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Tottenham Hotspur are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League and are now looking to hire a sports psychologist to help the squad out

Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new club psychologist to help the players in their squad who are mentally drained.

Spurs find themselves in an unexpected relegation battle, with Roberto De Zerbi's side currently rooted to 18th place in the Premier League, following the new head coach's appointment in the aftermath of the departures of Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor.

Tottenham have lost to Sunderland draw with Brighton in the club's two Premier League fixtures since De Zerbi was appointed on a long-term deal.

The club are now taking extraordinary steps in their bid to avoid the drop to the Championship.

Xavi Simons appeared to have helped steer Tottenham away from the danger zone against Brighton with a long-range strike at the weekend, only for a stoppage-time leveller from Seagulls star Georginio Rutter to see them drop two precious points in the battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The club are now actively seeking a sports psychologist in a bid to address the mental fragility gripping their underperforming squad.

In a job listing, Spurs stated: "Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is committed to building a world-class performance environment for our Men’s First Team.

"As part of this ambition, we are seeking an outstanding Performance Psychologist to join our Performance Team. This is a high-impact role embedded within the Men’s First Team environment at Hotspur Way.

“Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team you will lead the delivery of evidence-based psychological support to elite professional players.

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"The role encompasses individual player support, systemic work across the coaching and performance staff, and the ongoing development of a psychologically informed performance culture throughout the team.

“This role demands a practitioner who is credible, discreet, and highly effective in a Premier League environment, capable of building trust with players and coaches while operating with the professional rigor expected at the highest level of the game.”

An identical position has also been advertised for their women's side.

The job post comes days after De Zerbi emphasised the importance of the "mentality" of the players in the battle to avoid relegation.

"My job is not now to change the style of play. I did two or three things with the ball, two or three things without the ball, but the crucial part is not with the ball or without the ball. It's in our mentality to be positive," De Zerbi said after the defeat to Sunderland earlier this month.

"We have to find the right energy, the right spirit. When they stay with me during the week, they will find a positive coach because I believe in them. They are human and ‌maybe they are suffering too much.

"We have to stay all together and close and improve in the details of the football, but to be better as a mentality."

Tottenham return to action on Saturday against an already-relegated Wolves outfit. More dropped points in the trip to Molineux could see Spurs move even closer to being relegated to the Championship

De Zerbi's squad then travel to Aston Villa before welcoming Leeds United, followed by fixtures against Chelsea and Everton before the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur will be closely monitoring Luka Vuskovic, who suffered a knee injury in training earlier this month.

Hamburg sporting director Claus Costa has provided an update on Luka Vuskovic. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee suffered a knee injury in training earlier this month, and he's missed each of the German outfit's last two games.

Hamburg had only conceded seven goals in their previous five Bundesliga matches with Vuskovic in the backline. But since the Croatia international has been sidelined with a slight ligament strain, they've let in just as many in only two games.

Speaking to German outlet Bild ahead of Hamburg's clash against Hoffenheim on Saturday, April 25, Claus Costa outlined the challenges of managing the teenager's injury. The sporting director said: "A knee sprain or contusion causes internal bleeding.

"This makes it difficult to control the knee precisely and correctly. That’s something that takes time. Of course, we miss Luka. Because he’s not on the pitch, he’s somewhat sidelined."

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The Hamburg chief continued: "We have to be patient and wait until he’s available again. I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to play again this season.

"If he’s fit to play, nothing can stop him. He’s extremely ambitious and desperately wants to play for us again. That’s why we’re confident."

According to Bild, the joint in Vuskovic's knee was 'more severely damaged' than originally thought, preventing him from beginning any individual rehabilitation work on the grass. However, Sportske Novosti, a newspaper in Croatia, later downplayed concerns, claiming the centre-back was due a break, having clocked well over 2,000 minutes this season.

Then, local outlet Hamburger Abendblatt reported that the final decision on a return to action would rest with the Lilywhites due to a clause in the loan agreement. Ultimately, football.london understands that Spurs will make the final call.

Vuskovic has featured 25 times in the German top flight this season, scoring five goals from centre-back. The Croatian has helped the newly promoted outfit distance themselves from a relegation scrap, with seven points separating them from the bottom two.

Since joining Hamburg, Vuskovic has established himself as one of the most promising young players in Europe, earning great praise from the likes of Lothar Matthaus, Vincent Kompany, and Luka Modric. Naturally, the 19-year-old defender has been linked with moves to several top clubs, but he's under contract with Tottenham until June 2030.

In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung earlier this month, Vuskovic provided an update on his future. On one day playing with his brother, Mario, who was given a four-year ban from football in November 2022 for a doping offence, he said: "In football, you never know.

Ange Postecoglou made a claim about Spurs' Europa League triumph after attending a Champions League match

Ange Postecoglou mentioned Tottenham after returning to England to run the rule over Liverpool as part of his new job.

It has been a tough 12 months for the Australian since he guided Spurs to Europa League glory last season. Postecoglou paid the price for Spurs' 17th-place Premier League finish, being relieved of his duties just weeks after that famous victory over Manchester United in Bilbao.

He subsequently departed Nottingham Forest after just 39 days in charge. However, the former Celtic manager has returned to work following his appointment as a UEFA technical observer.

Among his earliest assignments, he was tasked with assessing Arsenal's Champions League performance in January, while his most recent brief took him to Anfield to observe Liverpool's second-leg encounter with Paris Saint-Germain.

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Postecoglou's assessment of the match, which PSG won 2-0 to seal a 4-0 aggregate victory, has been made available on the UEFA website. The 60-year-old opens his piece by commending Liverpool's pressing style, noting: "Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai did a really good job of closing down the midfield space. They denied PSG that central area they like to play in."

He went on to applaud the way Luis Enrique's side adjusted, adopting a more direct approach. Postecoglou said: "Liverpool's approach really made it difficult for them and if they'd just persisted in trying to play like they normally do, they may have got unstuck."

During his time at Spurs, Postecoglou frequently faced criticism for refusing to temper his attacking philosophy when circumstances called for it. Yet, while reflecting on PSG's victory, he acknowledged that Tottenham showed flexibility when necessary throughout their Europa League campaign.

He explained: "A key thing is to understand that, rather than having a predetermined idea about how things could transpire, you need to understand the game in front of you and the immediate task at hand. For coaches, experience teaches you that.

"The reality of it is, whether it's pragmatism or simply understanding what the actual challenge is on the day, the paramount thing is being successful, particularly in Champions League knockout football because the margins are so fine.

"You can't abandon your foundations, and if you look at Luis Enrique's approach, there were still the elements you always see. But there was also a recognition that there was a different challenge to overcome.

"There's a difference to knockout football in Europe, and the approach you take and recognising that, at certain stages, it's not an abandonment of philosophy, it's an acknowledgement of the challenge that's before you and doing what's required.

"And that certainly was our approach with Tottenham in the Europa League final last year, and it wasn't saying that everything we've done up till now doesn't matter."

Tottenham have had a creativity problem this season and right now only one man can fix it for new boss Roberto De Zerbi

Just for one moment on Saturday, Tottenham's problematic season was forgotten. At the centre of it all, amid the flailing limbs of delirious supporters stood Xavi Simons.

Spurs have always had a playmaker at the heart of their team, whether it be Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, David Ginola, Luka Modric, Christian Eriksen or more recently James Maddison.

Tottenham's double-winning legend Danny Blanchflower once said that football is about "doing things in style and with a flourish," and there has always been that little bit of magic that made the north London outfit fun to watch.

This season the magic has been sadly lacking in N17. The pragmatic Thomas Frank offered no fun, Igor Tudor had no idea what he was walking into and now Roberto De Zerbi has marched through the door in a last-gasp attempt to keep Tottenham in the Premier League.

It is entirely fitting that the Italian was a number 10 in his playing days. If anyone understands that football is meant to be a beautiful game rather than littered with the long throws and kicks of today's Premier League, it is the former Brighton boss.

So against his old team on Saturday, he turned to the little Dutch magician Xavi - the man born in the Netherlands but who quickly moved with his family to Alicante in Spain at the age of three where he would become one of the brightest academy stars at Barcelona.

The midfielder, who turned 23 on Tuesday, has already gone through a variety of clubs: from the Catalan giants to PSG, then to RB Leipzig and now Tottenham. He is a prodigious talent, a driven individual who had one million followers on social media while just 14-years-old.

As with all young players he has plenty he needs to improve on, but that is why he has assembled his own team around him. He has his own data and video analysts, as well as a strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer and even a mindset coach. He has been spotted at Hotspur Way on days off, looking to train and improve himself physically for the Premier League.

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Yet Frank, Tudor and De Zerbi - in his first game - did not trust him. Something about Xavi made them all worry about taking the risk. The Dutchman wears his emotions on his face. Some take it as sulking but those around him claim that with his Barcelona and PSG upbringing it has been drilled into him to be ambitious and never accept failure.

Defensively in his own half he will not offer managers much, but he does fight and tackle from the front and there's no doubting his creativity. He has fashioned more chances at Spurs this season than any other player. On Saturday, he set up Pedro Porro's opening goal with a clever reverse chipped pass, hit the post moments later himself and created a chance for Joao Palhinha in the second half after a mazy dribble.

Then came his goal. It would have reminded the Tottenham fans longingly of Son Heung-min in the way Xavi cut inside from the left flank and curled a right-footed effort in off the right-hand post.

The stadium went wild, his team-mates ran from all directions, including the subs on the bench, and for one moment everything about this sorry mess of a season was put to one side.

Brighton would eventually leave Xavi and Spurs heartbroken thanks to Georginio Rutter's 95th minute leveller but it was clear that Xavi is the man De Zerbi needs to spark a failing team back to life.

"I think I'm lucky to have this player on my team, but also he's lucky because with me as a number 10, I can understand him better than other coaches," said De Zerbi.

Frank and Tudor both overlooked Xavi and paid the price. If De Zerbi builds his team around the gifted Dutchman, with Maddison marching towards a return as well, then it might not be too late for Spurs.

As Tottenham continue their quest to avoid relegation from the Premier League, one Spurs star has since been linked with an exit this summer

The agent of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is understood to be in talks with Fenerbahce. The 23-year-old is reportedly on a shortlist of midfield targets the Turkish club are pursuing.

The Senegalese international was recruited by Spurs from French outfit FC Metz during the 2021-22 campaign, as part of a busy transfer window under Nuno Espirito-Santo that also brought Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini to North London. Since his arrival, Sarr has contributed 11 goals and 10 assists across 138 outings for Spurs.

Yet his future at the club is now in doubt, with reports from Turkey claiming his agent is in talks with the club, in the middle of Spurs' battle against relegation. This news is not ideal for Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi, who recently issued a rallying cry to his players, stating players "have to be stronger, focused and come to training ground on Monday afternoon with a smile otherwise they go home."

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Turkish publication Fotomaç has reported negotiations are already under way to lure the midfielder to the Turkish Super Lig. According to the report, the Istanbul giants, who are managed by former Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco, are also looking to move on ex-Manchester United midfielder Fred, who made his name during a five-season spell at Old Trafford between 2018 and 2023.

The Brazilian arrived at United in the summer of 2018 from Shakhtar Donetsk for £49m, before being offloaded to the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in 2023 for £8.62m. His future in Turkey now looks uncertain, with the club casting their net wide in search of midfield reinforcements.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi will have little appetite for transfer speculation at present, with Spurs having squandered a chance to climb above the relegation zone last weekend.

What would have been Tottenham's first Premier League victory of 2026 appeared to be within reach against De Zerbi's former side Brighton and Hove Albion, with Xavi Simons finding the top corner to put Spurs 2-1 ahead.

However, Georginio Rutter's 95th-minute equaliser cruelly denied them all three points. A visibly disappointed De Zerbi spoke candidly after the final whistle, saying: "I am proud of their performance.

"They have to be stronger, focused and come to training ground on Monday afternoon with a smile otherwise they go home. I have no time to see negative people or to see sad players or sad assistants.

"We are lucky because we are working at a big club, a big stadium, we are working in Premier League and we have the qualities, the right qualities to win the game, so we have to be positive. I don't like the people who cry and who thinks in negative way."

Tottenham now face a crucial trip to already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend, a fixture they simply cannot afford to drop points in. The north London side will then round off their campaign with matches against Aston Villa (away), Leeds United (home), Chelsea (away) and Everton (home).

Tottenham Hotspur have just five matches remaining in the Premier League and one of them could yet move at the last moment

Just five games lie ahead for Tottenham to save their Premier League status and one of them may yet be switched to a completely different week.

Roberto De Zerbi's side finally showed signs of improvement with their 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday, bolstered by Xavi Simons' starring role, even if they had to suffer the last-gasp heartbreak of conceding Georginio Rutter's 95th minute leveller. Now Spurs have just a quintet of fixtures remaining in which to remain in the top flight.

West Ham's draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night at least keeps the Hammers within two points of 18th-placed Tottenham, who visit bottom side Wolves on Saturday afternoon. Rob Edwards' side had their relegation fate confirmed with that point for West Ham so will take on Spurs without the pressure of trying to stay up in the Premier League.

Up next for De Zerbi and his men after that is another trip to the same part of the country and next Sunday's 7pm kick-off at Aston Villa, sandwiched in between Unai Emery's side's Europa League ties against Nottingham Forest.

The north London outfit are back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, May 11 for the visit of Leeds United and a huge clash in N17.

Then comes the penultimate match of the campaign for Spurs and that's the one that could yet be moved. The Lilywhites travel the short journey across London to Chelsea on May 17, currently set with a standard 3pm kick-off. However, that could yet be moved if the Blues overcome Leeds in their FA Cup semi-final this coming Sunday. That is because the final at Wembley would be played on Saturday May 16.

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Rearranging the Chelsea match would place it in midweek, with the only potential weeks being the one starting on Monday May 4 or Monday May 18.

There are two ways of looking at this. One is that it's bunching up games for Spurs when they currently have good spacing between each one to allow for fit and fresh players. Bringing the Chelsea game forward between the Villa and Leeds encounters would at least leave them a bit more space if it was on the Thursday due to the latter match being on the Monday night.

However, that gives players like James Maddison less time to be fitter and sharper for the game as he looks to return to action from his ACL injury.

The problem with that first week is that Chelsea are playing Nottingham Forest on Monday May 4, so the Spurs game would have to be on that Thursday May 7 which then runs into problems with Liam Rosenior's side's lunchtime kick-off at Liverpool on May 9, unless that can be moved to the Sunday.

Moving the Chelsea game a couple of days after it was meant to be played makes more sense. It would hand the Blues three games in a week but Spurs 10 days or so before the fixture with only three or four days after until the final game of the season at home against Everton.

Tottenham will be hoping to have turned their Premier League season around before then but it could yet go down to the wire and every recovery day counts.

The young Tottenham Hotspur defender has picked up an unfortunately-timed injury during a big season to remember in the Bundesliga

Any fears over Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic's knee injury have been played down and he is expected to return within weeks, according to reports from his native Croatia.

The 19-year-old, who is yet to play a competitive match for the north London side, has dazzled in the Bundesliga this season with his performances in the centre of Hamburg's defence. Vuskovic has played 27 matches for the German side, scoring five times and providing one assist while winning various awards along the way.

However, the Spurs teenager has missed the past two matches with a knock to his knee picked up in training on April 7 and HSV have gone from conceding 13 goals in 11 games with him in the backline to conceding seven across the two defeats at Stuttgart and Werder Bremen.

German media outlet Bild reported this week that the joint in his knee is "more severely damaged" than originally thought and the youngster has not been able to do any individual rehabilitation work on the grass with a comeback against Hoffenheim this Saturday night in Hamburg doubtful.

However, Croatian outlet Sportske Novosti has now played down any concerns about Vuskovic's knee and claimed he would likely have had a break around now after a long tough season anyway due to his age and the prospect of playing at the World Cup with Croatia to come.

A slight ligament strain was diagnosed in his knee after that training knock and with dialogue between Spurs and HSV, it was agreed to rest the centre-back for three or four matches before he returns for the final couple of games of the campaign.

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That would mean returning for the penultimate match of the season against Freiburg on May 10 although the Croatian outlet also noted that with just five points between Hamburg and the relegation play-off spot, he might have to come back a little sooner if things continue to take a turn for the worse with the results.

Local Hamburg media Hamburger Abendblatt claim that the final decision will rest with Tottenham who they say inserted a clause in his loan deal that gives them the final say over when he can return from any injury.

Such clauses are commonplace in loan agreements, and the medical staff of both clubs are said to be in constant communication and evaluating the latest MRI scans before Spurs give him the green light to return.

The Croatian and German reports differ over whether Vuskovic is still feeling pain in his knee with those from his country suggesting he isn't, while the German ones say he is. Ultimately it will be Tottenham who make the final call on a player who looks set to become a star if he continues his current path of development.

The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has found out the bad news and will be hoping to be back in time to get back on track next season

Frustration continues to plague Tottenham midfielder George Abbott this season after scans revealed he has a serious quad injury that will keep him out for months.

The talented 20-year-old had been tipped by many within Spurs' academy in recent years to be one who went under the radar to become a first team player in the years to come. He made his Premier League debut at 17 off the bench for the north London club away at Leeds in the final game of the 2022/23 season.

Abbott went on to captain the U21s before an eye-catching loan last season at Notts County in League Two, which provided some spectacular goals including one in the FA Cup from distance. The then teenager netted six times and registered seven assists across 44 appearances as a key part of the County team that reached the play-offs.

Unfortunately this season has been fragmented by injury for the youngster. He stepped up to League One in the summer and instantly took it in his stride as he impressed at Wycombe Wanderers only for a quadriceps injury suffered in October to keep him out for a couple of months. He made a brief return at the end of last year but then suffered a troublesome calf problem straight after.

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His loan was cut short and he came back to Tottenham to get treatment before a new loan was arranged to another League One outfit in Mansfield Town alongside fellow academy product Oliver Irow.

Describing himself on arrival to the Mansfield Chad newspaper, he said: "I am a defensive midfielder or a box to box midfielder. So I can play more as a number eight as well as I am a willing runner. I will get forward and back and make the box quite a lot.

"I am quite good defensively, getting stuck in, going into tackles, winning the ball back and interceptions. And I like to get on the ball, dictate play and make things happen, playing through the lines."

Abbott started to get a run of games under his belt, becoming a regular starter in the midfield, with one goal and one assist, only to suffer another quad injury in the same muscle. Scans confirmed it was a serious one and it is expected to keep him out until pre-season when he will try to get back on track and look to impress Roberto De Zerbi this summer.

Abbott managed to make 26 appearances across this campaign but it will still be one he wants to move past and continue to push on next season.

Spurs are two points adrift of safety after their 2-2 draw with Roberto De Zerbi's former club Brighton, and one Tottenham player caught the eye of Jamie Carragher for what he did on Saturday

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has singled out Djed Spence's role in Brighton's equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. Roberto De Zerbi's side were 2-1 up heading into injury time in what appeared to be a huge three points in the fight against relegation.

However, Georginio Rutter scored in the 95th minute to break Tottenham hearts, leaving them in the relegation zone with six games to play. Pedro Porro and Xavi Simons had put Spurs in a great position to pick up their first win since the 28th of December.

Despite an improved performance, Spurs missed out on a golden opportunity to move out of the bottom three ahead of West Ham United's clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.

When analysing the performance from Saturday, Carragher said: "We're talking about time, we're talking about the 94th minute. Djed Spence who has come on in the 76th minute, now, he's done well he's closed down [his man].

"He can't pull out [of the press] he's got to keep going and he's unlucky. But Djed Spence, I don't like this. You've got to sprint back.

"He's walking. He was a sub. He's only been on 15 minutes. Then you've got you two young midfield players, we highlighted them in the Sunderland game, they didn't start this game.

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"But they understand football, they're clever those two young lads [Bergvall and Gray]. They know somebody has got to fill in at left-back.

"The left-back is now here [Spence is up the pitch]. They look to fill in. Now, the situation here, Porro leaves his man, but Paulinha now ends up at right-back.

"We're going to keep an eye on Djed Spence here, it comes into Danso and everyone is talking about his mistake, but he [Spence] starts walking, then walks again because he thinks Danso has got the ball.

"Your two midfield players are filling in for him at left-back, leaving their slot in midfield and that's where Rutter scores the goal. Brilliant finish on that left foot, but it's an absolute body blow for them.

"You can see the reaction from them, but listen there was a lot of positives to take from it for Tottenham in terms of how they went about it and how they played. [De Zerbi] won't feel that right now."

Spurs are back in action this weekend when they take on Wolves, whose relegation has now been confirmed. It's a huge game for De Zerbi's side, with their opponents having very little to play for beyond pride.

However, Carragher was still not overly confident. He said: "We’re talking the last time they won? What month was it? December?

"They haven’t won a Premier League game since December. It’s unbelievable. So, to think you will go to an away game and just win… I can’t see them losing the (Wolves) game and they could nick it, of course they could, but I’ve seen other teams go there and find it difficult at Wolves with the way they set up."

Brighton grabbed a last-gasp goal to deflate Tottenham just as the north London side looked set to win their first Premier League game of 2026

Brighton defender Mats Wieffer explained that the south coast team exploited Tottenham's lack of confidence as they pushed in the final moments to score that crushing late leveller at the weekend.

Spurs twice went into the lead during Saturday's Premier League match first through Pedro Porro's header and then after Kaoru Mitoma smashed home a volley, Xavi Simons curled what looked to be the perfect matchwinner for 18th-placed Tottenham. However, in the 95th minute Georginio Rutter powered home a strike to break the home side's hearts.

Seagulls right-back Wieffer believed that the equaliser was always on the cards on the day against Roberto De Zerbi's men because of Spurs' mental fragility.

"I think the 2-1 came out of nowhere but we still had the feeling that we could score because they are not in a really good position at the moment, as everybody knows. In the last ten minutes you saw already the 2-2 was a little bit coming. We scored it and, in the end, we had also chances with the corner to get the 3-2," the Dutchman is quoted as saying in The Argus. "“In the end, if it is deserved, I don’t know, but we wanted more."

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He added: "You see they are going to drop. They try to be in the 16 (penalty area) so we can pay around. Maybe a lack of confidence, a little bit. We keep pressure, pressure, pressure and one ball can fall well and it happened for us to make it 2-2.

"Of course, disappointed [in the dressing room]. We had a couple of good moments, good actions in the first half. Second half as well. But, overall, it was not exactly as we wanted to play, I think."