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Tottenham Hotspur have received a huge boost if they do suffer relegation to the Championship, with TEAMtalk claiming that three of their stars want to stay in the event of them going down.

Tottenham's position in the Premier League is looking more than precarious ahead of the visit of Roberto De Zerbi's former team Brighton and Hove Albion to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, as they lie in the drop zone and two points from safety.

While fellow relegation battlers West Ham United and Leeds United both won last time out, and Nottingham Forest drew against Aston Villa, Spurs continued their miserable winless run in 2026 with another defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The north Londoners remain without a Premier League win since beating Crystal Palace on December 28, and they need a huge turnaround in form in their remaining six matches, starting against the Seagulls in the capital on Saturday evening.

Should they go down, it appears as though three players are willing to help secure an immediate return to the top tier next season.

Tottenham Consider Trio Untouchable

Tottenham are already preparing for both eventualities this season, although TEAMtalk report that despite the assumption that there could be a mass exodus of players this summer, it might not actually be the case.

Spurs won't sanction a major clearout this summer even if they drop into the Championship, with a desire to keep a key core of players at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While some high-profile exits should be expected, three players are untouchable - Archie Gray, Conor Gallagher and James Maddison.

Interestingly, the trio are all said to have no desire to leave should the worst happen, and they are viewed as being central to the club's future.

All three players have experience of playing in the Championship, which could prove valuable for Tottenham and De Zerbi if they are looking to return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Which Tottenham Players Would Leave?

According to the same report, captain Cristian Romero, his centre-back partner Micky van de Ven and playmaker Xavi Simons would be among the players expected to go.

Losing the former duo would be a blow in particular, as it would leave Spurs needing a big overhaul of their central defence ahead of their campaign in the Championship.

It wouldn't be unexpected though, with both players having a desire to play in the Champions League, not the Championship, at this stage of their careers.

The report states that Spurs insiders have indicated that the players' contracts include relegation salary reductions, meaning they are not under immediate pressure to sell players.

That should prevent a fire-sale and allow them to take a more measured approach to how many players leave, and the identity of them.

Tottenham Hotspur have given the green light for Guglielmo Vicario to leave the club this summer, but one hurdle remains after the Italian reached a basic agreement to join Inter Milan.

Tottenham will be facing a mass exodus of their players should they suffer a devastating relegation to the Championship, which is very much on the cards as things stand.

With six matches remaining, Spurs are in the bottom three and two points from safety, with all the three teams above them in the table - West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United - all in better form.

Forest drew with fourth-placed Aston Villa last time out, while West Ham thrashed Wolves 4-0 and Leeds picked up an unexpected 2-1 win at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Roberto De Zerbi would have hoped to make an instant impact in his opening match in charge against Sunderland, but it was the same old story for the north London outfit as they were beaten 1-0, extending their winless run in the Premier League, with their previous victory coming against Crystal Palace on December 28.

Vicario Reaches Agreement to Join Inter

While Vicario has been Tottenham's number one for three seasons now, it appears as though there is an acceptance that it is time for all parties to go their separate ways this summer.

It was reported during Igor Tudor's short reign that the 29-year-old was determined to leave after a fallout with the Croatian, with the stopper dropped for the crucial Champions League tie away at Atletico Madrid.

Like many of his Spurs teammates, Vicario hasn't been in the best of form this season, but he remains their best goalkeeper and De Zerbi will be hoping to have him back as soon as possible for the run-in, following hernia surgery during the international break.

According to L'Interista, Vicario remains Inter's absolute number one target to replace the outgoing Yann Sommer this summer.

The 29-year-old has agreed a €3m-per-season four-year deal to move to the San Siro, with Tottenham ready to agree an exit for the Italian at the end of the season.

Tottenham Need to Agree Vicario Deal

With an Inter contract said to be essentially ready to sign and Tottenham willing to let Vicario go, the last remaining hurdle is the two clubs agreeing a fee for the player.

The Serie A giants are said to be ready to make an offer worth between around £15.5-17.5m for the 29-year-old, to secure their top goalkeeper target.

It remains to be seen if that will be enough for Tottenham to accept, with Inter ready to turn their attentions elsewhere if not.

Tottenham have been linked with a move for Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as a potential replacement for Vicario, with De Zerbi having signed the Dutchman during his time in charge of the Seagulls.

The Italian is said to have given the green light for the 23-year-old's signature this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have received a huge boost amid their ongoing Premier League survival battle, as both James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur have returned to first-team training.

The two midfielders were spotted training at Hotspur Way on Wednesday, although Maddison is still some time away from being available and is not expected to feature in Saturday’s meeting with Brighton.

The 29-year-old sustained an ACL injury in August, missing the entire season to date as a result, and is racing against time to make an appearance before the end of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Bentancur has been sidelined since January after suffering a serious hamstring injury in Tottenham’s 3-2 away defeat to Bournemouth.

James Maddison Returns to Tottenham Training

According to Sky Sports News, Maddison is not expected to be available for manager Roberto De Zerbi’s selection in Tottenham’s meeting with Brighton on Saturday, despite making a return to first-team training.

“He’s been out since that ACL injury he sustained in pre-season, but it has been stressed to me that this is a part of his gradual re-integration into the squad.

“Do not expect to see him in the matchday squad anytime soon, I’m afraid, Spurs fans, but of course, it is positive news in terms of his recovery.”

Sitting 18th in the Premier League table, Tottenham are two points from safety and will have to see out their difficult campaign without captain Cristian Romero.

The Argentine international has been ruled out until the end of the season with a knee injury suffered in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland and is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.

Tottenham also remain without Mohammed Kudus ahead of the meeting with Brighton, with the forward suffering a setback in his recovery from a quad injury and possibly requiring surgery.

Guglielmo Vicario could make a return on Saturday after undergoing hernia surgery over the international break, while Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees.

Tottenham ‘Pushing’ for Romero Replacement

Speaking on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast on Wednesday, journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that Romero may have already played his last game for Spurs.

The 27-year-old defender is believed to be heading towards the exit door following a difficult campaign in north London, with European clubs closely monitoring him ahead of the summer.

Tottenham could welcome Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi as a replacement, with reports in Argentina suggesting they are among the sides ‘pushing’ to sign the 28-year-old.

Senesi could leave the Cherries on a free transfer at the end of his contract in June after spending four years at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur could face a mass exodus of players should they drop into the Championship, but Dejan Kulusevski is set to stay at the club, according to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Tottenham chiefs are hopeful that Roberto De Zerbi can keep the club in the Premier League, but the Italian got his reign off to the worst possible start as the north Londoners suffered a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

Lying two points from safety, the Italian now has six games left to ensure Spurs are playing top flight football again next season, starting against former club Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

The 46-year-old will have to do it without a number of senior players though, with captain Cristian Romero joining other teammates on the sidelines for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury on Wearside.

Mohammed Kudus also looks set to miss the remainder of the campaign, alongside Kulusevki, who hasn't played a single minute all season for Tottenham as he himself recovers from a patella injury.

Di Marzio: Kulusevki 'Will Stay' at Tottenham

According to an interview with Sky journalist Di Marzio, via Football London, Kulusevski will 'definitely' be a Tottenham player next season, whichever division they find themselves in.

He added that De Zerbi will be desperate to keep hold of the Sweden international, due to his experience and personality.

The Italian reporter said: "I definitely think Kulusevski will stay at Tottenham, even if they leave. He is a good example for other players and De Zerbi likes him. He has the right mentality, so I think Kulusevski can become one of the most important players in their project, regardless of whether they play in the Premier League or the Championship."

"De Zerbi will really try to keep him. He loves players like him who have a strong identity and personality. He will definitely try to keep him."

Kulusevski Staying Would be a Shock

While some may point to Kulusevski's injury as a reason why he would stay at Tottenham in the Championship, it would still be a shock if he played for Spurs for a whole season in England's second tier.

Remember, prior to this injury, the 25-year-old was one of the north London club's best players and he has been a top and consistent performer in the Premier League and Serie A during his career, as well as in European competition.

Even though he is likely to go 12 months without playing competitive football, it is hard to believe that no top flight club in a major European league wouldn't take a punt on bringing Kulusevski in if they could.

He has proven time and time again to be a top-class performer in a white shirt, and he is still at an age where he can recover well from a serious injury like this one.

What is clear is that if Spurs do go down and Kulusevski does indeed stay, and depending on any other Tottenham player exits, he would be the best player in the Championship.

Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha are expected to leave Tottenham Hotspur when their loans expire in June, according to the Daily Mail.

The north London side are reportedly unlikely to exercise their option to make Palhinha’s move permanent, while Kolo Muani’s deal contains no such clause.

The two exits are expected to happen regardless of Spurs’ Premier League status next season, with the club under serious threat of relegation with six games remaining.

Tottenham are winless in their last 13 top-flight games, including a 1-0 loss to Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge last Sunday, with Kolo Muani, previously described as ‘exceptional’, playing the full 90 minutes.

Kolo Muani and Palhinha Set to Leave Tottenham

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham’s potential relegation from the Premier League is likely to spark a major first-team exodus, with the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons among those who could attract interest from Champions League clubs.

With Palhinha, praised as 'exceptional', and Kolo Muani set for exits, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is emerging as a serious target for Inter Milan, who are ‘confident’ of signing the Italian for around £20m.

Brazilian side Flamengo are also said to be targeting Richarlison, while a host of emerging stars are expected to attract significant interest in the event of a drop to the Championship.

The trio of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic could all be on their way out, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich among the former’s suitors.

Chelsea and Aston Villa are both long-term admirers of Bergvall, while Vuskovic has attracted interest from Barcelona and Bayern following his impressive loan spell at Hamburg.

Spurs could end up extending midfielder Yves Bissouma’s contract, which is expiring at the end of the season, to preserve his transfer value ahead of the summer.

Speaking on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast on Wednesday, journalist Fabrizio Romano delivered an update on Romero’s future at Tottenham, saying the Argentine defender is likely to have played his last game for the club.

Romero has been ruled out until the end of the season with a knee injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to Sunderland and is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero has 'probably' played his last game for the club, depending on one factor, according to Fabrizio Romano speaking on GIVEMESPORT's Market Madness podcast.

Everyone associated with Tottenham would have been hoping for an instant impact from new manager Roberto De Zerbi when they faced Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, but it was the same old story as they were beaten 1-0 without offering much themselves going forward.

Spurs now lie two points adrift of West Ham United, and the safety line, with six matches left to stop themselves dropping into the Championship and a league fixture against Lincoln City next term.

While the Irons, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have hit form, with the latter beating Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, Tottenham remain without a league win since they beat Crystal Palace on December 28.

It is a record that De Zerbi needs to end quickly, and he will hope he can do it when his former employers Brighton and Hove Albion visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Italian will have to do it without Romero though, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Romano: Time for Romero to Leave Tottenham This Summer

Doubts remained over the Argentina international's future even before the injury he picked up against Sunderland that has ruled him out for the rest of the season, and potentially puts his 2026 World Cup at risk too.

Reports from Argentina earlier this year suggested that a decision has been made that the 27-year-old will leave Tottenham at the end of the season.

While Romano doesn't go that far, there is a feeling from various parties involved that this could be the summer when they part ways, although Spurs are unlikely to let him go unless they achieve their valuation having become known as tough negotiators.

Speaking on the latest episode of GMS' Market Madness podcast on Wednesday afternoon, Romano explained the latest:

"What I can tell you is that there is a feeling around all people involved in this story, on player's side, and then on club side, it is probably going to be time for Cuti Romero to leave in the summer transfer window.

"We know it's always difficult to negotiate with Tottenham, especially when it's about top players. They are tough and so obviously, let's see who is prepared to pay what Tottenham want.

"From what I understand, there is no release clause, in paper, in the contract of Cuti Romero. It was just a gentleman's agreement, but with the previous chairman, Daniel Levy, but now there is no release clause to be activated."

Tottenham to Set Romero Valuation

While the feeling seems to be that Romero will be exiting Tottenham this summer, regardless of which division they find themselves in next term, Spurs' stance on his price will be key to what happens.

The north Londoners could be in a strong negotiating position too, given the Argentine has three years remaining on his contract.

Romano added: "The price is up to Tottenham. It's Tottenham deciding, so we have to see how the negotiations will be.

"There is interest from Europe, and also from abroad. For sure, there is a lot of interest in Romero, and the expectation of those around player and club is that something will happen in the summer. But again, it depends on the price."

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham's valuation of their skipper is affected should they drop into the Championship, which is a genuine possibility right now.

Tottenham Hotspur are on the brink of relegation from the Premier League, following their 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in new manager Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge.

The Italian took charge at the Stadium of Light for the first time since signing a five-year contract during the recent break in games, replacing former interim boss Igor Tudor, who departed after making the situation even worse after replacing Thomas Frank.

But despite having the best part of a week to work with his players and begin to implement his ideas, Spurs struggled massively to create chances and looked shaky in defence, leaving them in the relegation zone with just six games remaining of the campaign.

Tottenham Must Make Changes

It's clear that change is needed in north London, on and off the pitch, but while De Zerbi is in it for the long run at Tottenham Hotspur, others most definitely are not.

One such player is Cristian Romero. The club captain has been strongly linked with a move away from the club in recent transfer windows, but signed a new contract with Spurs last summer, when he was handed the armband permanently. However, it has recently emerged that there is a release clause in the deal, and the Argentine wants to leave.

While staying in the Premier League may have provided some hope that he could stay, it seemed unlikely, and it now seems that De Zerbi's style of play and management won't be able to win him over after he suffered a knee injury in the game this past weekend.

Romero left the pitch in tears and is now set to miss the rest of the season as a result, with his World Cup hopes also hanging in the balance. With an exit anticipated and an injury ruling him out of the season, his time under De Zerbi is surely done already.

Who Can Replace Romero?

It's never easy to replace a top defender like Romero, but his leadership qualities have been called into question regularly this season, with a number of suspensions meaning he has missed large chunks of the campaign at key times.

Kevin Danso is available and ready to step in for the short-term, but whether he is the answer in the long term remains to be seen. De Zerbi, though, will now get the chance to find out.

Danso will undoubtedly be the man to step into Romero's place for the remaining games, and if he can stake his claim then it may affect transfer business. But one thing is clear, Romero's Spurs career is clearly over.

It has been a difficult campaign for Tottenham Hotspur when it comes to injuries this season.

The Lilywhites have been beset by injuries, with the likes of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski not able to play a single minute so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies saw their seasons cut short by injuries too, with there being a number of other long-term absentees on the sidelines too.

One Player Returning Is A Rare Bright Light For Tottenham

But after watching Kudus suffer a setback in his recovery days after Roberto De Zerbi joined the club and seeing club captain Cristian Romero hobble off in his first game in charge, the new Italian boss has been handed a timely boost this week, with the news that long-term injured midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has returned to first-team training ahead of the game with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

The Uruguayan has not played for Spurs since picking up a hamstring injury in the defeat to Bournemouth at the beginning of January, leaving Spurs very light in the central midfield department. And Tottenham have not won a match in the Premier League since he has been out of action.

Bentancur was generally the first choice option in the middle of the pitch under Thomas Frank until his injury and would be a welcome return for new boss De Zerbi as they look to get themselves out of trouble at the bottom of the Premier League table.

The 28-year-old was never expected to be out for the rest of the season when he picked up the injury in January and he looks set to return to action in a timely boost to De Zerbi.

De Zerbi's Former Club Could Stick The Knife In

Speaking last week, ahead of the Sunderland game, De Zerbi said: "Vicario is not ready for this game. I hope he comes back earlier next week, but I don't know yet. Bentancur is working with us, but not completely, but we are enough to fight, to play and to make points."

Spurs take on De Zerbi's former club Brighton & Hove Albion in their next match at 5.30pm on Saturday evening, knowing they need a win to move out of the relegation zone.

Spurs slipped into the bottom three in the standings after West Ham beat Wolves on Friday night and De Zerbi's side could not pick up a result against Sunderland to move back out of the danger zone.

Roberto De Zerbi gave his first indication of how he wants his new Tottenham team to set up during his first match in charge away at Sunderland on Sunday.

It is a new system for the players to get used to, having seen Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor come and go in N17.

They do not have long to get up to speed, with Spurs staring down the barrel of relegation to the Championship and out of the top tier of the English football pyramid for the first time since 1977.

Roberto De Zerbi Ball Needs To Improve Quickly

The Lilywhites are two points adrift of safety, dropping into the relegation zone for the first time this season at the weekend.

De Zerbi set up in his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation, and while Spurs looked much better on the ball, they did not have the cut and thrust up front to get themselves a goal and remained vulnerable at the back. At times it was almost a 4-1-2-3 formation, with Archie Gray sitting in front of the back line, but not really being utilised.

One player who did not get much of a chance to impress his new boss was Xavi Simons - Spurs big £51million signing from the summer.

It is fair to say that the Dutchman took a long time to settle into life in the Premier League, but there have been signs of his growing presence and adaptation in the last few months, although with a struggling team around him, how much can really be expected from him?

Yet De Zerbi only threw him on for the final six minutes - plus injury-time - of the match at the Stadium of Light - barely giving him a chance to get on the ball.

The Italian had namechecked the 22-year-old in his press conference before the match, describing him as a "big talent" and explained the lack of minutes afterwards too.

He said: "I changed three players, then after Romero's injury there was on the pitch Kolo Muani and Udogie. I didn't know when Udogie could finish. Without Romero's injury, Xavi would have come on before."

Simons has been sparingly used, not just under De Zerbi now, but under Frank and Tudor before him. He averages just over an hour on the pitch in his 26 Premier League appearances so far this season, starting 17 of them.

Xavi Simons Has Been Out Of Favour With More Than One Spurs Boss

But there is a real argument he should be starting more often.

Simons arrived at Tottenham on August 29, missing the first three games of the season - the third at home to Bournemouth was played the day after he joined.

Since then he has been unavailable for three games due to suspension, following a sending off against Liverpool, but has played a part in every other match.

Tottenham have only won 12 games since he arrived at the club - highlighting just why they are in the trouble they are, but an interesting statistic has emerged from those 12 wins. Simons has started 11 of those 12 wins - the only one he missed was the victory over Crystal Palace in December because of that red card suspension.

Now, Spurs have lost plenty of games with Simons in the starting lineup, so we're not suggesting when he starts they win, but when Spurs do win, he is almost always in the starting lineup.

He is not the only one. Unsurprisingly Guglielmo Vicario has also played 11 of those 12 matches - only missing the Carabao Cup win over Doncaster - given he is Spurs' first choice No.1.

There is a third player who would appear to be undroppable and that is Pedro Porro, having also played in 11 of those 12 wins since Simons joined the club.

Simons has been ignored by Tudor and, having been left out of De Zerbi's first starting lineup, seems to be out of favour early with the new man in charge at Spurs and there are clear reasons why he should not be.

Tottenham are in ‘intense talks’ to appoint former Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl, according to German publication BILD.

The north London side are reportedly working on a move to bring the 46-year-old to the club following his departure from Dortmund in March.

Tottenham are believed to be on the lookout for a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who left the club after the January transfer window for Serie A side Fiorentina.

Paratici spent three-and-a-half months during his second stint at the club, serving as co-sporting director alongside Johan Lange.

Tottenham in Talks to Hire Sebastian Kehl

Following his Dortmund exit in March, Kehl has been heavily linked with a move to fellow Bundesliga side Hamburg, who are also on the lookout for a new sporting director.

However, BILD now suggests that the 46-year-old is on the radar of Spurs, who are holding ‘intense talks’ over Kehl’s potential move to the Premier League.

Kehl, a former defensive midfielder, spent most of his playing career at Dortmund, where he spent 13 years and won the Bundesliga title three times.

After ending his playing career in 2015, the German returned to the club as head of the professional players’ department in 2018.

Four years later, Kehl stepped into the sporting director role and played a part in Dortmund’s run to the 2023-24 Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.

Tottenham remain in a precarious Premier League position with six games remaining, as they sit 18th in the standings, two points off safety.

The north London side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge, extending their winless league run to 13 games.

Tottenham ‘Pushing’ for Marcos Senesi

Amid their difficult relegation battle, Tottenham remain optimistic about retaining their Premier League status next season, and their reported transfer targets reflect that.

As per reports in Argentina, the Lilywhites are among the top-flight clubs ‘strongly pushing’ for Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi’s arrival on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old centre-back could leave Bournemouth upon the expiry of his contract in June and has attracted interest from several Premier League sides as a result.

Senesi joined Bournemouth from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022 and has been an important player for the Cherries since, making 122 appearances in all competitions and scoring six goals.