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Igor Tudor has wasted no time addressing his new Tottenham Hotspur squad, delivering a clear and direct message as he begins work in north London.

The Tottenham Hotspur first-team players were handed a five-day break following the sacking of former boss Thomas Frank.

However, they have now returned to first-team training ahead of this weekend’s clash with north London rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham have since completed the appointment of former Juventus manager Igor Tudor, who is set to take charge of the game this weekend.

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor reveals first message to players

Tudor has now met with the Tottenham squad as he aims to bring some stability to north London.

Speaking to the club’s official channels, the Croatian revealed the message he delivered to his players on his first day of training, outlining the scale of the challenge, the need for unity, and the demand for immediate improvement.

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Addressing the honour of taking the role and the responsibility that comes with it, Tudor explained how his focus is firmly on the work ahead rather than himself.

“Big challenge for me, a big honour to be here. I am very happy. In the same way, I do not think too much about myself, because I am focused on work to do.

“So wherever you go, it is always about your relationship with the players, with the team, with the town. There are a lot of similarities. Even if this is like the NBA of European football, this is the best of the best. So, it is a real privilege to be here.”

He then moved on to the immediate priorities – stressing confidence, courage and accountability – while acknowledging the severity of the club’s current position.

“The first priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team needs, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also in the same way, the concrete things on the pitch. Of course, I am coming here knowing the situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses.

“What I said from the first day here, each of us, each of the players, need to give something, something more, something extra because the position of the club in this moment is not one that anybody can accept. Every fan of Tottenham cannot accept the situation, we are aware of that, but it is not enough to just be aware of that.”

Spurs relegation pressure heightens Igor Tudor challenge

Of course, there is no time to get used to each other for either the boss or the players, with the season now deep into its decisive stretch.

Spurs are in a relegation scrap, with just five points separating them from 18th-placed West Ham United, making it vital that they begin to pick up points.

The task at hand for Tudor is very difficult, especially with his first game coming against table-toppers Arsenal, but that could well present the perfect opportunity to rally his squad.

Tottenham Hotspur have their sight on a Juventus defender who has Premier League experience as they consider defensive options ahead of the summer transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur might well be in for a busy summer transfer window, not only in terms of incomings but also on the outgoing side.

Rumours have it that both first-choice centre-backs, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, could be on their way out, as they are attracting interest from sides across Europe.

Spurs could also lose a few other stars should they fail to secure UCL football, which is increasingly likely given they are 16th and will have to win the competition to book a spot in it next season.

Tottenham eye Lloyd Kelly transfer as Juventus valuation rises

Securing a centre-back could well be on the agenda for Tottenham this summer. Journalist Mirko Di Natale has now reported that Spurs are one of the Premier League ‘big guns’ who will be looking for a new defender, with Juventus’ Lloyd Kelly in sight.

The Juventus centre-back is no stranger to the Premier League, having had spells with Newcastle United and Bournemouth, where he featured 64 times in the competition.

However, Kelly will not come cheaply, with the journalist revealing that his valuation tops out at €50million (£43.5m), ‘more than double’ what it was a year ago. That is even more than the £42.5m Tottenham paid for Cristian Romero in 2022.

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Chelsea and Liverpool are also in the race for the former Bournemouth man heading into the summer window.

Spurs defensive plans hinge on managerial situation

Of course, while there continue to be links, incomings and outgoings could pretty much be on the manager in the dugout next season.

Spurs have only hired Igor Tudor on an interim basis, and he could well depart from north London during the summer window.

As such, transfer plans and the futures of players remain unclear until a permanent manager is in place to assess their options.

Tottenham Hotspur have just hit a major snag in their efforts to secure the services of their top managerial target, Mauricio Pochettino.

Even before Thomas Frank’s sacking, Spurs fans were chanting Mauricio Pochettino’s name, making it clear who their preferred candidate is.

According to reports, the Tottenham hierarchy has already made multiple contacts with Pochettino since the start of the year over returning to N17.

In fact, it was even reported by GiveMeSport a few days ago that Spurs are working around the clock to tie up a deal for the Argentine coach, five and a half years on from his exit from Spurs.

Mauricio Pochettino is waiting on Real Madrid job amidst Tottenham interest

According to Defensa Central, Pochettino has now emerged as a ‘dark horse candidate’ to take over at Real Madrid at the end of the season.

It is revealed that Los Blancos will pursue another manager in the summer if the current interim manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, does not win either La Liga or the Champions League.

The report says that Pochettino has ‘always been one of the favourites’ for Madrid supremo Florentino Perez, who is now assessing his options.

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It is claimed that the Argentine is waiting to see if there is an offer from Santiago Bernabeu before deciding on a potential return to Tottenham.

Pochettino has made clear demands to the Madrid hierarchy

Defensa Central claim that the current manager of the USA national side has told the La Liga giants that the club need at least three signings in the summer.

He has given them an ‘ideal shopping list’ of two centre-backs and a midfielder as a demand ahead of a potential move to the Spanish capital.

The report adds that for now, Madrid are ‘simply contacting’ a list of candidates to gauge their interest, and have not made a concrete move for any coach yet as they wait to see what Arbeloa can achieve.

Sam Allardyce has now questioned Cristian Romero’s leadership at Tottenham calling for drastic measures to be taken.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently not in the best of places as they find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League table with 12 games left to go.

A full-on relegation scrap cannot be ruled out at this stage, especially with five points the difference between Tottenham and West Ham United in 18th place.

The senior players in this squad need to step up, but Cristian Romero’s last sending-off against Manchester United was far from what Spurs needed, as they are in desperate need of wins.

The Tottenham captain has since been handed a four-match ban and will now miss the north London derby this weekend, but should return against Liverpool at Anfield on March 15.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero blasted by Sam Allardyce

Speaking to Footy Accumulators, Sam Allardyce criticised Romero’s temperament, questioned his development, and suggested drastic measures like stripping the Argentine of the Spurs captaincy if his behaviour does not improve.

He said: “Cristian Romero is one of those typical players who just does not learn. He has got so much talent, but so many flaws which he has not eradicated. He is still making the same mistakes as when he first signed for Tottenham.

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“Either he gets stripped of the captaincy, or someone says to him, ‘stay on your feet, I do not want you to go to ground when you tackle anymore’, and if he continues to do it, then take him out of the side. He is giving his managers a bad reputation for not being able to control him.

“If you are a centre-half, your first priority is being a defender, not how good you are with the ball – that is only an added bonus.

“Romero is just so irrational, which is alright when you first join a club, but he should have been nailed by Thomas Frank for it and he was not.”

Spurs’ relegation fears highlighted amid Romero criticism

Tottenham have since parted ways with Thomas Frank and will be hoping new interim manager Igor Tudor can steady the ship for the remainder of the season.

However, while the higher-ups at Spurs often fail to acknowledge the north London club’s relegation struggles, Allardyce also explained why he believes Tottenham are firmly in a relegation battle this season.

“I would consider Spurs to be in a relegation battle now, and it is partly because you will need more points to stay up this year than you have done for the past few seasons,” he said.

“It will be in the mid to high thirties this season and sometimes you wonder where those points are going to come from. You have to make sure your best performances come against the teams you are capable of beating.

“If they do get relegated, I do not even think they would be the best team to go down. The West Ham team with Jermain Defoe, Paulo Di Canio, Glen Johnson and David James were better!”

Tottenham Hotspur may face a substantial financial hit due to their on-pitch performances this season, even if they avoid relegation.

While Spurs finished 17th last season, relegation was never a realistic possibility, with the three teams who went down being a long way adrift of other sides in the Premier League.

However, that is certainly not the case this campaign, with the Lilywhites now at the risk of going down for the first time in Premier League history.

Tottenham are currently just five points off West Ham in 18th, and it has now been revealed that their bottom line would take a blow even if they stay up.

Tottenham may lose out on ‘tens of millions’ even if they avoid relegation

The Telegraph have now revealed that Spurs are facing a financial hit to the club’s sponsorship deals that could run into tens of millions even if they manage to stay up.

This is because the club’s commercial partners are already reviewing the contracts they signed with the North Londoners.

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The report claims that at least one of Spurs’ most prominent sponsorship deals is due to expire in the summer and there are now doubts over whether the company would want to renew their deal.

Finally, several of Tottenham’s deals are thought to include major bonuses for European qualification, which the Lilywhites now look set to miss out on unless they win the Champions League.

Relegation would prove ‘catastrophic’ for Spurs’ balance sheet

The Telegraph also explain that some of Tottenham’s sponsorship agreements include relegation termination and renegotiation clauses, which would see the deal entirely disappear or seriously diminished if the club were to go down.

It is asserted that relegation would thus leave ‘a massive financial hole’ in Spurs’ balance sheet.

One source with knowledge of the sponsorship situation told the outlet: “The penalties for missing Europe alone run into tens of millions. That would be even bigger and potentially catastrophic if the club were relegated.”

Another anonymous expert is quoted as saying: “Some companies are seeing relegation as a realistic possibility and are already reviewing their contracts. It already seems clear that some deliverables, such as European qualification, will not be feasible, but the biggest fear is relegation.”

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) have met with the club’s hierarchy, but expressed their disappointment with what Spurs have had to say about the meeting.

Many Tottenham fans have been left frustrated with the club’s January transfer window, which they felt did not live up to the ambitious rhetoric coming out from N17.

Just ahead of Thomas Frank’s sacking, THST released the findings of Five Principles Survey, which judges the Tottenham ownership against five tests, which the Trust agreed with the board of the club itself.

The result showed that in all five tests, the fans gave the owners the lowest scores ever recorded since the survey began.

THST accuse Tottenham of leaving out key points from meeting

The Trust met with the Spurs hierarchy on February 3, following which the minutes of the meeting were released.

However, the Trust have now expressed frustration that key discussions held during the meeting were not included in the final version.

THST’s latest statement reads: “There were a number of specific points raised during the meeting which the club did not agree to include in the final published version, despite our request. As a democratic supporters’ organisation elected to represent fans’ views, we believe it is vital that supporters can see what issues are being raised with the club, how those issues are being discussed and what responses are being given.

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“Publishing a full record of the points raised helps ensure accountability and allows members, and the wider fan base, to understand how the Trust is fulfilling its role on their behalf. Transparency is integral to our role and in our dealings with the club. For that reason, we are also publishing below the paragraphs which THST asked to be included in the Minutes but which were not accepted by the Club for inclusion in the final version.

“Points omitted from the Minutes – Under THST’s Five Principles of Ownership survey. Lines not included – The Club declined to include the descriptions of our Five Principles of Ownership.

“Paragraph not included – Fans are concerned at the current position and the direction of the club. The team is not winning, and change is not visible. Having watched just four home league wins in a year, this anxiety and pessimism is not surprising. Fans are genuinely concerned at the risk of relegation. The belief generated by the Europa League win has now been lost. Fans are concerned at a perceived lack of ambition and at results, performances and the failure to strengthen the team despite injuries to key first team players.

“Paragraph not included – The club had not filed financial statements demonstrating that it was able to generate profit since 2018 and needed the cash generated by the share issue for cashflow purposes (this point was discussed later in the meeting under the heading “Finance”).

“Under Future-proof success & Young player development – Paragraph not included – THST observed that young players were not coming through from the Academy to the first team. Players are on loan repeatedly. Despite injuries and the current shortage of players, Luka Vuskovic had not been recalled from loan and nor had other players.

“Paragraph not included – THST said fans want to see authenticity to stick to Spurs’ DNA and a style of play that transcended as a ‘golden thread’ from the youth system right through to the men’s first team.

“Paragraph not included – THST noted a slightly higher sentiment from supporters towards sustainability, which may reflect the underlying infrastructure possessed by the club. However, this alone will not make the club successful which explains why the score remains low overall.

“Fans First and relationship between the club and supporters. Line not included – The club welcomed the input of THST.

“Paragraph not included – THST asked to see the underlying KPIs behind each of the strategic principles – these had not yet been agreed by the club internally. THST stated that the detail of these KPIs were important. If the strategic objectives were geared towards winning trophies, this should be directly referenced in the KPIs.

“If, however, the KPIs referenced “European qualification” (a stated desire of the previous leadership), this could suggest that the club was prioritising financial performance over football performance.”

THST questions the timing of Thomas Frank’s sack decision

Tottenham finally decided to call time on Thomas Frank’s stint at the club last week following the defeat to Newcastle.

While THST welcomed the decision to sack Frank, they questioned the timing of it, suggesting that it could have been done before.

The Trust posited that if the club had acted decisively earlier and strengthened in the January window, they could have avoided being dragged into a relegation battle.

A new report has revealed the circumstances that led to John Heitinga’s exit from Tottenham Hotspur just a month after his appointment.

Heintinga was appointed as Tottenham’s assistant first-team coach last month, replacing Matt Wells, who left Spurs to take over as the head coach of the Colorado Rapids.

When Thomas Frank was sacked last week, many wondered if Heintinga could be made the interim head coach until the end of the season, given his previous experience in charge of Ajax.

However, the Lilywhites have decided to appoint the experienced Igor Tudor, who has brought three of his assistant coaches with him to Hotspur Way.

John Heitinga asked to leave Tottenham after Igor Tudor’s arrival

Amidst the arrival of new coaches under Tudor, it emerged on Monday that Heintinga had left his role at the North London club, which came as a surprise to some people.

The Daily Mail have now revealed that the 42-year-old himself made the decision not to continue at Spurs.

The report claims that the Dutchman, who was appointed under Frank, did not wish to remain as part of the new coaching structure under Tudor.

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Who has Tudor bought with him to Spurs?

Ivan Javorcic has been appointed as Tottenham’s assistant coach, Riccardo Raganacci as the physical coach, and Tomislav Rogic as the goalkeeping coach until the end of the season.

All three of them have worked with Tudor in his previous stint at Juventus, which started impressively but poorly at the start of this campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are in a fight for survival in the Premier League, but at least there is some good news concerning their upcoming matches.

Igor Tudor has arrived on the scene at Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to alter the club’s fortunes between now and the end of the season.

Spurs currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, just five points from safety and with a North London derby to fulfil this Sunday, things are not about to get any easier.

However, Tottenham are not the only team with tough fixtures on the horizon, with their relegation rivals also facing obstacles which must be overcome.

Spurs are in a better position than Nottingham Forest and West Ham

Spurs are above Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the Premier League. Better still, they have an easier set of games for the rest of the season, according to the Premier League Fixture Difficulty Ratings.

The FDR ranks fixtures from easiest to hardest and West Ham have been given a score of 3.08, indicating they have the most difficult run for what remains of the campaign.

Nottingham Forest’s schedule is slightly more favourable, as their FDR average over the next 12 matches stands at 3.00.

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It is Tottenham and Leeds who have the ultimate advanatage though, with both teams obtaining 2.83 averages. The two sides are even more likely to stay up, considering they are 16th and 15th respectively in the league table.

Tottenham still have some tough Premier League fixtures

Although the FDR calculation claims Tottenham have things easier than their rivals, this does not mean staying up will be straightforward. Tudor’s men are taking on the league leaders next, and trips to Anfield and Stamford Bridge are notoriously difficult for Spurs.

It is also worth pointing out that Tottenham have suffered some poor results against teams lower down in the top flight. The FDR considers clashes with Forest and Wolves to be among their easiest fixtures, but Spurs were unable to get the better of these two opponents during their meetings earlier in the season.

Ultimately, there is no room for complacency, and Tottenham must bring their A game every week in order to ensure survival and restore a bit of pride.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle their north London rivals Arsenal in the summer transfer window over a deal for Leon Goretzka.

Reports in recent months have linked Tottenham Hotspur with a move for Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka.

Goretzka was a target for Spurs during the winter transfer window, but their efforts to secure a deal for the midfielder failed, allowing him to remain put.

However, the summer window is set to open another opportunity for clubs to pick up the German international, who is set to become a free agent.

Tottenham and Arsenal battle for Leon Goretzka free transfer

Bild are now reporting that Tottenham Hotspur are still very much in the mix to sign Leon Goretzka in the summer as a free agent.

However, Arsenal, who were also keen on the Bayern Munich man in the winter window, remain firmly in contention.

The two north London sides will have to battle it out for the Bayern Munich star, although Atletico Madrid also remain in the mix.

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That, however, should not be a problem for both Arsenal and Spurs, as it is claimed that Goretzka is keen on moving to the Premier League.

The free agent market is certainly a place where Tottenham can shop, given the players set to be available.

Andy Robertson is also one whose contract is set to expire this summer, and Tottenham showed interest in him during the winter window.

Should Liverpool not extend Robertson’s stay at Anfield, then Spurs could also sign him on a free as they look to bolster their depth at the back.

Juventus are eyeing a move for Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie, but a move is dependent on a £34.8m exit.

Tottenham Hotspur currently have several players on the treatment table as injuries continue to ravage their first-team squad.

In fact, as many as 12 players could be unavailable to Tottenham as they gear up for the north London derby under new head coach Igor Tudor.

Destiny Udogie is one such player who could miss out, having become one of the latest to pick up a knock and is set to be sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie targeted as Juventus eye £34.8m deal

Udogie’s injury is not expected to keep him out for the rest of the season, but instead for a couple of weeks before he returns to action.

With the summer window not too far off, Calciomercato IT are now reporting that Udogie is on the radar of Serie A side Juventus.

The 23-year-old Tottenham full-back has been described as a possible replacement for Andrea Cambiaso, whose future in Turin remains uncertain.

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Cambiaso’s form has not been exactly the best in the past few months, with the full-back putting in a couple of disappointing performances.

Spurs will demand a significant fee for Udogie

Juventus are also understood to be open to selling Cambiaso, who is believed to have multiple admirers in Italy and abroad.

If he is to depart from the Old Lady, a fee of around £34.8m is what the Serie A side are looking to demand from potential suitors.

It is only then that they will, however, pursue a move for Udogie, who has been described as the ‘chosen one’ by the Old Lady, who sees him as a difference maker for the present and the future.

However, landing the Spurs full-back will be far from straightforward, with his current contract in London expiring in the summer of 2030 and, with him being 23, Tottenham will demand a significant fee.