TEAMtalk

Presenter Richard Keys claims to have inside knowledge over a proposed takeover of Tottenham Hotspur, following the significant protests that took place against Daniel Levy before and after Sunday’s win over Manchester United.

Levy and Enic took over the club from Sir Alan Sugar almost 25 years ago but have overseen just one trophy win in that time, the 2008 League Cup success, although they did oversee a state-of-the-art new stadium and a modern training facility.

The lack of success on the field has led to protests becoming more frequent, with supporters consistently chanting “We want Levy out” and displaying banners highlighting the club’s lack of silverware under his leadership.

And, writing in his blog, Keys has suggested that a deal is done for a takeover of Tottenham – although he does not mention who could be taking over or when it will actually happen.

Keys said: “Oh – you’ll be interested to hear that I was in the company of someone this weekend that reckons a deal to buy Spurs is done. I don’t think it is, but I’m pretty sure conversations have been taking place.

“If so, I’d say this to Daniel Levy. Don’t play hard ball Daniel – you might regret it. I’m also hearing the owners of one of the top four clubs could be ready to sell. They’re arguably a better proposition for a buyer and would tempt a bid before Spurs.”

A consortium of Qatari investors is known to have shown interest in acquiring the club, although they are aiming for complete control in N17.

Their proposal reportedly includes offering Levy a long-term contract as executive chairman, a move that has been met with understandable scepticism from supporters who hold him accountable for the club’s trophy drought.

Postecoglou needs proper backing

There is also the feeling that Ange Postecoglou needs greater backing to build a first-team squad he hopes will eventually challenge for major honours again.

Tottenham being hit hard by injuries to senior players this season has had a major impact on what the club has been able to achieve, especially given the club’s stance of signing younger talent since Postecoglou’s arrival.

The pressure put on the likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore and January signing Antonin Kinsky has been immense and, while it will stand them in good stead in the long term, Spurs need more experienced bodies on board to balance out the squad better going forward.

To that end, significant investment or a full-blown takeover could be the only thing that enables Tottenham to compete with their rivals over the next decade or so.

Latest Tottenham news: Bundesliga winger swoop / Spurs eye perfect Gray midfield partner

🚨 Tottenham to make huge summer splash on game-changing Bundesliga attacker

🚨 Stunning report reveals how 88-goal striker snubbed Tottenham in late January window blow

🚨 Tottenham determined to sign £18m midfield sensation and pair him with Archie Gray

Tottenham are reportedly ready to ramp up their pursuit of a dynamic £80million England Under-21 attacking talent as they prepare for a big summer transfer window.

Spurs are expected to back whoever is in charge of the team this summer, with everything still pointing towards Ange Postecoglou being the man to take the club forward despite a disastrous campaign this time around.

It’s been well documented that a glut of injuries to key men, particularly in defence, have been the main cause behind the wheels coming off and Tottenham sliding down the Premier League table – to go along with two domestic cup exits in the space of four days.

There is still hope of silverware though in the shape of the Europa League. Winning that would guarantee Champions League football for next season and make the club more attractive in terms of bringing top talents to north London.

One of those talents is Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who is being heavily linked with a return to English football this summer after joining Manchester City’s academy in 2018, having been at Chelsea and Reading prior to that.

The 20-year-old moved to Germany in 2020 and has not looked back since, making 91 appearances for Dortmund’s first team and scoring 16 goals with 14 assists.

His outstanding form this season has seen Gittens being monitored by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea but The Sun reports that the attacker could well be on his way to north London instead.

Predominantly a left-sided forward, he has been capped 11 times by England’s U21s having also featured at every age group down to the Under 15s.

This year, he has become a regular for Dortmund boss Niko Kovac, making 33 appearances and scoring 11 goals while also adding five assists.

However, Dortmund have fallen to 11th in the Bundesliga table in a season of struggle and could be forced to cash in on their prized assets in the summer.

Latest Tottenham news: January striker snub emerges / Keane slammed over Maddison criticism

🔵 Stunning report reveals how 88-goal striker snubbed Tottenham in late January window blow

🔵 Roy Keane slammed for ‘unprovoked’ and ‘pre-planned’ attack on Tottenham star

🔵 Everton eyeing move for record-breaking Championship star Tottenham missed out on

IN FOCUS – Gittens career timeline

➡️ Born in 2004, Gittens was honed mainly in the Reading academy (with a brief stint at Chelsea) before moving to Manchester City at under-14 level.

➡️ Gittens spent two years with City before moving to Germany to join the Borussia Dortmund academy.

➡️ In the 2021-22 season, Gittens scored six goals in four games in the UEFA Youth League for Dortmund’s U18s.

➡️ He earned his Bundesliga debut for the senior team in April 2022, coming on as a sub against Wolfsburg.

➡️ In July 2022, he helped England win the UEFA European Under-19 Championship as a starter in the final.

➡️ He scored his first Bundesliga goal in August 2022, four days after turning 18.

➡️ In February 2023, he came on as a sub against Chelsea to make his Champions League debut.

➡️ Gittens was called up by England’s U21s for the first time in September 2023.

➡️ He scored his first Champions League goal – and got an assist in the same game – against AC Milan in November 2023.

➡️ He featured as a late sub in the Champions League final in June 2024 as Dortmund lost to Real Madrid.

➡️ Gittens scored braces on his first Bundesliga and Champions League appearances of the new season in August and September 2024 respectively.

➡️ He reached 10 goals for the season, for the first time in his career, by January 2025 – by which point he already had five assists for the season to his name too.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has been slammed for his brutal comments about Tottenham playmaker James Maddison, with a fellow pundit claiming they were “unprovoked” and “pre-planned”.

The Spurs star was heavily criticised by Keane prior to his side’s 1-0 win over United on Sunday, as he claimed the playmaker needed to “step up to the plate” after his return from injury and that the squad wouldn’t be boosted all that much by his comeback.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, he said: “People say Maddison’s the man. When is he going to step up to the plate? He got relegated with Leicester and he’ll get relegated with Spurs.

“He’s good, he’s a talented player, but if you’re a player in the Spurs dressing room and Maddison’s back in the squad, you wouldn’t be looking and going ‘Oh Jesus, he’s back today, we’re going to be fine.'”

Maddison did provide the perfect response to Keane’s comments though as he tapped in the only goal of the game between two massively under-performing clubs this season. That goal sparked Maddison to perform his trademark darts gesture before putting a finger to his lips clearly in reference to Keane’s comments.

talkSPORT presenter Gabby Agbonlahor was impressed with the Tottenham man for doing his talking on the pitch and hit out at Keane for his harsh remarks, even intimating that they might have been “pre-planned” to cause a social media stir.

“Roy Keane’s comments were unprovoked,’ he told the radio station. “Maddison has had a decent season. Can he do better? Yes he can, but these are unprovoked comments.

“I worked with Roy Keane at Aston Villa. I know his character, what he’s like, and didn’t like it. There’s no need. James Maddison seems like a good lad. Good on him for giving these pundits something back. It just summed Roy Keane up.

“The way the comments were made, it just seemed like it was pre-planned. Let’s say something, if it’s going to go up on social media it’s going to blow up. There’s just no need for it.”

Maddison answers critics in style

Maddison himself was certainly happy to respond in the best possible way to Keane’s comments, without actually naming the outspoken pundit.

He told Sky Sports: “Just a little bit of outside noise, wasn’t there this week. People have their opinions. I wanted to do my talking on the pitch.

“The gaffer, he always talks about blocking the outside noise but it’s difficult. It’s in your face with social media.

“You see it and it’s there, especially when it’s a high-profile name.”

Ange Postecoglou, meanwhile, was just delighted to get Maddison back on the pitch as he welcomed back a few of his injured stars against United – including goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Speaking after the game, the Spurs boss said: “They’re quality players. We have had to do it pretty tough in the past two months. Great to get those guys back and the guys who came on and contributed.

“We can play better definitely, but when we got some boys up to speed and start growing into it.”

Latest Tottenham news: Everton pushing to sign Spurs defensive target / Leeds eye Ben Davies swoop

Everton have shortlisted Tottenham defensive target Maxime Esteve and could pursue a move for the talented centre-back in the summer, according to a report.

Burnley star Esteve has been very impressive in the Championship this season and is a key reason why Scott Parker’s men have gone on an incredible run of 11 games without conceding a goal – a new record for the division.

Spurs are known to have had a deadline-day bid rejected for Esteve in January and now Nixon claims Everton are considering a move, but it’ll cost them ‘£30m-plus.’

Meanwhile, Leeds United plan to bring in defensive reinforcements in the summer and Tottenham centre-back Ben Davies remains on their shortlist, TEAMtalk can reveal.

Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has raved over a versatile Tottenham star who he believes deserves to keep his place in the side at the expense of star names returning from injury.

Spurs’ season has been hit hard by injuries, particularly at the heart of defence, where Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have virtually been sidelined since early December, with the latter only making a fleeting appearance in the Europa League in that time.

That situation forced Ange Postecoglou to turn to the versatile Archie Gray, who normally plays central midfield or right-back, and the impressive 18-year-old has not looked back since.

Yes, Tottenham have had their struggles defensively but Gray has been pretty much flawless playing alongside the now injured Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and January signing Kevin Danso.

However, both Romero and Ven de Ven are closing in on returns, alongside a host of other major players for Spurs as they look to end a tough season on a high.

Merson, though, believes that Gray has earned the right to keep his place in the side – no matter where he plays going forward.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “When all these players are fit, I hope Gray plays. I think he has been an absolute credit—the young lad.

“I mean, I don’t know him at all, but from a distance, he turns up every week, plays out of position, and plays in a struggling team at the moment with a worrying number of injuries—and yet he plays every week.

“He isn’t one of those who goes, ‘Hmm, you know what, I might sit this one out.’ But don’t get me wrong, there are players like that. Everybody will have played with players like that—when things aren’t going well, they step back.

“But he turns up every week. I hope he plays when everybody is fit because, honestly, the kid’s been an absolute credit—playing in a position that isn’t his, yet still showing up. Every single week.”

Gray shows his value

For a young player who only made the jump up from the Championship this summer, Gray has featured extensively for Postecoglou’s men this season.

The former Leeds United youngster has played a total of 32 games, with 16 of those coming at centre-back, seven at right-back, five at left-back, and just two in midfield—his natural position. Indeed, he has only featured in central midfield for 29 minutes of the current campaign.

He was helped by Postecoglou playing him at centre-back during pre-season and he could continue there for the next couple of weeks, unless the Spurs boss opts for Davies alongside Danso instead.

The full-back positions have also received a boost with the return of Destiny Udogie, which might give Gray the chance to finally play in Tottenham’s engine room instead.

Spurs’ midfield has been incredibly inconsistent all season despite it being the least hardest hit by injuries, with the trio of Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur all struggling to find their best form.

Fellow teenager Lucas Bergvall has shown flashes of his quality though, with many Spurs fans calling for a partnership of Gray and Bergvall going forward – a combination that could be just around the corner, once Gray is no longer needed at the back.

Latest Tottenham news: Leeds eyeing summer Spurs raid / Club-record striker bid mooted

➡️ Sources: Leeds United plotting summer move for Tottenham star to cover two key positions

➡️ Tottenham plotting club-record swoop for 97-goal striker in incredible double Inter raid

➡️ Tottenham backed to poach Prem boss if Postecoglou is axed – ‘I think that he would leave’

Tottenham are reportedly ready to break their transfer record with a move for an Inter Milan striker, while a double raid on the San Siro continues to be mooted as they weigh up Ange Postecoglou’s future.

The north London outfit have endured a disastrous season to date, with the success in the Europa League now their only hope of salvaging something and arguably keeping Postecoglou in a job.

Indeed, there is a strong feeling that the club’s success in Europe this term, and the fact they are already through to the knockout phase, is the only thing keeping him in a job.

Postecoglou has had to deal with a crippling injury crisis since early December though, with the spine of his team particularly affected from front to back.

The defensive issues have been well documented but injuries to Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner, James Maddison and Richarlison not so much.

Indeed, Tottenham were forced into the market in the winter window when they finally landed Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy after an on-off transfer saga.

But it appears they are ready to make a major splash in the summer, with a report from Inter Live claiming that Spurs have put Inter frontman Marcus Thuram ‘at the top of the list’ of targets.

The 27-year-old France International has been outstanding for Inter since joining the club in the summer of 2023, helping them to Serie A glory and contributing to 50 goals in just 78 games.

Thuram, who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal, has been particularly prolific this season, with 14 goals and eight assists in 32 games in all competitions. However, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man, who has scored 97 career goals in total, will not come cheap.

Inter Live adds that Spurs will likely have to fork out around €80million (£67m / $84m) to get their man, a figure that would beat the previous £65m mark set when signing Solanke from Bournemouth last summer.

Spurs eyeing Inter double

Thuram’s potential arrival could end up being a double raid on the San Siro, with a recent report suggesting that Tottenham are also eyeing Inter boss Simone Inzaghi as a replacement for Postecoglou.

Inter Live, again, indicates that former Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici is pushing the 48-year-old towards his old club as they continue to weigh up Postecoglou’s future after a poor campaign.

The Italian tactician has led Inter to a Serie A title and also guided them to the Champions League final, proving his ability to compete at the elite level.

The report adds that Tottenham are believed to be prepared to offer Inzaghi a lucrative deal to try and lure him to north London. Additionally, he will then be heavily backed in the summer transfer window – hence the interest in one of his to players, Thuram.

There is no mention of what sort of compensation Spurs would have to pay, but the fact that Inzaghi is under contract until 2027 means he will not come cheap.

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs eye rival Prem boss / Leeds want permanent Solomon deal

🚨 Tottenham backed to poach Prem boss if Postecoglou is axed – ‘I think that he would leave’

🚨 Tottenham determined to sign £18m midfield sensation and pair him with Archie Gray

🚨 Leeds to hold talks over permanent Manor Solomon transfer with sacrifice of major star possible

Tottenham have been backed to move for a Premier League manager who ‘would leave’ his current club, if Daniel Levy does decide to end Ange Postecoglou’s tenure in north London.

Spurs have endured a tough season, failing to secure a win in their last seven home league matches (D2 L5), making it their worst run in the top flight since 2008 – which is, ironically, the last year they won a trophy.

Postecoglou‘s men currently sit 15th in the table after dropping down a place following Everton’s win at Crystal Palace on Saturday and they remain just 10 points above the relegation places.

A win on Sunday at home to Manchester United though could see them reach the heady heights of 12th – given their far superior goal difference over teams around them.

However, the pressure remains firmly on Postecoglou after Tottenham exited both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup last week and also have just one win in their last eight Premier League outings.

To that end, several names continue to be linked with the Australian’s job, including the likes of Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraolo, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and former Borussia Dortmund chief Edin Terzic.

However, ESPN journalist James Olley suggests that Fulham’s Marco Silva could emerge as a strong candidate for the job.

Olley states that Silva, who has built a solid reputation at Craven Cottage after previously struggling at Everton, would be open to making the move to north London if Levy came calling.

The reporter also pointed out that the Portuguese coach has previously expressed interest in joining Chelsea, indicating his desire to step up another level in the coaching ranks.

Speaking on ESPN’s The Football Reporters, Olley said: “I think Marco Silva is another interesting option. I think that he would leave Fulham. I think he was quite keen to go to Chelsea, had they made a concerted effort to appoint him in the past. So I think he’s ambitious Silva.

“I think, obviously Fulham, I’m sure, would fight tooth and nail to keep him, but I can see a scenario where Marco Silva certainly courts some interest if there’s a possibility of that.”

Silva taking Fulham to the next level

Since taking over at Fulham in 2021, Silva has certainly transformed the club’s fortunes.

The 47-year-old fomer Hully City and Watford chief guided them straight back to the Premier League in the 2021/22 campiagn as they won the Championship, scoring a remarkable 106 goals in the process.

In their first season back in the top flight, Fulham achieved a impressive 10th-place finish, while Silva rejected big-money offers from Saudi Pro League clubs to remain in charge at Craven Cottage. He also led the club to their first-ever League Cup semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by Liverpool.

Last season was not quite at the same level with a 13th-placed finish, but the Cottagers are going well again this time around and currently sit eighth – just five points off the top four.

The main concern for Tottenham though would arguably be the last time he took a step up, in terms of size of club, when he took charge at Everton in 2018.

Silva won just 24 of his 60 games in charge, with a win percentage of just 40%, and was dismissed in December 2019 after a crushing Merseyside derby defeat that left the Toffees in the relegation zone.

That surely has be taken into consideration, giving the club’s curent predicament down at the wrong end of the table.

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs eye Palace raid / Liverpool want Van de Ven

➡️ Tottenham determined to sign £18m midfield sensation and pair him with Archie Gray

➡️ Liverpool ready to raid Tottenham for star ‘hugely rated by Arne Slot’ to replenish key position

➡️ Harry Kane urged to snub Arsenal by ex-Tottenham striker as shock move ‘explored’

Tottenham are interested in signing Adam Wharton in the summer transfer window, with a report claiming the north London club’s plan regarding the midfielder and Archie Gray as Crystal Palace’s stance on a potential exit for the dynamic star comes to light.

Wharton has been playing in the Premier League for just over a year, but the midfielder has already been hugely impressive with his performances for Palace, who paid an initial transfer fee of £18million for him to Blackburn Rovers in the 2024 January transfer window.

The midfielder made an immediate impact at Palace last season and established himself in the starting line-up, but his development at the London club has been stunted this campaign due to a groin problem that forced him to undergo surgery.

Wharton has only just returned to action, but his reputation is so strong that TEAMtalk understands that Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle United are planning to assess him during the second half of the season with a view to a summer move.

Football Insider has reported that Tottenham are also interested in a deal for Wharton in the summer transfer window.

Tottenham reportedly view the midfielder as a player with huge potential who could become a real top-class footballer in the coming years.

The north London club’s plan is to pair Wharton with Gray in the middle of the park.

Gray has been deployed mainly at centre-back this season due to Tottenham having injury problems defensively, but the 18-year-old is a midfielder by trade who starred at right-back for Leeds United last season.

Crystal Palace’s stance on Adam Wharton exit

While Tottenham are dreaming of a very potent pairing between Wharton and Gray in midfield, the north London club could struggle to make that a reality in the summer transfer window.

Football Insider has reported that Palace have no intention whatsoever of selling Wharton in the summer transfer window.

With the 21-year-old midfielder being under contract at the London club until 2029, Palace are in a strong position to fend off any offers.

With the likes of Man Utd, Man City and Newcastle also keen on the England international midfielder, it is going to be hard for Spurs to pull off a deal for Wharton.

Latest Tottenham news: Van de Ven exit, Walker-Peters interest

Tottenham are reportedly in danger of losing one of their best players to Liverpool.

There is speculation that Liverpool are keen on signing Micky van de Ven from Tottenham in the summer transfer window.

The Premier League leaders are on the hunt for a new centre-back and believe that Van de Ven would be a great signing for Arne Slot’s side.

Tottenham are looking into a potential deal for Kyle Walker-Peters in the summer transfer window.

Walker-Peters is out of contract at Southampton at the end of the season, and there are no signs that he will put pen to paper on a new deal.

Southampton are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table and look set to get relegated.

There are reports that Tottenham are planning to bring Walker-Peters back to the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.

The 27-year-old full-back started his professional club football career at Tottenham before leaving the north London outfit in 2020.

Tottenham are interested in a potential deal for Leroy Sane in the summer transfer window.

Sane is out of contract at Bayern at the end of the season, and the German giants have now all but given up on trying to convince the former Manchester City star to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Spurs are reported to be “serious contenders” to get a deal done for the winger and bring him to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a free agent.

Ange Postecoglou had some hugely positive injury news for once as he revealed the return of three key Tottenham men for this weekend’s Premier League visit of Manchester United, while three more are also back in training.

Spurs have been devastated by injuries since early December, in what has been a hugely challenging period juggling Premier League, Europa League and domestic cup outings with depleted numbers.

However, it looks like things are on the up against United on Sunday, with Postecoglou giving an update on who could return at his pre-match press conference.

The under-pressure Tottenham boss revealed that Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and James Maddison are fit to play a part against Ruben Amorim’s men, with all three primed to return to the starting XI.

Vicario looks certain to replace January signing Antonin Kinsky in goal after the talented young stopper’s recent high-profile errors, while Udogie could come straight at left-back in a move that sees the in-form Djed Spence switch back to his more natural right-back berth at the expense of Pedro Porro.

Maddison, meanwhile, could slot back in at the No.10 role, with Dejan Kulusevski on the right wing after a midweek free of any games that has allowed many of the over-worked Tottenham players to rest up.

Postecoglou also confirmed that wingers Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner have all returned to training ahead of this week, although it’s not clear if any of them will potentially make the bench for Sunday’s clash.

Postecoglou also delivers key update on likes of Romero, Van de Ven

The Spurs boss also spoke about when the club expect to see the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dom Solanke and Richarlison back on the pitch.

Speaking on Tottenham’s official X account, he added: “Micky, Cuti and Dom, again, we’re looking at the next two or three weeks for them. They’re going well.

“I guess with Micky, we decided to take a different strategy with him. We just want to make sure he’s absolutely right… talking to different people, he’s working with different medical teams and rehab staff to make sure he’s right. He’s working well and feeling good, which is a positive.

“Similar with Cuti. We’re just waiting… the healing in his quad is taking longer than we thought. He’s got one more scan to make sure it’s healed properly. Once we get that sign-off, we should be good to go.

“Richy, again, similar to Madders and Brennan, who had similar calf injuries, depending on how he recovers – Madders bounced back really quickly, it’s only been two and a bit weeks for him, Brennan’s been three weeks – we’re looking at the same time frame for Richy.”

Latest Tottenham news: Potential Iraola boost / Son slammed over captaincy role

Tottenham appear to have been given a boost to their hopes of landing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement, if they decide to pull the trigger on the under-pressure Australian coach.

The likes of Iraola, Thomas Frank, Edin Terzic, Kieran McKenna and former boss Mauricio Pochettino have all been linked with the role, while it’s been reported that the club are also keen on Inter chief Simone Inzaghi.

However, TBR Football has given an update on the first of those names, Iraola, and his stance on potentially quitting the south coast outfit.

Meanwhile, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has issued a damning verdict of Son Heung-min’s leadership qualities and called for him to be stripped of the captaincy straight away, a sentiment not shared by many of the club’s loyal supporters who have backed the South Korean.

Tottenham appear to have been given a boost to their hopes of landing a top replacement for Ange Postecoglou, if they decide to pull the trigger on the under-pressure Australian coach.

Spurs currently sit just 10 points above the relegation places in the Premier League after just one win in their last eight outings, while they also crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the space of just four days last week.

Injuries have been used as a constant excuse for their struggles, which has certainly played its part, but Postecoglou has also refused to adapt his style of football when using inferior players and that has also played a part in Tottenham‘s woeful run of form.

And, while TT understands that the club remains behind the manager for now – as injured players start to return – they are also doing their due diligence on who could replace him.

The likes of Andoni Iraola , Thomas Frank, Edin Terzic, Kieran McKenna and former boss Mauricio Pochettino have all been linked with the role, while it’s been reported that the club are also keen on Inter chief Simone Inzaghi.

However, TBR Football has given an update on the first of those names, Bournemouth boss Iraola, and his stance on potentially quitting the south coast outfit.

They state the 42-year-old Spaniard has told the Cherries that he wants to wait before committing his future to them, amid the strong links to a switch to north London.

Iraola replaced Gary O’Neil as Bournemouth in what was a shock move back in 2023 and, although he got off to a slow start, he has since turned the Cherries into one of the most impressive teams in the Premier League.

Indeed, Iraola’s men currently sit seventh in the table in what has been a remarkable season so far and it’s clear all that good work has not gone unnoticed.

No talks yet but Bournemouth want Iraola stay

TBR Football adds that Bournemouth are keen to tie down Iraola to a new contract, but they have not yet opened talks with their highly-rated coach.

For his part, it’s noted that the former Rayo Vallecano coach has never been keen on signing long-term deals during his managerial career so far. Add in Tottenham’s interest and you can see why Bournemouth might be getting a little twitchy.

Indeed, it’s also claimed that Iraola was also a target for Manchester City before Pep Guardiola committed to a new deal, while he was also discussed by Liverpool’s hierarchy as they pondered a replacement for legendary coach Jurgen Klopp.

To that end, Bournemouth are determined to keep Iraola, with sources telling TBR Football that they are ‘confident’ that the Spaniard will commit to the Vitality Stadium.

As for Tottenham’s stance on appointing Iraola, our inside man Fraser Fletcher tells us that the Spaniard remains a key target the club if things continue to go downhill under Postecoglou.

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has issued a damning verdict of Son Heung-min’s leadership qualities and called for him to be stripped of the captaincy straight away, a sentiment not shared by many of the club’s loyal supporters.

Spurs crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the space of just four days and did so without much of a whimper, as Liverpool and Aston Villa dropped their hopes of silverware this season down to just the Europa League.

Yes, it’s common knowledge that injuries have played a massive part in Tottenham‘s struggles this season but O’Hara insists that Son is not helping by his failure to lead from the front.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s big Premier League clash with Manchester United, O’Hara, who has also been heavily critical of the South Korean’s declining form on numerous occasions this season, told Grosvenor Sport: “When you look at Tottenham’s two recent games — Liverpool and Aston Villa in the cup—this was the moment to show that they could compete.

“Unfortunately, they’ve shown the complete opposite. There’s no fight, no heart, no desire, and certainly no leadership.

“For me, that lack of leadership comes from the manager and the captain. I hate to say it, but Son Heung-Min is not the right captain for this team anymore. He’s a fantastic player, an incredible servant to the club, but when it comes to pulling the team together in tough moments, he’s not the one to step up.

“A captain should be someone who can lead from the front, someone who can grab the team by the scruff of the neck and get the team out of a hole. Son isn’t that. It’s time to take the captaincy off him and give it to someone else.”

The 32-year-old’s levels have dropped this season, although his stats are hardly disastrous with 10 goals and assists in 33 total appearances. However, he does not have that same burst of speed or the clinical edge to his finishing he once had.

Tottenham fans hit back over Son slamming

Despite his struggles this term, Son maintains the support of a majority of Spurs fans for the incredible service has given the club since 2015.

The attacker has scored 172 goals and provided 92 assists in 441 games for Tottenham to earn legendary status and loyal fans will not forget that any time soon time soon.

Indeed, reacting after the Liverpool debacle and prior to the FA Cup loss to Villa, many of them jumped to the defence of Son.

Writing on reddit, user SSGPz said: “Our fans need to experience what really happens if Son’s off the pitch and not available. Some people don’t realize how valuable it is to have a player who maintained his health through this injury crisis.

“Him not finding goals are often from the setup Ange has and the lack of playing style knowledge from the fullback or the left mid attacker. When son holds the ball to the left, the fullbacks should not be running in towards the goal (bringing the defenders in front of Son preventing any good angles to shoot), instead they need to widen towards the corners, allowing son or any midfielders to use the open half space.

VegasLukeWarm added: “His stats arent even that bad. He cant run like he used to but hes played fine considering all the injuries

Meanwhile, 0dogg stated: So many “supporters” s******* on him…without considering he hasn’t been injured and continues to play every game without rest. Not to mention that mere inches over the past two seasons have been the difference between top-tier and “washed.”

Finally, Key-Performer1828 said: “It is my opinion but I think many of injured who are the so called best XI of spurs do not desire to play for this season any more. Instead, they’ll stay on the injury list, recover and preserve their form, and either come back for the next season or hoping to move to another club. Son is too naive to do that. He will run to the ground like a work horse until a serious injury, either out of his naive and stubborn personality, or due to his vain idea of loyalty and being an honorable captain.”

Latest Tottenham news: Spurs eye double Bundesliga deal / Defender return mooted

Spurs are reportedly keen to sign Bundesliga pair Hugo Larsson and Piero Hincapie this summer, although the pack of sides who want both is said to be growing.

Spurs have been keen on the signing of Hincapie for both of the past two years. They reportedly lodged a bid for him in 2024, and were back towards the head of the pack for him in 2024.

And, according to fresh reports, they are once again among the suitors for the Bayer Leverkusen defender, who is valued by his club at at least €70million (£58.3m/$73m).

But the Ecuadorian is not the only Bundesliga man on their radar, with Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Larsson also courted by the north London outfit.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have again been backed to re-sign one of their former players in the summer, with his current club ‘resigned’ to losing their man.