The Mirror

PLUS: The future of Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga, enjoying an impressive loan spell at Bournemouth, is also in question with the Spaniard's future set to be decided

Atletico Madrid are keen to push through a deal for Cristian Romero before the Club World Cup. Diego Simeone's side have made the Tottenham centre-back their top defensive target and they hope to lure the 26-year-old to the Spanish capital for under £45million.

In Madrid, there is growing confidence that the World Cup winner would be keen to move to the Wanda Metropolitano after spending almost four seasons in N17. Atletico are planning to sign two central defenders this summer and have also shortlisted Valencia's Cristhian Mosquera alongside Romero.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Axel Witsel and Reinildo Mandava are all out of contract at the end of June while loanee Clement Lenglet is due to return to Barcelona.

At this moment in time, all are doubts to feature at the Club World Cup and could leave Atletico prematurely during the "exceptional registration window" introduced by FIFA between June 1 and June 10.

Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentacur is another player on Simeone's radar but Tottenham's transfer plans are expected to hinge on who is in the dugout next season.

Cherries eye Kepa alternative

Bournemouth chief Tiago Pinto is tracking Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye in case the Cherries fail to land loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga on a permanent basis.

Andoni Iraola's side are set to discuss a deal for the Spaniard with Chelsea at the end of the season. Arrizabalaga recently revealed discussions with his parent club over his future are set to take place "in the coming weeks".

But Bournemouth already have contingency plans in place and they have heavily scouted Udinese's Nigerian international shot-stopper Maduka Okoye as one potential alternative option. Okoye was previously on the books of Watford but made just two cup appearances for the Hornets before departing Vicarage Road in 2023.

Kepa, who is also attracting interest from Europe and the Middle East, penned a one-year contract extension with Chelsea last summer before moving to the Vitality Stadium, however, he is still expected to be available for a cut-price.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto is set to return to the South Coast this summer following his season-long loan spell at Arsenal.

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Guglielmo Vicario serenaded Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after their heroic Europa League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night

Guglielmo Vicario insists Tottenham are a team reborn after eliminating Eintracht Frankfurt on their own patch. The Italian goalkeeper made five stops to keep the Bundesliga outfit - previously undefeated in 11 European home matches - at bay in Germany as Dominic Solanke's decisive penalty fired Spurs into the Europa League semi-finals.

And even though Ange Postecoglou's side have lost a whopping 21 games in all competitions this season, Vicario claims the game-changing victory has given the group confidence they can go the distance and end the club's 17-year wait for silverware.

He said ahead of Monday's visit of Nottingham Forest: “Everyone has suffered a lot this season. It’s been a very tough one but now we are still alive and we want to fight for something special. It’s an important achievement.

"The job is not done but it’s a big win for Tottenham Hotspur, for everyone, for the boss, for us players, for the staff, for the fans. So we are very proud of what we showed tonight."

Passionate shot-stopper Vicario immediately sprinted to the touchline to jump on Postecoglou and his coaching staff after Spurs survived the final waves of Eintracht attacks

It's no secret Big Ange would have been on the brink if Tottenham had failed to reign supreme but with Bodo/Glimt - the first ever Norwegian side to reach the semi-finals of a European competition - now on the horizon, Spurs have every chance of reaching the final in Bilbao.

Vicario, however, insists Postecoglou's joyous stars won't get ahead of themselves because they have faced persistent setbacks all season.

When asked if their gutsy triumph at Deutsche Bank Park has raised confidence levels, the vocal 28-year-old leader replied: “Yeah, of course, we know we are going to face another tough opponent in the semi-final.

"We know when you arrive at this stage of the competition that every game will be tough. But we will fight for sure because tonight we showed that we have the capacity to do that. For us it’s very important to be through. It’s a big night.

"Now we want to live this moment altogether because it’s been a very suffering season.”

Given error-strewn, sloppy Spurs stuttered at Galatasaray and Rangers amid deafening noise earlier in the competition, sceptics had predicted them to freeze in Frankfurt. Vicario is adamant Tottenham have now proven they can handle the heat of a volatile atmosphere after Frankfurt's ferocious ultras appeared to spur them on at Waldstadion.

He continued: “Yeah. It’s just a perception. But we know what we are capable of when we are really tuned in, when we work hard as a team like we showed tonight. The achievement in both legs has been very, very deserved from what we showed at our home ground and tonight with the resilience, the desire to fight.

"We got the job done and it’s a fully deserved semi-final of a big European competition."

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT 0-1 TOTTENHAM (1-2 AGG): Tottenham came up trumps in Germany as Dominic Solanke struck the winner from the penalty spot to book Spurs' place in the semi-finals of the Europa League

Ange Postecoglou revelled in Tottenham's heroic Europa League quarter-final victory at Eintracht Frankfurt by claiming: "You're going to have to put up with me for a little longer." The under-fire Aussie masterminded the gutsiest performance of Spurs' season to book their place in the last four where they will meet Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt for a place in the final.

Postecoglou said of his critics after Dominic Solanke struck the winner in Germany: "I'm the same manager today that I was yesterday [Wednesday]. Whoever didn't think I was doing a good job yesterday [Wednesday] should be feeling the same way today.

"I don't care, it doesn't bother me or affect what I do, for me it's about the dressing room. Do the players believe, do the staff believe? That's much more important than what others think. Unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer so we'll just see how that goes."

Postecoglou is refusing to get carried away, however, and does not necessarily think Spurs' name is etched on the trophy due to the nature of their bizarre season. He added: "No, I don't think that way but from our perspective we've had a difficult season. There's some reasoning behind that which was pretty evident tonight when we had our strongest team out there.

"I'm super proud of the lads, we were playing away from home in the quarter-final against a very good side and we needed to score and show our quality. To a man, I just thought they were outstanding, I am so proud of them and over the two games we deserved to go through. After a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that."

In a major boost for Tottenham, Postecoglou issued a positive update on James Maddison after he took a nasty whack from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos to win Spurs' penalty.

Postecoglou said of the creative midfielder: "He is fine. Unbelievable courage in that moment to put his body on the line knowing full well that he was going to get a pretty severe knock and I was surprised it wasn’t a red card. Super courageous from him. He is sore but I’m sure that has all been numbed knowing that he has helped us progress to the semi."

Tottenham have endured an awful season under Ange Postecoglou with injuries having blighted both their and Micky van de Ven seasons albeit the Dutchman has now returned to action

Micky van de Ven has revealed Ange Postecoglou is to blame for his limited appearances, but has rallied behind the under-pressure Tottenham boss. The North London side have endured a woeful campaign under the Australian this term.

Spurs sit 15th in the Premier League table having lost an astounding 17 league games throughout the campaign. In their defence, injuries have certainly not helped their cause.

Micky van de Ven has made just 16 appearances this term having been suffering for a hamstring problem. The former Wolfsburg centre-back has returned to contention over recent weeks but has been in and out of the side - a decision he claims is solely Postecoglou’s.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Spurs’ clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, he said: “Why I don't play every week is a question for the gaffer not for me. I want to play every game. Football is what you love the most.”

Van de Ven was signed from Wolfsburg in 2023 for £43m and he immediately established himself as a crucial player in North London. Despite claiming that Postecoglou has been at the heart of his staggered return to the side, the defender is still fully behind his under-pressure boss.

He added: "It hasn't been our best season. The fans want us to play better, and do better in the games we lost, but when the whole team is strong we can achieve some beautiful things -- hopefully we can show that to everyone who doubts us.

"We have trust in the gaffer and the way he wants us to play. We want to win for him, but also for us, the club and the fans. We want to achieve something this season and this is the best way to do it."

Spurs and Postecoglou are under huge pressure ahead of Thursday’s Europa League decider against Eintracht Frankfurt. The two sides are level after the first leg as Hugo Ekitike and Pedro Porro both netted in North London.

Spurs’ chances have been handed a huge blow however, with another injury biting them. Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has been ruled out of the trip to Germany, with Postecoglou bemoaning his absence.

Should Spurs sack Ange Postecoglou? Share your thoughts in the comments below

He said: “Yeah, look it’s a blow but it’s consistent with everything else that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge for us to overcome. Unfortunate for him and he tried really hard.

“The reason we left him out at weekend was to give him time to recover because he’s been struggling with this foot thing for a couple of weeks now, but he couldn’t make it. You know, we’ve had these challenges all year and it’s just another we need to overcome.”

Ange Postecoglou ignores blow to come out fighting over Spurs future - 'I couldn't care less'

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT vs TOTTENHAM: Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou could be faced with the sack if his side fail to qualify for the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night

Ange Postecoglou claims he's "willing to fight tooth and nail" to keep his job and Tottenham's Europa League dream alive - even after losing captain Son Heung-min.

The defiant Aussie, who will be without his South Korean skipper against Eintracht Frankfurt due to a foot injury, declared he "couldn't care less" that critics are billing the crunch quarter-final in Germany as a match that could define his career.

Postecoglou said when asked whether speculation over his future has become a personal burden: "No, not at all, mate, because I don’t define my career and me as a person by what people think about me. I never have and never will. If you don’t think I’m a good coach today, you won’t think I’m a good coach tomorrow, even if we win, one game ain’t going to make a difference to that.

"You either think I’m capable of doing the job now or you don’t, that’s where I sit with these things. If people think that us winning tomorrow all of a sudden makes me a better manager than what I am today or us losing tomorrow somehow makes me a worse manager, I guess that’s their burden, not mine.

"What I’m sitting here doing is thinking we’ve got a great opportunity to get to the final four of a major tournament. I’m not going to let that slip by without fighting tooth and nail for it irrespective of what may come the day after." Passionate Postecoglou also conceded that Son's injury typifies the dismal luck Spurs have been forced to endure all season ahead of the most important match of his tenure. He continued: "Yeah, look it’s a blow but it’s consistent with everything else that’s happened this year, so it’s just another challenge for us to overcome.

"It's really unfortunate for him and he tried really hard. The reason we left him out at the weekend was to give him time to recover because he’s been struggling with this foot thing for a couple of weeks now, but he couldn’t make it."

Meanwhile, Spurs centre-back Micky van de Ven revealed his plan to "eliminate" 21-goal Frankfurt frontman Hugo Ekitike, who struck the opener in north London last week. He said of the highly-coveted £70million-rated Frenchman: "He's a really good player and scored a really good goal against us. "Tomorrow it's going to be our job, me and the players playing next to me, to eliminate him from the game. He's an unbelievable threat for them, so we want to eliminate him tomorrow and get the win." Swedish talisman Dejan Kulusevski is fit to start in a major boost for Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou hasn't had the best time since taking the reins of Tottenham Hotspur back in 2023, finishing his maiden season in the Premier League in fifth as the side currently sit 15th in 2024/25

Ange Postecoglou said that it was a "tough decision" to leave Celtic to take the lead at Tottenham Hotspur, but the club's current struggles appear harder to navigate.

The 59-year-old spent two years with the Scottish Premiership titans between 2021 and 2023, clinching two league titles and three domestic cups before signing a four-year deal in north London. Speaking during his first press conference as head coach of Spurs, Postecoglou said: "We had some fantastic success and great moments within that and I'll cherish them, but I am the kind of guy who always loves a challenge - I love a build, I love a rebuild.

"That's where I feel I am at my best and this challenge, when it came along, I just thought had all the elements of what I need to get going again." Explaining why he decided to jump ship after success in Scotland, meanwhile, Postecoglou told the Irish Examiner: "I came to this club with a clear purpose and vision of what the club needed and what I could offer.

"That is to change the way the team plays, to obviously rejuvenate the squad because it was a squad that was coming towards the end of a cycle and to bring success." However, Postecoglou's time at Spurs has been far from plain sailing, with his first season in charge culminating in a fifth-place finish.

The current campaign has been even more challenging for Postecoglou, with Spurs currently sitting 15th in the Premier League standings and their only hope for silverware coming in the form of the Europa League. With just 11 wins from 32 games this season, Postecoglou is feeling the heat from fans and pundits alike, who have suggested that it may be time for a fresh face in north London.

However, the manager has remained insistent that he will continue to work towards success for Spurs, who are yet to clinch a Premier League title since the league's inception of 1992. He added: "As long as I'm in this position, that's always my focus, irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not be in the future.

"I don't see that that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen. Anything you achieve in life usually comes with a struggle.

"Certainly everything I have achieved in my life has come with a struggle from a professional perspective. This is just another struggle, but never through this struggle have I lost the will to fight for what I think is the right thing to do and I'll continue to do that."

Postecoglou has had an incredibly decorated career since stepping into the world of management in 1996 with South Melbourne, taking the helm of Australia's U17 and U20 set-ups, between 2000 and 2007 before returning to the club game with Panachaiki, Whittlesea Zebras, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory.

Postecoglou then took the reins of the Australian national team between 2013 and 2017, winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2015 for his efforts, before overseeing Yokohama F Marinos, Celtic, and subsequently, Spurs. The Lilywhites are set to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday away from home.

The two sides initially met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Thursday in a game which finished 1-1. Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring for the visitors just six minutes into the fixture, before Pedro Porro clinched the equaliser for Spurs 20 minutes later.

Postecoglou and his Spurs side have their work cut out should they hope to advance to the semi-finals to face either Lazio or Bodo/Glimt at the turn of the month.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy could find himself tasked with finding a successor to Ange Postecoglou in the summer but there are questions over two contenders

Tottenham Hotspur's search for their next manager has been dealt a blow with Bournemouth's and Fulham's owners both stressing the importance of their respective bosses. Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva have both been linked as potential successors to Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs will have a real battle on their hands.

Iraola's Bournemouth and Silva's Fulham faced off on Monday night at the Vitality Stadium. Antoine Semenyo's goal inside the opening minute proved the difference, with the hosts climbing above their opponents into eighth place.

Bournemouth and Fulham are locked together on 48 points, 11 more than Postecoglou's Spurs with six games remaining, Chairman Daniel Levy has yet to pull the trigger on sacking Postecoglou, but the former Celtic manager could find himself looking for a new job if he fails to lead his team to Europa League glory.

Iraola, who took over from Gary O'Neil in the summer of 2023, has insisted he is happy on the south coast. "I want to do my job the best I can. I don’t know how far we can go, where we will finish," he said at the end of March, ahead of Bournemouth's FA Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester City.

Now, according to BBC Sport, Bournemouth's owner Bill Foley is on his way to England to open talks over a new deal for Iraola. The former Rayo Vallecano manager's current deal runs until the end of next season, but there is said to be optimism he commits his longer-term future to the club.

Over in West London, Fulham boss Silva has been hailed by owner Tony Khan who wants him to remain with the club forever. The Portuguese, who previously spent time in charge of Hull City, Watford and Everton, led Fulham to the Championship title in 2022 and cemented the team's status as a top-flight club.

Fulham finished 10th in their first season back in the top flight but then lost top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal. They ended last season in 13th, albeit just two points outside the top half, and currently sit in ninth.

"We're having a tremendous season," Khan told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We have got a great team, we have a great coach with Marco Silva and we have a great squad," Khan told BBC Radio London.

"We have so many great players, a great dressing room, these are really great people on and off the pitch. And we have the best fans. It is a really exciting time at Craven Cottage and at all our matches. The team has had a really great season and everyone is really proud of them and really looking forward to the run-in."

He added: "Marco is a huge, huge asset to Fulham Football Club," he added. "He is such an amazing person and he is so important to the football club.

"Marco has a great relationship with my father and myself, and we really love Marco and we want him to stay at Fulham Football Club forever. He is a huge part of what we have got going for the future and the present and he is a great man."

Tottenham are scouring the market looking for possible replacements for Ange Postecoglou, who looks increasingly likely to be sacked, but one candidate has ruled himself out

Andoni Iraola is reportedly keen to stay with Bournemouth for at least another season, rather than jump ship to Tottenham this summer. Spurs are considering their options in the event that they part company with Ange Postecoglou and Iraola is one of the managers they are understood to be interested in.

Postecoglou is under huge pressure heading into the second leg of Spurs’ Europa League quarter final against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. Tottenham are 15th in the Premier League, having won just one of their last six league games – and that came against bottom side Southampton.

Much like fellow strugglers Manchester United, Spurs’ entire season rests on the Europa League, where they travel to Frankfurt following a 1-1 draw at home last week. But with the season winding down in shambolic fashion in north London after a 4-2 loss to Wolves on Sunday, there is increasing speculation that Postecoglou could be sacked, even if he wins the Europa League.

Iraola has been linked with the club, alongside Fulham boss Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Brentford’s Thomas Frank. But it seems as though Iraola will have to be discounted as a potential candidate to succeed Postecoglou, with The Telegraph reporting he is ready to commit his future to Bournemouth.

The Spaniard, who took over from Gary O’Neil in June 2023, is under contract until the summer of 2026 and reportedly wants to continue the project. The Cherries are eighth in the Premier League following their 1-0 win over Fulham on Monday night and are firmly in the race for a European place, with permutations potentially lowering the bar for entry next season.

Bournemouth are pushing for him to sign a new contract and the club’s upward trajectory is in stark contrast to Spurs. Postecoglou has shown obvious signs of frustration in recent weeks and is clear that he won’t change his approach, no matter how bad it gets.

“I came to this club with a clear purpose and vision of what the club needed and what I could offer,” he said recently when addressing the pressure he’s under. “That is to change the way the team plays, to obviously rejuvenate the squad because it was a squad that was coming towards the end of a cycle and to bring success.

“As long as I’m in this position, that’s always my focus, irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not be in the future. I don’t see that that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen.

“Anything you achieve in life usually comes with a struggle. Certainly everything I have achieved in my life has come with a struggle from a professional perspective. This is just another struggle, but never through this struggle have I lost the will to fight for what I think is the right thing to do and I’ll continue to do that.”

An embattled Ange Postecoglou was in a feisty mood in his press conference before the first leg of Tottenham's crunch Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt

Ange Postecoglou believes the world thinks he will get sacked even if he wins the Europa League.

Under-pressure Postecoglou claims everything Tottenham do at the moment is turned from “gold to cr**” and fears he is fighting a losing battle. Postecoglou still believes he can turn the club’s fortunes around after a dismal season in the Premier League but is acutely aware of the mood music saying he will be axed no matter what happens.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou, who faces Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday, said: “That's just the general sentiment of people writing even if we win it, I'm gone anyway. That's not having a go, that's just the general sentiment of the people.

“But I have said before, that is not what drives me. I came to this club with a clear purpose and vision of what the club needed and what I could offer. That is to change the way the team plays, to obviously rejuvenate the squad because it was a squad that was coming towards the end of a cycle and to bring success.

“As long as I’m in this position, that’s always my focus irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not be in the future. I don’t see that, that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen.

“Anything you achieve in life usually comes with a struggle. Certainly everything I have achieved in my life has come with a struggle from a professional perspective. This is just another struggle, but never through this struggle have I lost the will to fight for what I think is the right thing to do and I’ll continue to do that.”

Postecoglou even rounded on the controversy surrounding Mathys Tel grabbing a late penalty from Brennan Johnson who was on a hat-trick in Sunday’s win over Southampton.

“It's incredible, it's just... literally turning gold into cr** when it's Tottenham,” said Postecoglou. “Seriously. If we're 2-1 up tomorrow night and get a penalty in the last minute, I want the best penalty taker to take it.

“I mean the one slight against this club is apparently it hasn't been a winner. Well the winner's mentality in the last minute of the game is to score a goal. We scored a goal. And yet somehow in this ultimate universe where everything Tottenham does is wrong, that's come out as a negative. Be that as it may.

“From my point of view, I was delighted because as I said if that's tomorrow night and we get a penalty in the last minute and get a third goal which could be really decisive, I'm really pleased with the way the players handled it.”

Tottenham have not won a trophy since 2008 but now have a European quarter-final and also the chance to get a passport into the Champions League. It will be tough against Eintracht Frankfurt - currently third in the Bundesliga - while Spurs have lost 16 games in the Premier League and are 14th in the table.

Postecoglou urged the fans to come together and added: “The atmosphere can make a huge impact. That’s hugely important. I’m not sure how many times the club has been in the quarter-finals of a European competition. It will be a good challenge for us. When you get to the last eight of a European competition, that is what you expect to face and I’m looking forward to it.”

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur side prepared for their return to Europa League action but the manager was unhappy with some of the reaction to the victory

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has accused critics of "turning gold into cr*p" after questions about his team's penalty situation. Brennan Johnson was on a hat-trick when Spurs were awarded a spot-kick against Southampton, but wasn't given the opportunity to complete its treble.

It was Mathys Tel, rather than Johnson, who stepped up to beat Aaron Ramsdale from 12 yards and clinch a 3-1 win. Addressing the matter ahead of his team's Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Australian launched into a strongly-worded rant.

"It's incredible. It's the one bit. Literally turning gold into cr*p when it's Tottenham," Postecoglou told reporters. If we're 2-1 up and we get a penalty late on, I want our best penalty taker to take it."

He added: "I mean the one slight against this club is apparently it hasn't been a winner. Well the winner's mentality in the last minute of the game is to score a goal. We scored a goal. And yet somehow in this ultimate universe where everything Tottenham does is wrong, that's come out as a negative. Be that as it may.

"From my point of view, I was delighted because as I said if that's tomorrow night and we get a penalty in the last minute and get a third goal which could be really decisive, I'm really pleased with the way the players handled it. "

The Australian also seemed to indicate he felt critics were beginning to pick fault whatever the result. "I just think we're in that position now where even the good stuff we do is going to be turned into a glass half-empty rhetoric," he said.

Johnson agreed with his manager that too much was being made of the incident against Southampton. "In this tournament it's not really about giving people free goals, it's about scoring goals," he said ahead of the return to Europa League action.

Frankfurt go into the game sitting third in the Bundesliga, but suffered a setback against Werder Bremen over the weekend. Ahead of the meeting with Spurs, Toppmoller indicated major improvement is requried.

"We tried to do better in the second half but just weren’t good enough in possession today and didn’t have the right distances," he said. "We need to improve in that regard against Tottenham. It’s a painful defeat today. We have to produce 100 percent on the pitch in every match, which we didn’t do today.”

The first leg of the clash will be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before the two teams face off in Germany one week later. Whoever prevails will take on either Bodo/Glimt or Lazio in the semis.