Football London

This was meant to be a time of celebration at Tottenham and even more importantly a time to start the preparations for a massive season ahead as Champions League football returns to the club.

The trophy curse has been broken at Spurs after 17 long years and in any other world, Spurs fans would still be in dreamland and those within the club would be working away to start shaping the squad to the manager's requirements for an even better campaign to come.

But this is Tottenham, where nothing ever seems so straightforward. Instead of what should have happened, everyone is waiting to find out what happens next.

Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff remain in limbo, not knowing whether winning the club's first European title in 41 years is enough to save them from Daniel Levy's regularly swinging axe.

The transfer window is open and other teams are making moves and completing signings yet Tottenham's technical director Johan Lange can only plan for every eventuality while watching the club's rivals act. There is no major international tournament to distract from the market and Spurs have the opportunity to capitalise on others' financial fair play fears with Champions League football as a big lure.

Yet new CEO Vinai Venkatesham began work on Monday and walked into a club stuck on pause when it should be very much in motion after that night in Bilbao.

Levy's decision will surely come soon. The wait has already threatened to suck all of the good feeling out of recent weeks and this period has instead had everyone focused on a limbo where nobody knows what the future holds.

Staff inside the club have no idea what the future holds. They know change is coming across various departments, but nobody knows to what degree and whether Postecoglou will remain as the face of what is now a silverware-winning club again.

In this intervening period, one of the Australian's coaches Ryan Mason has left to take his first managerial job at West Brom, others have likely had offers to move on as well and long-serving executive director Donna-Maria Cullen has departed from Levy's side on the club's board.

Major changes are expected in the club's medical and sports science departments but nobody knows what comes next for the man who stood in front of 220,000 Tottenham supporters and declared that season three would be better than season two.

Postecoglou's last declaration was that he always wins trophies in his second season and he was true to his word. His players have all called for him to stay and support him fully. He turned many of them into winners.

You could easily say that with two years left on the head coach's contract, reportedly one year plus an option for another, there is no need for a big statement to announce if he is remaining in the job.

That's fine, but people still need to know. Likewise if another manager is to be handed the chance to take on the fruits of Postecoglou's labour then the limbo needs to be brought to an end.

This was a time when Tottenham needed to race out of the blocks to build on that trophy triumph and ensure the squad is strong enough to prevent the next Premier League campaign from falling to such depths ever again.

Instead the ticker tape has been swept away, the songs from Bilbao have started to fade and Spurs have failed thus far to harness the euphoria. Instead it's just an awkward, unnecessary silence that's helping no one.

Clarity is required when it comes to Ange Postecoglou's future as Tottenham Hotspur head coach. Talk regarding the Australian continues to rumble on and Daniel Levy needs to provide an answer one way or another.

Quite when that arrives remains to be seen. It is needed, though, especially as Tottenham have plenty to do this summer after finishing 17th in the Premier League table.

Key to getting back towards the top of the league standings will be smart acquisitions in the transfer market. Tottenham opted to sign youngsters 12 months ago but Postecoglou has already admitted the need to bring in experienced players this summer as they look to kick on.

Tottenham fans will undoubtedly be looking on with envious eyes right now as a number of Premier League clubs have already made moves in the summer transfer market. Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Jeremie Frimpong and he could potentially be joined by his former Bayern Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz.

Chelsea are on course to secure a deal for Liam Delap and they want to bring in Borussia Dortmund ace Jamie Gittens before the FIFA Club World Cup begins later this month. The west London club have also made an approach to AC Milan to sign goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Across the capital at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal look set to complete transfer deals with Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad a likely arrival - though there is an understandable delay. The Gunners will then strengthen up front amid interest in Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

Perhaps most worryingly for Tottenham is that Manchester United are already making moves in the transfer market. The duo were in a battle to avoid finishing 17th in the Premier League table as well as competing for the Europa League trophy.

Spurs may have won the European battle but it was the Red Devils who avoided the embarrassment of finishing 17th as a final day win over Aston Villa saw them rise to 15th. As Ruben Amorim and his side look to avoid another bottom-half finish, Manchester United have already clinched a £62.5million deal for Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

The Brazilian may soon be joined at Old Trafford by Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo. United are expected to open talks with the Bees over the attacker, who they reportedly value in excess of £60m, after receiving indications that they are his preferred option for a transfer this summer.

As Cunha and Mbeumo chipped in with 15 and 20 Premier League goals respectively last season, that is a major attacking boost for the Red Devils after only managing 44 goals in total in 38 Premier League appearances last season. That will certainly not be the end of their transfer activity as they look to get back to their previous heights following their recent struggles.

The aforementioned clubs all look set to have their new additions in place for the start of pre-season as they bid for a quick start to the new campaign. Due to the current uncertainty over whether or not Postecoglou will still be in charge of Tottenham come the opening day of the 2025/26 season, it is not clear yet whether the Lilywhites will have new additions in place for the first day of pre-season training at Hotspur Way.

At a time in the year where transfer talk goes into overdrive and there are transfer links galore, very few players have been linked with a summer switch to Tottenham. Eberechi Eze and Leroy Sane have been mentioned so far but it is certainly very quiet on that front at a time when Tottenham have so much to do in the market.

All the talk right now is about Postecoglou and his future, which will hopefully become clear in the days ahead. A final decision is required and then Tottenham can move on and get down to business in the transfer market, whether that is with Postecoglou at the helm or not.

After such a disappointing season in the Premier League, Tottenham cannot afford to get left behind at a time when their rivals are strengthening and making moves. They are stuck in a state of limbo right now and it will stay that way until clarity regarding the head coach position finally arrives.

Gary Lineker's podcast has moved over to DAZN following his well-publicised split with the BBC. 'The Rest Is Football', is a hit podcast that Lineker co-hosts with former footballers Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

The podcast will now showcase clips of the Club World Cup in its video episodes as part of a collaboration with DAZN. The British platform holds broadcasting rights for this year's revamped FIFA tournament in the States.

The move to DAZN occurred after Lineker's departure from the Beeb, sparked by a social media controversy over a post perceived to be related to Zionism. The host shared an update that included an image of a rat—a symbol historically linked with antisemitism.

Following an unequivocal apology from Lineker, the 64-year-old announced his step down from leading the coverage of the 2026 World Cup and the FA Cup for the next season on BBC. His last Match of the Day stint was broadcast on May 25.

Pete Oliver, the growth markets CEO at DAZN, commented: "The Rest Is Football is essential viewing and listening for fans who want insight, entertainment, and personality - and this partnership is a brilliant way to bring the FIFA Club World Cup even closer to that audience."

He added: "It's about connecting global football with the voices fans trust and love, and showing the tournament in a fresh, exciting, and authentically British way."

Tottenham have officially submitted the paperwork to Companies House for Vinai Venkatesham's appointment as CEO.

The former Arsenal man officially began work at the club on Monday and the 44-year-old is expected to lead some major changes within Spurs this summer. A document submitted by the club to Companies House on Tuesday shows that Vinaichandra Guduguntla Venkatesham was officially appointed and registered as a company director on Monday.

The new CEO comes with a strong reputation from his years across north London and after Venkatesham left Arsenal a year ago, a number of clubs, both in the Premier League and abroad, had been eyeing him up but Tottenham moved quickly to create the new role in N17 for a man well known to chairman Daniel Levy.

He was a board member and later executive committee member of the European Club Association, where he came into plenty of contact with the Tottenham chairman, as he did at Premier League meetings.

Those who came across Venkatesham during his time at Arsenal described him to football.london with words such as "slick", "charming", "likeable", "smooth operator" and "genuinely caring about the fans". He is known as a top communicator, as comfortable speaking to the fans on the street and the media at gatherings as he is operating and negotiating within the corridors of power inside a club and within the sport.

Venkatesham is first and foremost a businessman - a trained accountant - rather than a traditional football expert. During his time as the Gunners' CEO, annual revenue jumped from £340million to a record £615million before he left. He will bring strong focus on commercial and business activities, but will surround himself with those with football knowledge, taking in their information and combining it with his own experiences built up over those years at Arsenal.

Venkatesham's arrival comes in the week when it was announced that Levy's long-time advisor Donna-Maria Cullen was stepping down from the board. Having been at the club for around three decades, Cullen was removed from the board on Companies House on Monday and will spend the next couple of months handing over her duties within the club to others.

Levy said of Cullen's departure: "Donna has made an immense contribution to the club, over an extensive period. Her diverse responsibilities grew significantly and replacing her roles with a single individual will be impossible. While many may associate her primarily with marketing and communications, Donna's impact extends far beyond those areas. Notably, her leadership and political acumen at planning committees, was instrumental in the club being able to build one of the finest stadiums and training centres in the world.

"She deserves recognition for the contribution she played in the formation of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which has positively impacted countless individuals in our communities, and in establishing the London Academy of Excellence, providing children with exceptional educational opportunities.

"Donna has pushed the conscience of the club to be at the forefront of environmental and diversity initiatives. She also played a crucial role in supporting the amateur part-time Spurs Ladies, enabling the development of our professional women’s team. Her daily input will be greatly missed, however she fully deserves to take time for herself, and I know that we shall be able to call upon her advice when needed. We wish her well for the future."

Pedro Porro believes that Ange Postecoglou staying at Tottenham would be "good for the dressing room" and admitted that the prospect of him being sacked upset him.

Postecoglou led Tottenham to their first trophy in 17 years with their Europa League victory against Manchester United in Bilbao last month. However, that first European title in 41 years came at a cost with a 17th place finish in the Premier League amid a backdrop of injuries, weakened starting XIs and poor performances.

It is the latter that has brought speculation aplenty about the Spurs head coach's future despite him ending the trophy drought and chairman Daniel Levy is set to make a decision on what comes next.

Porro was one of the stars of Tottenham's silverware-winning campaign and while on international duty with Spain, the right-back has made it clear what he believes must happen with Postecoglou.

"I’m not thinking about club football right now because I am here with Spain and we have two important games this week, but him continuing would be good for the dressing room," said the 25-year-old in an interview with the Guardian.

"He has built a very good group and coaches also need time. In the league things didn’t go well but he makes you win a trophy. That’s important too. The people in the dressing room with weight have to understand that, but as I say I’m thinking about the national team now; there will be time for that."

Porro was asked whether he meant some players don't understand that and he quickly clarified that he meant that those inside the dressing room know exactly what Postecoglou has been doing and dealing with.

"No, it’s simply just that..we’re inside and we know more or less how things are, no? I’m not going to lie, it did impact me to see [people say] they were going to sack him to be honest," said the Spaniard.

"I’m very close to him. He’s been an important coach for me and it’s thanks to him that I have brought out my [best] football these two years. It’s complicated because in football in general things don’t always depend on you but, honestly, in the team – I think, in my opinion – we’re happy with him."

He added: "The coach wanted to compete in both competitions because he’s a winner, [but] when you have a clear idea that you can do something big, you focus more on one thing than another. We knew that through the Premier League it was impossible to reach Europe and that the only option, the only objective, was to win the Europa League.

"In the Europa League, different demands are made of you. You have focus on pressing better, defending better. You saw it: three clean sheets in the last three games. Don’t let in goals, and we have dynamite up front. We said if we kept a clean sheet we had a good chance."

Porro is proud of what Postecoglou and this group of Spurs players have managed to do for the club and the fanbase, as evidenced by a trophy parade that brought an estimated 220,000 supporters to the streets of N17.

“It’s more than 40 years since a European trophy. People’s reaction was lovely. When you get on the bus and go round London, you get a feel for how important it is," he said. "You change families’ lives. They had suffered. We had suffered too inside, day by day.”

“[Spurs had become] a meme”, he added. "That’s just, like, people’s opinion. Of course that reaches you, but we don’t care … actually, in fact, I would say thanks to them because it can be extra motivation, petrol to fuel you. And we won. Let them talk and do all the memes they want now."

Porro admitted that Postecoglou used a variant of the famous old Sir Alex Ferguson line revealed by Roy Keane 'lads it's Tottenham' line this season.

"It was used. The coach said: yes, we’re Tottenham. We have to believe we’re a big team. Now people have to respect Tottenham a bit more because they’re Europa League champions," he said. "The season had been really bad in the Premier League and winning a European title brought such happiness. The fans had suffered, we had suffered too. But it’s not how it starts, it’s how it ends."

Tottenham have lost further ground in the transfer market with a key target preferring a move elsewhere as a final decision on the future of Ange Postecoglou is yet to be communicated.

Chairman Daniel Levy is set to have the final say and now he is back from holiday, clarity will surely emerge on the manager situation this week. Wholesale changes are expected this summer in north London and they have already begun with Donna-Maria Cullen leaving the club and and Vinai Venkatesham arriving in as the new CEO.

Former transfer chief Fabio Paratici could also return to the club while Johan Lange and Scott Munn are potentially at risk of being dismissed.

An alteration in the dugout could also take place even with a European trophy seemingly not enough to balance out a disastrous Premier League campaign.

Fulham's Marco Silva and Brentford head coach Thomas Frank are two candidates to take over should the Australian be relieved of his duties.

While the general feeling is that the latter would struggle having two games to prepare for most weeks due to Champions League football being obtained, he could have helped Spurs in the race to sign Bryan Mbeumo.

Just a few days ago, the Bees boss gave a very clear answer when asked about the Cameroon international departing the Gtech Community Stadium this summer.

"It is clear that if he is to be sold, it must be for a nice, nice amount," Frank said of Mbeumo to Viaplay. "It is a lot. Mucho. Really a lot.

"Then it is clear that it is impossible to replace him one for one. It cannot be done. There is a reason why he costs x number of million pounds, and we do not have x number of million pounds to buy for.

"I would say that I would be surprised if a lot of big clubs don’t look at him. I would be surprised with what he has to offer.

“How many wingers score 20 goals for a mid-table club? And then with seven assists plus his work ethic. And his character. All these things mean that he has a lot, so he is a good player."

However, regardless of whether or not Frank replaces Postecoglou, Mbeumo is said to have chosen his next club and it will not be Tottenham. According to The Athletic, the 25-year-old wants to join Manchester United over Arsenal, Newcastle United and Spurs.

With Rayan Cherki also in talks to join Manchester City, that is two Spurs targets appearing set to move elsewhere.

Unless Tottenham are the only club interested in a player, it is seemingly quite hard to convince targets to join when the manager situation is yet to be resolved.

Tottenham have launched their new Nike home kit for the 2025/26 season and there is plenty to spot in the unveiling.

The club showed off the new white shirt which has navy on the shoulders like last season, but with a new grey and ashen slate pattern under the arm and the cockerel badge sitting centrally on the chest of the shirt.

Spurs signed their big-money deal with Nike back in 2017 and extended it the following year to a 15-year agreement which will last until at least 2033, meaning it is one of the longest football club deals in the sportswear giant's history. Reports at the time suggested the agreement was worth around £30million a season for the north London outfit.

Here are five things we noticed from Tuesday's unveiling of the latest home kit with the 'Take a vow' campaign:

Looking to the future

Tottenham's transfer policy has been very much about looking to the future and this latest kit launch plays into that.

Both of the prominent teenagers from last season, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who swept up most of the supporter awards at the end of the season, feature heavily in the promotional content along with younger senior players such as Micky van de Ven and Dejan Kulusevski. Skipper Bethany England and a third Swede in Amanda Nilden gave a look at the Tottenham Hotspur Women's version of the kits.

Brief Son

That focus on youth means the Tottenham captain only gets the briefest of appearances in the unveiling video, turning up in a little video montage towards the end saying 'I do' from the training ground.

Son Heung-min is expected to feature prominently in the overall campaign for the 2025/26 kits, though, so fear not fans of the South Korean star and Spurs skipper.

The King

One older head does appear prominently in the home kit launch and that is former captain Ledley King.

The central defender is our guide through what is essentially a wedding vow for Tottenham supporters declaring their love for the club for life through the good times and the bad.

King stretches his acting chops in the video as he leads us all through the Tottenham vow.

Former players

It's not just King who turns up in the video as in that montage featuring Son, those former Tottenham stars saying 'I do', include Aaron Lennon, Pat Jennings, Heurelho Gomes and Sebastien Bassong. The legendary ex-Spurs manager Bill Nicholson also is shown on an early image on the back of a programme.

Later in the montage, there are also various internet influencers and celebrity fans such as WWE wrestler Finn Balor taking the vow.

Dodgy lasagne

There's also a nod towards one of Spurs' darkest days in the modern era when King refers to loving the club in sickness and in health.

When the word 'sickness' is said so the camera pans to a shot of a plate of lasagne, bringing back painful memories of the 'lasagne-gate' incident in the final game of the 2005/6 season. That day 10 members of Martin Jol's Tottenham side were struck down with illness when due to face West Ham, with a victory all that was needed to finish in the top four.

The struggling Spurs players fell to defeat and that allowed the other team down the road in north London to slip into the final Champions League spot.

Tottenham confirmed their released list at the weekend with four first-team exits. Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Sergio Reguilon will all depart the football club upon the expiration of their contracts later this month, with Timo Werner returning to parent club RB Leipzig following his loan spell.

Spurs are still to confirm what is happening with Ben Davies as the long-serving defender is now in the final month of his current deal. Question marks also persist over Mathys Tel as the north London club do have the option to buy him permanently from Bayern Munich following the agreement both clubs struck in February.

As important as it is that Tottenham come to a decision over the duo soon, and also what is happening regarding head coach Ange Postecoglou's future, they also need to plan ahead as a few players are out of contract come the summer of 2026. So who are the players in question? football.london takes a look below.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma will soon be in the final year of his contract after joining from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022. The Mali international has struggled to hit the form he displayed at Brighton on a regular basis but he has delivered some big performances during his time at the club, most notably in the first few months of Postecoglou's tenure and in the latter stages of Spurs' successful 2024/25 Europa League campaign.

Despite those key displays, including the final against Manchester United, it still may be best for Spurs to move him on this summer as consistency has been a problem. His value will only continue to decrease and Tottenham will not want to be in a position where they lose him for nothing.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Whereas Bissouma may potentially move on, Tottenham need to get Rodrigo Bentancur to pen fresh terms in north London. The midfielder was instrumental immediately after his move from Juventus but an ACL injury at Leicester City in February 2023 derailed things for the Uruguayan.

In and out of the team following his return, Bentancur featured in 44 games in all competitions this season and Postecoglou was very happy with the levels his player was producing. Spurs need to ensure he is doing exactly the same beyond 2026.

Son Heung-min

Tottenham have a big decision to make when it comes to captain Son Heung-min. Exercising the option in his contract to extend it by a further 12 months at the turn of the year, the South Korean will be out of contract in one year's time.

Son struggled to hit top form on a consistent basis throughout the 2024/25 campaign but he did still contribute with 11 goals and 12 assists. Due to those up and down performances, the 32-year-old could potentially find himself in and out of the team next season unless he can get back to his best week in, week out.

Could the 2025/26 campaign be his last in a Tottenham shirt? All will become clear over the coming months.

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil's season unfortunately ended in disappointment as he underwent surgery on a knee injury sustained in March. The Spaniard had caught the eye with Girona and contributed with four goals and three assists in 32 games before his season was brought to a cruel end.

It remains to be seen when exactly Gil will return to full fitness and whether it will impact a potential summer transfer. Tottenham really need to part with him on a permanent basis before the end of the summer window or else they will run the risk of losing him for nothing.

Daniel Levy has been told not to go back to square one with Tottenham by sacking "big mouth" Ange Postecoglou.

The Spurs chairman is set to decide on what comes next for the Australian and his coaching team after a season which finally brought a trophy after 17 years of waiting but also a 17th-place finish in the Premier League as Postecoglou prioritised the Europa League once injuries and some poor performances derailed the domestic campaign.

Postecoglou is currently on holiday in Greece awaiting the decision and has made it very clear that he wants to continue in the role and build upon ending the club's silverware drought.

Former Tottenham, Fulham and Manchester United striker Louis Saha has delivered his verdict on what Levy should do about the Australian and whether there should be a season three.

"I think Ange will still be there next season, in charge in North London. I think Daniel Levy found out at the start of the campaign that Ange has a big mouth, saying he was going to win a trophy in his second year," Saha told 10bet. "Basically, Spurs haven’t won anything for almost 20 years, so how can you sack Postecoglou now? It’s impossible.

"I think fairness demands that Postecoglou will have to concede that he made some mistakes of his own, and they will need to improve next year, but I think everyone who saw Spurs lift the trophy will know he deserves to stay as manager."

He added: "To go back to square one with a new manager, it doesn’t make sense. Even if the season was tough, and there were obvious errors, the manager won a trophy and he can be the guy to bring them on, to spur on the players further. Don’t change the manager - keep him on."

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the departure of assistant coach Ryan Mason, who will become the new head coach of Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies have been in search of a replacement for Tony Mowbray, who departed once it was mathematically confirmed the club could not reach the recent play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said in statement released to the club's website: "Ryan has been an integral part of Tottenham Hotspur for a number of years, both as a player and a coach.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ryan for all his dedication and hard work over the years, and we wish him every success for the future."

Mason first signed for the Tottenham as a player in 2008. He would leave eight years later and following his premature retirement due to complications that could result from skull fracture suffered whilst playing for Hull City, he ventured into coaching and returned to North London.

He progressed from the youth levels onto Jose Mourinho's staff, ending the 2020/21 season as interim boss when the Portuguese was dismissed.

Mason has since acted under Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou, bringing his time in coaching to seven years.

Now he has signed a three-year deal at the Hawthorns to make his first full steps into management.

This departure from the coaching staff comes at a time when football.london understands Levy is currently pondering the future of Spurs, specifically if he is to stick or twist with the manager who has delivered a 17th-placed Premier League finish alongside UEFA Europa League success.

Postecoglou, on holiday currently, awaits that decision, and so does the entirety of the club.

Regardless of the 59-year-old returning to North London for next season or not, the club will now be looking for a new assistant ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.