Football London

Will Lankshear has assessed Oxford United's chances of staying in the Championship following a dramatic draw to Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Easter Monday.

Will Lankshear has sent a two-word message following Oxford United's dramatic draw to Portsmouth. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee fired the U's into a short-lived lead at Fratton Park on Easter Monday, scoring his ninth goal of the Championship campaign.

Keshi Anderson broke the deadlock on the south coast inside the opening quarter of an hour. Then, a few moments later, Connor Ogilvie took the wind out of his side's sails when he was given his marching orders after diving into a tackle on Stanley Mills.

Brodie Spencer levelled proceedings shortly after the break before Lankshear put Oxford United ahead. The 20-year-old striker leapt in front of his marker, leaving Nicolas Schmid rooted to the spot as he headed the ball into the top far corner.

Lankshear wheeled away in celebration before spreading his arms in front of the home supporters. The visitors' lead didn't last long, with Andre Dozzell pulling one back for John Mousinho's side in the final minutes of the game.

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Although Oxford United remain in the bottom three of the Championship, only four points separate them from West Brom in 20th, sandwiching Leicester City and Portsmouth.

The U's still have five games to climb out of the relegation zone, with one of those against Sheffield Wednesday, who have been rooted to the bottom of the table this season.

Nevertheless, after the draw to Pompey, Lankshear reflected on the result with a short and sweet social media post. Captioning a picture of himself celebrating his goal, the Tottenham loanee said: "Keep believing."

Lankshear has featured in all but two Championship games this season, scoring nine goals and providing three assists. He also found the net during a win over MK Dons in the third round of the FA Cup.

In an interview with OUTV, the youngster backed his side to stay in the division. Lankshear said: "It is extremely good to see [us fight]. We know we have to. We come out here after every game and say that we have got the spirit, we have got the drive.

"But in this league, it is incredibly tough. I think the league is going up in quality. We are going to need more. We are going to need more going into the next few games. I think we have got that, we have got that ability. The past eight games, I think we have played really, really well."

Meanwhile, speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Matt Bloomfield said: "We worked so incredibly hard to get our noses in front in the game against a tough opposition in such an incredible atmosphere.

"We feel terribly disappointed that we are not walking away with three points. We need to make sure we improve on conceding late goals like this.

"Nothing was decided today [in the relegation picture], it's my job now as the leader of the group to pick everybody up and make sure we get ready for the game at the weekend. We still have five games to go and we'll keep hunting."

Hamburger SV chief Eric Huwer has been discussing the potential permanent signing of Arsenal attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira and Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic

Hamburger SV chief Eric Huwer has made it clear the German club are willing to spend double digits (millions) on a single player again as he talked up the possibility of signing Arsenal attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira.

Vieira is currently on loan from the Gunners but has enjoyed life in the Bundesliga, scoring five goals and registering four assists.

Hamburg have a £17.3million buy-option they can formally trigger at the end of the season, though they will try and lower that figure if they decide to push ahead with a transfer.

Speaking to local newspaper Abendblatt, Huwer clarified the club's stance on signing Vieira, explaining: "The situation is relatively relaxed. Fabio feels very comfortable in Hamburg , and I don't get the impression that Arsenal is basing its long-term plans on him. Fabio knows exactly what he has in Hamburg and at HSV.

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"The fundamental question now is what the player wants. And if he wants to stay, then we'll sit down with the Arsenal management and discuss possible solutions – similar to what we did with Sambi.

"Then we'll see if a transfer is possible. We're ready to experience special moments with Fabio in the long term. Whether that works out and at what price, we'll see in the summer."

When pushed further on whether the club can afford such a deal, Huwer reference one of their other loanees, Tottenham's Luka Vuskovic.

He continued: "If it's an investment we're convinced of. For someone like Luka Vuskovic, whom we were completely convinced of, I'd gladly pay €12 or €13million. The money isn't 'gone' but invested in the future.

"We work with data, paying attention to age and position structure. Success rates are finite – they're people. But the better the profile, including personality structure, is analysed, the higher the probability of being rewarded for bold decisions."

Vuskovic has been a major hit in Germany at HSV and has already outlined his interest in playing alongside his brother Mario next season, hinting he would be open to a second loan.

However, Tottenham are likely to strongly consider integrating him into their first-team while Barcelona and other clubs are also monitoring the Croatia international.

Given HSV don't have a buy-option clause or a clause that entitles them to a fresh loan, Tottenham hold all the power where Vuskovic's future is concerned.

Roberto De Zerbi can add one of the most exciting young players in Europe to the Tottenham Hotspur squad next season.

Mikey Moore has staked a claim for a place in the Tottenham Hotspur squad next season, and Roberto De Zerbi mustn't be afraid to give him a chance. The 18-year-old winger has made an excellent impression while on loan at Rangers, proving that he's more than ready for a new challenge.

Moore has featured 27 times in the Scottish Premiership, scoring six goals and providing two assists. Playing a key role in Danny Rohl's side, the England Under-19 international has helped Rangers mount a bid for the title.

Although Moore will be determined to return to Hotspur Way with a piece of silverware, he's already done enough to justify a place in De Zerbi's squad. The teenager would flourish under the Italian, who has a brilliant record with the development of wingers.

Many of the leading goalscorers in teams managed by De Zerbi in the past have been wide players. The 46-year-old likes to funnel passages of play to touchline-hugging wingers, who are given the freedom to beat the full-back and exploit space in-behind.

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Moore would thrive in an expansive and free-flowing frontline. Although he wouldn't return to north London as an undisputed starter, the youngster could eventually become a key player once he masters the intricacies of De Zerbi's tactics.

Fortunately for Tottenham, Moore signed a new long-term contract around the time he joined Rangers on loan in the summer. In a recent interview with The Athletic, he admitted that it's been tough to see his parent club fight for survival in the Premier League.

Moore said: "It’s tough to see people you care about and some of your mates going through a tough time. It’s a club I care about so much. For us to be in the position we’re in is not nice.

"Sometimes I wish I could go back and help but there are some top players there who should be able to help get us out of the position we’re in and push on next season.

"There is enough quality in that team to get out of it," added Moore, who has four years or so left on his contract. "Whether it’s next year or the year after, I want to break in and make an impact.

"I helped out in some Premier League games (last season) and gave a good account of myself and in others I didn’t show enough. But now I’m at a point where I can make an impact. If that opportunities comes I would love to get a hold of it."

Although Moore has outlined his desire to play for Tottenham, he's previously left the door open to another spell at Rangers. Speaking to reporters last month, he said: "I’ve loved every single second I’ve been here, and I think the club is special and it’s special to me now.

"I don’t know what could happen, I have no clue. We’ll have conversations in the summer, and we’ll see what happens. People have spoken to me and the people around me, so conversations are happening."

Moore added: "I think this has been unbelievable for me. If it’s right for me next year, then I’d love to stay here. But we have to see what’s going to happen."

The Tottenham treatment room remains full of talented players but some of them are coming to the end of their road to recovery

Tottenham Hotspur have a new head coach in Roberto De Zerbi and he will already be well aware of the club's penchant for injuries.

The Italian's predecessors Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank both had to deal with double figures in terms of injury absences in their final weeks in the job and De Zerbi arrives with 10 players having been injury doubts ahead of Spurs' next Premier League match against Sunderland.

Tottenham make the trip to the Stadium of Light on Sunday and the 46-year-old will be hoping for some change on the injury front if the club are to finally win a Premier League match in 2026.

So what's the latest with those in the Tottenham treatment room? Here's what we know about every one of De Zerbi's 10 injury doubts and potential return dates.

Mathys Tel

Tel had to come off in the defeat to Nottingham Forest with a problem in his thigh and hip area and subsequently withdrew from France U21 duty.

However, football.london reported the following week that the 20-year-old Frenchman was expected to be back in time to face Sunderland and lo and behold Tel could be spotted on the pitches of Hotspur Way with his team-mates in the recent images from De Zerbi's first session.

Return date: Sunderland on April 12

Pape Matar Sarr

The Senegal midfielder played in the 2-0 win against Peru but missed out on his country's 3-1 win over Gambia on Tuesday, and it was revealed ahead of the game that he had picked up an injury on international duty.

Local reports suggested the 23-year-old missed out on the game with a shoulder problem and Sarr has not been spotted yet in the training videos or photos from De Zerbi's first session.

If he is not back in training before then the new Spurs boss will likely deliver an update on the midfielder in his first press conference at the helm later this week.

Return date: Unknown

Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario played against Forest before undergoing hernia surgery the following day on a problem that has dogged him for months.

Spurs announced in the days before that the operation had been deliberately timed for the international break and the club's three week absence of fixtures in order to "have as minimal impact as possible". The club added that they hoped the Italian would be able to "return to action within the next month".

Vicario is a fast healer but he would need to be back in action on the training pitches very soon to be able to face Sunderland this weekend.

Return date: Perhaps Sunderland but Brighton on April 18 or Wolves on April 25 would seem more realistic

Mohammed Kudus

Kudus suffered a serious quad tendon injury in the draw against Sunderland at home back in January but Tudor had some positive news on the attacker before his departure.

"So we have this big three weeks after the game on Sunday. He will probably do some part of the things with the squad maybe 10 days [after the break]," the Croatian had told football.london. "I don’t know I’m not sure. We need to check but he is progressing very well. Already a little bit with the ball."

The 25-year-old had provided nine goal involvements in 24 Premier League and Champions League matches for Spurs before being run into the ground by Frank.

This big break will have given Kudus more time to get closer to a return after so long out. He was not in the background of the photos or footage from De Zerbi's first session so we'll have to find out from the new man when he will be involved.

Return date: Soon after this international break comes to a close

Yves Bissouma

Bissouma has been suffering from a muscle problem but that was the last update we had on the Mali international.

The 29-year-old had just started to get himself back into action at Tottenham with eight Premier League appearances in a row only to suffer the problem last month.

Bissouma shared images of himself alone in the dressing room at Hotspur Way during the international break so is still working his way back.

Return date: Unknown

James Maddison

Maddison could be seen standing on the touchline in the Forest defeat dishing out instructions to Djed Spence during the first half, desperate to be part of things again.

The 29-year-old midfielder uploaded a social media video showing his trip to Manchester for further ACL tests and exercises to help with the final stages of rehabilitation and then a YouTube video from around a month ago and his ball work back on the pitch with others on their way back from injury.

Tudor had previously shared good news on the player when football.london asked if Maddison could be back before the end of the season.

"Yes. Maddison is already doing interesting things as well with the ball. Sprinting as well. I saw him. He is positive. He's positive," he said.

Return date: Maddison will hope to return before the end of next month

Rodrigo Bentancur

Bentancur required surgery on a serious hamstring injury in January and Tudor mentioned both the Uruguayan and Maddison when speaking about Kudus to football.london.

"Rodrigo as well, Maddison as well. We hope the medical staff will make us some nice surprise in the next weeks which would be very important to have that," said the Spurs boss.

Last week Bentancur's personal fitness coach, Daniel Fernandez, provided a detailed update on his progress as he explained to Uruguayan radio 100% Deporte that the surgical wound had healed well and Bentancur's rehabilitation is currently around 15 days ahead of the original prognosis.

The midfielder has already returned to working on the grass after weeks spent in rehabilitation and strength training. Fernandez said that Bentancur would have returned to training by the end of March but would not be realistically available for first-team action until the end of this month if there are no setbacks.

Return date: This month

Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski expects to be back playing in time for this summer's World Cup and claims he's never felt better in his life than he does right now as he closes in on a return from his knee injury.

The Swede injured the patella in his knee back in May last year and after a couple of setbacks following his initial surgery, is yet to return to action for Spurs. Last week he was spotted limping while in Spain meeting his international team-mates ahead of their World Cup play-off semi-final win against Ukraine.

The 25-year-old Tottenham midfielder revealed afterwards that he had undergone a small operation to clean out the knee and that was why he was limping but that the knee was "feeling great now" in a message on Instagram.

Then ahead of Sweden's game, Kulusevski delivered more positive news as he targets a return to action almost a year after his initial injury against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season.

"I understand that people were worried, but it was really for the wrong reason. It was really positive that I did this little procedure and that we were able to find the problem. Now everything should be solved," he told Swedish media outlet Viaplay. "Now it's just a matter of slowly and surely coming back. I can see the light. It feels better now. I really have a positive feeling about these two important matches [for Sweden] and a World Cup in two or three months. This is how the book and the chapter will end. I am convinced of that."

When asked if he sees himself playing at the World Cup for Sweden this summer, Kulusevski is confident of returning in time for the showpiece tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico and presumably beforehand to help Tottenham in their Premier League relegation battle.

"One hundred percent. Yes. That (the World Cup) is the driving force I have. To have that opportunity is absolutely fantastic. It's a challenge that I haven't been able to overcome so far in terms of getting healthy, but it's not over yet. Now the second game starts," he said.

Return date: Before the end next month if he is to play at the World Cup

Ben Davies

Davies underwent a second operation in January on the broken ankle he suffered in the Premier League defeat that month to West Ham United.

The 32-year-old Wales international was not involved in the World Cup play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina and he was linked with potentially taking on a coaching role if Spurs went for another interim head coach before they managed to convince De Zerbi.

Return date: Unknown

Wilson Odobert

Odobert suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in February. He underwent surgery and is now in the early stages of his rehabilitation with the club's medical staff. He was on crutches at the Forest game.

The Frenchman's time at Spurs has been fragmented by injuries and now the 21-year-old will follow in the footsteps of Maddison, Dragusin and Bentancur in going through at least nine months or so out of the game.

It's time to take a look at the latest news surrounding Tottenham's large group of loan players who have been in action around the world

Tottenham Hotspur might not have been in action this week but their big army of loan players have been busy across the globe.

The north London side currently have 18 players out on loan and developing across the Football League as well as across Scotland, Germany, Italy and South America with Spurs' Head of Loans and Pathways Andy Scoulding keeping a close eye on all of them and checking in on their various performances.

With Roberto De Zerbi now in charge at Tottenham, many of the players out on loan will be looking to push themselves into the mix to get an opportunity under the new Italian head coach while others are simply looking to develop or put themselves in the shop or loan window for the summer.

Here's how every single one of Tottenham's big loan army got on across the world this week.

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz rediscovered his goalscoring touch with a double for Rosario Central to ensure they beat Atletico Tucuman on Sunday in the league.

The 22-year-old had been struggling for goals in Argentina, unable to hit the net in his past nine league matches but he roared back with his two strikes this weekend.

Veliz had won an early penalty with a good bit of anticipation, only to see his spot kick saved by the sprawling goalkeeper. However, he made up for that missed opportunity 31 minutes in with a powerful towering header to put the hosts into the lead.

The visitors grabbed an equaliser seven minutes later but Veliz was not to be outdone and in the 75th minute, the big striker got in front of his man to beat the offside trap and divert a cross home with his right foot.

Veliz is expected to head to Bahia at the end of the season after Tottenham agreed a deal with the Brazilian side to sell Veliz once his current loan at Rosario ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Mikey Moore got another 90 minutes under his belt as second-placed Rangers continue to keep things tight at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers won 4-2 at Ibrox against Dundee United on Saturday and got a 7.8 from Glasgow World's player ratings with the review: "The Tottenham loanee aimed to keep up impressive form out wide and did so with high marks."

The 18-year-old also opened up on exactly what happened during those months out with a virus at Tottenham last season.

"I was playing really well and started to find my feet in the first team just before the Galatasaray game. I trained two days before it and I was set to start or make an appearance in that game. I went for a driving lesson at the time that night and all of a sudden I felt a bit of pain in my chest," he said in a short Spurs documentary on his loan at Rangers.

"The doctor called me in and said to forget about football for now. It came back that I had myocarditis, which is a virus that went to the heart and gave me the pains in my heart. I was lucky that I caught it early because I am not sure what could have happened after that and whether it could have caused extra things. But from what I know, it is not something that can really reoccur. I think I was in bed for six weeks and wasn't allowed to do any exercise.

"There were a lot of rumours at that time and it was tough to deal with. Those six weeks were not six weeks of improving in a gym like you would normally do if you were injured. Right now, I feel at my best and feel like how I felt when I first started playing at Tottenham. That is all done now and put behind me. That's it really."

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Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Luka Vuskovic was highly rated as Hamburg drew 1-1 at home with Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The 19-year-old centre-back got Whoscored's top mark for the hosts of 7.25 in their stat-based player ratings with a 90-minute defensive display that included nine clearances, two tackles, two interceptions and one block. He also hit the woodwork with an effort at the other end of the pitch.

The Croatian has made 27 appearances and played 2,460 minutes so far for the Bundesliga outfit and has attracted links from big clubs aplenty, including Bayern Munich. However, with a contract until 2030 at Tottenham he is likely to become a regular starter for Spurs next season if they remain in the Premier League.

Will Lankshear & Jamie Donley (Oxford United)

Will Lankshear was almost the hero of the day for Oxford with brilliant diving header in the 81st minute to put them 2-1 up against Portsmouth in a huge relegation six-pointer on Monday in the Championship.

However, Andre Dozzell, son of former Spurs midfielder Jason Dozzell, levelled for 10-man Pompey with three minutes to go of normal time. Another former Tottenham man, Conor Ogilvie had been sent off in the first half.

Jamie Donley played his first 90 minutes of the season in the Championship, just two days after getting 77 minutes in Oxford's 1-1 draw at home against promotion-chasing Hull City on Friday. He picked out Lankshear in the second half of that game for the striker to be felled in the Hull box with Cameron Brannagan able to equalise from the spot.

Alfie Devine (Preston North End)

Alfie Devine had a creative Easter as he provided assists in both of his matches. First Preston drew 2-2 at struggling Leicester on Good Friday with the Spurs man setting up Ben Whiteman for the visitors' second goal.

Then on Monday, the 21-year-old midfielder looked to have helped North End to victory against QPR after picking out Brad Potts to score early in the second half half but a Thierry Small own goal with eight minutes to go gave the away side a share of the spoils.

Devine has had a great season, making 40 league appearances, with eight goals and four assists from midfield with another two appearances in the Carabao Cup, plus an assist, and a substitute appearance in the FA Cup to make it 2,865 minutes in total so far this season.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips had a mixed weekend with a 2-0 victory with Stoke against Sheffield Wednesday at home on Friday before going down by the same scoreline at Derby on Monday afternoon.

The 20-year-old centre-back got a seven in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings on Friday with the write-up: "Had to keep an eye on isolated Yates for most of the game before a spell of pressure through the closing stages."

Then on Monday he got one of the better marks of six with the review: "Willing to make a tackle and defend his line. A hard day. "

Phillips has made 40 appearances this season for Stoke with 3,344 minutes to his name.

Dane Scarlett (Hibernian)

Dane Scarlett is yet to notch his first goal for Hibernian but he is getting minutes for the Scottish Premiership side. The 21-year-old striker played 64 minutes of the 3-0 win at home against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Scarlett has made nine appearances now up north of the border with one assist and 418 minutes to his name.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Kota Takai's injury woes have not subsided since joining Borussia Monchengladbach. The 21-year-old Japan international has made just six appearances after months out when he first joined Spurs and now he has a muscle strain which has kept him out of the past month or so of action at the Bundesliga club and he missed Saturday's draw with Heidenheim.

The centre-back's loan club had been keen to extend his stay in Germany, according to the local media last month, but whether his injury issues change that remains to be seen.

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon has also been out injured and has missed the past month with a grade 1-2 hip flexor strain in his right thigh so has been unable to play a part in Fiorentina's climb up the table.

The Israel international had become a regular starter with two goals in his 11 matches for the Italian side as a regular fixture on either wing. However, the 26-year-old winger suffered the injury in the Conference League win against Jagiellonia and is yet to return to action.

Yang Min-hyeok (Coventry)

Yang Min-hyeok has not been in a Coventry matchday squad for more than a month, having to watch on for eight Championship matches.

The 19-year-old winger had made 16 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring three goals and laying on one assist, before switching to Frank Lampard's table-toppers. However, it hasn't worked out all for the South Korean with only one start for Coventry so far in his first experience of FA Cup football last month and three Championship appearances totalling 29 minutes of football.

Speaking to Coventry Live last month, Lampard said of Yang: "We’re competing to try and do well this season. I have to make decisions with what I see. And that’s not to disrespect Mini. If I feel like it’s Mini’s time to come in, he’ll come in, absolutely. That goes with all the players.

"I don’t have a preference of loan or players that are ours, as such, because at the minute we want to win. I can’t add those kind of emotions into it. I have to try to pick the best 11 and the best bench, and at the moment we don’t have any injuries."

Oliver Irow & George Abbott (Mansfield)

Mansfield's unbeaten streak in League One is now eight matches and both George Abbott and Oliver Irow have played their part in that run.

Abbott grabbed his first assist for the club as he got 81 minutes to his name in a 2-0 win at Doncaster on Friday before the 20-year-old midfielder made it three consecutive starts with 90 minutes in a 0-0 home draw with Burton Albion.

Irow came off the bench for the final minute of the game at Doncaster on Friday and then the 19-year-old attacker played an hour of the goalless draw at home against Burton on Monday.

Yusuf Akhamrich (Bristol Rovers)

Yusuf Akhamrich got two Easter games under his belt for Bristol Rovers as they enjoyed double delight in League Two.

First the 20-year-old winger came off the bench for 36 minutes of the 1-0 home win against Fleetwood on Friday and then started and played 72 minutes as Rovers saw off Harrogate Town 3-2 on the road on Monday.

The Bristol Post's Will Murray handed Akhamrich a seven in his player ratings from Friday with the review: "Yusuf Akhamrich dragged Rovers up the pitch on a couple of occasions and looked sharp during his 36-minute cameo. He saw a powerful left-footed shot saved by Jay Lynch in the 82nd minute and will have his eye on a start at Harrogate."

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall had to put aside his disappointment after coming off the bench in Jamaica's World Cup qualifying defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday night.

He came off the bench for Notts County for the final 20 minutes of Friday's League Two 2-1 defeat at Salford before watching on from the bench as his side won 3-1 at home against lowly Newport Country on Monday.

The 20-year-old midfielder has scored eight goals and provided two assists across 1,778 minutes in 35 appearances since heading out of Tottenham on his first loan.

Alfie Dorrington (Salford City)

Alfie Dorrington was on the bench for Salford as they beat Hall's Notts County and then had to do the same on Monday as Salford lost 1-0 at Crewe.

The 20-year-old centre-back has had to make do with a bench role in the past four matches but has managed nine appearances so far for City after switching from Aberdeen during the winter window.

Damola Ajayi (Bromley)

Damola Ajayi got his second start in a Bromley shirt as the League Two leaders drew 2-2 at Barnet on Friday.

The 20-year-old winger has registered 27 appearances across his spells at Bromley and Doncaster Rovers in a season of development across League One and Two.

Aaron Maguire (Hampton & Richmond Borough)

Aaron Maguire played every minute of his first three matches for National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough but the 21-year-old goalkeeper has not been in their matchday squads since February.

The Tottenham Hotspur teenager missed a large chunk of last season and has now opened up on exactly what he was dealing with

Mikey Moore has opened up on the virus that sparked a heart scare last season and the frustrating absence for him and the supporters at Tottenham.

The 18-year-old is currently dazzling on loan at Rangers with the fans of the Scottish side desperate for the Glasgow giants to sign him permanently. Spurs are not keen though on losing their talented academy product and new boss Roberto De Zerbi will take a good look at the attacker this summer when he returns from a huge developmental campaign north of the border.

However, last season, just as Moore was finally starting to break through at Tottenham under then boss Ange Postecoglou, he suffered a virus that kept him out from early November until he finally played again in mid-January last year. Due to his age, details of his ailment were kept from the public domain.

Amid the fan speculation Postecoglou had told football.london back then: "Look, I come out here and I want to be as transparent as I can, but this is a 17-year-old boy. I don’t like talking about what they have and what they don’t have. It’s nothing serious, but you know, he’s 17. We’re going to take our time, and I don’t like this kind of constant, not from you by the way, but I’ve just heard other bits and pieces of people speculating, Come on. I mean, like, if it’s your 17-year-old son, you don’t want everyone to know what he has or hasn’t got.

"It’s nothing serious. It’s nothing long-term. It’s just that he’s a young lad and he’s only 17. He’s a big part of this football club, and we will protect him, and we’ll be guided by how he feels, how he recovers from an illness. Young people will recover at different rates. He’ll be back. He’s still here. He’s part of what we’re doing and he’ll be back in the next few weeks, but again he’s missed a lot of football. We’ve got to bear in mind that he’s 17."

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Now Moore has opened up on exactly what happened during those months out at Tottenham last season.

"I was playing really well and started to find my feet in the first team just before the Galatasaray game. I trained two days before it and I was set to start or make an appearance in that game. I went for a driving lesson at the time that night and all of a sudden I felt a bit of pain in my chest," he said in a short Spurs documentary on his loan at Rangers.

"The doctor called me in and said to forget about football for now. It came back that I had myocarditis, which is a virus that went to the heart and gave me the pains in my heart. I was lucky that I caught it early because I am not sure what could have happened after that and whether it could have caused extra things.

"But from what I know, it is not something that can really reoccur. I think I was in bed for six weeks and wasn't allowed to do any exercise.

"There were a lot of rumours at that time and it was tough to deal with. Those six weeks were not six weeks of improving in a gym like you would normally do if you were injured. Right now, I feel at my best and feel like how I felt when I first started playing at Tottenham. That is all done now and put behind me. That's it really."

Radu Dragusin came back from a long-term injury in December but his agent has claimed that the Tottenham Hotspur defender was subject of a lucrative offer

Radu Dragusin's agent has revealed that they turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia to remain at Tottenham Hotspur.

Florin Manea has said that the Romanian defender was the topic of interest from the Middle East during the January transfer window but there was no interest in leaving North London. The 24-year-old had been forced to overcome a long-term knee injury and only returned to the fold in December, he has made eight Premier League appearances this season but continued his comeback after adding two caps to his international tally during the international break.

Dragusin has made 46 appearances for Spurs in three seasons after joining from Serie A side Genoa in the 2024 January transfer window. He was linked with a return to Italy in January and his agent has claimed that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also interested, as well as teams from the Saudi Pro League, but an exit wasn't considered.

He said: "You want me to tell you something? We refused €50million (£43.6million) over five years for Radu. €10m (£8.7m) per year.

"Someone from Saudi Arabia called us and said they would give us €10m (£8.7m) net per year to go there. We did not even consider it.

"€10m (£8.7m) per year? Tell me how many would refuse that. It could have gone up to €15m (£13.1m), even €20m (£17.4m) per year. It could have reached €100m (£87.2m) over five years. I would have taken a commission of €20m-€30m (£17.4m-£26.2m). But we were not interested.”

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Manea added: "There was an offer for him in the winter from Leipzig. Now we will see if they want to try again or not."

Dragusin has a new opportunity to impress the Spurs head coach after Roberto De Zerbi replaced Igor Tudor.

It is the latest managerial change after Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou before the Croatian's spell in the Premier League was brief.

De Zerbi has been tasked with keeping Spurs in England's top-flight as they face the threat of relegation to the Champions League.

A 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on the eve of the international break left Spurs edging even closer to the bottom three with West Ham United just one point adrift in 18th.

In his first interview, De Zerbi said: "I signed five years of contract because for me, it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what.

"I know very well it is a tough moment. It is a difficult moment for everyone of Tottenham, (but) I think we have the right qualities to come out from this moment.

"I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are, and who the players are because we have very big players. We have to work in their confidence and in their qualities. They have to show what they are and what (level) they are used to playing."

It could be a big summer of change at Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto De Zerbi knows he has a huge summer at Tottenham no matter what happens between now and the end of the season.

Spurs are just one point above the relegation places with seven games to go and going down to the Championship would be catastrophic for the club. De Zerbi was named the new permanent head coach last week and his immediate concern will be keeping the Lilywhites in the English top flight.

It's clear, though, that a squad revamp is needed come the summer with the current crop of players not good enough for the Premier League. One area that needs improvement is the forward department.

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Randal Kolo Muani is expected to return to PSG come the conclusion of his loan, Richarlison could be sold after a couple of frustrating campaigns and Dominic Solanke has had a number of injury issues. That all points to Tottenham being in the market for a new striker, with the club arguably still trying to replace Harry Kane since the Englishman joined Bayern Munich in 2023.

According to Sports Boom, Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo is being targeted by the north Londoners. The Brazilian has been in fine form for the Saudi side this season, scoring 15 goals in 29 appearances.

The 22-year-old was previously at Benfica and Santos and could be available for £55million this summer.

Of course, a lot may depend on whether Tottenham remain in the Premier League or not, with De Zerbi intent on making sure that is the case. In his first interview since being appointed, De Zerbi said of becoming Spurs boss: "I'm very happy and very proud to be here. I consider Tottenham one of the most important clubs in the world, so I'm very happy.

"I have a big responsibility, but it's a big challenge for me, and I'm looking forward to start and to work with the players and to win some games. I watched a lot of games, especially in the last period. I know very well the players. I love football, so I watch many, many games per week. I know everything.

"I know it's a tough moment for Tottenham, but I know very well it's a tough moment. It's a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham. I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment. I believe in the players.

"I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and qualities. They have to show what they are and what they are good at playing."

Cristian Romero has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur on numerous occasions this season, but the defender still has three years left on his contract in north London.

Roberto De Zerbi will be glad to know that Cristian Romero doesn't have a release clause in his contract with Tottenham Hotspur. The 27-year-old defender faces a somewhat uncertain future in north London, with the Lilywhites in grave danger of being relegated from the Premier League.

Only a point, and a hefty goal difference, separates Spurs from West Ham in the bottom three following a humiliating defeat to Nottingham Forest just before the international break. De Zerbi has been tasked with leading Tottenham to safety, and unless they beat Sunderland next weekend, they could fall into the drop zone.

Last month, Diego Simeone revealed that he's a 'big fan' of Romero. Then, earlier this week, a journalist in Argentina reportedly claimed that the World Cup winner wants to leave Tottenham and return to his boyhood club, Club Atlético Belgrano.

During an appearance on Argentine radio station Cadena 3, Romero's father commented on the reports. As quoted by Sport Witness, Victor said: "It’s a bombshell that keeps getting bigger.

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"I hope it’s true; as a Belgrano fan and a father, what more could I want, but I don’t know anything. Cuti isn’t one to make statements, that’s why it surprises me."

He continued: "I don’t know anything, but in football, anything can happen. Today, you might be thinking about being close to your family, and tomorrow, they put together a team to win the championship, and everything changes. I don’t want to lie."

In August 2021, Tottenham signed Romero from Atalanta on an initial loan, which included a £42.5million option-to-buy, football.london understands. Spurs activated the clause a year later, with the Argentine penning a five-year deal.

Then, in August 2025, Romero signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at the club until at least June 2029. Still speaking to Cadena 3, the defender's father claimed: "He has two more years on his contract with Tottenham and a very high release clause.

"The English club isn’t going to let him go for free; it’s between $50m to $70m (£37.9m to £53m). For me, they’ll want to recover what they invested."

Despite Victor's claims, football.london understands that Romero does not have a release clause in his Tottenham contract that allows him to join La Liga's big clubs. Any side looking to sign the Argentine this summer would be required to offer whatever price tag Spurs place on their captain at the time.

Romero has also given no indication that he plans to leave the Lilywhites, which will certainly reassure De Zerbi ahead of a difficult end to the campaign. During the March international break, he told Ole: "I’m not really having the best time there, to be honest.

"But beyond everything, I have to get myself right, I have to focus on the club now. I need to switch on the Tottenham mindset, try to get out of the bad situation we’re in and, like I always do, give everything in every training session, in every match, and try to move forward..."

The Tottenham Hotspur youngster has impressed on loan in Germany this season and has revealed the extra work he has been doing on the side

Tottenham Hotspur loanee Luka Vuskovic has been speaking about his efforts to improve himself while on loan at Hamburg. The youngster has also been discussing the extra measures he has taken to develop his own game in comments new Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi will love to hear.

Spurs officially signed the 19-year-old from Hudjuk Split in 2025 before loaning the Croatian defender to Bundesliga side Hamburger SV for the current campaign.

There is considerable speculation about whether or not Vuskovic will move on from Spurs permanently in the summer with his parent side in relegation trouble.

That being said, the highly-rated defender has made it clear he'll be part of Spurs' first team set-up next season.

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"After this season, I’ll be a Tottenham player again. I have a contract there until 2030," he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

His return to Spurs will give De Zerbi an opportunity to watch the youngster close up, with fans not able to see much of the defender having agreed to sign him way back in 2023.

Vuskovic had to wait until last summer before he could move to England, and was immediately sent out on loan.

When asked what sort of player he is, he said: "It all depends on how the player plays. It can be really tough; it can feel like the defender is trying to destroy a striker, he can inflict some really hard fouls.

"But it can also be completely different, without a foul, even without physical contact. If you defend intelligently, you hardly ever have to go directly into a challenge; you focus more on the space where things can get dangerous.

"I’m somewhere in between because I’m not as aggressive as some others, although I’d like to be a bit more so. I’m working on that."

Expanding on how he has been developing himself away from his club, Vuskovic made an admission that will be music to the ears of Spurs and De Zerbi.

“I know my weaknesses," he said. "I’ve been training with a private coach for some time now to work on my speed."

Vuskovic has impressed during his time in the Bundesliga, and has been one of the standout performers for the club during his loan spell.

His agent Pini Zahavi has already made it clear that a decision on his future won't happen until the summer, but it looks pretty certain Tottenham will cast an eye over him before sanctioning any further loan moves.

That hasn't stopped Vuskovic making clear he'd like to play alongside his brother Mario, also at Hamburg, in the future. The 19-year-old said: "In football, you never know. It could happen next year, or in 10 years.

"I don’t want to promise anyone anything. But it’s my biggest dream to be on the pitch with him here in Hamburg, or later in Split."