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Tottenham Hotspur have now been handed a big blow in their search for a second sporting director ahead of the summer transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of a handful of football clubs to have adopted a two sporting director model in recent years.

The Lilywhites kick-started that late last year following the reappointment of Fabio Paratici, who came in to join Johan Lange in the capacity of a second sporting director.

However, Paratici has since departed Spurs for Fiorentina, leaving the second director role vacant, one that Tottenham are looking to fill.

Tottenham snubbed by Dougie Freedman amid sporting director search

A few names have been linked with the director role at Tottenham in recent weeks, with the Lilywhites looking to make an appointment before the summer window.

Former Crystal Palace director Dougie Freedman, who currently plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al-Diriyah, has been one of those reported to be on Spurs’ radar.

The former Palace director was responsible for the signing of top talents, including Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, which explains Tottenham’s interest.

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However, detailing the situation and Freedman’s stance, Miguel Delaney revealed that Spurs have been turned down in their approach, writing in The Independent’s Inside Football newsletter.

He said: “Amid ongoing uncertainty about Igor Tudor’s future and Tottenham Hotspur’s plans, they have been turned down by Dougie Freedman.

“The former Crystal Palace executive is widely regarded as one of the best recruitment figures in the game, having recently moved to the Saudi Pro League.

“Spurs saw him as a potential new director of football, but he is understood to have made it clear that he is not interested in moving at this time.”

Spurs sporting director search must shift after Freedman rejection

Tottenham have no choice now but to turn to other sporting directors in the coming weeks, given Freedman’s stance.

Luckily, he is not the only one said to be on the radar of Spurs, who are also understood to be considering Chelsea’s Paul Winstanley.

Paul actually worked with Spurs icon Mauricio Pochettino for one season during the Argentine’s spell in south west London.

Pochettino has also been linked with the Tottenham job ahead of the summer, and perhaps if he is appointed, that could help lure Winstanley away from the Blues.

Nevertheless, it will also be a difficult task to convince the Blues director to switch to Tottenham at this time. It remains to be seen what Spurs’ next move will be.

Tottenham have now confirmed that their Premier League fixture with Aston Villa during the run-in could be rescheduled again.

Tottenham Hotspur are in desperate need of points in the Premier League as they continue to battle relegation this season.

Of all the sides embroiled in the relegation scrap this campaign, Spurs have the worst form across the last ten games, having managed just three draws in that time.

Surprisingly, they still find themselves above those dreaded dotted lines, but their lead is slender, with just one point separating the Lilywhites from the bottom three.

Tottenham confirm Aston Villa fixture reschedule for Premier League run-in

There are still seven games and 21 points to play for this season, making every match absolutely vital for Spurs.

However, one of their fixtures has now been rescheduled ahead of the run-in, which kicks off after the March international break.

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Tottenham have confirmed that the game against Aston Villa has been rescheduled for May 2 at 12:30, but it could be moved to Sunday, May 3, if Villa reach the Europa League semi-finals.

The match is expected to kick off at 12:30pm on Saturday or 7pm on Sunday and will be shown live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Spurs may benefit from Aston Villa fixture switch amid home struggles

The Villa encounter is away from home for Spurs, and that might be exactly what they need given their struggles at home all season.

At the moment, no side has a worse home record than Tottenham – not even the bottom three teams.

Spurs might also fancy their chances in that game, as they could be well rested, with the club now involved in just one competition following exits from the FA Cup and Champions League.

Meanwhile, Villa, on the other hand, could be fatigued after their Europa League commitments.

A Ferencvaros chief has now opened up on Robbie Keane’s future amid whispers of interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Since the disappointing 3-0 loss at the hands of relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, reports have linked Tottenham with a handful of managers.

But it is not surprising given Spurs’ league position, where they are 17th and a single point above the bottom three.

Igor Tudor’s struggles have not helped matters either. The former Juventus manager has managed no wins in the Premier League since he was appointed a month ago.

While Tottenham are understood to be working on a Tudor replacement, there is no denying that their options are limited.

Spurs currently run the risk of being relegated and cannot attract many top managers at this stage of the season, with many instead preferring to enter talks in the summer.

Robbie Keane, currently at Ferencvaros, is one such manager who is not keen on making a switch at this stage of the season, but Keane is said to be open to taking a permanent role in the summer.

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Ferencvaros chief Orosz has now opened up on the future of the 45-year-old, hinting that he could well be on his way in the summer.

He told Hungarian outlet M4 Sport: “He had a good impact on Ferencvaros, as we can see. A true Irishman, hard-headed, but at the same time a very good figure.

“He can win and motivate a lot, the players believe in him and that is the most important thing. A real leader.

“If he really was mentioned with Tottenham, then we are proud, because in this way we made the right choice. And he also wanted to come here, and that is why he left his mark here.”

Tottenham manager race leaves Robbie Keane as an unlikely option

We have since ranked how likely each manager linked with the Tottenham job is to get appointed, and Keane did not make our list.

However, based on recent reports, at this moment, he looks very unlikely to be the go-to pick in the summer.

Reports from highly respected journalists, including Fabrizio Romano, have mentioned that Spurs are keen on Roberto De Zerbi, but securing the Italian at the moment is very unlikely, as he prefers a summer move instead.

Marco Silva is also one appreciated by Spurs, but a move now is unlikely given that he is currently committed to Fulham. Such is the calibre of managers Keane will be up against.

A new managerial candidate has emerged for Tottenham as they fight to avoid relegation in the final weeks of the season amid uncertainty over Igor Tudor’s future

It has been a complete mess of a season for Tottenham Hotspur, who now find themselves fighting to stay in the Premier League.

As March draws to a close, Spurs are yet to win a league game in 2026. Their struggles began well before the turn of the year, ultimately leading to the sacking of Thomas Frank, but things have not improved since his departure.

If anything, results have worsened under interim boss Igor Tudor. The Croatian has lost five of his seven matches in charge, winning just once. While performances have shown some signs of improvement at times, the results have simply not followed.

With just one point separating Tottenham from the relegation zone and only seven games remaining, the situation is becoming increasingly desperate in North London.

Sean Dyche emerges as Tottenham option for final seven games

Reports initially suggested that Tottenham could part ways with Igor Tudor following their damaging 3-0 defeat to fellow relegation contenders Nottingham Forest.

The situation was further complicated by the unfortunate passing of Tudor’s father shortly after the match, casting further doubt over his immediate future at the club.

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Now, according to Sam Wallace, Sean Dyche has emerged as a potential candidate to take charge of Tottenham for the final seven games of the season.

Dyche was in a Premier League role as recently as February, having been in charge of Nottingham Forest before being dismissed following a run of disappointing results during a difficult spell near the bottom of the table.

It remains unclear whether Tottenham view Dyche as a short-term solution to guide them to safety or as a more permanent option beyond this season.

Sean Dyche not first choice as Tottenham consider long-term options

Sean Dyche brings significant experience when it comes to relegation battles, having successfully guided teams through similar situations during his time at Everton, Burnley and Watford.

There is little doubt that his arrival would inject a sense of urgency into a Tottenham side that currently looks short on confidence and direction.

However, Sam Wallace also revealed that Tottenham’s preferred option remains Roberto De Zerbi, although the Italian is believed to favour taking over in the summer rather than stepping into a relegation battle mid-season.

Manor Solomon could leave Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent basis when the summer transfer window opens, after failing to make an impression in North London.

Some things are not meant to be and that certainly seems to be the case with Manor Solomon at Tottenham Hotspur.

The winger picked up a season-ending injury shortly after moving to Spurs and he has only made six appearances for the club in total.

However, Solomon has failed to make a permanent move away from Tottenham, despite a loan spell at Leeds United which actually went quite well. That could change this summer though…

Manor Solomon could leave Tottenham to join Fiorentina

Solomon’s short-term stay at Villarreal was less successful, but he is having a much better time at Fiorentina since joining on loan in January.

Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that the Serie A club could activate their option to buy the 26-year-old for £8.7m.

Fiorentina have moved out of the relegation zone since Solomon arrived and he is enjoying the trust of Fabio Paratici, the man who facilitated his move in the first place.

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Spurs need Fiorentina to remain in Serie A

There is still a possibility of Solomon’s move to Fiorentina falling through, but only if they suffer relegation to Serie B.

Currently, the Israeli’s side are two points above the drop zone, but this could change in the weeks to come.

If Fiorentina are relegated, they would not be able to afford Solomon, and he may no longer wish to move there anyway.

New reports have now revealed exactly when Tottenham Hotspur are set to decide on interim manager Igor Tudor’s future amid relegation fears.

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to sort out their managerial issues during this international break, with Igor Tudor remaining under pressure following Spurs’ 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest last time out in the Premier League.

It has since been claimed that Spurs are currently working behind the scenes to secure a replacement for Tudor, with the likes of Adi Hutter, Chris Hughton, and Roberto De Zerbi heavily linked with the Tottenham job.

A decision is expected to be made soon, especially after reports have stated that Spurs and Tudor have agreed on a mutual parting of ways.

There has been no official confirmation regarding Tudor’s future from Tottenham, but it is known that the Croat is dealing with the death of his father.

Fresh reports have now revealed when a decision regarding the future of the former Juventus manager is expected to be made as Spurs look to get their season on track.

According to Sam Wallace, writing in The Telegraph, it has been revealed that Tottenham are expected to decide on the future of their current interim manager on Monday next week.

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Igor Tudor’s record highlights Tottenham’s struggles

The 47-year-old has only been in charge of Spurs for seven matches and, in that spell, he has managed just one win in all competitions.

That victory came in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the last 16, after the Spanish side thumped Spurs 5-2 in the first leg.

The Croat never really seemed to get things going in the Premier League, where Tottenham have struggled for most of the year.

With just seven games left and relegation looking very real, it is only right if the club is considering another managerial change.

A reputable German news outlet has revealed the big challenge Tottenham Hotspur will face in convincing Sebastian Kehl to become their new sporting director.

The former German international has served as Dortmund’s sporting director for the past five years before parting ways with the club earlier this week.

A couple of days ago, it was reported by The Telegraph that Kehl has emerged as a contender to replace Fabio Paratici at Spurs after the Italian left the North London club to become Fiorentina’s head of football last month.

The same report asserted that Spurs ‘are entering the final stages’ of their hunt for a new director, but a new update has now suggested that the Lilywhites may not find it easy to bring the former Dortmund man through the door.

One factor could put Sebastian Kehl off from joining Tottenham

Bild have now reported that the 46-year-old is in demand after leaving Westfalenstadion, mentioning Tottenham’s interest as potentially being an ‘immediate job opportunity’ for the German.

However, the report states that ‘it is hard to imagine’ that the Premier League club’s proposal model would be acceptable to Kehl.

It is explained that Spurs want a multiple sporting director model, with Kehl working alongside Johan Lange, which may not be to the German’s liking.

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The outlet adds that the Lilywhites have also contacted other directors about the vacancy, including Chelsea’s Paul Winstanley and Al-Diraiyah’s Dougie Freedman.

Two other clubs express interest in Kehl

Bild also make it clear that Tottenham are facing competition for the former Dortmund man, with two Bundesliga clubs also keen on appointing him.

One of those is Hamburg, who are monitoring the 46-year-old as an option to replace Stefan Kuntz, who departed the club at the turn of the year.

Additionally, the outlet adds that Wolfsburg have ‘repeatedly expressed interest’ in taking Kehl to the Volkswagen Arena.

Former Tottenham midfielder David Howells has made an interesting comment about what Spurs need right now to get out of the mess they are in and secure their Premier League status.

A couple of generations of Spurs fans have never seen the club in the situation they are currently in, with relegation to the Championship looking a distinct possibility for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham sit just one point off the bottom three with seven Premier League games left, and worryingly, they have not won a single league game this calendar year.

Igor Tudor has failed to get a tune out of the Spurs squad so far, but one former midfielder is convinced he knows what the players need at this moment.

David Howells claims former Tottenham manager can inspire the players amid relegation battle

One has to go back decades for the last time the club were in a situation such as this one.

One man who experienced a relegation battle at Tottenham was Howells, and he revealed that club legend Steve Perryman, who was assistant boss at White Hart Lane at the time, provided the inspiration needed in the 1990s to help the club secure their top-flight status.

He admitted that he would love for Perryman to address the current Spurs squad amidst the crisis.

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Howells told BBC Sport about his own experience of a relegation battle at Tottenham: “I do remember Steve Perryman being brilliant around that time. He said, despite all the success he had as a player and the trophies that he won, one of the things that stayed with him was the shame and embarrassment of getting relegated with Tottenham Hotspur.

“If I could get Steve Perryman in that current dressing room today, I would put him there now and have that chat with the guys. I’m not saying there are any players not trying, but I think sometimes you hear a different voice and especially a voice like Steve Perryman, a legend of the club, saying stuff like that. It can only come from the players. We will scream our heads off in the stadium, but it has to come from them.”

Howells reveals why he is optimistic about Spurs’ survival chances

There is a feeling of despair among the Tottenham fan base, who are now starting to realise that relegation to the Championship is a genuine possibility for the club.

However, Howells still expects Spurs to get out of this mess, insisting that there are enough strong characters in the dressing room at N17 to step up in this crisis period.

He added: “To not have Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the changing room all season has been a massive reason for where we are, but I do think Tottenham have the characters to stay up.

“I don’t know if those two will play again this season, hopefully they do, but looking around the rest of the group, I think there is enough character, talent and hopefully belief to do it.”

There is growing concern at Tottenham Hotspur over the future of Luka Vuskovic, who is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in Europe this summer.

As Spurs Web has previously covered, clubs from around Europe are circling over Tottenham’s best players, as the North London club appears to be sleepwalking towards relegation.

While it is unsurprising that big names such as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are attracting transfer interest, it may be more concerning for Spurs that even some of their talented youngsters are being targeted.

Archie Gray is rumoured to be on the radar of several clubs, but he is not the only young gun at Spurs who may be poached this summer.

Growing concern at Tottenham about Luka Vuskovic’s potential departure

Over recent weeks, several reports have suggested that Luka Vuskovic is attracting interest from elite clubs after winning several admirers with his displays on loan at Hamburg. Spurs are said to want between £52m and £61m to consider selling.

TEAMtalk now reveal that the Spurs fans will face growing anxiety about the 18-year-old, who is now attracting ‘intense interest’ ahead of the summer.

It is explained that Vuskovic, who is contracted to Tottenham until 2030, is part of the North London club’s long-term plans, but their league position has changed the situation drastically.

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According to sources, there are ‘major concerns’ at Spurs that the Croat could leave without playing a single game for the club, especially if Tottenham were to be relegated.

The outlet adds that if Spurs do drop down to the Championship, the young defender may seek top-flight football elsewhere.

Three European clubs are eyeing a move for Vuskovic

TEAMtalk say that Vuskovic will have ‘plenty of top options’ to choose from this summer if Tottenham go down, including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who are both admirers of the centre-back.

Bayern are said to view the teenager as a ‘long-term solution’ in their backline, while Dortmund appreciate his ‘youthful profile and technical qualities’.

Finally, the report adds that Barcelona are also closely monitoring the developments over Vuskovic’s future, although the Catalan giants are expected to be cautious with their spending this summer.

Tottenham’s fight for survival is now entering its decisive phase, and history suggests the final stretch of the season has not always been kind to Spurs.

It certainly is all to play for in the Premier League this season for Tottenham Hotspur, who are embroiled in a full-on relegation scrap.

Spurs find themselves in 17th place after their loss to Nottingham Forest saw the Tricky Trees leapfrog them into 16th.

Tottenham fans will now be hoping that, come the end of the season, their club retains their Premier League status, one they have held for almost half a century.

Numbers crunched by a supercomputer suggest that Tottenham will just about stay up and beat the drop. But what does history say about Spurs when it comes to the Premier League run-in? We have gone down memory lane to find out.

Tottenham’s Premier League run-in record and form in the last five seasons

Tottenham’s run-in form has declined sharply over the past five seasons, moving from top-four calibre consistency between 2020 and 2022 to a complete collapse in 2024/25.

The defining factor is defensive deterioration rather than attacking output. Since 2022, Spurs have failed to build momentum and have conceded heavily in key matches.

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The 2024/25 campaign stands out as a statistical outlier, with the lowest points return, the highest goals conceded, and no wins across the final stretch of the season.

Here is how Tottenham has performed in the Premier League run-in from 2020-2025:

Tottenham run-in performance (matchdays 32–38)

Key trends

Season-by-season breakdown

Comparative insights

Spurs cannot afford a poor 25/26 run-in amid relegation fears

Of course, if Tottenham are to retain their Premier League status, they must have a very strong 25/26 run-in.

Cristian Romero believes that the next seven games for Spurs this season are finals, and who can argue with him, given how tight it is at the bottom of the Premier League table.

In fact, when you compare Spurs’ fixtures with those of their relegation rivals, you might naturally begin to fear the worst.

Their record in the run-in over the last five seasons does leave a sour taste, but Tottenham must turn it around this term.