Football London

The transfer window is upon us, with teams around the Premier League looking to spend money to try and strengthen their squad before the start of the 2025/26 season.

It will be no different at Tottenham Hotspur, despite the current uncertainty around the future of manager Ange Postecoglou. Despite a 17th-place finish in the Premier League, Spurs still have Champions League football to prepare for next season.

They qualify for the competition thanks to their win in the Europa League last month. Spurs came out as 1-0 winners in the final against Manchester United.

Their participation in Europe’s primary competition will make moves in the transfer window easier. Last year saw Spurs break their transfer record with the signing of striker Dominic Solanke.

It’s still to be seen if it will be broken again this summer. The record has rapidly risen since the introduction of the Premier League - here’s a look back at Spurs' transfer record from 1988 to all the way to today.

In 1988, Spurs broke the then British transfer record by paying £2.2 million to Newcastle United for Paul Gascoigne. That remained the club’s record signing going into the Premier League era when the league was established in 1992, and he is still a cult hero in the English game.

In the following 33 years that record has been broken a few more times. Going into the third season of the Premier League (1995/96), Tottenham broke their record to sign striker Chris Armstrong from Crystal Palace, with him spending seven successful years at White Hart Lane, scoring 62 goals in 173 games for the club.

The record was broken again in 1997/98, when Spurs paid £6 million to Newcastle for forward Les Ferdinand. He spent six-and-a-half years at the club, scoring 39 goals in 147 appearances.

It was another three years until Spurs broke their transfer record again. It came with the £11 million purchase of Sergiy Rebrov from Dynamo Kiev in the 2000/01 season. However, he struggled to make an impact and was frozen out by incoming manager Glenn Hoddle.

There was another wait until the transfer record was broken again. The £16.5 million fee paid for Darren Bent in 2007/08 was the one that beat it. He played 79 times for Spurs, scoring 25 goals.

The 2013/14 season saw the record broken not only once, but three times. Firstly, a £17 million move for Paulinho grabbed the record, before a £26 million move for Roberto Soldado a week later smashed the record. Both struggled to make their mark at White Hart Lane and were quickly moved on after a couple of seasons.

The transfer record was broken for the third time that summer with the £26 million + add-ons transfer of Erik Lamela. This move was more successful than the others with him staying at the club for eight years, joining Sevilla on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.

The record was broken again in 2016. Spurs paid a fee of £31.5 million for Moussa Sissoko, he played a vital role for the club, helping them to reach the Champions League final in 2019. He left for Watford in 2021.

The record was broke again the next season with the £42 million signing of Davinson Sanchez from Ajax. The centre-back left Spurs for Galatasaray in the summer of 2023.

Spurs broke the record for the third time in three years in 2018, with the signing of Tanguy Ndombele. The club paid a fee of £56 million for the midfielder. He spent his last couple of seasons at the club on various loan spells before joining Nice on a free transfer last summer.

Spurs broke the transfer record again with the signing of forward Richarlison from Everton in 2022. The Brazilian cost a reported £60 million. He remains at the club but inconsistency and injury has impacted him, with him mainly now back-up to Dominic Solanke.

Speaking of the striker, last summer’s move to sign Solanke is currently Spurs’ transfer record. The club paid a reported £65 million to the Cherries.

In his first season he scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in his 45 appearances in all competitions.

Kevin Danso believes that there are more Tottenham fans in north London than Arsenal supporters after his first season in N17.

The 26-year-old joined Ange Postecoglou's Spurs side on loan from Lens in February before his deal was made permanent this week with a five-year contract for the centre-back and a £21million fee that makes him the second most expensive Austrian player ever.

Danso made 15 appearances in the second half of the campaign for his new employers, including one in the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao as he came off the bench to make some crucial interceptions and help Tottenham win their first trophy in 17 years.

Two days later and Danso was part of an open-topped bus parade through north London that shocked him as an estimated 220,000 Spurs fans lined the streets from Edmonton up to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"[That night in Bilbao] was and still is incredible. I hadn't even realised it on the pitch. I slid down on my knees to the fans. I didn't realise it right away; right after the game it was like a dream. It wasn't until two days later that I truly realised I was a European cup winner," the defender said to Austrian media outlet Krone while on international duty.

"If you're not in London yourself, you don't really realise what a fan base we have. From outside, you think there are more Arsenal fans in North London, but in my opinion, there are more Tottenham fans."

This season has been a rollercoaster for the centre-back. It began with a failed transfer to AS Roma after club doctors diagnosed him with heart issues. However, he had seven weeks of extensive examinations to find that there was no issue that would prevent him from playing. He kept playing for Lens to a high level and soon earned the move to Tottenham and the Premier League which eventually made him a European champion.

"After the second test, it was relatively certain there was no problem, so I was reassured early on," Danso said. "It was definitely the craziest season of my career with many ups and downs, but it ended well, so everything is forgotten."

Danso's aim now is to earn himself a place as a regular starter in the heart of the Spurs backline for years to come.

"When you join a top club, there's always competition, but I'm up for the challenge," he said. "It's the only league where every team has top, top players. There isn't a single easy game there."

Tottenham are in discussions with Bayern Munich in an attempt to seal a transfer agreement for Mathys Tel, a new report has claimed.

The Frenchman joined Spurs on a six-month loan spell during the 2025 January transfer window with that deal including a £45million (€55m) option-to-buy. The 19-year-old showed glimpses of his undeniable quality but in a struggling team, at least in the Premier League, he also somewhat flattered to deceive.

As Tel was not part of Ange Postecoglou's favoured starting XI, he did not feature too often in the Europa League success, but he did provide the corner which was eventually turned home by Dominic Solanke in the second leg semi-final victory over Bodo/Glimt.

During his brief stint in north London, he contributed to four goals with just over 1,000 minutes played from a total of 20 appearances across four different competitions.

Regardless of his work ethic, that does not really justify £45million being spent to acquire his services on a permanent basis, however it is clear that value his seen in Tel and his potential. According to Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, the Lilywhites want to keep him.

However, he has claimed that a new idea in the negotiations that have taken place over the last few weeks is for him to arrive on loan again and this time there be an obligation-to-buy. In order to find a solution, it is said that Bayern's sporting director Max Eberl has been in intense talks with Spurs

That scenario playing out is potentially favourable for both parties. Tottenham get Tel's services again and have another nine months to develop certain aspects of his game before then committing to a fee which would also allow permanent signings to be made this summer in other areas of the pitch.

For Bayern, they know that a guaranteed sum of money will be coming there way alongside a loan fee. Unfortunately, there is so much chaos currently ongoing at Tottenham, it is hard to see if this is a good move or not depending with Ange Postecoglou's future likely key.

Despite winning a European trophy, he could be relieved of his duties as head coach with chairman Daniel Levy having the final say. Though that victory came two weeks ago, with the transfer window also now open, there has been no official communication from the club as of yet but two statements confirming exits have arrived.

The first of those was to announce that Donna-Marie Cullen would be departing the club with Vinai Venkatesham taking over as CEO.

Tottenham's kits in the Champions League next season will bear a subtle change following that victorious evening in Bilbao.

Ange Postecoglou's men not only lifted their first trophy in 17 years and first European title in more than four decades with the victory against Manchester United in last month's Europa League final in Spain but they also secured a return to Champions League football next season.

This week Spurs unveiled their new Nike home shirt for the 2025/26 season and within that launch came a little nugget of information about what will be different on the club's kits when they play in Europe's elite club competition in the coming campaign.

It's something that is only afforded to a very specific team each year as instead of the usual Champions League badge which adorns the sleeves of players in the competition, Tottenham's Champions League logo will instead be encircled by the capped-up words "UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE 2025 WINNERS".

Tottenham, who often wear all white in Europe when wearing their home shirt, have also confirmed that fans can get the special sleeve badge on their own kits when they buy them from the club.

Spurs' kit launch video this week contained a nod towards one of the north London club's darkest days in the modern era. When former defender Ledley King mentioned the word 'sickness' so the camera panned to a shot of a plate of lasagne, bringing back painful memories of the 'lasagne-gate' incident in the final game of the 2005/06 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.

However, Spurs will now return to that lucrative competition next season and they will do so with their trophy-winning status shown on the badge on their sleeves.

Tottenham currently have a large squad and plenty of contract issues to be dealt with in the months ahead while some situations could decide what happens in the summer transfer window.

Spurs' policy of signing young players for the future kicked up a notch under head coach Ange Postecoglou and technical director Johan Lange which has meant teenagers such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Luka Vuskovic arrived on long contracts with plenty of potential for the future.

There has been a major rebuild of the Tottenham squad in the past couple of years under the Australian but there are also a number of contract decisions to be made on some of the senior players within the club. Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman, Sergio Reguilon and Timo Werner have all left N17 on the expiry of their contracts in north London but there are more contracts coming to a close on the horizon.

Here's when every Spurs players' contract comes to its conclusion and the decisions to be made in the months and years ahead. It's also worth noting that sometimes Tottenham include an extra year's option as part of an announced contract length or conversely sometimes there is an extra year option on top that the club do not make public.

Ben Davies

Mathys Tel

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

We've included Hojbjerg in this list only because his contract currently still rests with the club until the end of this month, but he is set to join Marseille when that ends because the French club have an obligation to buy the Dane.

When it comes to Ben Davies, the expectation has always been that Spurs will take up the extra year on his contract to take it to 2026. However, it's not out of the question that the Welshman could still depart this summer if a move arises for him with Leeds United among those linked with the versatile defender. Spurs would get a fee if they extended his deal with the option.

While Spurs announced the departure of the on-loan Werner, they did not do so for Mathys Tel. Tottenham are expected to try to negotiate a better deal for the 20-year-old attacker with Bayern for either a vastly reduced price or another loan with a chance to buy him afterwards.

Son Heung-min

Rodrigo Bentancur

Yves Bissouma

Bryan Gil

Matthew Craig

The big name on here is of course the captain Son Heung-min as in January Spurs exercised the option to extend his contract to 2026. The South Korean star has been linked with a move away this summer, most recently to the Saudi Pro League, but it's worth remembering not only that he played with a foot injury for a chunk of this season which hampered his performances and then eventually forced him out of the side, but also how much he is worth to Tottenham financially as the most popular player in Asia.

Tottenham will also have to decide whether they are going to extend the deals of Rodrigo Bentancur and/or Yves Bissouma as they enter the final year of their respective contracts. Bentancur appears more likely currently to secure a new deal while the club could look to see what offers come in for Bissouma this summer.

Bryan Gil, on loan this season at Girona, expects to move on, while academy midfielder Matthew Craig is unlikely to break into the first team set-up at this stage after a series of loan moves in recent seasons and could leave this summer as well.

Cristian Romero

Richarlison

Mikey Moore

Alfie Devine

Dane Scarlett

Josh Keeley

George Abbott

Cristian Romero is the key name here and all eyes will be on what offers come in for him this season and what amount it would take for Spurs to consider selling the World Cup winner. Much perhaps depends on the Argentine's desire to leave or sign a new contract and if there is no chance of the latter then Tottenham have a bigger decision to make.

Richarlison needs to prove he can remain fit for an extended period of time. He is back in the Brazil squad and has made an impact for Spurs whenever he's been fit, but that's just not been enough. You would imagine if a decent bid comes in then the north London club would consider it, but would the player?

Spurs are looking to tie Mikey Moore down for the longer term with a deal for his 18th birthday this summer while both Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett are at that crossroads after a string of loans where they and the club need to decide if that pattern continues or whether they can break through at Spurs.

Josh Keeley is set for a new contract at the club and George Abbott could well join him and both will be looking for loans to a higher level next season after big experiences during this campaign.

James Maddison

Dejan Kulusevski

Pedro Porro

Guglielmo Vicario

Djed Spence

Manor Solomon

Ashley Phillips

Damola Ajayi

A few in this category will be in line for new contracts in the coming months. Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski will be pushing for that as would Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison has made his case with 23 goal involvements in 45 matches. That his current contract ends when he will be heading towards 32 might be the only reason Spurs pause.

Djed Spence earned himself an extended deal during the season after turning around his time at the club while Ashley Phillips will be looking to make an impression this summer to stop being that young defender out on loan. Damola Ajayi scored his first goal for Tottenham this season on his debut and could get a loan out while Manor Solomon's time at Spurs is likely to come to an end unless there's a big change in his circumstances.

Brennan Johnson

Micky van de Ven

Wilson Odobert

Brandon Austin

Jamie Donley

Alejo Veliz

Alfie Dorrington

Will Lankshear

Callum Olusesi

Plenty of time on the contracts for those in this category with Brennan Johnson, Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert all sure to be part of the immediate future for Spurs.

Brandon Austin getting his game time this season and the experience now of playing in the Premier League means he is the established homegrown goalkeeper at the club looking to push Vicario and Antonin Kinsky.

Donley, Lankshear, Dorrington and Olusesi could all get loans next season if none are kept if they shine in pre-season and also because Spurs have so few homegrown players. It is the latter problem that means Veliz is likely to head off again either on loan or permanently.

Dominic Solanke

Archie Gray

Destiny Udogie

Pape Matar Sarr

Kevin Danso

Radu Dragusin

Luka Vuskovic

Yang Min-Hyeok

There are plenty of players in this year group for the present and future on long contracts and Kevin Danso joined them when he officially signed a five-year contract as his move from Lens became permanent this month.

Luka Vuskovic also arrives this summer with a long deal until 2030 and a few other players are expected to join him in this group over the next few months.

Lucas Bergvall

Antonin Kinksy

These two young men are locked into the club for the longest amount of time - barring unpublicised extra year options among the group above - Lucas Bergvall and Antonin Kinsky are seen as Spurs players for the very long-term future.

Bergvall had not even finished his first season at the club before his contract was bumped up and extended and he then went on to sweep up the supporters' awards for the campaign.

Again, you may well see some additions to this category in the months ahead with new contracts and new signings.

Ryan Mason bid farewell to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday evening after taking on the head coach role at Championship side West Brom. After returning to Tottenham in a coaching capacity in 2018 and later becoming interim head coach in 2021 and 2023, the former midfielder was appointed as one of Ange Postecoglou's assistants ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Following links with a number of jobs over the past couple of years, the 33-year-old has now departed Tottenham to move to The Hawthorns. Mason has signed a three-year contract with the Baggies.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed Head Coach of West Bromwich Albion,” he told West Brom's official website. “This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fan base and I am excited about what we can achieve together.

“Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started. I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Following Mason's switch to the West Midlands, he may well return to Tottenham in the summer and look to sign a couple of the club's youngsters on loan as he builds his West Brom squad. So who exactly could he potentially take with him? football.london takes a look below.

Josh Keeley

The Championship appears to be the next step for Josh Keeley after his heroics in League One for Leyton Orient. It remains to be seen what West Brom will do with their No.1 spot in the summer as they did lose first-choice goalkeeper Alex Palmer to Ipswich Town in the winter market and he was replaced in goal by Josh Griffiths after his time on loan with Bristol Rovers.

If Mason and West Brom are to look for another goalkeeper ahead of the new term, Tottenham may have the perfect shot-stopper for them.

Jamie Donley

All Tottenham fans will be hoping Jamie Donley gets a chance in pre-season after making such a name for himself on loan at Leyton Orient. The academy ace contributed with eight goals and 11 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions and it's clear to see that he has a very exciting future ahead of him.

If he's not to be part of the Tottenham first-team squad next season then a loan move to the Championship would be perfect for his development. He could flourish at The Hawthorns under Mason.

George Abbott

George Abbott was a real loan success story for Tottenham in the 2024/25 campaign. At a time when players such as Manor Solomon and Donley dominated the headlines, the versatile player was outstanding in his 44 appearances for League Two outfit Notts County, notably chipping in with a couple of wonder goals along the way.

Abbott may well get a shot in Tottenham's pre-season plans but another loan switch looks the most likely option in 2025/26. A step up from League Two to the Championship would be quite the jump but Abbott has all the qualities to handle it.

Mason clearly rates Abbott highly, handing the youngster his senior Tottenham debut at Leeds United on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.

Will Lankshear

Will Lankshear joined West Brom on loan during the January transfer window but he was limited in terms of his game time under Tony Mowbray following the late addition of fellow striker Adam Armstrong. Things may not have worked out for the youngster at The Hawthorns during the 2024/25 season but could things be different under a new manager?

Mason knows exactly what Lankshear can produce in front of goal.

Mikey Moore

Tottenham have a decision to make over Mikey Moore heading into the new season. The winger did look good in some of his first-team appearances in 2024/25 but in others he really struggled to make an impact on the pitch.

A loan move could just be what he needs to take the next step in his development and also get used to first-team football week in, week out. He could be a real hit in the Championship with West Brom.

Dane Scarlett

Dane Scarlett was recalled to Tottenham from Oxford United in January and he made an impact in his game time under Postecoglou. The regular starts the academy graduate is desperate for have alluded him in his past few loan spells and it remains to be seen if he will head out on loan again or remain in N17.

Scarlett can be a good third-choice striker option for Tottenham in the 2025/26 season if he is to stay for the time being.

Yang Min-hyeok

Yang Min-hyeok will be desperate to make his case in his first pre-season with Tottenham. The South Korean youngster did catch the eye during his time on loan at QPR and another temporary deal could be in the offing.

It will be up to Spurs whether he stays at the club, goes on loan to the Championship or heads to another division entirely.

Ashley Phillips

It's hard to see Ashley Phillips getting a decent amount of game time at Tottenham due to the players ahead of him in the pecking order. Spending the past 18 months on loan in the Championship, another switch to England's second division could potentially happen once again.

All Phillips can do is make his case in pre-season and wait on Tottenham's decision.

Alfie Devine

Alfie Devine has impressed on Tottenham's last two pre-season tours but has subsequently spent the past two campaigns out on loan. Devine has enjoyed a good season in Belgium with Westerlo and one more loan spell probably will come his way in 2025/26.

The attacking midfielder's time on loan in the Championship was mixed and he will undoubtedly want another crack at it as he looks to become a Spurs regular in the future.

Alfie Dorrington

Alfie Dorrington got some much-needed first-team experience to his name with a loan spell at Aberdeen in the second half of the season. The centre-back did feature regular and he left The Dons with a Scottish Cup winners' medal after they beat Celtic in the final last month.

Dorrington requires regular football once again next season, with the Championship perhaps the ideal next step for him.

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."