Football365

According to reports, Spurs are ‘considering an SOS call’ to Sean Dyche as head coach Igor Tudor is set to leave by ‘mutual consent’.

Tudor has only had seven games in charge of Spurs, but he has lost five of these matches and is reportedly set to leave the north London club.

The former Juventus and Marseille boss has failed to ease Tottenham‘s relegation fears, with the club only sitting a point and a place above the bottom three after last weekend’s demoralising 3-0 loss to rivals Nottingham Forest.

This makes Tudor’s position untenable and, a report this week from our colleagues at TEAMtalk revealed that it has been decided that he will leave Spurs by ‘mutual consent’ during the international break.

Now, Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke is reporting that Tudor is ‘set to leave Spurs by mutual consent within days’ and they are ‘accelerating plans’ to replace him.

READ: Who will be Spurs manager next season? Pochettino drifting as drop threat rises

O’Rourke explained: “It does look like it’s inevitable that Tudor will lose his job during the international break.

“Maybe not ‘sacked’ necessarily, I think there’ll be a mutual consent agreement that it hasn’t worked out for either party.

“They’ve just won one of his seven games in charge and are one point above the relegation zone.

“So he hasn’t had the desired effect that Tottenham thought he would do when they brought him in as an interim manager until the end of the season.”

Spurs have been linked with several potential replacements for Tudor, including Adi Hutter and Chris Hughton, but The Telegraph are reporting that former Marseille and Brighton manager Robert De Zerbi is their ‘first choice’.

De Zerbi is out of work after leaving Marseille earlier this year, but it has been widely reported that a sticking point with this potential appointment is that he is unwilling to return to management before this summer.

This is also reported by The Telegraph, which claims Spurs are ‘considering an SOS call’ to Dyche and this could be made as long as De Zerbi ‘continues to hold out’ until the summer.

However, the same report claims Dyche may also need some convincing, with it noted that he is currently against the idea of purely being an interim replacement for Tudor.

Alternatively, Spurs could turn to beloved former boss Harry Redknapp and Stuart Pearce thinks that would be a great idea.

“I think it will be an interim situation. If I was Spurs, I wouldn’t be looking to put anyone in full time. The way they’re looking right now, it will be panic stations,” Pearce told Betway.

“There’s no doubt a lot of money gets lost if you drop out this division and a lot of rebuilding would need doing. They need to bring someone through the door on a short-term basis.

“As bizarre as it sounds, someone like Harry Redknapp who knows the club would give the fans a lift. He’s got the charisma and the personality to lift that dressing room over a short period of time.”

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Kasey Keller reckons Spurs could convince USA boss Mauricio Pochettino “to quit the World Cup right now”.

Our friends at TEAMtalk confirmed on Tuesday that Tudor is expected to leave Tottenham ‘by mutual consent’ after their 3-0 defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

The report added: ‘Sources indicate that Tudor himself is ready to step away following the recent death of his father, Mario, and it is believed both parties have now aligned on a mutual parting of the ways.’

Tudor got off to the worst possible start by losing his first four matches in charge before a draw at Liverpool and a win over Atletico Madrid gave him a glimmer of hope.

However, their embarrassing loss at home to Nottingham Forest has given the club little choice and the decision for the Croatian to step away suits all parties.

And now Keller reckons Tottenham manager target Pochettino will definitely leave the USA national team after the World Cup but thinks Spurs could persuade him to move before then.

READ: Arsenal star ‘called out’ as Spurs handed ‘huge boost’ and World Cup ‘nightmare’ emerges

Former Tottenham and USA goalkeeper Keller told Jackpot City Casino: “I definitely see him quitting after the World Cup. With Tottenham Hotspur, the problem, I think, is if they could entice Pochettino to quit the World Cup right now, and I could see that happening.

“I think they may try to hold on, but I don’t think they can. I don’t think they can continue down the path right now without hiring somebody and have the unthinkable happen.

“Timing is so important, I think if Spurs could get a couple of wins in the next couple of matches, obviously the Forest match what a disaster.

“Then you think hold off, wait until after the World Cup and then have conversations. I think Spurs need to make a real serious move right now or the unthinkable is possible.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* Spurs tipped to ‘settle on’ alternative Tudor successor; ‘top target’ told to ‘face the hard times’

* Tottenham warned No 1 manager target would be ‘huge mistake’ as far superior coach named

* Who will be Spurs manager next season? Pochettino drifting as drop threat rises

Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi are the two main targets for Tottenham as they look for a permanent manager.

Romano said: “Guys, let me tell you, I told you, I think several times here on the channel, Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino – these are the two main names for Tottenham Hotspur permanent job in the summer. So, this remains the situation – De Zerbi and Pochettino.

“Obviously, De Zerbi could be easier because he’s available, so he can have conversations now, while Pochettino is fully focused on the US men national team for the World Cup, so that’s the situation, but, for sure, Roberto De Zerbi is a big name to consider for Tottenham.

“What’s needed is Tottenham to stay in the Premier League because if they go down to the Championship, obviously, it’s going to be a completely different situation.

“But Roberto De Zerbi, for sure, is a candidate for Tottenham job. That’s not new. He is a strong candidate for Tottenham job in the summer, not now.

“Now De Zerbi is not going to Tottenham. He’s an eventual topic for the summer if they stay in the Premier League.

“That’s what I always told you, and that’s what remains the situation as of today.”

We’re deep into pure interlull wasteland now, with outrageous headline mischief, over-egged puddings and the classic trick of pretending information available to all in December is now somehow new.

But there’s domestic as well as international guff still.

There’s a ‘huge boost’ for Tottenham, for instance, as well as details of Liverpool’s star-based approach to replacing Mo Salah.

To the Viktor the spoils

Pure, unfiltered sh*thouse headline antics from the Daily Mirror here, to the extent that we are almost impressed at the total disregard for their readers and indeed the very idea that words mean anything at all.

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres called out by opposition boss on international duty

Now, ‘called out’ can mean different things in different contexts, sure. But unless Gyokeres has a sideline as an emergency plumber and an opposition boss has a flooded basement, we’re pretty confident which one the Mirror are using here.

It’s the negative one, isn’t it? As the Cambridge Dictionary defines its use in this context:

A public criticism that draws people’s attention to something bad about what another person or an organisation has said or done

That’s exactly what it means. We know you know this, but it’s important. We also know that the Mirror headline bod who concocted it knows what it means and thus knows precisely what they’ve done here.

For how, in fact, did Ukraine manager Serhiy Rebrov ‘call out’ Gyokeres after his hat-trick for Sweden knocked Ukraine out of World Cup contention?

‘He showed his quality and proved he’s one of the best strikers in Europe.’

Here we go again, everyone. Another front opens in the – obviously doomed – Mediawatch campaign for what should be the uncontroversial thought that words have meanings and that this is a useful and worthwhile concept to protect.

We’re also slightly surprised and – we’ll say it – a little bit disappointed that the Mirror missed the chance for even more mischief in that headline by replacing ‘opposition boss’ with ‘Spurs icon’.

This is the one thing WE did’nt WANT to HAPPEN

More pure mischief here, from The Sun this time, which were it again only about football tish and soccer fipsy we might let slide. But when it also comes across as unrelentingly gleeful about actual war, we’re not quite so forgiving.

USA projected to play Iran in most highly charged World Cup match ever as Fifa face worst nightmare

Let’s see where this goes.

USA and Iran are on a collision course to play at the World Cup as Fifa prepare for a highly charged meeting.

One way of putting it, yes.

Tournament qualifiers this week have provided a clearer picture of what the group stage will finally look like come the summer, and it sets up a potentially fiery clash between two nations at WAR.

Do you really have to be quite so gleefully Day Today about a war, gents? Let’s save the bold block caps for the usual important stuff, like how many hours after a disappointing home defeat an underperforming player has been caught smiling rather than self-flaggelating.

But let’s also call out the guff of the whole story here. Because the idea that USA v Iran is any likelier now than it was as soon as the draw was made is… a stretch.

Sure, the play-offs currently taking place are clearing the picture, and one of the play-off winners will end up in USA’s group. The likelihood now, as before a ball in those play-offs was kicked, is that it will be Turkey.

Which The Sun are using to pretend any of the following is meaningfully new information:

Initial simulations by Football Meets Data – based on Turkey being the final nation in USA’s group – have America progressing from the group stage as runners up.

Iran already know all of their opponents – they will face Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand in Group G – and projections have them finishing runners-up too.

Should both teams finish as runners up then they would go head-to-head in Dallas on July 3.

That’s all true. But that’s all been true ever since the draw was made in December.

Turkey being even more likely to qualify than they were before this week really is neither here nor there when it comes to assessing the overall chances of USA finishing second in their group – especially in terms of the projections of what is, let’s call it by its accepted tabloid name, a supercomputer.

USA finishing second in their group is and always would be a reasonably likely outcome whether it had been Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo who qualified and joined Mauricio Pochettino’s side, Paraguay and Australia in Group D this summer.

If anything, the chance of USA and Iran meeting is far lower now than it was in December, with Iran’s participation in the tournament at all very far from certain. You know, because of the WAR.

Seconds out

This might be our favourite edition yet of the Missing Words Round, thanks to The Sun.

England’s biggest fan reveals he’s selling his house to fund seven-week World Cup bonanza

Now we won’t deny there’s a human-interest story here in the tale of ‘England superfan’ Andy Milne and his upcoming seven-week odyssey at what will be his 10th World Cup following England around the globe.

But accuracy still matters, and both that headline and the intro alas had no room for one six-letter word that changes things quite significantly.

ENGLAND superfan Andy Milne has revealed he will sell his house to fund his trip to the World Cup this summer.

That detail eventually, grudgingly, emerges eight paragraphs later.

He has decided to put his second home in Northwich, Cheshire, on the market for £350,000 to help pay for his trip.

There is a pretty clear difference between the implication of ‘sells his house’ and the actual reality of ‘sells the second house he’s kept on as a rental property while living in Thailand’.

He’s not leaving himself out on the streets for the rest of his days just so he can follow England all the way to a limp quarter-final exit against Brazil.

Boost

Elite and indeed top-tier interlull content from football.london here with some timely good news for the world’s most beleaguered football club.

Tottenham could be given huge Premier League relegation battle boost thanks to FA rules

You may want to sit down, dear reader, for we are about to say something that may shock and alarm you. There is no huge Premier League relegation battle boost here for Spurs. What there is, is an expertly crafted bit of pure headline housery.

The main part of that headline is just your classic over-egging. Words like ‘huge’ and ‘boost’ are textbook headline words of long-standing to make the mundane and humdrum seem vital and exciting.

What elevates this are the final four intriguing words: ‘thanks to FA rules’

They know exactly what they’re up to there. Exactly what vibe that suddenly gives the whole headline. There’s intrigue and mystery here. A clear sense of something maybe involving a loophole being exploited or better yet a conspiracy. What are these opaque ‘FA rules’ that are about to hand the biggest club to be in relegation trouble for a generation a ‘huge boost’?

They are the suspension rules.

And it gets better/worse. It’s not even about how the suspension rules directly affect Spurs. It’s about how they affect Brighton.

Brighton could be without a key player when they face Tottenham Hotspur after the international break.

There’s that ‘could’ again.

Next month, Igor Tudor’s side will host the Seagulls as they continue their quest for Premier League survival.

Optimistic. Both in terms of the phrase ‘Igor Tudor’s side’ and the very idea that Spurs are currently even involved in a quest for survival. They don’t look like they’re on a quest. Not for survival, at any rate.

But that’s not the point. The point is that Diego Gomez has nine bookings this season. So if he gets booked against Burnley on April 11, he’ll be suspended for Brighton’s trip to Spurs the following weekend.

Now Diego Gomez is a damn fine young player. But we think it’s going to need a bit more than a 22-year-old midfielder possibly but probably not being suspended for one game over three weeks away to qualify as a ‘huge Premier League relegation battle boost’ for the team with the worst home record in the division.

Yes, these are desperate times for Spurs. But that doesn’t excuse resorting to desperate headline measures.

Look at the stars

How do Liverpool replace Mo Salah? With stars, according to the Daily Mirror.

THE MO, THE MERRIER! Liverpool want TWO major signings as part of Salah replacement plan including £52m star and Premier League star

Honestly, the repetitive lengths people will go to just to stop us being able to bring back Acewatch.

Tottenham Hotspur have been told hiring Adi Hutter as a replacement for Igor Tudor would be the wrong decision, with an observer suggesting they bring forward a move for Roberto De Zerbi.

Tudor is poised to leave Tottenham by mutual consent, having picked up just one point from five Premier League games. The interim head coach is ready to step away from the job following the death of his father.

Spurs are hoping to find a new interim boss who can steer them clear of relegation in the final seven matches of the campaign, before hiring an elite long-term option in the summer.

Austrian coach Hutter has emerged as the frontrunner to take the Spurs job on a temporary basis. Our friends at TEAMtalk revealed on Wednesday that Spurs have contacted Hutter, with subsequent reports in France claiming concrete talks between the two parties are underway.

However, former Everton and Aston Villa chief Keith Wyness has urged the club to try and convince De Zerbi on an early move instead.

“Now we’ve heard all the silly Harry Redknapp ideas which I’ve got to dismiss,” Wyness told Football Insider.

READ: Ranking replacements for the 25 best forwards in Premier League history

“Chris Hughton is one that’s been linked very heavily, as has Robbie Keane who also wants a longer-term position, and a weird left-field one of a guy called Adi Hutter coming in from Monaco.

“I don’t pay any credence to that, and that would be a huge mistake if they were to go down that route.

“But then again, Spurs have made some big mistakes, so let’s not discount that. There’s some possibilities, anything could happen.

“So they’re in a difficult position, but if I was them I’d be getting Roberto De Zerbi and coming to some sort of solution.

“If he keeps them up then he gets an extra two or three years, and if they go down then they find some way to do a break clause in some description.

“Unless he wants to do it in the Championship, which I doubt he will.”

De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are two of the prime contenders to manage Spurs next season.

But the duo are not keen on moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium immediately and would rather wait until the summer, when there will be clarity over Spurs’ situation, plus more time to get their ideas across on the training ground.

In addition to Hughton and Keane, Spurs are considering reuniting with either Ryan Mason or Tim Sherwood as potential short-term options.

Club chiefs appear to be split over which direction to go in. Hutter, like Tudor, has no experience managing in the Premier League, which makes such a move a big risk.

But Hutter does have decent pedigree following successful spells in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Other officials are clearly wary of appointing Hutter and want the club to land someone who knows the club well, such as Keane, Hughton, Sherwood or Mason.

Keane in particular would immediately get the fans on board. The former striker has developed a great reputation while in charge of Ferencvaros, too.

However, as Wyness points out, Keane wants a long-term contract, a demand Spurs are currently unwilling to meet.

Spurs have been tipped to ‘settle on’ an alternative replacement for head coach Igor Tudor as there is an issue with their ‘top target’.

Earlier this week, our colleagues at TEAMtalk reported that an agreement had been reached over Tudor’s exit by ‘mutual consent’.

Tottenham‘s situation has worsened under Igor Tudor, who has lost five of his seven games in charge as they sit 17th in the Premier League and only one point clear of the relegation zone.

Tudor’s position is untenable after Tottenham’s 3-0 loss to relegation rivals before the international break and they have been linked with several potential replacements.

This includes Adi Hutter and Chris Hughton, though it has been reported that former Marseille and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is their ‘top target’.

READ: Who will be Spurs manager next season? Pochettino drifting as drop threat rises

However, a report from Football Insider claims ‘negotiations have hit a stumbling block’, with De Zerbi seemingly unwilling to join Spurs while they are in a relegation battle.

And former Premier League CEO Keith Wyness has told the outlet that De Zerbi should demand a “break clause” and join the club now.

“I think he is, and I think he would be the one that I would want to bring in but he’s saying right now that he doesn’t want to come in until he’s got a long-term position,” Wyness told Football Insider.

“If I was him, I’d come in right now and there could be a break clause in some description if they go down. I think if you’re a manager who’s not prepared to come in at a difficult time, then you’re probably not the manager that you want long-term.

“And so I would say, look, I’m sorry, you can’t pick and choose. You either come in now and help us and show straight away that you can move up and down the gears and face the hard times, and then you’ve earned the chance to go forward.

“It looks as though there may well be a short-term manager though.”

Instead of De Zerbi, Wyness has also told Football Insider that he thinks they are to ‘settle on’ Sean Dyche and ‘work is underway to hire Tudor’s replacement’.

“They’ll be working on it (hiring a new manager), of course, but I think if I was there, I’d be trying to get someone with hands-on experience of the Premier League in there rather than bringing anybody else in, which I think maybe Tudor was a slight mistake,” Wyness added.

“I’d have gone for a Premier League experience and, therefore, it leads us to the question, is Sean Dyche going to come back and do that job for them again? I think he may well be the option that they settle on.”

Spurs have reportedly ‘formally contacted’ their ‘top target’ to replace current head coach Igor Tudor, whose exit has been agreed.

Tudor is only seven games into his Spurs reign, but it is already being widely reported that he will leave the north London club during this international break.

Spurs have lost five of their last seven matches as they have exited the Champions League and fallen to 17th in the Premier League. They are now only one point clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

Following Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, our colleagues at TEAMtalk have reported that Spurs and Tudor have ‘mutually agreed’ on his exit.

It has subsequently emerged that former AS Monaco boss Adi Hutter is a leading contender to replace Tudor until the end of this season.

READ: Arsenal bottle the lot, Spurs relegated, Liverpool glory: The 10 best/funniest outcomes this season

A report on Wednesday morning claimed there have been ‘no talks’ between Hutter and Spurs, but this has now changed.

According to TEAMtalk journalist Fraser Fletcher, Spurs have now ‘opened formal contact’ with Hutter over replacing Tudor and he is their ‘top target’.

Spurs are said to be ‘preparing’ for a managerial change during this international break, with Hutter said to be ‘interested’ in replacing Tudor.

The report adds: ‘While sources suggest discussions remain at an early stage rather than full negotiations, the Austrian is said to be open to the challenge of helping Tottenham avoid the drop.

‘Whether any appointment would serve as a short-term rescue mission or extend into next season remains unclear, especially if the club suffers the ignominy of relegation. However, it’s expected to be a short term appointment before the club makes a decision in the summer.’

Fabrizio Romano is yet to confirm that Tudor will leave Spurs within the next few days, but he has named two potential replacements as he won’t stay beyond this season.

“In terms of names appreciated by Tottenham, I wanted to bring to the table, as an exclusive update tonight, the name of Marco Silva,” Romano said.

“Fulham manager Marco Silva has a release clause in his contract, and is a name being mentioned internally at Tottenham in recent days.

“Marco Silva did a very good job at Fulham in recent years, has been on the Tottenham list before Thomas Frank last summer. Now Marco Silva has been discussed again internally at Tottenham.

“Lets see with De Zerbi, with Silva, what they decide to do with his job for present and especially for future because with Tudor, lets see what happens now, but for sure he’s not staying beyond this season, even if Tottenham don’t get relegated.”

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has issued his thoughts on his former side’s fight to avoid Premier League relegation.

Postecoglou has certainly contributed to Tottenham’s issues, having been sacked at the end of last season, despite winning the Europa League, following a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.

The former Celtic and Nottm Forest boss provided Spurs with a lot of entertainment, but his reign was chaotic, and Thomas Frank was brought in as his replacement to steady the ship.

However, this has not worked out as Tottenham’s situation worsened under Frank and his successor, Igor Tudor, is currently doing a poor job of easing their relegation fears.

Following Tottenham’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, the north London club are only a point clear of the relegation zone and they have reportedly decided to part ways with Tudor by ‘mutual consent’.

READ: ‘No talks’ with Hutter as De Zerbi is ruled out of Tottenham running after Tudor agrees to leave

It remains to be seen who will replace Tudor, but Postecoglou thinks his former side are in one “hell of a fight” and “need a circuit-breaker”.

“Not great, I still have a really strong attachment to the club,” Postecoglou said on SEN 116 when asked about Tottenham’s situation.

“It was two years and they were by no means easy years, but we invested a lot into them.

“Second last game we won a European trophy which was an incredible high. The connection there will be there forever. To watch them struggle has not been easy and it’s not the way I thought it would go.

“They’re in a hell of a fight, relegation is massive for any club but for Tottenham, it’s a pretty big deal.

“They have some fighting to do and they have the quality to get out. They need a circuit-breaker for sure.”

Postecoglou has also admitted that he found it “uncomfortable” to watch Spurs lose to Forest.

“I did watch it – I’m still very much invested – particularly in Spurs because of the players and some of the staff there,” Postecoglou added.

“We had two years together, you always have that attachment. If you had have told me in May last year that this would be the scenario of watching two teams I have managed in the last calendar year I would have said ‘no that’s beyond the realms of possibility’.

“I tuned in and I watched. It was an uncomfortable watch, I didn’t enjoy it that’s for sure.”

There are updates on the possibility of Roberto De Zerbi or Adi Hutter taking over from Igor Tudor, who is set to leave Tottenham by mutual consent.

Our friends at TEAMtalk confirmed on Tuesday that Tudor is expected to leave Tottenham ‘by mutual consent’ after their 3-0 defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest over the weekend.

The report added: ‘Sources indicate that Tudor himself is ready to step away following the recent death of his father, Mario, and it is believed both parties have now aligned on a mutual parting of the ways.’

Tudor got off to the worst possible start by losing his first four matches in charge before a draw at Liverpool and a win over Atletico Madrid gave him a glimmer of hope.

However, their embarrassing loss at home to Nottingham Forest has given the club little choice and the decision for the Croatian to step away suits all parties.

Former Marseille and Brighton boss De Zerbi had been mooted as a potential replacement for Tudor but Gianluca Di Marzio has revealed that that the Italian has no interest in taking over this season.

READ: Who will be Spurs manager next season? ‘Dark horse’ joins Pochettino on list

Italian journalist Di Marzio said: ‘Roberto De Zerbi won’t be returning to the helm immediately, as he intends to stay afloat, at least for this season. Following his split with Marseille, with whom he reached a mutually agreed termination on February 11, rumors swirled about his future, particularly the possibility of taking over at Tottenham Hotspur .

‘For now, however, the coach prefers to wait and calmly evaluate his options at the end of the season. This isn’t a specific rejection of the English club, as other teams have also been interested in him since he was left without a job. His is a confident decision, unrelated to the type of offers he’s received or the clubs that have contacted him. We won’t see him back at work until next season.

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* Arsenal bottle the lot, Spurs relegated, Liverpool glory: The 10 best/funniest outcomes this season

* Southgate, Vieira, Terry among interim PL managers after Carrick if rest of Big Eight copy Man Utd

* Spurs choose ‘top target’ to replace Tudor as appointment hinges on one condition with exit agreed

‘After winning the Europa League last season, Tottenham are having another very difficult season in the league, where they sit in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone. The London club, not surprisingly, had already tried to convince De Zerbi after the dismissal of Thomas Frank. The difficulties didn’t end with the arrival of Tudor, so here’s a second attempt. But the Italian coach has already decided he won’t return to the bench this season, and the reason for his refusal lies in this conviction.’

Former Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Adi Hutter has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham as interim boss, while there have been claims that Spurs have opened talks.

However, Sky Sport Germany insist that there have been “no concrete talks” between the Austrian and the Premier League club.

The report claims: ‘Contrary to reports in the English media, Sky Sport has stated that there have been no concrete talks between Hütter and Tottenham.’

Xavi Simons has been no stranger to criticism since his transfer from RB Leipzig to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. Many believe he has failed to justify his £50million price tag, and the Dutchman has shouldered a considerable portion of blame as Spurs find themselves in a relegation battle.

Tottenham’s injury crisis is well-documented and the club deserves some sympathy for the attacking threat they have lost which largely explains their predicament.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Spurs’ primary creators last season, are yet to play a competitive match in 2025/26. Without their influence, Tottenham lack the difference-makers who can unlock defences; Xavi Simons has become the closest replacement for his injured comrades.

But since Igor Tudor’s short-lived appointment, Simons has struggled to maintain a starting berth. In Tottenham’s latest defeat to Nottingham Forest, Simons only came on once Spurs were 2-0 down. But when Tudor’s side have struggled to unlock stubborn defences like Forest’s, Simons has shown that he could provide the spark often missing.

Simons has registered four assists in the Premier League. While not spectacular, it is unmatched within the Spurs ranks. He also leads in Big Chances created, and is second only to Pedro Porro in overall chances created. His three Champions League goals place him as the team’s second highest scorer. It’s a low bar but he is at least stumbling over it.

The most prominent questions have surrounded his lack of physicality, but a number of Premier League legends faced similar scrutiny in their first seasons. Eden Hazard, Luka Modric, Robert Pires, David Silva and Dennis Bergkamp all struggled with the increased physicality to varying degrees. Simons’ best performances for Spurs have come in Europe, highlighted by his display against Atletico Madrid. Prior examples suggest that, with time, such form will translate domestically.

At 22, Simons remains far from his peak. Tottenham have banked on prospects before and found success. Dele Alli and Gareth Bale are just two of the countless examples they will look towards when assessing Simons’ progress. Meanwhile talented teammates such as Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall will help Spurs grow as a collective.

Simons is being judged as a luxury player in a team currently unable to support one. Without the injuries and managerial instability, he will be provided with a much sturdier platform to build from next season. If he is still at Tottenham, of course; he ‘wants’ a return to Barcelona.

With Tottenham’s current situation, his contributions will become increasingly valuable as the season draws to a close. Spurs have not been relegated since 1977, and if Simons is trusted to be the chief creator, much of the responsibility will fall on him to ensure survival. Relegation would have undeniable financial consequences on the club.

The return on Tottenham’s investment has not been immediate, but if Simons can help save Tottenham, £50million will be a bargain.

According to reports, Spurs have identified Roberto De Zerbi as their ‘top target’ to replace Igor Tudor, whose exit has been agreed.

Former Juventus, Lazio and Marseille boss Tudor was drafted in to replace Thomas Frank at Spurs, having been tasked with guiding the north London side to Premier League safety.

However, Spurs have arguably been worse under Tudor than during Frank’s tenure. The club have lost five of their last seven matches across all competitions.

Under Tudor, Spurs have exited the Champions League and their Premier League relegation fears have increased.

They hit a new low at the weekend as they lost 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest in a relegation six-pointer. This leaves them 17th in the Premier League and only one point clear of the bottom three with seven games remaining.

READ: Arsenal bottle the lot, Spurs relegated, Liverpool glory: The 10 best/funniest outcomes this season

Tudor was informed shortly following the loss to Forest that his brother, Mario, had sadly passed away, and our friends at TEAMtalk revealed on Tuesday morning that his exit from Spurs by ‘mutual consent’ is agreed.

The report added: ‘Sources indicate that Tudor himself is ready to step away following the recent death of his father, Mario, and it is believed both parties have now aligned on a mutual parting of the ways.’

The same report named Adi Hutter and Chris Hughton as targets to replace Tudor, with Football Insider also reporting that Spurs are ‘set to sack’ their current boss.

The report from Football Insider claims Tudor’s exit is expected ‘within the next 24 to 48 hours’, with former Marseille and Brighton manager De Zerbi chosen as their ‘top target’ to be their next boss.

The report adds:

‘Roberto De Zerbi has been identified as the Lilywhites’ top target to replace the outgoing interim boss, provided that the club can convince him to take the job immediately, rather than at the end of the season.

‘Tudor has been facing significant pressure in North London in recent weeks, but sources have now indicated that the board have decided that last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest was the final straw.’

Club legend Mauricio Pochettino has been mooted as an alternative to De Zerbi and the current United States boss has now admitted that he “misses” English football.

“I miss the football scene in England. I love the country, its culture, the football culture,” Pochettino told L’Equipe.

“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their limits, it’s the ideal place. Here, you have to give your best constantly.”

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He added: “Not just Tottenham, other very big clubs too.

“When that six-month season ended [in 2021], there was a bit of… Well, with this whole COVID situation, the situation at the club created instability. In every area.

“There was a period of change, uncomfortable situations, situations that… didn’t give the impression that it was possible to work in a stable environment, like the one we have today.

“I enjoyed my experience at PSG. But I had other options, which I shared with the club, but they chose not to listen to any of them.”