Football London

Tottenham Hotspur managed to salvage their season last week when they lifted the Europa League trophy, securing lucrative Champions League football in the process.

A 1-0 success over Manchester United in Bilbao managed to book what had appeared to be an unlikely slot in European football’s top tier club knockout competition for next season given the dismal nature of the domestic campaign, where Spurs finished the season one place above the drop zone.

But success in Spain has given Spurs access to a prize fund worth up to £120m next season, and guaranteed them revenues of some £60m when including the four home games that they will at least get to host for sell-out crowds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The win has changed what Spurs are able to do in the market, not least from a cashflow point of view with the club’s weighty transfer debt (£337m) and limited amount coming in in terms of transfer receivables (£58m) meaning that they would have had to player trade this summer, even though they have little to be concerned about when it comes to profit and sustainability rules headroom.

The revenues on offer next season will be impactful, but it won’t be completely transformational for Spurs given that their dire performance in the Premier League this season means that they are some £34m back on where they were this time 12 months ago.

In 2023/24 Spurs finished fifth. For that they received £164.6m in central payments from the Premier League.

The financial success of the Premier League is built largely on the enormous TV deal that they have in place both domestically and internationally, worth £12bn over four years. Much of that sum is is filtered down to clubs through equal share payments from both markets, merit payments from both markets based upon where they finish the season, commercial revenue and facilities fees, which is how many times clubs feature in live TV broadcasts from the three UK broadcasters, which are Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video.

Last year, Spurs featured 28 times, the joint third-highest alongside Manchester City and Manchester United. This past year it has been 24 times, three times less than Aston Villa and behind seven teams.

Facilities fees fell by £3.3m to £21.1m for the year, but the drop in merit payments is significant, falling to £11.4m from £45.1m, a drop of £33.7m. The equal share from the international market is to jump around £2m, so with that accounted for the past season’s struggles in the Premier League have cost Spurs around £34m year-on-year.

That loss already eats into what Spurs have got coming from the Champions League next season, although it does fall in the current financial year. It will be budgeted for longer term, though, and that means that the club may have to be a little more mindful in the market than if they were to be heading into it having secured the same league placing as last year, with Newcastle United having taken that spot this year and earned Champions League qualification from a stronger position.

The importance of Tottenham's historic Europa League triumph has already been showcased with concrete links to Leroy Sane emerging.

Though there is no guarantee Ange Postecoglou is even at the club next season, Champions League football will definitely be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the next nine months. As a result of that, regardless of their horrendous domestic campaign, players will be interested in moving to Spurs.

A defensive midfield signing should be the absolute priority but Tottenham must also take advantage of this unique opportunity and add an elite-level attacker to their squad.

Eberechi Eze is one dream target with the attacking midfielder key to Crystal Palace's FA Cup triumph. There have also been links to Bryan Mbeumo, Jamie Gittens and Rayan Cherki with it likely all three depart Brentford, Borussia Dortmund and Lyon, respectively, this summer.

The latest rumour is that Tottenham could sign Sane from Bayern Munich with the player also open to a north London switch. Having won trophies in Germany and at Manchester City, the 29-year-old could be the signing that takes Spurs up a level.

With his future at Bayern uncertain, after he chose to turn down their latest new contract proposal, Bild have claimed his agent has held talks with Arsenal and Chelsea but that Spurs are currently the 'hottest club' in the potential race for his signature.

Having played on the left and right flank, he will also bring needed versatility to the Lilywhites, but there are a number of issues that could prevent a deal from happening. Unsurprisingly, the first of those is to do with finances.

If he departs Bavaria as a free agent, Tottenham will not have to pay a transfer fee but with that potentially comes a signing-on bonus. Sane is said to currently earn around £12.5million per year and considering the fact he rejected an improved three-year deal, Spurs would likely have to pay him upwards of £280k-per-week.

That is a hugely significant amount of funds that will be committed to one player and it does risk hampering the club's entire wage structure. Potential new signings and important stars at the club would undoubtedly point to that when in contract negotiations.

The uncertain future of Postecoglou and the club's overall struggles last season are other factors that could see Sane swerve a move to Spurs.

However, if there is a way in which Tottenham can bring down those personal terms, it is an excellent market opportunity that the club may not have again.

Tottenham first-team coach Ryan Mason has emerged as a target for West Brom as they look to permanently replace Tony Mowbray.

The Championship side have been on the hunt for a new manager since Mowbray was dismissed on April 21 and it's said the club now want to hold talks with Mason over the role. Mason is West Brom's No.1 target, according to The Telegraph, and an official approach to Tottenham is expected in the next 48 hours.

Highly rated coach Mason held talks with Belgian club Anderlecht in October before a mutual decision was made to remain at Spurs, which enabled the 33-year-old to play his part in the club’s Europa League success last week. The Lilywhites’ rollercoaster 2024-25 campaign only ended on Sunday and it's understood the majority of the coaching staff, including Ange Postecoglou, have now gone off on their holidays.

After two previous caretaker stints across a seven-year coaching spell at Tottenham, Mason has long been tipped for a future in management and could land his first role at West Brom. The Baggies finished ninth in the Championship but dismissed Mowbray after their play-off hopes ended in April.

Mowbray had only been hired in January to replace Carlos Corberan, who left to take over at Valencia in December. After Mason progressed through Spurs’ academy, he played once for England during a decade-long playing career before he was forced to retire at the age of 26 in 2018 after he sustained a fractured skull in a Premier League match for Hull away to Chelsea.

Uncertainly remains over the future of Tottenham boss Postecoglou and yet a coaching restructure at the Premier League team could occur regardless of if the Australian is kept on by chairman Daniel Levy. football.london understands a decision over Postecoglou's future is unlikely to be made this week.

It is believed that any decision to be made by Levy about the Australian is unlikely to occur this week with most staff, including Postecoglou, heading straight off on their post-season holidays after the final game of the season against Brighton. No meetings are understood to have taken place before that happened.

Tottenham Hotspur have been 'offered' the chance to sign Leroy Sane with the winger poised to depart Bayern Munich this summer. Sane made his move to Bayern in 2020 from Manchester City and has contributed significantly to their four Bundesliga wins.

Despite being a consistent player under Vincent Kompany this season, it appears that the German is ready to bid farewell to his time at the Allianz Arena. Sane's contract is due to run out this summer, with Bayern failing to secure a new agreement.

The 29-year-old has netted 13 goals in 45 matches in all competitions this season, aiding Bayern in securing the Bundesliga title once again. He previously scored 39 goals in 135 matches for City, assisting them in clinching two Premier League titles, three Carabao Cups and the FA Cup.

During his stint in Germany, Sane has become a target for Arsenal. However, it now seems that their fierce rivals Tottenham have managed to edge ahead in their pursuit.

Spurs claimed victory in the Europa League last week, defeating Manchester United in the final. This triumph ended a 17-year trophy drought and secured their spot in next season's Champions League, reports the Mirror. This new reality looks set to give them a boost in the summer transfer window. As per Sky Sports, Spurs have been 'offered the opportunity' to sign Sane ahead of the new season.

Qualifying for the Champions League has made the London side a 'more attractive proposition'. Bayern Munich's board member for sport, Max Eberl, has expressed his surprise at Sane's sudden change of agents amidst contract extension talks, revealing the club's position and ongoing negotiations. The winger appeared to be on the course to sign a new deal, before suddenly switching agents from Christian Schmid of 11Wins to Pini Zahavi.

"We have good relationships with his agencies. It came as a bit of a surprise. We thought we were very far along. We'll see how things develop. Our wish would be to extend Leroy's contract, but we've also set ourselves a framework," Eberl said earlier in May.

"We'll see what happens Until the signature is finalized, nothing can be said. We have a clear idea and thought we were on the right track. Of course, we're talking to the new agency.

"There's no bad blood; the players are free to make their own decisions. We're very clear. Leroy's performances in recent weeks have been very good; he's shown that he's committed to Bayern Munich. We hope he does it, and if not, we'll move on there as well.

"At the moment, the season is still being viewed as a bit too normal. We've been top of the table since the third matchday, we've been very stable, and we've always responded very well to setbacks. It's a special, important championship. We're hungry for more!"

Tottenham are set to get a cut of Marcus Edwards' transfer to Burnley from Sporting CP while another of their former players with a sell-on fee has been linked with a move.

Edwards came through the academy at Spurs but would only play one League Cup match for the club, despite former manager Mauricio Pochettino declaring that the youngster had traits that reminded him of Lionel Messi. Tottenham sold Edwards initially to Portuguese side Vitoria in 2019 with a 50% sell-on clause and they decided to transfer that rather than cash in when the attacking midfielder made the move to Sporting two-and-a-half years later.

Then when Spurs signed Pedro Porro on a permanent deal in 2023, part of the negotiations with the Lisbon club included dropping the sell-on clause for Edwards down to 35%.

Edwards developed under Ruben Amorim, scoring in the Champions League against Spurs, and racked up 50 direct goal involvements in 120 matches for the Portuguese side. After falling out of favour this season, Burnley came in with a loan move for the midfielder who worked with boss Scott Parker within the Spurs academy.

The move came with the opportunity to sign Edwards permanently if the Clarets were promoted. The 26-year-old made 16 appearances during the second half of the season, with two goals and one assist, as Parker's side finished second in the Championship.

This week it was announced that Edwards had completed his move to Burnley for an undisclosed fee, but reports have placed the figure at 10million euros (£8.4million). That would mean that with Spurs' 35% sell-on fee, the north London outfit would get just under £3million from the deal and that could be put towards anything remaining in the Porro payments.

Another former Spurs academy player, Troy Parrott, has also been linked with a move back to England from abroad after impressing for AZ Alkmaar this campaign.

The 23-year-old has plundered 20 goals in 47 matches for the Dutch side and has been linked with a switch to newly-promoted Leeds in recent days among others. Spurs sold the Republic of Ireland international for £6.7million last summer with a 20% sell-on clause inserted into the deal.

However, Parrott is not keen to leave the Netherlands any time soon, saying: "If someone was to ask me right now, I would say I want to stay. I have had the best year of my life so far in football here, I have loved every second of it.

"The achievements of the group haven’t been what I wanted, given the positions we were in, but in terms of the team and the staff that I have come to know, I have loved every second of it. In my mind, I am here next season and ready to go again."

Tottenham must have a blockbuster summer transfer window with Champions League football secured for the 2025/26 season. Despite finishing seventeenth in the Premier League, a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final has seen them end a 17-year trophy drought and secure a spot in Europe's top club competition.

Injuries have brutally exposed where Spurs need to strengthen in the upcoming trading period with depth in midfield and attack desperately needed. The quality of those incomings can undoubtedly improve due to the extra funds secured from Champions League football.

The allure of playing against some Europe's best in arguably one of the world's best stadiums will also be a hugely important factor when it comes to convincing players to join.

Even with the summer transfer window fast approaching, it does not currently look as though any deals will be completed during the first few weeks before it closes briefly due to the Club World Cup. With that being said, football.london has taken a look at the players that could be signed and leave.

Eze, Cardoso and Cherki join

A statement signing coming alongside two smart additions that add needed depth in key areas should be the aim. Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze has been strongly linked for some time and an impressive end to his season should make him the club's absolute priority.

While the Eagles winning the FA Cup has secured them a spot in the Europa League, Tottenham can offer the England international one better than that.

He is expected to cost £60million and considering his potential impact, that could prove to be an absolute bargain. Speaking of cheap deals, Lyon's Rayan Cherki is available for just £25million and his versatility in attack, makes him a smart addition.

Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United are also interested, however. Finally, a defensive midfield signing is clearly a must even though Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur have recently impressed alongside each other.

Real Betis' Johnny Cardoso remains the perfect option given the clause Spurs are said to have after allowing Giovani Lo Celso to re-join Real Betis. The American could cost just £21million and the qualities he will bring could be invaluable to Spurs.

Richarlison among six departures

Mathys Tel and Timo Werner are the two players guaranteed to leave Tottenham now the season has concluded. The latter will not return for a third separate spell, but a decision does need to be made on Tel.

Upon joining on a temporary basis from Bayern Munich, a £45million buy-option was included in that deal, but, given what he has shown, Spurs should opt out of that. He has displayed plenty of promise, but just not enough to justify spending that fee when better alternatives are available.

In terms of departures for players contracted to the club, Richarlison should be sold, with it clear he struggles to stay consistently fit and because Spurs can still obtain a sizeable fee. There are also rumours surrounding Cristian Romero's future, but after their European triumph, he should stay.

Sergio Reguilon, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman will all depart north London at the end of their contracts.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is the latest potential Ange Postecoglou replacement to insist he will turn down any approach from Tottenham.

The 59-year-old guided Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years last week with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United crowning them as Europa League winners. Despite that, it remains unclear whether or not he will be in charge of the club next season following a disastrous Premier League campaign.

football.london understands that a decision on his future is unlikely to take place this week. Had Spurs lost the showpiece clash in Bilbao, Postecoglou and the club parting ways would have been very likely.

As that was a real possibility, several replacement options were identified with Frank included alongside Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth and Fulham head coach Marco Silva. The latter has since ruled out him being anywhere other than Craven Cottage next season.

“I’m not here to talk about speculation,” he recently admitted. "Speculation is always there. If the football club where you are and the players perform well, it’s normal they are going to speak about the manager and about the players.

Pushed further on whether he will still be at the club, Silva replied: “I am under contract with the club and of course I’ve been planning with the board (for) next season.

“Everything on track and the plan is there. We have the next two months to prepare for the season as best we can. If I’m under contract with the club and if I’m planning with the club the next season, of course I expect to be here.”

Frank has communicated a similar message but it was not done publicly with talkSPORT presented Natalie Sawyer, who is a big Brentford fan, revealing texts she received from him after the season ended.

"All I'm going to say is, I exchanged a little message with Thomas yesterday and this is what he said," Sawyer said.

"I said, 'Well done on the season', because it has been a good season.

"He said, 'Enjoy the summer and soon we go again.'"

Judging by that, Frank appears to have confirmed his immediate future will be at Brentford which could leave just Glasner and Iraola as contenders with experience managing in the Premier League.

"I will be honest, I have been finding it really weird talking about my future when we have done something unprecedented," Postecoglou said of talk around his situation. "I have had to answer the questions because no-one else at the club is in the position to do so, I guess.

"I have got no doubt, though, that this could be a real defining moment for this club, because wherever I have been, I have made an impact where I have brought success to a club that hasn't had it for a while.

"You just have to look at those clubs' trajectory even after I left, they are still competing for things. I really think this is a moment in time where this club could push on and be a real contender for honours on a yearly basis."

Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have said that Ange Postecoglou must "100%" stay at Tottenham Hotspur for a third season after leading them to the Europa League title.

Both Spurs vice-captains James Maddison and Cristian Romero have also shown their support for the Australian in the past 24 hours after he ended Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy with the victory in Bilbao against Manchester United to deliver Tottenham's first European title in 41 years.

football.london reported on Tuesday morning that a decision is unlikely to be made on Postecoglou's future this week with the Australian and most staff within the club now on their post-season holidays. Spurs' poor league form and their 17th-place finish had appeared to be leading Postecoglou towards the exit door but the huge swell of support and gratitude from the fanbase for him following the historic trophy win and subsequent parade has ensured there is a chance of him staying at the helm now.

Postecoglou also retains the strong support of the dressing room and teenagers Bergvall and Gray, who made 91 appearances between them this season under the Australian, were very clear when asked at the Maddison Invitational charity golf day whether the 59-year-old should remain in charge.

"A hundred per cent [he should stay], I think he’s done a great job," Bergvall told Sky Sports. "It’s not been easy for any of us, especially because of all the injuries, but as he said, he always wins things in his second year and that’s true."

When Gray was asked if Postecoglou should get a third season, the midfielder had no hesitation in responding: "Yes, definitely. It’s been a great season this year and it’s been a roller coaster of a season as well, not just at the end.

"We’ve obviously had some really tough times and we stuck together. He’s big on things like family and I think the main thing that helped us get to the final and win the final is our morals of what we’re like as a team. Like I said, family is our main thing. We believe in each other and it’s like brothers going out there on the pitch in the final and we just fought for each other."

Maddison had earlier said: "Yeah [he should stay], he's been brilliant, man, like, even at the start of the season, saying: 'I don't usually win things, I always win things'. It's one of them. We knew that would create a big uproar in the media with you like never shutting up about it, but never once did I stop believing that he meant that.

"The season three line was iconic as well and he's got them in the locker, the motivational mic drop moments."

He added: "Managers and clubs, you don't need a bigger example than Tottenham, can go long periods without winning trophies, 17 years, but he's a man who's always had success and he's a man who I think his biggest strength is his self-belief in what he does, and that feeds off into us and that's been installed into us in Europe this year.

"All the away games and even the ones early in the group stages and the round of 16 we had a really bad performance away at AZ Alkmaar and he went heavy on us because you just know he's a winner and then we turned it around second leg and we're in the quarters, and every step we got closer and closer and we believed more and more, and now we're winners and no one can ever take that away from us."

Question marks surrounding Ange Postecoglou's future as Tottenham boss look set to continue for the time being amid so much uncertainty right now. football.london understands that a decision over the Australian's future at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is unlikely to take place this week.

The 59-year-old is now taking a well-earned holiday with his family after guiding Tottenham to Europa League glory six days ago. Despite Postecoglou bringing Tottenham's 17-year wait for a trophy to an end, there is a chance he may find himself out of a job due to the club's Premier League woes.

Spurs finished the 2024/25 campaign in a hugely disappointing 17th place as they struggled to balance domestic and European football. However, Postecoglou did achieve his goal of delivering Tottenham Champions League football and a trophy even if their league campaign was one to forget.

The decision now rests with Daniel Levy and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out, especially with Postecoglou receiving plenty of support from Tottenham fans in Bilbao, at the victorious trophy parade and also at the final game of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion. football.london understands that there remains a chance Postecoglou could stay in place as head coach after ending Spurs' long trophy drought.

When it comes to the Tottenham hotseat and the future of Postecoglou, there are not many standout names in regards to a potential successor to the Australian. Premier League managers Thomas Frank, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva have been linked with the job and the same goes for former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli.

What cannot be ignored by Levy is how the current squad feel about Postecoglou. The former Celtic head coach quite clearly loves his group of players and the feeling is indeed mutual.

That has been evident in Tottenham's celebrations since lifting the Europa League trophy. One of the most notable examples involved vice-captain Cristian Romero at the victory parade.

Following Postecoglou's incredible mic-drop moment where he stated that "season three is better than season two" when addressing the huge crowd in N17 on Friday evening, the head coach and his player immediately shared a long embrace after he walked away from the front of the stage. It was incredibly telling and it only highlighted the strong bond he has with Romero and the rest of the team.

Due to that bond Postecoglou shares with the squad, there could possibly be a scenario where the Australian goes and the decision backfires spectacularly as his replacement has already lost before he has even stepped in through the door. It cannot be underestimated what parting with Postecoglou could do to the Tottenham dressing room and that in turn could lead to a new manager coming in and struggling to get players on his side, thus possibly leading to a slow start to the 2025/26 campaign.

After the high of winning the Europa League, Tottenham cannot afford to have a demoralised changing room who are left questioning why the manager they want to play for has gone despite winning a European title. That could potentially be a major step backwards at a time when the club need to be moving forward together.

It is something Levy needs to consider when it comes to deciding whether he sticks with Postecoglou or looks elsewhere for a new head coach. Speaking on Tuesday at his annual Maddison Invitational charity golf tournament, James Maddison delivered a clear verdict on Postecoglou's future.

"Yeah, he's been brilliant, man, like, even at the start of the season, saying: 'I don't usually win things, I always win things'. It's one of them. We knew that would create a big uproar in the media with you like never shutting up about it, but never once did I stop believing that he meant that," he told Sky Sports. "The season three line was iconic as well and he's got them in the locker, the motivational mic drop moments."

He added: "Managers and clubs, you don't need a bigger example than Tottenham, can go long periods without winning trophies, 17 years, but he's a man who's always had success and he's a man who I think his biggest strength is his self-belief in what he does, and that feeds off into us and that's been installed into us in Europe this year.

"All the away games and even the ones early in the group stages and the round of 16 we had a really bad performance away at AZ Alkmaar and he went heavy on us because you just know he's a winner and then we turned it around second leg and we're in the quarters, and every step we got closer and closer and we believed more and more, and now we're winners and no one can ever take that away from us."

All connected with Tottenham need clarity sooner rather than later when it comes to the future of Postecoglou and only one man can give them that. Over to you, Daniel.

James Maddison has made it clear that he believes Ange Postecoglou deserves a chance to lead Tottenham Hotspur into a third season after taking them to European glory.

The Australian ended Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy with the victory in Bilbao against Manchester United landing the Europa League title and the north London club's first piece of European silverware in 41 years. That brought wild scenes in N17 as an estimated 220,000 people turned out for the trophy parade on Friday evening.

However, Tottenham's poor form in the Premier League with a 17th-place finish and a record 22 defeats as injuries struck and Postecoglou then prioritised the European campaign has been difficult to ignore and that is what leaves his future clouded by speculation despite having the dressing room firmly behind him and the majority of supporters as well after handing them that long-awaited trophy.

Maddison was asked at his annual Maddison Invitational charity golf tournament whether Postecoglou deserves a season three.

"Yeah, he's been brilliant, man, like, even at the start of the season, saying: 'I don't usually win things, I always win things'. It's one of them. We knew that would create a big uproar in the media with you like never shutting up about it, but never once did I stop believing that he meant that," he told Sky Sports. "The season three line was iconic as well and he's got them in the locker, the motivational mic drop moments."

He added: "Managers and clubs, you don't need a bigger example than Tottenham, can go long periods without winning trophies, 17 years, but he's a man who's always had success and he's a man who I think his biggest strength is his self-belief in what he does, and that feeds off into us and that's been installed into us in Europe this year.

"All the away games and even the ones early in the group stages and the round of 16 we had a really bad performance away at AZ Alkmaar and he went heavy on us because you just know he's a winner and then we turned it around second leg and we're in the quarters, and every step we got closer and closer and we believed more and more, and now we're winners and no one can ever take that away from us."