Hotspur HQ

As Tottenham stare down the barrel of their worst Premier League season in ages and contemplate the future of manager Ange Postecoglou, they are evidently having a difficult time making the same cutthroat decisions with their squad where you would think that a harsh dose of reality would be coming.

Normally, contract renewals are a celebratory time for fans of a club, but in the case of journeyman defender Ben Davies - well, at least he should be a journeyman at this stage - that isn't the case. Spurs fans are befuddled by the latest report from The Athletic's Jay Harris, who writes that Davies is set to return for the 2025/26 season, with Spurs ready to exercise a one-year player option on the defender.

Davies would otherwise have an expiring contract, allowing him to leave this summer for free. And it's honestly a bit surprising to see that Tottenham wouldn't just allow him to relieve his wages and walk to another team this summer, as the 31-year-old only made about 10 Premier League starts in the 2024/25 season.

Tottenham should be looking towards the future

Although Davies isn't a terrible player and is a decent, versatile backup, Tottenham could easily sign someone better and younger with the upside to develop into something at the club. Davies hasn't been a starting-caliber Premier League player in about eight years, and at 31, he offers no future value and will decline even more sharply in the coming seasons.

Tottenham need to keep building towards the future, and spending a squad spot and wages on Davies is a puzzling step in the wrong direction. Spurs fans have long lamented a lack of forward thinking from the organization, which often seems more intent on standing pat and taking an ostensibly safe route that, in truth, isn't any safer in helping the team secure a more stable standing as a top-four contender

With Spurs so far out of top four contention this season that it is truly an embarrassment, you'd think that the club would be more selective with the players it chooses to keep around, knowing that each subpar player that remains in the squad is one less spot that can be offered to someone with more future potential. The Davies decision isn't a drastically idiotic one, but it is a frustrating choice that falls in line with a long list of similar choices from a club that can never seem to match the ambition of its fans.

After the 1-1 draw in the home leg and the recent defensive disaster at Wolves, it was not clear that this result was coming for Tottenham. Even better was the way in which it happened.

It has not been the smoothest return for van de Ven and Romero after their long time out with injuries. Romero in particular has not produced the consistent performances we know he can (with the defeat at Wolves being a good example). Even in Frankfurt there were some stray passes early on. As we quickly settled into the game, though, our first-choice center back pair looked increasingly comfortable. It was a great run by Maddison that led to the penalty, but it was a perfect ball from Romero to find him, lifted in between the defenders and tempting Santos out to make the foul. There has been links with Romero moving on but performances like yesterday show how important he is to the team and his ability as a defender. The win in Frankfurt, and a clean sheet against a team that rarely fails to score at home, was a whole team effort. Udogie and Porro were certainly excellent too but having Micky and Romero back and in form is a critical block to build from.

The defensive performance started from the front. Dominic Solanke has not always been the goalscoring threat we need this season, and there is more to come from him there, but his work rate is never in question. Solanke led the press and hurried Frankfurt's defenders and keeper into errors. Johnson and Tel followed this lead, Kulusevski improved it further when he came on, and it did make things difficult at times for Frankfurt to build. While it was impossible to quiet that amazing atmosphere the Frankfurt fans generated, this did help to frustrate the opposition. We dropped back in the second half but pressing as we did kept us a little more solid.

Ekitike looked dangerous in the second leg, just as he did in the first. The idea of Spurs signing him in the summer is one that could be very interesting. As well as positional awareness, he provided a threat with the classic "ball over the top", which is something Spurs are really lacking. Ange's system is great when it works but mixing up attacks with something more straightforward at times would be hugely beneficial. A few of Frankfurt's attacks were long balls straight down the middle ("route one" as it is known, although "route two" or "route three" never seem to be a thing). Early on, one of these resulted in Ekitike being through on Vicario and only Micky's ridiculous speed saved us. If not Ekitike, then another striker who offers this type of threat is needed next season.

"Losing the dressing room" is a cliched phrase but it can happen, and when it does it inevitably spells the end for a manager. Results and performances have not been good this season, of course, but the scenes throughout the game and particularly at the final whistle show the players are fully in this with Ange and his staff. Vicario leaping on to the coaches at the end summed it up. Great to see.

Lucas continues to cement his spot in the 5-a-side appreciation note. The young Swede did not have the greatest of games in the last Europa round, but he has generally outperformed expectations this season. The game in Frankfurt was no exception. Lucas showed his calmness on the ball when needed and put in an excellent shift tracking back as well. Defensive midfield is still an area of need for the summer (and I would like to see a true ball-winner signed for next season, even if they do seem to be going out of fashion a little), but if Lucas is working with Bentancur like this, then we may have enough to get where we need to be this season. Lucas is not shy about putting in a tackle, even if his main strength is on the ball, but that combined with Bentancur's reading of the game formed a decent defensive wall when under pressure. Onto the semi finals. More of the same, please.

When Tottenham signed Destiny Udogie from Udinese for 20 million euros, they were getting in the door early for one of the most promising and versatile young fullback talents in European football, taking a moderate risk on a potentially high-reward player in a league they identifed as being undervalued as a whole on the transfer market.

The early returns on Udogie were strongly positive, as the young Italian international had a nice breakout season for the Friulani before permanently moving to Tottenham and becoming a fixture in the first team squad.

But in 2024/25 with Tottenham struggling mightily in the Premier League, Udogie has been among the talents failing to perform to their usual standard. Udogie has been quietly excellent defensively with around 4 tackles and interceptions per game to just 0.6 dribbles allowed per match. However, the 22-year-old left back has made a shockingly minimal impact offensively with no goals, one assist, and just 0.7 key passes and 0.5 dribbles completed per game.

Tottenham still see Destiny Udogie as important

According to a report from Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, Tottenham have no intention of selling Udogie this summer transfer window despite interest from other European clubs. They may, however, want to sign another left back to compete with Udogie. Tottenham view Udogie as a "key" to their team and are currently uninterested in selling at any price.

That is exactly what Tottenham fans should want to see from the club as their stance on a talented, versatile, and well-rounded fullback at a premium position who would not be easily replaced on the transfer window.

The last thing any team should do is sell a premium young player who isn't even having a bad season just because his attacking output is lower on a, quite frankly, garbage team that is saddled with abhorrently poor coaching. Udogie is the least of Spurs' problems.

Now, if Tottenham want a young backup to take some much-needed pressure - and minutes - off Udogie's backs and hedge their bets a little, then making a modest signing should not be contraindicated in the slightest. But giving up on Udogie at this stage would be borderline idiotic, and as poor as Spurs' transfer strategy has been over the years under Daniel Levy, they aren't nearly dumb enough to kick Udogie to the curb.

The most prudent strategy is to stand pat, avoid being the wrong end of any transfer bargains this summer, and take a gander at the market for any more underrated opportunities at left back who can be an understudy to Udogie in 2025/26.

Tottenham are 15th in the Premier League table with no shot at qualifying for any sort of European competition in 2025/26, so, at this point, their entire season rests on beating Eintracht Frankfurt on the road on Thursday night with the current Europa League quarterfinal aggregate set at 1-1.

It has been far from a banner year from manager Ange Postecoglou, whose tenure at Tottenham will almost certainly end after two years. But it has also been far from a banner year for superstar forward Son Heung-min, who appears to be more on the bubble of the squad than ever before as the summer 2025 transfer window approaches.

Son will not be traveling with the rest of his teammates to the Deutsche Bank Park this week, as Postecoglou stated that he will be unavailable with foot pains that have been going on "for a couple of weeks".

Is Son Heung-min headed to the Saudi Pro League?

Many Tottenham fans aren't buying it. Why now? If this problem were going on for a few weeks, why bench the club's captain and best player before the crucial Europa League quarterfinal second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt instead of the first leg or the Apr. 6 game against Southampton? Is it because the foot wasn't so bad until now?

Son didn't play in the Wolves game, but that seemed to be more a rotational thing than a benching or an injury concern. Why not discuss that more extensively at that time instead of suddenly mentioning it now? Why not leave open the possibility of Son playing against Eintracht instead of outright making him a healthy scratch in such an important game? Is the foot injury reall that bad? Why is it in pain? What's the extent of the injury?

There is so much unanswered, and with apparent interest from Saudi Pro League clubs, you can't help but wonder if this decision to prematurely exclude Son from a must-win match is a sign that Tottenham are downgrading his importance and preparing for a future without him. It makes sense to start Mathys Tel in the Premier League going forward with nothing on the line, as Tel is very talented and hasn't been any worse than Son lately. Maybe Tel can be a future solution.

But Son could have still helped against Frankfurt and is one of the best Premier League players ever. Tottenham, though, may not be planning for a future with Son and may not even currently see him as a starter with how his performances have leveled off lately. At 32 years of age and in the midst of his worst season at the club, Son as a 50 million euro sale may be sounding more enticing to Tottenham than they'd have previously liked to admit.

Tottenham and Eintracht Frankfurt played out a 1-1 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week, so it is all on the line for Spurs and the Eagles this Thursday at the Deutsche Bank Park. And it's anyone's guess as to who will win.

Here are five key players that will decide the outcome of the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals.

Tottenham CB Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven has a wealth of experience going up against Eintracht Frankfurt, as he was one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg before making the leap to join Tottenham in the 2023 summer transfer window.

A rousing success since joining the North London giants, Van de Ven has been blighted by injury this season, but there is no doubting his defensive prowess and speed when healthy. Van de Ven has been Spurs main shutdown center back this season when available, and he could be the most important player in the effort to stop Hugo Ekitike after two poor performances from Cristian Romero.

Eintracht Frankfurt LB Arthur Theate

Belgian international Arthur Theate has improved considerably this season in the Bundesliga after showing some promise for his national team at the European Championship but largely looking overmatched. Now, Theate is putting it together in Frankfurt with plenty of heart and soul in his performances, putting his body on the line to make key blocks.

Theate is a scrappy player who can start on the outside or inside for Frankfurt, and the home side will need some defensive heroics and a strong reading of the game from the scrappy starter. His willingness to fight in 50/50s will be particularly key to watch if he goes up against Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham CM James Maddison

There's a strong case to be made that James Maddison has been the best player on Tottenham this season, and the veteran playmaker has 20 goal contributions this season between the Premier League and Europa League with 1.8 key passes and 2.3 fouls drawn per game in European competition.

Tottenham need Maddison to step up even more and really grab the bull by the horns on Thursday night. Maddison has to be the most active player on the pitch, progressing play and creating at least three chances that lead to real shots on goal for this team. There is a lot riding on Maddison's performance, simply because nobody else on Tottenham can provide that out-of-nowhere technical quality in the final third that he can.

Eintracht Frankfurt ST Hugo Ekitike

Speaking of clear quality in the final third, Hugo Ekitike is by far and away the key man to watch on Eintracht Frankfurt, and he proved it last week by providing the team's only goal in the 1-1 draw. Ekitike is a smooth customer at the striker position who effortlessly glides past defenders and has already developed a keen sense of positioning off the ball.

Tottenham could not handle him in the first leg, and if they aren't careful, he will boss them again in leg two in front of his own fans. Ekitike is a good finisher and arguably just as good creatively, which brings Eintracht's underrated supporting cast into the game.

Tottenham RB Pedro Porro

It was Pedro Porro who provided a moment of brilliance in front of goal, latching onto a great assist from James Maddison, to provide Tottenham with the equalizer they so desperately needed in the first leg.

Porro is one of the best right backs in European football, but he could stand to be more consistent. He will have the most important matchup for Tottenham on Thursday, because the right winger will need his support - and Porro has more technical quality on both ends of the pitch than the Eintracht winger and fullback combo he'll be going up against.

In a lot of ways, Porro is a difference-maker for Tottenham because he's usually more skilled than the players matched up against him. Porro has to make that difference count this week, otherwise Tottenham will be sitting at home in the Europa League semifinals.

Tottenham managed a 1-1 draw at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, but since they are 15th in the Premier League and coming off a 4-2 loss to lowly Wolves, that actually sets up Spurs as the underdog in the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals on the road against the Eagles at the raucous Deutsche Bank Park.

Here are three Tottenham players who need to step up the most in order for the club to survive to the next round of the Europa League despite all the turmoil around them.

GK Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario didn't play particularly well against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, but he really sunk over the weekend against Wolves. His flailing attempts at saves doomed Tottenham to a 4-2 defeat, as the first two goals Wolves scored were almost entirely down to goalkeeping errors from Vicario - the kind that he simply cannot afford to make againt Eintracht and their standout keeper if Spurs are to advance.

This season, Vicario has done so well to keep Tottenham in games, and he is capable of some of the prettiest reflex saves in world football. Tottenham need to see that version of Vicario at the Deutsche Bank Park, because we all know very well that Hugo Ekitike and this Frankfurt attack are going to bring it big-time in front of their fans on Thursday.

ST Dominic Solanke

Although there are still segments of people who are reluctant to admit this, Dominic Solanke was a 65 million pound transfer mistake. Solanke has never been worth that kind of money, and he never will be at the age of 27. He is an albatross at the middle of the Tottenham attack, and while he is praise for being a well-rounded striker, that's another way of subtly saying that he can't score goals and doesn't do any one thing at a particularly high level.

After a disastrous performance in the first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt in which he was shown up by a much better and younger striker in Ekitike, Solanke is going to have to at least pretend like he belongs as the starting No. 9 for a team with ambitions of winning the Europa League. It's do-or-die for both Tottenham and Solanke, because only the most rose-colored optimists can sit there and say that Solanke has done enough to give them faith that he's "the guy" at striker.

CB Cristian Romero

Cristian Romero should be one of the best players on Tottenham, but after some injuries in the middle of the season, we have yet to see the best out of the Argentinian international. On paper, Romero is one of the most talented and athletic center backs in the Premier League, but he was a massive disappointment against Eintracht Frankfurt and then the loss to Wolves.

Tottenham can't win if players like Romero aren't at their best. There is too much on the line in the Europa League quarterfinals, and Romero is going to have to play smarter against Ekitike, who knows how to use a player's weaknesses against them. Romero isn't having a bad season, per se, but we haven't seen him at his best since around October. He needs to do more for Tottenham now.

After battling past AZ Alkmaar, Tottenham will defend North London in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals against one of the Bundesliga's most consistent sides, Eintracht Frankfurt. Even with star man Omar Marmoush now at Manchester City, Eintracht still have plenty of talent to give Spurs, who are struggling in the Premier League, plenty to worry about.

I mean, if you match up these two teams and where they are at in their league tables, Tottenham are actually the underdogs here despite having more well-known players and a bigger budget. But with all that has gone into this team, an elimination would be a grave disappointment for an already under-fire Ange Postecoglou.

Here are five players to watch closely on Thursday night at Tottenham Hotspur stadium when Tottenham and Frankfurt go to battle.

Tottenham CB Cristian Romero

There aren't many center backs in the Premier League who are as good as Cristian Romero, and although things have fallen apart for Tottenham this season under Ange Postecoglou, we can't forget both how excellent Romero was in his first season with Big Ange and how good he was in the past for both Tottenham and his clubs in Serie A.

Romero is one of the best defenders in the world at making plays on the ball, whether it's winning possession defensively or even creating chances - and finishing them off. He's a well-rounded center back who can win you games, and Tottenham will need the Argentinian international to go out there and win them some games in the Europa League knockouts.

What makes Romero an even important important player to watch is the fact that he'll be tasked with marking Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who is an extremely fluid player off the ball and as difficult of a player as there is in German football to keep quiet.

Eintracht Frankfurt ST Hugo Ekitike

Hugo Ekitike could very well be a Tottenham transfer target at the striker position this summer, and even North London rivals Arsenal are keen on making the Frenchman their future No. 9. A summer 2025 transfer to the Premier League appears likely for Ekitike, but Tottenham won't be scouting or watching the striker with admiration this Thursday.

Their task is simply to stop Frankfurt's leading man, though there is certainly nothing simple about coping with the languid No. 9. Ekitike is a very well-rounded striker who scores and creates. He is one of the best dribblers at the position, and Tottenham are going to need all four of their defenders

Tottenham CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Against a team like Eintracht Frankfurt that loves to counter and play fast on the attacking end, Tottenham are going to need to make sure they control the midfield battle and are assured in their coverage of space off the ball when defending transitions.

So from a tactical perspective, there may not be a more important player for Tottenham than Rodrigo Bentancur, who, at his best, is a solid midfielder and Spurs' best anchoring player almost by default. Bentancur kind of fell out of favor at Juventus at the end, but he quickly latched on at Tottenham and became a key figure, though his importance did wane a bit due to injury.

This season, Bentancur has started six games for Spurs in the Europa League and has been good all-around both defensively and offensively with his ball progression. Tottenham will hope Bentancur is at his best on Thursday night when supporting the back line.

Eintracht Frankfurt AM Hugo Larsson

All eyes will be on Ekitike - and for good reason - but Eintracht Frankfurt have another young gem worth watching closely in young midfielder Hugo Larsson. He's been playing a more attacking role lately for Frankfurt, which should ring some alarm bells for a Tottenham defense that hasn't been as shutdown as it should be this season.

Larsson is an intelligent young player with a good all-around skill-set who knows how to get into space in between the defensive and midfield lines. He is the next in an impressive lineage of Frankfurt attacking midfielders, which includes Jesper Lindstrom and Daichi Kamada.

In all honesty, Larsson is the best of these three, because he has the best football IQ and the skill-set most suited to the modern game. Tottenham will have to be prepared to fight a lot of scrappy duels in their own half against Larsson, who covers a lot of ground and is very effective as a playmaker around the penalty area.

Tottenham GK Guglielmo Vicario

A healthy Guglielmo Vicario is a gift from above for Tottenham. After dominating Serie A for underdogs Empoli, Vicario has proven a lot of misguided Premier League fans wrong by stepping in and succeeding as the heir to Hugo Lloris, which was undoubtedly a very difficult task.

The margin of error in the Europa League knockouts is slim, and Tottenham have a great equalizer in Vicario. Both teams have solid, experienced European goalkeepers, and Vicario means an awful lot to Spurs. He will be called to make a couple of big saves this week, and if he can stand up to the task, he could bail Spurs out in a big way. Frankfurt love to shoot on the break, and they'll surely have a few big chances in this one, even on the road.

On Thursday evening, Tottenham Hotspur will welcome Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt to North London, for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final showdown. It truly cannot be overstated quite how big a game - and tie - this is.

Although the win did extremely little to paper over the cracks of a dismal domestic season, Spurs at least come into the game having stopped the rot with their three points over Southampton on Sunday. They also, if looking for small positives, have Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel coming into the game more confident than they otherwise would have been.

They will, however, be without a couple of injured players, of whom the game has come too early for. The Standard have reported that Dejan Kulusevski is "progressing well", but that Thursday evening will come too soon for him. They have also stated that the game will also come too soon for Kevin Danso, with his thigh injury picked up last month keeping him out of action.

Thursday evening's first leg to come too early for two players

In fairness, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both fit, it was unlikely that Danso was going to start anyway. It would have been handy to have been able to start him against Southampton instead of Romero - with it not being ideal for the Argentine to play three games in a week. Still, he hasn't picked up an injury yet, so let's hope that Thursday is not one game too far.

As for Kulusevski, he would have had a much better chance at starting - though James Maddison did show his creativity against Southampton - albeit a much weaker opponent. The 28-year old will have the keys to the attack, the onus will be on him to create chances or even score himself. If Spurs had him and Kulusevski both in the side, they would have had more unpredictability in their attack - but it does give a player like Lucas Bergvall a huge opportunity instead.

In midweek, whilst not a full slate of fixtures – there were still a number of games being played in League One, as sides with a game in hand began to catch up on their fixtures. As a result, there was action for Tottenham Hotspur loanees. Â

Last night saw Mansfield Town hosting Leyton Orient, meaning in theory we had Matthew Craig up against fellow Spurs youngsters Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley. However, after only recently returning to action, Craig was once again not in the match day squad for this game. Meanwhile, Keeley and Donley both started the game. Â

How things played out down in League One on Tuesday evening

It was the nightmare start for Orient, whom conceded after just three minutes of the game. However, with six minutes of the first half remaining, former Spurs academy player Dilan Markanday equalised for Orient, which was enough to send the two sides into half time level pegging. Â

Then, nine minutes into the second half, the O’s took the lead, with Donley providing the assist – his first since the 28th of January. After 62 minutes, however, Mansfield got their second of the game, and we were once again all square. Â

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Richie Wellens’s side scored a third, as Donley grabbed his second assist of the game, with both coming for striker Charlie Kelman. From there, Orient were able to see the game out, and pull off a win that keeps their play off hopes just about alive. Â

Truth be told, it was not a vintage display from the Spurs loanees’ side, having just six shots all game, and the hosts having three opta defined big chances to their one. Still, an absolutely huge three points that gives them something to play for in the final five games of the season. Â

This was Keeley’s 31st game (all starts) of the League One campaign, whilst Donley made his 34th league appearance of the season, with 26 of those being starts. That is now seven assists (and nine big chances created) to go with his six goals. Â

After this win, Orient sit in 9th place in the table, with 63 points from their 41 games, five points off the play off positions. Next up is an away game against Crawley Town on Saturday, for a 15:00 BST kick off. Â

Even if Craig was available this weekend, Mansfield’s game at home to Peterborough United has been postponed because the visitors are in the final of EFL trophy. Hopefully that means he will be available for their next game – an away game against Rotherham United on Good Friday at 15:00 BST.

As we have said so many times on here recently, the fact we are between transfer windows does very little to stop the constant transfer rumours – regarding both incoming and also outgoings. Over the last few weeks, we have been very busy trying to aggregate all of the talk around those potentially coming in and out of N17. Â

We have seen Spurs linked to the likes of Bayern Munich and Germany winger Leroy Sane, as well as LOSC Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur have both been linked with a move to La Liga side Diego Simeone. Â

The latest player to be of interest to another club is goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. As per a recent report from Italian media outlet MilanLive, the Spurs number one is on a shortlist of potential replacements for Mike Maignan, should their keeper move back to PSG. They suggest a domino effect move could happen, with Gianluigi Donnarumma moving to rivals Inter Milan. Â

Italian giants shortlist Guglielmo Vicario ahead of the summer

Something to note is that Milan are trying to recruit former Spurs director of football Fabio Paratici, although a move does seem to be stalling. If the Italian does join Milan, however, that could further increase their incentive to sign Vicario, given the director will know the 28-year old from Spurs. Â

Safe to say it is paramount that Spurs keep Vicario. During his three months out on the sidelines, his absence in the side was clear for all to see. He has always been a very good shot stopper, and it is clear that he has improved when it comes to commanding his area, and coming out to claim crosses and relieve pressure on the defence. Â

As it stands, the goalkeeper has three years remaining on his existing contract in North London, so there will be little sweat over his immediate future. What is surely concerning, however, is the players reaction to any potential interest from Milan. Â

Being an Italian – any player in fairness but especially as an Italian – the idea of playing for Milan must be pretty seducing for him. Unless they win the Europa League, Spurs will have no European football next season, though as it stands neither will Milan – with the giants currently sitting in 9th place in Serie A. Â

Nevertheless, it would still be an appealing move for him, you would imagine. If that domino effect comes into play, he could be competing with Donnarumma for the Italian number one spot, whilst playing for rival Milan clubs. Â Â