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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.

Tottenham Hotspur are among the Premier League clubs ‘strongly pushing’ to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi ahead of his contract expiry, according to reports in Argentina.

The north London side are showing significant interest in the 28-year-old centre-back, who is expected to leave Bournemouth when his contract expires in June.

Several clubs in England and Europe have been in contact over Senesi in recent weeks, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Barcelona and Juventus.

Provided they avoid Premier League relegation, Spurs have also not been ruled out of contention for the Argentine international, who has been with the Cherries since 2022.

Tottenham Step Up Marcos Senesi Interest

According to Argentine publication Olé, multiple clubs have made enquiries about Senesi’s situation recently, with Tottenham among those making the strongest push.

The Lilywhites are looking to bring in a new central defender amid uncertainty over both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s futures.

Both defenders have been heavily linked with departures in recent months, with Romero remaining a target for long-time admirers Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine international may have already played his last game for Spurs, as he has been ruled out until the end of the season after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Sunderland.

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.

The 'outstanding' 28-year-old is likely to become the next major name to leave the Dorset coast, following Antoine Semenyo’s move to Manchester City in January for £64m.

Bournemouth parted ways with defenders Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Ilia Zabarnyi last summer, raking in a total of £147m in transfer fees.

Tottenham Deal Hinges on Premier League Survival

Tottenham have reached an agreement on personal terms with Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, but the move to north London hinges on their Premier League status.

Robertson, whose Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season, has earmarked Spurs as his preferred next destination, but could decide against the move if the Lilywhites are relegated to the Championship.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have dropped to 18th following last weekend’s Premier League action, two points off safety, and next face the Italian’s former club Brighton on Saturday.

Roberto De Zerbi has serious questions to answer if he wants to save Tottenham Hotspur from relegation after a lacklustre debut in charge.

The north London side fell to yet another defeat on Sunday, a 1-0 loss to Sunderland, which left them in the Premier League’s bottom three with six games remaining.

Despite attempting more shots on target (seven to two), Spurs never looked like the better team at the Stadium of Light and barely threatened Robin Roefs in goal, accumulating just 0.84 expected goals.

It was another game to forget for Dominic Solanke, who wasted several good opportunities and left the field without a goal for the seventh time in his last eight league appearances.

De Zerbi Must Drop Dominic Solanke

Solanke was the subject of heavy criticism following Sunday’s loss, in which he missed a chance to impress De Zerbi in his first game in charge.

The England international wasted several chances as Spurs searched for a goal and once again looked a long way from the player Tottenham hoped they were signing when they paid a club-record £65m in the summer of 2024.

Solanke’s display drew strong reaction from both fans and experts, with talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara giving the striker a 0/10 rating, and it will likely give De Zerbi something to think about ahead of the next game.

The Italian may be better off turning to Richarlison, who started Sunday'scontest on the left wing, with the Brazilian looking like the only Spurs forward capable of scoring goals this season.

Despite only making 16 starts, Richarlison, who Alasdair Gold praised as a ‘fighter’, remains Tottenham’s top scorer in the Premier League with nine goals, including two in his last five top-flight appearances.

Cristian Romero’s Season is Over

If Spurs’ attacking woes were not enough, De Zerbi also suffered a significant injury blow against Sunderland, with Cristian Romero ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Argentine is expected to miss around six to eight weeks due to a knee injury and could end up missing the World Cup as well.

Kevin Danso is expected to step up in the absence of the Spurs captain, who may have already played his last game for the north London side.

Alasdair Gold says he is ‘bewildered’ by Xavi Simons’ limited involvement at Tottenham Hotspur and urged Roberto De Zerbi not to follow the same path as his predecessors this season.

The Dutch attacking midfielder was left on the bench in De Zerbi’s first game in charge, a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday, and was brought on with just five minutes of normal time remaining.

It marked a fourth Premier League game in a row in which Simons, who joined from RB Leipzig in a £50m deal last summer, was absent from the starting XI.

The 22-year-old has made 17 top-flight starts for Spurs this term, as well as another nine appearances off the bench, registering one goal and four assists.

Gold Urges De Zerbi to Start Simons

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold urged De Zerbi to field Simons in his first XI, admitting the Dutchman is Spurs’ ‘only fit playmaker that can create chances’ in a goal-shy side:

“I just feel like, in that scenario, that's like a 4-2-3-1, that can become a 4-3-3, it's crying out for a really creative player that can kind of play little clever through balls. It's Xavi Simons. Of course, it’s Xavi Simons.

“It just seems so obvious, but for some reason, like Frank, like Tudor, De Zerbi clearly must have just watched training over the past week and decided ‘No, not for me.’

“Despite the fact, on Friday, he was calling him a big talent at his pre-match press conference, I just can't get my head around it.

“Spurs need to score goals. Xavi is their only fit playmaker that can create chances. He has created more chances than anyone else at the club this season.

“And if you've got Madison and Kulusevski out, he is your go-to man, not someone you bring on in the 85th minute of a match. He has to be on there.”

Simons’ last start for Spurs came in their 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last month, with the Dutchman scoring twice and registering his first brace for the club.

The 22-year-old registered 19 goal involvements in 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last season, including 10 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga.

Gold ‘Bewildered’ by Xavi Simons’ Absence

Gold also singled out Simons and Mathys Tel as among the few players whose confidence appears to have been largely unaffected in recent games, with Spurs potentially heading towards relegation.

“The Xavi thing just bewilders me. Like I said, they need to be proactive rather than reactive. He's one of the few players with Tel, like I said earlier, that will do that. He will take the game to the opposition.

“I don't feel like he and Tel are really players that the confidence hits quite as much, they've got a lot of self-belief. Yes, they'll make mistakes. I don't feel like they let it affect them.

“And look, of course, three head coaches in a row not seeming to trust him does reflect on him as well, Xavi.

“But I feel like in a season when so little has actually worked, maybe breaking away from that norm could be the way to go.”

Winless in their last 14 Premier League games, Tottenham next host De Zerbi’s former club Brighton on Saturday in another crucial game for their survival chances.

The north London side are two points off safety heading into the fixture, after both relegation rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest picked up points at the weekend.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has some crucial decisions to make ahead of their next game, after he got off to a nightmare start in charge, losing away to Sunderland in the Premier League.

Spurs are still searching for their first victory of 2026, and there was no new manager bounce after the arrival of De Zerbi, who took charge of his first game at the weekend.

De Zerbi had the international break to work with the majority of his squad and figure out his best XI, but the game against Sunderland might have given him a better idea of who he wants to rely on.

Up next for De Zerbi and Tottenham is a game against his former club, Brighton.

De Zerbi Must Axe Tottenham Star

As mentioned, De Zerbi now has some big decisions to make when it comes to his team selection, with a host of players underperforming at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

One player who needs to be dropped, if Tottenham want to survive in the Premier League, is midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The former Chelsea man doesn't suit De Zerbi's style of play, and that was evident as he struggled in the middle of the park against Sunderland.

Gallagher, described as 'absolutely awful' by Jamie O'Hara, was arguably at fault for Sunderland's only goal on Sunday, allowing Nordi Mukiele to cut inside before failing to block his shot that deflected past Antonin Kinsky.

De Zerbi had the likes of Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, and Joao Palhinha on the bench, so there's certainly options for the manager to mix things up when they face Brighton in the Premier League this weekend.

De Zerbi's Replacement is Obvious

De Zerbi's replacement for Gallagher at the weekend is fairly obvious.

Tottenham severely lacked creativity against Sunderland, so bringing in Xavi Simons would make a lot of sense.

Tottenham lined up with Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Gallagher, and Simons could come in and play as the more attacking of the three.

Palhinha and Sarr might also be pushing for starts ahead of Bergvall and Gray, with the majority of the Spurs players underperforming.

Jamie O'Hara gave his player ratings after the game, with Dominic Solanke given a 0/10 rating, Richarlison a 1/10, and Gallagher a 2/10.