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Tottenham youngster Tynan Thompson is ready for first-team opportunities but he's yet to make his senior bow despite ripping up the UEFA Youth League

One of the key concerns recently raised by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust was the lack of Spurs youngsters being blooded into the first-team.

During his time at Brentford, Thomas Frank was previously praised for developing young players but that proved to be a myth at Tottenham because he very rarely utilised the club's academy talent.

Jun'ai Byfield featured twice from the bench in Champions League wins over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt and performed well but Frank only called on the defender when he was virtually down to bare bones.

It was one of the Dane's major downfalls because young players have always formed part of Tottenham's DNA and the club's current crop of youth stars are an incredibly talented bunch.

The U19s currently sit seventh in the Premier League 2 standings and there are a number of players knocking on the first-team door including Byfield, Luca Williams Barnett and Callum Olusesi, respectively.

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But there is one talent - Tynan Thompson - who can definitely count himself unlucky not to have received minutes this season because there is no doubt he is good enough.

Thompson, a right-footed left-winger like Liverpool starlet Ngumoha, has remarkable dribbling ability and can leave defenders for dust.

Given the left-flank has been somewhat of a problem position for Tottenham this season following the departure of former captain Son Heung-min, it really is a mystery as to why Thompson hasn't really had a look-in.

Thompson rattled in seven goals and registered two assists in seven UEFA Youth League appearances for Spurs before they were eliminated following a 5-1 defeat against Real Betis earlier this month.

He scored in all but one of their six group stage matches and hit a brilliant hat-trick in the 9-1 thrashing of Slavia Prague in mid-December.

The red-hot winger has only made the first-team bench on two occasions, once in the Carabao Cup against Doncaster Rovers and once in the Champions League against PSG.

He's scored 11 times in 19 youth-team appearances this term and it's about time he was considered to bolster Igor Tudor's struggling squad.

Mikey Moore is undoubtedly ahead of the curve where senior experience is concerned but he will not return from his Rangers loan until next season.

Between now and the end of the campaign, it's imperative that Thompson is at least handed some minutes from the bench because he can bring quality and excitement to the table.

Spurs are currently starved of wide players who can create and score goals, yet there is a clear internal solution already on their books.

Whether Tudor is prepared to throw young players into the firing line at this critical stage of the season is another question but it's certainly a prospect worth considering.

Thompson - like Ngumoha at Liverpool - is a talent worth cherishing and his fearless playing style suggests he has the confidence and self-belief to make a real impact at first-team level.

It would be a travesty if he went the entire season without playing for Spurs because he is among the very best young talents at their disposal.

Tottenham are desperately fighting for Premier League safety as they bid to turn the corner under interim boss Igor Tudor

The devastating cost of relegation to the Championship is not currently worth thinking about for Tottenham Hotspur.

Instead, the club are focusing their efforts on turning the corner under interim boss Igor Tudor ahead of a crucial run of matches for the Croatian.

While Premier League safety remains the absolute top priority, you can't help but feel a number of players are also playing for their futures in N17.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, it's clear to see that Spurs' squad requires major surgery at the end of the campaign.

Long-serving defender Ben Davies and midfielder Yves Bissouma are both out of contract and are currently expected to depart on free transfers.

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Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the futures of loan duo Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani. Palhinha has been a real asset since joining the club from Bayern Munich last summer but he'll be 31 come the start of next season.

His experience and versatility is undeniably valuable but given Spurs have a £27million buy-option, they may want to weigh up other, younger defensive midfielders, too.

Tottenham do not have a buy-option for Kolo Muani and while he's had success in the Champions League this season (three goals and two assists), Sunday's strike against Arsenal was his first in the Premier League.

Given PSG paid a whopping £78million to Eintracht Frankfurt inclusive of add-ons to sign him back in September 2023, they will be keen to recoup as much money as possible when selling the Frenchman this summer.

He's hardly set the world alight at Spurs and while Tudor is likely to get a tune out of the player he previously worked with at Juventus, there would need to be a fair bit of convincing done between now and the end of the season for Tottenham to consider a permanent deal.

Richarlison is due to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer and there's every chance both he and Spurs could decide to part ways.

There's been reported interest from Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the MLS in recent transfer windows so there's every chance there will be suitors. He turns 29 in May and has blown hot and cold, so now could be the perfect opportunity to sell.

Mathys Tel is another player that could potentially depart if things do not improve for the French winger. A number of clubs from across Europe wanted to take him on loan in January as the ex-Bayern Munich starlet was frustrated by his lack of minutes under Thomas Frank. If things do not improve between now and the end of the season, Spurs could seek to cash in.

At the back, it seems highly probable that Guglielmo Vicario could well return to Italy amid reported interest from Inter Milan.

Vicario's performances have repeatedly been scrutinised and equally, Spurs may feel they want to try and sign an upgrade on the Italian before the start of next season.

Finally, Radu Dragusin could well leave the club as he's struggled to hit the heights that were expected of him when he signed from Genoa in January 2024.

The Romanian has endured rotten luck with injury having ruptured his ACL last season but even when he plays, there is a gulf in quality between Dragusin and first-choice pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Igor Tudor took charge of his first match as Tottenham Hotspur boss at the weekend with the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has explained why he thinks Tottenham Hotspur should have made a different choice for their new manager.

Spurs appointed Igor Tudor earlier this month, on a contract that runs until the end of the season.Tudor was named as Tottenham’s new manager following the departure of Thomas Frank earlier this month.

Sunday saw Tudor take charge of his first match as Tottenham boss, overseeing the club’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby in the Premier League.

The loss, combined with results elsewhere across the weekend, leaves Spurs in 16th place in the Premier League table and just four points above the relegation zone.

Despite Tudor being appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, football.london understands that the former Juventus boss will be under consideration for the job on a permanent deal when the summer arrives if the appointment turns out to be a success.

After the defeat to Arsenal, Scholes has explained why he has concerns about Tottenham’s decision to appoint Tudor and believes former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce should have been considered as an option.

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“I think the choice of manager they brought in, I know it’s an interim, but he [Tudor] just doesn’t know the Premier League,” said Scholes on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

“I was walking in there, Sam Allardyce is there. You’re thinking, ‘That’s just got him written all over it.'

“First thing he probably does as a club, when he goes into a team, stop us getting beat so easily, stop us conceding chances.

“He probably wouldn’t care about the rest of it, about scoring goals, because there’s enough quality in that Tottenham team at some point to get you a goal, or even whether it’s a set piece.

“But make us solid to beat. I think there was a stat after about 40 minutes yesterday [Sunday] that Tottenham had touched the ball once in their penalty box, Arsenal had had like 24 touches.

"Did you see that? It’s incredible. And you’re away from home as well? It’s incredible.”

Footage has surfaced online of Tottenham star Archie Gray kicking the ball towards the travelling Arsenal fans after Randal Kolo Muani had levelled things up in Sunday's North London Derby

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has shared what he would consider to be appropriate action against Archie Gray following an incident that occurred during Sunday's North London Derby.

Video footage posted on social media appears to show the versatile Tottenham midfielder kicking a ball into the away end - towards Arsenal supporters - after Randal Kolo Muani had equalised for the home side after Eberechi Eze's opener.

At the time, the incident was seemingly not spotted and went unpunished but the FA could yet review the video footage.

Back in October, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was charged for kicking a ball into the stands and subsequently hitting a fan during a 2-1 home defeat to Southampton at Bramall Lane. Wilder was also shown a red card by the referee at the time of the incident.

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Hackett, however, does not feel this would be the correct course of action on this occasion though, telling Tottenham Hotspur News: “I have seen many different types of reaction and celebration to goals by players. “Rather than issuing a sanction of fine or suspension, I would hope, in the interest of fans safety that a letter from The FA might be sent to the manager of the player's club requesting that he offer appropriate advice to avoid a repeat of this action.”

Gray has been a mainstay in the Tottenham starting XI in recent weeks amid a plethora of injuries. He was booked during the game against Arsenal and slotted in at right wing-back for Igor Tudor's first match at the helm.

Spurs do not play now until Sunday when they travel to Fulham in the Premier League. Speaking after the game, the Croatian ordered his players to fix their "bad habits" as they continue their battle to beat the drop.

Tudor said: "I know the truth [about this team], now I saw the truth. It's not nice, but it is how it is. Of course, I am confident [of survival]. I believe these are good players with bad habits.

"Nobody can tell me we don't have quality. But we need to change a mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game from the first minutes and also the physicality to do this.

"To be physical, you need to work hard, otherwise it's a problem. Too many players had problems. That's the result."

EXCLUSIVE: Tim Sherwood rips Tottenham apart and names four reasons behind struggles - 'Bring them back'

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has delivered his verdict on Spurs following Sunday's North London Derby and their chances of staying in the Premier League

Tim Sherwood has ripped Tottenham apart and believes that poor recruitment is one of the main reasons behind the club's struggles this season. Spurs have endured a horror Premier League season so far and have been dragged right into a relegation battle in recent weeks following a dismal run of form.

Indeed, Tottenham have failed to win any of their last nine top-flight matches and Sunday's 4-1 North London Derby defeat to Arsenal plunged them further into trouble. They sit 16th in the table after winning just seven of their 27 games, just four points ahead of 18th-place West Ham, who occupy the final relegation spot.

And ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood feels that there are a number of reasons why Spurs have had such a poor Premier League campaign to date - with one of which being the club's recruitment.

The 57-year-old outlined the fact Spurs have hired and fired a number of different managers in recent years and spent more than £200million on transfers last summer but haven't seen much improvement, if any.

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Sherwood told football.london: "I think it's the collective, but always the person who gets to blame is the manager. That's not only Tottenham, that's every football club, because the buck stops at the man who's picking the team, and the results aren't good, everything is bad at the whole football club.

"But I would look at the recruitment. I mean, who is actually picking these players? Because when you turn over so many managers, like the Nuno's [Espirito Santo], like the Ange Postecoglou's, like the Thomas Frank’s, and now you've got Igor Tudor, if they're still struggling at the bottom of the league, then when does the vindication come from the managers?

"And you say, you know what, maybe a little bit elsewhere here, perhaps it's the players. Who brought the players in? And I think they need to have a good look at themselves.

"Then something close to my heart, where is the academy? Have they closed that? I don't know. Where's the academy? They must have closed it and put a spa in there. Where's the academy players? Tottenham Hotspur, where are they? There's a few of them out on loan doing alright. Mikey Moore at Rangers? Bring them back and give them a chance to play. At least you gain something out of the season.

"I mean, at the moment, they're playing the players who they paid or 20s, 30s, 40 millions, 60 millions for, and they're still getting beat every week. You might as well get beat with the kids, at least you're getting some experience into them and seeing whether they're good enough for next year. The whole culture of that club has to change. It is a club I do not recognise from the outside when I was there."

Igor Tudor is the man that has been tasked to turn Tottenham's fortunes around, after he was appointed as Thomas Frank's replacement last week. The Croatian has signed a contract in north London until the end of the season.

When asked if Tudor, whose first game in the dugout ended in defeat to Arsenal, is the right fit for Spurs, Sherwood replied: " Well, who knows? Only time will tell. No-one knows do they?

"It's just an absolute left-field gamble, but anyone is a gamble, no matter if they've got Premier League experience, Thomas Frank had plenty of that, didn't he?"

Although Spurs still have time to drag themselves away from danger, there is some concern among supporters that the club could face relegation to the Championship this season. However, Sherwood still believes that Tottenham are going to survive, despite the issues on the pitch and behind-the-scenes.

"I think they will get out of it," Sherwood said. "I still believe the next two games are so crucial because you can forget about the injuries, you can maybe hold your hands up and say that it was obvious in hindsight that Arsenal were too good. But having said that, Arsenal on paper would be too good for Wolves, especially with a two goal lead and Wolves still got something out of it.

"So, Tottenham should have done better, just trying to find a way, but they haven't. They've got to dust themselves down, have a look for now, get calm heads, see where they are. You've got to go away to Fulham and home to Crystal Palace, if you get nothing from them two games, then the hole gets bigger. And you start looking up thinking, we're never getting out of this."

With Tottenham surviving, Sherwood has tipped West Ham, alongside Wolves and Burnley, to drop out of the Premier League. It would also mean that Nottingham Forest, who sit in 17th and two points behind Spurs at this present moment, would remain in the top flight.

"Well, West Ham at the moment, because they haven't got the points on the board," Sherwood finished. "But having said that, I've been looking at West Ham and they look like they've got a real bit of fight in them. It looks like they're really organised as well. Probably got more players capable of, mentally, realising they're in a relegation fight, rather than when you look at Tottenham squad, the worry is none of them come to Spurs to play in a relegation battle.

"They finished 17th last year, so a lot of people will say they should have been ready for it because they finished 17th. We all know why they finished 17th, because they put all their eggs in the Europa League basket and actually won it. So, they changed manager [in the summer] and now they've decided to change again.

"For me personally, I wouldn't have done it. I would have kept Thomas Frank there. I felt like they’d been safe with him. I feel like they’d be safe without him. But Igor Tudor has got a really tough job on his hands."

Tudor's second game in charge of Tottenham is a trip to Fulham on Sunday. Spurs then host Crystal Palace four days later before travelling up to face Liverpool on Sunday, March 15.

Tim Sherwood was speaking to Midnite, ahead of his appearance on their fan-led Youtube series Defend Your Career...

Arsenal may have comfortably won the North London Derby, but Declan Rice's actions in the match has casued some concern for Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes has criticised Declan Rice for allowing his emotions to cloud his judgement during Arsenal's North London Derby triumph against Tottenham. The 27-year-old endured a mixed performance in Mikel Arteta's commanding 4-1 away win over Spurs.

Whilst Rice worked tirelessly across the pitch, he bore responsibility for Randal Kolo Muani's equalising goal and subsequently surrendered possession when the Frenchman found the net again, though that effort was ruled out. The England midfielder's mistake for Tottenham's goal was not helped by the sight of him urging his team-mates to maintain concentration before losing the ball himself.

The £105million signing from West Ham United has rarely faced scrutiny since his high-profile switch to the Emirates Stadium and has been one of the club's standout players this season. However, Scholes didn't hold back in his assessment of the midfielder, suggesting he'd allowed the occasion's intensity to compromise his performance.

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Speaking on the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, Scholes and fellow former Manchester United star Nicky Butt analysed Rice's showing in detail. Butt acknowledged Rice's potential to become an influential figure for the north Londoners, whilst noting he's yet to demonstrate the commanding presence of Premier League icons such as Roy Keane.

In response, Scholes said: "When Roy [Keane] was getting the team together and leading the team really well, there was a certain calmness about it. When I look at Declan Rice, he almost looks too emotional.

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"He's lively, he's, 'Come on! Come on! Come on!' and then he makes his mistake. When you're going for a league title, when you've got tough games, there has to be a calmness about you.

"I think potentially [he's a captain]. It's just when I look at him now, he's so emotional."

The former United midfielder then focused specifically on the instance where Rice urged his team-mates to maintain concentration immediately after Eberechi Eze's opening goal, before the England international lost possession to Kolo Muani moments later.

Scholes said: "I don't like all that [Rice geeing up the crowd just moments before Kolo Muani's goal]. I don't like people being so emotional like that.

"People will call me a miserable b****** and say that you don't want to take emotion out of the game. And of course we don't, we want emotion but it has to be in the right way.

"Scoring goals and celebrating, that's great. But game-management in game situations, there needs to be a calmness."

Rather than dwelling on Rice's mistake, Arteta opted to highlight the midfielder's response to his error. The Gunners manager said: "I said at half-time: we carry on playing, with the attitude like Declan has done today. When he made an error, the way he played after.

"That's attitude, personality and courage to stand up in a difficult moment. Attitude, how you approach things. You can feel sorry for yourself. You can look at: 'Oh look at this stage'/

"But when you're kids, you dream to play these kind of games. You recognise the opportunity that we are lucky to be where they are."

John Heitinga joined Thomas Frank's Tottenham backroom staff as assistant coach in January but he left the club after just 33 days following the arrival of Igor Tudor

The agent of recently-departed Tottenham assistant John Heitinga has hit out at the Lewis family over the appointment of interim boss Igor Tudor.

Former Ajax boss and Liverpool No.2 Heitinga joined Spurs back in January to support Thomas Frank but left the club just 33 days later following the Dane's dismissal.

His representative Rob Jansen has now revealed why Heitinga snubbed the chance to remain with the Europa League winners as part of Tudor's coaching set-up, telling Dutch podcast Kieft Jansen Egmond Gijp: "He was allowed to stay. They even asked him to stay. All other coaches, all Scandinavian, left.

"And after three weeks, they told him: ‘Please stay and see out your contract here.’ That’s quite an achievement for someone who worked there for three weeks.

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“But he said: ‘Yes, but now Igor Tudor, a Croatian coach, is coming with a whole staff for three or four months’. That man is always hired for emergency jobs.

“That almost never works. Why they did that is a mystery to me. And then another coach will come in. So, you can leave twice. That new coach will also come in with 45 people. He said, ‘This is pointless, Rob. I have to leave now’.”

Jansen feels the appointment of Tudor, who lost his first game at the helm on Sunday when Spurs were defeated 4-1 in the North London Derby by rivals Arsenal, lacked ambition.

He explained: “What does the management do, or in this case, the owners, the Lewis family? They opt for some kind of security.

"They hire someone with a track record, someone known as a crisis manager at struggling clubs for a few months. That saves their image. Unless they dare to continue with Heitinga and a new staff but they won’t.”

The 42-year-old was one of four staff members to leave Tottenham alongside fellow assistant Justin Cochrane, head of performance Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton.

Bruno Saltor has since arrived as Tudor's assistant alongside GK coach Tomislav Rogic and physical coach Riccardo Ragnacci.

Heitinga, 42, worked under Arne Slot during Liverpool's title-winning season before departing for former employers Ajax.

He signed a two-year contract with the Dutch giants, who he also led as interim coach in 2023, last May but was sacked in November following a 3-0 home defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League. The former Everton defender also worked under David Moyes at West Ham prior to joining Liverpool.

The action of one Tottenham star during their 4-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday was lambasted by the away fans

Archie Gray's actions following Tottenham's equaliser against Arsenal have been called out after being caught on camera by seething away fans.

The 19-year-old was at the backpost as Randal Kolo Muani tucked away the leveller in the 34th minute, just 120 seconds after Eberechi Eze had opened the scoring in Sunday's north London derby.

In footage posted on social media by TikToker afcdylan, the Spurs star can be seen booting the ball in the direction of the away fans, appearing to hit one as he headed back to the centre circle. Supporters yelled expletives at the teenager as they raged at both the goal and the Spurs star's reaction.

Gray's joy was shortlived, however, as Arsenal took the lead once again just after the second half began. Viktor Gyokeres made it 2-1 in the 47th minute with a sensational strike on the edge of the box, pulling out his signature mask celebration in front of the home fans.

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Eze scored his second of the game on the hour mark after some excellent work from Bukayo Saka, sending a rebound goalward to make it 3-1. Gyokeres put the icing on the cake and collected a brace in stoppage time, shrugging off Gray in the box to secure the three points for his side.

The Spurs midfielder's actions weren't the only controversial moment in the game. David Raya pushed a Dominic Solanke strike off the goalline at 3-1, but the most highly-contested point of the match came just after Gyokeres' strike to put Arsenal ahead.

It looked like Muani had equalised once more to make it 2-2, but referee Peter Bankes blew for a foul on Gabriel. VAR decided not to intervene on this decision, which had plenty of Tottenham fans fuming.

One said: "How’s that a foul on Gabriel? If at all, he should be carded for diving. Proper clown!" Another added: "In what world is this a foul?" While a third said: "Such a soft foul. Just touched and Gabriel jumped like he was being tortured."

The north London derby victory has restored Arsenal's five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table after Manchester City pulled it back to just two with a 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Mikel Arteta was beaming with pride at the response from his players. Speaking post-match, the Arsenal boss said: "It feels like we showed what we are made of.

"But then you have to show it again and again and again because if you have to just analyse how you feel after every game, it's a massive rollercoaster and it's not sustainable.

"I cannot be prouder and happier for what I've seen out there, but especially the way we lived the last 72 hours because I think this game in particular needed some context.

"After what happened against Wolves and the manner that we lost two points in the last kick of the game, it was tough. But that's the beauty of this game. There is no explanation watching the game back how the hell we draw that game. From any angle, you watch it back and say, 'It's impossible,' and you have to watch it again and say it's not going to happen.

"But it happened, and then you have to lift yourself up because you're feeling angry, upset, [and] ashamed at some point. And we are all different nationalities, we all have different feelings, and then you have to bring everybody together.

"And it's been a joy to spend that time together with them, to align everybody and to say, 'OK, what is going to be happening in the next chapter?'"

Arsenal have learned they could break the record for the earliest ever St Totteringham's Day should results go their way this weekend

Arsenal are in line to celebrate the earliest St Totteringham’s Day ever on record if results go their way this weekend. Fresh off the back of a glorious victory in the North London Derby, the infamous day is closing in.

For those somehow uneducated on the matter of what St Totteringham’s Day actually is, it is defined as the moment when Spurs can no longer finish higher than Arsenal in the league table. For example, the earliest recorded instance of this was March 9, 2008, when, with nine games to spare, the Gunners achieved this feat, and Spurs would go on to finish 11th.

Spurs currently sit in 16th and are firmly fighting for their lives in a relegation battle. West Ham’s draw with Bournemouth means they have closed the gap to just four points.

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Both teams have 11 games left to play, with Nottingham Forest sandwiched between them, an equal two points away from each side on 27. Arsenal’s win saw them climb to 61 points, a five-point lead, having played a game more, over their closest rivals, Manchester City, at the top of the table.

Arsenal face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday with every game now a must-win as they chase down a first title in 22 years. Spurs, meanwhile, scrapping for every point they can get their hands on, are away to Fulham, who have, themselves, their sights set on European qualification.

The maximum number of points Spurs can achieve this season if they win their remaining 11 games is 62 points. Were they to draw or lose against Fulham, whatever happens at Arsenal will not matter; St Totteringham’s Day will arrive.

The match takes place two-and-a-half hours before the Gunners kick-off at the Emirates Stadium so we will know the outcome of the result before they face Chelsea. Should Spurs win, then St Totteringham’s Day will occur only if Arsenal beat the Blues.

If Spurs win, but Arsenal draw, it would still be feasible for Tottenham to catch their north London Rivals, but only on goal difference, but this would then delay St Totteringham’s Day until the midweek round of fixtures when Arsenal go to Brighton and Spurs host Crystal Palace.

Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic has sparkled on loan at Hamburger SV this season, fuelling speculation he could yet remain with the Bundesliga side beyond the summer

Hamburger SV sporting director Claus Costa has confirmed Luka Vuskovic will definitely return to Tottenham at the end of the season.

The young Croatian centre-back has been a shining light in the Bundesliga this term, scoring an impressive four goals in 19 top-flight matches.

Hamburg would like to keep Vuskovic but according to Costa, the German club's hands are tied because there is no buy-option included within the loan agreement.

Costa said when quizzed on the Croatia international's future: “Contractually, there’s no chance he’ll stay. It’s purely a loan, and we have no way to tie Luka to HSV long-term."

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Hamburg boss Merlin Polzin has already confirmed he wants to retain the services of Vuskovic next season, stating: “I’m a man of conviction. Of course, I also believe in things that seem impossible, even if they’re just a bit romantic about football. Nevertheless, there’s a clear contractual agreement between the clubs.

“We’re very grateful that we found a solution last summer. It was very clear from the start with Luka’s camp that he only wanted to join HSV. The communication with Tottenham is extremely professional, both last summer and now. We’d be very interested in him continuing to wear the HSV jersey.”

The sticking point for HSV is that Vuskovic has been so good, it's highly likely Tottenham would like to keep him next season.

But even if they don't, a raft of clubs from across Europe are expected to enter the fray and there could well be permanent transfer interest in addition to fresh loan offers.

German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are among a series of sides to have been linked with a swoop.

Hamburg are also itching to keep the 19-year-old so he can play alongside his brother Mario, who will be free to return from a doping ban in November.

Costa is under no illusions that it would be the stuff of dreams to pair the two brothers together, adding: “Of course, there’s this romantic notion that Luka will one day play alongside his brother Mario.

“Of course, we’re in contact with him [Mario]. He’s not allowed to train or play football for any club. But he’s in top physical condition, working hard with an absolute dedication and passion that is second to none.”

Vuskovic, who is set to feature for Croatia at the World Cup this summer, has already outlined his desire to play alongside Mario.