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De Zerbi Wants Tottenham to Sign Spain Star, He Could Replace Summer Signing Already

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Tottenham Hotspur had one of the busiest summer transfer windows in recent memory following consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi saved the team from relegation to the Championship thanks to a win on the final day of the season, and then added ten new players to his squad for the new campaign as he looked to shape the side in his own image.

Among those signings were £185m midfield duo Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, while the club also went big on signing new forwards Savio, Omar Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk to give the team a new look.

But things haven't gone well thus far. Spurs currently sit rock bottom of the Premier League with no wins in their first five games, while they have also been eliminated from the EFL Cup already by Liverpool, and have scored in just one of their top-flight games.

De Zerbi is now preparing for the upcoming clash with Man Utd upon their return to action following the international break, but Spurs are understood to be looking further ahead to provide further reinforcements for the Italian coach in the January transfer window.

One of those positions is believed to be the centre-forward, with Richarlison out of the plans following his failed move away in the summer, while Dominic Solanke has struggled for form and fitness over the last 12 months.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, the club are understood to be accelerating their interest in Espanyol forward Roberto Fernandez ahead of the January window, following his electric start to the campaign in La Liga.

The Spaniard has scored six goals in his first seven appearances this season, which earned him a call-up to Luis de la Fuente's Spain side for this international break. A number of clubs are understood to be monitoring his performances, but Tottenham are the club who are pushing hardest, with De Zerbi having made him their top target for 2027.

Tottenham scouts have analysed his performances and believe he would be perfect for the Premier League, but should he join, then it could mean a swift change of plans for one player that the north London club brought in just months ago.

Marmoush Could Be Replaced Already

When Marmoush was signed on an initial season-long loan deal with an obligation to become permanent next summer, the idea was that he would play as a central striker in De Zerbi's system.

The Egyptian's pace, dribbling ability, and eye for goal made him an ideal choice for the role, with the manager hoping to add some fluidity to his attack. But so far it hasn't worked out, with Marmoush failing to find the net in any of his five appearances for the team.

Fernandez's arrival would be the acceptance that there is something else needed from a striker for De Zerbi, and could see Marmoush's spot in the team taken away already. It's likely that he would be moved to the wing, or even the number ten role, but it would represent an immediate change of plan.

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Mix Of Bale And Defoe: De Zerbi Ready to Unleash Tottenham Sensation Soon

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There was a surprise inclusion in Tottenham Hotspur's men's team squad photo for the 2026/27 season when it emerged as the Premier League went on a three-week hiatus for an extended international break.

The squad photo included Richarlison, which was a surprise in itself, given the Brazilian was left out of Roberto De Zerbi's 25-man Premier League squad that was named after the summer transfer window closed.

But the biggest surprise was that one of the club's academy players was involved in the shoot - just one. That player was Luca Williams-Barnett, in a sure sign that De Zerbi has faith in the teenager to make the step up and become a first-team regular.

A number of other young players have been in matchday squad under De Zerbi, given the injury list that the Italian has dealt with at the end of last season and the beginning of this. But no others were given the honour of appearing in the first-team's matchday picture for the season.

Many Spurs supporters have been clamouring for him to be given a runout in the Premier League, particularly given Tottenham's lack of creativity in the final third, although when he has been involved he has noticed the different in tempo, saying that it "felt quite difficult to match the tempo and intensity" when he has been around the group. Recently turned 18, it would be a lot of pressure to heap on a youngster's shoulders to charge him with filling the void left by Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the No.10 role, but he certainly has the confidence in his own ability to make it to the top.

I can't wait to play in the Premier League, scoring for Tottenham, making the fans happy.

The teenager has 23 goals and 10 assists in 28 games in the U18 Premier League, as well as seven goals and six assists in Premier League 2 - the U21 league - in 11 appearances. He also has seven goals and two assists in 6 UEFA Youth League matches.

He scored for England U19s in their games with Norway U18s and the USA U19s during the current international break, with former Spurs star Dele Alli watching some highlights of him, including the goal against Norway, and saying: "I like this kid. I’m watching real talent right here. I’ve watched enough to see he is a baller, he could be the next big thing."

Given his position, Williams-Barnett could be likened to Alli, while he has also played in a more reserved central midfield role for the youth teams at Hotspur Way.

Former Tottenham academy coach Stuart Lewis suggested he had the ability to get fans off their feet like David Ginola and Dimitar Berbatov and Williams-Barnett can certainly be likened to players of that ilk.

He may not play so much off the wings, but his strength, calmness on the ball and ability beat players is very similar to what Tottenham legend Gareth Bale delivered regularly in N17.

Given what he has already managed in front of goal for the youth teams too, would suggest he has similar traits to that of Jermain Defoe too, another who scored a hatful of goals for Spurs.

Williams-Barnett has a long way to go, but De Zerbi cleared the decks of a lot of young players this summer and the 18-year-old stayed put and not only that has been included in the squad photo. He has a bright future and that future could arrive sooner rather than later.

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Sky Sports: Man Utd Ready to Sign Future Old Trafford Superstar From Tottenham

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Manchester United are involved in a five-way battle to try and sign Tottenham Hotspur star Luca Williams-Barnett, according to Sky Sports Germany, and he has everything to go on to become an Old Trafford superstar.

While Man United have made a disappointing start to the 2026-27 campaign, given how impressive they were in the first half of 2026, the big talking point around the club in recent weeks has been surrounding the future of JJ Gabriel.

The teenager only turned 16 years of age on Tuesday but he and his family have made it clear to United chiefs that he wants to leave the club due to perceived broken promises, with Gabriel expecting more first-team minutes this season.

It is a bold demand from a then 15-year-old player at a club the size of the Red Devils, but he will also look at Max Dowman's emergence at Arsenal at a similar age and believe he has the same ability to perform at a senior level now.

United will be trying to persuade Gabriel to remain at Old Trafford, but he is also attracting interest from clubs across Europe, with Chelsea one of the interested clubs who believe the player is more likely to move abroad, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Barcelona sporting director Deco told Jacobs that their interest in the player was being exaggerated, but Real Madrid remain leading contenders and Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also held talks with Gabriel and his representatives.

JJ Gabriel Transfer Contenders:

Chelsea

Manchester City

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Bayern Munich

Paris Saint-Germain

United still have a big say on his future, but now he is 16 and could get an Irish or Cypriot passport, that would allow him to be able to join one of the European giants, even though his registration with United doesn't end until the summer.

The Red Devils would be upset to lose one of the biggest academy talents they've had for years, but they may already be looking at potential replacements, with Sky Sports Germany, via Buli News, claiming they have an interest in Tottenham youngster Williams-Barnett.

Williams-Barnett is in a JJ Gabriel Situation

Interestingly, Williams-Barnett may feel he is in a relatively similar situation to the one Gabriel finds himself in at Old Trafford.

The 18-year-old was one of Tottenham's stars of pre-season and his ability to glide across the pitch with the ball and his end product stood out immediately alongside his senior peers.

You would have thought, based on those performances, that he would be involved in the Spurs squad more often than not this term, especially after Roberto De Zerbi's high praise for him this summer.

He said: "We have to manage him like a precious diamond. We have to help him to improve in the last decision. Physically, work harder to become stronger because this time of football, he needs to be strong, and to give him space when there is the right moment.

I usually give time to all the young players I work with in my career, and he is a special player.

However, after being an unused substitute against Brentford on the opening day of the season and only getting 12 minutes in the EFL Cup thrashing of Charlton Athletic, the teenager hasn't been involved in a squad since.

You could perhaps understand it if Tottenham were flying, but they are bottom of the Premier League table and have been struggling to find the right No.10 - Williams-Barnett's preferred position - option, with the likes of James Maddison still not fully fit.

There is still a feeling that De Zerbi isn't a manager who likes to put too much trust in younger players, and so there could be an opportunity for the likes of United if the player begins to think there is no first-team pathway at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What is clear is that when we have seen Williams-Barnett in the first team, there is a swagger about him that was similar to the one Dele Alli had, and it's always telling when a player effortlessly steps up to senior football and looks like he belongs.

If the 18-year-old continues on his current trajectory, whether that be at Tottenham or another club like United, then he has everything to be a future Premier League superstar, lighting up stadiums like Old Trafford.

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He Supports Tottenham: Spurs Have Already Found Djed Spence Replacement

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There was some concern during the summer transfer window that Tottenham were so willing to let Djed Spence leave the club, following a standout World Cup campaign for England.

Spence impressed under Thomas Tuchel in America, Canada and Mexico as the Three Lions reached the semi-final stage. And the 26-year-old was expected to vie with Pedro Porro for the right-back spot in Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs side in 2026/27. He also offered back-up in the left-back area, although Andy Robertson arrived from Liverpool to challenge Destiny Udogie there.

However, De Zerbi deemed Spence surplus to requirements and accepted a £30million offer from Inter Milan for the full-back.

Since then, Porro has missed two of the opening five games for Spurs and went off injured just 19 minutes into their most recent match with Aston Villa before the international break, leaving Archie Gray to fill in, with no other recognised right-backs on the books.

But there may be method to the madness, with De Zerbi potentially having the perfect Spence replacement already at his disposal, albeit maybe some time off making a first team appearance.

The name Oscar Sandiford may not be familiar to too many Tottenham supporters, but if he continues on the same trajectory he will be in the not too distant future.

Spurs' teenage star can play across the back-line

Sandiford has been named in the Guardian's Next Generation 2026 list of the top 20 Premier League players born between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010. The national newspaper compiles the list every single year, looking into the academies of the Premier League's clubs to highlight the next generation of talent.

Aged 16, Sandiford is Spurs' representative on the list, with the Guardian's Dave Hytner saying: "There are a few first-year scholars at Spurs who stand out but Sandiford is considered to be the most advanced. Able to play in central defence, he has settled in as the right-back for the club’s Under-18s – for whom he played the bulk of last season while still a schoolboy.

"He also helped his own year group team to win the Under-16 Premier League Cup."

Stockily built, quick and strong, a club insider describes him as being “like a bull” when he rushes forward on the overlap.

Sandiford, who joined Tottenham from Crystal Palace in 2024 at the age fo 14, has played five of Spurs U18s' six league games this season, with the club top of the South group, unbeaten so far with five wins and a draw. The teenager has three assists to his name from right-back.

He is already playing for England's U18s, getting the full 90 minutes under his belt in the 2-0 defeat to Spain on Saturday. What will endear him more to Spurs fans is that he is one of their own, having been brought up as a Tottenham supporter, attending White Hart Lane with his father when he was younger.

Tottenham fans have been clamouring to see more of forward Luca Williams-Barnett in the first team and it may not be long before they are talking about Sandiford making that step up too.

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Chris Waddle: Tottenham Dealt 'Bizarre' Sandro Tonali Situation Before Man Utd

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Tottenham Hotspur face their biggest match of the season so far when they travel to Manchester United on Saturday, as they look to kickstart their campaign.

Under the leadership of Roberto De Zerbi and with more than £300m spent on 10 new players during the summer transfer window, hopes were high that Tottenham were going to kick on and move up the Premier League table after successive 17th-place finishes.

It hasn't quite worked out like that though, and the pressure is beginning to grow on De Zerbi with the club lying bottom of the Premier League table after five games, with just two points and goals to their name.

United haven't had the strongest start to the campaign either and the Italian coach may well see an opportunity at the 'Theatre of Dreams', but he will be well aware that another underwhelming performance and result would ramp up the scrutiny on his position, even after half-a-dozen fixtures.

De Zerbi has already encountered his fair share of injury issues as Tottenham manager, not least this term when he has been unable to use the likes of Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski because of injury, while James Maddison hasn't been fully fit and Mykhailo Mudryk hurt his ankle after just one Spurs appearance and has been out of action since.

The 46-year-old would have been deeply concerned when it was reported that his first-choice centre-backs, Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke, had picked up injuries while representing the Netherlands, although it has been reported by a reliable Dutch journalist that the issues aren't as bad as first feared and neither player has been ruled out of facing United.

Meanwhile, £100m record signing Sandro Tonali has started all five of Spurs' Premier League matches this season, although he did miss the EFL Cup tie against Liverpool with a muscle injury.

Tonali went off to represent Italy in the Nations League after the defeat to Aston Villa, although a minor issue flared up during his time away.

Still, he featured in all four of his country's matches, saying that he now feels '100%' fit.

He said: “Physically, I’m 100% now. The pain I was having has resolved. I’m ready to do my part. It doesn’t matter if I play as a midfielder or a playmaker, especially since the roles can vary depending on the match."

Waddle Unhappy With Tonali and Italy Situation

Tottenham legend Chirs Waddle has been speaking out on the situation, via talkSPORT Bet, who offer the latest sports betting, and believes it was 'bizarre' that the 26-year-old featured in all four of Italy's fixtures even though he had an injury flare-up.

I was surprised to see Tonali turning out for all the Italy games. He was injured, then suddenly he's fit. I found that bizarre.

"Listen, whether they thought it was just a slight knock and missing one game would be alright, that's fine. But they've had a lot of players away on international duty who will be coming back in the next two or three days to get back to work.

"A lot of these players, not just Tottenham's, have travelled around Europe or the world for three weeks, jumping on and off aeroplanes and buses. By the time they get back to training on Thursday morning, a lot of them will be feeling tired.

"A lot of these players coming back, especially those from South America or far away, might start training on Thursday with jet lag, and yet they're expected to deliver a top performance at the weekend. It's extremely demanding, and to be honest, these Nations League games are an absolute farce."

Tottenham's Upcoming Fixtures:

Manchester United away (Oct 10)

Coventry home (Oct 19)

Chelsea away (Oct 24)

Crystal Palace home (Oct 31)

Waddle raises a great point and, having been unable to work with a few of his key players during the international break, there will be added uncertainty to the starting XI De Zerbi is able to pick, and what sort of performance they produce.

United are in the same situation though, so it can't be used as an excuse, and the Italian manager needs to show sooner rather than later that he can galvanise the team and get them moving in the right direction.

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Forget Yoro or Baleba: Man Utd Ready to Unleash Game-Changing Star vs Tottenham

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Manchester United face arguably their biggest match of the season so far when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Both clubs came into the 2026-27 season full of hope and optimism, but each have made disappointing starts to the campaign.

Man United lie in 12th position having won just one of their opening five Premier League matches, against newly-promoted Ipswich Town at home, while Spurs are even worse off as they are bottom of the standings just months after they avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season.

We are only five games in, and it is early days, but the outside pressure is beginning to build on both Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi, with performances and results not where they were expected to be before the campaign got underway.

The two clubs spent more than £450m combined in the summer transfer window, but the majority of those additions are yet to have the desired effect on the teams yet.

The Red Devils were lucky to take a point against Fulham in their last match before the extended international break, with Sky Sports pundit and United fan Gary Neville describing one period of the match as one of the worst in all of his years watching the club.

Performances and results need to improve and quickly, and it would be no surprise if Carrick looks at making changes to the XI that started at Craven Cottage on September 20.

One of those could be a full debut for summer signing Carlos Baleba, who was on the bench in west London, and he could replace Kobbie Mainoo if the midfielder isn't deemed fit enough having withdrawn from international duty for England.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of clamour for changes to be made in the backline, and Leny Yoro may have forced his way into contention with an impressive debut performance for France in their 4-1 win against Belgium on Monday night, which saw manager Zinedine Zidane label him as 'great'.

Some United fans would probably prefer to see the young Frenchman in the XI ahead of either Harry Maguire or Lisandro Martinez, but there is another player Carrick must unleash against Spurs.

Carrick Ready to Unleash Amad Diallo on Saturday

As well as their defensive issues, United have had a problem in attack so far this season too.

Benjamin Sesko's injury issues have often meant that Matheus Cunha has been used as a makeshift striker, and he has looked nowhere near as threatening as when he played from the left for the Red Devils last term.

Bryan Mbeumo probably would have been the best choice for the centre-forward role in Sesko's absence, but he has been chosen as the preferred option on the right instead, with Amad Diallo yet to play a single minute of football this season after suffering an ankle injury in the summer.

However, Carrick hinted that the Ivory Coast international was closing in on a return before the international break, and he will have had a further three weeks to recover by the time United kick off against Tottenham.

The attacker's output actually came into question earlier this year, but at the time Carrick threw his weight behind the African star.

"I actually think he's playing well. I think, yeah, numbers in terms of goals and assists.... I think there's an awful lot more in the game, playing in a winning team as he has, to worry about numbers.

I think he gives the team so much. He's got so much talent, he's got so much ability, but his work ethic and his attitude is fantastic as well. He has played different roles at times. I'm a big fan of Amad.

The inclusion of Diallo in the XI again would solve a big issue for Carrick, with Sesko looking likely to miss the game, as he could play the 24-year-old on the right wing and Mbeumo in the centre.

It would then leave him with a decision to make on the left between Cunha and Marcus Rashford, who also pulled out of the England squad after picking up a knock against Fulham.

With everyone in more suitable positions again, if Diallo is fit enough to start, his return could prove to be the game-changer that Carrick desperately needs.

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Man Utd Make 'World-Class' Tottenham Star Top Transfer Target, Carrick Wants Him

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Manchester United have already made it clear that their plan for the 2027 transfer windows is to strengthen their defence.

In 2025, INEOS bolstered the attack by bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, while this past summer they stacked their midfield with the arrivals of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.

United looked at adding defenders to the squad this summer but no deals materialised, and it has now emerged that the plan is in place for the final area of their squad to be overhauled and upgraded over the next 12 months.

Michael Carrick will have some big decisions to make on his squad in that time period too, with a number of experienced stars entering crucial stages of their contract, which could see their futures at the club come into question.

Luke Shaw's £200,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford is set to expire at the end of this season, while Harry Maguire's contract is also due to come to an end once this season is over. Alongside them, Argentina star Lisandro Martinez's £120,000-a-week contract is currently due to expire next summer, but United hold the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

As a result of that, plus the injury issues that Matthijs De Ligt has been dealing with, left-sided defenders are being looked at as a priority, and according to Football Insider, Man Utd have already decided that their top target will be Tottenham star Micky Van de Ven.

The Dutch defender signed a new long-term contract at Spurs this summer, after flirting with the idea of leaving after two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League.

But Spurs have started the season poorly once again and currently sit bottom of the table. Should that continue, it's possible that an exit could be looked at again, just like they did with Cristian Romero in the summer just gone.

The 25-year-old has been praised since coming to the Premier League, with former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara describing him as "world-class".

"I think Van de Ven is a world-class player. Van de Ven is world-class. He would walk straight into Man City's team. He would walk into any team.

Van De Ven Could Replace Man Utd Pair

While Van de Ven has been a centre-back for the vast majority of his time in the top-flight, Man Utd could potentially use him in different roles.

The defender is at his best centrally, but for the national team he is regularly used in a more traditional left-back role, and that could make him an exciting option for Carrick at Old Trafford. With Shaw out of contract, and Martinez seemingly more likely to be on the move rather than stay beyond 2028, an experienced option for both positions is needed.

United could find a way to replace two experienced, first-choice stars with one player, thus saving money on an alternative in other positions to strengthen, and get the man they really want.

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De Zerbi Loves Him: Tottenham Must Put Star Up for Sale After 5 Premier League Games

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Tottenham Hotspur have made a disastrous start to the 2026-27 season, and they have four important matches between now and October 31 to turn their fortunes around.

Two points and just two goals so far have left Tottenham bottom of the Premier League table, despite ENIC backing Roberto De Zerbi with more than £300m worth of new signings during the summer transfer window.

Spurs have been particularly poor going forward, but they have been suspect at the back too, as shown by the three goals they conceded against Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last time out.

That was Villa's first league win of the campaign, and the north London outfit will be targeting theirs when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Michael Carrick's men have made a similarly underwhelming start by winning one of their five Premier League matches, despite being the strongest team in the division, points-wise, in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.

The trip north is the first of four key games for Tottenham and De Zerbi, with winnable home games against Coventry City and Crystal Palace on Halloween being sandwiched by a London derby against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Premier League's Best-Paid Managers:

Mikel Arteta (£15m)

Oliver Glasner and Xabi Alonso (£13m)

Roberto De Zerbi and Enzo Maresca (£12m)

To be fair to De Zerbi, he probably hasn't had the attacking options he wanted at his disposal for much of the campaign, with Savinho not joining until August 26 and then suffering an injury issue, while Mykhailo Mudryk has also been out after making just one substitute appearance for the club.

With Richarlison bombed out of the squad, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski still returning to full fitness, and Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert still long-term absentees, the Italian has largely been restricted to the use of Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel

The latter had started three of Spurs' opening four Premier League matches, before being omitted from the squad against Villa for what De Zerbi described as a 'technical' decision.

Tottenham Need to Cash in on Tel Now

After joining on an initial six-month loan deal in January 2025, Tottenham completed the signing of the Frenchman on a six-year deal the following summer, after agreeing a £30m fee with Bayern Munich.

The 21-year-old clearly has a lot of promise and talent in his locker, but more often than not, he simply hasn't turned up in a Spurs shirt, and has left fans underwhelmed with his displays.

You could perhaps understand his struggles under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor previously, but things have got no better for the France Under-21 international under De Zerbi either, culminating in him being left out of the squad altogether before the international break with other players preferred.

We may only be seven matches into the season, but Tottenham should already be putting Tel up for sale, with all the signs so far suggesting he has no long-term future in north London.

De Zerbi made it clear following the goalless draw against Everton that he needed more from the 21-year-old, even if he does 'love' him.

"Yes, I coached him on the pitch. The body shape of a striker. The striker can play with the shoulder on the goal. If we are playing with [James] Maddison, [Mohammed] Kudus and Savio, he has to play as a striker, and the striker has to look at the goal, no?

"Or on the cross of Robertson. He has to stay inside because he started [his career] as a striker. Now he's playing as a winger, but he started in his career as a striker."

But I love Mathys as a player, as a guy. There is not a problem.

Whether De Zerbi loves the player or not, it appears likely that once the likes of Kulusevski, Odobert and Simons are fit and available, Tel will find himself either further down the pecking order.

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Man Utd vs Tottenham: Dutch Journalist Issues Big Van de Ven, Van Hecke Injury Update

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have just been given a major update on the fitness of Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven ahead of the massive Premier League match against Manchester United this weekend.

Tottenham and their manager, Roberto De Zerbi, know they are facing a crucial clash against the Red Devils this weekend, as they lie bottom of the standings after five matches.

The fact that Spurs have two points and two goals having spent so much money in the summer clearly isn't good enough, and they need to turn a corner quickly if they are to achieve their ambitions of finishing higher in the league this season, and if De Zerbi is to keep his job.

The Italian isn't under huge pressure yet, but football is a results-driven business and if performances and results continue as they have been, Tottenham chiefs will have no choice but to axe the manager they have given a lot of responsibility to and thrown a lot of support behind in recent months.

Spurs are already set to be without key defender Pedro Porro against Michael Carrick's side, who are also struggling at the beginning of the campaign, and recently there have been doubts over two more of their starting defenders this term.

Jan Paul van Hecke withdrew from international duty for the Netherlands and worries were increased when manager Xavi said he was 'in a lot of pain', while captain Micky van de Ven hurt his wrist in Holland's 2-1 win against Serbia on Sunday night.

There were instant doubts over whether the duo would be fit to face United this weekend, and they would be huge misses given they have been De Zerbi's preferred centre-back partnership so far in 2026-27.

However, reliable Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof provided a positive update for Spurs fans on Monday morning, with the injuries for both players said to be 'not as serious as first thought'.

While neither player is definitely confirmed to be available for the trip to Old Trafford, Blaauwhof also says that neither has been ruled out and that there is 'relief' around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Relief for Roberto De Zerbi

Tottenham haven't looked particularly solid this season so far, as shown by their 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa immediately before the international break, so it would have been a big worry to be going to United without Porro, Van de Ven and Van Hecke.

The latter duo's partnership is still building, but there are positive signs and the fact they are playing with each other at international level too is clearly a big advantage.

Playing Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo at the heart of the defence on Saturday would have been a concern, and De Zerbi will be delighted if he has his skipper available at the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

The Italian made no secret of his admiration for the Dutchman when he signed a new contract earlier this year, before then giving him the captain's armband.

Micky is one of the best centre-backs in Europe and an important player for us.

"He has the qualities, mentality and ambition that we want at Tottenham Hotspur, and I am very happy that he has decided to continue his journey with the Club.

"We are building something strong here, and players like Micky are an important part of that future. His decision to sign a new contract shows his belief in what we are creating together."

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Tottenham Must Make Major U-Turn and Trigger World-Class Star's Release Clause in January

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Tottenham Hotspur have had a nightmare start to their season, and there are some serious question marks around the club.

Spurs spent around £400m on ten new players in the summer transfer window, with manager Roberto De Zerbi given the keys to the decision-making in north London after taking over at the back end of last season and helping them to survive relegation.

On the back of two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, De Zerbi and the club felt that there were some big changes needed in the window. Senior players like Cristian Romero, Djed Spence, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario were moved on, while a crop of young talent including the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Will Lankshear were also sold.

But while last season's first-choice goalkeeper left, De Zerbi only brought in the experience of Martin Dubravka to replace him, meaning that Antonin Kinsky was handed the role of starter despite a difficult spell at the club so far.

Kinsky was also handed a new long-term contract to reaffirm their commitment to his qualities, but things haven't gone so well yet. The Czech goalkeeper has kept two clean sheets in six games, but Spurs sit bottom of the league after defeats to Brentford, Newcastle, and Aston Villa, and were also eliminated from the EFL Cup by Liverpool.

The idea was clearly to build Kinsky up into being the first-choice goalkeeper. But while he hasn't yet made any glaring errors this season, it's clear that he doesn't instill the confidence and calm that a top goalkeeper would do in his Tottenham defence.

The decision to go with an inexperienced goalkeeper who has struggled for form and confidence was a big gamble, and it could well be backfiring. But Spurs cannot afford for it to backfire and the problems of the last two seasons to come back around.

Tottenham need experience, quality, and someone who can make an immediate impact in their net, and there is a very obvious answer to solving that problem.

Tottenham Must Throw Everything at Diogo Costa

Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa is widely considered to be one of the best in the world, and that makes it all the more baffling that he is still a Porto player.

Despite their successes in the domestic league, Costa is more than good enough to be playing at the very highest level, and with a €60m (£51m) release clause in his contract, it's not a deal that is outrageously expensive either.

An exit has been linked for several years now, but has never materialised. But Tottenham have the money, and the desperate need within their squad, to make a move finally happen, and improve their squad immediately in the process.

There's no doubting that he would be a huge upgrade on Kinsky and Dubravka, and it's a deal that could be the difference between relegation and survival.

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