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Tottenham appear to be targeting playmaking stars in the summer 2025 transfer window in order to add more attacking juice to a team that didn't have a single player with double-digit assists and just one, Brennan Johnson, with at least 10 goals.

For the most part, their search has focused on young up-and-comers like Rayan Cherki of Lyon and even RB Leipzig's underrated Xavi Simons, but Tottenham are also looking at big names in the Premier League in the prime of their careers like Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze.

And it looks like Tottenham fans can add another one to the list. According to a report from talkSPORT's Alex Crook and Ben Jacobs, Tottenham are among the Premier League clubs that have enquired Chelsea with an interest in attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku. Spurs are said to be the English side most concretely interested in the Frenchman, and while the player has been linked with moves outside of the Premier League, he is reportedly open to staying in England, too.

Tottenham could sign a former Ballon d'Or candidate

Nkunku has been shopped by Chelsea since the winter transfer window, as he has clearly not figured into Enzo Maresca's plans. Maresca has improved the Blues markedly this season, taking them from the Premier League's biggest disappointment back to the Champions League, and Chelsea also won a notable trophy, beating Real Betis 4-1 to take home the Conference League honors.

The 27-year-old joined Chelsea in 2023 from RB Leipzig for 60 million euros, which was actually significantly below his market value. Nkunku was so good in Leipzig that he not only led the team to their first major trophy with a DFB Pokal victory in 2022, but he was also the Bundesliga Player of the Season above the likes of Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski.

A legitimate Ballon d'Or candidate in Germany, Nkunku has been a disaster in England due to a bevy of injuries and an inability to get into the starting lineup under a revolving door of coaches who don't seem to value him. When he does play, Nkunku has shown that he is at the level of a Premier League playmaker with his athleticism, creativity, and high footballing IQ.

In the Bundesliga, Nkunku could do it all, and if the price is right, he could be a strong signing for Tottenham as a secondary playmaking option to James Maddison with the additional versatility to start on either wing or even as a center forward, which was arguably his strongest position in Leipzig.

While Nkunku isn't without his flaws and has both a concerning injury record and a poor 2024/25 campaign on his docket, he could be a low-risk, high-upside signing with the additional benefit of giving Tottenham some bragging rights over Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur didn't have a single player register 10 assists in the 2024/25 Premier League season, and only Brennan Johnson scored double-digit goals for the Europa League champions. Spurs were the most profoundly disappointing team in the Premier League last season, finishing 17th in a historically putrid campaign.

Needless to say, Tottenham are going to need to sign some difference-makers to bolster their sagging attack. Even if Son Heung-min bounces back next season at the age of 33, Spurs are going to need more star power to supplement veterans Son, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke up top.

Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki has become a dream target for Spurs in the attack, because he is exactly the kind of player they need. Cherki can create something out of nothing, he has immense skill, he's been productive for a historic team a top-five league for a few years now, and, most of all to Daniel Levy, he is ludicrously cheap with a laughable 22.5 million euro release clause.

Rayan Cherki is an elite club's top target

The problem for Tottenham is all the big boys in the Premier League are after Cherki, and it looks like Manchester City are ramping up their pursuit of the uber-talented Frenchman. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Man City have now made contacts to begin talks to sign Cherki, and he is one of their top two targets at the No. 10 position alongside Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

Manchester City have endless resources financially and the most highly-regarded manager in world football in Pep Guardiola. They are also out for revenge after a poor, by their lofty standards, 2024/25 Premier League season. Guardiola usually gets who he wants, and Cherki has that extra quality the Citizens are looking for.

So if Tottenham don't move quickly, they could be left holding the bag yet again, missing out on another transformative young star. Spurs are in a tough spot since nobody quite knows who will be coaching them next season, but it's safe to say that any coach worth their salt would be over the moon about working with a 21-year-old left-footed wide playmaker coming off a season with 12 goals and 19 assists between the Premier League and Europa League.

There's no shame to losing out to Manchester City in the transfer market, but there's no glory in it either. And Spurs fans are tired of watching Daniel Levy and the club's board room constantly take the complacent approach with slam-dunk young stars on the market.

Tottenham will mostly be after midfield talent and attacking difference-makers in the summer 2025 transfer market as they look to improve their squad significantly from finishing a lowly 17th in the Premier League.

Despite those being their biggest priorities in the transfer window, Tottenham are also expected to go after a top center back, especially if they are not able to keep star man Cristian Romero. Although Romero's chances of staying in Tottenham have increased over the past couple of weeks, there is no guarantee the Argentinian international stays in North London.

Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, fresh off his own big title win, has widely been considered Tottenham's dream transfer target in defense, especially after they already tried to sign the Eagles star last summer for a cool 70 million euros

Tottenham are under pressure now

Tottenham are expected to be back in for Guehi if they lose out on Romero this summer, but they just got some stiff competition for him. Despite already agreeing to terms with top free agent center back Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen (and the German national team), Bayern Munich have begun talks with Guehi for a summer transfer, per a report from Paul O'Keefe, via Spurs Connect.

Bayern need defensive reinforcements after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign. Despite winning the Bundesliga again, Bayern were far from their best in Europe and had to run Kim Min-jae in to the ground due to a lack of options. One of those options was former Tottenham backup Eric Dier, who just joined Monaco for the 2025/26 season. So you can see how Guehi would be an attractive target to them, especially since they have already benefited greatly from another former Palace star in right winger Michael Olise.

Die Roten's interest in Guehi is another sign for Daniel Levy and Tottenham to get serious. Spurs are behind the eight ball with their biggest targets on the transfer market, such as Lyon playmaker Rayan Cherki, because they are still waiting to make a decision on Ange Postecoglou as their manager.

Tottenham don't have to act now with Guehi, and they still may not necessarily need him if they are able to keep Romero, as Kevin Danso is a great third center back to have behind Romero and Micky van de Ven. But if Romero starts talking to clubs besides Atletico Madrid that can pay Spurs more, Guehi is the only one who looks 100 percent capable of replacing the 26-year-old standout.

The 2024-25 season was one that made no sense for Tottenham. Only 11 league wins all season yet comfortably among the division’s top scorers, 22 league defeats yet no relegation battle, 17th place yet qualifying for the Champions League. And more importantly than all of that, a long trophy drought ended with a first major European trophy since 1984.

These seasons are what fans want, and these are the ones we will remember. For too long there has been a preoccupation with “finishing top 4” but really, what will we remember in the future: that 2021-22 season where we finished 4th or the season just gone which, for all its oddities, brought that night in Bilbao and the celebrations afterwards. The great Danny Blanchflower said the game was about glory and, as we have seen these past few weeks, he was correct.

So, what could make such a memorable season better? The lack of success on the other side of North London, of course. Arsenal finished with almost twice as many points as Spurs, won far more games, beat Spurs (sadly quite comfortably) twice, and finished far higher in the league but ended the season far less happy.

The jokes won't be at Tottenham's expense this year

They actually came very close in the Champions League even with injuries and a tough draw, but it will all be forgotten in another trophyless season. And in failing at the semi-final stage, another funny stat is preserved for now: since 2007, the North London team that has got furthest in the Champions League is still Tottenham.

So, for once the jokes and the memes will not be on Spurs. They will concern Arsenal having no strikers, missing bottle, etc. And it doesn’t take long for them to start going around. It has been pointed out to me that we will soon be playing in the Super Cup, which is a competition Arsenal have never qualified for. That there will be trophy parades in West London, North London, and South London while Arsenal watch has also been mentioned. I was told the answer to the question “How far are Arsenal from a European trophy?” is “About 4 miles”.

Yes, it may not make sense to many for the lack of success for one club to elevate another, but that’s football. The shoe has been on the other foot plenty of times as Arsenal were successful, but for a summer at least Spurs fans get to gloat, despite the stats. Perhaps Schadenfreude is too much, but whatever this is, it has a place in football and all clubs need it.

There have been individual moments like this before of course, and we can go far back. What made Gazza’s goal in the 1991 Semi Final vs Arsenal even sweeter? Knowing one of my Arsenal-supporting friends was sitting behind the goal as David Seaman scrambled hopelessly in an attempt to save it. What made Nayim’s winning goal for Zaragoza vs Arsenal in the 1995 Cup Winners Cup final better for Spurs fans? He is an ex-Spurs player. It’s one of the (many) reasons a Euro Super League does not have appeal, the competition between fans of rival clubs is something that can’t be beaten.

Tottenham Hotspur are still deciding what they want to do with manager Ange Postecoglou, who was clearly more out than in just a few weeks ago. But despite a historically poor season in the Premier League, Postecoglou has complicated his future at Tottenham in a positive way by winning the Europa League, which is a massive achievement for the club and also brings them a Champions League return in 2025/26.

The longer Tottenham wait to decide Postecoglou's future, as difficult of a decision as that may be, the more they take away the best possible options to replace him in the manager's chair. There is a lot of musical chairs going on in the manager market, particularly in Serie A, where coaches like Gian Piero Gasperini and Rafaele Palladino have become available.

But just as quickly as Gasperini left Atalanta, he is about to secure a new coaching position at a club with less success but more resources. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Gasperini was in a meeting with Roma on Thursday morning and is on the verge of becoming the Giallorossi's new coach, replacing legendary caretaker manager Claudio Rainieri.

Tottenham are watching coaching dominos fall in Serie A

Gasperini probably wasn't high on Tottenham's wishlist because of his grating personality, but there's no doubting his record at Atalanta and tactical acumen. He could have been a candidate if former Serie A executive Fabio Paratici returns to Tottenham in a sporting director role.

Also in Italy, an arguably bigger name is close to getting a new job, too. Fab is also reporting that former Juventus manager Max Allegri, a former Champions League Finalist and multi-time Serie A champion, is close to reaching an agreement with AC Milan after the Rossoneri approached their rival's former manager on Wednesday.

While Allegri and Gasperini weren't necessarily prime candidates for the Tottenham job and there is no guarantee Postecoglou is out anyway, they were two of the biggest names on the market and the caliber of coaches that could potentially manage Spurs.

Even though Allegri left a sour taste at Juventus in his second stint, his success with the club in the beginning cannot be ignored, nor can the dysfunction and poor player recruitment made by the Bianconeri, who haven't been any better with other managers, be ignored either.

Tottenham still haven't chosen Postecoglou's fate, but if they don't make their decision quickly, there may not be any better managers than Big Ange left, which, in theory, technically makes their choice easier in the end.

Tottenham Hotspur are through to the Champions League next season after conquering Manchester United in the Europa League Final, but if their 17th-placed finish in the Premier League is any indication, Spurs are going to have to bring in some real difference-makers in the summer 2025 transfer window if they want to avoid embarrassment in European football's premier competition next season.

Lately, Tottenham have been prescribing to a transfer policy of signing young talents before they become stars, such as Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, and Lucas Bergvall last summer. Now, it is imperative that they continue that approach and gun for players with superstar potential, such as current loan signing Mathys Tel or even Desire Doue, whom they missed out on last summer.

After letting current PSG star Doue go without much of a fight last summer, Tottenham are after an arguably bigger Ligue 1 standout this year in Lyon's Rayan Cherki, who has been earmarked for greatness by the historic French produces of top footballing talent for years. Even Real Madrid were watching him closely.

Manchester City are just as hungry as Tottenham for playmakers

Tottenham may be on the list to sign Cherki, but a new report indicates that they are going to have to get serious and step up their interest in the French playmaker. According to Fabrizio Romano and the Telegraph, Manchester City are interested in signing Cherki and have asked Lyon about his price, which is reportedly a ridiculous bargain at 22.5 million euros with a release clause.

Manchester City are losing club legend Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli this summer, and after a poor season in the Premier League, they want to add some attacking juice to their midfield. Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan's underrated Tijjani Reijnders are other options at the 10.

Cherki may only be an alternative to those two, but it may be more likely that Pep Guardiola and City want to sign Cherki in addition to Reijnders or the Premier League's Gibbs-White. With his sweet left foot, Cherki can start as an interior playmaker as a traditional 10 or as an arguably more dangerous inverted playmaker on the right wing.

At just 21 years old and with his price, Cherki is a can't-miss signing for Tottenham. Like Arsenal did with Declan Rice, Tottenham need to step up to the plate, and Daniel Levy needs to show that Spurs are willing to compete with the real big boys of European football like Manchester City for the world's finest young talents like Cherki. They already botched it with PSG signing Doue last year, and Cherki would be an even worse miss for Spurs this summer.

Tottenham star center back Cristian Romero has been the man of the hour alongside manager Ange Postecoglou after Spurs historic Europa League triumph against Manchester United in Spain. Romero put together a defensive monsterclass alongside fellow star central defender Micky van de Ven, blanking Bruno Fernandes and the Red Devils mercurial attack.

For his efforts in all the big games of the Europa League knockout stages, Romero was even named the official Player of the Tournament. While you would think that would drum up the transfer interest in Romero and make an exit more likely, if anything, it's helped increase the chances of the 26-year-old Argentinian international staying in North London.

Just a few weeks ago, there was a time when it seemed like Romero leaving Tottenham would be a foregone conclusion after a public interview in which the vice captain said that he was dreaming of a move to LaLiga, followed by rumors that Atletico Madrid were about to agree to terms with the Tottenham center back.

Atletico Madrid are still lowballing Tottenham

Atletico Madrid and their manager Diego Simeone are still very much interested in signing Romero, but with Ange Postecoglou publicly angling to keep the defender, the Rojiblancos are going to have to try a lot harder to sway Romero and Daniel Levy to make a move.

According to the latest information from Sky Sports editor Lyall Thomas, Atletico Madrid are expected to make a new transfer approach for Romero soon, possibly in the coming week. Atleti are prepared to offer just 45 million euros for the 26-year-old defender, yet they believe Spurs are only going to want offers around 60 million euros or more. It's also not certain that Levy will even listen to any offer for Romero, which jibes with some other recent rumor talk.

Basically, all of this taken together points to it being highly unlikely that Romero is sold this summer. His value to Tottenham is at an all-time high after both the Europa League win and the public adoration for the player from fans and the manager alike. Even Levy seems to be reluctant to sell, which is a rarity since Romero is a very good transfer asset for Tottenham.

Yet he's a much bigger asset on the pitch if all Atletico Madrid are going to offer is 45 million euros, which is pretty insulting for a top Premier League center back coming off a big tournament performance. Levy and Tottenham can't shop around Romero for that little. Given Postecoglou's clear admiration for Romero and their close relationship, this latest news will be wonderful for Big Ange to hear and may also increase his chances of staying with another notable ally likely staying in the dressing room.

Tottenham Hotspur loan signing Mathys Tel has done everything possible to endear himself to the Spurs faithful and put himself in prime position to lock in a permanent deal with the Premier League giants.

Although Spurs are still angling to get Tel at a cheaper price than the 50 million pound option to buy currently in the loan contract between Tottenham and German powerhouse Bayern Munich, there are many fans in North London who would be more than happy to see Daniel Levy pay the full price for the talented 20-year-old left winger.

In a new transfer update from TBR Football's chief reporter Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are said to view Tel as a player with "enormous potential" who is simply too talented to pass up on as a permanent transfer. It's a sentiment that, surely, most Tottenham fans are in agreement with after watching how much more fluidly and explosively he can move with the ball than his teammates.

Mathys Tel wants Tottenham, too

But that's not all because on the other side of it, Bailey reports that Tel himself is keen on joining Tottenham this summer and envisions himself as a Tottenham player. That isn't surprising at all to those who see how Tel has interacted with fans both after tough Premier League losses and after heartwarming Europa League triumphs.

Per Bailey, Tottenham are indeed hoping to get the Tel fee reduced, and the target number they are aiming for is a reasonable 33.5 million pounds with additional performance-based incentives that could appeal greatly to Bayern Munich. And Tottenham would obviously be more than happy to pay those incentives, since it means Tel is living up to his billing.

Players of Tel's caliber and long-term potential in a marquee forward position don't often end up in Tottenham's laps, and with all the times Spurs have passed up on high-upside talents, they know they can't afford to let the Frenchman slip, too. So it's great to hear that expressed in language from a transfer insider, stating that this is also the club's perspective with Tel.

Tottenham fans have been burned so many times by Daniel Levy and the club, though, that they will believe it when they see it. Tel has acclimated well to Tottenham and is eager to help the team in the Champions League next season after tasting glory in the Europa League. He isn't without flaws and still has work to do, but at just above 30 million pounds, Tel is a more than reasonable gamble.

Tottenham Hotspur have a massive decision to make with their manager in the coming days, and the sooner they come to a final conclusion on Ange Postecoglou's future, the sooner Spurs can go ahead with signing players to fortify their squad before the 2025/26 Champions League campaign.

Postecoglou hasn't quite guaranteed his job safety by winning the Europa League, but he has made his future what is essentially a 50/50 shot that is pretty much too close to call either way at this stage. And with ringing endorsements from key players like Lucas Bergvall, Big Ange has momentum on his side heading into Daniel Levy's most important decision of the summer.

If Tottenham were to part ways with Postecoglou, though, they suddenly have more options worth pursuing. Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini just resigned after a decade of turning La Dea into a consistent Champions League side, and now there's another name for Spurs to monitor from Serie A.

This could be Fabio Paratici's secret pick for Tottenham

According to Fabrizio Romano, Raffaele Palladino has resigned from Fiorentina after a great season for the Viola, who finished sixth in Serie A ahead of the likes of AC Milan and Lazio to finally get back to the Europa League. Palladino progressed the fine work Vincenzo Italiano set for him in Firenze, and he has to be one of the best up-and-coming coaches on the market.

Palladino is a lot better than some of the up-and-comers Tottenham are looking at in the Premier League, and he's certainly better than "candidates" like Scott Parker. There's been a belief that Palladino could be eyeing one of the big jobs in Serie A, such as champions Napoli, but that may be off the table with Antonio Conte reportedly having a good meeting with Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Fiorentina had several big breakout stars in the 2024/25 season under Palladino, who only spent one year in Florence after leading Monza to initial success in Serie A. Monza, by the way, completely fell apart without the young coach this season. Moise Kean, Dodo, Robin Gosens, and David de Gea were all among the best players in Serie A this season, as Palladino coaxed late-career renaissances and breakouts from frustrating young talents alike.

That dual ability could appeal to Tottenham. Palladino wouldn't leave his job so suddenly after one great season with Europa League football in a historic city if he didn't think he'd get a better gig, and Tottenham could be a ridiculously good landing spot and a marriage that many fans didn't see coming. Just 41 years old, Palladino looks like the best of the coaches angling to be the future of Italian football, and it wouldn't be surprising if Paratici has him high on his list now if he were to return as Tottenham sporting director.

Tottenham Hotspur will be sellers before they are buyers in the summer 2025 transfer window, but since they need a good amount of reenforcements for the coming Champions League season after finishing 17th in the Premier League, Spurs may have to do a good bit of selling.

A major area of weakness for Tottenham in the midfield, and even as they close in on two potential transfer bargains in the middle of the pitch, the club knows that they will need higher-caliber players. They have been discussing selling a couple of veteran midfielders for the cash flow this summer, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur frequently mentioned as two candidates.

But it appears Tottenham may be doing a 180 on Bentancur, who has proven quite useful in the home stretch of the successful Europa League title march. According to ESPN FC reporter James Olley, Tottenham are actually currently in contract extension talks with the Uruguayan midfielder, meaning he joins young gem Mikey Moore as two players whom Spurs could extend this summer.

Tottenham won't want to lose too much defensive work

With Bentancur, the issue has never been quality but rather fitness. Bentancur is hard to rely on since he is frequently injured, and while there is nothing particular spectacular about him athletically or even technically, he is a solid footballer who delivers good performances whenever he has been in the Tottenham lineup.

Initially a standout for Juventus during the Cristiano Ronaldo era, Bentancur came over to Spurs via Fabio Paratici after a rough period in Turin. He's been an immediate success for Spurs, and while he has his limitations, you can see why Tottenham would want to keep him when you look at how he stepped up in the Europa League.

Bentancur has one thing going for him over the other midfielders and that is his defensive contribution to the team. Tottenham don't have many strong defensive presences in terms of ball recoveries and interceptions, and Bentancur is a player willing to work for the team and with the tactical intelligence to anticipate blocking those passing lanes.