for Spurs in the 2024/25 Europa League season, cementing his status as a big-game player with a goal and a strong all-around performance in the second leg of the semifinals vs. Bodo Glimt.

Solanke not having to face De Ligt and Yoro, two of the best center backs in the Europa League, would be massive. De Ligt and Yoro are both great athletes with speed and strength, and Solanke is also a phenomenal athlete. He can have a much better time in the air if players like Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw are starting at center back instead.

Tottenham need any boost they can get for the Europa League Final. While it is never good to see players injured, including those on opponents, Spurs will take what they can get.

Solanke is going to be one of the big X-Factors for Spurs on Wednesday night, and if he gets to go up against a softer Manchester United back three when competing for set pieces and holding play up, that's a win for everyone, the wingers like Son Heung-min included.

Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester United on May 21 in the Europa League Final, and they will do so without star attacker Dejan Kulusevski. The Swedish international suffered an injury over the weekend in the Premier League that didn't initially appear to be serious, but, now, Kulusevski will be out for the Final.

Everything is on the line for Spurs in the Europa League Final, because with a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League staring them down, winning their first major trophy is the only way to salvage this season.

Champions League football next season is at stake for these two fallen Premier League giants, and the Europa League win may be the only way for Ange Postecoglou to even have a shot at saving his job.

According to a report from Football Insider's Paul O'Keefe, Dejan Kulusevski was a "major doubt" against Manchester United with a knee injury and was receiving pain injections. He wasn't been totally ruled out for the Final, per O'Keefe, but it was looking highly unlikely that Kulu will be able to play. Later, Spurs confirmed that Kulusevski would be out for the rest of the season and would need to undergo knee surgery for a right patellar injury.

That's obviously a huge blow for Tottenham, because even though Kulusevski has come under fire recently for not stepping in big games or making enough difference on the final scoreline with end product, his skill on the ball and abilty to progress play are crucial. Spurs also benefit from his experience and versatility on the right wing or in midfield.

Brennan Johnson is the next man up

With Kulusevski out, the focus on the right wing will turn to Brennan Johnson, a talented but inconsistent player who is actually Tottenham's leading goal-scorer in the Premier League this season with 11 goals.

A nearly 50 million pound investment from Nottingham Forest in January 2024, Johnson is capable of changing games in an instant but equally capable of losing them by walking about the pitch and making basic errors. HIs lack of awareness, poor passing, and inability to perform the basic functions of a winger that Kulusevski, for example, does with ease have been a major source of frustration for Spurs fans.

At the same time, there is both an understanding that Johnson is still young at 23 and an understanding that his ability to get into the right positions and finish chances is valuable to a Spurs team lacking a true fox-in-the-box at striker. Johnson, at his best, can be the difference between Tottenham winning and losing against Manchester United, but he can just as easily be a massive liability.

So if Kulusevski can't play, which is what it seems like now, Johnson absolutely has to step up for Tottenham and take this opportunity in the Europa League Final vs. Man United as his to shine.