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Tottenham Hotspur are always linked with Mauricio Pochettino whenever they need a new head coach, and the man himself has now admitted he's open to all offers after the World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted he is open to a Tottenham Hotspur return after the World Cup - but insists his focus is on coaching the United States.

Spurs supporters have repeatedly sung for the return of Pochettino since the sacking of Thomas Frank. Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange, however, has refused to comment on any names being linked to the vacancy.

The feeling Stateside is that Pochettino was always a short-term hire for this summer's World Cup. He himself has now done little to dispel that notion after addressing the links during an interview on Spain's longest-running sports radio program, Radiogaceta de los Deportes.

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Asked about the linkes to the Spurs job, he said: "I'm always linked (to clubs). To Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol, or to other clubs.

"In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren't going well, people tend to fall back on emotion and say, 'Well, with Mauricio we played good football,' or whatever it may be.

"But no, we're focused on the World Cup, on the United States. My contract runs until after the World Cup, so after that we'll see what might happen. Open to everything, right?"

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However, his time with the United States could overlap with the start of Spurs' pre-season training, which could prove to be a problem this summer. What there is no issue with, though, is the affection Pochettino clearly still has for the club.

He spoke about Spurs during an interview with Sky Sports last March. Pochettino said: "When I left the club, I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham.

"I am in the USA, so I am not going to talk about that now - but what I said then I still, after six years or five years, feel in my heart. Yes, I would like one day to come back."

Pochettino also spoke about Spurs during an appearance on episode 391 of The High Performance Podcast alongside Jesus Perez. Asked which of his former clubs meant the most to him, the Argentine said: "It is very simple: Tottenham.

"Still, the people on the street, the fans of Tottenham, really show the love and the appreciation, and I think that is why it’s so special."

The club will look to appoint a new manager on a permanent basis in the summer, with Igor Tudor taking the reins earlier this month in a bid to avoid a shocking relegation to the second tier.

Spurs are also four points off the drop zone following their 4-1 thumping against arch-rivals Arsenal, and where they finish come the end of the season will have a huge impact on the calibre of manager they're able to attract.

As well as Pochettino, several other notable names are being linked with the post, including Roberto De Zerbi, Robbie Keane, Michael Carrick and Oliver Glasner.

Igor Tudor has taken charge of just one Spurs game, but it was a resounding defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal - and some think he might have lost the dressing room already

Arsenal icon Ian Wright has accused Tottenham stars of 'checking out' on new boss Igor Tudor already after what he saw in the north London derby at the weekend. The 47-year-old Croatian has taken charge of just one game, but his side were comfortably beaten 4-1 by arch-rivals Arsenal on home soil.

Spurs are currently 16th in the Premier League and just four points off the relegation zone after parting company with former Brentford boss Thomas Frank. The Dane would not see out the season and former Lazio and Juventus boss Tudor has been appointed as interim boss until the end of the season.

However, Wright isn't convinced that Spurs' stars are backing Tudor, pointing out a moment involving Micky van de Ven in the north London derby that surprised him.

Speaking on The Overlap's Stick To Football podcast, Wright said: "Against Arsenal I saw Igor Tudor try to speak to Van de Ven, he blanked him, totally blanked him. That says to me they have checked out already."

However, fellow pundits Gary Neville and Roy Keane disagreed with the former United duo saying it was 'harsh' while Keane claimed Spurs' players did that under Frank.

Wright was unwilling to back down and said: "This guy is new, he wants him to come up and Van de Ven just looks at him and stays there. You think to yourself, that doesn't look good. That does not look good."

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Tudor would deny any conflict between himself and Van de Ven at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, claiming he was addressing the entire team.

He said: "If you watch carefully, I don't speak to him (in that moment). Afterwards, I said to him to come closer, and he comes closer.

"We didn't talk about it because nothing happened. He's a fantastic professional and a fantastic guy, he would not do something like (ignoring me)."

Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez was also on the podcast and made it clead Tudor has to do whatever he can to ensure Spurs avoid the drop to the Championship.

Martinez said: "When I was at Wigan you almost prepared for that last third of the season because that is your opportunity. The last third for us was that we are going to get out of trouble.

"The problem is when you are going into the last third hoping you are not going to get dragged down into a relegation battle because your club wasn't ready for that. This is where it becomes very, very dangerous.

"What happens now is that you should forget about these general terms that "we shouldn't get dragged down", what does this mean to a player (looking to hear) "do I need to run more, less".

"It is basic language (you use to a player) about everything you can control, "you have to do 12km, six sprints into the box and run to the near post". Everything has to be so measurable. It is about winning the next game."

The former Everton and Wigan boss warned Spurs they can't afford to wait for important players to return from injury, calling for a change in mindset.

He added: "I think Spurs will get one or two players back from injury, you win a game and then you have got too much (of a gap).

"The problem is there are no easy games in the Premier League. As a player at Spurs you might think there are easy games we can win, no - there are no easy games. It is about reducing that to, it is the next game and you have an opportunity to get points rather than if you don't win and you are out.

"The moment that the club see it as "wow, if we don't win..." - the mindset is so negative and it drags you down. We have seen teams that are "too good to go down" go down because they weren't prepared for that final third of the season."

Igor Tudor is getting in early with his press conference on Thursday ahead of Tottenham's Premier League trip to Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

The interim Spurs boss will be looking for a positive reaction from his players after last weekend's north London derby defeat to Arsenal, which broke his record of winning his first game at each of his previous five clubs. Tudor's injury-ravaged side kept it tight in the first half with the scoreline 1-1 at half-time but the visitors ran away with it in the second period at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Now Spurs will make the trip across the capital on Sunday for another derby to a stadium in Craven Cottage that has not brought much joy over the years. However, with Tottenham 16th in the table and just four points off the drop zone they need to find a way to get back on track and grab points.

Tudor has defenders Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso back in training and will be asked for an update on some of the club's long-term injury absentees such as Dejan Kulusevski.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to the Croatian. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said in Thursday's press conference ahead of the Premier League match at Fulham

Igor Tudor delivered a few updates at his press conference on Thursday ahead of Tottenham's Premier League trip to Fulham this weekend.

The interim Spurs boss needs his team to bounce back after last weekend's north London derby defeat to Arsenal, which broke his run of winning his first game at each of his previous five clubs. Now Tudor's side are set to travel across the capital on Sunday for another derby at Craven Cottage

With Tottenham languishing in 16th in the table and just four points off the drop zone the Lilywhites need to find a way to get back on track and grab points. Tudor has defenders Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso back in training and gave an update on some of the club's long-term injury absentees in Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to the Croatian. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.

Any injury updates? Are Porro and Danso available?

Yeah, yeah, that's right [Porro and Danso are available]. No other issues, small problem for Micky with his small toe. But he's okay, he will be in [the squad].What did you learn from the Arsenal game?

Nothing much to tell. We already comment after the game what kind of game it was, what the moments was in this moment, that moment. So, not much to speak even in this moment, which is a very particular moment. Less we speak (about the game) better it is. So, it's all focused on the daily work in the training, to climb up on the table, you know. To work on performance, to work on all things. So, less we speak better it is.

Is the job as hard as you expected or a bit more difficult?

Probably yes, probably yes [more difficult]. I agree with you.

I know you're not here to have fun, but it's a tough job you have?

Yes, very tough, but it's what I said before, I don't change my opinion, it is how it is. So, daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back. So, we need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good and it will be good.

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Are Champions League games, games that you maybe wish you didn't have? How will you approach the Champions League?

I don't think too much about the draw. If you ask me whether I expect the draw tomorrow, it won't change for me nothing. In the moment we are, we can also discuss about what you said, but in other ways, it's a difficult competition to play, everyone wants to play.

So, the problem is the lack of numbers of players, the amount of players we have in the team, that is the problem. Because if you need to play every three days with 10, 12, 13 and then you get, you know, that's the problem. Not that we play in the Champions League or not.

Also, it's not about only spending physical energy but also mental energy, every game for us in the league, it's a final. So, it's not an ideal situation, but it's how it is.

What sort of battle do you expect to get from Fulham?

Yeah, yeah. A very good team with a coach who is there for a long period. So, a very recognisable team. The way they do things, a very serious team. It's always difficult to beat them, so it will be tough. But, as I said before, we need to be focused on us and what to do because we need to make better our performance in both ways.

Might you experiment with the formation?

I don't know. I don't know because we are going to see when they (Porro and Danso) are back, how they are back, what are the other players. So, this is work to recognise what this team can do. You know, because when you start to work, you start, but then it's a game to show you how is the real situation of the team.

You know, in a physical condition, because it's fantastic to go to press up and that's when I speak about style. That's also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball. But then, if you have too much problems (at the) back, you need to think about the style. Is it the right style? Is it the right way, you can call it how you want.

So, I need to be smart to understand deeper the moment and the way how to take the points. Even not looking to the style now at this moment. The style needs to be in the second moment, because now it's a question of life and death. If I can say that in that way, sportingly. You can use that term.Do you think changing habits is more psychological? And if so, how as a manager do you change mentality?

Both things. I believe that the mentality changes by training. By doing the right things there and then to have enough training sessions that you can transmit this thing to your team that on Sunday this can be seen from the fans on the stadium. So, that's the key. Hard work in other ways, there is no other possibility.

Tottenham are a team that haven't been used to winning since the turn of the year, how do you turn that around? Is it all now about results rather than performance?

Yeah, I agree with you. Now, yes. Now, there is not too much time to think about performance or style, as I said before. As I said, because of this, all this put together, I don't want to repeat myself but it's the question with which every game needs to be prepared in that way. How we can take these points one way or the other way. Just that needs to be got. Unfortunately, it's, for me, very clear.

I'm also not that kind of a coach who doesn't want to cure, let's say, style. Let's say how we perform, what we do, but now, at this moment, it's not possible to think about these things.

Your predecessor didn't like to use the word 'relegation' when asked about it. Have you used that word to your players? Have you said, if we're not careful, we might get relegated?

No, I never used it, but not because it's something to scary, or it's a danger word, or we won't sleep. It's about that we need to refocus on ourselves. I also see the same way I speak with my players. To be focused on ourselves, on the training. That's the only thing we can change. So there is nothing to think about. The future, or the points, even. The points come as a consequence of the training and the game. That's the focus. That's the main and only focus we need to have.

You go into clubs, turn them around and rescue them, in a sense, is this the biggest of those jobs you've had, because of the size of Tottenham and financial implications?

Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It's even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it. But I agree with you.

You've got some players back but who are the next ones back, is Destiny Udogie close and how is Dejan Kulusevski doing?

It's a weekly basis. When they come, they come. We need to be focused. On the way, also, how they come back into the team. Also, the main important thing is, in time, they are recovering to put them in good condition so when they come back, they are in good shape. Otherwise, it's a problem. But we are working. This is an important part of our job.

You know Dejan from Juventus, have you spoken to him about how difficult the past year has been for him?

Yes. I know him from there. Fantastic player, fantastic guy. Difficult moment. He's had really big problems, as you know, here. But he's positive. And also the doctors are positive. So we'll see, next week, how it's going.

Another person you know well, Antonio Conte, have you spoken to him about Tottenham before or since you joined?

No, no, no. I didn't have time and he's also working so we didn't speak.

What did you make of his time at Tottenham and how it ended and the way he spoke at his final press conference?

Yeah? No, I don't remember. I don't remember mine let alone his press conferences.

On Kulusevski, it sounds like you might have him back this season?

We hope so. In this moment, I don’t know.

Do the players know the situation they are in and that you need them to fight dirty?

The last part you say? What?

Do you have to win ugly rather than play beautiful football?

Ah, OK, I think, yes. We are working in that direction. In Italy they use the term you know have the mentality of a small team. We use in Italy that is the key, to always have motivation when you play big teams, so that’s the start of course and we work a lot on that. The are aware, of course they are aware.

Have you been given any explanation as to why Tottenham have so many injuries?

I have my thoughts, I have opinions here, but I keep them to myself.

You used Joao Palhinha as a centre-back in a back three, could you go to a back four? Did you consider that for Arsenal and could you consider it for Fulham?

We will see. We will see what our options are.

You don’t have many players, but you do have Solanke, Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Tel, are you trying to work out how to fit as many of them as possible because goals will be key?

Yeah, that's the main job to do, also how you can have enough offensive players but not suffer in the back. How many offensive players can you afford to not concede too much? It's a particular moment also for understanding. Some coming from injuries, or you don't know, some player has some problems, so sometimes it's not easy to make choices, but you watch, with your staff and you choose. That’s the job you’re paid.

There is a clip after the Arsenal game of Micky van de Ven and you are giving instructions and there is captions saying he has ignored you, but if you watch it, you can see he is not…

Yeah, [the press officer] show me now so it’s a video from one fan yeah? So, I usually need to comment on the fan's video? I saw that, but it was not an instruction to Micky, it was an instruction to the team to go up. It was about the team coming up and what we were speaking before. We want to go up because we want to have this style where we press high, but in this moment it’s too much for them, so that’s why I was a little frustrated on that, but this is part of it.

A lot of fans would not have seen the clip but seen the headline and now they are thinking Micky van de Ven is not committed and disrespecting you?

No, no. If you watch carefully now, you see that I don't speak with him because after that one advice, I said to him, come closer and he came closer. In that moment, I stood there like this, it was all for the defence to go up. We didn't even speak about this me and Micky because there was nothing to speak about. He’s a fantastic guy, a very good professional and he would never do these things.

Joao Palhinha returns to one of his former clubs. You played him in defence last weekend, but more comfortable in midfield? How much are you considering where to play him and also he is a big leader isn’t he?

Yes, big leader and important for the dressing room all these skills – not just as a player, but as a human being. Yeah, he played there and it’s not his natural position. He did something else for the team in this particular moment and I know he did his best for that/ We put a line of four for these last game to protect other weakness we maybe have in these moments against teams. You always need to do some adjustments you believe in moments are best for the team. In this particular moment some of us need to play in a role that’s not his best position.

Igor Tudor has been speaking ahead of Tottenham's Premier League trip across London to face Fulham on Sunday

Igor Tudor has confirmed that Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso will be fit to face Fulham.

The Tottenham duo have recently been missing with hamstring and toe injuries, respectively, but they are in line to feature in Sunday's London derby at Craven Cottage.

The Croatian has also provided a positive update on Micky van de Ven, who missed training at Hotspur Way on Wednesday.

Tudor said: "Yes [Porro and Danso are back and available]. It's small problem for Micky in his small finger, but he’s okay."

Spurs will seek to record their first win under their new interim boss and they're also out for revenge after losing 2-1 at home to Fulham back in November.

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Captain Cristian Romero remains suspended and will not return to the fold until Tottenham's trip to Liverpool next month.

Tudor was also asked about the availability of Dejan Kulusevski as Sweden boss Graham Potter claimed earlier this week that he hoped to have both 'Deki' and Alexander Isak fit for next month's World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine.

The former Juventus, Lazio and Marseille boss said on the 25-year-old: "We hope so but in this moment we don't know."

Dominic Solanke has also trained this week after starting on the bench against Arsenal due to a sore throat.

Tudor was also asked for his assessment now the dust has settled following the 4-1 North London Derby defeat.

In his view, not much has changed and Spurs need to continue working to obtain results, he added: "It's very tough but I don't change my opinion, it's about daily work. We need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good.

"I don't think too much about the draw, it doesn't change for me nothing. It's a beautiful competition to play, the problem is the lack of numbers.

"It's not also about spending physical energy but also mental energy because every league game is a final for us."

He remarked when quizzed on Sunday's opponents: "Fulham are a very serious team. It's difficult to beat them."

Tottenham attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has not played this season after undergoing surgery on his patella last May

Sweden boss Graham Potter hopes to have Dejan Kulusevski and Alexander Isak fit for their nation's crunch World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine.

The duo are currently sidelined, though there are also fears that the contest at the end of March will come too soon for both players.

Kulusevski is yet to play for Spurs this season after undergoing knee surgery last May and Potter has issued an update on the pair's possible availability for the crucial matchup.

He said: "Right now we're just keeping our fingers crossed and hopefully we can get some of those guys back. But if not, we have to find a solution with the guys that are available."

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Speaking at the start of the month, recently-sacked Tottenham boss Thomas Frank indicated Kulusevski's return was not imminent.

It's been a rollercoaster rehabilitation process for the former Juventus starlet and Spurs are reluctant to put pressure on the 25-year-old despite the severity of their current situation in the Premier League.

Frank said: "It's a complicated injury, where it’s important to make sure there’s no pain in the knee. That’s why he got an injection and it hopefully will help. So in three to four weeks’ time, he’ll be on the grass pain-free."

Kulusevski has not played for Sweden since November 2024 when he scored twice and assisted in the 6-0 demolition of Azerbaijan.

He also captained the Scandinavians in five of their six UEFA Nations League matches, highlighting his importance to the national team fold.

Spurs could do with having Kulusevski back to provide creativity and work ethic in the final third but at this stage, there appears to be no guarantees he'll be back soon having recently been spotted on a flight to Barcelona where he was due to undergo a medical checkup.

Unfortunately for Potter, Isak is also some distance from returning after suffering a fibula fracture which required surgery back in December in the 2-1 win at Tottenham.

Arne Slot recently said of the £125million striker: “With Alex, I think he has been on the pitch now, not with his football shoes but with his running shoes, for the first time this week, so that will still take a while as well before he is ready to play for us again.”

UEFA have published the financial results of clubs for 2025, and it's a shocking state of affairs for Tottenham Hotspur, who recorded a staggering loss despite recording the ninth-biggest revenue in Europe

Tottenham Hotspur recorded the third biggest pre-tax financial loss of all teams in Europe in 2025, despite soaring in terms of revenue.

UEFA's annual European Club Finance and Investment Landscape report has been published, with details on the 10 clubs with the biggest losses last season. Spurs are third in the list when it comes to losses, with the north London outfit posting a £129million pre-tax deficit.

Given UEFA's report does not include details of club finances, it is unclear as to exactly how Spurs have recorded such a pre-tax loss, only surpassed by Chelsea (£342m) and Lyon (£170m). Spurs' loss is also a marked increase on the £27m deficit they recorded the season prior.

Tottenham contrastingly ranked ninth-highest in terms of overall revenue for the year, boasting earnings of £555m compared to the £536m they posted the year before. Interestingly, Spurs also ranked ninth in terms of revenue for 2023/24.

The report reads: "Financial losses commonly occur when sporting performance falls short of expectations. Results before tax also vary considerably due to year-by-year fluctuations in transfer profits.

"The UEFA club monitoring process assesses clubs over a three-year period, allowing these effects to be smoothed out.

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"While a number of adjustments are made between statutory reported losses and UEFA’s football earnings assessment, the top ten list this year features a number of clubs that have recently been sanctioned."

One explanation for a pre-tax loss could come in the form of Spurs' performances on the pitch in 2024/25. While they captured a Europa League title under Ange Postecoglou, the club struggled domestically - sinking to a 17th place finish in the Premier League standings.

That poor run of form bled into 2025/26, despite high hopes for the club under Thomas Frank, who was appointed as Postecoglou's successor in June off the back of success with Brentford.

Fate ultimately had other plans for the Dane, who lasted just eight months in his post before he was sacked by the board earlier this month, following a winless Premier League run of eight matches, as Spurs sat 16th on the table.

Igor Tudor has stepped in as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, although it remains to be seen whether the Croatian will be able to turn the tide in such a short space of time.

His debut with the club landed in the form of Sunday's North London Derby, in which, Spurs suffered a 4-1 loss to Arsenal on home turf. Up next for Tudor and Spurs is a clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage come Sunday, March 1.

Igot Tudor will be looking over his shoulder all the while Mauricio Pochettino continues to be linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have already been dealt a slight blow to their hopes of appointing Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season. The United States Men's National Team head coach was one of several potential candidates for the previously vacant head coach position, but the Lilywhites decided to bring in Igor Tudor on a temporary basis instead.

If Spurs had gone for Pochettino, they would have likely had to cough up an eye-watering compensation fee. According to the BBC, the United States Soccer Federation would be entitled to 'one of the biggest financial compensation fees in football history' if Pochettino leaves to take a new job before the World Cup.

The United States are, of course, co-hosting this summer's tournament with Canada and Mexico. Bayern Munich coughed up £21million to prise Julian Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig in 2021 before Chelsea forked out a similar fee a year or so later to lure Graham Potter from Brighton.

Fortunately for Tottenham, the Argentine's contract is currently set to expire after the World Cup, making him available on a free transfer. However, there's a problem.

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The USMNT don't play their final group stage match until June 26. The round of 16 will then take place between July 4 and July 7, with the quarter-finals between July 9 and July 11, the semi-finals between July 14 and July 15, and the final on July 19.

A week or so later, Tottenham are set to play Sydney FC and Chelsea in the 2026 Sydney Super Cup on July 29 and August 1, respectively. The Lilywhites are yet to release their full pre-season fixture schedule, but last year, they got the ball rolling on July 19.

While it's unlikely the co-hosts will go the distance at the World Cup, Spurs would have to consider whether Pochettino and his coaching staff would want a break. If Tottenham were to secure his signature, either those who didn't represent their country over the summer would begin for pre-season without a head coach or the Argentine would have to rush to Hotspur Way unprepared.

As it stands, Pochettino is currently focused on leading the USMNT into the World Cup. However, his previous comments about Tottenham speak volumes about his affection for the club.

Speaking to Sky Sports in March 2025, Pochettino admitted that he would like to return to Spurs. He said: "When I left the club, I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham.

"I am in the USA, so I am not going to talk about that now - but what I said then I still, after six years or five years, feel in my heart. Yes, I would like one day to come back."

In an interview with Jake Humphrey on the High Performance Podcast earlier this month, Pochettino fanned the flames. The former Spurs boss said: "To win a Europa League, that the team won [under Ange Postecoglou], is good, but it’s not enough.

"It is not enough to challenge for the Carabao Cup, or the FA Cup, or the Europa League, or the Conference [League]. It’s a club that should be, or needs to be, because the fans, what they expect is to be in the Champions League, fighting for the Champions League, trying to believe that you can win the Champions League and also fighting for the Premier League and believing that you can win the Premier League."

Later in the podcast, Pochettino was asked what former club means the most to him. The former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Southampton gaffer had no doubt in his mind.

"It is very simple: Tottenham," he replied. "Still, the people on the street, the fans of Tottenham, really show the love and the appreciation, and I think that is why it’s so special."

It's time for a new episode of Talking Tottenham with our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor

Igor Tudor needs help at Tottenham Hotspur and the cavalry finally appears to be riding out of the treatment room.

The Croatian came into a tough situation at Spurs in taking over from Thomas Frank and inheriting a squad of just 13 fit outfield players for his first game against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. While Tudor's men went into the break level at 1-1, their north London rivals ran away with the game in the second half to record a 4-1 victory and end the 47-year-old's run of winning his debut game at his previous five clubs.

Tudor will have been buoyed though by the return to training this week of right-back Pedro Porro and central defender Kevin Danso, who will give him natural defenders in the backline after having to crowbar Joao Palhinha and Archie Gray into it as a centre-back and right wing-back respectively.

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Porro in particular will bring a lot to Tottenham's attack as well and provide the likes of Dominic Solanke, Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison with the crosses and diagonal balls to get the goals to fire Tudor's men up the table from their current precarious spot in 16th.

Our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor spoke about the duo's return in the new episode of their podcast Talking Tottenham as well as plenty more about what's going on at the club right now and what's to come in the week ahead.

You can listen to the podcast version of the show by heading right here or watch it recorded live on YouTube by going right here.

Spurs are set to find out their opponents in the Champions League round of 16 with the draw coming at the end of this week

Tottenham Hotspur's route in the Champions League is starting to clear ahead of Friday's draw for the round of 16.

New interim head coach Igor Tudor has plenty of experience in Europe as a player and as a manager, having also coached Juventus at the Club World Cup last summer, and now he will take charge of Spurs in their last-16 ties to be played next month.

The Croatian is hoping to make a quick impact in the Premier League after replacing Thomas Frank but will also be keen to also make a splash in the Champions League as he looks to put himself in the frame for the permanent job in N17 or catch the attention of other clubs in the summer.

Tottenham's top four finish in the big Champions League table meant they bypassed the play-off stage this month and have been watching on and waiting to see who will be their possible opponents in Friday's draw, which begins at 11am UK time. The north London side's high league phase finish also means they will play their first game away and the second at home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in both the round of 16 and, if they progress, the quarter-finals.

The nature of the draw meant that Spurs would play one of four teams in the last 16 from initially Juventus, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge.

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Spurs fans first knew they would not be heading to Bruges as Atletico confirmed their place in the last-16 following Tuesday night's game in against Club Brugge.

Then the other play-off game concerning Tottenham, on Wednesday night in Turin, Galatasaray went in holding a big 5-2 lead in the tie against Juventus.

But the Italian's came back in a Champions League classic after 10-man Juve clawed back the first-leg deficit to take the game to extra-time. However, Victor Osimhen's effort before the interval during extra-time handed the Turkish giants the advantage before Baris Alper Yilmaz rubber-stamped their place in the next round.

Atletico and Galatasaray will face either Spurs or Liverpool in the last 16 when Friday's draw is made.

All three potential opponents contained narratives with Juventus being Tudor's old side and Atletico being Conor Gallagher's former team and he played for them in the league phase while the Madrid side's boss Diego Simeone has previously publicly declared his desire to sign Tottenham captain Cristian Romero.

Spurs also struggled in Istanbul against Galatasaray, another of Tudor's former clubs, last year in the Europa League, with Will Lankshear and Dominic Solanke scoring in a 3-2 defeat while the former was sent off.

The dates for the two last 16 away and home times will be on March 10-11 and 17-18.