TEAMtalk

After trying and failing to land a number of targets in the January transfer window, Tottenham are primed for a busy summer and TEAMtalk have taken a look at seven stars who are facing a fight to remain at the club – whether Ange Postecoglou is still in charge or not.

Spurs have endured a woeful Premier League campaign and now have only two trophies they can hunt for after their Carabao Cup nightmare on Merseyside on Thursday night.

The pressure has certainly intensified on Postecoglou after his side’s woeful Anfield display, a game where they showed zero ambition to try and extend their advantage and did not have a single shot on target for the first time under the Australian.

So many players under-performed in that match, although Postecoglou’s decision to play a midfield three of Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur was met by much consternation before the match and ended up being justified after as a complete lack of creativity left Tottenham unable to maintain any sort of control in the contest.

Two of those three names are among a list of seven (it could have been more) that are now fighting for their long-term futures in north London, although it must be noted that upcoming free agents like Ben Davies, Sergio Regulion, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Fraser Forster are not included while Timo Werner, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are all on loan.

Assuming, and it’s now a big assumption, that Tottenham can actually end the season on a positive note and that Postecoglou manages to keep his job, then there will likely be a significant turnaround from a squad that has massively underdelivered – injuries or not.

To that end, we look at seven stars whose futures at Spurs must now be up for serious debate.

Yves Bissouma

As a Tottenham fan, this one is particularly galling to write up as Bissouma could and should have been the mainstay of Spurs’ engine room for years to come.

However, the former Brighton man – bar Postecoglou’s first 10 games in charge last season – has looked a complete shadow of the player who excelled down on the south coast at Brighton. Indeed, that fact was compounded by his latest mistake in possession that cost Tottenham their first goal in the 4-0 mauling at Liverpool and opened the floodgates for the eventual rout.

The frustrating part is that Bissouma was often the best player on the pitch when playing for the Seagulls in clashes against Tottenham and got fans from the white half of north London understandably excited when he arrived in a £30million deal in the summer of 2022.

However, 85 games and two goals later, Bissouma has never really been able to establish himself as a regular starter. Add in the fact that Gray will eventually get a shot at playing in the front of the back four, along with the agreement that is in place to sign Real Betis star Johnny Cardoso early in the summer, and Bissouma’s days could well be numbered.

Radu Dragusin

This may be harsh, given he won’t be able to do his fighting on the pitch, but Dragusin’s long-term future at the club must be in doubt given that TT sources have told us Tottenham will move for Marc Guehi again this summer.

Dragusin suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Europa League win over Elfsborg, having been covering for injured duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven since December.

However, the fact that 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray often outshone him in the makeshift pairing is not a good sign for the Romania international in the long term. Indeed, Dragusin’s positional play was often questioned, along with his ability to function at a top level in Postecogliu’s high line.

Dragusin is not expected to be back in action until the latter part of 2025 but, by then, Spurs could have added Guehi to their ranks after failing with a £70m offer for the England man on deadline day, while January signing Kevin Danso could also have turned his loan switch into a permanent one.

There remains a strong possibility that Real Madrid still move for long-term target Romero this summer but even then, Dragusin could be behind Van de Ven, Guehi, Danso and even Gray in the centre-back pecking order.

At the end of the day, the best ability is availability and Dragusin will be watching on from the sidelines for six months minimum as potential new partnerships take place the heart of the Spurs backline.

Ashley Phillips

This one may be a little left-field but Phillips is highly thought of in some circles in north London and considered a player who could make the breakthrough at Tottenham eventually.

The former Blackburn Rovers star moved to Spurs in the summer of 2023 but has yet to make a Premier League appearance for the club, being loaned out to Plymouth last season and Stoke City this time around.

Phillips has made a strong impression with the Potters, playing 23 times in all competitions and there were some suggestions that Tottenham could have terminated his loan stay, given the defensive injury crisis at the club.

The fact they opted not to take that route, signed Danso and also failed with bids for Guehi and Burnley’s Maxime Esteve does not bode particularly well for Phillips when he returns this summer – whether Postecoglou is still in charge or not.

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Rodrigo Bentancur

This one is based purely on whether or not the Uruguay international can find that form again that made him such an integral member of the side before his ACL injury.

Bentancur was arguably in the form of his life prior to suffering the devastating injury blow against Leicester in February 2023, an issue that saw him sidelined for eight months.

There have been signs that the former Juventus man is slowly getting back to his best form but his lack of pace has often left him exposed in a Tottenham midfield that is so open due to Postecoglou’s attacking approach. Indeed, that was in full evidence again during the rout at Liverpool as the Spurs midfield was over-run.

The 27-year-old will be out of contract next summer and needs a strong finish to the current campaign to convince whoever is the manager next season that is worthy of a regular starting spot – as his talent clearly warrants.

Manor Solomon

The flying winger is currently tearing up the Championship with a Leeds United side who are five points clear at the summit.

How Tottenham could do with his attacking prowess right now, given their injuries in the wide positions to the likes of Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert.

Solomon has scored six goals and added seven assists for Leeds in 25 appearances in total and certainly looks a level above in the Championship.

For their part, the Elland Road outfit would love to sign him permanently but much depends on promotion for a player who remains under contract in north London until the summer of 2028.

Solomon actually started last season brightly for Spurs before suffering a meniscus injury that ended up sidelining him for the rest of the season. He may well feel that he has unfinished business at Tottenham, although it remains to be seen if he gets another chance to show his quality in north London.

Son Heung-min

Potentially controversial this one, given that the Tottenham skipper’s contract was only recently extended until the summer of 2026, but Son is not the same player he once was and the club are clearly looking at the future judging by their recent transfer activity.

If Wilson Odobert has been fit this season, it would have created a nice conundrum Postecoglou in terms of how many starts Son would have actually made.

That lightning pace and lethal finishing ability is no longer fully in evidence, while there is also the feeling that he is being overburdened with the captaincy of the club after seeing the likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris walk away in recent times.

Son remains an absolute legend in N17 and still has his moments, but they are far more fleeting than they used to be and it would not be a massive surprise if he starts to get phased out next season or even moved on in the summer – at the right price.

Richarlison

Perhaps the most obvious of all the names mentioned, although the Brazilian’s workrate and desire has never been questioned – unlike his ability to be a 20-goal-a-season No.9 in the English top flight.

The former Everton man was on a hiding to nothing as soon as he walked through the door to the tune of £60m, becoming a bench warmer for Kane, before being expected to try and replace the club’s all-time leading scorer when he quit in his hunt for silverware.

Richarlison has scored 18 goals in 79 games for Tottenham so far with nine assists. That works out at an average goal involvement every 2.9 games, which is nowhere near good enough for a first-choice striker at a club normally pushing for Champions League football – the current injury-hit campaign aside.

There has been plenty of talk about a potential switch to the Saudi Pro League for the 27-year-old, although in fairness to Richarlison he still believes he can still play at an elite level and that it’s too early in his career to move to the middle east.

If, as expected though, Spurs try and bring in another striker to compete with Dominic Solanke this summer – which could be currently loanee Mathys Tel, if things go well – then there is no doubt Daniel Levy and co. will try and part ways with Richarlison, who suffered yet another injury at Liverpool on Thursday night.

Arsenal have been tipped to complete a remarkable deal to bring Harry Kane back to the Premier League, despite his close links with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Kane is a modern-day Tottenham icon, having scored 280 goals in 435 games for the club between 2011 and 2023. The lethal striker is Tottenham’s record goalscorer, ahead of other legendary figures such as Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith, while he was also on course to beat Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record prior to his switch to Bayern Munich.

After becoming frustrated at Spurs’ lack of silverware, Kane left for Bayern in August 2023 in a deal which could eventually be worth £120million.

The England captain still has not won a senior trophy – Bayer Leverkusen lifted both the Bundesliga title and German Cup last season – though he is on course to break the curse this campaign as Bayern have a six-point lead at the top of the table.

While Kane has been in sensational form for Bayern so far, there has recently been talk about a transfer away from the Allianz Arena.

Indeed, German outlet Bild have reported that Kane’s release clause could fall to £54m.

Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has now talked up the possibility of Kane crossing the North London divide and joining Mikel Arteta’s squad.

“Oh, he will be going to Arsenal then; Arsenal will buy him,” the pundit said with a smile when asked about Kane’s exit clause (via Sky Sports).

“£54m, why not? Sol Campbell did. If he is available, Arsenal need now… If Arsenal have not won the league, you have got to take a chance, buy someone who is proven. I would not be surprised.”

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Kane to choose between Arsenal and Spurs?

Kane would be a sensational addition to the Arsenal attack, given his standing as arguably the best striker in the world.

The German press have suggested that Kane will one day return to the Premier League to surpass Shearer’s record. However, it is hard to see him joining Arsenal as such a move would tarnish his reputation among Spurs fans.

Instead, it is more likely that the 31-year-old will return to Spurs. When selling Kane, chairman Daniel Levy made sure to include a clause which allows Spurs to match any other bids from rival clubs in the future.

Given Spurs are currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, re-signing Kane would give everyone involved with the club a major lift.

Arsenal transfers: Star’s U-turn; winger deal ‘closed’

Meanwhile, Arsenal are reportedly set to miss out on the signing of Kane’s Bayern team-mate Jamal Musiala.

Arsenal has been mentioned as a potential destination for Musiala in case he opts against signing a new deal with Bayern.

But the attacking midfielder has performed a U-turn and is now ready to commit to the German giants, forcing Arsenal to look elsewhere.

While Arsenal are braced for disappointment in that chase, they have a better chance of landing Nico Williams from Athletic Club.

Reports in the Spanish media claim the winger is ‘set to become’ an Arsenal player as the two clubs have ‘practically closed’ a deal over his move.

Williams has a €58m (£48.3m / $60.1m) release clause in his contract, a fee well within Arsenal’s reach.

Tottenham fans were in meltdown on social media after digesting the latest debacle as they watched their side throw away a 1-0 first-leg lead to lose 4-1 to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-finals at Anfield, a result that left some immediately calling for Ange Postecoglou’s head.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk secured Liverpool’s place in the final, where they will look to defend their title against Newcastle at Wembley.

Tottenham players struggled to perform under pressure at Anfield, failing to cope with the intensity of the home side while there was no sign of the so-called ‘Ange-Ball’ as the visitors took a backward step from the off.

The absence of the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke clearly played a part, but there was no excuse for the way the team just completely capitulated under pressure and showed so little fight.

Postecoglou‘s selection was also heavily criticised, especially in midfield, where the trio of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr has shown multiple times this season that it does not work.

The Australian previously stated that he ‘always wins a trophy in his second season’ but that’s one down with two to go now, with a trip to Aston Villa in the FA Cup to come on Sunday.

Some Tottenham fans, however, did not want to see Postecoglou last the night after the shocking result and performance on Merseyside.

Writing on X, Christian Giske: ‘We can’t (unfortunately) sell the whole team except Spence, Bergvall and Gray. We can and should sack Ange TONIGHT. This is unbearable to continue. How did anyone believe in this Ange winning things nonsense??? He is totally clueless.’

Clint added: ‘Ange can’t have a job after tonight. It’s as simple as that. SACK HIM!’.

X user Hans Moelman also stated: ‘The game Ange was supposedly being kept in the job for and he’s delivered this weapons-grade garbage. Sack him.’

Stephen Vincent also added: ‘If we don’t sack him tonight or after we lose to Villa then we need to know what hes got on Levy. Utterly clueless. Stands there with his hands in his pockets shaking his head in disbelief at us conceding another goal, the same one we concede every week when we get sliced open.’

Postecoglou plans ‘not working’

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was equally critical of Postecoglou, but also questioned the club as a whole when it comes to performing in big games.

The Liverpool legend said: “Ange Postecoglou is a manager who is just trying to find something – and what he’s trying is not working.

“It was never in doubt before the game. It’s Tottenham. When did Tottenham ever win a big game? When did Tottenham ever go anywhere and surprise you and win against the odds?

“Whenever Tottenham go into a big game they never believe that they are going to win. Not one of those Tottenham fans tonight would have believed.

“When I look at those three Spurs midfield players, I thought they were a disgrace no matter who the manager is.”

Speaking after the game, Postecoglou told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Liverpool were too good for us tonight. We didn’t get into the game in the way we wanted to. We allowed them to get control of it.

“When they get into a rhythm, we didn’t give ourselves an opportunity to get a foothold in the game.

“We were way too passive in terms of our football with and without the ball. I think it is a lesson there for us. We cannot shy away from the football that we want to play.”

On saying he always wins a trophy in his second season: “We have given up a good opportunity tonight and we cannot shy away from that.

“We were in a good position to get to the final.

“Nobody needs to pick me up, I just need to pick up the players.”

Tottenham players and manager Ange Postecoglou were ripped to shreds by pundits and fans alike after a disastrous Carabao Cup semi-final exit at the hands of a rampant Liverpool, as their nightmare season continues.

Leading 1-0 from the first and giving supporters of the club hope that their first silverware in 17 years was a distinct possibility, Spurs never even put up a fight as they were completely outclassed by a Liverpool team that clearly wanted it more under Arne Slot.

Goals from Cody Gakpo, a Mo Salah penalty, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk consigned the north London outfit to a 4-1 aggregate defeat in a game where they failed to have a single shot on target for the first time ever under Postecoglou.

Richarlison also added to their injury woes as he limped off in the first half, but it was the manner of the defeat that left pundits and fans stunned and the players, along with Postecoglou, being taken to task.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the non-contest, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said: “From Liverpool’s perspective, it was fantastic. The way they got after Tottenham, they suffocated Tottenham, they set such a high tempo, never let them get out, never let them feel comfortable.

“From Tottenham’s perspective, I cannot remember a team in my lifetime go down with less of a fight than they did today.

“Not having one shot on target in a semi-final second leg, when you’re trying to do something, trying to change the course of your history. I feel sorry for those young players.

“I think Djed Spence played 14 different positions tonight, I’ve never seen anything like it.

“These young players, you’re meant to protect them. Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, they’re young men and they’re trying their best.

“But I’d look at the experienced players to lead today and make sure they set the right tempo today. They didn’t do that one bit.

“There have been some lows. Palace, Everton, Ipswich… but when you look at that scoreline, it’s just horrendous.”

Former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson echoed Redknapp’s comments and admitted the performance was especially ‘damaging’ for an already under-pressure Postecoglou.

Dawson said: “Really, really damaging, that performance. I knew it was going to be a tough task. Did I expect it to be like that? No, I thought there would be more of a fight from those players.

“First leg, you come here 1-0 up and it was going to be backs up against the wall.

“They go behind in the first half and they didn’t show any character in possession, out of possession, desire to keep the ball out the back of the net.

“To come here and get beaten 4-0 without a fight, without a shot on target, it’s damaging.”

Tottenham fans vent their fury

Spurs fans were not holding back in their evaluation on the performance and what that might now mean for Postecoglou, despite the ongoing injury crisis.

Writing on reddit, Swag_Daddy_K simply stated: ‘Outcoached. Outclassed. Outworked.’

User anonshgze added: ‘Ange masterclass losing on purpose so he doesn’t get sacked before a league cup final like Mourinho did.’

Another user, Guypar1997 wrote: ‘I’ve been a fan for 10 years, this is the first time I’ve closed my tv before the game was over. I have no words, just sad about the state of the club right now.’

Rigbins added: ‘I wouldn’t have minded losing tonight, considering the circumstances. To be as gutless as that is inexcusable’, while AestheteAndy stated: ‘Dreadful. Thought mateball was meant to be about passion and vibes in these moments, not utter flaccidity and cowardice. Pathetic performance.’

One player in particular came in for plenty of stick, with Bissouma heavily criticised for his role in gifting Liverpool their opening goal and setting them on their way to a rout, while skipper Son Heung-min was also not spared.

User hugeproblemo added: ‘We had a solid game plan and Biss blew it up when he gave the ball away as we were counter-attacking. Maybe this game ends differently if we go into the half 0-0.’

Zyaru also wrote: ‘I’d happily never, ever, EVER see Bissouma put on a Tottenham shirt again.’

RedditTaughtMe2 stated: ‘Son looked defeated. He looked like a man ready to hand in his resignation papers.’

Big_AngeBosstecoglou added: ‘Our senior players let us down tonight. Son, Bissouma, Davies, Bentancur… How can we expect this team to perform when the spine is so weak? Both mentally and physically.’

Tottenham reportedly have ‘priority’ to land Harry Kane if he looks to leave Bayern Munich as a result of a clause included when he left the north London club in 2023.

A bomb was dropped on February 5 that Bayern Munich striker Kane can return to England for a heavily-discounted sum soon. In both January 2025 and 2026, he’d have been able to activate a clause to leave in the summer which follows.

For the coming summer, with the clause not activated, Kane will not be on the move, but if in a year’s time he decided it’s time to go back home, he’ll cost just £54million (€64.6m/$67m).

It’s likely to pique the interest of a number of clubs, but Kane’s former side Tottenham, for whom he bagged 280 goals in 435 games, are at the head of the queue.

Indeed a Telegraph report has revealed how when selling the striker to Bayern in 2023, Spurs included a clause which gives them priority over the re-signing of the superstar.

There is no fixed fee for Tottenham to get a cheaper deal than any rivals would, but they get the first option on him, for the aforementioned price of £54million.

Would Kane still fit at Tottenham?

Given Daniel Levy’s hard negotiation style, it’s not a surprise that he protected the sale of Tottenham’s best player with the knowledge that he could get him back down the line.

It’s a good piece of business, but if Ange Postecoglou is still at the helm when Kane decides to return – which would be more than a year away – it could be questioned whether the striker would still fit the club’s style.

The Australian boss demands aggressive pressing, and Kane is often seen dropping back to try to influence the game rather than always hassling defenders for the ball.

With that said, some Tottenham fans would like to see the striker drop into the No.10 role, something which would clearly fit his style of play, with great distribution skills highlighted by the fact he has over 100 career assists to his name.

Like Wayne Rooney, it seems the natural progression for Kane as he gets older is to move from a deadly striker to a quality provider as his main asset, and that could be how his Tottenham return takes shape.

The current building with youth could potentially put paid to a deal, but fans would surely love to see one of their greatest ever assets back, partially for nostalgia, and especially if they see him break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goals record as a Spurs player.

Tottenham round-up: Leroy Sane eyed

Tottenham are reported to already be in talks to land Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane in the summer.

And despite Johnny Cardoso penning a new Real Betis contract, Spurs are still primed to land him as a result of a priority agreement.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk is aware that Chelsea defender Axel Disasi never had any intention of joining Tottenham, with his move to Aston Villa showing him keep his word after agreeing to join them prior to his deadline day move.

He would have stayed at Stamford Bridge and fought for his place rather than move across London to play for Spurs.

Tottenham are planning to bring Leroy Sane back to the Premier League, with a report claiming that Spurs are already in talks as chairman Daniel Levy plans a smart deal with Bayern Munich’s stance on keeping the winger also being revealed.

Sane has been on the books of Bayern since 2020 when he joined from Manchester City. Described as “an incredible player” by Man City manager Pep Guardiola, the winger has won the Bundesliga title thrice with the Bavarian giants so far and has been an important player for the German club over the years.

The 29-year-old winger, who won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup on three occasions during his time at Man City, is out of contract at Bayern at the end of the season.

According to Fichajes, Tottenham chairman Levy is trying to take advantage of this situation and is looking to bring the winger to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a free agent at the end of the season.

Spurs have emerged as one of the main interested parties in a deal for Sane and are already in talks with the Germany international over a move in the summer of 2025.

Tottenham are looking to strengthen their attack for next season, and signing a player of Sane’s quality and calibre would be a “real coup” for the north London club, according to the report.

Sane knows the Premier League inside out, and having been a huge success at Man City, Tottenham believe that he would make the current team better.

The Germany international has scored seven goals and given two assists in 26 matches in all competitions so far this season, as Bayern sit six at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Bayern Munich’s stance on Leroy Sane

Tottenham’s quest to sign Sane as a free agent in the summer of 2025 could be spoilt by Bayern’s desire to keep the winger.

Fichajes has reported that Bayern want Sane to put pen to paper on a new contract and are concerned that they have not been able to convince him to extend his stay at the Allianz Arena.

The Bavarian giants are also concerned that Sane could leave as a free agent at the end of the season, which would be bad from a business perspective.

Bayern paid Man City £54.8m in transfer fees for Sane when they signed him in the summer of 2020.

Latest Tottenham news: Cardoso hopes, Tel revelation

Sane is not the only player that Tottenham are keen on signing in the summer of 2025.

Reports in Spain have claimed that Tottenham are in pole position for Johnny Cardoso.

Although Cardoso has signed a new contract with his club Real Betis, Spurs are still insistent on bringing the 20-year-old USA international midfielder to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham saw off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United for the signing Mathys Tel in the winter transfer window.

Tel joined Tottenham on loan from Bayern after initially rejecting a move to the north London club.

The young striker has revealed that Wilson Odobert convinced him to move to Spurs.

Tel said: “He told me ‘come, you have to come here. Wilson, he’s my friend, I’ve played with him with the French team, and he said, ‘come, this is a great team, you will see’.

“We are good friends. I come from Paris, him too, and we have a good relationship.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham have been urged to sign Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi.

Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood believes that the 24-year-old England international centre-back would be a good signing for north London club.

Tottenham have officially confirmed the signing of a striker who has set a new transfer record, while his arrival date and expected transfer fee have both been revealed.

Tottenham completed arguably the most eye-catching deal of the winter window when landing Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich. However, the club have officially announced an out-of-window signing that has broken a transfer record.

Via their official website, Spurs confirmed the capture of highly-rated Republic of Ireland striker, Mason Melia.

The 17-year-old has sealed a permanent switch to north London, though his arrival will be delayed until January of 2026. Melia will be 18 years of age at that time and thus eligible to complete the move.

A club statement read: “We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with League of Ireland side St Patrick’s Athletic for the transfer of Mason Melia.

“The 17-year-old forward has agreed a deal that will run until 2031 and will join us in January, 2026.”

And according to two separate sources, the striker’s deal will smash the record for the League of Ireland’s most expensive ever sale.

Taking to X, BBC reporter, Nizaar Kinsella, wrote: “Tottenham’s deal for striker Mason Melia, 17, is expected to be a record transfer out of the League of Ireland – worth in excess of £1million.”

Providing further insight into the finances, the Irish Mirror claimed the initial fee is worth €1.9m / £1.58m. However, there is scope for the deal to ultimately rise to around €4m / £3.33m pending add-ons.

Per the report, those add-ons relate to first-team appearance targets at Spurs along with Melia winning a senior Ireland cap.

Despite his age, Melia has already featured – and scored – for Ireland’s Under-19s. He was subsequently called up to the country’s Under-21s.

Tottenham gush at transfer coup

Tottenham certainly sounded pleased with their coup and with good reason given Melia’s exploits in his home country.

The club’s statement continued: “He set countless records during his first year in senior football – he became St Pats’ youngest-ever player and goalscorer when he netted on his debut against Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup during January of that year, before becoming the League of Ireland Premier Division’s youngest scorer after scoring against UCD six months later.

“In November, 2023, just days after signing his first professional contract, he became the youngest player ever to play in an FAI Cup final when he helped his side defeat Bohemians to lift the trophy.

“A regular in St Pats’ UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying campaign last year, Mason recently became the youngest player ever to be named PFAI Young Player of the Year.

“He has made 54 senior appearances for St Pats in all competitions to date, scoring 10 goals.

“On the international stage, Mason has been a regular in the youth age groups for the Republic of Ireland, representing them at the 2023 European Under-17 Championship finals. He earned his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland Under-21s squad in October, 2024.”

Latest Tottenham news – Mathys Tel…

In other news, and very encouragingly for Tottenham, a German source has claimed the only ‘problem’ Mathys Tel had at Bayern Munich was an inability to displace Harry Kane.

“I think it’s a very good move for all parties,” began Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler.

“The problem for Mathys was that when he came here (to Bayern) a couple of years ago he was so talented, he got time to play, even though he wasn’t always a starter, and the fans were excited about his game, he scored a lot of goals.

“But then in the last half year it didn’t work out that well anymore, so the big problem now is he needs time where he can play. Spurs give that time.

“So I think it’s a very, very good move for everybody despite the [Bayern] fans… they feel sad that he didn’t make it here.

“But I think it’s a lot of money for Bayern Munich for a player who was not a starter at all. I think for both sides it’s a perfect deal.”

Tottenham paid a €10m/£8.3m loan fee to sign Tel for six months, with the terms also containing a €60m option to buy. However, Tel must approve the move before Spurs can activate their option.

Spurs are covering the entirety of Tel’s salary during the initial loan.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly remain in pole position to land midfielder Johnny Cardoso this summer despite a surprising development at his current club Real Betis.

Last summer, Spurs secured a special clause as part of an agreement with Real Betis that saw Giovani Lo Celso return to Los Verdiblancos. That clause was for Cardoso, who has been a standout performer for the LaLiga side since he arrived from Internacional during the 2024 winter transfer window.

The 23-year-old USA international has become a pivotal player for Betis since his arrival, so the clause agreed with Tottenham, which is worth €25m (£21m / $26m), would almost certainly have been inserted begrudgingly – but inserted it was.

A number of other clubs are known to take an interest in Cardoso since then, although a move to north London does still appear to be the most likely outcome if the player does move from Betis.

But, for now, Betis have been making arrangements for Cardoso to stay, and on Tuesday they announced that he had agreed a new five-year contract at the club, which keeps him tied down until the end of the 2029/30 season.

A club statement read: “Real Betis Balompie and Johnny Cardoso have reached an agreement for the extension of the Brazilian midfielder’s contract for one more season. In this way, the American international is linked to the Green and White Club until 2030.”

However, Mundo Deportivo states that Cardoso’s new contract does little to affect his possible departure in the summer, with Tottenham’s clause remaining active.

It’s worth pointing out though that Spurs’ clause is only active for a few weeks during the summer transfer window.

Failure to trigger that clause then would allow Betis to demand as much as they want for the USMNT star, also putting them in a strong position to negotiate with other clubs.

It would certainly be a huge blow for Betis to lose Cardoso at the end of the current campaign, especially after tying him down a new contract.

The defensive midfielder has scored once and added an assist in 25 appearances for Betis in all competitions this season, with the majority of those games playing as a shield in from the back four.

Tottenham expected to trigger Cardoso deal this summer

For their part, it’s expected that Spurs will look to trigger that bargain deal for Cardoso, given his outstanding form in LaLiga and the Europa Conference League this term.

There is a strong possibility that the club will look to offload Yves Bissouma this summer as the former Brighton man continues to struggle to hit the same heights he reached down on the south coast.

The Mali international has been in and out of Ange Postecoglou’s side, while there is every chance that Archie Gray will finally be given the chance to play in his preferred position again once Tottenham’s defensive starters are fully fit again.

Rodrigo Bentancur is another player who has struggled to replicate the same form he was showing before his ACL injury in 2023 and still looks a yard short of pace and lacking a bit of bite to his game.

Talented youngsters Pape Sarr and Lucas Bergvall continue to impress though, so the future for the position is bright – but Cardoso would add some steel in Postecoglou’s engine room, if the Australian is still around next season given Tottenham’s Premier League struggles this term.

Mathys Tel insists Tottenham was ‘the best option’ for him after joining the Premier League club on loan from Bayern Munich, as he also revealed which Spurs star convinced him to move to north London.

The 19-year-old French attacker completed a deadline-day move to Spurs after informing Bundesliga leaders Bayern of his desire to leave in a search for more game time.

The Bundesliga giants spent more than £20million to sign Tel from French club Rennes in 2022, with the forward featuring heavily in his first two campaigns for Bayern.

However, after struggling for game time under Vincent Kompany this term, it became clear that Bayern were willing to offload the player amid interest from the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Tel actually rejected a switch to the white half of north London last week but after talks broke down with United, the teenager then did a U-turn and agreed a loan move to Tottenham which includes an option to buy for £45million in the summer.

And speaking for the first time about his move to the Premier League, Tel told Tottenham’s official website: “Why I chose Tottenham? It was the best option for me. I’m ready to play, I’m here, I’m ready to grow.

“It was the best option for me and now I’m very happy. I felt the commitment, I spoke with the president, the team manager, the coach and as I said, that was very important for me.”

Tel also discussed the possibility of a move to north London with his ‘good friend’ Wilson Odobert, who signed for Spurs last summer from Burnley.

“He told me ‘come, you have to come here’,” Tel revealed. “Wilson, he’s my friend, I’ve played with him with the French team, and he said, ‘come, this is a great team, you will see’.

“We are good friends. I come from Paris, him too, and we have a good relationship.”

Kane, Dier give Tel move the thumbs up

Tel also spoke to Bayern Munich teammates and former Tottenham stars Harry Kane and Eric Dier before agreeing to join Spurs.

“They said, if you want to work here, you have everything. You can enjoy it,” said Tel, who made just eight league appearances for Bayern this season and will wear the No.11 shirt at Spurs.

“That’s good for me, because it’s a good opportunity to work, to learn every day… that’s what they told me.”

Tel joins a Tottenham team sitting a lowly 14th in the Premier League, although they did secure a much-needed win over Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.

He is in line to make his debut on Thursday night when Ange Postecoglou’s side face Liverpool in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, leading the contest 1-0.

Latest Tottenham news: Defensive target ‘better than Romero’ / Tel ‘summer agreement’ in place

Tottenham have been told that they should maintain their pursuit of a top January centre-back target when the summer transfer window comes around, as the heavily linked Premier League star is ‘better’ than Cristian Romero.

Spurs were in the mix to sign one of three new central defenders on deadline day but ended up with none as Axel Disasi ended up at Aston Villa, a bid for Burnley’s Maxime Esteve was turned down and Crystal Palace rebuffed a £70m offer for Marc Guehi.

However, former Tottenham midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood is convinced his old club should continue their pursuit of the Palace man, who he believes is ‘better than Romero’.

Meanwhile, there is an ‘agreement’ between Tottenham and Mathys Tel that gives the player power to veto a summer move to Spurs – even if the club want to activate his option to buy, according to a top source.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told that they should maintain their pursuit of a top January centre-back target when the summer transfer window comes around, as the heavily linked Premier League star is ‘better’ than Cristian Romero.

Spurs ended the winter window by adding defender, Kevin Danso from French outfit Lens over the weekend, after learning that Radu Dragusin’s knee injury is much worse than initially feared.

The Romania international suffered an ACL issue in the Europa League win over Elfsborg last week and, with Romero still not ready to return and the club taking no chances over giving Micky van de Ven too many minutes too soon, that sparked a rather frantic search for another addition on deadline day.

The day started out with Tottenham reportedly ending their pursuit of Chelsea’s Axel Disasi and then switching their focus to Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi.

Indeed, a significant £70million offer was placed for the Eagles star only for it to be completely rebuffed by their Premier League rivals, despite the fact that Guehi will be out of contract in the summer of 2026.

That rejection then saw a U-turn as Spurs pushed for Disasi again before changing their minds again and then failing with a £20m offer for highly-rated Burnley central defender Maxime Esteve.

But with reports that they are likely to renew their interest in Guehi in the summer, when that price point should drop as his contract starts to run down, Tottenham have been told that the Palace man would be a better option alongside Van de Ven than Romero.

Speaking about Spurs’ efforts to land Guehi on deadline day, former Tottenham midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood told Sky Sports News that the Englishman l is “one of the best centre-backs they can get” and that he is “better than (Cristian) Romero”.

Sherwood, speaking after hearing news of the Guehi offer, said: “If you’re going to try and get Marc Guehi now, you are going to pay over the odds. I think he is worth paying over the odds.

“The two best centre-backs Tottenham have at the club are Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven. And unless you can go and get somebody better than them two there’s no point of bringing a body in for the sake of it because at the end of February they’re both gonna be fit and come back into the side.

“With Marc Guehi he is better than Romero in my opinion but he’s not better than Van de Ven, they are completely different but he will be one of the best centre-backs they can get.”

Guehi chase not over yet

Snapping up Guehi in the winter window was always going to be a near-impossible task, given that the Palace skipper had not been pushing for an exit.

However, that stance is expected to change in the summer, when multiple clubs are expected to push for a top international defeender with just a year remaining on his contract.

Newcastle wanted Guehi over the summer and failed with late offers for the 24-year-old, while Liverpool have also had a firm interest in the past.

But, given Romero’s continued links to Real Madrid, there is a strong possibility that the Argentine heads to LaLiga come the end of this season – a move that would then create an opening for Tottenham to make their move for Guehi again.

Latest Tottenham news: German view on Tel deal emerges / Spurs signing exclusive

The view from Germany on the transfer that took Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich to Tottenham has emerged.

Tottenham pulled off one of the most eye-catching moves of the winter window on deadline day when signing 19-year-old striker, Mathys Tel, in a move that was on and off over the course of a week.

The end result was Spurs signed Tel on a six-month loan that contains an option to buy. Sources have diverged on whether the option is worth €55m or €60m, though what is confirmed is the option is in place.

Sky Germany later clarified Tottenham must get Tel’s approval before they can activate that clause in the summer. In other words, Tottenham cannot turn the loan deal permanent if Tel doesn’t want to stay.

But according to a fresh update from Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler, Tottenham will satisfy Tel’s demand for regular game-time and the deal will be a win-win for all involved.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have secured the signing of promising teenage striker Phoenix Offiah with his father and rugby legend, Martin Offiah, telling TEAMtalk exactly what Ange Postecoglou’s side can expect from the 15-year-old.