Inside Futbol

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Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Joao Palhinha is wanted by Turkish giants Besiktas, who have ‘initiated moves’ to take him to Istanbul in the summer transfer window.

The 30-year-old joined Spurs on loan last summer from Bayern Munich after falling out of Vincent Kompany’s plans in Germany.

Palhinha has made 40 appearances for Spurs, scoring six goals and registering three assists, one of the highest tallies in an underperforming Spurs side.

Although Palhinha was a reliable starter under previous managers Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, he has yet to start under Roberto De Zerbi, coming off the bench in all three matches under him.

He still proved crucial on Saturday against Wolves at Molineux, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute to score the only goal of the match, sealing the first win of the De Zerbi tenure and Spurs’ first victory of the year.

Despite the win, Tottenham remain in the relegation zone, two points behind West Ham United in 17th, and with only four matches to go, their top-flight status is in serious danger.

Tottenham would like to keep hold of Palhinha, but are not keen on meeting the €25m option to buy they negotiated with Bayern Munich and want to push the price down.

Game Competition Gaziantep (A) Super Lig Konyaspor (N) Turkish Cup Trabzonspor (H) Super Lig Rizespor (A) Super Lig Besiktas’ remaining games

Bayern Munich are not planning to reintegrate him into their squad, with their midfield options already substantial, such as Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic.

Now Besiktas are looking to scoop up Palhinha and have ‘initiated moves’ to line up a deal, according to Turkish daily Sabah (via A Spor).

The Black Eagles also have Eric Martel and Ibrahim Sangare on their shortlist as options for the defensive midfield role, with the latter’s club Nottingham Forest facing relegation worries in the Premier League, presenting another situation the Turkish giants could capitalise on.

Spurs’ final league position is expected to be decisive in determining whether a deal for Palhinha becomes feasible, as Besiktas look to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding his situation.

In the event of relegation, the Lilywhites could be forced to part ways with Palhinha and convincing him to play in the Championship would be a major challenge.

Even if that were to happen, the financial implications would present another obstacle, potentially opening the door further for Besiktas to step in.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie O’Hara has slammed the handling of Xavi Simons’ injury, labelling the response from Spurs’ medical staff an ‘all time shambles’.

The 23-year-old suffered a rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Premier League clash against Wolves on Saturday at Molineux.

Spurs have confirmed that Simons will undergo surgery in the coming weeks before beginning his rehabilitation programme with the club’s medical team after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Following the setback, it has also been confirmed that the Dutch attacker will miss the remainder of the season, with his World Cup hopes also over.

O’Hara has now taken aim at the handling of the situation, questioning the judgement of the medical staff, with the use of ice spray in such circumstances falling well below expected professional standards in his view.

O’Hara wrote on X: “Medical staff putting ice spray on a ruptured ACL is all time shambles.”

Simons, who joined from RB Leipzig last summer, has endured a mixed campaign, registering only seven goal involvements from 28 Premier League appearances, drawing criticism from Rafael van der Vaart.

Injured player Injury Xavi Simons ACL Wilson Odobert ACL Mohammed Kudus Thigh Dejan Kulusevski Knee Cristian Romero Knee Ben Davies Ankle Guglielmo Vicario Groin Destiny Udogie Muscle Pape Matar Sarr Shoulder Dominic Solanke Thigh Current Spurs injuries

However, his recent displays had shown signs of improvement, particularly against Brighton & Hove Albion, where he found the net and provided an assist to help his side earn a point.

The injury has arrived at a crucial phase in the season for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, who remain in the relegation zone in 18th place, two points adrift of safety.

Meanwhile, Simons was not the only player to suffer an injury against the Old Gold, with Dominic Solanke also forced off after pulling up with a muscle problem, adding to an already lengthy list of key absentees.

Spurs’ victory over Wolves, their first of the year, could provide much-needed momentum, though injuries to Simons and other key players represent a major setback ahead of the decisive run-in.

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Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough has praised Tottenham Hotspur talent George Abbott for his impact at Field Mill, insisting he impressed despite being repeatedly hampered by injury setbacks.

Abbott joined the Stags on loan in the winter window until the end of the season after spending the first half of the campaign with Wycombe Wanderers, with his parent club kept informed on his game-time management at Mansfield.

The 20-year-old Tottenham graduate has made eleven appearances under Clough, registering a goal and an assist, and has spoken of his satisfaction while stressing his aim of staying fit amid an injury-hit season.

Before the switch, the Chairboys had already seen his quality, with the defensive midfielder making 15 appearances in League One, also contributing a goal and an assist, and earning praise from a team-mate who lauded the Spurs academy product’s ability.

However, despite hopes of staying fit through to the end of the campaign, his season across both third-tier spells has been blighted by injury, with absences in November and January, and he is now set to miss the remainder of the campaign after a season-ending injury in early April.

Clough reflected on the youngster’s injury-ravaged year, contrasting it with the strong campaign he enjoyed at Notts County last season.

He also noted that Abbott arrived at Field Mill carrying a knock after earlier problems at Wycombe, but had initially begun to find his rhythm again before the latest setback brought his progress to a halt.

The 60-year-old described it as bad luck, adding that, nevertheless, the 20-year-old performed very well during his time under him.

Clough said at a press conference (4:07): “Yes, he’s had an injury-hit season, unusual in some ways because he had such a great season at Notts County last season.

“And then he went to Wycombe, a couple of injuries there, came to us injured but then seemed to just get going again, and then he’s had this setback.

“So it’s just bad luck for him, but I thought he did very, very well in the time he was with us.”

Last season, Abbott registered 44 appearances for Notts County, contributing seven assists and six goals, a return that drew praise from a former EFL star who tipped the youngster as one to keep an eye on.

Having already made his debut for Spurs three years ago, it remains to be seen whether he will be handed an opportunity to stake his claim in the first team during pre-season this summer.

Tottenham have placed their faith in Roberto De Zerbi in a bid to drag their season clear of danger, with the club still mired in the relegation zone and four games left to play, while Abbott’s future will be reviewed once their fate for next season is sealed.

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Tottenham Hotspur are facing more competition for Gabriel Sara, who is one of the ‘exotic’ targets for Serie A giants Napoli.

The north Londoners finally got their first win of the calendar year on Saturday as they edged out Wolves 1-0 at Molineux courtesy of a late Joao Palhinha goal.

Roberto De Zerbi claimed before the match that the Spurs stars believe in him and they did deliver a much-needed three points at the weekend.

Even though West Ham United’s win against Everton did not let Spurs come out of the relegation zone, it did boost confidence in north London about their survival prospects

Despite not knowing what division they will be playing in next season, Tottenham’s recruitment team are continuing to prepare for the summer and are eyeing targets.

Three Galatasaray stars are on their radar for the upcoming window and former Norwich City midfielder Sara is one of them.

Tottenham have also been made aware that they would need to pay a ‘substantial’ fee for the Brazilian, who is now attracting from more clubs as the season is edging closer to its conclusion.

Former PL star Billy Gilmour Scott McTominay Romelu Lukaku Kevin De Bruyne Rasmus Hojlund Frank Anguissa Former PL players at Napoli

According to Italian daily Il Mattino, Italian giants Napoli have an eye on Sara, who they see as more of an ‘exotic’ target for the summer window.

The Serie A giants are keen on revitalising their engine room next term and feel that the Galatasaray star could be an option for that.

Last month, Spurs watched the Brazil international in action as they stepped up their interest in him even more.

Galatasaray will be in next season’s Champions League, while Napoli are sitting second in the Serie A table, which would see them play in the elite European competition next season as well.

Last month, Sara made his Brazil debut, and if he is able to showcase his quality for the Selecao, more clubs could enter the race for him.

Sara has eleven goal contributions in 40 games across all competitions this season to his name in Turkey and his performances for the Cimbom have gained significant traction in the past few months.

Spurs now face the prospect of having to fight Napoli for Sara if they do make a move to bring him back to England in the summer.

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Tottenham Hotspur out-on-loan talent Will Lankshear has admitted that playing in the Championship has been ‘absolute blessing’ for him this season.

The Welwyn Garden City-born attacking talent kicked off his youth football with north London giants Arsenal, who he left in 2021.

Fellow London club Brentford, wanted to snap Lankhsear up back in 2022 when he was at Sheffield United, but Spurs paid £2m to sign him for their academy.

Back in 2024, the young striker made his debut for Spurs in the Europa League and has six senior appearances under his belt for the north Londoners.

Lankshear outlined the benefits of playing with the first team, but was loaned out to Championship side Oxford United last summer for regular game time.

The England Under-21 international has had an impressive loan spell at Oxford, whose relegation to League One has now been confirmed.

The 21-year-old hitman has scored 12 times and provided four assists in 46 games across all competitions, proving to be a key cog at the Yellows.

Lankshear apologised to the Oxford fans that he could not do more to keep them safe, expressing his emotions at seeing Matt Bloomfield’s side go down.

“For me, I would say I’m sorry for not doing more”, the Spurs loanee said on BBC Radio Oxford after the U’s defeated Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.

“But it’s such a beautiful club and it makes me emotional even talking about it.”

However, the 21-year-old stressed that it was an ‘absolute blessing’ for him to play in the Championship, and he promised to give his all against Millwall on Saturday, in the final game of the regular Championship campaign.

“Every time I step onto the pitch in the Championship, it’s an absolute blessing.

“I never believed I’d be here.

“I’ll go into the last game and give it my absolute all to see off the season”, he added.

One ex-Championship forward hailed the Tottenham talent’s maturity at the U’s and he will go back to Tottenham following a successful loan, even if it ended on a sour note.

If Tottenham cannot avoid relegation, Roberto De Zerbi could consider Lankshear to be an option given his experience of playing in the Championship this term.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is of the belief that Roberto De Zerbi would earn hero status if he can haul the Lilywhites clear of their current plight amid an injury-ravaged campaign.

Spurs find themselves in the Premier League relegation zone after 34 matchdays, with just 34 points on the board and only eight wins all season.

Their first victory since December, secured at Molineux against Wolves on Saturday, has left them two points adrift of West Ham United in 17th, with four matches left to preserve their top-flight status.

De Zerbi opened his spell in charge with a defeat and a draw, and while the Italian secured three points against the Old Gold, it came at a cost as injuries to Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke dealt an immediate blow, with the former ruled out for the season.

Those setbacks compound an already mounting injury crisis at Spurs, where attacking options Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are still waiting to make their first appearances of the campaign for the north London side.

Redknapp weighed in on the situation, warning that the absences of Simons and Solanke could be felt, particularly if the English striker’s problem proves long term.

He acknowledged the injuries as a setback, but stressed that, given the squad’s quality, Tottenham should not find themselves in such a position and ought to cope with the adversity.

Club managed Bournemouth West Ham Portsmouth Southampton Tottenham Hotspur QPR Birmingham City Clubs Harry Redknapp has managed

The 79-year-old also pointed to what he sees as a disappointing season overall, adding that De Zerbi has stepped into a difficult scenario and now faces the challenge of steadying the side, with the battle ahead likely to go down to the wire.

Redknapp said on talkSPORT (0:49): “Yes, I mean Solanke looked like he got, whether it’s a hamstring or what I’m not sure, but you know they’ll miss him as well, Tottenham for sure.

“That would be a blow to them, but I don’t know, they still shouldn’t, even with that squad, it’s been a horrendous season for them, hasn’t it, really?

“And he’s come in now to try and pick up the pieces, the manager.

“He’s got a hard job on his hands, really, but if he could pull it off, he’d be a hero, but it’s going to be a tight one.”

Doubts persist over whether the 46-year-old can reverse the London club’s slide, with a former Premier League figure highlighting their vulnerability and Simon Jordan also casting the Italian manager as short of an elite appointment.

On Friday night, fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest delivered a commanding 5-0 win, boosting their survival push, with one star likening the pressure to international duty.

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Tottenham Hotspur target Elia Caprile has emerged as an alternative to Spurs shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario for Inter Milan.

Vicario has been a mainstay for Spurs since his €20m signing in 2023 on a five-year deal, notwithstanding time spent out of the squad through injury.

This season too, the Italian has been a constant between the sticks until recently, when he picked up a hernia injury, allowing Antonin Kinsky another chance to step in after his ill-fated Champions League outing.

There is expected to be change in the goalkeeping position at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer, with Vicario widely expected to depart.

Inter Milan, looking to replace Yann Sommer, whose contract expires in the summer, drew a shortlist that had Vicario higher placed to Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez due to his lower wages.

It emerged in February that Vicario was amenable to a move back to Italy, as he ‘reiterated his availability’ for Inter, while Spurs were also open to sanctioning a move if an interested party could cough up €25m to €30m.

Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio then travelled to north London to ‘lay the groundwork’ over a potential transfer for Vicario back in March.

Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca has cautioned that ‘there are better options in the market for the Nerazzurri’, and Inter Milan seem to have paid heed to that advice now, looking beyond just Vicario.

It has now emerged that Elia Caprile of Cagliari has emerged as an alternative to Vicario, according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web, though the Spurs man does remain the number 1 target.

Caprile, formerly of Leeds United, has had scouts from Aston Villa and Tottenham watching him this season.

Five years junior to Vicario, Caprile is seen as value for money, commanding a similar fee, and his career is also on the upward trajectory, with strong performances for Cagliari leading to a call-up to the national side.

Interestingly, Caprile replaced Vicario at Empoli in 2023, receiving the blessings of the senior man.

If Inter Milan have an alternative to Vicario then it could well bolster their negotiating position with Spurs, making them not dependent on the goalkeeper.

In an ideal world for Spurs, it could be history repeating itself with Caprile replacing Vicario for a second time, and the fee received from one man put to the other, while Roberto De Zerbi prepares for a Premier League campaign having avoided relegation.

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Fixture: Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 15:00 UK time

Roberto De Zerbi has picked his Tottenham lineup vs Wolves for this afternoon’s Premier League meeting at Molineux – match preview here.

With Nottingham Forest crushing Sunderland on Friday night, the battle to avoid finishing 18th may well now just be down to between Tottenham and West Ham.

On paper, the clash at Wolves today is Tottenham’s easiest match of the run-in and there will be massive questions to answer if they do not take all three points.

De Zerbi is encouraged by how his players are responding to his demands and feels total buy-in from the Tottenham squad.

Following disgusting online racist abuse of Kevin Danso after the Brighton game, De Zerbi took time to hail the centre-back and admit he has been hugely impressed with him.

De Zerbi will have to do without Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie, who picked up a muscle injury against Brighton, while Pape Matar Sarr and Guglielmo Vicario remain out.

Wolves have often proven to be a tough nut for Tottenham to crack in recent meetings and they last came out on top against the Old Gold in 2022.

Rob Edwards’ men have been relegated and it is unclear if that will bring extra freedom to play, or a dialling down of effort in a bid to avoid unnecessary injury.

Antonin Kinsky is in goal in the Tottenham lineup vs Wolves this afternoon, while at the back De Zerbi picks Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

In the key midfield battle, Tottenham go with Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma, while Xavi Simons will look to create for Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke.

If De Zerbi needs to make changes to his Tottenham lineup vs Wolves at any point then he has options off the bench that include Mathys Tel and Archie Gray.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs Wolves

Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence, Bentancur, Gallagher, Bissouma, Simons, Kolo Muani, Solanke

Substitutes: Austin, Dragusin, Palhinha, Richarlison, Maddison, Tel, Gray, Bergvall, Souza

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has insisted he has complete buy-in from the Spurs players, who fully believe what he is telling them.

Spurs are desperately fighting to retain their Premier League status and brought in former Brighton boss De Zerbi to work miracles late in the season.

He has not managed to guide Tottenham to a win in either of his two games in charge yet and there were question marks over his team selection in a loss at Sunderland.

Today De Zerbi takes his Tottenham side to play Wolves – match preview here – with the game considered very much a must win.

Wolves, already relegated, will come into the match playing for pride, while Spurs’ recent form suggests that they must be at their very best to take all three points, having failed to register a single league win this calendar year.

Failure to record three points on Saturday would see Tottenham equal their longest-ever run without a league victory, which was 16 from 1934 to 1935.

The Lilywhites played their last league game against Brighton where Georginio Rutter’s strike in stoppage time denied Spurs victory as the game ended 2-2, with Pedro Porro and Xavi Simons on the scoresheet.

Opponents Result Liverpool 1-3 Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves’ last three home games

De Zerbi insists that he is happy to work at Tottenham, highlighting the professional environment at the club that he has found since walking through the door.

The Italian manager is pleased with the response he has had from the players, who he sees fully buying into his methods, not least because he has been able to understand how much they are suffering from not winning games.

He dismissed criticism surrounding the players, stressing that the squad are made up of serious individuals.

The 46-years-old believes that a single win, which Spurs will hope to get at Wolves today, could shift momentum and help turn their season around.

Speaking in a press conference (14:46), he said: “I’m happy to work here because the part of the staff I found when I came is special as a professional and the players are the same.

“They are following me. They are good guys.

“Sometimes when one team is losing too many games the rumours are not nice.

“People speak about not too much serious players, but it’s not like this in this case. I found good players, serious players. They follow me.

“They believe in my words because I am able to recognise the eyes of the players.

“We are suffering. They are suffering because it’s not easy to play for Tottenham in this position of the table.

“They have to be stronger and they have to live to win a game.

“We have to live every part of the day, waiting for a win, preparing for a win because I think with a win we can change this part of the season.”

Tottenham will be without left back Destiny Udogie this afternoon because of a muscular problem while midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is unavailable with a shoulder problem.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario continues to be sidelined due to a hernia.

Spurs face a tough task at Molineux, where they have not won a league game since 2021, as they look to take all three points in their fight for survival.

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Fixture: Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 25th April, 15:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur face a crucial clash at Wolves this afternoon in what is very much approaching the definition of a ‘must-win game’ in their battle for survival in the Premier League.

Wolves’ fate has now been sealed and next season Rob Edwards’ side will play in the Championship. The drop had been a long time coming and Edwards has already made clear the need to start the summer transfer window on the front foot.

The jury is out on how Wolves’ players will now approach these final games as they will surely want to avoid serious injury when there is nothing to play for, but will also be keen to put themselves in the shop window if a move is in the offing.

Clubs are definitely expected to come calling for players such as Andre, Joao Gomes and Santiago Bueno and better displays in the final few matches will make sure that when the next contract offer comes, it is a lucrative one.

Tottenham’s situation has become even worse without playing, with Nottingham Forest crushing Sunderland 5-0 and now the scrap to avoid finishing 18th looks to be between Spurs and West Ham.

One former England star stressed recently that losing Tottenham would be bad for the Premier League as a whole, but that fact, even if true, guarantees no points.

Having not won a league game in 2026, the Wolves game is viewed as all but a must win for Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi and anything less than three points would be seen as disastrous.

Just one win might be enough to help them spring a winning run and get out of trouble and Wolves could be the start of that.

What will keep the former Brighton boss worried is Tottenham’s defensive frailty. While Spurs look decent going forward, they have been prone to regular lapses at the back which have seen good positions taken away.

Tottenham have lost their last three visits to Molineux, but the stakes are now higher than in any of those previous encounters.

Predicted Lineups

Wolves Tottenham Hotspur Sa Kinsky S Bueno Porro T Gomes Danso Krejci Van de Ven Tchatchoua Spence Andre Gray J Gomes Gallagher H Bueno Kolo Muani Bellegarde Simons R Gomes Richarlison Armstrong Solanke Predicted lineups

Recent Form (league)

Wolves: LLDWW

Tottenham Hotspur: DLLDL

Key Men

Wolves

Wolves are expected to play freely after getting the pressure of delivering off their shoulders. Edwards is expected to stick to the 3-4-2-1 formation allowing more freedom to the two players just behind the striker. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, in that wider number ten role, will be important.

Being fed on the right hand side, he can get into the free spaces in the Spurs defence and exploit the weaknesses they have there.

His long shots from the edge of the penalty box could also be difficult for Antonin Kinsky to deal with.

In midfield, the duo of Andre and Joao Gomes will be as key as they have been all season. They are the two bigger names in the team and are expected to exit through the Molineux door at the end of the season.

Impactful performances against a better-known team will only help raise their stock. They are not only expected to be goal threats but also track back to help out in defence.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham simply have to stop leaking goals. It has been the major weakness area in their game but a definitive solution needs to be found.

A whole lot will depend on their stand-in skipper Micky van de Ven, who has been growing in stature all season. De Zerbi has highlighted his influence in the team and it is time for him to stand and deliver.

Tottenham have seen his impact at the other end of the pitch but in the middle of a four man defence, where he fits best, Van de Ven will hope to flourish and carry the hopes of his team on his able shoulders.

Yet another difference maker could be Van de Ven’s Holland team-mate Xavi Simons. Simons showed the emotional side of his character when he appeared distraught following Brighton’s equaliser last week.

He appears to be deeply involved in each game he plays and has returned to a ‘really high level’, according to top flight star Alvin Martin.

Whether he can add to his goal tally for the season against a struggling Wolves side and lead Tottenham to a much needed victory remains to be seen.

Result Competition Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Wolves Premier League Wolves 4-2 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Wolves Premier League Last three meetings

Match Prediction

Tottenham, who will have James Maddison on the bench, know they are very much entering the last chance saloon.

De Zerbi’s team will never get a better chance to find that winning touch back than against Edwards’ Wolves, who are realistically not going to bust a gut and risk injury.

Wolves though, backed by the home fans, will still want to end the season with as many highs as possible and dragging Tottenham down with them would be a big one.

However, if De Zerbi is able to sort out his defence and get some tough lessons into the heads of his players, Tottenham can register that elusive win which could kick start a spell to help them survive.

There is no doubt levels have been raised somewhat by the Italian and Spurs should show real intensity this afternoon.

Inside Futbol Score Prediction

Wolves 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Where To Watch?

Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur will not be broadcast live in the UK, but can be followed via each club’s respective website with a kick-off time of 15:00 UK time.