Inside Futbol

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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.

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Former Celtic hitman Oh Hyeon-gyu is impressing at Besiktas, and Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are keen on the South Korean.

The Namyangju-born attacking talent started his senior career in South Korean football, impressing at Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

His performances caught Celtic’s eyes and the Glasgow giants signed him more than three years as part of their Asian drive under Ange Postecoglou.

After Oh joined the Bhoys, he admitted that Tottenham Hotspur legend Heung Min-Son inspired him.

One ex-Celtic hitman cast doubt over his qualities when he was at Celtic, where he scored 12 goals in 47 games across all competitions, but never made the level of impact many hoped for.

In the summer of 2024, Belgian Pro League giants Genk snapped him up from the Bhoys; he scored 22 times in 73 games for them.

Oh performed well at the Belgian club and he made another move in the January transfer window this year, as Super Lig side Besiktas paid a sizeable €14m to acquire the striker.

Scored against Alanyaspor (H) Basaksehir (A) Goztepe (H) Kasimpasa (H) Antalyaspor (H) – two Rizespor (H) Oh Hyeon-gyu’s Besiktas goals

Celtic included a sell-on clause when selling him to Genk and they pocketed around €2m to €3m when Oh made a move to the Black Eagles.

The 24-year-old South Korean has been on fire for the Super Lig giants, as he has scored seven goals and provided two assists in only ten games.

His contract runs until the summer of 2029 at the Turkish outfit, but his performances are attracting major European clubs for his signature.

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, ‘it has been learned’ Oh is being closely monitored by Tottenham and Manchester United ahead of the upcoming window, with it suggested he has ‘exploded’ in Turkey.

The former Celtic hitman’s agility and quality in the penalty box, alongside his ability to finish, are attracting the Premier League clubs.

Spurs though may not be a Premier League side next term if they do not rapidly improve.

Tottenham lost at the weekend against Sunderland and Roberto De Zerbi’s side’s mentality was questioned by an ex-Premier League star.

If Oh does make a move to the Premier League in the summer then it remains to be seen if Celtic will regret having let him go.

The Bhoys signed three attackers in the January transfer window in the shape of Junior Adamu, Tomas Cvancara and Joel Mvuka, but none of the trio have pulled up any trees, being called ‘abysmal’ by one former Celtic man.

Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Former Celtic hitman Oh Hyeon-gyu is impressing at Besiktas, and Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are keen on the South Korean.

The Namyangju-born attacking talent started his senior career in South Korean football, impressing at Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

His performances caught Celtic’s eyes and the Glasgow giants signed him more than three years as part of their Asian drive under Ange Postecoglou.

After Oh joined the Bhoys, he admitted that Tottenham Hotspur legend Heung Min-Son inspired him.

One ex-Celtic hitman cast doubt over his qualities when he was at Celtic, where he scored 12 goals in 47 games across all competitions, but never made the level of impact many hoped for.

In the summer of 2024, Belgian Pro League giants Genk snapped him up from the Bhoys; he scored 22 times in 73 games for them.

Oh performed well at the Belgian club and he made another move in the January transfer window this year, as Super Lig side Besiktas paid a sizeable €14m to acquire the striker.

Scored against Alanyaspor (H) Basaksehir (A) Goztepe (H) Kasimpasa (H) Antalyaspor (H) – two Rizespor (H) Oh Hyeon-gyu’s Besiktas goals

Celtic included a sell-on clause when selling him to Genk and they pocketed around €2m to €3m when Oh made a move to the Black Eagles.

The 24-year-old South Korean has been on fire for the Super Lig giants, as he has scored seven goals and provided two assists in only ten games.

His contract runs until the summer of 2029 at the Turkish outfit, but his performances are attracting major European clubs for his signature.

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, ‘it has been learned’ Oh is being closely monitored by Tottenham and Manchester United ahead of the upcoming window, with it suggested he has ‘exploded’ in Turkey.

The former Celtic hitman’s agility and quality in the penalty box, alongside his ability to finish, are attracting the Premier League clubs.

Spurs though may not be a Premier League side next term if they do not rapidly improve.

Tottenham lost at the weekend against Sunderland and Roberto De Zerbi’s side’s mentality was questioned by an ex-Premier League star.

If Oh does make a move to the Premier League in the summer then it remains to be seen if Celtic will regret having let him go.

The Bhoys signed three attackers in the January transfer window in the shape of Junior Adamu, Tomas Cvancara and Joel Mvuka, but none of the trio have pulled up any trees, being called ‘abysmal’ by one former Celtic man.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested that the tears shed by Cristian Romero during the club’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland were born out of a fear of missing the World Cup rather than his concern for the plight of Spurs.

Tottenham occupy 18th position in the Premier League table and sit two points behind West Ham United, who appear to have momentum and real togetherness, having suffered a dismal run of form in 2026 that has seen them pick up only a solitary point from a possible 24.

One former winger has already dubbed the current squad ‘fragile’ following their latest collapse, while concerns have also been raised regarding the mental implications of the relegation fight currently facing the team.

The Lilywhites were condemned to their 16th league defeat of the season following a 1-0 loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, a fixture in which Romero was forced off with an injury during the closing stages.

Murphy suggests that the emotional reaction from the defender was driven by self-interest regarding his international career rather than the immediate result of the match.

He argued that a player can instinctively sense when an injury is severe enough to cause a lengthy absence, leading him to conclude that the Argentine was mourning the potential loss of his place at the World Cup.

While the former Spurs star clarified that he is not questioning the commitment of the player to the club, he maintains that the tears were a response to personal heartbreak rather than Tottenham’s loss.

Tottenham star South American country Cristian Romero Argentina Richarlison Brazil Rodrigo Bentancur Uruguay Alejo Veliz Argentina South American players at Tottenham

Murphy said on talkSPORT (7:15): “I think his tears were probably because he thinks he’ll miss the World Cup.

“I know that sounds a bit cynical.

“Why are you crying if you have just got a knock?

“It did look a naughty one. I think he thinks he’s done his knee.

“You know as a player when you have got a bad one and I think the tears were ‘I am going to miss the World Cup’.

“I am not saying he does not care about Tottenham, but what I mean is that that was not, ‘oh, I am leaving the pitch and we are losing’.”

Tottenham could face a precarious future and presenters such as Adrian Durham believe that the threat of dropping into the Championship is now very real, an outcome that figures like Richard Keys have also come round to accepting.

The north London club have spent only one campaign outside the top flight since 1950, a period which saw them secure promotion back from Division Two by finishing third in the 1977/78 season.

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Former top flight winger Pat Nevin believes questions will be asked about whether Tottenham Hotspur should have started Mathys Tel away at Sunderland.

Tottenham went down to yet another league defeat on Sunday afternoon as Sunderland edged them 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Spurs are now clearly in the Premier League’s bottom three, sitting two points behind 17th placed West Ham United, who appear to have momentum and real togetherness.

All eyes were on Roberto De Zerbi’s first team as Tottenham boss and he decided to go with an attack of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani.

With Tottenham chasing the game in the second half, De Zerbi rung the changes and Tel was brought on just after the hour mark, replacing Richarlison.

Nevin feels that the Frenchman looked lively and asked real questions of the Sunderland defence when he was on the pitch.

The former winger thinks that given how Tel did, there will be questions over why De Zerbi did not start him at the Stadium of Light.

Remaining games Brighton (H) Wolves (A) Aston Villa (A) Leeds United (H) Chelsea (A) Everton (H) Tottenham’s remaining league games

He said on BBC Radio 5 live (12th April, 15:54): “He’s actually started quite well, Tel.

“Really lively, asking a different type of question.

“I suppose one of the questions will be ‘Tel has come on, he’s looked lively, he’s created the odd half chance, maybe he should have been on from the start’.”

Nevin though is keen to stress that the loss should not be marked against De Zerbi, who needs longer to get a grip on his team and feels he will have learned through the Sunderland result.

“He’s learned a little bit more about the capabilities of all those players.

“You’ve got to give him the first game at least to see how the team react to him.”

De Zerbi, who said in the run-up to the game he was keen to see Conor Gallagher get back to his Chelsea form, started the midfielder but then brought him off with five minutes left for Xavi Simons.

Tottenham must now prepare for a visit from De Zerbi’s former club Brighton as they scramble for points.

Brighton have their own reasons to want to beat Spurs though as they could still qualify for Europe with a good end to the campaign; the Seagulls have won five of their last six Premier League matches.