Inside Futbol

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons is not viewed as a concrete target by Bayern Munich for this summer’s transfer window, despite previous interest from the Bundesliga giants.

The Dutch attacker arrived as Tottenham’s marquee signing at the beginning of the season from RB Leipzig for a fee just shy of £52m.

There was interest from the Bavarians last summer, but they did not pursue a deal, deeming the asking price too high.

His debut season in north London has yet to fully vindicate that investment, with the 23-year-old contributing five goals and six assists across 40 appearances.

The Netherlands international required time to find his footing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with former head coach Thomas Frank managing his introduction to the demands of Premier League football.

A former top flight player has publicly expressed disappointment with Simons’ Premier League stint, while another has cast doubt on whether he possesses the level required to thrive in the division.

If Tottenham are relegated, then Simons is likely to see a north London exit and potential transfer destinations will come into play.

Bayern Munich have been mooted as a possible destination, but Simons is ‘not a concrete transfer target’, according to Sky Deutschland (via German outlet fcbinside).

The Netherlands international can play as a No.10 or out wide but is most effective just behind the striker, a role already filled at Bayern Munich by Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry.

The Lilywhites find themselves in a perilous 18th place with just five matches remaining, two points from safety, with the threat of relegation looming and the prospect of a squad overhaul should the worst happen.

Simons did, however, offer a reminder of his talent with a goal and an assist in Spurs’ 2-2 draw against Brighton on Saturday, even as the club’s wait for a first win of 2026 drags on.

The onus will be on the Dutchman to sharpen his edge in the weeks ahead if he is to help drag the north London outfit away from danger.

Richard Keys has dismissed Roberto De Zerbi’s claim that Tottenham Hotspur can win all of their remaining five Premier League games and feels Spurs never learn.

The problems continued to mount at the weekend for Tottenham, who, despite leading twice, failed to win the game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, eventually settling for a 2-2 draw.

To make matters worse for Tottenham, they saw relegation rivals Leeds United and Nottingham Forest both win their respective games.

Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan has already expressed his concern about seeing two Dutch internationals playing in the Championship next season, one of whom was on the scoresheet for the London team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Keys was critical of the celebrations following Tottenham’s second goal from Xavi Simons, insisting that it should have been a moment of calm and not those wild celebrations with everybody ‘leaping into the crowd’.

He is paying no heed to words from De Zerbi about Tottenham being able to win all their remaining games and reminded the Italian they have only won seven all season long.

Keys wrote on his blog: “De Zerbi argues they can win their last five.

“No they can’t. They’ve only won seven all season.

Country Italy Romania Ukraine France England Countries Roberto De Zerbi has coached or played in

“You just knew what was going to happen when they over-celebrated Simons’ goal.

“It was too soon for what followed – shirts off and everybody leaping into the crowd. That was the moment for calm.

“At that moment nothing had been achieved and, of course, they went on to throw away two massive points.

“They never learn.”

Spurs now have what will be seen as an easier fixture against Wolves on Saturday, one they will hope to get something out of and then get themselves going until the end of the season.

They have got some of their long-term injury absentees, such as James Maddison, Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall, back from injury and will hope that their inclusion will help them stage a comeback.

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Hamburg star defender Luka Vuskovic, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury now believed to be more serious than initially feared.

In 2023, fending off interest from top European clubs, Spurs struck a deal to sign the teenager and bring him to north London in 2025, and upon his arrival last summer he was immediately loaned out to Hamburg until the end of the season after making it clear he was keen on a move there.

His older brother, Mario Vuskovic, is on the books at the German club and pushed for the move to unite, though he remains sidelined until November due to a doping ban, by which time Spurs are expected to want the youngster at N17.

Vuskovic has surpassed expectations with Die Rothosen, making 27 appearances at the heart of the defence and even chipping in with five goals, with HSV keen to extend his stay but rating their chances at less than one per cent.

The Croat suffered a knee injury in training two and a half weeks ago and has since missed back-to-back games, including the 4-0 defeat to Stuttgart where Hamburg were exposed defensively, and Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Werder Bremen in the Nordderby.

According to German daily Bild, the Tottenham loanee is now unlikely to return next week, with the injury appearing more serious than initially feared.

Now will mark his third week on the sidelines, with the defender seemingly not even training individually and now a doubt for Saturday’s clash at the Volksparkstadion, where Die Rothosen face fifth-placed Hoffenheim.

Loanee On loan from Giorgi Gocholeishvili Shakhtar Donetsk Damion Downs Southampton Fabio Vieira Arsenal Albert Gronbaek Rennes Philip Otele Basel Luka Vuskovic Tottenham Hotspur Hamburg’s loan stars

Vuskovic continues to attract interest, with his agent’s links to the Barcelona’s club president putting him on their radar should Andreas Christensen fail to extend his stay at the Camp Nou.

Bayern Munich are also monitoring the highly rated teenager, though Vuskovic is understood to be aware that regular game time could prove difficult if he were to move to Munich.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are locked in a relegation scrap, sitting 18th and needing two points to reach safety, with 17th-placed West Ham holding a game in hand.

With one former Premier League star questioning the side’s mental resilience to pull clear, and another praising the resolve of their relegation rivals while pointing to disarray within the Spurs camp, a significant challenge lies ahead with five games remaining.

It remains to be seen which league Vuskovic’s parent club will be in next season, a factor that could shape the decision to recall him or allow the 19-year-old to continue his development at Hamburg.

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Galatasaray are ‘preparing to initiate contact’ for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, who is also a target for West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, viewing him as an investment for the future.

The 22-year-old came through La Masia academy and has featured in 30 matches this season for the Catalan giants, though 16 of those appearances have come from the bench, pointing to his lack of regular game time.

That situation has led to growing transfer links surrounding Casado, with a number of clubs across Europe keeping close tabs on his development.

Interest from the Hammers and Spurs dates back to last summer, when both clubs made enquiries for the midfielder, though nothing advanced at that stage.

They ‘remain interested’, while Saudi Arabia has also emerged as another possible destination for the Spaniard this summer.

Now, according to Turkish outlet Fotomac (via A Spor), Galatasaray have set their sights on Casado and are ‘preparing to initiate contact’, with the club seeing him as a long-term option.

Galatasaray already boast several high-profile names in their squad such as Victor Osimhen, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane, and could offer an attractive project to Casado.

Interested club League Galatasaray Turkish Super Lig Chelsea Premier League Manchester United Premier League Atletico Madrid La Liga Tottenham Hotspur Premier League West Ham United Premier League Marc Casado’s suitors

Alongside Galatasaray, West Ham and Spurs, Manchester United and Chelsea are also suggested to be monitoring the situation, with Atletico Madrid also tracking him.

Barcelona are claimed to be looking for a fee of €22m in order to let the midfielder depart this summer and it remains to be seen if that valuation is accurate.

Galatasaray can offer Champions League football to Casado and that would likely be something in their favour, with neither Tottenham or West Ham able to match it.

Both London sides are at risk of dropping into the Championship next season and that would surely rule them out as a destination for the Barcelona midfielder.

Barcelona will be keen to get the highest price possible for Casado and a bidding war would suit the Spanish giants.

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New Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi has stressed the need to have more leaders in the team and has picked players who he wants to step up and be counted, while issuing a warning.

Currently placed inside the Premier League relegation zone, Tottenham are running out of time to save their season and have brought in De Zerbi to do the job.

Many have now written off their chances, with experienced manager Steve Bruce explaining he just cannot see them getting the points needed.

Their job has been made even more difficult by a season-ending injury to their skipper Cristian Romero, reducing De Zerbi’s options in defence and robbing Spurs of a leader.

Someone now needs to step up in his place and play the role of the leader to see Tottenham through a tough phase of the season.

One of their key starters, James Maddison, has just returned to training following a long-term injury and could be in contention for selection for the final few games.

While Maddison remains one of the leaders in the squad, manager De Zerbi insists Tottenham need a host of players to play leadership roles as they try to get out of trouble.

Tottenham star Age Ben Davies 32 Joao Palhinha 30 Yves Bissouma 29 Guglielmo Vicario 29 James Maddison 29 Oldest players in the Tottenham squad

He went on to pick Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dominic Solanke, Joao Palhinha and Xavi Simons as some of the names who could fulfil that role.

Giving his view on the topic of captaincy, De Zerbi said at a press conference (7.59): “There are a lot of different type of leaders.

“The real leaders are those who talk inside the dressing room, the leader with the ball, the leader in the tough moment.

“He helps the team-mate. I think to be a stronger team, we need many, many leaders for sure.

“Maddison is different, Maddison is a top player on the pitch with the ball but also as a personality, as a character, mentality on the pitch.

“But I would like to reach this level for Micky van de Ven, for example. Bentancur is a leader. Paulinha is another leader.

“I would like to push with Solanke because Solanke is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to be stronger as a personality, as a character on the pitch.

“Xavi Simons is very young but he is a leader with the ball because he has personality, has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot.”

De Zerbi admits that stepping up is not easy for players given Tottenham’s situation, but warned if they do not, he will not play them.

“It is not so easy playing at this moment for us. But we need players with personality and character. Otherwise, they don’t play with me.”

Tottenham were unable to get that new manager bounce under De Zerbi as they lost their first game under him, losing 1-0 to Sunderland.

Former Premier League winger Perry Groves does not believe that the former Brighton boss can inject confidence quickly into a team that look very fragile.

Tottenham are already being linked with several players ahead of the summer transfer window, but their plans could out of the window if they are relegated.

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Fenerbahce are ready to match the wage demands of Marco Senesi, who is being chased by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The Argentinian central defender began his career with San Lorenzo in his homeland and moved to Europe back in 2019, joining Dutch giants Feyenoord.

He had an impressive first year at the Eredivisie side and attracted English attention back in 2020 as Leeds United were keen on him.

In the 2021/22 season, Brighton and Newcastle United wanted to bring Senesi over to England, but a move did not materialise.

In the summer window of 2022, Premier League outfit Bournemouth paid €15m to Feyenoord to sign the Argentine centre-back on a four-year deal.

The Cherries have established themselves as a comfortable mid-table Premier League side over the years and Senesi has been one of the most consistent performers.

He is a key player for Andoni Iraola because of his ability to play line-breaking passes from the backline, but his current deal expires at the end of the term.

Club Years San Lorenzo 2016-2019 Feyenoord 2019-2022 Bournemouth 2022- Marcos Senesi’s career history

He has shown no desire to sign a new deal at the Cherries, and a host of clubs, including Spurs and Liverpool, are keen on signing him as a free agent when the current campaign concludes.

Super Lig club Fenerbahce are also interested in signing Senesi and, crucially, are ready to meet his salary demands, according to Turkish daily Takvim (via A Spor).

It has been suggested that the Bournemouth defender wants a yearly salary worth €5m every year, and the Yellow Canaries are ready to match that number as they will not have to pay a fee for him.

Spurs could lose their starting centre-back duo of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven when the season ends and they have been tipped to look for fresh faces in their backline.

Romero and Van de Ven have both been linked with several sides and Tottenham look to believe Senesi’s Premier League experience and quality could fit them perfectly.

However, they will need to ensure their Premier League status first and Richard Keys cannot believe that Tottenham have ended up in a relegation battle.

Liverpool have struggled with a leaky defence for the whole season and may feel that a player of Senesi’s quality is too good to miss out on given his contractual status.

However, whether the Reds will make a move for him in the summer could depend on Arne Slot’s future, as the Dutchman’s position at Anfield is far from secure.

Whether the 28-year-old will remain in England next season or be tempted to make a move to Turkey remains to be seen.

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Tottenham Hotspur are facing competition for Galatasaray star Ugurcan Cakir, who is now being eyed by Serie A giants Inter Milan.

The north Londoners are in serious trouble at the moment, as they are in the Premier League relegation zone with six games to go.

Tottenham’s higher-ups and players have received criticism from all corners, and now Roberto De Zerbi is in charge, tasked with guiding the club to safety.

Presenter Richard Keys has admitted that he has no idea how come Spurs are at serious risk of getting relegated to the Championship.

Tottenham’s custodian duo, Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky, have both failed to convince and Spurs have been tipped to go into the market for a new number 1.

The north London club are claimed to be plotting a triple transfer raid on Super Lig giants Galatasaray, with goalkeeper Cakir amongst the trio wanted.

The Turk’s form this season across all competitions has attracted the attention of multiple European clubs; he only joined the Cimbom last summer from Trabzonspor.

Club Years Trabzonspor 2014-2025 1461 Trabzon (loan) 2016 Galatasaray 2025- Ugurcan Cakir’s career history

According to Turkish outlet HT Spor (via Assist Analiz), Italian outfit Inter Milan are eyeing Cakir as a potential replacement for Yann Sommer.

The 37-year-old Swiss custodian’s performances at the San Siro have raised concern, and they are keen on the Galatasaray number 1.

It has been claimed that the Super Lig giants will ‘knock’ on Galatasaray’s door in the summer transfer window for the recently turned 30-year-old.

Cakir’s suitors, though, will need to pay a substantial transfer fee to take the goalkeeper out of RAMS Park.

Tottenham’s Vicario is a top target for the Nerazzurri, who have already laid the groundwork for the Italy international.

As such, it is unclear if Cakir is rated by Inter Milan as a more attractive option than the Spurs goalkeeper, but another dynamic has been added to the transfer interest in Vicario.

Cakir is not the only goalkeeping target for Spurs, as De Zerbi is keen on a Juventus goalkeeper who is not yet ready to move from the Old Lady.

Spurs will need to focus on keeping their Premier League status in the dying embers of the current campaign, before they can think about battling it out for a quality custodian like Cakir next summer.

Richard Keys has admitted he does not know how it has come to Tottenham Hotspur being at real risk of relegation into the Championship.

After failing with the experiment of Igor Tudor, the Tottenham board, under the supervision of CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, brought in Roberto De Zerbi to rescue the sinking ship.

The 46-year-old’s previous stint as the manager of a Premier League club, Brighton, yielded a win percentage of 42.7 per cent, helping them qualify for the Europa League.

In the following season, under the stewardship of De Zerbi, Brighton also qualified for the knockout phases of the Europa League.

Now De Zerbi has the tough job of saving Tottenham’s blushes and he will get six more games to do that, after losing his opener away at Sunderland.

Keys, who has predicted it to be largely a two-way race between Spurs and West Ham for the final relegation spot, questioned the London club’s decision to appoint De Zerbi as their manager.

The experienced broadcaster feels that Tottenham are now running out of options, which helps to explain why they appointed De Zerbi.

Job Years Shakhtar Donetsk 2021-2022 Brighton 2022-2024 Marseille 2024-2026 Tottenham Hotspur 2026- Roberto De Zerbi’s last four jobs

Keys though is clear that he is at a loss to work out how Tottenham have found themselves in deep, deep water.

“Can someone please explain to me what de Zerbi has done in his coaching career to land the Spurs job?” Keys wrote on his blog.

“I want surprised to see him get it, but I just don’t know how he qualifies for it.

“I guess one reason would be Spurs are running out of options.

“They’re also running out of time. How? How on earth has it come to this?”

The north London club are now two points of safety and have a worrying record to boast of, having not won a single Premier League match in 2026.

Veteran manager Steve Bruce is pessimistic about Tottenham’s chances of staying put in the top-flight given the number of wins they need.

De Zerbi has signed a long term deal as Tottenham boss though and if they are relegated will instantly get to work in plotting a quick return to the Premier League.

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New Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi ‘would like to bring’ goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio to N17, but the Italian custodian is fully focused on Juventus at the moment.

The Italian boss has been given a five-year deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his most important job is to keep the club up in the Premier League.

However, Spurs’ 1-0 weekend loss against Sunderland has put them in the relegation zone with six games to go in the current campaign.

De Zerbi has already made it clear that he has brought in only two people in his backroom staff as he does not want to complicate things for the players.

One former top-flight star has criticised Tottenham’s mentality after going behind in matches and De Zerbi will want to change that, but he does not have a lot of time to do that.

It goes without saying that the majority of the stars at the north London club have underperformed, and the goalkeeping position is not an exception.

Guglielmo Vicario’s performances and decision-making have been concerning and Serie A giants Inter Milan are working to sign him, indicating towards a parting of the ways in the summer.

Goalkeeper Age Mattia Perin 33 Michele De Gregorio 28 Carlo Pinsoglio 36 Juventus’ first team goalkeepers

Antonin Kinsky had horror show in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid and the club are looking for a new custodian.

De Zerbi prefers a ball-playing goalkeeper to execute his system, and according to Italian sports daily Tutto Sport, the Italian boss wants Juventus’ Di Gregorio.

However, the 28-year-old Italian custodian, though, ‘currently only has eyes for the Old Lady’ and is not considering heading to the Premier League.

Tottenham then face needing to convince the goalkeeper to change his stance, if De Zerbi is to get the man he wants.

Di Gregorio was first linked with a potential Premier League back in the 2023/24 season when he was at Monza, as Newcastle United were keen, but the Serie A club did not sell him.

Liverpool also wanted him, but the Milan-born shot-stopper snubbed the Reds and decided to join Juventus.

Mattia Perin has been given chances ahead of him sometimes this term by Luciano Spalletti, but Di Gregorio is categorically the first choice at the Old Lady.

Spurs will need to make sure they stay safe first in the Premier League; otherwise, their summer window plans will take a massive turn if they become a Championship side next term.

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Steve Bruce is now pessimistic about Tottenham Hotspur‘s chances of staying up in the Premier League this season given the amount of wins he feels they need.

Tottenham’s last win in the Premier League came back on 28th December against Crystal Palace, meaning they have not won in the league in 2026.

They have since been on a steady downward spiral and have now fallen into the relegation zone following the weekend results.

A 1-0 loss against Sunderland on Sunday did them no good, though Pat Nevin believes it will have told Roberto De Zerbi a lot about his players.

The performances of the players on the pitch have drawn sharp criticism from former stars, with an ex-Premier League winger saying that they look fragile on the pitch and have their confidence drained whenever they concede.

With Leeds United, West Ham and Nottingham Forest all appearing on an upwards curve, the onus is on Tottenham to win games and former Premier League boss Bruce doubts they can.

Bruce thinks Tottenham will need to win at least three games to have a chance of staying in the Premier League and on the basis of how hard they find it to get wins, he is pessimistic.

Premier League job Birmingham City Wigan Athletic Sunderland Newcastle United Steve Bruce’s Premier League jobs

“When you see that they haven’t won in 2026, which is something like 14 games, then you must look at it and think how on earth they’re going to win three or four out of the last five games?” Bruce said on talkSPORT (13th April, 21:59).

“They simply aren’t going to do it, are they?

“Quite incredible.

“I never thought I would see a team like Spurs, with what they have got, the facilities they have got, the players they have got, in the bottom three.

“That just shows how tough this Premier League is.”

Bruce has substantial experience of managing in the Premier League and his words may only add to the sense of growing alarm at Tottenham.

Dropping into the Championship would likely see a host of players looking to leave the club, before even the financial impact is taken into consideration.

De Zerbi has insisted he is at Tottenham for the long term, regardless of relegation, but going down would be a significant setback to the project the Italian has planned, as well as rule out a range of potential transfer targets.